Elturel

Elturel (pronounced: /ˈɛltɜːrˌɛl/ ELL-tur-ELL15) was a city-state lying on the River Chionthar in the Western Heartlands. In the mid–14th century DR, it was a center for agriculture and trade in the region, and was renowned for its elite mounted defenders, the Hellriders.15910113 In the late 15th century DR, it was the capital of the realm of Elturgard, a theocracy of Torm the True and defended by its paladin knighthood, the Order of the Companion.

Demographics

In 1358 DR, Elturel had a registered population of 26,778 citizens, but the real population fluctuated from 29,000 in winter to 33,000 in summer.9 Much of this population was transient, being traders and travelers just passing through.1117 In event of war, plague, or orc horde, farmers of the Fields of the Dead could take refuge in the city; the warehouses and cellars could briefly shelter over 400,000 people.9 In 1372 DR, the official population was given as 22,671.3 In 1479 DR, it had a population of around 17,000.2

The Elturians were mostly Heartlanders,6 namely Chondathans and Calishites.7 A few Gurs also settled in Elturel.

Government

In the late 1400s DR, the city and Elturgard as a whole were ruled by the High Observer of Torm, a priest named Thavius Kreeg.222 Aided by a paladin knighthood, the High Observer made certain that order was maintained in the city and the realm, with the aim of bringing righteous judgment to all the Realms and "setting Faerûn aright". As in the past, they ensured the city and countryside remained safe and well-policed and that trade and agriculture were run efficiently.2 It was believed by some that Thavius ruled wisely and well for decades,22 yet he presided over harsh and rigid laws, intolerant attitudes, and inquisitions circa 1479 DR.

Defences

The city was surrounded by a stout stone wall, shielding all but the southern river side. There were two gates, on the northwest and northeast sides. Inside the eastern wall, a canal served as a partial moat.9

Elturel's main defense in the 14th and 15th centuries DR was the Hellriders, a 2000-strong elite unit of well-equipped, loyal, and close-knit mounted troops.15910113 For a city guard, they outmatched the armies of whole realms.11 They were not only the guards and police of the city, they also patrolled the River Chionthar and surrounding roads, and escorted caravans from Waterdeep to Iriaebor.159101116 They maintained guardhouses in the Fields of the Dead and warning beacons in the surrounding farmlands.911 As well as significant raids, expeditions, and punitive assaults on aggressive demihumans were commanded by Lord Dhelt, the High Rider, or by the High Watcher of Helm Berelduin Shondar.10 All Hellriders were required to give a tenth of their earnings to Elturel's coffers.151034

In the late 15th century, they were joined by the Order of the Companion, a well-armored mounted knighthood of paladins who defended the city and wider Elturgard, swore oaths to the realm and shared its goals, even if the members did not all share faith in Torm. Courageous, righteous, and zealous, they were proud of their dedication to the cause of good, their clear morals, even their intolerance. They were identified by the blazing insignia of the Companion that they wore.222 Many of the Hellriders now aspired to join the Companions.22 Both followed the Creed Resolute, swearing to serve the High Observer and the greater good, uphold Elturgard's law, and permit no difference in faith to come between them, nor to attribute the Companion to one god or another.

Industry & Trade

In the 1300s DR, Elturel was the farming center of the Fields of the Dead and thrived on the trade that passed through its domain.11 It was commonly rated as the second-most economically powerful city in the Western Heartlands after Scornubel31 and it was quite wealthy.11 Linking overland caravan and river barge trades,911 it also served as a market for farms on fertile Fields of the Dead and Chionthar banks. Thousands of cattle and sheep were assembled in Elturel every year for trade across Faerûn.9 Traders greatly appreciated the protection afforded them by the Hellriders; caravans and convoys of riverboats chose routes through Elturel's zone of control so they could relax their own security, if only for a day or two.3 Summer saw the peak of trade through the city.9

Its primary exports were livestock and the products of them, namely meat, cheese, leatherwork, wool, and glues rendered from hooves and horns. Equipment shops in the city had moderate availability of goods.9 Elturel supplied fabric and leather to Aurora's Emporium, which traded clothing and shoes.36 Elturian Grey was the premier cheese of Elturel, and was also sold through Aurora's Emporium, though counterfeits under similar names were produced.37

There was a guild of handlers who took care of loading and unloading goods, both on the wagons and on the docks. They were faithful and assisted the costers.11

After the founding of Elturgard, the port officials who handled trade in the city circa 1479 DR were overly righteous and handed exorbitant taxes and penalties to traders who showed even the slightest impiety, even banning them from setting foot inside the city. The caravans and riverboat convoys now feared to pass through there.2 Despite this, by 1489 DR, travelers were once again relieved to set foot inside Elturgard and relax their guard for a time.

Districts

The city was split into two districts: an upper city known as the High District and a lower city known as the Dock District.151011 The High District spread over the slopes of a rising, defensible hill with a rocky cliff on its south side, where it met the Chionthar. In this crowded space, the buildings were constructed of stone, with tall narrow houses topped with spires and bedecked with balconies and windows, and the cobbled streets were narrow, steep, and winding. Their cellars were dug out of the solid rock. This area was home to the city's nobility. Atop the cliff overlooking the river was the High Hall, marked by its soaring turrets and its walls encircling the summit. This was where the High Rider and later the High Observer lived, government was based, bureaucracy was managed, political and religious leaders were housed, and large commercial meetings were held.9111641 On the northeastern flank of the hill was a ravine, crossed by two bridges in the late 1400s DR: the Torm's Reach in the north and the Torm's Blade south of it, each 20 feet (6.1 meters) and consecrated in the name of Torm by runes carved into them, and warded against fiends and undead.14

The Dock District, meanwhile, covered the flatlands around. It was home to markets, stockyards, and warehouses, as well as wagon-makers and yards and officers of other trades associated with caravans. It was dirty, disorderly, and smelly, with buildings designed only for function and business.911 In the east side, it was known for hovels and warehouses clustered around the docks. In the west side there were tidier and more well-off homes and shops, and in the 1360s the area was more often being called Westerly to distinguish it as cleaner and more prosperous than the east side. Those in the east thought those in the west were lazy, soft, arrogant, and pretentious.11 In any case, by the late 1400s, houses in the lower town were for the most part of the same design as those on the hill.16

The city was not all utilitarian. The Garden, also known as "the Winter Garden" in local songs and stories, ran right through the middle of the city along the ridge of the hill, long, straight, and narrow "like the blade of a naked sword", in the words of Elminster. It began at the High Hall, where a powerful freshwater spring rose in the cellars and fed a stream that wound through the Garden and guaranteed the city's water supply, before spilling over a cliff in the north called Maiden's Leap, forming cascades that joined the canal. The Garden was an open space of woods and flowers, crossed by paths and arched bridges but keeping a wild beauty in wintertime. Elturians enjoyed meeting one another here.91116 The wealthiest citizens of the High District had their houses nearest the Garden.16

The canal began at Maiden's Leap in the north and ran east and south within the walls before joining the Chionthar. It formed a partial moat for defense and a passage for barges servicing the eastern Dock District. Four bridges crossed it.916 The canal was crossed by Maiden's Bridge just north of the cascades.35note 2

In the mid-1300s DR, Elturel was home to two major temples: Helm's Shieldhall and the High Harvest Home. Thanks to Lord Dhelt's patronage, the fortress-like Shieldhall was both the most influential temple in the city and one of the strongest temples of Helm, God of Guardians, in the North. High Watcher Berelduin Shondar ruled it with an iron fist and was aggressive in defense of the Helmite faith. The High Harvest Home, meanwhile, was dedicated to Chauntea, the Grain Goddess, and was managed by Raulauvin Oregh. Both provided aid and shelter to the faithful.91011 Another was the Temple of the Morninglord, dedicated to Lathander,12 and the secret Temple of the Beast of Malar, which was eradicated in 1281 DR.42 There were also a few shrines, to Ilmater, the Crying God; Tempus, Lord of Battles (the Hand That Swings the Sword43 Tymora, Lady Luck; and Waukeen, the Merchant's Friend, which was rededicated to Lliira, the Joybringer, by 1367 DR after Waukeen's absence in 1358 DR.91011 In the late 1400s, the city's official faith was in Torm the True, the state religion of Elturgard, and it was ruled by its high priest, the High Observer of Torm.2 However, the people commonly worshiped Torm, Helm, Lathander, Amaunator, and Tyr.1314 The "grand cemetery" lay in the westernmost past of the city, within the walls.14 Surrounded by a brass fence and gate 10 feet (3 meters), it held gravestones, statues, monuments, and mausoleums for the departed; a ossuary below ground; and a chapel dedicated to Lathander, Torm, Helm, and Tyr. It was a beautiful place, being filled with grass and flowers.44

Lord Dhelt decreed that inns and taverns could not operate under the same roof, nor could inns serve drinks, so in Elturel these were distinctly different businesses. The better inns stood in the High District, but were simply converted houses and often several neighboring houses linked into one. Those in the Dock District were simpler, not to mention noisier, but were usually the only accommodations available in summer during the trade season.9 Inns and taverns were generally good in quality.11 A Pair of Black Antlers was the best-known tavern, and a favorite of adventurers.935

Shiarra's Market was held within a town square (actually more of an egg-shape) in the eastern Dock District. It was known for crammed stalls.911 There were a number of farmers' markets.17

The Dragoneye Dealing Coster had a way-base in Elturel around 1356 DR.911451046 This was a large warehousing and shipyard area in the eastern Dock District beside the Chionthar, close to the docks.911

A six-wagon ferry crossed the Chionthar south of Elturel, linking it to Skuldask Road and taking travelers into the heart of the city.911

The Dungeon of the Inquisitor, where lawbreakers were sent in the 1400s, was a maze-like subterranean complex lying beneath Elturel. It covered excavated passages and natural caverns.

Geography

The city was situated atop a bluff or tor with a cliff dominating the River Chionthar.151011321617 This was both a good defensive position and a good crossing-point, as the river below was narrow, shallow, and easily traversed by poling barges; the city was founded here for this advantage.10 The river linked it with Berdusk, Iriaebor, and Scornubel, and to Baldur's Gate on the Sword Coast.3

The Skuldask Road ran through Elturel, linking it to Thundar's Ride in the Fields of the Dead in the northwest, and to Berdusk and Uldoon's Trail in the southwest. The lesser-used Dusk Road began at Elturel and went northeast to meet the Trade Way at Triel.1819 It was a major stop on the trade routes through the Western Heartlands.16

In the 1360s DR, Elturel laid claim to lands along the Dusk Road northeast as far as Triel, along the Skuldask Road northwest to where it met Thundar's Ride and southeast down to Windstream Lodge, and along the Chionthar upstream to Scornubel, and downstream to Stone Eagle Lodge. The border was distinct: within, the land was farmed and settled; without, wilderness reigned, the land covered in shrubs and scrub trees. Elturel's domain was characterized by agriculture, where cattle and sheep grazed, brush was cut back, and farms fenced by hedges and stone walls studded the landscape.11

After the 1430s DR, a shining orb known as the Companion or "Amaunator's Gift" hung directly over the center of the city, never setting. Only the High Observer knew if this was truly a blessing of the sun god Amaunator. This second sun produced no heat but its light illuminated the city day and night, as bright as the natural sun and burned undead of all kinds. Creatures of darkness could not even bear to look at the city. It could be seen from virtually anywhere within Elturgard, though it faded with distance.

Type

Capital