Reconstruction Junction: Yartar
The title of this type of entry will be workshopped. However, it is key to my history of the Realms that I start somewhere in my lofty aspirations to chronical and redraw areas of Toril.
Today, such a journey begins with the city of Yartar. Why, you may ask? Because the name is fun to say, and because I have a personal project that does, at some point, utilize Yartar as a setting.
Where, you might ask, is Yartar located? For this I will point to our most recent canonical map of the Sword Coast.
As the griffon flies, it is about 250 miles (~375 km) from Neverwinter, and 283 miles (425 km) from Waterdeep, though the actual journey usually takes a longer route.
Yartar is situated in a region known as the Dessarin Valley, which has a rich history, and information that can be found as far back as in the original AD&D books. The most information comes from The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier, a 1996 box set, in which I was able to discover so many things about this small town full of thieves and rapscallions, run by a longsuffering public servant.
Sadly, the things that 5e brought to Yartar were mostly changes for the worse. I can’t blame them for not following previously laid out details: a lot of change happens in 130 years to a town. But let’s go over some of them.
Governing Body/Person’s title: Waterbaron
The Waterbaron is so named for the three rivers that connect nearby to Yartar, and the prominence the rivers have on life there. The position is elected democratically and directly by the citizens of Yartar, and serves a life term. The current Waterbaron at any given time inhabits and holds court in the Waterbaron’s Hall.
Important details:
Population:~6,000 in 1366 DR, more by 1491 DR. Mostly human.
Alliances: Member of the Lords Alliance. Other factions operate throughout the city.
Main industries: Barge-making, fishing, trade
Factions: Hand of Yartar, Harpers, Zhentarim, and the Kraken Society, among others
Totally-Not-Petty Rivalry: The town of Triboar
The first map of the town of Yartar (I would hesitate to call it a city), appears in Volo’s Guide to the North (2), with a colored version of the exact same map appearing in the box set The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (1). The map above is from the latter.
Yartar is, first a foremost, a town with a reputation for less-than-legal dealings. As described in Cult of the Dragon, “Yartar is a caldron of bubbling plots schemes, and under-the-table alliances- but without any single unifying evil presence”(1). Previous Waterbarons, such as Alahar Khaumfros, had ties to the Kraken Society (8), while the Zhentarim always had at least a few agents to keep an eye on the place.
The Hand of Yartar is a group of young thieves that have struggled to truly form any real guild over the decades. Sources as far back as 1366 DR describe the group as being mostly young and female (7), but by 1491, the group has a reputation of being all-female (5).
Legal trade exists as well, as merchants and caravans are almost constantly passing through the town, as well as coming by water via the three rivers. The Fishyard, the marketplace in front of the Waterbaron’s Hall, brings fresh fish, crab, and eels every day to the citizens of Yartar (6,7). Several stores also surround the market, primarily providing goods and services that are in-demand for the adventurers and merchant caravans who pass through (6). The Lionshield Trading Coster operates out of Yartar, but is known throughout the Dessarin Valley (5)
It is at this point that I risk becoming a wiki page for this little town, so let’s mix it up.
There are some key features of this city that I immediately fell in love with.
The first are the Light Lasses. I don’t know if that is an official title for these girls, but it’s the closest thing I could find. By tradition, Yartar is not lit at night, except for the torches that burn around the Waterbaron’s Hall. Anyone who wishes to brave the city in the dark can either take their chances, or hire a Light Lass, who knows all the streets by heart, and carries a small light with her (6).
Though I understand that this sounds dangerous, that any thief might be able to take advantage of the lasses, I will point to the mostly/all-female thieves’ guild. My theory is that either the lasses and thieves have an agreement and help each other, or perhaps that the Hands of Yartar are (sometimes) also Light Lasses, who can pull a knife in the blink of an eye should a client try anything. That also implies that one of the Hands of Yartar could simply take a client into an alleyway (of which there are many) and mug them, then put out their light to leave the poor person blind.
Beldabar’s Rest is a lovely inn that is built almost entirely underground, which actually really helps in keeping it at a reasonable temperature regardless of the season. I have a plan of making a separate write-up on this establishment in full at a later date.
Halassa’s Waterwell & Fine Wines gets a small mention here, at risk of me getting carried away, because each day, Halassa provided one free bucket of water to each household in Yartar. There is no mention of her past 1366, but I would like to imagine that someone else has taken up the mantle of carrying out this public service.
The Wink and the Kiss is a fun and informal feast hall that I hope to one day map out. In 1361, it was owned and run by two brothers, Beldorm and Asklar, two humans that stood at 7 feet tall (6). This place was intentionally built to be a labyrinth, with secret passageways hidden behind tapestries and under tables, and many twisting corridors. Of course, in a city of illicit deals, the brothers had to establish some rules. The Wink and the Kiss has been declared a safe-ground by the Hand of Yartar, and the staff put rules in place.
The thing is, unlike a number of places that will ask you to leave your weapons at the door, or just ask you not to fight, The Wink and the Kiss in the 14th century DR required all gear and even clothing to be removed. Patrons then donned costumes provided by the establishment (changing rooms were provided) before being sent into the fray (7).
This is just the most delightful thing I can think of. I want to go to this place. I can just imagine it, the food is hardly more than mediocre, but the atmosphere? Delightful. Sure, shady dealings may go on, but also you can travel secret passageways in the funny outfit they put you in, place hide-and-seek, drink something silly and themed appropriately. I am so disappointed that when The Wink and the Kiss appeared again in 5e, that this concept for the feast hall had been removed. At some point in the 125 years between 2e and 5e, the costumes fell out of use, and even weapons were no longer required to be left at the door. At least, this is the conclusion that I am drawn to, considering one of the encounters in Princes of the Apocalypse that takes place in The Wink and the Kiss can result in a character’s bodyguards drawing blades on the player characters (4). What I’m saying is, the old management would never let that happen.
Princes of the Apocalypse does provide something that I did not expect: an updated map of Yartar. It doesn’t cover any new area from the previous map, sadly, but it does show some of the buildings that remain.
This map is entirely lackluster. The rendering leaves something to be desired, even if this image didn’t have the warping from my scan. The Market, the Waterbaron’s Hall, the The Wink and the Kiss are the only things that are truly the same. The Cointoss, a tavern bar, seems to have been entirely demolished or merged with its neighbors, whereas Halassa’s place seems to have been merged with Winter Winds, which was a clothing store, and Beldabar’s Rest. Since the Rest is underground aside from a gatehouse, it is possible that it still exists. It is also possible that the buildings were renovated into some sort of strip mall setup, as odd as that seems in such a setting. Between Winter Winds and the Waterwell, I firmly believe that the well has remained in operation all these years, because it’s a useful service, even if Halassa has long since past on.
One Foot in the Boat, a tavern known for being noisy and crowded (7) also appears to still be standing, though whether or not it is the same business is neither confirmed nor denied. If it was as busy as it is described, I am certain that it still stands, though likely under new ownership.
To the west, just above Y2, should be the Pearl-handed Pipe, an inn that could accommodate for about 600 people a night. This business is confirmed to still be around, and to have kept its reputation as an excellent place to stay (4). Likewise, the White-Winged Griffon, a rather rickety old inn, remains standing somehow (4). It is, presumably, located north of the upper right of the new map, based on the older one (7)
The Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance would be just north of the upper left corner of this map. This temple to Tymora, known oft as “Two Hap Fort Hall” or simply “Two” by the locals, often sponsored groups of adventurers, and is known throughout the valley for the festival it holds on Shieldmeet (7). Again, I will perhaps some day make a separate write-up on it, for this has gotten too long.
The Shield Tower: On the west bank of the Surbrin River, this tower is a fortress for the city guard. 150 mounted guards act as law enforcement within the city, and a militia outside of it, mostly to keep monsters at bay (7). The tower has an inner and outer wall, the former far stronger as the latter crumbles. It is said that the space between the walls is warded to conjure guardian skeletons if anyone goes there without authorization, but no one has tested it in years (4, 7). Paddocks for traveling livestock are here for public use, and there are docks built into the side, where the Waterbaron’s Barge is stored.
Other known areas:
Fields, North of Town: The Hiring Fair, held each year that Shieldmeet does not occur, is said to take place here. It is likely that these are outside of the city walls (7).
Three Rivers Festhall: Was once, and might still be, a front for the Kraken Society (8).
Dannath’s Pickles, Nuts, and Food: A provisions store, where in 1366, Dannath and his “three strong daughters” sold preserved goods for travelers. It was known to be expensive, but worth the cost (7).
Esklindrar’s Maps, Books, and Folios: A store for maps, books, etc. ran by an eccentric old human. A map of Faerûn was painted onto the ceiling, and I would kill to see it (7).
Firelust Fabrics and Tailoring: A multi-generational and highly talented family of tailors. High prices, but worth the coin (7).
Hasklar’s Arms and Armory: A collection of every type of metal armor and weapon in all sorts of sizes. No metal smith (7).
Docks, along the river(s), for the fishers.
A bridge on the west side. It is wide enough to “accommodate two wagons with room to spare,”(4).’
The Villa, a Harper base in the heart of Yartar, made from a crumbling building and with a beautiful garden behind its stone walls (5).
The Glowing Gem: An inn. This appears to be the starting point for the Gateway to the Savage Frontier video game for the Commodore 64, Amiga, and DOS. I will not be playing this game for my analysis. However, it does say that this inn was close to the western gate.
Actually, looking into this game I found a map that includes a portion of Yartar close to the western gate, as well as a number of other things. This map was put together by user MicktheMage on Old Games, click here to see the interactive version. I was going to just have this as a footnote, but forgive me, because I may have stumbled onto something.
This gives us a few more names of things to work with:
Frydhazes’ Shop of Unusual Items
Boat Rentals
The Tired Traveler (Bar)
The Yartar Armory (Shop)
The Hall of Training
Yartar Bargeworks
Because of the extremely limited constraints of this map, it is unlikely I can really base much of my final map on it, but I do appreciate the insights given, as well as the depiction of the river running through the middle of the town.
Additional known names of alleys/passages (8):
The Long Creep
Mindulspeer Lane
Dead Cat Cut
Shadowskulk
Spitting Adder Lane
And so, I begin sketching.
I’m not normally a city planner, but I do know that there are often things that are often missing from fantasy maps, usually to make life easier. These include things like chicken coops, public spaces, greenspace, livestock paddocks for residents as well as travelers, wells for water, etc.. It’s really easy to design something that looks and acts like our world today, whether that be a strict grid system or a cul-de-sac neighborhood. But people from other times and places have very different needs to ours, and a naturally growing village in Faerun is going to look much different from a small town in rural America.
Updates as the project continues.
Bibliography under the cut.