Westgate

Westgate was a seedy and squalid metropolis—with a history in piracy, powerful crime syndicates, and nameless vampiric crime-lords. Westgate thrived on black-market trade and corruption, and was perhaps one of the most sordid cities in all of Faerûn. The legacy of scoundrels and spies was found in every alley, and danger lurked for the unprepared in every corner. Despite this, it was the largest and most powerful city on the Dragon Coast.

It was an open city that welcomed all travelers and citizens alike as long as they abided by the local laws and, of course, had enough coin.

It was probably the oldest, richest and most corrupt port on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It received the nickname "Gateway to the West" from its role as the Inner Sea's most prolific port city.

"Ah, Westgate. They say that this is the city where anything goes and everything has a price, and that's pretty much the truth. It's the most powerful city on the Dragon Coast and the most ruthless. My advice is to watch your back at all times, or get someone to do it for you.” — The First Mate of the Sea Serpent.

Society

Religion

Westhavians tolerated the worship of a wide variety of gods, including evil gods, and were proud of their openness. The city's corruption extended to religious matters also, with clerics of some temples secretly pocketing donations. Many temples were all to happy to sell spellcasting services or healing potions to adventurers, as a way to earn coin.

Demonym

A person from Westgate was known as a Westar or a Westhavian.

Culture

One local chapbook of note was a mean-spirited Ambritur's Whip. The publication was penned by anonymous contributors and focused on negative coverage of local establishments and events, as well as spreading gossip and rumors.

Government

For over a thousand years, Westgate was ruled by various kings, but since Year of the Cockatrice, 1248 DR Westgate has been ruled as a republic. While in theory this allowed rule by the common people, in practice the corruption and criminality of Westgate allowed for continued rule by an oligarchy of merchant lords.

History

This area of the Dragon Coast was first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughly 1,000 years before the Standing Stone was erected in Cormanthor. The largest settlment was the human town of Westgate, ruled cruelly by the great topaz dragon Kisonraathiisar.

In the Year of Bold Poachers, −349 DR, Saldrinar destroyed Kisonraathiisar and became Westgate's first human king.

In the Year of Foul Awakenings, −286 DR, the vampire Orlak and a small army of mercenaries captured the city in a single night. Orlak proclaimed himself the Night King and ruled until he is defeated by a group of Lathander-worshiping paladins in the Year of Many Harvests, −157 DR.

In the Year of the Speaking Mountain, 257 DR, pirates from the Pirate Isles invaded Westgate and began the 200-year-long reign of the Pirate Kings.

In the Year of the Cat's Eye, 429 DR the Chondathan mercenary captain Mulsantir Illistine attacked Westgate and overthrew the pirate kings.

In the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, Westgate faced unrest caused by a guild war between the infamous Night Masks and a new organization knows as the Ebon Claws. The two gangs erupted the streets of Westgate in violence at night so new visitors to the city were warned.

After the Spellplague, the Sea of Fallen Stars began to drain into the Underdark. The lower water level caused the shoreline to recede and, for a time, the harbor of Westgate was left high and dry. The docks were rebuilt on the new shoreline and the new dock area was known as Tidetown.

With the rise of the Abolethic Sovereignty, Westgate came to be known as the only port on the Sea of Fallen Stars that had never come under attack from the aboleths. By the late 15th century DR, this had led to rumors of dark deals having been made to ensure the city's safety, and indeed it did seem to enjoy some measure of special protection.

During the Second Sundering the Great Rain caused the level of the Sea of Fallen Stars to rise, making flooding in Westgate commonplace. These tidal floods caused many structures to collapse, which in turn revealed the formerly hidden entrances to dungeons built in Tidetown.

Foreign Policy

By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, Westgate was one of the few free cities left on the Dragon Coast not occupied by either Cormyr or Sembia. In order to preserve its independence Westgate played both powers against each other, perhaps even supporting insurrections within Cormyr's borders to stem its expansionism.

Later, in the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant, 1487 DR, following the collapse of the Shadovar-controlled Sembians, the primary foe of Westgate was Cormyr.

Local expressions - Slang

Pigeon pinch

An ambush during which a courier is attacked by two groups of enemies: one to distract the target and its allies, the other to steal whatever it's carrying.

Notable Locations

• Inns, Taverns, and Festhalls
• Bent Mermaid Inn
• Big Edna's Tavern
• The Black Boot
• Black Eye (tavern and festhall)
• Blais House Inn
• Blue Banner (tavern and inn in the Shou Quarter)
• The Empty Fish Tavern
• The Gatereach Inn
• Gentle Moon Inn
• Jolly Warrior Inn
• Leaning Man Inn
• Lilda's (festhall in The Shore ward)
• The Old Beard Tavern
• Purple Lady Festhall (owned by Ilira Nathalan)
• Rising Raven Inn and Rooming House
• The Rosebud Tavern
• Rotten Root Tavern
• The Spitting Cockatrice (inn)
• The Westward Eye (inn)

Shops

• Aurora's Emporium: curio shop
• Gondeth's Mageries: magic shop
• House of Silks: fine textiles shop
• Chalaratha's Fragrances: perfume shop and factory
• Dawn's Dress Shop
• Imryth Tower (residence of Audara Imryth, potion shop, and Harper safehouse)
• Myrkeer House: merchant house of Shalush Myrkeer
• The Blind Eye: tack, harness, and trail goods shop; major fence of stolen goods.

Temples to Good Gods

• Morningstar Haven: Temple of Lathander
• Fortuneboon Hall: Temple of Tymora
• House of Ilmater: Temple of Ilmater
• Abbey of the Blinding Truth: Temple of Tyr
• A shrine to Sune A shrine to Chauntea could be found in the Eastern part of the city

Temples to Neutral Gods

• House of the Sun: Temple of Amaunator
• House of the Wheel: Temple of Gond
• The Hidden House: Temple of Leira (subterranean)
• House of Steel: Abandoned Temple of Garagos and subterranean lair of the vampire Kirenkirsalai.

Temples to Evil Gods

• Whitecap Hall: Temple of Umberlee
• House of Winds: Temple of Talos
• Painbliss Hall: Temple of Loviatar
• The Place of Waiting Death: Temple of Talona (subterranean)
• House of Spires and Shadows: Temple of Mask; also called The Shadowspires. Abandoned circa 1480 DR.

Other Locations

• Westlight: The Harbor Tower lighthouse.
• Westgate's stout city walls had six gates. Counter-clockwise from the northernmost gate: The Water Gate, The West Gate, Mulsantir's Gate, The South Gate, The River Gate, and The East Gate.
• The Shore: A slum district, just outside The Water Gate.
• Shou Quarter: District home of many immigrants from Shou.
• Castle Thalavar: Gedrin Thalavar's childhood home and headquarters of the Eye of Justice.
• Lair of the Night Masters: Formerly the lair of the vampire Orbahk.
• Tidetown: New dock district built after the sea level of the Sea of Fallen Stars dropped.
• Darkdance Manor: Home of House Darkdance and ancestral home of Myrin Darkdance.
• Timeless Blade: A Fencing school.
• The Quivering Thumb: Gladiatorial games with gambling.

Inhabitants

• Archadamius Luciard: An elven merchant and wizard from Westgate.
• Gedrin Thalavar: Founder of the Eye of Justice.
• Chalaratha: Known as The Dancing Maiden, she owned Chalaratha's Fragrances.
• Verovan Lorndessar: last King of Westgate who during a ship race against the Red Wizards of Thay was tricked into turning his whole crew into stone; the Red Wizards had secretly replaced his whip with one braided with a cockatrice feather.
• Jaundamicar Bleth: Head of House Bleth, leader of Fire Knives in Westgate, and First Lord of the city.
• Mintassan the Magnificent.
• Levia Shadewalker: The half-elf spymistress of the Eye of Justice.
• Plaguechanged Thing: A dwarf excavator that was magically transmuted by the Spellplague into a huge blob of protoplasm[47] extending over a mile in length in the caverns below Westgate. It had enhanced psionic powers

Organizations and Factions

• Eye of Justice: Paladin order dedicated to the worship of the Threefold God.
• Fire Knives: Assassins' guild at war with the Nine Golden Swords.
• Night Masks: Thieves guild driven out of Westgate by the Eye of Justice in 1391 DR.
• Nine Golden Swords: Shou organization with criminal roots by way of Telflamm; opposes the Fire Knives.
• Zhentarim: A mercenary company.
• Mercenaries' Guild of Westgate: A mercenary company.

Noble Houses

• Athagdal: symbol is a set of russet weighing scales
• Bleth: symbol is seven suns
• Cormaeril: symbol is a red wyvern and a silver horn
• Dhostar (defunct): symbol was a wagon wheel topped with three stars
• Guldar: symbol is a black hawk
• Malavhan: symbol is a red sun
• Ssemm: symbol is an ivory bird's claw
• Thalavar: symbol is a green feather
• Thorsar: symbol is a blue hand holding corn
• Urdo: symbol is a yellow eye
• Vhammos: symbol is a steel-gray open hand