Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2010 14:33:15 GMT -5
forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sembia
www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/sembia.htm
forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sembia
www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/sembia.htm
Sembia
embia is a wealthy merchant kingdom situated east of Cormyr on the western edge of
the Sea of Fallen Stars. It is a land of rolling farms and rich plains dominated by a handful
of large, wealthy cities. It is a well-run, organized nation that may in time rival the
old kingdoms of the South and East. It is already one of the dominant powers in the
region, something which makes its neighbors (particularly the Dalelands) very nervous.
The wealthy merchant kingdom of Sembia is a land of good farms, busy ports, skilled textile makers,
and prosperity, with a vigilant army to keep it that way. The arms of Sembia are the Raven and Silver.
The raven represents Rauthauvyr the Raven, long-ago founder of the realm, who never ruled Sembia
but instead commanded its armies for a succession of merchant rulers. The silver coins represent
Sembia.s trading wealth.
History
ing. As the forests were cleared over the years, the treecutters came into increasing conflict with the
elves, who feared the loss of their entire woods.
The land of Sembia was settled by humans coming to the Sea of Fallen Stars from the south, originally
for its stands of huge, high-quality iliyr-wood timber, that were much prized in shipbuild-
This loss would undoubtedly have occurred if the hastily gathered mercenary troops of the fledgling
land had defeated the elves, but the elven nations defeated them soundly at Singing Arrows (884 DR)
and afterwards repeatedly slew or forced back humans venturing north of the River Ashaba and Lake
Sember. The Battle of Singing Arrows convinced distant Chondath to abandon its holdings and allowed
the immigrant Sembians to establish their independence (as little more than a collection of rival citystates,
much like the Moonsea or Vast today). It also set the stage for the appearance of the Raven.
The Moonsea.s (the Dragon Sea.s) mineral wealth was discovered by humankind at about this time,
and pressure began to grow in Sembia for a trade road through the elven woods to make Sembia the
world.s gateway to all these riches. The land grew strong as farms prospered in newly cleared lands, and
craftsmen arrived from the south to take advantage of this chance to acquire land and wealth, bringing
their trades with them. Rauthauvyr unified the city-states and towns in the face of the continuing
elven menace, and insisted on maintaining a standing army, which he kept in practice by policing
Sembia.s borders and improving its roads. At this time (913 DR), Sembia became as a true nation.
Having accomplished all this, the Raven went alone as an envoy to the Elven Court and asked the
elders of the Elven Council to approve a road open to humans going north from Sembia to the shores
of the Dragon Sea (an earlier road had been destroyed during the conflict and was now overgrown).
Raven proposed that the elves choose its route and retain control of it and the woods around it so that
no woodcutting or human settlement would occur, and that Sembia.s people build it with them.
The elves had earlier made similar arrangements with the Dalesmen and had no difficulty with the concept
of such an agreement. However, the inhabitants of Velarsdale (now Harrowdale) refused the proposal,
not wanting or needing such a road at that time (curious, since later a ruler of Harrowdale commissioned
the disastrous Halfaxe Trail). The elves, not wishing to offend long-time allies, refused Raven.s request.
Rebuffed, the Raven then threatened to exterminate the isolated elves in Arnothoi, the last embattled
remnant of the elves in Sembia, if the Elven Court did not cooperate. He and his people would leave
Arnothoi unmolested and its elves free to come and go and trade or not as they wished if the road was built.
The elves agreed under pressure, and Sembia.s financial future was secured. Hillsfar, on the shores of
Elventree. Over the years the elves of Arnothoi came north to join their brethren or slipped away to
seek Evermeet, and that wood gradually disappeared. The route the elves chose ran past the base of the
Standing Stone as a reminder of earlier, less-hostile dealings between humans and elves.
Sembia grew rich under merchant leaders of increasing wisdom,
such as Saer (for whom Saerb was named, and Chondathan,
later renamed Saerloon) and Selgar (Chancelgaunt was renamed
Selgaunt at his death, when he was buried there).
Rauthauvyr the Raven, before his death, saw that these merchants
had a strong standing council of merchant elders to advise
them and to ensure that no ruler could hold onto power by force
of arms. Then this farsighted man, creator of a nation, now halfblind
and infirm from old war wounds, rode north into the elven
woods and disappeared. None know what happened to him or
where his bones lie, save perhaps some few elder elves.
T h e O v e r m a s t e r
Sembia today is a strong kingdom, quick to defend threats to
its sovereignty (such as the rise of Scardale), and first in
financial wealth of all the western Inner Sea lands. Its ruler is
called the Overmaster and is elected to a seven-year term by a
council of merchants.
This merchant council is presently based in Ordulin and is 22
strong. The incumbent ruler, Elduth Yarmmaster, is just beginning
his third term of office. Although there are always those ambitious
for the Overmaster.s chair or dissatisfied with its present occupant,
Elduth has proven to be an mature and wise man of kindness and
humor, though quite frail and elderly now and reportedly sustained
by potions of longevity.
Some in Sembia have urged Elduth to take advantage of the
recent disappearance of the elves to take over the lands from
Hillsfar to the Dragon Reach to Mistledale and the Thunder
Peaks, but so far Elduth has refused. He is eloquent in council,
arguing that .swords speak, but they do not listen,. and that the
neighboring lands of Cormyr, the Dales, and the Moonsea would
like as not reach for their own swords should they make such a
claim. Instead, Elduth argues that Sembia should stand ready to
support, and if necessary, usurp control in, those troubled regions
quietly, as Cormyr did with Tilverton. Those who agree with
Elduth speak of his sage nature in playing a patient waiting game.
Those who disagree note that the great statesmen of Sembia is
old and will likely not live out his term, magical enhancements or
not. Then there will be a new day for Sembia.
T h e S e m b i a n
M i n d s e t
It is said, .When you look into a Sembian.s eyes, you can see
coins being counted in his mind.. The people of Sembia
have the well-earned reputation of being money conscious, even
5 9
greedy and avaricious, in their daily lives. Their nation was built
on trade, and lives and dies by trade. A measure of one.s success
can be given a value in gold pieces. Titles and accomplishments,
which carry great weight in Cormyr and the Dales, matter little
when confronted with the bottom line of the ledger book.
Sembians see themselves as being careful when matters are
unknown, bold and decisive when they may pull off a coup or make
a sale. They are in command of their own destiny, and should the
gods set them back, they will learn from their mistakes and rise to
regain that which they have lost and a bit more for interest.
Sembians are industrious and hard-working, toiling away at
tasks long after any other people would stop for the evening.
Candles, lanterns, and glowstones allow work well into the
evening, and with the fall of night there are still those who press
on, seeking their own form of perfection. The Sembians believe
themselves superior to their neighbors because they work at life
and work very hard.
The Sembians are cool to their neighbors, keeping them at
arm.s length. The Cormyreans are viewed as having too much of
the noble blood poisoning their system, such that they hare off on
crusades and quests regardless of the damage it does. The
Dalesmen are primitive country bumpkins, surviving only by dint
of powerful allies. The Moonsea cities are enemies to be destroyed
from within economically since no army can take them. The
same may be said for the Dragon Coast, which is a hotbed of
secret societies and thieves. guilds. The Vast and the Westies are
potential marketplaces and resources, and care must be taken not
to turn them into rivals.
And then there are the elves. Sembian history is filled with
conflicts between the elves and the humans of Sembia, and there
is little love lost between the two. A pronouncement banishing
the elves from Sembia is still on the books after 10 years and is
used to harass irritating elven travelers. The elves of the the
Tangled Trees still harass Sembian merchants. It does not bother
the Sembians so much that the majority of the elves have gone
into Retreat as that the ones that they left behind are now
uncontrolled and making trouble.
Industrious, proud, diligent, cosmopolitan, and canny.these
are the phrases the Sembian merchant would use to describe herself
or himself. The phrases that the Cormyreans, Dalesmen, and
elves would use are not listed here (to be polite).
www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/sembia.htm
forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sembia
www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/sembia.htm
Sembia
embia is a wealthy merchant kingdom situated east of Cormyr on the western edge of
the Sea of Fallen Stars. It is a land of rolling farms and rich plains dominated by a handful
of large, wealthy cities. It is a well-run, organized nation that may in time rival the
old kingdoms of the South and East. It is already one of the dominant powers in the
region, something which makes its neighbors (particularly the Dalelands) very nervous.
The wealthy merchant kingdom of Sembia is a land of good farms, busy ports, skilled textile makers,
and prosperity, with a vigilant army to keep it that way. The arms of Sembia are the Raven and Silver.
The raven represents Rauthauvyr the Raven, long-ago founder of the realm, who never ruled Sembia
but instead commanded its armies for a succession of merchant rulers. The silver coins represent
Sembia.s trading wealth.
History
ing. As the forests were cleared over the years, the treecutters came into increasing conflict with the
elves, who feared the loss of their entire woods.
The land of Sembia was settled by humans coming to the Sea of Fallen Stars from the south, originally
for its stands of huge, high-quality iliyr-wood timber, that were much prized in shipbuild-
This loss would undoubtedly have occurred if the hastily gathered mercenary troops of the fledgling
land had defeated the elves, but the elven nations defeated them soundly at Singing Arrows (884 DR)
and afterwards repeatedly slew or forced back humans venturing north of the River Ashaba and Lake
Sember. The Battle of Singing Arrows convinced distant Chondath to abandon its holdings and allowed
the immigrant Sembians to establish their independence (as little more than a collection of rival citystates,
much like the Moonsea or Vast today). It also set the stage for the appearance of the Raven.
The Moonsea.s (the Dragon Sea.s) mineral wealth was discovered by humankind at about this time,
and pressure began to grow in Sembia for a trade road through the elven woods to make Sembia the
world.s gateway to all these riches. The land grew strong as farms prospered in newly cleared lands, and
craftsmen arrived from the south to take advantage of this chance to acquire land and wealth, bringing
their trades with them. Rauthauvyr unified the city-states and towns in the face of the continuing
elven menace, and insisted on maintaining a standing army, which he kept in practice by policing
Sembia.s borders and improving its roads. At this time (913 DR), Sembia became as a true nation.
Having accomplished all this, the Raven went alone as an envoy to the Elven Court and asked the
elders of the Elven Council to approve a road open to humans going north from Sembia to the shores
of the Dragon Sea (an earlier road had been destroyed during the conflict and was now overgrown).
Raven proposed that the elves choose its route and retain control of it and the woods around it so that
no woodcutting or human settlement would occur, and that Sembia.s people build it with them.
The elves had earlier made similar arrangements with the Dalesmen and had no difficulty with the concept
of such an agreement. However, the inhabitants of Velarsdale (now Harrowdale) refused the proposal,
not wanting or needing such a road at that time (curious, since later a ruler of Harrowdale commissioned
the disastrous Halfaxe Trail). The elves, not wishing to offend long-time allies, refused Raven.s request.
Rebuffed, the Raven then threatened to exterminate the isolated elves in Arnothoi, the last embattled
remnant of the elves in Sembia, if the Elven Court did not cooperate. He and his people would leave
Arnothoi unmolested and its elves free to come and go and trade or not as they wished if the road was built.
The elves agreed under pressure, and Sembia.s financial future was secured. Hillsfar, on the shores of
Elventree. Over the years the elves of Arnothoi came north to join their brethren or slipped away to
seek Evermeet, and that wood gradually disappeared. The route the elves chose ran past the base of the
Standing Stone as a reminder of earlier, less-hostile dealings between humans and elves.
Sembia grew rich under merchant leaders of increasing wisdom,
such as Saer (for whom Saerb was named, and Chondathan,
later renamed Saerloon) and Selgar (Chancelgaunt was renamed
Selgaunt at his death, when he was buried there).
Rauthauvyr the Raven, before his death, saw that these merchants
had a strong standing council of merchant elders to advise
them and to ensure that no ruler could hold onto power by force
of arms. Then this farsighted man, creator of a nation, now halfblind
and infirm from old war wounds, rode north into the elven
woods and disappeared. None know what happened to him or
where his bones lie, save perhaps some few elder elves.
T h e O v e r m a s t e r
Sembia today is a strong kingdom, quick to defend threats to
its sovereignty (such as the rise of Scardale), and first in
financial wealth of all the western Inner Sea lands. Its ruler is
called the Overmaster and is elected to a seven-year term by a
council of merchants.
This merchant council is presently based in Ordulin and is 22
strong. The incumbent ruler, Elduth Yarmmaster, is just beginning
his third term of office. Although there are always those ambitious
for the Overmaster.s chair or dissatisfied with its present occupant,
Elduth has proven to be an mature and wise man of kindness and
humor, though quite frail and elderly now and reportedly sustained
by potions of longevity.
Some in Sembia have urged Elduth to take advantage of the
recent disappearance of the elves to take over the lands from
Hillsfar to the Dragon Reach to Mistledale and the Thunder
Peaks, but so far Elduth has refused. He is eloquent in council,
arguing that .swords speak, but they do not listen,. and that the
neighboring lands of Cormyr, the Dales, and the Moonsea would
like as not reach for their own swords should they make such a
claim. Instead, Elduth argues that Sembia should stand ready to
support, and if necessary, usurp control in, those troubled regions
quietly, as Cormyr did with Tilverton. Those who agree with
Elduth speak of his sage nature in playing a patient waiting game.
Those who disagree note that the great statesmen of Sembia is
old and will likely not live out his term, magical enhancements or
not. Then there will be a new day for Sembia.
T h e S e m b i a n
M i n d s e t
It is said, .When you look into a Sembian.s eyes, you can see
coins being counted in his mind.. The people of Sembia
have the well-earned reputation of being money conscious, even
5 9
greedy and avaricious, in their daily lives. Their nation was built
on trade, and lives and dies by trade. A measure of one.s success
can be given a value in gold pieces. Titles and accomplishments,
which carry great weight in Cormyr and the Dales, matter little
when confronted with the bottom line of the ledger book.
Sembians see themselves as being careful when matters are
unknown, bold and decisive when they may pull off a coup or make
a sale. They are in command of their own destiny, and should the
gods set them back, they will learn from their mistakes and rise to
regain that which they have lost and a bit more for interest.
Sembians are industrious and hard-working, toiling away at
tasks long after any other people would stop for the evening.
Candles, lanterns, and glowstones allow work well into the
evening, and with the fall of night there are still those who press
on, seeking their own form of perfection. The Sembians believe
themselves superior to their neighbors because they work at life
and work very hard.
The Sembians are cool to their neighbors, keeping them at
arm.s length. The Cormyreans are viewed as having too much of
the noble blood poisoning their system, such that they hare off on
crusades and quests regardless of the damage it does. The
Dalesmen are primitive country bumpkins, surviving only by dint
of powerful allies. The Moonsea cities are enemies to be destroyed
from within economically since no army can take them. The
same may be said for the Dragon Coast, which is a hotbed of
secret societies and thieves. guilds. The Vast and the Westies are
potential marketplaces and resources, and care must be taken not
to turn them into rivals.
And then there are the elves. Sembian history is filled with
conflicts between the elves and the humans of Sembia, and there
is little love lost between the two. A pronouncement banishing
the elves from Sembia is still on the books after 10 years and is
used to harass irritating elven travelers. The elves of the the
Tangled Trees still harass Sembian merchants. It does not bother
the Sembians so much that the majority of the elves have gone
into Retreat as that the ones that they left behind are now
uncontrolled and making trouble.
Industrious, proud, diligent, cosmopolitan, and canny.these
are the phrases the Sembian merchant would use to describe herself
or himself. The phrases that the Cormyreans, Dalesmen, and
elves would use are not listed here (to be polite).