Marsember
A seaport constructed on a series of islands interconnected by bridges and canals, Marsember is the second largest city in Cormyr and is, in fact, a bit older than Suzail by mere decades.
Population: 38,000
Demographics
The city has a somewhat seedy history and it was long known for its lawlessness and corruption. While this has been mostly managed in recent years, the occasional gang of doppelgangers, Zhentarim smuggling crew, or lone disguised mind flayer can still be found among the city’s many stone hovels. As a result, Marsember has also become a hub for Harper activity, with numerous safe houses and boltholes where Harpers can spend a season.
Few nobles call Marsember home, though the Scoril family is prominent locally and serve as loyal wardens and naval officers. The Illance family also has deep roots in the city, including many quasi-legal endeavors, and the Thundersword family owns a high walled estate said to have been purchased largely due to its private dock.
Government
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.
Defences
While no longer the central command for the Blue Dragons, Marsember has an important role in the training of new recruits, as each newly enlisted member of the Blue Dragons receives formalized training in Marsember before being assigned to an actively patrolling ship. The training squadron is made up of four barely seaworthy carracks no longer fit for active duty, and the decrepit ships ensure that new recruits are familiar in all aspects of ship
repair and maintenance.
Purple Dragons make use of skiffs, using a long twenty foot hook colloquially known as a “lawhook” to grapple and board passing boats when necessary. Such Purple Dragons are
excellent swimmers and wear leather armor with easily removable helms and breastplates.
Industry & Trade
The city boasts a thriving marketplace full of goods from far-off nations, and it is most well known for the spice trade from which it draws its name of the City of Spices. There is also a great deal of commerce in furniture, perfume, and fish, while shipbuilding and repair make up another large part of the local economy.
Infrastructure
Small boats crowd the canals, and many goods simply pass from boat to boat to avoid the local laws and taxes. While most of these skiffs are functional
(if a bit leaky) and utilitarian, expensive luxury skiffs are used by the local nobility and particularly wellto-do merchants.
The canals are used for travel and also waste disposal, and as a result the city is known to smell like a combination of rotting fish and latrine at low tide.
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.
During the Spellplague, the water level of the Dragonmere fell to the point that many of the canals and docks were left high and dry. The docks were extended to address the latter issue, and since the Dragonmere’s return to its previous levels the city has been left with plenty of harbor space which has driven down prices and helped it recover as a port city.
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,[6] and even the Shadovar.
Architecture
Only the wealthy can afford the flat, hard land found on the mainland, while the islands remain a tangle of homes and other establishments. Because
of the fierce storms that occasionally buffet the city each island features a low seawall made of quarry rubble to protect it from the tides, and buildings are required by law to be constructed of stone.
Geography
The city lay on sandy islands in the swampy west bank of the mouth of the Starwater River.
Maps
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Marsember
Founding Date
6 DR
Alternative Name(s)
City of Spices
Type
Large city
Population
38,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Marsembians
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
