Skullport Island Registry

Skullport Island Registry was a business in Lower Port, Skullport.
==Description==
Skullport Island Registry was a two-story building, with a basement.
==Services==
The Skullport Island Registry was a busy administrative center where a team of overworked clerks and administrators meticulously tracked the movements of ships, cargoes, and individuals within Skullport. Throughout the day, they managed an extensive volume of ledgers, scrolls, and bills of sale, primarily for slaves. These documents started the day in disordered stacks across two counters and were filed away by evening in chests, cabinets, and bookshelves according to a complex system of filing and accounting.
The Registry's on-site manager, a weathered human known as Lister, claims the Registry was overseen by the Skulls of Skullport if questioned about its management. In reality, the Skulls paid little attention to the Registry, which was a front for the Iron Ring. The Iron Ring established the Skullport Island Registry to streamline and control the slave trade through Skullport. Recognizing that official documentation reduced conflicts over transactions, the Iron Ring used the Registry to minimize disputes among slavers that may otherwise escalate into violence. Such measures were crucial in Skullport, as the Skulls were known to quell large disturbances with indiscriminate force, often harming the Iron Ring’s members and interests in the process.
The Registry managed docking fees, issued permits, and provided bills of sale to resolve ownership and transaction issues. Official records bearing the Registry’s seal were respected by the Iron Ring and, due to the Registry’s supposed independence, are also considered impartial by outsiders, bolstering its reputation.
For the right price, Registry clerks discreetly provided access to shipping records, estimated arrival and departure schedules, bills of sale, and cargo manifests. Bribes for such information varied according to what the clerks believed the requester could afford. Given that these clerks were actually employed by the Iron Ring, any sensitive information they released was filtered according to the Iron Ring's interests, especially if warned in advance of inquiries.
Frequent traders in Skullport were aware of the Registry’s susceptibility to bribery, who understood it to be "impartially corrupt" due to its willingness to serve the highest bidder. However, the Registry’s services were ultimately only available to those approved by the Iron Ring, although the illusion of accessibility helped keep disputes within the slaving community at bay.
==Appendix==
===References===
Category:Businesses
Category:Underground locations
Category:Locations in the Lower Port of Skullport
Category:Locations in Skullport
Category:Locations in the Sargauth Level
Category:Locations in Undermountain
Category:Locations on the Sword Coast North
Category:Locations in Northwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations
Category:Year of Metropolises
Category:Locations on Heralds' Meet