Berdusk

Berdusk was known as the Jewel of the Vale as it sat on both the Uldoon Trail and the River Chionthar in Sunset Vale. Twilight Hall was located here, making the city the base of many operations for Harpers in the west and the north. A person from Berdusk was known as a Berduskan.
==Culture==
Berdusk was an important trading center, its economy and culture centered around the amount of goods that pass through the city every day with merchant caravans and travelers. Berduskans were known as a people with a great affinity for shopping, buying and selling their own things to one another often. Most businesses within the city operated on four shifts of work per day, during which workers were given two shifts of free time to be able to explore the markets and to eat at the city's various taverns.
Thanks to the efforts of the Harpers in keeping the city free of danger, as well as the affinity of the city's ruler for song, poetry, and the arts, Berdusk was also home to a thriving community of artisans and craftsmen of all sorts. The city's safety and volume of "through trade" also led many peddlers of more unique wares to fill out the space in the city's markets and shops, with many too poor to own much at all selling their goods at the market square known as Amberside.
The Twilight Tome was the longest running and most popular periodical chapbook published in Berdusk. The Tome included witty poetry, satire, song lyrics, and short fiction.
==Religion==
The city is home to temples to four gods: Helm, Milil, Deneir, and Oghma. However, these were not the only gods worshiped within the city: due to the sheer amount of through trade, people of all faiths could be found within the city.
Many of Berdusk's common folk worshiped Helm, and his temple, The Ready House of the Strong Right Hand, offered healing and training to peoples of all faiths. 
The First Folk of the city could often be found at Evensong Tower, the many-spired temple to Milil, where dignified evening parties were held twice every tenday. Rather than being a simple place of worship, many aspiring social climbers saw the temple and its revels as a chance to make their way up in the world.
== Government ==
The nobility of Berdusk, known as the "First Folk", gained power and prestige through the sponsoring of individual craftsmen and merchants within the city, leading to around 20 families who controlled much of Berdusk's government processes, including the election of High Lords and Ladies from among their number. As of 1479 DR, the most influential First Folk families were the houses of Calanthal, Myrmrast, Hardomeir, Quarlagast, Spaeruthal.Ed Greenwood (August 2024). Berdusk: Red Wizards and Zhentarim threaten the home of the Harpers' HQ.
These noble families were in charge of much of Berdusk's everyday life. House Spaeruthal was known for sticking to tradition at the expense of all change, while house Hardomeir worked as iron-fisted landlords within the city. 
House Myrmast ran a massive network of loans which were provided to the city's crafters and artisans, which the people of Berdusk believed was a fair trade due to the house's understanding of their need for those crafters's success.
Guard patrols are a regular sight inside the city's walls.
== Architecture ==
Berdusk's buildings were tall, steep-roofed, and made primarily of stone, and were built very close together within the city's walls. Sewer grates were a common sight, linking the cobbled streets to a river-flushed sewage system underneath designed to keep the streets clean in the warmer months as well as snow-free in the winter months. The walls around the city were tall and made of stone, with six gates leading out of the city. 
Over the course of the 15th century DR, Berdusk grew enough that many of its buildings and houses ended up outside of the city's walls, primarily to the East and South. These buildings were primarily neighborhoods, housing for the common folk, and a few taverns.
The oldest parts of the city were often in a state of active repair, with aging cedar shingles being exchanged for tile or slate roofing. The streets and roads of these areas were cobbled, while the newer areas were much more commonly dirt or gravel paths.
==History==
Long before Berdusk was founded two other settlements stood in its placement. The first was an elven moot hall, the second a human fishing village. The city was named for a local human warrior, Berdusk Orcslayer, whose driving out of orcs from the Sunset Vale made it safe to establish settlements the area. The rapids were already named after Berdusk as of .
At some point before the , Berdusk became home of the elder orb known as the Unseeing Eye and its Cult of the Eyeless. The beholder and its cult allegedly were vanquished by Thom Wainwright, a hero sponsored by priests of Helm. Thom continued performing services for Berdusk's chapter of the Church of Helm until several years later and his fall into serious debt.
In the , the High Sun riot erupted in Berdusk due to food shortages in the city. The local bakery was burned down, and the baker's daughter was tragically killed by the crown.
By , Berdusk had been incorporated into the young theocratic realm of Elturgard.
==Notable Locations==
===Organization Houses===
* Costerheadshouse, the base of operations for the local branch of the Thousandheads Trading Coster.
* Twilight Hall, a base operations for the local Harpers branch that is disguised as a temple of Deneir.
===Fest Halls===
* Herald's Rest, the more luxurious and exclusive of the city's two fest halls.
* Ruby Shawl, "another" festhall.
===Taverns & Inns===
* Bellblade Throne
* Blackpost's Bench
* Flourished Flagon
* Hullybuck's Gamble
* Memblar's Minstrelry
* Olyndin's Folly
* Running Stag Inn
* The Sign of the Silver Sword 
===Shops===
* Alamather's by the Water
* Ondraer's Fine Pages
* The Dawn of Any Day
* Thunderwood Forays
* The Shining Sword
* Amberside, a large open market.Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), pp. 158-162. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
===Temples===
* Ready House of the Right Strong Hand, a temple dedicated to Helm.
* Evensong Tower, a temple dedicated to Milil.
* Seat of Lore, an old stone temple dedicated to Oghma.
* The Inner Chamber, one of Deneir's largest churches, and the front for the Harper organization known as Twilight Hall.
===Other===
One of fanciful bardic colleges was located in Berdusk, favored by nobles. Joel of Finder spent some time studying there, before moving on and pursuing his calling of a cleric, to his parents' chagrin.
==Landmarks==
* Clearspring Tor, a park.
* High Lady's Castle, a hilltop fortress that acts as the city's chief administrative building and quarters for most of the city guards.
==Important Figures==
* Brandsuldyn Mirrortor, a former adventurer turned leader of the Seat of Lore in the late 14th century DR.
* Cylyria Dragonbreast
* Joel the Rebel Bard, an adventurer and favorite follower as well as a friend of his deity - Finder Wyvernspur. Joel hailed from a noble Berduskan family traced back for ten generation in the late 14 century DR.
* Tathlosar Brimmerbold, leader of the Ready House of the Right Strong Hand in the late 14th century DR.
* Uluene Maertalar, the high priestess of Evensong Tower in the late 14th century DR.
* Leosin Erlanthar, a monk and Harper who was captured in Greenest in 1489 DR.
* Havandrar Calanthal, First Folk and head of House Calanthal.
* Hardolph Hardomeir, First Folk and head of House Hardomeir.
* Gyllandra Myrmrast, First Folk and head of House Myrmrast.
* Orglarra Qarlagast, First Folk and head of House Qarlagast.
* Rahulrondra Spaeruthal, First Folk and head of House Spaeruthal.
==Appendix==
===Gallery===
Berdusk.JPG|Map of the area around Berdusk, circa 1372 DR
===Appearances===
===Further reading===
* 
* 
===References===
FR:Berdusk
Category:City-states
Category:Large cities
Category:Settlements
Category:Locations on the River Chionthar
Category:Locations on the Uldoon Trail
Category:Locations in the Sunset Vale
Category:Locations in the Western Heartlands
Category:Locations in West Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations