Calaunt

Calaunt is a city-state in the Vast, and formerly the village of Vespermouth. It sits on the mouth of of the River Vesper on the eastern side of the Dragon Reach, at the end of Blaern's Trail from Thindilar and at the end of the Hlintar Ride from Hlintar.

Demographics

According to the tax rolls of 13587 DR, the city has a population of 86,012 people. This could rise to ~88,600 in the summer. This made it was the third-largest city of the Vast, after Ravens Bluff and Tantras. The mostly human population is of largely Chondathan and Damaran heritage. The resident population included some 6200 half-elves and around 3000 dwarves.

Defences

The city maintaines a standing army named "The Teeth of Calaunt". They number six-thousand soldiers, twenty battle-mages, and twenty warcaptains. Each battle-mage is an illusionist and an apprentice of Duke Halabankh Ormsarr. One battle-mage serves each warcaptain, who each serve Barons Uthorn and Wenszrin. The Teeth are poorly trained brawlers, their captains little better, though they are well equipped. They occasionally indulge in piracy in the Dragon Reach and hunting for orcs on land. Calaunt's authorities always hire mercenary armies, known as "lances", to support the Teeth in times of war or orc assault. The barons command these units directly. The mercenaries do most of the actual fighting, while the Teeth conduct raids and ambushes and only enter the final stages of a battle to steal the victory.
It also keeps a small navy of six vessels, each with a crew of seventy-three. Their purpose is mainly to guard against pirates who wish to raid Calaunt, though pirates who do not are tolerated. In fact, some pirate vessels accepted by the Shadowcloaks sometimes serv as an impromptu navy, usually against rival pirates.
Calaunt is ringed by city walls, topped with guard towers. The gates are additionally guarded by a force of six stone golems, commanded by the dukes. The docks, meanwhile, are barely defended and there are no fortifications of note by the mouth of the river, as the city trusts to its deals with pirates.

Industry & Trade

Calaunt is one of the wealthiest cities in the Vast, wealthier than Ravens Bluff and second only to Procampur. It earned this position thanks to its monopoly on all legal trade in and out of the River Vesper; the Shadowcloaks' iron grip on fencing, piracy, and smuggling in the city; and ruthless competition with Ylraphon. Nevertheless, it remains a place of squalor and poverty. The city's major industry is tanning, with several large tanneries located there. Its primary products are leather and vellum, as well as wool and preserved meats, all produced from livestock taken from the surrounding farmlands.
It has its greatest trade activity in the summer months, with less in winter.

History

• The Time of Glorious Fools

Originally, this was the site of the village of Vespermouth, named for its location on the mouth of the River Vesper.
Prior to Calaunt's rise as a city, it was held by a band of robber-barons, who constructed the Fortress of the Five Vultures, which was named for them.
During the Vast's so-called Time of Glorious Fools (from 649 DR onwards), Calaunt was among those harbors that served as landing spots for immigrants and as rest stops for pirates. These harbors were developed as trade ports for the trading vessels came from Aglarond, Impiltur, Sembia, and Westgate.[12] From its beginnings, Calaunt was a free city, but equally free for criminals and a haven for the lawless.
Around the 1330s DR, Bellas's Band, an adventuring company, took over Calaunt, naming themselves Supreme Scepter and the Merchant Dukes.

Type

Large city

Location under

The Vast