Port Nyanzaru

Port NyanzaruThe spelling is "Nyanzaru" in all written sources until Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide but is spelled "Nyranzaru" on the map that came with Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. In Tomb of Annihilation the city is again spelled "Nyanzaru", which implies that "Nyranzaru" was simply a misspelling. was a port city in northern Chult and the major trading center for all of Chult.
Although independent in the mid-to-late 14 century DR, it subsequently became an Amnian colony until at least 1479 DR before regaining independence sometime in the 1480s DR.
==Geography==
The small port city was located on the Bay of Chult at the mouths of the River Soshenstar and the River Tiryki. It was built atop four hills: Mount Sibasa, Temple Hill, Throne Hill, and Yklwazi Hill.
Accessing Port Nyanzaru by sea through the Bay of Chult required sailing through the domain of Aremag, a great dragon turtle who demanded tribute from any and all passing ships.
===Wards and Districts===
The walled portion of the city was roughly separated into three wards: the upscale Merchants' Ward, the bustling Harbor Ward, and the crowded Market Ward.
Additionally, three slum districts lay outside the city's walls: the Old City to the west, Malar's Throat to the south, and Tiryki Anchorage to the southeast.
==Government==
As of the mid–14 century DR, the Triceratops Society (a.k.a., the Ytepka Society) was the most powerful organization in Port Nyanzaru, and controlled the unloading and loading of all cargo at the docks. They kept tabs on all visitors coming ashore, especially if a visitor was suspected of being a mage or of carrying magic items. If the visitor headed off into the jungle, the Society would send agents to notify the surrounding villages.
Amn asserted colonial control in Chult during the late 14 century DR, and by the late 15 century DR, they controlled all mercantile activities in the city. The Amnian rulers were profiteers, and their taxes were notably high as residents were effectively charged for the safety that the city offered from the jungles. People unaffiliated with a major trading company were forced to live in the shantytowns outside the walls.
===Merchant Princes===
Sometime in the 1480s DR, the city gained independence from Amn due to the influence of a consortium of Chultan traders backed by the Triceratops Society. With help from the Society, the seven richest of these traders then rose to the title of merchant princes and ruled the city in a council where each had equal vote. This council could freely create or change the laws of Port Nyanzaru, and would then defer to the city's judiciary to interpret their laws with wisdom and flexibility. The merchant princes took on relatively few day-to-day responsibilities of running the city—preferring to delegate to family members and underlings—and so their government was loosely organized and somewhat inefficient, but it was reinforced by the vigilance of the Triceratops Society, who rooted out real and potential disruptors of the princes' rule. 
The merchant princes' power was predicated on their wealth and mercantile influence. The princes leveraged their personal fortunes to manage relationships with foreign realms and to forge profitable alliances, and their tactics were not dissimilar to the Amnians from whom they'd learned statecraft. However, they lacked the military power to claim the treacherous Chultan jungles or to contest nearby rivals such as the Flaming Fist from Baldur's Gate stationed at nearby Fort Beluarian, who claimed control of most of Chult as of the late 15 century DR. The merchant princes' influence was thus almost entirely confined to Port Nyanzaru and a few lumber and mining operations along the Bay of Chult. Their influence in the Old City was somewhat lessened by the presence of the so-called "beggar princes", who controlled the area's thieves and used extortion and threats to wield unofficial political power in the district.
The palace of Goldenthrone was the seat of power for the merchant princes. This was where they held audiences and met with their subjects or official visitors, while each prince also managed their private businesses from their personal villas.
In addition to ruling the city, the merchant princes solidified their power by taking total control—either directly or through their intermediaries—over the sale and export of key products, trade goods, and services that passed through Port Nyanzaru. Any sale of a good or service which was claimed by a merchant prince but fell outside of their oversight was considered to be an illegal black market dealing. 
If a prince chose to retire, they could pass their wealth and title to a family member or to another wealthy individual of their choice, although their decision was subject to a vote among the other princes in the latter case. By the late 1480s or early 1490s DR, the seven merchant princes of Port Nyanzaru were:
* Ekene-Afa, who controlled the sale of weapons (including magic weapons), shields, rain catchers, canoes, saddles, wagons, and other traveling gear.
* Ifan Talro'a, who controlled the sale of beasts (most notably dinosaurs and flying monkeys) and the training of such beasts.
* Jessamine, who controlled the sale of herbs and other plants as well as poisons and writs of assassination.
* Jobal, who controlled the sale of jungle guide services and mercenary services.
* Kwayothé, who controlled the sale of alcohol, insect repellent, oil, perfume.
* Wakanga O'tamu, who controlled the sale of lore, magic items (including potions and spell scrolls), and item enchantment services.
* Zhanthi, who controlled the sale of cloth, gems, jewelry, and nonmagical and nonmetal armor.
===Law and Order===
As of the late 15 century DR, the city was patrolled by guards paid by the merchant princes. In addition, certain laws—notably those that involved a threat to Chult's social fabric or to legal economic activity—were enforced by the Triceratops Society. The city's judges had broad leeway in their interpretation of laws, and fortunately, they had a reputation for being surprisingly resistant to bribes, intimidation, and other forms of corruption.
Most criminals were sentenced to Executioner's Run, a beast-filled pit in the Old City where the brutal deaths of the condemned served as cheap entertainment for the city's populace. However, the Run offered the tantalizing promise of freedom, exoneration, and even fame if the condemned was able to escape the pit alive. Crimes as minor as theft or offending a merchant prince could get someone thrown into Executioner's Run.
It was possible to legally kill someone in Port Nyanzaru by purchasing a "sanction" from the merchant prince Jessamine. These were writs that allowed for a specified individual to be killed via an approved method—usually by stabbing or by poisoning—and cost a minimum of 150 gold pieces (which was subject to be raised based on factors such as the reason for the sanction, the status of the target, and the ability of the purchaser to pay). These were not common—no more than six sanctions tended to be sold in a given year—and many chose not to purchase sanctions for fear of being sanctioned themselves in retaliation.
Smugglers and black market sellers were dealt with particularly harshly under Port Nyanzaru's laws. Slavery was not illegal, although it was unwelcome in the city and slavers were not able to do business with the merchant princes.
==Trade==
Abundant wealth passed through Port Nyanzaru, and a wide variety of both mundane and exotic goods could be found in the city. The majority of foreign trade took place in the Grand Souk while locals made more use of the Red Bazaar, and both were filled with fortune-seekers. As the sale of most goods was governed by the merchant princes' monopolies, foreign traders had to work through the princes' agents to legally do business in the city. Ships arriving into port were subject to inspection, sometimes with the use of the Harbormaster's magic, and customs agents might confiscate trade goods.
The city's main exports were resources from the jungle and the mountains, including jewels, gold, timber (notably from rubber trees), exotic plants (and poisons, perfumes, and medicines derived from them), and colorful textile dyes. Jewels from the mountain mines were sold at the Jewel Market, and gem-cutting and jewelry-making were well established trades. The dye works in the Market Ward transformed imported cloth into colorful commodities beloved by both local and foreign buyers. The city's apothecaries also had long traditions of mixing poisons and antidotes.
==Culture==
Residents of Port Nyanzaru spoke the Chultan language. They dressed in light and colorful clothing, often long shirts and knee-length kilts, pants, and sarongs that were dyed with bright blues, greens, oranges, reds, and yellows.
Cleanliness was very important to the people of Port Nyanzaru of all social classes. The people strove to bathe every day, either at the public Bathhouse, the Temple of Sune, or at one of the dozens of private bathhouses across the city. Saunas and baths were likewise the cornerstone of the villas of the city's rich. Thanks to the frequent rains, the city itself was also quite clean.
===Food and Drink===
The recreational alcohol of choice was tej. Popular foods in the city as of the late 15 century DR included atkilt wat, asa wat, crema Athkatla, doro t'ibs, kinche, and kita. Fish and other seafood were staples, and were sold at a fish market in the Market Ward where prices tended to be higher in the mornings when the selection was better. Chultan fisherman preferred to fish in the ocean rather than the rivers because it was safer to stay out of the jungle. Reptile meat was also eaten, but was seen as tough and undesirable relative to fish.
===Entertainment===
The people of Port Nyanzaru enjoyed loud and wild music, and believed in enjoying every precious moment of life. Popular pastimes included watching and betting on daily fights in the Grand Coliseum or on the survival of the condemned fleeing for their lives within Executioner's Run. Locals and tourists aliked also enjoyed attending or participating in the city's famous weekly dinosaur races or the annual Running of the Saurs.
===Religion===
Like the rest of Chult, the people of Port Nyaznaru originally worshiped the greater god Ubtao, the protector and patron of Chult. By the 14 century DR, worship of Savras had also gained traction in Port Nyanzaru, whose priests provided the valuable service of keeping tabs on the inscrutable activities of their yuan-ti enemies.
Following Ubtao's apparent abandonment of Chult at the end of the 14 century DR, which was believed to be due to him growing tired of the people's warring amongst each other, the Chultan people of Port Nyanzaru came to accept the gods of northern missionaries, most notably Waukeen, the Faerûnian goddess of trade, who was popular among the city's powerful merchant class. This was accompanied by worship of Gond, who was popular among the city's artisans, crafters and engineers; Savras, to whom one of the first great temples to a foreign god was build in the city; Sune, who was appreciated for her emphasis on beauty and cleanliness; and Tymora, who was popular among the vulnerable lower-classes outside the protective city walls who relied on luck (and the defensive walls of the Tymoran temple) to protect them from jungle monsters.
Eventually, animosity arose against foreign missionaries, who were seen as exploiting the local populace. Thus, by the late 15 century DR, the city's priests were largely local Chultans even though their gods were foreign.
==Defenses==
The city was designed with defense as a priority due to the many pirates in the waters of the Shining Sea. It was protected by a high stone wall that encompassed the inner wards of the city, while the slums remained outside and relatively undefended. Meanwhile, additional walls within the city created added security for important or wealthy areas. The walls themselves were massive edifices of fitted stone adorned with colorful geometric patterns and images of beasts and heroes. The harbor was protected by Fort Nyanzaru, from which was controlled a massive iron chain that spanned the harbor entrance and could be raised to completely prevent ships from entering or escaping the city. In cases of an attack from the sea, warning bells within the fort were sounded and a red beacon was lit atop the harbor's lighthouse.
As of the late 15 century DR, city had no standing army but the merchant princes paid a large force of foreign mercenaries—many of whom were Zhentarim troops—to man the walls, patrol the streets, watch the markets, and guard their personal interests. These guards generally did little to defend the people who lived in the slums outside the walls and the merchant princes made no effort to send mercenaries into the jungle to reduce the threats it posed. As such, the residents of the districts outside the walls organized their own volunteer "Citizens' Brigade" to defend themselves. In cases of an attack, warning horns were used to tell people outside the walls to flee through the gates to safety.
Because of the hot and humid climate, Port Nyanzaru's defenders rarely wore heavy armor, and preferred leather or dinosaur hide shields and armor. However, there was growing interest in metal armor by the late 15 century DR, particularly in equipment made from lightweight titansteel.
Thanks to the many rain traps located atop the buildings, it was easy to put out fires within the city.
==History==
===Ancient History===
A lost civilization once occupied the site that would become Port Nyanzaru, and left behind the great ziggurats of the Old City as well as several dungeons, catacombs, and ruins running beneath the Old City, the Harbor Ward, and Tiryki Anchorage. Their ruins were often filled with traps and marked by carvings of wavy or circular patterns, indecipherable glyphs, and of Chultans laboring or hunting each other. Little was known of this civilization save that they were ruled by kings who possessed powerful spells that could inspire whole armies and that they practiced human sacrifice in honor of dark gods. The kings who orchestrated the construction of the ziggurats were also known to have ordered their architects to be buried alive alongside them to serve them in death, perhaps even having them embalmed and placed in sarcophagi in tombs within or beneath the ziggurats.
At some point, a temple to Umberlee was established in caves beneath the Harbor Ward, however this came to be abandoned.
===1300s DR===
By the mid–14 century DR, Port Nyanzaru had become the most important trade hub in all of Chult, and maintained this distinction even after Mezro ended its isolation in the . While unconfirmed, it was thought that Port Nyanzaru's harbormaster during this time paid a monthly tribute to a powerful dragon turtle in exchange for keeping all other sea monsters from harming the port and hindering trade.
Under Amnian rule beginning in the late 14 century DR, Port Nyanzaru existed for the purpose of extracting resources for its foreign overlords, and people not affiliated with their trading companies were discriminated against and left exposed to the dangers and diseases of the jungle. Following the events of the Spellplague in the , Port Nyanzaru was the only major settlement remaining in Chult after the disappearance of Mezro, and this would remain the case through the late 15 century DR.
===1400s DR===
One night during the 15 century DR, the Pyramid of the Moon manifested within sight of Port Nyanzaru's walls. By morning, it had vanished along with over 200 people from the city, none of whom were ever seen again.
Amn withdrew from the city in the late 15 century DR. This was done under pressure from powerful merchants and after a realization that failure to surrender the city would mean a bloody conflict that would likely end with them losing control regardless.
In the late 1480s DR, vegepygmy outside of Port Nyanzaru was on the rise. The plant creatures threatened the port inhabitants' safety. Port Nyanzaru's government paid well to adventurers to venture out into the jungles and cull vegepygmies and their chieftains, slowing the creatures' rapid territory expansion.
Nine years after the city's independence from Amn, the death curse struck Toril, leading to an influx of adventurers to Port Nyanzaru seeking the curse's source. At this time, a plot by yuan-ti to smuggle an artifact known as the Dreamer's Amulet into the city set of a frenzy of activity as the city's factions theorized that the item might be causing the death curse.
==Notable Locations==
The most important sites in Port Nyanzaru as of the late 15 century DR included:
===Docks and Commercial Areas===
* The Dinosaur Pens, where the city's many dinosaurs were kept and trained on the outskirts of Tiryki Anchorage.
* The Docks of the Harbor Ward, which were busy and heavily regulated.
* The Royal Docks, a section of the Harbor Ward reserved for use by the merchant princes or their guests.
* The Tiryki docks, a much less regulated but more dangerous set of docks in Tiryki Anchorage compared to the docks of the Harbor Ward.
* Warehouse District, where cargo was stored, loaded, and offloaded in the Harbor Ward.
===Fortifications===
* Fort Nyanzaru, a keep in the Harbor Ward that sat across the harbor from the lighthouse and which protected the city from the sea. It housed a mechanism that controlled entrance to the harbor.
* Tiryki Gate, which allowed access through the walls from the Market Ward in the city to the Tiryki Anchorage on the outskirts.
* Ubtao's Jaws, a gate which allowed access through the walls from the Market Ward in the city to the ravine of Malar's Throat on the outskirts.
===Inns and Taverns===
* The Holdup, a tavern that was popular among adventurers in the Old City.
* Kaya's House of Repose, a quiet and somewhat fancy inn in the Market Ward.
* Mossy Rock, a modest inn in the Market Ward.
* Thundering Lizard, a busy and raucous establishment in the Market Ward.
===Landmarks===
* The Beggars' Palaces, a pair of large, ancient ziggurats in the Old City that served as the headquarters of the beggar princes.
* Executioner's Run, a pit was used for capital punishment and entertainment in the Old City.
* The Grand Coliseum, an arena atop Yklwazi Hill in the Market Ward which held bloody mock battles, extravagant tournaments, and holiday celebrations.
* Na N'buso, a statue that sat in the middle of the harbor.
* The Public Bathhouse, egalitarian and elegant bathhouse in the Market Ward that was open to all.
* The refuse pit, the city dump located on the edge of the Old City.
===Marketplaces===
* Fish market, a marketplace between the Market and Harbor Wards where daily catches were sold.
* The Grand Souk, a famous bustling emporium and the mercantile heart of the city in the Merchants' Ward.
* Hunter's Square, where adventurers and members of the hunters' guild congregated to trade and to plan their hunts.
* The Jewel Market, an exclusive marketplace in the Merchants' Ward where gems and luxury goods were bought and sold.
* Red Bazaar, a large marketplace in the Market Ward where locals shopped for their daily needs and sold their goods.
===Official Buildings===
* Goldenthrone, the palace of the merchant princes.
* Harbormaster's Office, the headquarters of Port Nyanzaru's Harbormaster.
===Temples and Shrines===
* Hall of Gold, a magnificent temple of Waukeen situated atop Mount Sibasa in the Market Ward.
* Temple of Gond, a temple in the Merchants' Ward that was popular with the city's artisans, crafters and engineers.
* Temple of Savras, a magnificent holy house of Savras atop Temple Hill in the Merchants' Ward.
* Temple of Sune, a shrine to Sune located on a small island just off of the Merchants' Ward.
* Temple of Tymora, a secure shrine to Tymora located in Malar's Throat.
===Interactive Map===
==Inhabitants== 
Port Nyanzaru was inhabited largely by humans of Chultan descent. A few tabaxi lived in the city, working as minstrels or guides out of Port Nyanzaru. Chultan shield dwarves lived in the port, including albino dwarves. Yuan-ti also spies resided in Port Nyanzaru, monitoring the merchant princes, treasure hunters, and adventurers.
===Notable Inhabitants===
As of the late 15 century DR, notable inhabitants of the city, aside from its Merchant Princes, included:
* Alastar Bol, the "Fat Knight", was the ambassador of the Order of the Gauntlet.
* Pock-Marked Po, the "Hideous Prince" of the Old City with ties to the Zhentarim.
* Screaming Wind, a tabaxi hunter and member of the Emerald Enclave.
* Sibonseni, chief priest of Waukeen.
* Soggy Wren, the ranking Harper in the city and a notorious drunkard.
* Tearah Initoo, the Master of the Market.
* Klevin Van'Sheran, a young merchant and operative for the Lords' Alliance.
* Harbormaster Zindar, the half-gold dragon harbormaster of the city.
* Grandfather Zitembe, head priest of Savras.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===Gallery===
Concept Port Nyanzaru.png|Concept art of Port Nyanzaru street vendors.
Port_Nyanzaru_concept.jpg|Concept art of Port Nyanzaru for Tomb of Annihilation, by Victor Maury.
River Soshenstar 2e.png|A 14 century DR map of Chult.
Port Nyanzaru harbor.jpg|Port Nyanzaru harbor.
Port Nyanzaru gates.jpg|Painted gates of Port Nyanzaru.
Port Nyanzaru load screen.png|Streets of Port Nyanzaru.
===References===
===Connections===
Category:Cities
Category:Small cities
Category:Settlements
Category:Ports
Category:Locations in Chult
Category:Locations on the Chultan Peninsula
Category:Locations on the River Soshenstar
Category:Locations on the Bay of Chult
Category:Locations in Southwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations
es:Nyanzaru
FR:Port Nyanzaru