Athkatla

Athkatla, also known as the City of Coin, is the oldest settlement and capital of the mercantile nation of Amn. It is one of the wealthiest countries in all of Faerûn, where nearly every aspect of life revolved around money and commerce. The concept of affluence is so well-connected with Athkatla there are rumors in foreign lands that the city's streets were paved with gold.

The streets of Athkatla were well lit in the evenings, thanks to the massive, halfling-sized street oil lamps known as "storm-lanterns". They were kept aflame by patrols of six civil servants armed with double-hooked metal poles and vats of oil. 

The City of Coin was abuzz with peddlers and hustlers, hard-haggling merchants who were as competitive as they were ruthless in their pursuit of coin. The city offered a stark contrast between those who held power, i.e. money, and those who did not. Organizations that ran the city's economy, such as the oppressive Cowled Wizards, the enigmatic Shadow Thieves guild or obscenely wealthy mercantile houses could act with complete authority and near impunity. For the weak and the poor in the slums of the River District, life in the city was overwhelming affair where danger loomed at nearly every turn.
Decadence and overindulgence was a common pastime for the wealthier of Athkatla's citizens, especially those living in the Gem District. When someone ate and drank too much in a night of revelry, or after seafood that had expired, they would engage in "straking" or the forceful emptying of their stomach.

Demographics

Humans 90%, Other 10%

Government

Athkatla is ruled by the Council of Six.
The Council of Six is the mysterious, anonymous group of heads of the most influential merchant houses of Amn that rules over the nation. The group ruled from the Council House, a fortress-like Shoon structure within the scepter district in the capital city of Athkatla.
While the council was never short of power, they often sought more control over the mercantile houses of Amn to maintain peace between the often-feuding clans. They sought to maintain the balance between the profits brought in when the houses operated in autonomy and regulating any conflicts that threatened to disrupt this prosperity. 

• Anonymity

The council's members chose to remain anonymous at their founding in 1333 DR. This had the effect of shrouding the council in fear and mystery, but more importantly it protected them from assassination, bribery, and external manipulation. The maintenance of this deception was enforced by law; anyone who spoke or wrote about the identity of any councilors was punished by torture and death.

• Laws

Just about anything was acceptable in Athkatla and actions that would be illegal or immoral in other lands were tolerated. The law permitted nearly anything including lewdness and slavery.
Minor laws could be broken, so long as the corresponding fine was paid, which often occurred before the offense. Thieves within the city operated under written contracts more than anywhere else in Faerûn.

• Magic

The practice or use of arcane magic was explicitly illegal within the city of Athkatla, a ban which dated back to a royal decree by the young King Dhanar the late 13th century DR. Spellcasting by wizards or sorcerers were limited to a select few who were licensed by the High Houses of Amn, or their magical enforcement agency, the Cowled Wizards, who acted as little more than mercenaries and spies for House Selemchant.

Guilds and Factions

Known Factions include:

• The Shadow Thieves

The Shadow Thieves was a secretive and powerful consortium of thieves' guild in western Faerûn that were headquartered in Athkatla.

• Order of the Radiant Heart

The Order of the Radiant Heart was a fraternal organization, comprised of benevolent paladins and clerics that operated throughout Faerûn. The brave champions of this order devoted themselves to combating forces of evil, correcting injustice and maintaining peace and order in the Realms. While these devout men and women primarily venerated Torm, Tyr and Helm they held the faiths of many compassionate deities among their ranks. The order was notable in that they honored not only distinguished service, but glorified those who had lived a long life in service of their god and the people of Faerûn.

History

The city was founded around 100 DR by the Shoon Imperium along with Murann and Crimmor with mostly Calishite immigrants, in what was then known as "the emirate of Amin". The Empire fell and in 460 DR, Amn became an independent nation with the city of Esmeltaran as its capital city (despite Athkatla being the oldest and most established city). The nation was blessed with peace and prosperity for over 700 years, a period during which the rulers of Amn initiated trade with the far north. Money became the center of every good Amnian citizen's world, and the nation's taste for accumulating wealth corrupted many of the mercantile classes.

Type

Metropolis

Population

118,304

Location under

The Lands of Intrigue

Characters in Location

• Storn Bladebite