Mordulkin Mordulkin was a wealthy mage - ruled city - state on the Bay of Chessenta in Chessenta in the Old Empires . Geography . Mordulkin stood upon the eastern shore of the Bay of Chessenta , a short distance north of the polluted Jade River that flowed down out of the Riders to the Sky Mountains . History . Early history . Formerly a possession of the empire of Unther , Mordulkin was among the cities that rebelled and formed the Alliance of Chessenta under the leadership of the warlord Tchazzar of Cimbar . Driving Untheric forces from the land , they seceded from Unther in the Year of Flashing Eyes , 929 DR . The first ruler of the liberated city was Soldim Jedea , the most capable mage of the Jedea family , a practice that continued ever since . Soldim later founded the Jedea Academy , a school for magic . Thereafter , Mordulkin stood as a part of the Union of Chessenta , a confederation of city - state that swelled into the Chessentan Empire ruled by Tchazzar . However , with Tchazzar ' s death or disappearance in the Year of the Dracorage , 1018 DR , the Empire broke apart and declined . Although each city - state had sworn fealty to a central monarch , after Tchazzar , they disagreed on who this should be . Finally , in the Year of the Twelverule , 1117 DR , Mordulkin defied the king of Cimbar . This act led to the break - up of the realm into a number of feuding city - states , with an ever - changing network of alliances , conflicts , and factions . In the following centuries of conflict , Mordulkin traditionally allied with Akanax and Cimbar , forming the Triangle Alliance . Mordulkin and Luthcheq meanwhile became perennial enemies in trade and in politics , even before the Karanok s seized power in Luthcheq in the Year of the Quiet Earth , 1161 DR . Mordulkin and Luthcheq had fought two wars between the break - up and the early 14th century . In the Year of the Wandering Wyrm , 1317 DR , the Great Plague , also known as the Plague of Dragons , quickly spread around the Inner Sea , causing victims to turn made and their skin to flake . More than other lands , Chessenta was decimated , and Mordulkin in particular suffered terrible losses . The plague lingered there until the Year of the Grimoire , 1324 DR . But scarcely before the plague had passed , in 1324 DR , Luthcheq ' s forces invaded Mordulkin , thinking to seize the advantage of Mordulkin ' s losses . Yet still Luthcheq lost the war . The Karanoks blamed their defeat on wizard - spies working for Mordulkin , and commenced their horrifying persecutions of mages . Modern history . In the Year of the Prince , 1357 DR , Chessenta was once again wracked by warfare , with Airspur , Luthcheq , and Soorenar allied against Cimbar , but Akanax and Mordulkin had yet to join their traditional ally . Mordulkin ' s activities on Luthcheq ' s borders had led to a fresh round of border disputes , which could themselves lead to all - out war . The citizens of Mordulkin feared there could never be peace until Luthcheq had been demolished ; mobs numbering in the hundreds marched to the palace on a daily basis , chanting " We want war ! " Although Mordulkin ' s leaders also fiercely wanted to attack , King Hercubes waited for Luthcheq ' s forces to overextend themselves against Cimbar , before Mordulkin would steal the advantage and strike . All plans and projected outcomes would come to naught , however , in the Year of Shadows , 1358 DR , when the Time of Troubles came and the Godswar began . The god Hoar led Akanax against Cimbar , Luthcheq , and Soorenar , and those cities fell into fighting against each other as well . Most of Chessenta fell into warfare . Akanax emerged victorious , and Hoar bound the cities into an alliance , before attacking Unther . Ultimately , Hoar was defeated by the god Anhur and the Chessentans routed . Following the Godswar and the gods ' return to the planes , the alliance forced upon the Chessentan city - states swiftly fell apart once again . In the Year of the Sword , 1365 DR , another threat emerged , as the Great Bone Wyrm Alasklerbanbastos and his coterie of young chromatic dragon s swooped down from the Riders to the Sky and laid claim to all the lands of Threskel and northeastern Chessenta — including Mordulkin . The vampiric green dragon Jaxanaedegor declared himself Viceroy of Threskel and flew over Mordulkin , demanding the city pay regular tribute to the Great Bone Wyrm , the Dragon King of Old Unther , lest its leaders be replaced . Mordulkin ' s leaders actually did little about this until Jaxanaedegor returned with a flight of dracolich es and repeatedly attacked major trade caravans both entering and exiting the city . Thereafter , a humbled Mordulkin began to deliver regular tribute via caravans to Mount Thulbane to appease their new dragon overlords . Around 1372 DR , the citizens of Mordulkin were again clamoring for a war to annihilate hated Luthcheq . Finally , some time in the Year of Rogue Dragons , 1373 DR , King Hercubes made a deal with some leaders in Thay : Aznar Thrul , zulkir and tharchion of Priador , and Yenael Duumin , priestess of Loviatar in Bezantur . They agreed to back Mordulkin in a war against Luthcheq , provided Luthcheq was not obliterated ; rather , they would install a governor and the Thayans could establish an enclave there . Hercubes only waited for sufficient instability in Luthcheq before he would strike . However , near the end of the Rage of Dragons , on Nightal 1 , the great red dragon Tchazzar , alive and well , made a shocking and devastating return to Chessenta . Tchazzar drove out Alasklerbanbastos ' s dragon minions , and reclaimed his seat of power in Cimbar on Nightal 28 , as well as his dominion over Chessenta . Early in the Year of Lightning Storms , 1374 DR , Yenael sent her daughter Ythnel to Luthcheq as an unwitting agent , and ultimately , she and survivors of the defeated Mage Society rebels escaped to Mordulkin . Hercubes met them at the Jedea Academy , and sent Ythnel and Kestus Aentius back to Luthcheq to sabotage the witchweed supplies to pave the way for an invasion ; they did that and slew Kaestra Karanok the high priestess as well , on Midwinter . With Luthcheq in turmoil , Mordulkin started to move against Luthcheq . Tchazzar began working to bring the other city - states into his fold , through covert negotiations and threats ; Mordulkin was likely among those discreetly negotiating its re - admittance to the empire in 1374 DR . Nevertheless , agents of House Jedea ( and perhaps themselves agents of Alasklerbanbastos ) tried to work out Tchazzar ' s specific plans for Mordulkin , fearing he would turn it into a military camp commanded by one of his generals . More generally , Mordulkin ' s leaders anxious watched and awaited Tchazzar ' s plans . Meanwhile , King Hercubes was holding on to power , causing some in the House to make secret deals with Jaxanaedegor — Tchazzar ' s rival — once more . Post - Spellplague . After the Spellplague , by 1479 DR , Mordulkin lay in complete ruins and wholly forgotten by the new nation of Chessenta of the 15th century . On rare occasions , adventurers picked through the ruins in search of old treasure . There was a rumor that refugee mages of Luthcheq hid out there . Government . The city - state was a monarchy , ruled by House Jedea as a family enclave since the rebellion against the Untheric empire in 929 DR . The most powerful mage , wizard or sorcerer , of House Jedea became king or queen . One of the ruler ' s titles was " Overlord of Chessenta " , a title they shared with the rulers of Akanax and Cimbar , making it effectively pointless beyond aggravating the other city - states . As of 1357 DR , it was ruled by King Hercubes Jedea . He held the position through to 1372 DR and was still clinging to power in 1374 DR , well past his natural reign and using magic to stave off the effects of age . He ' d named no heir from House Jedea , feeling that none of his kin were capable of keeping Mordulkin free of the claws of Jaxanaedegor . This triggered a struggle for succession and provoked that very same danger — some ambitious Jedea reached out to Jaxanaedegor himself , making secret pacts to gain the dragon ' s backing if they seized the throne . Law & Order . In Mordulkin , as in other cities of Chessenta , the revised Code of Enlil adopted from Unther formed the basis of the legal system . Relations . Around 1357 DR , King Hercubes had ambitions for Mordulkin to grow into a great city - state that would rival Cimbar in culture and wealth , to develop the surrounding region and grow into the biggest Chessentan power east of the Adder River . However , by 1374 DR , his main aim was simply staying independent of the dragons . The city was later nominally affiliated with first Alasklerbanbastos and then Tchazzar . Although the kings of Mordulkin claimed the title " Overlord of Chessenta " , King Hercubes truly had no interest in a united Chessenta , and he and his predecessors normally avoided forming alliances with other cities or nations that sought to unify the fractured realm . Nevertheless , in Chessenta ' s regular wars , Mordulkin usually allied with Akanax and Cimbar in the traditional Triangle Alliance . Together , they usually opposed the Northern Alliance of Airspur , Soorenar , and Luthcheq . Mordulkin and Luthcheq had long been bitter enemies , in both trading rivalry and in battle , and much hostility existed between the inhabitants of the two cities . This conflict predated even House Karanok ' s ascent to power in Luthcheq . The fact that Mordulkin was a haven for mages and ruled by mages only gave the Karanoks more reason to despise the city . Both citizens and rulers of Mordulkin wanted nothing more than to raze Luthcheq to the ground , to knock over every stone , and sow salt into its fields . However , though Mordulkin could defend itself adequately against incursion , it lacked the numbers to undertake a major offensive against Luthcheq . Mordulkin competed in trade matters against the city of Mourktar , lying on the other side of Threskel , but this had not come to any serious conflict . Unlike the other Chessentan city - states , Mordulkin traditionally tried to keep friendly relations with the North Coast cities across the Wizard ' s Reach : Delthuntle , Escalant , Hilbrand , and Laothkund , and other towns . Guilds . The city was home to a number of powerful and influential guilds , marking it as one of the most " western " cities in all the Old Empires . All guilds reported to the king , and each managed one of the city ' s districts or sections . The three most notable guilds were the merchants ' guild , the various crafts guilds , and the builders ' guild . The central mercenary guild required that all mercenary and adventuring companies register within 24 hours of their arrival into Mordulkin . Failure to comply risked imprisonment . Owing to the city ' s wealth , Mordulkin also suffered an unofficial thieves ' guild . Around 1357 DR , it was estimated to be the biggest organized thieves ' guild in all southern Faerûn ; in 1374 DR , it was certainly the largest of its kind and most formidable in Chessenta . Kreodo and Bendensar , privateers of the Wraith of the Inner Sea band , were former members of the Mordulkin thieves ' guild . Defenses . Around 1357 DR , the city was defended by an army of 8000 , comprising 6000 infantry , 1000 archers , and 1000 cavalry . The military was served by a number of mages , accounting for 1 % of each of these forces . This army was relatively small by Chessentan standards , usually sufficient for defense but not offense . It was well backed by arcane magical force ; the Jedea Academy produced many wizards that served the city . Mordulkin also contributed 100 soldiers to the garrison at the Drakelight , a massive lighthouse and watchtower guarding against pirates and other threats in the Bay of Chessenta . Luthcheq and Soorenar also contributed 100 soldiers each ; a treaty between the three cities maintained the garrison here even if their parent cities went to war . By 1374 DR , however , the soldiers had been replaced by red dragon s serving Alasklerbanbastos . Trade . Mordulkin was a wealthy city , and held one of the largest port facilities in Chessenta , second only to those of Cimbar , making it an important port along the Chessentan stretch of the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars . The city maintained a small trade alliance with a community of aquatic elves dwelling in the Bay of Chessenta . The citizens of Mordulkin traded spell s and magic item s for pearl s from the aquatic elves , who had trouble with the sahuagin in the area and needed the magic . Religion . Mordulkin was the center of worship in Chessenta of the Mulhorandi god Anhur , the God of Might and Warrior of the South . His worship had been brought back and spread by Chessentan mercenaries , and he was seen as more of a southern god than a specifically Mulhorandi one . Being a center of magic , Mordulkin was also a center of worship of the god Azuth , the High One and Patron of Mages . The city ' s mages sacrificed specially crafted magical items in the honor of the deity each year . Description . Mordulkin was split into a number of districts each run by one of the guilds . That is , the residential district was managed by the builders ' guild , the crafts district was managed by the craft guilds , and the merchant district was operated by the merchants ' guild . Even adventuring and mercenary companies had their own district , under the auspices of the mercenary guild . There was even something of a theater district . It was a clean and well - maintained city , demonstrating its prosperity , with buildings of white stone standing close together beside wide streets . All businesses bore signs with paintings depicting their trade or illustrating their name : a stack of coins on open book for a bank , plates of food for eateries , vials of liquid for an alchemist , bolts of fabric for a cloth merchant , and so on . The city contained the largest port in Chessenta after Cimbar . It was also home to a large mage school ( also not as large as that in Cimbar ) , known as the Jedea Academy , which stood in the residential district . One inn was the Flaming Griffon , whose sign depicted a griffon with wings of fire . Culture . A city of around 35 , 000 people in the mid - to late 14th century DR , Mordulkin had one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse populations in Chessenta , with human s of Mulan , Turami , Rashemi , and Amnite descent , as well as a number of elves and half - elves , dwarves , and halfling s . Although sometimes counted as part of the land of Threskel , the folk of Mordulkin were very much like the Chessentans in their habits and attitudes . Alongside Cimbar , it was the most politically stable city in Chessenta . The people were broadly content . In particular , the city was a haven for wizard s , sorcerer s , and other arcane magic users . As with other parts of Chessenta , theatre was popular in Mordulkin . Sizable audiences went to watch plays performed in the city ' s theaters . Poets also read their works in public squares , and philosophers debated each other — usually in the middle of a busy street , it seemed .