Arabel
The frontier city of northeastern Cormyr, Arabel is a rambling, mid-sized affair of almost a thousand main buildings, situated where the East Way meets Calantar's Way and the Moonsea Ride. She is well- fortified by high stone walls and a terraced landscape, though with many posts reserved for trading houses in the lightly wooded outskirts and farmlands beyond. It has always been a bustling waystop on the overland route linking Moonsea mines to the port at Suzail, and from there to countries beyond; it has also always been a bulwark against the perils of the nearby Stonelands, a craggy, monster-filled plateau huddling beneath the Stormhorn foothills.
Arabel today is a booming, prosperous center of growth, with as many as 25,000 residents at the height of the trading season. Both newcomers to the realm and wealthy young Cormyreans have efficiently settled the quiet, rolling farmland to the north and east, and many adventuring bands use the city as a jumping-off point for the north and east.
The largest commercial enterprise, however, is Thousandheads Trading Coster, which has extensive holdings in Arabel for use on its trade route from Waterdeep to Hillsfar via Scornubel, Berdusk, Iriaebor, Priapurl, Arabel, and Essembra. This company runs thousands of caravans along this route, with each caravan guarded by hired adventurers and mercenaries. Arabel's importance to trade is further demonstrated by the large local facilities of far-reaching trading companies such as Dragoneye Dealing Coster, Iron House, Six Coffers Market Priakos, and Trueshield Trading Priakos (in addition to Thousandheads). These companies regularly hire exploration parties to maintain their interests across Cormyr.
Several family merchant houses based in Arabel are prominent locally but concentrate on business near Arabel instead of activity throughout Cormyr. These houses and primary businesses include the Baerlear (cheese), Bhela (weapons and armor), Gelzunduth (winery), Hiloar (brewery), Kraliqh (real estate), Misrim (horses), and Nyaril (grain) families.
Arabel also has a number of entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses without the benefit of a merchant family background. Chief among these is Lheskar Bhaliir, who owns and operates several enterprises on the edge of the law. His general stores sell a motley and ever-changing selection of merchandise and are widely rumored to be fencing operations for stolen goods. He also owns two prominent taverns, the Dancing Dragon and the Dancing Dracolisk, which make no effort to bar shady customers.
With so many adventuring companies using Arabel as a base, hiring mercenaries accounts for a large share of the city's economy. The largest employer is the Red Raven Mercenary Company, which has an impressive headquarters in the city.Government
Myrmeen Lhal is the popular and efficient Lord of Arabel. She envisions her task as creating and maintaining a secure environment for business. She has done her job well.
Welstar, Herald of Arabel, assists Lhal and has hundreds of assorted duties to perform as well. Westar has a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness. He is also well known for the quirk of never performing a duty on the first of the month. The reason for this unusual behavior is unknown, as he is very tight-lipped about the subject, but his exemplary work throughout the rest of the month has earned him the right to this eccentricity.
Heading the Purple Dragon elite guard garrision is Baron Thomdor, Azoun's cousin and Warden of the Eastern Marches. Thomdor is a tough and fair leader of the militia. Assisting him is Dutharr, who is in effect the sheriff of Arabel. The two warriors have a good relationship and work very well together; Dutharr prefers to interact with Thomdor rather than Lhal because of a slight personality conflict between them.
Regular patrols to the Stonelands in the north usually start in Arabel. A typical patrol is a force of 40-60 fighters commanded by an experienced commander and often supported by War Wizards or one of the Favored. Existing alongside the small local militia is a force of mercenaries known as the Red Ravens, who have a long history in Cormyr and a good relationship with Baron Thomdor and Lhal. Their primary objective in recent times has been to fight evil creatures inhabiting the Stormhorns. This contract is sponsored by King Azoun, but he often leaves administration of the contract to Lhal. Thus far the Red Ravens have been very successful, but their small numbers prevent them from fulfilling the contract too quickly. The leader of the Ravens is a woman named Rayanna (or Rose).
Society
Other inns are known for their quality (the Elfskull, Falcon's Rest, and Weary Knights most of all) or their popularity (the World Serpent, or Wild Goose as it is sometimes called, especially). The Blue Mace, High Moon, Nine Fires, and Swinging Gate inns also enjoy favorable reputations.
For those of lesser means, there are inns (such as the Night Wolf, Old Warrior, Tired Traveler, Traveler's Banner, Watchful Lynx, and Wayscross) as well as hostels (including the Murdered MAnticore, Orange Banner, Red Stirge, Scarlet Spear, and Whistling Wheel). Places like the Eastwatch, Irriphar's, the Roll Roast, and the Three Bars are probably better off avoided.
The tavern most frequented by locals is the Dancing Dragon, the center of Arabel's nightlife. The most popular event of the inn is a monthly costume dance. Many stories of intrigue revolve around those who appear at the dance, for it has long been rumored that the city's nobles and elite arrive in costumes designed to mask their identities. Fueling these rumor mills is the fact that no one is required to unmask during or after the dance.
Arabel has dozens of other taverns, the most popular of which are the Bent Bow, Black Barrel, Black Mask, Burning Blade, Coiled Whip, Dancing Dracolisk, Ivory Jack, Lame Camel, Lazy Lizard, Red Sword, Silver Tankard, Smoky Skull, Soldiers Boots, Striking Snake, Two-Headed Lion, and the Wink and the Kiss. In addition to the regular public houses, Arabel's Baths are a popular gathering place for the wealthy, since they offer barber and grooming services.
Religion
The most powerful religious organization in Arabel is the temple that worships Tymora, called locally the House of the Lady. Darmos Lauthyr is the chief priest of the temple, and one of the Luck Maiden's Favored; 24 priests and priestesses serve under him, as well as at least 4,000 lay devoted. A popular figure in Arabel who is strongly connected to the order is Doust Sulwood, a former Lord of far-off Shadowdale.
Darmos is quite outspoken as an advocate of himself and his order. He has become increasingly demanding of recognition by Arabel officials and by King Azoun, from whom he demands a barony. Among the temples to Tymora he feels his ought to be the most important and revered in the world, and his tirades have not won him many friends among the highly-placed breathren of his order (to say nothing of the Arabellan aristocracy).
Arabel also has small chapels of Ilmater, Selune, Lathander, and Chauntea, as well as individual shrines dedicated to Deneir, Helm, Lliira, Milil, and Tempus.
Recent History
Arabel was for a brief time in recent memory the center of a swordsman's empire. This swordsman was Gondegal, the "Lost King," who in the Year of the Dragon (1352 DR, or five winters ago) attempted to carve out a kingdom for himself, centered on Arabel and extending north to the Desertedge Mountains, south and west of the Wyvernwater and Eveningstar's outlying farms, and east to Tilver's Gap and the mountain passes.
"Gondegal's reach was longer than his blade," men say - he could not hold any of his territory against the combined might of Cormyr, Sembia, Daggerdale, Tilverton, and several of the other dales - all of whom he drew blood and ire from in the making of his throne.
Gondegal ruled for less than a season; he reigned for scarcely eight days. The remainder of his rule was spent fighting here and there in the lands he had claimed against one foe or another. His troops were largely mercenary; his treasury of seized goods was small, and soon gone. One night Gondegal's army simply melted away before the advancing host of Cormyr, and disappeared.
The forces of King Azoun IV retook Arabel on the morn without wetting a single blade; no man found Gondegal's body. He is known to have fled north and then east, via Teshwave; beyond that his fate becomes a matter of conflicting rumor and legend. Most believe he still lives with a score or more loyal followers, keeping court in the wilds somewhere; a careful and ruthless bandit, who takes care that none survive one of his attacks to carry tales anywhere. When entire caravans vanish at times between the High Dale and far-off Impiltur, he is blamed in the taverns.
Gondegal is remembered as a tall, grey-haired warrior of considerable skill and intelligence. His badge is a grey wolf's-head with red eyes. Caravan guards often warn merchants to beef up the escort on a particular caravan, "else thy gold'll soon be gilding Gondegal's throne."
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