Overview

Genre:

Desert Fantasy

Era:

1370s

History:

Storied

Reputation:

Accepted / Praised

Virtue:

Confidence

Vice:

Wrath

In Brief: Tyraturos is the launchpad of the tharch and one of the top 3 metropolises in Thay. It lies between the port of Bezantur and the great capital of Eltabbar, and is the crossroads for much of the trade in the country. Tyraturos has an ongoing rivalry with the snooty nobles in Eltabbar and a tumultuous hot-and-cold relationship with the merchants of Bezantur.

Although it has a slave market to rival Eltabbar and attracts the most exotic slaves in the nation, it is considered the rough and dirty lesser source for labor (especially by Eltabbar). The metropolis beckons physically-inclined Thayans and those with gambling habits to its Great Arena and lesser fighting and betting pits. It is also dubbed the traditional seat of transmutation magic.

Recent History & Mystery

Event:

Sabotage

Event:

Plague

Event:

Crushed Others

Desire:

Victims

Desire:

The Next Big Thing

Desire:

Recognition

Details: Recently, various operations throughout the metropolis have been rocked by sabotage of different kinds. Locals are wondering if this is related to some new criminal syndicates trying to move in, or some other, deeper plots.

Plague came in with the latest trade season and the slaves shipped in from elsewhere. The new illness was tracked to Chessentan slaves, and given their history of susceptibility to plagues, the lot was written off as a loss and destroyed before the epidemic got too far out of control. Some other slaves and citizens were lost, and Thayan nobles had to turn to multiple and various magical spells to become fully cured, but it seems to be under control.

Tyraturans played a major role in bringing Lapendrar to heel, sending many of their best fighters and bullies to the neighboring tharch. It felt good to assert domination over others (especially since Lapendrar is barely considered Thayan territory and has not had many Mulan nobles until recently), and Tyraturos would like to continue the trend and be recognized for their considerable efforts.

The metropolis is also restless for a change. While what they have going works, many are researching new businesses, spells, and crafts in search of something novel and (hopefully) lucrative.

Inhabitants

Population:

50,000 - 100,000 (during market seasons)

Government:

Magocracy

Security:

Enhanced

Appearance

Access:

Often Visited

Repair:

Decaying / Poor

Impression:

Fuming

Sanitation:

Tolerable / Poor

Lighting:

Good

Water Source:

Cenotes & Magic

Landmark:

The 8 Gates

Landmark:

Watchtowers

Landmark:

Grand Arena

Details: There is a high spirited energy to the place, like the populace is raring for a fight or a celebration at any given moment. Peace and quiet are hard to come by, but boredom is also scarce and short-lived.

The plateau does not have regular seasons or weather to worry about, but other places in Faerun do. This means that Tyraturos is overrun with trade and slaves from abroad in the summer and spring, with lesser swells in winter and fall. Surprising surges occur whenever Thayans benefit from wars or natural disasters in other regions. Tyraturans tend to be hard on their possessions in the first place, but the ebb and flow of the population takes an additional toll on the crossroads, wearing down furnishings, buildings, and supplies. Conditions degrade several times a year into ugliness and squalor in many sections, and Tyraturans can never seem to get everything fixed before the next tide comes in.

The crossroads metropolis does not have as much public magical lighting as Eltabbar, but it is known for its many hanging lamps with colored glass or magically colored flames. The Grand Marketplace district in full swing is a sight to behold, and the open air temple of Kossuth has a grand brazier of flame that never dies and illuminates much around it.

Tyraturos is also known for its lack of surface water sources of any natural kind; instead, it displays a few magical fountains and sits on a warren of underground cenotes. These fresh water caves were what led to settlers in the area in the first place, when it was an oasis town, and have served ever since, with a few magical expansions. They are always in danger of pollution from above, so they tend to have creatures kept within to dispose of the runoff, and are magically cleansed once those above begin to get sick.

Only certain major roads and locations of the metropolis are paved (generally with carefully chosen and arranged flagstones, in geometric designs); the rest are packed dirt. There are no interior walls between districts, but certain compounds have their own walls and gates. The high walls that surround the entire metropolis have been pushed out with magic only a few times, and only once internal conditions were unbearably crowded for years.

Not only are the walls impressive (and difficult to move), but they have features that stand out in the minds of all visitors. The Eight Gates into the metropolis are carved into the stylized shapes of distinctive creatures drawn from the area's common predators, allies, and fancy. The four major entrances are located in the cardinal directions and are built larger, with portcullises and nearby garrisons to handle visitors. Locals often abbreviate their names when referring to them and slaves fresh from the hike up the Slave Way never forget their first trip through the Demon Gate, or the section of the road leading up to it, flanked by massive dragon bones carved with magical runes.

• The (Red and Blue) Dragon Gate faces north toward Mophur

• The Demon Gate (showing a marilith and pit fiend poised to strike each other) faces south toward Delabbar

• The (Stone) Golem Gate faces west toward Solzepar

• The Naga Gate (sometimes called the Gate of Set) faces east toward Sekelmur

The lesser gates handle the importing of supplies, crops, and finished goods rather than living cargo. They are guarded by lesser garrisons that tend to be more cruel since they suspect people of trying to slip by them.

• The Fire (Elemental) Gate faces southwest toward Hurkh and the Thaymount (this was redone after the Salamander War of 1357, since it had formerly been the Salamander Gate)

• The (Hippo)griff Gate faces southeast toward Belizir

• The (Chaos) Beast Gate faces northeast toward Thazrumaros

• The Manticore Gate faces southwest toward Zolum

The Watchtowers are distinctive and at intervals throughout the length of the wall. They tend to have landing platforms for Tyraturos's mounted patrols.

Bathhouses (noble, common, slave) are also scattered throughout the city and separated by social caste. Unlike Eltabbar, there is a boisterous bathhouse culture in Tyraturos and many houses do not have their own full bathing facilities.

Geography & Climate

Climate:

Dry

Terrain:

Desert (modified)

Natural Features:

Cenotes

Details: In the center of a once arid plateau, the environs of the metropolis are still dry and dusty despite nightly light rains, and Tyraturans don't seem to care if things are diritier than they could be. The roads leading in and out are likewise traveled often enough to remain packed down and sandy, although farm lands begin once you get a short ride from the outer walls. Temperatures tend to be hotter than in other Thayan cities on a regular basis; rumors say that the weather-correcting magic grid is weaker in the area, but locals take the discomfort as something to be bravely ignored than complained about.

The flat land in and around Tyraturos does not provide many landmarks on the surface, although natives know that there are natural catacombs and tunnels riddling the area.

Commercial

Industries:

Crafts, drugs, markets, poisons, slaves

Shortages:

Slaves and crafting materials of all kinds are imported. Until they are sold, slaves are expected to ply their trades for the marketplace. At peak trading times, some water is imported.

Tech Level:

Middle Ages (some magic)

Mass Transit:

Sporadic

Area Services:

Allied Only

Details: Noble houses employ some magic to improve their daily lives, but not nearly as much or as often as in Eltabbar. Major businesses and temples rely on magic the most for security and rely on manual labor for the rest. This is less about "saving" magic for more important things and more about being resourceful and strong enough to handle minor obstacles without it. It's a matter of personal pride and fortitude, both of which Tyraturans value highly.

There is an armed watch, including a regiment of soldiers with flying mounts, but it is generally on the lookout for escaped slaves and spies. It can be called to a citizen's defense for free if there are ties between the citizen and the garrison in question; otherwise, heavy bribes or catastrophic damage are required to move them.

Religions

Major Temples: Bane, Loviatar, Mask, Talona, Tempus, and Waukeen.

Minor Temples: Azuth, Beshaba, Garagos, Kossuth, the Red Knight, and Siamorphe.

Shrines: Cyric, Helm, Jergal, Samora, Sharess, and Shaundakul.

Notes: Waukeen's faith is powerful in Tyraturos, given the crossroad's importance as a trade hub. The clerics of Beshaba and Shar have a unique arrangement in the city, working together to run The Dark Vault, which stores and protects items with a high level of secrecy. The houses of Bane and Loviatar take an active hand in handling slave domination and punishment. With its historic arena fighting tradition, Tempus's faith is also popular with locals and many visitors who come to compete.

Threats

Disasters:

Heat Waves

Disasters:

Sinkholes

Disasters:

Plague

Downturns:

Sabotage

Downturns:

New Crime

Downturns:

Population Decline

Minor Threats:

Widespread addiction to drugs, disease, struggle between criminal organizations

Major Threats:

Sabotage, dryness and flood, riots that roil across the city, low population in time of need

Details: Natural and unnatural diseases occur at invervals, usually starting in the slave quarters, arenas, and other rough districts but also coming from experiments in the magical district, as well. Because of crowded conditions and well-attended public events, plagues can spread faster than in other places and be more difficult to track down entirely. Magic is a ready solution but limited compared to the many afflicted and the losses of revenue through slave and livestock deaths.

Because of the tunnels and chambers that tend to naturally occur beneath the center of the plateau, sinkholes are a common issue. They can cause chaos in the streets and lead to more damage in nearby areas, particularly when they open into secret chambers or tunnels to the Underdark.

The magical net of spells which controls Thay's weather on the plateau has a way of malfunctioning or at least not functioning well above Tyraturos. This can lead to missed rains, flash floods, and heat waves, which then threatens crops which have only been able to be grown because of magical terraforming in the first place. The courtyards and many streets in the city are covered by cloths for shade and other practical methods are used to try to store water against the next bout of drought. The problem is that such heat and drought strike quickly and unexpectedly, and can be spread throughout the tharch.

History

300 DR:

The site of Tyraturos began as a relative oasis and crossroads meeting place for those with business on the plateau sometime around this year(at which point it was commonly referred to as Dashgar). It had many natural underground cisterns that could be tapped for fresh water and was in the middle of early trade trails and roads

613:

It was officially founded as Tyranturos in honor of the local ruler who called himself the Tyrant, at which point more permanent dwellings were erected.

920s:

The city's name was changed to Tyraturos after it was claimed by the Red Wizards.

City Districts and Notable Locations

Civic district

• Bane (major temple)

• Kossuth (minor temple of The Open Flame)

• Siamorphe (minor temple)

Finance district

• Beshaba (minor temple)

• The Dark Vault run by worshippers of Shar and Beshaba, and those who work there must take an oath not to look at any but the tenth box they run across, with severe penalties for disobedience and stealing; all transactions are written, done in private booths, without speaking

• The Great Vault of Waukeen (charges more than the Dark Vault)

• Change and loan building

Fine shops

University district (modified; no university)

Magic district

• Azuth (minor temple)

Noble estates

Wealthy residential

Lord's keep

Average residential

Garrison

• Garagos (minor temple)

• Hoar (shrine)

• House Mishkov fighting pit

The Grand Marketplace: Sprawling labyrinthine covered bazaar at the heart of the city with a few major landmarks within its depths

• The Great Slave Market

• Waukeen (major temple and Gatehall, which rents use of its many portals to those with business across Thay and Faerun)

• Koraz Chop Shop: Specializes in buying the bodies and parts of dead creatures that can be used for components.

• The Jewelers' Emporium

• Arcane wares building (all magic items that aren't potions or scrolls)

• Tattoo shops

• Bookbinder (books, scrolls, cartography)

• Winehouses (Embian) vs distilleries (Gozal)

• Enchanting Elixirs (potions, perfumes, oils)

• The Second Chance pawn shop: Lazlo Nemetsk (Rashemi commoner) is the proprietor of The Second Chance (and it was his second chance after losing his first business, a clothing stall, to a rampaging horde of giant bombardier beetles that spat enough acid to eat up much of his merchandise). But he's known as a solid merchant who didn't ask any questions (using his faith to Shar as an excuse) who has the backing of some noble house or other. He has steady customers from Houses Csittanko, Gios, the jewel houses, and House Sun. You can get a paper ticket or a tattoo in a place of your specification, or you can simply sell your items without any buyback wait. He accepts business with anyone, at any time, and is teaching nephew Csardiya the trade but he's just a boy of 18 and handles the 2-10 pm shift.

Arena district

• Grand Arena of House Dal

• Tempus (major temple in the Grand Arena)

• Red Knight (minor temple in the Red Headquarters club in the Grand Arena)

Professionals

Shops

Warehouse district

• House Vantur, Dagrun, Besklen, and Halphas fighting pit

Apartment houses

Caravan district

• Shaundakul (shrine)

• Darnak and Gordesh fighting pit

Inn district

• Sharess (shrine in the small festhall most popular with visitors than locals)

Tavern district

• House Qarto and Rhaenys fighting pit

Red light district

• Mask (major temple)

Slave quarter

• Loviatar (major temple)

Slum

• Talona (major temple)

Tannery

• Lectos fighting pit

Necropolis (underneath the city)

• Jergal (shrine)