Suzail

Suzail is home to more immigrants than many other parts of Cormyr, and while still primarily human, there are many gnomes, dwarves, and halflings within the city. The city is quite tolerant, and non-human citizens enjoy all of the same rights as any other Cormyrean. Gnomes, in particular, have been quite prosperous as cobblers, plumbers, roofers, and tinkerers. Gnomes and halflings alike work in the warehouses near the docks performing load-label-and-fetch jobs.

The day-to-day operations of the city are managed by Lord Magister Edwin Morahan, a veteran Purple Dragon, and his herald, Lady Eleanor Thond. Under the orders of Queen Raedra, and King Foril before her, the Purple Dragons have managed to keep the city free of any major thieves’ guilds or smuggling groups.

Suzail is also the military center of the realm. A mighty eighty foot tall curtain wall surrounds the landward side of the city, Purple Dragons and War Wizards maintain a large garrison within the city’s barracks on the far south-eastern side of town, and the Imperial Navy is harbored in the royal docks. From here, the military of Cormyr is able to rapidly deploy to nearly any part of the interior of the nation, ensuring that revolutions are short lived and ill-advised.   Guards in Suzail are friendly and courteous, though the War Wizards who often accompany them are significantly less so. Knowingly lying to a city guard is a criminal offense incurring a fine of no less than 20 gold pieces and placement on a list of known lawbreakers. Outlanders who violate this law are often instead exiled on the spot.   Suzail maintains a strict curfew, though legitimate traders may acquire license to load and unload caravans after dark. Such licenses cost 1 gold piece per night, and come with a small patrol of Purple Dragons that serve as both protection and to ensure that all such activity is lawful. Order is maintained after dark at least partially due to the well lit streets, with each corner bearing an oil lamp in a large metal cage suspended by pulleys and chains from black, cast-iron brackets mounted to the walls.   In the wealthier parts of town to the north, such lamps are more frequent, several to a block, and are mounted instead on tall free-standing poles. Many private residences also have a lamp in a window, on the inside sill, to allow the light to shine out onto the street below. The only area of the city not well lit is the western heart of the city, known as the “Darkstreets” and is primarily residences for unskilled laborers.

South of the Promenade lies the common portion of the city, where rows of neat little shops and houses line the streets. To the east stands the market hall, where farmers from outside the city gather early each morning to sell their wares. The houses and shops on the north of town, near the Promenade, are typically tall, narrow, and well kept, and gradually grow less impressive as one nears the docks and open market. Taverns and inns are plentiful, and a custom among wealthier merchants and nobles is to have meals from their favorite establishments “run-in”, which is to say delivered hot to your door. All of the buildings in Suzail are stone, by civic law, to prevent fire and damage from the wind and rain that sweeps in off the Dragonmere. To the south, along the banks of the Dragonmere, are three distinct harbors. To the west is the Basin, a deep harbor that is regularly dredged and can accommodate up to twenty large ships. The central harbor can accommodate up to thirty large ships and dozens of smaller crafts. This is the primary harbor for commercial vessels. The central wharves are accessible only through large royal warehouses, where goods are painstakingly inspected and taxed as necessary. The easternmost harbor contains the royal docks used by the Cormyrean navy, known colloquially as the Blue Dragons.

Cormyrean Architecture During the winter and spring, much of the nation is battered by heavy snow and rain. As a result, most houses in Cormyr are built with the weather in mind: sturdy stone houses with high pitched slate roofs to provide adequate drainage are a necessity if a home is expected to last. Among the upper class, balconies are popular, allowing for long lazy days relaxing in the sun during Cormyr’s long summers.   Older homes follow a style known as Azounian architecture, named for King Azoun IV who reigned during the height of this syle. It is characterized by symetry and restrained ornamentation in the classical style. Columns were popular, and often larger than strictly necessary to display strength and stability. The newer Alusairian style is, in contrast, characterized by asymetry and ornamentation, particularly along the corbels that support the building’s roof. Both architectural styles feature vaguely militaristic elements like towers, even on manor homes not built for the purpose of withstanding sieges. Widow’s walks, small rooftop balconies where families could watch for the return of soldiers, were also somewhat common on larger manor homes, though they were used in peace time for entertaining guests. These militaristic elements went out of style during the reign of King Foril, but are experiencing a revival under Queen Raedra.   Aside from manor houses, a particularly Cormyrean building style is the tallhouse: tall narrow homes intended to pack as much living space into narrow city lots as possible. Many of these tallhouses are three and even four stories tall, and some are divided so that different families live on each floor of a single home.