Phlan

Locations

• Inns & Taverns, there are a number of inns and taverns within the city of varying quality. Among these are:

  • The Tea Kettle (tavern) is a mystery to many. In the tumultuous Phlan, this is a place where people can go to have a drink or meal and escape the tensions of the schemers and the power-hungry. With the Tea Kettle’s reputation as a haven, adventures who can be discreet and behave themselves can often find employment there.

    • The Laughing Goblin (inn) is a famous large dark old tavern that has had better times. It is best known for it's cabbage soup and the wooden statue of a laughing goblin.

• Temples & Shrines

  • The Ruined Lyceum, this large temple was once dedicated to Bane, but in the riots following the Lord Protector’s death, it was looted and burned and its clergy slain. Shortly thereafter, Peony and Roag petitioned the Lord Reagent for permission to use the grounds as a refuge for those in need of healing or even a hot meal.

• Dockside is the name for the dangerous docks where dockworkers, sailors, and criminals mingle.

• Sokol Keep is located on Thorn Island. Owned by House Sokol, the keep has a lighthouse that is instrumental in guiding boats to the docks.

• Valhingen Graveyard, on the opposite shore of the Stojanow River, Phlan’s graveyard is a statuesque garden of flowering plants and trees. One of Cvaal Daoran’s first acts was appointing a small contingent of Kelemvor faithful to clear the graveyard of undead. They perform mortuary and interment services for the city. Since falling under their care, there has been no undead activity in the graveyard.

• Valjevo Castle, the largest structure in Phlan is home of the Cinnabar Throne, the seat of power in the city, currently occupied by Lord Reagent Ector Brahms, and his family. The castle has undergone numerous renovations in the years following the Zhentarim’s assumption of power. The castle is huge; with majestic marble and granite walls and awe-inspiring turrets.

  • Stojanow Gate, rumored to have been built by fire giants, this immense gate is the headquarters for the Knights of the Black Fist and is the sole means of egress to Valjevo Castle. Its walls are immense, 60 feet tall and half as wide, and stretch for a hundred feet to either side of the massive, iron-bound doors, which are closed only in times of war. Criminals apprehended in Phlan are imprisoned within (and most eventually hung from) the Stojanow Gate.

Creatures

• • Bugbear

• Goblins

  • Grick

  • Skeletons

  • Wolves

  • Zombies

Built in 367 DR, Phlan represents the perseverance of humans and their tenacity to bring civilization to the savage wilderness. Since its founding, it has been razed repeatedly by inhuman creatures from the north but continually rose, like the phoenix, from the ashes of its own destruction. The city’s ruler, Lord Protector Anivar Daoran is dead, and the city in disorder. The Lord Reagent, Knight Commander Ector Brahms, and greedy Noble Houses and Labor Guilds vie for control of the city. From the shadows, the Welcomers - a criminal organization turned vigilante group - work against them and for their trouble, are hunted by the remnants of the Knights of the Black Fist, the militia that struggles in vain to keep the city's peace.

Phlan has grown rich from trade with the untamed wilds to the north of the Moonsea. Those seeking their fortunes flock to Phlan before adventuring out into the enchanted Quivering Forest, the mysterious Sorcerer's Isle, and

the orc, goblin and dragon-infested Dragonspine Mountains. But even the city itself has its share of dangers and secrets. Deep beneath the city, the Pool of Radiance lies dormant; at least for now. The Cult of the Dragon and

their allies, the Red Wizards of Thay have sent agents far and wide in search of the Dragon Masks and other resources to assist them in their agenda. And somewhere within Phlan, the depths of the sleeping Pool, and the surrounding wilderness, the Cult may find just what it is that they need.

A Struggle for Peace (Phlan). Control of the city by day is in the hands of the corrupt and merciless Black Fist, but by night, a pitched battle between the establishment and the undesirable elements of society commences. The Harpers wish to clean the corruption from the establishment, the Lords’ Alliance supports stability or finding a compromise amongst the establishment and the criminals, the Emerald Enclave wants a more representative assembly to govern, the Order of the Gauntlet wants to protect the civilians caught in the machinations of the conflict, and the Zhentarim want to bring the Welcomers into their sphere of influence.

Race for Power (Storyline). The Cult of the Dragon sees the Pool of Radiance as the key to obtaining dominance in the region, believing they can harness the magic of the Pool. First however, they know they must find a way to interact with the Pool without succumbing to its maddening qualities. While they search for those answers, all the factions seek to stop them from attaining this knowledge and accessing the Pool’s gifts.

A Discourse on This Area and its Problems

To most inhabitants of the lands of the Inner Sea, the Moonsea and its cities represent the border between civilization and barbarism. The Moonsea sits like a great plug straddling the territory between the Mountains of Vaasa and the Nomad Steppes, protecting the southern territories from the incursions of savage Northerners. To the south of the Moonsea lie the civilized lands of Cormyr and Sembia. To the north lay hundreds of square miles of cold and unforgiving waste. Even when the southern kingdoms are themselves besieged by orcish hordes, dragons, and fell monsters, they take comfort in the fact that, "It's worse around the Moonsea."

The Moonsea Reaches are defined by sages as being those lands bordering on the Moonsea and its major contributing rivers. These major rivers are the Tesh, flowing past the shadowed battlements of Zhentil Keep; the Wyrmflow, a cold stream flowing from the east; the Duathamper, also called the Evenflow, beginning deep in the heart of the Elven Court and flowing north; and the Barren River which flows out of the Dragonspine Mountains and into Phlan. The River Lis carries the waters from the Moonsea south to the Inner Sea.

The Moonsea itself is an odd combination of abyssal deep spots, ship-ripping shoals, and rich fresh-water reefs. Despite this, travel across the Moonsea is generally safer than making the journey on land, so that most of the major merchant activity is by water. This is not to say that the Moonsea is without dangers. While monsters are more infrequent along the Moonsea, those that exist are generally more powerful than their landed cousins. Regions of the Moonsea are recorded as being haunted, and there have been numerous sightings of ghost ships.

The Ancient City of Phlan

Phlan was the first great city of The Moonsea, reaching its peak some thousand years ago. In those days, the Moonsea was better known as the Dragon Sea, named for the large numbers of great Wyrms that inhabited that area and the regions to the north. The Barren River was then called the Stojanow, a dwarvish word meaning 'Trade Route' for it was down this passage the ore-laden barges floated, bound for the south. Early Phlan was a trading outpost on the north shore of the Moonsea, set up to facilitate trade between the Elves of Myth Drannor (the most powerful elven capital of the time) and the tribes of Thar, Vaasa, and the Ride, as well as the Dragonspine Dwarves. Trade between the powerful elves, the wild humans, and merchant dwarves was a great success for all sides. Soon Phlan was the most powerful city on the Moonsea, outshining its only rival, the Elven Docks of Hillsfar, on the south coast.

The elves, the legend says, first discovered the Pool of Radiance. Its description has varied through the passage of the years. Many wise sages have declared it a myth and a con-man's gambit. The location of the Pool changes from tale to tale. Sometimes it is deep in the heart of an eternal wood, sometimes on an island circled by great wyrms, and sometimes in the heart of a huge solitary peak that rises above all others in the Dragonspine Mountains. It is said that the pool glows with its own energy. Those that approach it feel new power within their bones, while an unreal melody holds them in a rapture. Legends say that the Pool's power created the Quivering Forest and caused the Sorcerer's Isle to appear. The Pool is said to bring great power to the worthy, and death most horrible to the unworthy. Some tales say that the individual should drink it, bathe in it, or throw coins into it and wish. There are numerous folk tales of the wise fool stumbling upon the Pool, and gaining wondrous power or meeting a gory end. The abilities of the Pool change according to the needs of the tale-spinner. In any event, a trader or adventurer who encounters a sudden windfall or great riches is said to have 'visited the Pool'.

Whether the Pool is real or some literary invention, the First City of Phlan (also called Archaic Phlan) survived in peace for many generations of men. In the end, outside influences brought about its downfall. Settlers began to intrude from the lands of Cormyr and Sembia into the south of the Elven Court. At the same time, the beast-men of Thar, which are today called ogres, began gathering into large hordes, ravaging the countryside. Phlan built mighty walls and withstood a decade of constant invasion. In the end, its fate was sealed by the elves withdrawing within the Court combined with the dwarves pulling back into western reaches of the Dragonspine Mountains. With its trading lifeline cut, Phlan fell into disrepair. When the Black Horde finally demolished the city walls in the Year of the Tusk (112 DR), they found little but an empty husk. The greatness that was Ancient Phlan had passed.

In the Year of Shying Eyes (367 DR), the elves planted the Quivering Forest north of the city. This copse was mildly enchanted, hastening the growing season to produce a great woods in the span of a human generation. Though the woods have been felled on a number of occasions, it has always returned to its original form, becoming a light woods within two years, and a deep shadow-filled forest by the end of a man's life.

Greathammer and the first rebirth of Phlan

Phlan remained relatively uninhabited for the next 500 years.  The city's position at the mouth of the mouth of the Stojanow did make it a useful meeting place for traders. Twice during this period a pirate community grew on the ruins of Phlan. The first time they were burned out by a navy sailing from Mulmaster. The second time a group known as the Red Horde, led by a red dragon of incredible age, leveled the community. Following this attack, buccaneers never regained their power in the Moonsea (though small bands still persist).

With time, the civilizations of man moved further north, the greater beasts did not retreat far. Dragons nested in the Dragonspine Mountains, ogres raided from the Great Gray Land of Thar, and horrible undead things fingered in the swamps and in the passes through to Vaasa.

Hillsfar retained its elven ties and flourished even as Phlan's power was deteriorating, growing from a small town into a large prosperous city. The foundations of Zhentil Keep and Mulmaster were laid while Phlan lay in ruins. Small towns such as Melvaunt, Thentia and Elmwood were started during this period. The inland city of Yulash, situated atop a great mount that dominates the south-western corner of the lake, rose to the zenith of its power during this time.

In 712 DR, the year of the Moon's Tears, Milsor the Valjevo, Founder of the Valjevo Dynasty, journeyed to Phlan to re-establish the city as a trading outpost. He was aided in his task by the Wizard Rimon and the Priestess Alonius of Tyr.

Milsor, Rimon, and Alonius gathered together interested adventurers and cleansed the city of the evil orcs and goblins that had made it their lair. They cleared banks of the Stojanow and drove the arch-lich Zanakar from the Sorcerer s Island in the center of Lake Kuto. In return for his efforts, Rimon was given the Sorcerer s Island as his home. Alonius, in turn, was given a wide area in the recovered regions of Phlan as a temple to Tyr, the god of justice.

By 750 DR the temple complex had been finished.  In its day, it was said to be the largest temple of good in the entire North. They city as well had recovered, and large numbers of immigrants arrived. Some were natives of other Moonsea cities seeking to make or expand their fortunes in the new lands. But others arrived as well, including men of the Dalelands and Sembians, as well as farmers and lumbermen, intent on making the region their home.

The newcomers built on the ruins of the old city, often not checking what had lay beneath their foundations. Some curious souls reported great, twisting passages leading far beneath the earth. Exploring such areas was first discouraged. It was later outlawed after a party of adventurers freed an extremely large beholder. The newcomers, led by Valjevo and his heirs., closed off the passages choosing to ignore the past and seeking only the future for their city.

The dalesmen spread up the Stojanow River.  They diverted the river's flow and turned the rocky terrain into a rich landscape of fields and orchards. The reach of the farmlands extended from Lake Kuto to the city of Phlan at the mouth of the river. Some say the land was so rich because of the proximity of the enchanted Quivering Forest. Others ascribe the bounty to the wizardries of Rimon. Still others credit the series of dikes and levees that the farmers, aided by magical spells, used to harness the river itself. Whatever the cause, the healthy harvest of the Stojanow River Valley provided Phlan with a solid trading base. For the next 200 years Phlan was the center of trade around the Moonsea. Its grains, fruits, and tubers filled vaults from Mulmaster to Zhentil Keep. It appeared that civilization, after a false start, had finally made a major foothold in the lands north of the Moonsea.

Such was not to be the case, for the forces of good and evil ebb and flow like the shores of the Moonsea itself. In the 195th year of Phlan, (907 DR), the golden age ended in rust. A plant ruse, which affected most of the farmlands around Phlan, destroyed harvest for the next three years. Suddenly the Moonsea reaches were in the grips of a powerful famine, relieved at great cost with shipments from the south. There was great suffering, and other cities, once so enamored of Phlan's gentle power, were resentful that it had failed.

The native Phlanars were resentful as well.  Their once good rulers had fallen into a sloth and ease in the centuries since the re-establishment of the city. The Valjevo blood was said to run thin in the Princes and Princesses of Phlan. They reacted to the plague infesting the grain by first ignoring it, then setting up committees, and finally legislating it out of existence. Only when the magnitude of the problem became clear, did they act. Even then they failed their people, overreacting to the point of placing a ban on all shipments out of the city, seeking to keep what supplies were left for the native population.

The other cities, already angry with Phlan for its rising prices in the face of the plague, rebelled against this new measure. Fleets form Mulmaster and Hillsfar began to raid cargoes destined the city. Smugglers operated out of the Twilight March and Stormy Bay despite official attempts to enforce the ban on shipments.

A large land force equipped with siege machinery set out from Zhentil Keep toward Phlan. The force encamped at Stormy Bay while the ruling heads of Phlan negotiated to spare the city. In the end, the Keeper force was turned back through a massive payment to their leaders. These leaders were the first appearance in Phlan record of the Zhentarim which would increase in power over the next 300 years.

During this activity, Rimon, now old in the ways that only wizards can be old, disappeared from his rocky abode. What became of Rimon is unknown, for the rulers of Phlan had not sought his council for a generation. Some say he became a lich himself, using the methods discovered by Zanakar. Others say that he sacrificed himself in battle on a far-distant plane in order to save the lands of Phlan. Still others state that he had found the Pool of Radiance and became a great and powerful being in some other part of the Realms. Most likely Rimon merely fell prey to the effects of old age as all mortals do. Whatever the cause, Rimon was never seen again in the Realms, and his citadel became a haunted, abandoned ruin within a decade.

The Famine of the Red Plants passed after three seasons, and an abundant harvest returned to Phlan. But the harvests were never to be as great as before, not the fruit from the orchards as sweet. Whatever magic, true of imagined, that had reestablished Phlan passed. The city began to become gray and ordinary, losing power to the Keepers and the men of Mulmaster. The golden age was over.

The Valjevo Princes, their blood thin indeed, continued for another century. The century was filled with petty wars between the various city-states. No longer the leading city of the Moonsea, Phlan battled with its rival more often. Piracy, or rather privateering, was on the rise, a situation that continues to this day among the city-states. Phlan was wracked by interior torments as well.  The people of the city were well aware of their loss of power and prestige. Farms north of Phlan were now being abandoned. Dark shadows lurked between the massive trunks of the trees in the Quivering Forest. An attempt to clear a path through that growth in the Year of the Pirate’s Trove (1023 DR) resulted in the death of the last surviving Great Prince of the Valjevo family.

The death of the Great Prince resulted in a three-year civil war within the city, as various function s supported different candidates to take the mantle of the Great Prince. All candidates claims upon the royal blood were questionable and every faction sought to control Phlan's future through placing their choice on the throne. During this time, the great temple of Tyr was looted and burned, leaving only a great blackened shell. Many of the leading merchant families fled to other climes.

In the end, the last survivor was a young noble supported by a group of powerful merchants. They created the first Council of Phlan to act as regents for the youth. The Council spoiled the child, who grew into a spoiled man who was unable and unwilling to take the reins of power. He died without issue forty years later, and the Council has ruled ever since.

The fall of Phlan

The last 300 years of Phlan have been a continued retreat form the greatness that once was. Smaller rural towns were abandoned in the face of increasing evil to the north. Sorcerer's Isle was said to be inhabited again by fell powers. The city fell back upon that which it did so well so long ago: trading. It began to serve again as the middleman between the new powerful Northern tribes and the established nations of the South. For a shot time, about a hundred years ago, the awful tide of retreat seemed to be halted and the city was on its way to becoming a prosperous trading town once more.

Yet dark things continued to lurk on the borders of Phlan.  Sorcerers Island was said to be inhabited by Yarash, an evil mage who was said to be seeking Rimon's power, the Arch-Lich's magic, the Pool of Radiance, or all three. The greatly diminished Dwarven Nations of Dragonspine reported great hordes of orcs and ogres attacking their citadels, and their barge trade came to a complete halt. Small towns and hamlets were raided and burned with increasing regularity, sending refugees to Phlan seeking passage to safer lands.

In the Year of Thunder (1306 DR), a dragon invasion known as the Dragon Run swept out of the Moonsea North and fell upon Phlan. Due in part to the Moonsea war, none of the other Moonsea cities came to Phlan’s aid. Raiders from the north, aided by dragons and other dangerous creatures, poured down out of the northlands. The Quivering Forest was burned in a massive fire that dominated the sky for a month. Monstrous hordes containing every imaginable creature marched with horrifying precision toward the city. As a result, Phlan was once again laid to waste. As always, Phlan rebuilt. 

Decades prior to this, an entity known as Tyranthraxus corrupted and possessed a bronze dragon named Srossar after convincing it to bathe in a Pool of Radiance buried beneath the ruins of Castle Valjevo.. Tyranthraxus would later be discovered and subsequently defeated by a group of adventurers. Tyranthraxus, in his flight, turned the Pool of Radiance into a pool of non-magical water. After the defeat of Tyranthraxus, work began on rebuilding Phlan. Progress was slow, but steady. Phlan would know over ten years of peace.

The Council debated, argued, and debated again while the hordes drew nearer, much as the last Valjevo Princes did in their long-ago folly. Finally, they chose to fight, but were overwhelmed by the forces of orc and dragon. Phlan burned and fell to the forces of evil, who looted and pillaged that which remained. The last remanants of the Council stood their ground, trying to evacuate as many citizens as possible. Of the council members, the Last Priest of Tyr, Ferran Martinex, held the last garrison, Sokal Keep, which stood at the mouth of the Barren River. It is said that Ferran placed a terrible curse upon the Keep to prevent anyone from taking it.

In the end, even the waters of the Stojanow river turned poisonous and murky, and the river took its present name, the Barren. The rich farmlands of the Stojanow River Valley were laid waste and became known as the Scoured Lands.

The reemergence of Phlan

That should have been the end of Phlan's story, but it is not so. Men remember the tales of Valjevo, who brought the first city of Phlan back from its ruins. Adventurers, smugglers, and small traders visited the region and brought back tales of Phlan under control of its evil masters. Many of the buildings were burned, but many others were spared. The shell of the temple of Tyr had been rebuilt, dedicated to some darker, more evil god. Zhentarim spies and agents of dark Vaasan nobles met and planned in Phlan, and the riches of the ages still survive for those who sought to look.

In time, more modest men returned to Phlan to rebuild her. A stockaded community roe from among the rubble of the past glories. These men intended to engage in the same profession as those before them, for Phlan still occupied a prime position for trading on the Moonsea. However, until the city was cleared, the Barren River made clean, and the competing city states pacified, Phlan was likely to stay in impoverished ruins.

In the Year of the Worm (1356 DR), two things happened that would mean a change of Phlan's future. First was the Flight of the Dragons that surged through the northern regions of the lands of the Inner Sea. Due to a cause unknown, great wyrms come down from the far north destroying all in their path. These are not the rare, opportunistic dragons seeking alliance with humanoid tribes, but rather huge waves of angry scaled monsters, bringing destruction where they travel.

Many of the Moonsea and Daletowns suffered great destruction in the battles that followed. Yulash was utterly ruined by the attack, and Hillsfar was greatly damaged. The most telling blow was delivered by the body of a great dragon that fell into the Hillsfar harbor, blocking that entrance for a month. The city was reclaimed by Zhentil Keep in 1375 DR, and within half a decade, the city’s previous system of rule was replaced by the tyranny of Zhentarim Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran. Daoran’s ascension as the Lord Protector of Phlan may have saved the city, however. In 1380 DR Year of the Blazing Hand, Phlan forged an alliance with the fey (some say dark fey) of the Quivering Forest. Jeny Greenteeth was one of the fey who entered into the original pact. During the Shadowbane War of 1383 DR, Daoran’s alliance with fey from the Quivering Forest spared it from the fate of Zhentil Keep; which, along with the nearby Citadel of the Raven, would be ultimately destroyed by the Netherese.

Much of Phlan was also smashed into a smoking ruin by these beasts. Strangely, it worked in the favor of those men who lived there. Most of the damage was taken in the already-ruined section of the city, where various evil warlords vied for control and riches. The attack of the dragons broke their power, creating a vacuum in the control of the city and giving the men of Phlan a chance to re-establish themselves and their homes. Yet this would not occur without leaders, and the reappearance of the Council of Phlan was the second great thing to occur in the city. Descendants of the last Council still survived all the turmoil that had occurred, and many families wished to return to the land. These leaders were no great mages or wondrous fighters, but traders, merchants, and clerics. Their leaders, who remain to this day, were the shrewd and powerful trader Ulrich Eberhard, the retired mercenary captain Werner Von Urslingen, and the Bishop of Braccio of Tyr. They have been joined by their junior member, Porphyrys of the ancient House Cadorna.

Together the council has proposed exactly that which Valjevo accomplished so long ago, clearing the city by means of recruited adventurers. The promise of great treasure and the myth of the Pool of Radiance provided adventurers with an irresistible draw. The Council published notices and paid traveling bards to make sure that the story of Phlan's waiting riches was distributed all around the Moonsea and beyond.

Recent History

The city of Phlan, built on ruins upon ruins, is a city at war. It is divided between the human forces of the Council, and those evil forces that hold a great deal of the city under their sway.

The human territories of Phlan are nestled behind a strong stockade of stone quarried from the ruins and trees lumbered from the Quivering Forest. A substantial city-guard patrols the openings in the walls at all hours, always ready to repel any attacks by the old city's evil inhabitants. The buildings of rebuilt Phlan are sturdy and utilitarian, with little of the splendor of the ancient past. The glorious of the past shine through in an ancient column now used to support a stable's wooden roof or a faded fresco overlooking an adventurer's taproom. The past is always with the inhabitants of Phlan, reminding them of what once was and could yet be again.

The natives of Phlan are a mixed group, including descendants of the families of Valjevo's day and returnees who seek to reclaim lands and treasure lost to the dragon horde fifty years ago. The city is also filled with adventurers seeking new fortunes and traders hoping to reestablish the old trading lines. Orcs and other generally evil humanoids are viewed with alarm within the city, though evil humans come and go unmolested with the ships. It is said that spies from the other cities of the Moonsea make regular calls with the ships, overseeing the progress of the Council in re-establishing the city. If the Council is too successful, some say, then sabotage may be in order to prevent Phlan from returning to its former power.

The lands beyond the civilized stockade are wild ruins controlled by whatever local faction or tribe holds that piece of land. Control lasts only as long as the reach of claw or sword. Petty bands of orcs, goblins, and men vie for power, some led by more sinister monsters.

Much of Phlan's ruined greatness can be found in the Old City. The main sights include: the forgotten riches of the wealthy old noble's house; Podol Plaza, the center of the old trading district; and the Old Temple, now dedicated to the dark god Bane. Valjevo Castle has been refortified and is being used as a headquarters for one faction leader of another. Phlan remains now, as it has ever been, a city with the greatest of potential. In the cycles of its rise and fall, legends have arisen before. In engineering New Phlan s renaissance, new legends are sure to emerge.

In 1456 DR, Year of the Mithral Hammer, Lord Talaric Daoran goes missing after sending loggers into the Quivering Forest.

In 1480 DR, barbarian attacks in the north led to an influx of refugees into Phlan. By then, Lord Protector Daoran’s grandson, Anivar Daoran, had inherited the Cinnabar Throne. Lord Protector Anivar Daoran was a cowardly and pampered noble, and a paranoid and ineffective ruler; his concern for the responsibilities of his rule was only slightly less than that for his subjects.

Phlan Today

In 1488 DR, Lord Protector Anivar Daoran died unexpectedly in what, for all intents and purposes seemed nothing more than a construction accident during renovations on Castle Valjevo. The Lord Protector left no heir, so Knight Commander Ector Brahms was declared the Lord Regent of the Cinnabar Throne. The Knight Commander’s grasp on the throne is tenuous at best, however. The Lord Regent still acts as the Knight Commander of the shrinking Black Fist and has declared martial law upon the city.

For now, the citizens are kept in line if by nothing but fear. The chaos is barely contained by the diminishing forces of the Black Watch. Shortly after Daoran’s death, the Lyceum of the Black Lord was looted and burned. A blackened husk remains, and was rededicated and is currently being renovated by an up-and-coming lay cleric of Lathander. She does what she is able to provide a place of solace and refuge from the tumultuous city.

Trade has all but stopped in Phlan. The guilds now vie for control over the city to compensate for their lost incomes. Wages have plummeted, prices of goods and services have skyrocketed, and worst of all—construction has stopped. The Welcomers have shifted their goals, and now lash out against the guilds who, in their greed, have abandoned the citizenry. In turn, they have been declared outlaws by the Black Fist, and any person with a missing ear is imprisoned, tried and hung. Each day, more bodies swing from the Stojanow Gate.

Phlan is a lawless, shabby remnant of what it once stood for. For over a millennia it has endured decimation at the hands of its enemies; it is decidedly ironic that it now stands on the brink of ruin by its own hand.

• Themes: Corruption, Martial Law

• Population: 18,000 (plus 2,000 in outlying farms and homesteads)

Organizations

The following are Phlan specific organizations that possess a noticeable degree of influence in the city, along with the names and brief descriptions of noteworthy NPCs.

Labor Guilds

• The constant construction in Phlan has made the four most powerful guilds of Phlan (the Stonewrights, the Carpenters, the Ironhanded, and the Merchants) a political force of their own and they desire control over the city’s sizeable coffers.

One of the benefits of being a guild of laborers in Phlan is that the constant construction means plenty of work. And work means money. And as everyone knows, money is power. And power the guilds have in spades. They use their influence to pad their organization’s coffers. While the guilds as a whole work together to increase their collective foothold in Phlan, each of the guilds has their own individual wants and aspirations.

• Bardin Klen: Male dwarf, The Stonewrights

• Ishin Sorba: Female half-elf, The Carpenters

• Filpin Ironmitt: Male gnome, The Ironhands

  • Yanna Hammerbound, a dwarven female high-level representative of The Ironhanded; Phlan’s Ironworkers’ Guild.

• Bronze Yorik: Male human, The Merchants

Knights of the Black Fist

• Heraldry: A field of green with a black clenched, gauntleted fist.

• Location: The Stojanow Gate

• During this period of martial law, the Black Fist act as judge, jury and executioner, but is not above a little bribery, provided Lord Reagent Ector Brahms does not find out.

Commanded by Ector Brahms, the Lord Regent of Phlan, the remnants of the Black Fist are charged with maintaining order and discipline in Phlan; a task they are not succeeding at. In the void of the leadership of the Cinnabar Throne, the Knights of the Black Fist have been empowered to act as judge, jury and executioner of the Lord Regent’s will. They dispense justice quickly and harshly and are both feared and reviled by the citizenry of Phlan. The lower ranks of the order are rife with corruption and the acceptance of bribes is common place. While rooted in the clergy of Bane, the Black Fist severed all formal ties decades ago; they still pay lip service, however.

• Lord Protector Anivar Daoran: The now-deceased grandson of the conqueror of Phlan was a pampered, corrupt ruler whose contempt for his subjects was seconded only by the responsibilities of his rule.

• Lord Reagent Ector Brahms (ECK-tore BRAMM): The Lord Reagent has served as the Knight Commander of the Black Fist for the last two Lords Protector; both of whom died suspiciously. He is a stubbornly-honorable, coarse, and stoic man and the burden of leadership weighs heavily on his shoulders. He is 64 years old with a meticulously groomed beard and long, grey hair which he wears in a ponytail. He is seldom seen in public not wearing his badge of office, an enchanted suit of black-enameled full plate armor, and the full-length crimson cape indicative of his position as the Lord Reagent of the Cinnabar Throne. He deals with reports of bribery harshly; and a guardsman seldom survives more than one verifiable complaint.

• Knight Lieutenant Cron Bolver (KRONE BOWL-vurr): While still young, Lieutenant Bolver is a formidable leader. He is a charismatic half-elf and inspires confidence in his underlings. However, he is used to the trappings of wealth and knows that his position is an excellent means of getting rich. He is charged with the daily operation of the Black Fist and works from his well-appointed quarters within the Stojanow Gate. Lt Bolver’s brown hair is typically tousled (which adds to his rakish charm), and he is clean shaven. He usually wears a suit of black-enameled chainmail under a black tunic, slashed with silver.

• Typical Black Fist Guardsman: The racial demographic of the Black Fist is diverse with a majority of the members being human, dwarves or half-elves; while there are a few elves, half-orcs and halflings, they are fairly uncommon. Most wear a suit of scale armor with a half-helm, enameled black, and carry a sword, a truncheon and a kite shield emblazoned with the heraldry of the Black Fist. Most guardsmen abuse their authority and accept bribes without hesitation.

The Welcomers

• The city’s thieves’ guild once preyed on visitors and well-to-dos but now lashes out at the Black Fist and any others who might try to eradicate them.

In previous years, the Welcomers were a band of simple thieves who preyed on the good fortune of those who visited Phlan. Because they frequently assisted in defending the city, they were allowed to exist openly, and the members identified themselves by cutting off their left ear. With the death of the Lord Protector and the turmoil that has followed, the Lord Reagent has declared open season on the Welcomers and his Black Fist hunts them mercilessly. Now the Welcomers act from the shadows and lash out against their oppressors and those who would deny them their due; guards or guildsmen alike.

• Xaxy Freyn (ZAH-zee FRAY-n): A wickedly-smart female half-drow who values money above all else. The guild itself owes its survival to her adaptability and cunning. While she is personable and likeable, she is also manipulative and is able to play on the wants and desires of others with unrivaled skill.

• Sralin Gorl (SHRAY-lin GORE-ull): Sralin is a middle-aged human male with blonde hair and brown eyes though — being an accomplished illusionist — he frequently disguises himself using magic. Her is Xaxy's advisor.

• Typical Welcomer: The Welcomers run a number of rackets, from protection, housebreaking, laundering and assassination. Because of this, their membership runs the gamut. Thugs, cutpurses, burglars and cold blooded murderers bear the title. And due to the Lord Reagent’s crusade to eradicate the guild, the Welcomers have become masters at escaping scrutiny.

The Quiet Faithful of Lathander

• Location: The Ruined Lyceum

Previously housed in the comparatively small shrine to Lathander in New Phlan, Peony now resides in what was formerly the Lyceum of the Black Lord. In the chaos that immediately followed the Lord Protector’s death, the Lyceum was looted, its clergy slain and the temple burned. The Lyceum is still little more than a charred ruin, but has sufficient space to house nearly a hundred people comfortably.

• Peony Loamsdown (PAY-oh-nee LOHMS-down): Peony is a young and relatively inexperienced short, female halfling with a sunny disposition that matches her short-cropped yellow-blonde hair and blue eyes. She simply showed up at the Lord Reagent’s door one day and asked for permission to occupy the ruined Lyceum. When he refused, she went ahead and did it anyway. She had already taken in more than a dozen people by the time the Black Fist had arrived to remove her from the premises, so the Lord Reagent granted her request.

• Roag (ROHG): Previously an adventurer by trade, Roag credits Peony with saving his life. Because of this, he has sworn his life to protect her; a job made difficult by her naivety and tendency to underestimate the dishonesty and treachery of others. He is large, even by half-orc standards, with long, unkempt black hair and small black eyes that always seem to be darting around, wary of trouble. He and his greataxe are always at Peony’s side and they make quite the spectacle when they are seen walking around town together.

The Faithful of Kelemvor

• Location: Valhingen Graveyard

Lord Protector Cvaal Daoran gave the graveyard to a small contingent of Kelemvor faithful shortly after his assumption of power in 1380 DR. With some assistance from local druids, the once-overgrown cemetery is now a meticulously groomed--albeit somber, resting place for the people of Phlan.

Though small, the clergy work dutifully and efficiently, providing interment services for the city and are consulted in any dealings with undead in the general area of Phlan. The members of the Order remain impartial to the city’s conflicts that have arisen in the last year, and provide their services for free. They are beholden only to their Order and operate independent of financial assistance from the Cinnabar Throne. They tend their own garden and livestock, so are seldom seen in town; save for the rare trip to obtain supplies they are not able to provide themselves.

• Doomguide Yovir Glandon (YOE-veer): Yovir is a human male of approximately 50 years of age. He is the ranking representative of the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud in the area. He is a humorless, stoic man with a shaved head and a well-groomed beard. He feels that tending to the cemetery is an important part of his faith, so he is typically seen with grass-stained robes and a sickle in hand. He maintains a small office on the grounds but it is generally used only for sleeping.

• Sir Geran Kelt (JARE-uhn KELT): A paladin and member of the Eternal Order of renown, Sir Geran is wholly devoted to the teachings of Kelemvor, but stands in stark contrast to the taciturn demeanor of his colleagues. When not in the graveyard (which is more often than not), he can be found at one of the many inns in Phlan, drinking boisterously and telling stories. He is a tall and oafish man; clean shaven with short and wiry black hair. The thumb on his shield hand was bitten off by an ogre; a story that he is more than happy to share over a pint; although the size of the ogre changes depending on how many drinks he’s had.

• Typical Cleric of Kelemvor: There are only a dozen clerics of Kelemvor in the graveyard, including Yovir and Sir Geran. For the most part, the lower-ranking clerics are reserved as would be expected and dress in simple, rough-spun grey robes. Despite the name of their order, they do not swear a vow of silence, but are typically too busy to for casual conversation.

  • Brother Keefe, priest of Kelemvor and “Keeper of the Dead” of Valhingen Graveyard in Phlan. Hired the heroes to explore beneath Xandria’s Crypt.

Noble Houses

Though few, the remaining noble houses see opportunity in the chaos following the Lord Protector’s death and seek to establish control of the trade routes that once brought riches and influence to the city.

Cult of the Dragon

Covert and secretive, the cult was once devoted to the creation and proliferation of dracoliches, but now seek to free Tiamat from her imprisonment in the Nine Hells. Unfortunately for them, this shift in ideals has created rifts from within.

• Dragon Masks: Five ancient masks cast in the likeness of each of the five types of chromatic dragons which the Cult of the Dragon believes will grant unto them the power to free Tiamat from her infernal prison.

Red Wizards of Thay

Ruled by the lich Szass Tam, this organization of is peopled with wizards, demonologists and slavers.

Phlan and Its Surroundings

Locations within Phlan

Valjevo Castle

The largest structure in Phlan is home of the Cinnabar Throne—the seat of power in the city—currently occupied by Lord Reagent Ector Brahms, and his family. The castle has undergone numerous renovations in the years following the Zhentarim’s assumption of power. The castle is huge; with majestic marble and granite walls and awe-inspiring turrets.

Stojanow Gate

Rumored to have been built by fire giants, this immense gate is the headquarters for the Knights of the Black Fist and is the sole means of egress to Valjevo Castle. Its walls are immense—60 feet tall and half as wide—and stretch for a hundred feet to either side of the massive, iron-bound doors, which are closed only in times of war. Criminals apprehended in Phlan are imprisoned within (and most eventually hung from) the Stojanow Gate.

Valhingen Graveyard

On the opposite shore of the Stojanow River, Phlan’s graveyard is a statuesque garden of flowering plants and trees. One of Cvaal Daoran’s first acts was appointing a small contingent of Kelemvor faithful to clear the graveyard of undead. They perform mortuary and interment services for the city. Since falling under their care, there has been no undead activity in the graveyard.

Kuto’s Well

This unremarkable, albeit large, well within Old Phlan was once a means of entrance into the vast underground portions of Phlan. The Lord Reagent ordered the well sealed in 1489 DR to protect the city from the creatures that dwelled beneath the city.

Inns & Taverns

There are a number of inns and taverns within the city of varying quality. Among these are:

• Madame Freona's Tea Kettle (tavern). The Tea Kettle (and Freona herself) is a mystery to many. In the tumultuous Phlan, this is a place where people can go to have a drink or meal and escape the tensions of the schemers and the power-hungry. With the Tea Kettle’s reputation as a haven, adventures who can be discreet and behave themselves can often find employment there.

• The Laughing Goblin (inn)

• The Cracked Crown (Inn)

• Nay Wyler’s Bell (tavern)

• The Bitter Blade (inn)

• The Velvet Doublet (festhall)

The Ruined Lyceum

This large temple was once dedicated to Bane, but in the riots following the Lord Protector’s death, it was looted and burned and its clergy slain. Shortly thereafter, Peony and Roag petitioned the Lord Reagent for permission to use the grounds as a refuge for those in need of healing or even a hot meal.

The Bitch Queen’s Shack

This small shrine to Umberlee is little more than a small dockside shanty. The shrine is attended by a single eccentric cleric who browbeats sailors for donations; waving a moldering, wooden bowl at them until they toss in a penny or two--offering portents of watery doom all the while.

The Shrine of the Frostmaiden

This small shrine dedicated to Auril is not usually staffed by the faithful. It is located in an alley off of Podol Plaza and decorated only with the Frostmaiden’s symbol and a chipped, stone bowl. The bowl usually has a handful of various coins, as most wise people fear Auril’s wrath too much to be tempted to steal from her.

The Dawn Fane

Amaunator’s shrine within Phlan stands in contrast to that of Auril. Occupying a modestly-sized building in Podol Plaza, the shrine is typically attended by one or two of the Yellow God’s faithful. It is decorated with bright, inspiring tapestries and has room for a dozen worshippers to come and pay their respects. A large and highly polished golden goblet sits beside the altar for donations.

Podol Plaza

Once a bustling open-air market, this plaza now usually houses only a handful merchant carts; their awnings faded and tattered. Trade is at an all-time low in Phlan and the market shows it. The few merchants and farmers who do come to peddle their goods typically have a hired sword at their side ready to shake down anyone who might be desperate enough to steal.

• Scholar’s Square

• Mantor’s Library

Denlor’s Tower

Once home to a powerful wizard, the Lord Sage of Phlan now controls the tower though it is uninhabitable due to powerful wards.