Marsember
Marsember, also known as the City of Spices, is a large city and the busiest trade port in the entire kingdom of Cormyr.
Marsember was often shrouded in mist. The individual islands making up much of Marsember had many local names. Amongst them were Sharmran Isle, also known as Fishgut Rock, and Antanmaran's Isle, whose shape led to the name the Prow.
As it was a city of trade, its design made use of canals that doubled as open sewers. While this often caused a stench problem in warm periods, it prevented the water from freezing during the cold periods. Open areas of solid ground were a rarity here.
Defences
Ayesunder Truesilver was the Warden of the Port and was responsible for the twelve ships (with around 2,200 crew) from the Imperial Navy that were stationed in Marsember. These ships regularly patrolled the Neck, the area of the Dragonmere known for piracy. About 250 new naval crew were recruited each year, using old galleons, including Ansiber's Wrath.
There were 3000 Purple Dragons garrisoned here, who were required to learn how to swim, and wear only leather armor with metal helmets to prevent accidental drownings. They patrolled the city on skiffs and also acted as customs agents. Every few years the soldiers in Marsember were rotated to cut down on corruption.
Industry & Trade
The main trade in Marsember was spices (giving it the alternate name "City of Spices") and the local merchant companies traveled great distances to acquire these substances. The fish trade was large, with fish being caught in the Lake of Dragons. The port was a builder of ships, and mustard produced in the uplands of Cormyr was exported in Marsember. Furniture with curved edges and coiled legs, the Marsembian style, and perfumes, were produced here.
Beginning during the reign of King Palaghard II, Marsember has paid for quarry rubble from mines near Tyrluk to be dumped on the seaward side of the sandy islands of which much of the city is comprised, to prevent them being swept into the sea.
History
Marsember was originally founded on the Marsember Marsh by smugglers and pirates. Its expansion was attributable to the ease with which goods could be transported north up the Starwater River, which made it an excellent site for a port. As of the Year of the Firestars, 6 DR, it was little more than a marshy port settlement. Around the Year of Opening Doors, 26 DR, rumors circulated that Marsember was hit by a plague or a sea monster, causing more trade to head to nearby Suzail.
By the Year of the Leaping Hare, 376 DR, Marsember had been abandoned twice. It lay in ruins at that time and was used regularly by pirates. On occasion, groups of adventurers were hired to clear out the local rif-raf. Some time between then and the Year of the Sea Princes, 432 DR, merchants from Marsember spread a plague to the rest of Cormyr, infecting many in Suzail.
As of the Year of the Soft Fogs, 1188 DR, Marsember was a nominally independent city-state and was sought by Sembia. A Sembian acquisition was favored by Marsemban merchants but not by the nobility in the city; its independence made it a good place to conduct affairs away from the scrutiny of the Cormyrean population. The Sembians withdrew their attempt to seize Marsember after an assassination attempt on King Pryntaler Obarskyr failed.
The city faced many problems throughout its centuries-long existence. It had come under under threat from a variety of dangers, both human and inhuman alike. Marsember was plagued by doppelgangers, illithids, Sembians, Cult of the Dragon members, agents of the Zhentarim, and even the Shadovar.
Points of interest
Landmarks
- King's Tower, the seat of power and home to the garrison.
Inns/Shops
- Barrelstone Inn, a fairly low quality, but lively inn run by around twenty gnomes.
- The Net of Pearls, a curio and magical trinket shop owned by Tannuth Ormbyr.
Founding Date
-74 DR
Alternative Name(s)
City of Spices
Type
Large city
Population
76,000
Owning Organization
Comments