theyseefit,andjudgesareexpectedtointerpretlawsfreely
butwisely.Suchasystemwouldseemtoinviteabuseand
bribery,buttheChultancourtsaresurprisinglyfreeof
corruption.
Slaveryisn’tillegalinPortNyanzaru,butit’sfrowned
upon,andthemerchantprinceswon’tdobusinesswith
slaversorshowthemanylegalfavor.
Murderisillegal,but“sanctions”—legalpermissiontokill
someoneortohavesomeonekilled—canbepurchasedfrom
themerchantprinceJessamine.Thepricedependsonthe
prominenceoftheintendedvictim,thereasonforthesanction,
andthewealthofthepurchaser.Theminimumpricepossible
is 150 gp;themaximumislimitless.Theavailabilityof
sanctionsdoesn’tmeanthey’recommon—it’srareformore
thansixtobesoldinayear.Thathaslesstodowithpricethan
withthefactthatifwordgetsoutwhopurchasedasanction,
nothingcanstopthefriendsofthevictimfromsanctioningthe
originalpurchaser.
Despitetheirhighambition,themerchantprinces’power
isentirelycontainedinthecity.Elsewhere,Chultisruledby
theredlawoftoothandclaw.Anindividualiseitherpredator
orprey,andthepredatormightbeamobofundead,a
ravenousallosaurus,agrunghuntingparty,Jahakanpirates,or
aFlamingFistpatrol.
EmeraldEnclave........................................................................................................................................................................
TheEmeraldEnclaveisawidespreadgroupofwilderness
survivalistswhopreservethenaturalorderbyrootingout
unnaturalthreats.Theystruggletokeepcivilizationandthe
wildernessfromdestroyingoneanother.
InChult,theEmeraldEnclaveischieflyconcernedwith
protectinginhabitantsfromtheundeadmenace.Afewguides
inPortNyanzaruandFortBeluarianareopenlyassociated
withtheenclave,andafewothersaresecretmembersorare
sympathetictoitsgoals.Thefactionmaintainsseveralwell-
camouflagedoutpostsinthejungle.Theyserveashidden
observationposts,notforwardfightingpositions.
Ifcharactersgetintotroubleinthewilderness,the
EmeraldEnclaveisapotentialrescuer.
FlamingFist................................................................................................................................................................................
TheFlamingFistisamercenarycompanyheadquarteredin
(andfiercelyloyalto)Baldur’sGate.TheFistmaintainsa
permanentstrongholdinChultatFortBeluarian.Fromthere,
FlamingFistpatrolsstrikeoutintothejungleto“pacify”
territoryandclaimlosttreasures.TheFlamingFisthasalready
plunderedtheruinsofMezro.Nowthemercenariesandtheir
wealthybackersinBaldur’sGatewouldlikenothingbetter
thantodothesametoOmu,butthey’vehadnolucklocating
thelostcity.TheFlamingFist’sresearchersareconvincedthe
cityliessouthofLakeLuobuteastofthePeaksofFlame,atthe
westernendoftheValleyofDread.Becauseofthedistance
fromFortBeluarian,they’relookingforadventurersto
conductaninitialexplorationofthatareaandlocatewhatthey
believewillbemostlyabandonedruins.
ThecommanderofFortBeluarianandhighestranking
memberoftheFlamingFistinChultisLiaraPortyr
(seeappendixD).Sheholdstherankofblaze(major)andhas
completeautonomyinChult,answeringonlytoDukeUlder
RavengardofBaldur’sGate.Portyrwillhappilyassignsomeof
hermercenariestoaccompanyadventurersbyseatoRefuge
BayoreventoSnappingTurtleBay—eitherisanexcellent
startingpointforanyincursionintothewesternreachofthe
ValleyofDread.
OnlysixranksarerecognizedwithintheFlamingFist:fist
(private),gauntlet(corporal),manip(sergeant),flame
(lieutenant),blaze(major),andmarshal(general).Harpers.......................................................................................................................................................................................
TheHarpersarespellcastersandspieswhocovertlyoppose
anyabuseofpower,magicalorotherwise.Workingaloneorin
smallcells,theygatherinformationthroughoutFaerûn,
analyzethepoliticaldynamicsineachregionorrealm,anduse
whattheyuncovertohelptheweak,thepoor,andthe
oppressedfrombehindthescenes.Harpersactopenlyonlyas
alastresort.
ArtusCimber,aformermemberoftheHarpers,ishiding
outinChult.HepossessesanartifactcalledtheRingofWinter,
andotherHarpersareconcernedlesttheringfallintoevil
hands.Topreventthat,ahandfulofHarperspiesarecombing
PortNyanzaruandChultforcluestoArtus’swhereabouts—
ostensiblytoprotectthering,butexactlywhatthey’lldowhen
theyfinditisanopenquestion.MagicaleffortstolocateArtus
arefutile,astheRingofWintershieldsitselfanditswearer
againstdivinationspellsandscryingsensors.Lords’Alliance...........................................................................................................................................................................
Anumberofcitiesandsettlementsbandedtogethertoform
theLords’Alliance,acoalitionthatworksactivelytoeliminate
threatstotheirmutualsafetyandprosperity.Thecoalitionis
loose—somemightevencallitshaky.Allianceleaderspush
theirowninterestsabovecounterpartsfromothercities,and
operativesseekhonorandgloryforthemselvesandtheirown
lordsattheexpenseoflesspowerfulmembers.
AkeyfigureintheLords’AllianceisGrandDukeUlder
RavengardofBaldur’sGate,acitywithavestedinterestinthe
affairsofChult.TheflagofBaldur’sGatefliesoverthe
strongholdofFortBeluarian,whichisgarrisonedbyFlaming
FistmercenariesunderthecommandofRavengard’svassal,
LiaraPortyr.Ifpushcametoshove,Ravengardwouldplace
theprioritiesofBaldur’sGateabovethoseoftheLord’s
Alliance.
OtherLords’AlliancecitiessuchasWaterdeepand
NeverwinterhaveoperativesinPortNyanzaru,wherethey
underminetheeffortsofnon-alliancepowerssuchas
Calimshan,Amn,andTethyrtoexpandtheircontrolover
Chult’svastresources.Mostoftheserepresentativesareopen
abouttheirtiestotheLord’sAllianceandstylethemselvesas
ambassadorsoftheircities,buttheyalsoemploycovertagents
toundermineeachother’splansandcarryoutlesssavory
tasks.TheLords’Alliancesponsorsmappingexpeditionsinto
thepeninsula,withtheaimoffindingmoretreasuresormines
itcanplunder.OrderoftheGauntlet.................................................................................................................................................................
MembersoftheOrderoftheGauntletvowtoprotectothers
fromthedepredationsofevildoers.Placingtheirfaithingood-
aligneddeitiessuchasTorm,Helm,andTyr,theybringthe
strengthoftheirfaith,theirhearts,andtheirweaponstobear
againstvillainy.
Theorderhascommittedconsiderableresourcestoward
quellingtheundeadmenaceinChult.Itsforwardbase,Camp
Righteous,wasoverrunbyundead.Theorder,undaunted,