Luskan

PORT

Also called "The City of Sails", this port city at the mouth of the River Mirar is one of the northernmost reaches of "civilization." It is a strategic location as a port for trade with the Dwarven cities and mines up the river, including Mirabar and Gauntlgrym.  In fact, the city's North Bank is called the "Mirabar District" as its buildings are almost entirely warehouses.

LAWS

With a long past as raiders and pirates, there is a spirited population with an ease in challenging rules. However, this has not been kind to the people and there is a focused effort toward establishing a more civilized city (see more below).  Some of Luskan's past has given it fairly liberal views:

• Kidnapping has not been a part of even the criminal culture, and slavery is illegal, though at sea sometimes there have been loose interpretations.
• Women have equal social standing with men (the High Captains of Suljack and Taerl are both women).
• Magic is not seen with distrust or superstition, it has been a constant companion with the Host Tower so near.
• The Fifth Ship of the High Captains is assigned the responsibility of running the city's police and defense garrison.
• A court system of five magistrates, one chosen by each High Captain oversees a court system with relatively fair trials before a judge. In disputes involving members of a Ship, the judgement will appear before all five.
• The city makes money through trade, fishing, and occasional "commandeering" at sea. This pays for the expenses of keeping up the walls, bridges, harbors, and other infrastructure as well as the defense and patrolling of the city. There is no tax on the city's citizens themselves.
• The High Captains grant rights for trade, fishing, mining, etc. with fees and ensure any that do not respect these licenses and rights are punished. The city controls passage on the bridges and any wishing to avoid this must travel 30 miles up river to a cable-guided ferry at Blackford Crossing, which is also run by the Luskan Ships.

ACADEMY

The city houses the Arcane Brotherhood's central "Host Tower" and has both benefitted from its presence, and greatly suffered under its darker leaders (including the lich Arklem Greeth) and enemies it attracted (including the Rage of Dragons in 1373 DR triggered by Sammaster). Over the centuries, Greeth and his minions have actively worked to keep the place a bed of hostility and chaos to discourage and eliminate threats to their power and pursuit of dark power.

UNDERWORLD

Neverwinter's hold on Luskan was persistently and systematically undermined by various forces, but most prominently the history of the area is filled with rivalries between sea-skilled ship-based factions, descended from the viking-like founders of the area with a penchant for raiding and piracy. These "families" became known as the "Ships" of Luskan (see High Captains). Gangs and ship captains took on independent piracy to increase Luskan's trade and build its resources. Many of its locations and more prominent taverns still carry names reminding of this identity. 

Engaging this culture, a renegade faction of Drow from the Underdark used the port to greatly increase their power and wealth, aligning with Ship Kurth as a (mostly secret) extension of the mercenary group known as the Bregan D'aerthe.

The Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR) Spellplague left Luskan in ruin, and the location had a century of constant violent struggle for control with so many factions it would be impossible to document. It became so lawless a place, it attracted outcasts, outlaws, criminals, and dark horrors as an escape and sanctuary for psychopaths and monsters. All of this was supported by the Arcane Brotherhood, to draw in desperate-but-dangerous minions they could control, as well as discourage others overly curious in what they themselves may be up to.

LEGITIMACY

The city's gangs and pirate captains' feuding finally turned more legitimate in 1485 DR, when the so-called High Captains f the five most powerful factions declared they would conduct legal sea trade and rein in piracy.  It is not a coincidence this turn of posture formed at the same time the Arcane Brotherhood asserted the importance of Luskan rising as a crucial location for trade and flow of goods and wealth.

(See: Luskan High Captains for more on Ship Baram, Ship Kurth, Ship Rethnor, Ship Suljack and Ship Taerl).

People in-the-know understand this to be the true present power of the city stepping forward in the meetings of the High Captains: the Bregan D'aerthe led by the legendary Jarlaxle.  The Drow company of mercenaries' played a long and patient game manipulating others to where, today, they can command. Thus, some name Jarlaxle Baenre the "Secret Lord" of Luskan, in contrast to the "Open Lords" of cities such as Neverwinter and Waterdeep. Toward potentially even joining the Lords Alliance, Luskan has formed treaties for trade and recognizing permits and laws with the cities of the north. (Something unthinkable even 10 years ago!)

ORCS

One area on the South Bank is a the site, now in ruin, of the ancient city called Illusk, which for many centuries was populated by Orcs.  Over and over the orcs would retake the site with hordes from the Spine of the World, expelling forces of dwarves, elves, Uthgardt barbarians and even invaders from the viking-like dwarves of Ruathym island, over the Trackless Sea to the west. The Everhorde left Illusk a ruin in 611 DR, but it was slowly rebuilt around the Host Tower of the Grand Cabal, until once more an orc army besieged the city and held it for nearly 60 years from 1235 DR to 1292 DR - when the orcs were driven out once and for all by a mercenary army from Waterdeep and Neverwinter.  When these forces rebuilt and fortified the city, it was renamed Luskan.

(See also: wiki)