Qu'madosfan Delmah
Qu’madosfan Delmah (Elvish for “ocean home”) isn’t a city in the traditional sense, but a fleet of ships of all shapes and sizes, all sailing united under the Bregan D’aerthe banner. Refugees, sailors, families— everyone who fled the Sword Coast by taking to the sea—eventually found their way to join the mass of fleets. To date, Qu’madosfan Delmah consists of over seventy vessels, from galleons and longboats to little dinghies.
Each day is divided into a number of smaller periods, known as “anchor-set” and “anchor-rise.” Any number of anchor-sets and anchor-rises can occur each day, depending on factors like weather, food supplies, and proximity to land masses. Anchor-set provides a brief respite, where all the ships come to a stop and the crews drop wooden walkways to create an ever-changing network of paths between ships. Each ship’s Mallasargtlin—its captain—does their best to keep in formation to not considerably change the makeshift city’s layout, but they may as well try emptying the ocean. At anchor-rise the fleet’s planks are retracted, sails are raised, and the ships move again.
The curiously constructed Qu’madosfan Delmah has numerous monikers: Floating City, Sailor’s Heaven, and even Last Hope. Some say Qu’madosfan Delmah is the last place in the Realms with any sense of community, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Jarlaxle is proud of what he has created, and if he isn’t behind the wheel of the Scarlet Marpenoth leading the entire fleet, he’s in disguise, walking the planks at anchor-set to admire the folk who give his city life. For all his swashbuckling, Jarlaxle ultimately believes every ship in the Ocean Home belongs to him, the maestro, the puppet master, who even in exile pulls numerous strings—sometimes with hardly a hint of what's at the other end.
Citizenry
The varied citizens of the Ocean Home all want to flee the perils of the Sword Coast. They saw the tides shifting toward utter destruction and opted to take their chances aboard a ship. Their subsequent years at sea forced many to learn new skills, and it’s rare to meet anyone who can’t operate a sail and tie a knot. Many entrepreneurial lads and lasses aspire to captain a ship’s helm.
Magically gifted individuals—wizards, sorcerers, bards, and their ilk—are held in high regard across the Ocean Home, mostly because they provide a consistent supply of food, water, and defense against torrential weather. Sailors still cook traditional food whenever they can, however, because conjured food is no better than hardtack.
The citizens of Ocean Home truly believe that “a high tide raises all ships.” They recognize that their individual ships are far stronger together than apart, frequently marveling during anchor-set that this floating city exists because of their collaborative effort. When the weather is kind and the seas are calm, the few remaining optimists even find peace within Qu’madosfan Delmah.
Religion
Throughout history, the gods have rarely responded to prayers, so few within the fleet realize their prayers now fall entirely unheard. All religions are welcome among the fleet, assuming their rituals and prayers don’t require mortal sacrifice, acts of violence, disruption of trade, or excessive noise. Some of the larger ships have been transformed into makeshift temples of common gods including Talos, Tymora, Umberlee, Ilmater, and Oghma. Oghma’s temple-ship even contains a library of books, tomes, and scrolls, which all residents are welcome to pursue during anchor-set.
Given the shift from a life on land to one perpetually at sea, worshipers flock now to both Talos and Umberlee. Storms are deadly, and the unpredictable waves and tumultuous wind often claim the lives of the misfortunate. Donations and prayers to these two gods of the tempest are feeble attempts to placate the weather, but in times like these, faith still provides a modicum of comfort… a feeling that’s all too fleeting.
Noteworthy Information
Qu’madosfan Delmah’s people maintain every possible semblance of normality, mirroring the life many once held on solid land. Over the years the civilians have adapted, and the younger generation knows nothing other than a life at sea. Compared to the alternative, life aboard the Ocean Home is good.
Sea Festivals
To break up the monotony of sea life, many festivals akin to those in Waterdeep are held every other tenday. New festivals bolster morale and keep the flame of civilization alight. The citizens of Qu’madosfan Delmah establish traditions of their own, fostering healthy competitions of strength and mastery over the ocean that once seemed so daunting. Notable sea festivals include the Day of Delmah Ocean, where a ring of ships claims a section of the sea for a day and a night, and Umberlee’s Grace, where an empty ship is set alight and allowed to sink as a sacrifice to the Seamother.
Government
Qu’madosfan Delmah operates under a council of Mallasargtlins who vote on laws, destinations, and expansions of the fleet. The results of these votes aren’t binding, but rather, presented to Jarlaxle to have the final say. It’s rare for Jarlaxle to disregard the wishes of the majority, but occasionally his ambitions or machinations take priority. Each Mallasargtlin, through virtue of their rank, is granted a seat at the council, but those who also act as lieutenants of Bregan D’aerthe receive discretely favorable treatment. Jarlaxle is keen to play the diplomat, ensuring that everyone’s needs are met to avoid the unpleasantries of a mutiny. He speaks privately with each Mallasargtlin on a routine basis, mostly to ensure there are no surprises during a council meeting. Mallasargtlins rotate ships whenever one wishes for a change, loses their crew’s favor (or Jarlaxle’s), or gets unceremoniously flung overboard during a storm.
Defences
The fleet’s first defense is its mobility, but anyone who gets close is met with cannonfire. The fastest ships belong to elite Bregan D’aerthe crews who intercept the most dangerous attackers. As a last line of defense, magic-users ensure smooth sailing for the fleet and summon dangerous storms to sink enemies beneath the waves.
Industry & Trade
As a roaming city of ships, bartering is the name of the game, and currency is rarely used except in trade with outsiders. It falls to the shoulders of each Mallasargtlin to ensure they have enough supplies between supply runs, in which a small fleet breaks away to dock with the chosen island nation to conduct trade. There isn’t a single dock in the Sword Coast that can handle the entire fleet at once.
Some Mallasargtlins opt to pillage luxuries for their own crew or for other Mallasargtlins with expensive taste. Others enter formal trade agreements to mutually share their supplies, whereas some remain frugal, expecting the tides to turn at any point. At the very least, the Bregan D’aerthe cracks down on thieves, usurious transactions, and dragonlike hoarders to maintain fair trade between ships.
Guilds and Factions
To add your vessel to the Qu’madosfan Delmah fleet, you must first swear allegiance to Bregan D’aerthe, which controls every aspect of the fleet under Jarlaxle’s command. But remnants of the factions of old—once-proud initiates of the Emerald Enclave, Harpers, and the Order of the Gauntlet—exist within Qu’madosfan Delmah in tiny contingents.
History
Qu’madosfan Delmah had a selfish origin. Ousted from Waterdeep, with Luskan only days from falling to Vecna’s forces, Jarlaxle found his many schemes and machinations collapsing before his eyes. He fled with a few ships, a few members of the Bregan D’aerthe, and his own submersible—the Scarlet Marpenoth—to start over among the island nations.
Ever the opportunist, Jarlaxle offered wealthy or powerful refugees safe passage from the Sword Coast, planting the seed of what would become Qu’madosfan Delmah. It took a number of years for the fleet to bolster its numbers, but during its time in Waterdeep, the Bregan D’aerthe became accustomed to connecting three or more ships together. That tradition continued despite the ever-growing number of vessels, even as they added non-drow ones that required craftier lashing. Now the floating city is nearly as cosmopolitan as any mainland metropolis ever was.
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