ZAZESSPUR IN THE 1490S DR (Patreon)

INTRO TO ZAZESSPUR
Zazesspur is no longer the capital of Tethyr, but remains the realm’s busiest port, and is thriving (getting busier), so it’s a bustling, prosperous trading crossroads, home to more than 120,000 registered taxpaying citizens. They inhabit a city of smooth flagstone streets with smooth dressed-stone-slab sidewalks (a rarity in Faerûn) and soaring stone buildings, built of gray limestone quarried upriver. Zazesspur stands on the banks of the River Sulduskoon, at its mouth where it meets the sea, in a well-watered basin in the lee of the Starspire Peninsula, which shields much of the city from the worst onshore storms. (By “well-watered,” I mean that many springs rise in the farmlands around the city, many city cellars are damp, and someone who tries to enlarge their cellar by digging deeper often finds they’ve created a new pond by flooding their cellar—forever).

Zazesspur has deliberately copied the tolerant, accept-all-races-and-outlanders-from-afar stance that has served Waterdeep so well in gaining inhabitants, trade, and wealth, so its crowded streets (where traffic flows well, as coaches and wagons have a decreed-by-law maximum size, and the local lawkeepers direct traffic with colorful batons that have earned them the nickname “the Rods,” so that only official documents still refer to them as “the Watch of Zazesspur”) teem with races from half-orcs to elves, hailing from almost everywhere on Toril. (Walking in pairs with chests or crates of cargo slung on shoulder-carry sticks is a local custom among workers and shoppers.)

ARCHITECTURE
The oldest buildings are square and solid, of Sword Coast North architecture like those of Waterdeep, most newer buildings have the towers, minarets, and ornamental spires in the Calishite style, and the newest buildings incorporate innovations from all over the continent, including buttresses, pedestrian bridges aloft crossing streets from structure to structure, aqueducts, and nested balconies. All buildings tend to be made of close-fitted, mortared stone blocks, with ornate filigreed (both wrought iron and carved wooden scrollwork [we would say “gingerbread”] window- and doorframes. Roof edges have similar filigree, all of painted and repainted iron, to stop winter sea-ice from crashing down in deadly-edged sheets (Zazesspur is subject to short but fierce storms of snow, sleet, and freezing rain in winter blowing from the sea, and these coat seaward roofs and walls with ice.)

Zazesspur is a walled city, except along its waterfront, and the city walls have been repaired (but not made taller; they’re still twenty feet high), and the city gates all refurbished, with stronger doors and bars, and permanently-fitted, larger signal-horns for the guards to blow to summon aid. (They still close at dusk, and open at dawn.)

‘Sprawl’ development outside the city walls has been firmly discouraged (with the exception of establishing caravan mustering areas and livestock paddocks and slaughterhouses, along the coastal Trade Way and the east-west Ithal Road), with the result that many buildings have been torn down and replaced by ever-taller buildings over the years, so six-and-seven-storey buildings are now common in new construction, with a strict building code that favours “overbuilding” [deep, strong support pillars and foundations, thick structural framing members with frequent crossbraces] to prevent collapses at all costs (for there have been mild local earth tremors every three decades or so).

Homeowners displaced by the rebuilding typically ‘buy in’ to the taller structure that replaced their homes, so Zazesspur is the one city on the Sword Coast that has the equivalent of real-world condominiums: a tall building typically has a shop at street level, with an offices level above, and living-quarter floors above that, all jointly owned by the noble who typically “fronted” the building, the merchant investors who “came in on” it, and the occupants of many of the living units (multi-room suites). In many cases, a few living units will be rented out by the joint owners, to others.

THE DOCKS
The docks of Zazesspur never sleep, and are brightly lit and heavily patrolled at all bells (hours are known as ‘bells’ locally, though the water-clocks now in use sound chimes rather than tolling too-loud bells). They are so busy that ships are always anchored waiting for ships being loaded and unloaded to “clear the dry” so they can in turn load and unload. There are heavy fines for leaving an idle ship tied up at any merchant dock. Ships that are sinking are often lashed between pairs of good ships (whose captains the captain of the stricken ship will pay) to keep them afloat, and such trios anchored in the harbor.

Shippers are well served by a shipyard kept too busy doing repairs and refittings to lay the keels of new ships, sailmakers backed up with orders, and warehouses that are clean and heavily-guarded, with street youths on staff tasked with killing rats (and sometimes gulls, though hurling stones into the air is frowned upon). Wild hawks have been encouraged to roost in the hollows of the ornamental spires atop many buildings to prey on gulls, pigeons, and other seabirds, and have done so with such success that the pests, and their droppings, are almost entirely absent, and the local fishing boats lack the wheeling, squawking escorts found nigh everywhere else.

GOVERNANCE
Every two summers, the Queen of Tethyr names one of the Merchant Dukes of Zazesspur to be Mayor of the city; the honor always changes hands (no one ever holds consecutive terms) and is onerous enough (in terms of endless decisions and paperwork) that not even the power-lusty want to be Mayor all that much.

The Merchant Dukes are the heads of the city-resident noble families, all of whom are styled Duke or Duchess (though they lack duchies to rule). They have successfully conspired over the years to prevent city guilds from becoming powerful, but in turn have been prevented by the Crown (since the ascension of Zaranda Star) from lording it over the city. There have been feuds, and are still rivalries, between various nobles and increasingly between nobles and rising-in-wealth citizens whose treasuries are larger than the nobles but see no way short of marriage to become nobles, and resent this—but the Crown has spies all over the city whose main work is to turn ire and exasperation to new trade and business opportunities, put forward constantly by the Mayor (speaking for the Crown), so as to channel local energy and emotions into new ways for everyone to get wealthier.

On paper, Zazesspur is ruled by a council of eight of the Merchant Dukes, but they really only have control over purely local issues like building permits and zoning, signage, bylaws, ferry and barge regulation, and docking arrangements for ships in the harbor. The councillors who used to rule still represent their city districts, but their role has been reduced to bringing citizen complaints before the Dukes, and reporting maintenance issues—of which there are hundreds at any one time, but these are worked upon by crews of city-hired workers who toil constantly. Standards are high, and the city is generally clean, in good repair, and well-policed.

ENFORCEMENT
Rod patrols who assist citizens struggling with heavy loads, not just enforce rules upon them (a Rod calling for aid can expect some private citizens to leap to help, not bystanders who just watch).

The Watch remains distinct from the City Guard, who are officially an arm of the Crown, but take orders from any Merchant Duke (who are considered local “commanding officers”). The City Guard polices the docks and the city walls, and will reinforce the Rods if the latter blow horns requesting aid. They are still armed with daggers, shortswords, crossbows, and halberds, and go helmed in morions, wearing back-and-breast metal plate armor over blue canvas tunics and breeches (after far too many mishaps, the “puffy” clothing is gone). The commanding officer of any Guard force will have a red “spike” of dyed feathers clipped to the front of their helm. All on-duty Guard “trusties” (members) wear metal gorgets to protect their throats.

LOCAL ATTITUDES
As a result of attentive, kind policing, the good order that results, cleanliness, and what locals call “plenty” (good selections on local tables and in shops), Zazess (as citizens are collectively known, this term largely replacing the older “Zazesspuran” and “Zazesspurian”) in general feel good about their lives and achievements. They are endlessly entertained (again, thanks to the efforts of Crown agents) with new fashions and fads, new diversions, and new plants to grow indoors and in hanging gardens outside their windows (as the Merchant Dukes enthusiastically agree with the Crown on at least one thing: they want a green, growing city where they can eat fresh vegetables and herbs plucked from their own balconies and windows; as has been the case for centuries, Zazesspur imports grain and livestock to fill local meal-platters).

Despite the endless parade of new fads and fashions, some local elements remain constant: Zazess like to gamble, like roast boar as part of their cuisine, prefer their fish only in sauces and hot-tureen-stews, and like round beds and round tables. Hooded weathercloaks, thanks to morning fogs and frequent light rainshowers, dominate city outerwear, as do stylish boots.

Increasingly, the priests of Gond have come to Zazesspur to find sponsors for small inventions that are useful, and therefore can be made, sold, and resold in bulk across Faerûn. The city rightly sees itself as the “quieter but better” trade rival to Baldur’s Gate, Waterdeep, Calimport, and the other cities of Tethyr.

Zazesspur does, however, have a perennial problem with embedded spies for pirates, who always seem to know when rich cargoes are sailing outbound from Zazesspur, so they can pounce. Some Zazess want to hire their own private escort ships, crammed with armed mercenaries, to combat the pirates—but many Merchant Dukes, and the Crown, fear such “aids” would simply become more pirates, and very swiftly, so this is a matter of ongoing local controversy. Largely as a result of persistent—but false—city rumors about Zhent slave ships (the infamous “black galleys”) carrying off shiploads of children into slavery, the Zhentarim are now unwelcome in Zazesspur. (Zhents did use black galleys rowed by night in smuggling, but they were shifting cargoes of Tethyrian wine and woven textiles out, and perfumes and spices in, not slaves.)

TRADE
Zazesspur remains famous for its exports of wool carpets (though the term “the Carpet City” has fallen out of favor and local use), and superb furniture and cabinetry.

It continues to be unable to feed itself, relying on imported food crops from near at hand, and grain and livestock from Darromar and outland ports.

The locally-minted gold coin of the city, the gulder, has recently been redesigned, and is now a distinctive “circle with a bite out of it” so as to have two horns like a crescent moon (but the bite is a rounded slot, much smaller than the arc “inside” a crescent). It remains as heavy in weight, and as trusted and prized, as ever. Like most trading-ports, Zazesspur accepts all currencies, with merchants often using barter and trade-bars.

Prominent local industries right now include Anamavur’s (known for grand and solid, but also comfortable, chairs, with a sideline in ornate front doors featuring carved bosses) furniture “works” (sprawling, extensive factory and warehouses) in “the Wain” (the Wainwrights’ District); Belbrent Leir Stoneworks in the Fortress (their daily coin is made cutting and dressing stone blocks for building, but they’re famous among the citizenry as the source of expensive but superb statuettes and statues, and marble counters and inlay work); and Imar Restigo’s Journeying in “the Ships” (Ships’ District), the office of a caravan coster that has risen rapidly in a decade, from nothing to being all over Tethyr and Amn, making fast deliveries well-guarded and insured.

ZAZESS FOLK
Zazesspur remains a predominantly human city, with a strong halfling presence, many gnomes, and more dwarves than seen in other Tethyrian cities and towns. Sune remains the most popular local faith (in terms of wealth and temples), but local veneration of Gond is rising.

The current Mayor of Zazesspur is Imkauthra Shalaunt (an elderly, waspish, shrewd human female who looks stunningly beautiful thanks to wigs, makeup, and cantrips; vanity is her only known vice; she’s the Shalaunt matriarch and has outlived three husbands).

The other most prominent Merchant Dukes right now are Ordoavor Martrel (a darkly handsome middle-aged human male, glib and charismatic, vaultingly ambitious for influence and mercantile power, but not political power or rank, a scourge of the ladies but has a very patient wife, Aumra); Lorys Tavilandar (a plump, middle-aged, honey-blonde human female of long, flowing hair, who is very wealthy thanks to shrewd trading; she understands inventions and devices in exacting detail better than most artisans, and the priests of Gond and local dwarves and gnomes love to do business with her, to mutual profit); and Ombur Zarszel (an albino human male of iron self-control, perfect memory, and few words who holds grudges and always gets more than even, but puts the good of House Zarszel, and then the good of Zazesspur, and then the good of Tethyr, in that order, all before his own gain or gratification).

FOR THE VISITOR

• The two rival haughtiest inns in Zazesspur right now are the White Wyvern Inn and Orbrel’s Hand (sited within sight of each other, along the southern edge of the Wain; both are Expensive and Excellent).
• The merchant’s inn considered the best by most is Relvor’s Redbanners House, at the eastern end of the Ships.
• The quietest “good, cheap” inn is Relavur’s Rest, just southeast of Trade Gate in the Wain, facing the city wall.
• The currently most flashy and exciting city club to meet in (to drink, dance, gamble, mingle, and “be seen”) is Vorundigo’s, at the northwestern edge of the Market District (looking across the street at th Garden District). It has talented musicians, “new” mixed drinks, and everchanging “bites” (finger-food hors d’oeuvres) offerings nightly, and is open from dusk until dawn.
• The largest eatery of note in the city (described by one visiting merchant as “a vast, noisy barn of a place with many side-wings echoing with a constant din, but attentive scurrying servers and splendid food make this a must”) is Darsundur’s Dragon in the western Market District (a local would say “westside Market”), owned and run by Wold Darsundar, a jovial and prodigiously fat halfling whose seventeen daughters really run the place; the food, soups and stews especially, is memorably good. Its size means there’s usually little to no wait to get seated—and the service is lightning-swift.
• The most upscale dining experience, for those with fat purses, can be had at The Oxflame at the southeastern end of The Bindery, run by Ost Harpact, an elderly gnome of exacting standards and kindness he usually keeps hidden behind a crusty manner. As the name implies, whole oxen are slowly roasted, drenched in fine broth and finer wine to keep from drying out, at all times so a lot of meat is swiftly ready whenever diners are hungry.
• One more eatery of note is Briendur’s, in the northwestern Bindery. Noszult Briendur believes diners should eat in unhurried privacy, so every table is in its own room, and no one is ever rushed; you can spend an entire evening chatting or doing business—if you can get a table, because local merchants prize this place for combining business meetings with good meals, and linger. The menu is limited but superbly prepared, roast meat with nicely-seasoned vegetables the mainstay, and prices are reasonable.
• A tavern that’s recently risen in popularity and prominence among local shopkeepers and visiting “merchants of middling purse” alike is Velsandra’s Slow Decline, just west and a little south of Karlag’s Gate. It’s larger than first-time visitors think, because four old buildings have been joined together to create a multi-floored maze of eccentric rooms, alcoves, and short joining passages. Eavesdropping in easy in such a place, and there are rumors of secret passages, climbing shafts, and spyholes, yet it’s still popular for the cozy atmosphere and the low prices. At “the Slow,” “tankards are generous,” as the local saying puts it.
• Another tavern that’s recently become notorious is a real “brawling dive” of a place in westernmost Karlaggar, The Shark And Snail. Which may sound like a whimsical eatery or family place, but its scorched from fires, has broken and oft-mended furniture, and hosts frequent deadly brawls. Popular with sailors and mercenaries, it is dirt cheap and has no standards at all for behavior. Its servers are all male, and most are dwarves or half-orcs. It’s run by a truly massive man, as wide as he’s tall, named Tordran “the Titan” (no, he has no titan blood—but he might have a barn door in his recent lineage).

It should be noted that city inns, taverns, and other sites of note mentioned in earlier published lore are all still in existence and flourishing.