Elturel
Elturel is a city-state in the Western Heartlands and important political, economic, and military center of the region.
For most of the 15th century, Elturel was also the capital of the nation of Elturgard. However the events surrounding and following the Damnation of Elturel from 1497-1498 resulted in the dissolution of Elturgard and the weakening of Elturel's prestige. Nonetheless, the city is currently rebuilding and remains protected by an internationally respected military order: the Hellriders.
Government
Elturel has historically been ruled by the leader of the famed Hellriders, the High Rider. During the five decades between the Reign of Vampires and the Damnation of Elturel in the mid to late 15th century, Elturel was theocracy, ruled by a High Observer and representative of the church of Torm.
Though ruled again by a High Rider, there remains a clear distinction between the city's military and civilian leadership, despite unsuccessful and unpopular attempts by High Rider Alcor Miursa to institute a return to military rule early in his reign. Instead, the title of High Rider remains mostly symbolic in its connection to the Hellriders, and though Elturgard dissolved in 1498 its bureacratic institutions remained.
Defences
Elturel is defended by one of the most well-renowned military forces in the Faerun: the famous Hellriders, the members of which were mostly cavalry and were unparalleled masters of the grasslands of Elturgard. The reputation of the Hellriders often draws foreign members, who traveled the world over to be a part of this illustrious organization.
Though not a state-sanctioned force, Elturel is also proctected by the Order of the Sun, a group of Kelemvor worshippers that dedicate themselves to ridding Elturel of the scourge of the undead. Founded during Elturel's damnation, the Order of the Sun has grown and institutionalized since the city was saved, filling the undead-destroying role that was once filled by the Companion, the city's artificial sun, before its destruction.
From the mid-15th century until 1497, the Hellriders were reduced to the second of two defense forces in Elturel, with the first being the Order of the Companion. However, the order quickly became a front for the Cult of Zariel, and the order's leadership played a large role in bringing about the 1497 Damnation of Elturel. Following the city's salvation in 1498, the Order of the Companion was disbanded by government decree.
Districts
Elturel is divided into three districts across the city.
Located on the bluff above the city, stretching away from the High Hall, resides the High District. The area is characterized by tall, narrow houses festooned with balconies. There was a time when only nobles were allowed to live in the High District. This prohibition was long ago weakened and then abolished entirely, but the High District remains the demesne of Elturgard’s richest citizens.
Below the bluff, on the east side of Elturel rests the Dock District. This is the oldest part of the lower city, the edge of which was once marked by the Short Loop River, which began from the spring beneath High Hall and ran down the length of the bluff before plunging over Enki's Rest to an incredibly short river that looped around to the Chionthar. The river is now more or less gone, having been transformed into the modern canal system which radically expanded the Elturian docks. A century of empire building, and the city's growth following the formation of Elturgard, significantly improved the Dock District, as all the roads are cobbled with the same pale stone as can be found in the High District. Despite this, members of the Dock District are often known as "mucksuckers," a nickname that originally referred to the way boots would get stuck in the mud near the docks.
On the west side of the High District's bluff is Westerly, home to Elturel's burgeoning middle class. It has more two- and three-story houses than the Dock District, and it tends to eschew the “smellier” businesses (like tanneries) that remain east of the gorge. The small West Docks became slightly preferred by travelers and this was even briefly ensconced into Elturian law, resulting in a lot of inns and travel houses sprouting up in the southern end of Westerly.
In addition, the Maze, a subterranean labyrinth running under the streets of Elturel, often acted as an unofficial fourth district. The full extent of the Maze has never fully been charted, and rumors circulate that it could reach all the way into the Underdark. The Maze contains a mixture of storage dens, basement extensions of houses, Elturel's primary prison, smugglers dens, and more. However, following Elturel's return to the Material Plane from Avernus in 1498, massive sections of the Maze were flooded or destroyed, making any journey beneath the city dangerous.
Guilds and Factions
Though not a member of the Lords' Alliance, the various guilds and factions that can be found across the Sword Coast, from members of the Order of the Gauntlet, and Harper agents, to Zhentarim mercenaries and Emerald Enclave representatives, could be found in Elturel, though their sway in internal politics was not as far reaching as in other cities.
History
Early History
Centuries ago, the site where modern Elturel stands was an encampment of ogres, ruled by an ogre lord. Though sources differ as to why the warrior Shiarra had grievance with the ogre lord (some say the ogre had taken her son, others her sword), all sources agree that Shiarra raised a banner of lordlings and successfully killed the ogre lord. Impressed with her prowess as a leader, the lordlings swore themselves to follow Shiarra, naming themselves the Riders and Shiarra their High Rider. From the earliest days of its existence, Elturel and its Riders would gain a reputation as formidable knights, often intervening in conflicts fought by neighboring settlements and patrolling the lands beyond its city's walls. Sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries, Elturel was ruled by High Rider Olanthius. During a prolonged excursion, Olanthius's love, the Lady Yael, was stolen away by the devil lord Nothius. The High Rider and his soldiers have chase to the devil, eventually bringing them into Avernus itself. Nothius was slain, alongside a legendary devil legion. However, while escaping the Riders were cut off by a second legion. Knowing they all couldn't make it out, Olanthius, Lady Yael, and the majority of the Riders sacrificed themselves so their comrades-in-arms could escape. For this daring act, the Riders became known as the Hellriders. For the next few centuries, Elturel's involvement in its neighbors' affairs would become increasingly more pervasive. By the middle of the 15th century, the various city states and villages surrounding Elturel were described as being under "Elturel's Guard."
Era of Elturgard
In 1447, High Rider Klav Ikaia was revealed to be a vampire by Elturel's High Watcher of Helm, Naja Bellandi. Exposed, Ikaia began the Reign of Vampires, a twenty day nightmare that nearly brought Elturel to its knees, were it not for the timely intervention of the Companion. Though rather than a gift from the gods, the Companion was the result of an infernal pact made between Bellandi and Zariel, Archduke of Avernus.Following this event, Naja Bellandi was made the new leader of Elturel and named High Observer. The subsequent High Rider was given dominion over only the Hellriders, a position further weakened by the newly formed Order of the Companion being placed above the Hellriders. Following Bellandi's unexpected death in 1449, Cathasach Restat, the founder of the Order of the Companion, became the new High Observer. During Restat's rule, Elturel became increasingly theocratic and Restat's title was changed to the High Observer of Torm. In 1453, all the various settlements under "Elturel's Guard" formally became absorbed into the new nation of Elturgard, formalizing a process that had begun centuries ago. In a bid to promote unity among all of the new nation's people, Restat turned towards the Companion as a unifying figure. Unity Prayers became law and Unity Tributes began appearing all over Elturel. Elturel also grew in size as it became the undisputed head of the region. In 1483, Cathasach Restat passed away and was replaced with High Observer Thavius Kreeg, a former priest of Torm. Kreeg's rule was predominately spent furthering unifying the new nation culturally. Unity Prayers and Tributes began appearing outside of Elturel and even began being incorporated into religious services. However, Kreeg was in actuality a Zarielite cultist and his ascension to High Observer marked the near complete control of the cult over Elturian politics. In 1491, the future members of the Breadwinners arrived in Elturel alongside the Harper Ser Vich to meet with the Order of the Gauntlet Vindicator of Elturgard, Onthar Frume. The adventurers participated in the City Fair, winning a few of the competitions and earning Frume's support in raising the banners of the Lords' Alliance. Though Elturgard did deal with a few dragon attacks during the Great Dragon War, most destructive of which was the burning of Boareskyr Bridge, the nation never formally joined the Council of Waterdeep. On the 2nd of Eleasis, 1497, Elturel and everyone inside was damned to Avernus, fulfilling the terms of the pact Bellandi had made with Zariel to end the Reign of Vampires. For the next nine months, the citizens of Elturel struggled to survive against an onslaught of devils, demons, and cultists in their midst. The city's survivors were supported by Alcor Miursa, the highest ranking non-Zarielite Hellrider left, Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard of Baldur's Gate, who was in Elturel on a diplomatic visit when it was damned, and Klav Ikaia, who was revealed to have survived the Reign of Vampires by hiding in the Elturian Maze. Though the forces of Zariel nearly overwhelmed the city during the Siege of Helm's Shieldhall, they were rebuffed by the Lost Star Detectives, a group of adventurers intent of saving Elturel. After stabilizing the situation in the city, the Detectives departed for the Plane of Avernus itself, where they located the Sword of Zariel and used it to redeem Avernus's archduke during the Battle of Elturel, turning the tide for the city to hold out until it could be returned to the Material Plane.
Modern History
Following Elturel's salvation, Klav Ikaia was driven from the city by the newly founded Order of the Sun, who refused to let the vampire again have dominion over Elturians. Alcor Miursa, the father of Arcus Miursa, one of the Lost Star Detectives, was proclaimed High Rider and the city began the difficult job of rebuilding. However, the combination of Elturel's disappearance, the revelations about the infernal origins of the Companion and Elturgard's founding, and Alcor's unpracticed hand in statesmanship saw Elturgard as a nation official dissolve in 1498. Though the once-aligned city-states did join together to repell the southern invasion of the monsterous kingdom of Najara, the political future of the Western Heartlands remains uncertain.Religion
Elturel has historically been a city that worshipped Helm and Torm, just and loyal gods fitting for a city founded by soldiers. During the reign of Elturgard, the Cult of Zariel worked diligently to replace worship of Helm and Torm with that of the Companion itself, arguing that the Companion was a gift of the gods and that worshipping it was akin to worshipping the gods themselves. This was done to remove or weaken any divine protection that could have prevented Elturel's damnation. Following the salvation of Elturel, Helm and Torm both remain popular and respected gods, but the true unofficial patron of Elturel is now the Morninglord Lathander. The first High Rider following the city's salvation, Alcor Miursa, was a Lathanderite, as was Alesine Zadava, one of the saviors of Elturel who became an angel in Lathander's service. The inspiring sight of her angelic visage raised the spirits of many Elturians during the last days of the city's damnation, the replacement of the infernal articial sun of the Companion with the true sun of Lathander, and Lathander's role as the blesser of new beginnings made him a natural fit for the suffering people of Elturel to latch on to. Additionally, the worship of Kelemvor also gained traction during the Damnation, notably as a reaction to the return of the vampire Klav Ikaia. These Kelemvorites formed the Order of the Sun during Elturel's time in Avernus and later institutionalized into a militaristic arm of the burgeoning church of Kelevemvor in Elturel.Architecture
As a holdover from the city's origins on a grassy plain, and foundation from horse riders, many of the streets in Elturel are instead referred to as "gallops," "canters," and "trots." For instance, rather than have a Dockside Way and Market Street, there is instead a Dockside Trot and Market Gallop. Most thoroughfares use "street," however, such as Maidensbridge Street.
by Wizards of the Coast
Type
Large city
Inhabitant Demonym
Elturian
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Related Tradition (Primary)
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