Arabel

Arabel (pronounced: /ˈɛərɑːbɛl/ AIR-ah-bell) was a fortified city in northern Cormyr. The city stood at an important crossroads and was a major trade center

Demonym

A person from Arabel was known as an Arabellan.

Geography

Arabel was about 30 miles (48,000 meters) east of Eveningstar.

Arabel was at the junction of The High Road, Calantar's Way, the East Way, and the Moonsea Ride.

Description

The city contained almost a thousand structures in 1357 DR

Government

From as early as 1357 DR until at least 1372 DR, Arabel was ruled by Myrmeen Lhal.

Trade

Arabel was a merchant city, primarily known for its jewelry. Other major exports included coal, horses, dry red wine, black beer known as Bitter Black, and cheese. It was the major source of coal for all of Cormyr, obtaining it from the nearby Gnoll Pass.

Several major trading companies had outposts within the city, and the city also had a number of powerful local merchants. Arabel also had a large assortment of mercenaries for hire. Under the rulership of Myrmeen Lhal, merchants were only lightly regulated and given leeway to trade as they wished, provided that no harm was performed nor danger came to the royalty.

Laws and customs

Unlike other Cormyrian cities, inhabitants of Arabel, even mercenaries, could keep their weapons unbound.

Culture

Festivals and Holidays

During winter, inhabitants of Arabel celebrated Highharvestide. In addition, special prayers known as the "Gathering In" were led every tenday by the churches of Chauntea and Sylvanus

Preparing Winter

Known as the "Granary of the North" by the folks of Cormyr, the cellars and attics of the city were used for constant storage of food for winter. In addition, dry firewood was piled along the insides of the city walls before snow accumulated too much around Arabel.

History

Arabel was almost as old as Suzail. It began as a logging camp, and maintained a degree of independence. The first rebellion occurred during the reign of King Tharyann, who put an end to it. By 245 DR, Arabel was in rebellion again.] By 376 DR, Arabel had seceded three times.

Another rebellion occurred some time between 376 DR and 432 DR, caused by a "Merchants' Revolutionary Committee". A battle in the Stonelands caused orcs to be driven south, and although this would normally be enough to cause Arabel to rejoin Cormyr, there was no military aid available, and the orcs conquered the heart of the King's Forest.

In 1018 DR, Arabel was attacked by a pair of green dragons.

The Usurper King Gondegal seized power in Arabel in 1352 DR with the aim of using the city as a central location for the formation of a new kingdom. He was overthrown eight days later by the Cormyrean army, led by King Azoun IV. King Azoun retook the city without shedding any blood, because Gondegal had abandoned the city and apparently fled.

During the Time of Troubles, the goddess Tymora, Lady Luck herself, visited the city.

In 1368 DR, heavy rain lasted for two entire seasons, spring and summer. This downpour caused a sinkhole underneath stables of a respectable Arabellan inn, within a hundred steps of the Lady's Hall, the temple of Tymora. The collapsed building exposed a hidden shrine to Beshaba and killed thirty-seven worshipers of Lady Luck's hateful sister Beshaba. Lord Priest Doust Sulwood, along with the High Lord Priest Daramos Lauthyr of the Lady's Hall, were present during the excavation of the destroyed shrine. One of the dead worshipers of Beshaba belonged to the respected Marliir noble family. Daramos Lauthyr chose to lie about the noble's association and claim that the dead Marliir was at the stables when the disaster struck. The High Priest wanted to play the game of politics. Many attributed the flooding to Chauntea, but the Church of Tymora was sure it was Lady Luck's doing. Lauthyr planned to petition with Lady Lord Myrmeen Lhal to claim the land of Beshaba's ruined shrine for his church, placing a rectory or a cleric school there. However, the same collapse caused one of the springs in Arabel to change its path and pour directly into Tymora's temple's scriptorium and the library, dealing significant damage to the church's tomes and scrolls

Arabel was one of the cities damaged in the Goblin War.

Locations

Inns & Boarding Houses

• Eastwatch Inn
• Elfskull Inn
• Falcon's Rest
• High Moon Inn
• Irriphar's Inn
• Murdered Manticore Inn
• Mother Lahamma's House
• Night Wolf Inn
• Nine Fires Inn
• Phaesha's Boarding House
• Pride of Arabel
• Scarlet Spear
• Shassra's Boarding House
• Swinging Gate
• Red Stirge Inn
• Tired Traveler Inn
• The Watchful Lynx
• Weary Knight
• Wild Goose (also known as "The World Serpent Inn")

Taverns

• Bent Bow
• Black Barrel
• Black Mask
• Coiled Whip
• Dancing Dracolisk
• Ivory Jack
• Lame Camel
• Lazy Lizard
• Silver Tankard
• Striking Snake
• Two-Headed Lion
• Wink and Kiss

Restaurants

• Hungry Man Inn

Temples

• the Lady's Hall, also referred to as the Lady's House or simply as the Temple of Tymora, was the most resplendent cathedral in Arabel dedicated to the Lady Luck.

Notable Inhabitants

• Epicot, a renowned Arabelan wizard, murdered by the Night Parade in 1360 DR.