66
and the riches of trade. The Stoneshafts aren't blind to
House Margaster's ambitions, and they know that they
must bring in profits if they hope to weather the chal-
lenges to their home. They're very careful to avoid being
caught alone, fearing kidnap or torture at the hands
of hired agents of the Margasters eager to learn the
secrets of their defenses. For the same reason, only the
Stoneshaft elders know and plan all the details of those
defenses, so any single dwarf doesn't know everything
and can't reveal it.
Stoneshafts like and are interested in the full variety
of clothing and fashions, music, jokes and current news
and rumors, and household goods and tools that Water-
deep offers. They tend to favor maces and morningstars
and other bludgeoning weapons, plain armor with full-
face helms that conceal a wearer's identity and that
have plates to protect the vital areas of a knocked-down
dwarf, and spicy foods.ISLAND KINGDOMS
WHAT MAKES ME SUCH AN EXPERT ON SAILING OFF THE
Sword Coast? Well, experience, for one. Survival, for an-
other. I've been doing this longer than most of my readers
have been alive, and this is the third version of this book I'm
offering. I write one of these only every ha/f-centwy, and if
you think the purchase price isn't worth the heaps of coin
you'll make by selling my work to your customers, you're a
fool. Don't want it? Don't buy it.- Gardorra Burr, to a Waterdhavian bookseller
West of the Sword Coast lies the Sea of Swords, and
beyond that the Trackless Sea, a vast expanse separat-
ing Faerftn from whatever lies to the far west. Between
the shore and the unknown are a number of islands,
some large and others so small they lack names of their
own. These island nations trade-and war-with Faerftn
and one another, just like any mainland nation.
The information below is drawn from Fifty Years
at Sea, Volume the Third, by Gardorra Burr, a gnome
sailor who has spent most of her two hundred years tra-
versing the Sea of Swords.MINT ARN
I don't know what the people of Mintarn did to attract
Beshaba's ire, but they surely have her attention. For
as long as I can remember, Mintarn has lived in the
shadow of the dragon Hoondarrh-called the Red Rage
of Mintarn since he dwells on an island close by-but
for just as long, the people of Mintarn have been able
to purchase the dragon's mercy. Now a series of events
conspire to threaten their power to pay the dragon, as
well as their other aspirations on the Sword Coast.
Mintarn has long been a neutral ground for various
forces-a place aloof from the conflicts between the city-
states of the coast and the rivalries of the North lander
isles. Any ship-be it pirate, privateer, or merchant
vessel-could dock at Mintarn and find a warm wel-
come. Many treaties were struck on its shores, and
when peace couldn't be achieved, soldiers and ships ofCHAPTER 2 \THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTHMintarn hired themselves out to various power groups,
with no fear of retribution on Mintarn.
Not long ago, Mintarn was awash with coin. Dagult
Neverember invested heavily in the island, creating a
ship-building company, combat-training facilities, and
even lending his coin to the yearly tribute to Hoondarrh
when other means fell short. The White Sails company
in which he invested grew to become Mintarn's premi-
nent supplier of mercenary ships and soldiers.
Things only improved when Waterdeep wasted its
navy chasing Northlander pirates. Then Neverember,
acting as Open Lord of Waterdeep, relied on his con-
nections to Mintarn to draft a new mercenary navy for
the city. What's more, Neverember took it on himself to
raise Neverwinter from the ashes, hiring more merce-
naries of Mintarn to serve his needs as that city's Lord
Protector.
With funds from two of the greatest cities of the
Sword Coast filling its coffers, Mintarn knew a pros-
perity of which its people had never dreamed. It's true
that the same tide that had coin flowing into Mintarn
drew much of its young and vibrant people outward, but
those they left behind were comforted by the knowledge
that their family and friends didn't leave for war, but for
much safer duties.
The trouble started, not surprisingly, with Hoondarrh.
Though Mintarn made yearly tributes to the great wyrm
and was always careful to neglect not a copper, old
Hoondarrh was known to sleep for decades at a time,
and the folk of Mintarn took their agreement with the
dragon for granted. But something awoke him early
a few years ago, and it was as if the red bastard could
smell the gold coming into the island. Although Mintarn
had made proper tribute, Hoondarrh landed atop Castle
Mintarn, toppling two of its towers with his weight, and
roared a demand for more treasure, right then, and in
future tributes.
Of course, the folk of Mintarn scrambled to meet the
impatient wyrm's demands. Even if they had all the sol-
diers shipped away to Neverwinter and Waterdeep, what
could they hope to do to mighty Hoondarrh?
Things got worse recently when Neverember was
deposed as Open Lord of Waterdeep. The Lords of
Waterdeep have decided to reestablish their own navy,
and they've told the soldiers of Mintarn to leave the city
or take a commission among the navy or the city's other
armed forces. Now in Neverwinter, Lord Neverember
has decided to do away with a mercenary force as well.
He says he wants to instill a sense of civic pride among
the folk of Neverwitner, but many in Mintarn see it as
a betrayal. Neverember is a cunning man. I think with
Hoondarrh active, the Lord Protector is simply cutting
his losses. He didn't get the nickname Dagger just
because his first name is Dagult.
Mintarn had been playing the game well, but now it
finds itself backed into a corner with few moves left to
make. The coin is no longer flowing into its harbors,
and many of its best and brightest have decided not to
return. There's talk of hiring adventurers to slay Hoond-
arrh, but Hoondarrh's hoard must be massive. If that's
not enough of a draw to dragon slayers, then there's