ForgingtheRealmsArchive|2/18/2014

WhereBloodyKnivesSeetheSun
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,andhow
doestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersinhis
campaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsandmore.

undredsofmerchantsandwayfarerswhotravelFaernwidelysharetalesoflawless,thrivingcrossroads
trademootsthatarewilderthanmostfolkelsewherewillcreditastruth.Surprisinglymanyofthesetalesare
true,ifembellished.Althoughonecantaketheviewthattheypresentonlytheseediestsideofaplace,against
thatmustbeputanothertruth:thatthewildtalescoveronlywhatgotoutintopublicviewandconverse,andthedaily
villainygoingonmaywellbefar,farworse.

OnesuchroughcrossroadsisKormul,atthesouthernendofLakeLhespen,intheShaar.OnceknownastheCityof
Cults,itisnowoftendescribedfromasafedistanceastheplace"wherebloodyknivesseethesun."Thisisa
referencetotheviciousalleywarsfoughtamonghumanfactionsbydaythecityisquietbynight,thankstothe"slay
youunhesitatinglyifyoudisturbourdoings"attitudesoflocaldrowandyuanti.

So,letustourKormul,amagnetforcertainsortsofadventurersandunscrupuloustraders.

WhatMeetstheEye

Kormulwasoncefarlargerthanitistoday,andblackstonepillarsandthelowremnantsofwallsstandasruinsin
profusioninthenorthwestandsoutheastofthecity.Theseremnantsarefusedvolcanicrocksthatareterrificallyhard
andresistanttobeingchippedawayandcarriedoffalltheeasilysalvagedstonesweretakencenturiesago.
Inhabitantshaveerectedshacksandshantiesamongtheseruinedwalls,usingthemforsupport.Mostofthese
abodesbeganastentsandwickerwovenreedwalls,augmentedwithmudbrick.Streetsarewithoutsigns,andthey
arenarrowandwindingandusuallyteemingcrowdedbyday.Thesettledareaisringedwithlargeandheavily
guardedpaddocksforthesellingoflivestockandforcaravanstoassemble,disperse,orcampin.Themotley
mercenariesherebristlewithintimidatingpersonalarmoriesofweapons.

TheCityofCults

Crossroadstradingcentersthatarefarfromastrongcentralauthoritycanattractoutlawsontherunfromelsewhere,
andKormulisnoexception.Becauseoftheinsidiousinfluenceofthedrowandtheyuanti,Kormulhasfromits
foundingmorethanfivecenturiesagobeenhometoworshipfrowneduponelsewhere,suchasvenerationofLolth.
Thisflourishingopenworshiphasemboldenedoutcastclergyofmanyfaithstocreatetheirowncults,whichconsistof
bothhereticaloffshootsofestablishedfaithsandnewcults.ThosewhoventuretoKormulcanseekouttheHouseof
HighRunes,whichholdsthattheliteratewhoactivelyreadandwriteshallandshouldinherittheRealms,whereasall
othersshallfadeintotheshadowsandfallaway.ThoseintheHouseofHighRunesmustexaltandserveOghmaand
Deneir,andtheyshouldpraise,reward,andheedwriters.Anyonewhodestroysabookmustthemselvesbe
destroyed,accordingtothefollowersinthisparticularoffshootoffaith.

KormulbecameknownastheCityofCultsevenbackwhenitwasasmalltradingtown,becauseofthesedozensof
competingcults.Manysuperstitiouscaravanmerchants,foreverseekinganedgeoverrivalsintoughmercantile
competition,joinedoneormoreofthesecultsandmadeofferingswhenevertheywereintown.

Thecults,inturn,sawthebenefitsofthrowingfeastsandorgies,andtheygavevisitingmerchantsdoctoringand
secureplacestosleepandtostorevaluables.Bysuchtreatment,theyattractedincreasingnumbersofbelievers.Most
ofthesecreatedinKormulcultswerebeastcultsofvarioussorts,andnotable
amongthemweretheRisenEyebeholderworshipers,theSacredScales
venerationofyuantileaders(asgodsinthemaking,whowouldrewardearly
supporterswhentheyachievedfulldivinity),and,mostimportantlybecauseoftheir
numbersandlastingpopularity,variousdragoncults.

TheWyrmcultsofKormulhaveneverworshipeddraconicgods(theentities
dragonsthemselvesseeas"their"gods),butratherareindividualsofmanyraces
whopraytothisorthatspecificknownlivingdragonforprotection,forgoodluckin
seekingtreasure,andforhelpinsmitingenemies.Inparticular,theelderbrown
dragonBelathellar,theeldergraydragonHelauzatyl(oftheeasternShaar),and
especiallytheancientblackwyrmAhzalundelarr(oftheWyrmbones)havebeen
veneratedinKormulforcenturies,andtheystillaretothisday.

ThedeathofBelathellarin1382DRinbattlewiththecopperdragonVelauthlusglar
wasinterpretedbythePenitentofBelathellaras"Belathellarneedingtoascend,
feelingthatitwastime,andenteringintomidairbattletothedeathwith
Velauthlusglarinordertoachieverightfulgodhood."Sincenoneofthesecults
receiveanswersatthealtarfromthecreaturestheyworshipexceptdeceiving
manifestationsfakedbymagessecretlypaidfromcultofferingsBelathellar's
profoundsilencedoesn'tstandoutasodd.Someinterpretthesilenceas
Belathellarbeingbusycreatinganewdivinebodyandgettingtoknowthe
establisheddeities,insomecasesbyprovingdivineworthbyworkingmiracles.

MostKormulandragoncultistswearsmallnecklacesbearing(assilvermedallions)
thebadgeofthedragontheyworshipararefewindividualsworshipmorethan
onedragon,andtheyhavenecklacesthatdisplaymultiplemedallions.

BusyBazaars

Allmannerofgoodsswapping,moneychanging,andusedgoodstradinggoeson
inKormul,asineverycaravanhub.Thedealingsthatdominateinthecitywhere
bloodyknivesseethesun,however,istradinginspices,drugs,andpoisons.Some
haveoftenarguedthatthespicetradeissolargeinKormul(asopposedtoother
nearbycenters)becauseshipmentsandthepackagingofspicesaresofrequentlyusedtoconcealdrugsandpoisons
amongthespices.TheHarlordandherWardSwords(hiredfightersandhedgewizardswhopatroltokeepthepeace)
don'tcare,becausetheytaxdrugsandpoisonsthesameasspicesit'stheauthoritiesindestinationsandwaystops
alongthecaravanroutesthatthetradersareseekingtodeceive.

SaltandspicesarebybulkthelargesttradewaresflowingthroughKormul,andmostofthetradersareloxo,wemics,
outlawsandoutcasts(mostlythedisfigured)ofallraces,andnomadichumans.Kormulisoneofthefewplacesin
Faernwheredrowtradewithsurfacedwellersinthehopesofgainingwine,grain,vegetables,andcertaincarving
woodsinreturnforgemsandspecificmetals.Yuanticometopurchasesomeofthosegemsandtosellpoisons
bothserpentvenomsandotherconcoctionsoftheirowndevising.

TheSlitherers

ThetallestandbestbuildingsinKormulareownedandoccupiedbytheyuanti,knownlocallyastheScalyOnes(this
isnotatermthatangerstheyuantiwhohearit).TheKormul"slitherers"(aneutralterm,whereas"scalies"and
"shedders"arehostilenamesandwillbereceivedassuch)baskinthesunlightbydayonthehighbalconiesandroofs
oftheirsunwelltowers,whicharethreeandfourstorystructureswhoseroofsarebrokenbywellssosunlightcan
bakethestonesandretainheat.

Bynight,theyuantislitherforthtomaketradedealswitheachotherinparticularestablishments,whicharemainly
clubsthathavestonefloorsheatedbyfiresbeneaththem.Mostslitherersemploylargenetworksofhuman(andother
race)spiestowatchwhathappensinthecitybydayforthem,andtheytravelaboutKormulwithbodyguardsoftheir
ownraceandawidevarietyofhiredswords.

TheDarkOnesfromBelow

Drow,knownlocallyas"theDarkfolk"(polite)or"theDarkOnes"(neutral)or"NightEars"(atermofderisionthatirks
drowwhohearit),comeuptothesurfacefromtheUnderdarkbelowinatleastsevenplacesamongthecellarsof
Kormul.Theytakecaretokeepfirmcontrolofthebuildingsthatstandabovetheiraccesstunnels,sonoonecan
restricttheirtradingandtheirentryintotheRealmAbove(thesurfaceofFaern),orcutthemofffromanyretreatback
downintotheUnderdark.

InKormul,drowtradeinpoisons,andtheyareknowntocarrycopiousdartsandothersmallermissileweaponstofire
themwith.Theyhavealsodevelopedtheirownpoisonthat'sswiftlyfataltoyuantiwhichisoneofthereasonsthat
theScalyOnesandtheDarkfolklongagoreachedanuneasypeaceinKormul.

TheHarlord

Theyuantiandthedrowbothprefertotradeinthedarkhours,buttheydon'twanttheirwaresorhardworktobe
stolenorslightedbydaylight.Soearlyon,theybothhituponthenotionofmakingtheclosestthingKormulhastoa
rulerbe"their"proxy.Forsometime,thisresultedinanalmostcomicaltoanoutsider,buttoveryfewKormulans
sequenceof"accidents"andpublicassassinationsbefallingwhoeverwasHarlord(morethanafewHarlordsofKormul
ruledforaboutanhour),butatlengthboththeScalyOnesandtheDarkfolktiredofthewasteofgood(thatis,
intelligent,calculating,controlled,andruthless,notgoodaligned)candidatesfortheHarlhouse,andtheyagreedonan
officeholderbeholdentobothofthem.

TheHarlordofKormulhasbeenloyaltothem,andheorsheremainsmindfulofthewatchfulpresenceofanofficial,
trainedbytheScaliesandDarkssuccessorwaitinginthewings,eversince.

Thefirstofthese"twiceapproved"Harlordswasthemuchscarred,oneeyedLaskelorMarouth("LASSkellorMar
OOth"),whotookthegildedbreastplateofoffice(markedwithamagnificentreliefmoldingofthehatchingwinged
dragonofKormul)on1426DR,andhelastedforelevenyearsbeforesuccumbingtopoisonin1437DR.He's
rememberedastoughbutfair,andheisrumoredtohavehiddencachesofmagicitemsinwalls,floors,andceilingsall
overKormul.

MarouthwasfollowedinofficebyIrdraskynTaltreth("UrDRASKinTALLtreth"),agentlerHarlordwholasteduntila
wallfellonhimduringawizards'spellduelhewastryingtoquellin1456DR.Taltrethwassucceededbythefemale
halforcVespraeleIrontusk("VessPRAYull").

TheIrontusk(sometimescalled"LadyIrontusk"byvisitingtraders,who'velearnedthatshelikesbeingaddressedso)
issevenfeettall,broadshouldered,andverystrong,yetastonishinglybeautiful(despitehervisibletusks).She'salso
aruthlesskeeperofthelaxlawswhoisincreasinglypopularinthecity,becausesheworkstopreventbrawlingand
murder,lopsoffthehandsofallwhocanbecaughtinbarefacedsnatchthievery,exilesextortionists,andotherwise
lets"thedamnedofKormulbethedamnedofKormul"(inotherwords,letscitizensandvisitorslivetheirliveslargely
unhindered).

TheHarlhouseisa"slatternlymansion,"aslocalsdescribeit,builtatopthecity'slargeandsturdyjail,andtheHarlord
livesthereamidherpersonalbodyguardoften(usuallysevenorso,duetolosses)warriorspersonallychosenbythe
drowandtheyuanti(andbeholdentothemfirst).Fromthisbase,theHarlordcommandsandinspectsKormul'spolice
force,theWardSwords.

Kormulhasnogates,nocurfew,andnoservicestospeakofbeyondkeepinglaw.Tradeinspices,drugs,andpoisons
aretaxed,4gppertransaction,andthat'sthesolesourceofincomefortheHarlordexceptforsidelineinvestments
thedrowandyuantiscrutinizeclosely.MakingpilesofcoinisfineshowingfavoritisminrunningtheWardSwordsto
benefittheseinvestmentsisnot.

CityofDanger

Aslongasyoudon'tpubliclydoanyofthethingstheIrontuskwill"getyoufor,"assomeinhabitantssay,anything
goesinKormul.Noonewillbepubliclyscornedonmoralorethicalgrounds,becauseit'sunderstoodthatsuchmatters
arepurelypersonalandnotamatterofpublicpolicyinthecity.Thisiswhereanythingcanbehadoratleastthe
nameofanentityelsewherethatdealsinyourdesiredanythingbeitcontrabandorjustararesubstanceoraservice
oractivitythatwouldbeconsideredshocking,disgusting,andhighlyillegalinmostotherplacesinFaern.Thisisone
oftheplacesthatoutlawsontherunmakefor,soit'shometomanytraitors,pretenders,dethronedformerrulers,and
individualswhohavefallenfromtheirfaithsandallhavetheirownaxestogrindandschemesforrevenge.

Kormulisacityofdarkopportunities,butit'snotaplacetoletyourguarddownorsleepwithyourdoorunlockedor
unbolted.

"Alivelyplace,"Elminstertermedit.
AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafewrooms
inhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952014WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.