Marsember
City in Cormyr · the City of Spices
Marsember, the City of Spices, is Cormyr's busiest port, a misty city of canals, bridges and islands on the Lake of Dragons with a long reputation for smuggling.
Fog drifts over narrow canals between leaning houses, gondolas glide under countless small bridges, and every warehouse seems to have a door at the waterline.
Marsember at a glance
- Also known as
- the City of Spices
- Type & size
- Port city on islands and canals; the busiest port of Cormyr, About 38,000 (1479 DR)
- Allegiance & rule
- Allegiance: Kingdom of Cormyr
- Ruled by: A royal lord and the crown's officials, with the guilds and smugglers holding much quiet influence
- People & culture
- Mostly humans, with many sailors and travellers; independent, secretive and used to looking the other way
- Key exports & trade
- Shipping on the Lake of Dragons
- Fish and sea trade
- Smuggled goods
Overview
Marsember is built on sandy islands in the marshes at the mouth of the Starwater River, where it meets the Lake of Dragons. Canals take the place of many streets, and boats are the easiest way to get around. On our map the Storm Horns rise about a dozen miles to the north, and roads lead to Proskur and Arabel.
The city is part of Cormyr, but it has always been a little apart from the rest of the kingdom: more open to foreign ships, less fond of royal rules and famous for its smugglers.
In adventures
Marsember suits stories of smuggling, crime and intrigue, with chases through canals, secret water gates and dealings that the crown is not meant to see.
At the table
- A smuggler offers to get the party into Cormyr without questions, if they carry one small crate for him.
On the map
Roads from Marsember
Regions nearby
- The Storm HornsMountains · ~12 mi north
Nearby places
- WaymootTown · ~67 mi
- SuzailCapital · ~76 mi
- ProskurTown · ~82 mi
- ElversultTown · ~106 mi
- TeziirPort · ~123 mi
- ArabelCity · ~140 mi
Distances as the crow flies, measured on our map.