Teristraz is a sea-bound city in northern Kildar, lying south of the remains of the dwarven hold of Rhyl and just below the line where crops will not grow and the sea itself freezes in winter. Its people honor Sova Medvedov and cling fiercely to their old traditions. For a brief but storied time, it stood as the capital under Sova Medvedov and her successor. Since the Crimson Dusk, when the Medvedov line came to an end, Teristraz has struggled to find its balance—seeking a life true to its ways while avoiding the fate of isolation or destruction. This has not changed even with the arrival of the Lords' Alliance.
The city clings to cliffs and terraces overlooking a wide natural harbor, where waves crash against the rocky shoreline and docks rise from weathered wood and stone. Its streets are narrow and crooked, shaped by the terrain and the sea rather than careful planning, giving the city a lively and chaotic character.
At the heart of the city lies the Harbor of Bones, a bustling quay where ships of every size tie up, and the skulls and bones of sea monsters are displayed as trophies. Near the main pier stands a grand statue of Sova Medvedov, honoring the chieftess who led the first humans to Kildar. Citizens and sailors alike gather here, paying homage or simply meeting before heading out to sea. Adjacent to the statue, the Seafarers’ Forum serves as an open space where debates, announcements, and political discussions take place. Here, captains, merchants, and citizens exchange ideas, make deals, and settle disputes under the watchful eyes of Medvedov’s likeness.
Closer to the city walls lies the Landcrabs' Quarter. The term "Landcrab" is not used as much anymore, but the trade has become one of the most important in Teristraz, and with the arrival of many new people, the quarter is more bustling than ever. It hosts a market selling fish, wool (and rope), exotic goods, occasional pirate spoils, and, if you know where to look, some illicit items from Eir-Andusk. It is also the center of social and spiritual life, with taverns and churches drawing visitors from both inside and outside the walls.
Beyond the walls, people live quietly, tending fields, raising horses, and shearing sheep for wool. Though less connected to the city’s seafaring traditions, they play a vital role in Teristraz’s economy, supporting the city while remaining on its rugged, maritime fringe.
Previously, the population was divided into two groups: citizens who had passed the rite of passage and proved their place among the best sailors and fighters, and those who had not done so for various reasons. The latter were called landcrabs. Now, with the arrival of the Lords' Alliance, everything has changed. The population of Teristraz has become much more diverse, and the people have never been so divided here.
First of all, everyone is now considered a citizen of Kildar, meaning that Teristraz is also part of the Lords' Alliance. The rite of passage, however, has remained. This means that those locals who want to pursue the prestigious marine career that people have always sought in Teristraz still have to pass the rite of passage. However, this does not give them any political rights beyond those of their self-regulating militant social class. Today, these people mostly hunt sea monsters and are paid quite generously by the Lords' Alliance.
Landcrabs no longer exist as a social class in Teristraz (although those who have completed the rite of passage still use the term when they want to disparage someone), and in general, the peaceful population has grown considerably. This is partly because of the refugees and partly because people want to be closer to the new industrial center of Ironhold, while remaining not too far from the capital, Arland.
What is known only to a few, however, is that there are secret agents of the remnants of the Eldritch Inquisition in Teristraz, along with those who support them. The Eldritch Inquisition managed to make a secret deal with some of the former pirates: they received a few longships that look exactly like those of pirates, allowing them to smuggle goods, trade, transfer agents back and forth, and gather information incognito.
Since the Crimson Dusk, the seas have become increasingly dangerous, swarming with monsters believed to originate from Brell’s wild-magic zone. Hunting such creatures is among the most honored deeds in Teristraz. Bringing back the remains of a sea beast not only earns lasting respect but also fetches high prices from alchemists and scholars.
The situation has grown particularly dire over the last ten years, forcing the Lords' Alliance to do the same thing the Guilds did before them: hire local pirates to hunt the monsters. They are paid very generously for their work. This helps keep the pirates at bay while giving them a dangerous but necessary profession.
Interestingly, however, the pirates are no longer managing the task as effectively as they once did. There are fewer of them now, following the war and the division among the pirate crews, but the greater problem is the sheer number of monsters. Their numbers have increased so drastically that, to be fair, nobody could hunt them effectively.
This is beginning to make the Lords' Alliance nervous. Their coffers may be deep, but they are not bottomless, and simply paying Teristrazian sailors more and more money will not solve the problem forever.
The Lords' Alliance has also found a new role for Teristraz's sailors. The Alliance has its own problems in Faerûn and decided to make use of the city's old maritime traditions by sending Teristrazian sailors there as privateers.
For good payment, Teristrazian crews join the Alliance's efforts against its enemies. Their opponents are often caught completely off guard by the unusual tactics used by the sailors, and the Teristrazians have proven remarkably successful. The arrangement benefits both sides. The Lords' Alliance gains skilled and unconventional sailors, while Teristraz receives a lucrative outlet for its martial traditions. At the same time, sending crews away reduces the number of potential troublemakers remaining in Teristraz itself, lowering the risk of rebellion. For the Teristrazians, it is also an opportunity to prove that their reputation as some of Kildar's finest sailors has not disappeared with the old pirate age.
The Lords' Alliance must nevertheless keep a close eye on their actions in Faerûn. Teristrazian sailors are still pirates at heart, and their methods can be unpredictable. A successful raid, a personal grudge against a foreign captain, or an overly ambitious crew could easily create a political problem for the Alliance far from Kildar.
As a city bound to the sea, it is no surprise that fish and seafood form the backbone of Teristraz’s diet. The people employ every method imaginable—rods, nets, crab traps, and spears or tridents near the shallows. The harbor is always alive with the smell of salt and the cries of gulls as the daily catch comes in.
Yet the skills of Teristraz’s folk go far beyond simple fishing. Some undertake perilous dives for pearls in treacherous waters. Pearls and other precious stones hold little value locally, but they are eagerly traded to merchants from afar for more practical goods.
Another valuable resource comes from the seashells gathered along the coast, from which brilliant dyes are extracted. These dyes are highly prized and pair naturally with the wool produced by the city’s thriving sheep herds, giving Teristraz a distinct advantage in the textile trade.
The land around Teristraz is not the most fertile, but it provides enough rich grasslands to support strong herds. Animal husbandry has therefore flourished here. Sheep are the most important livestock—their wool is famed across all of Kildar, and their meat helps sustain the city’s people. Horses, cattle, and goats are also raised in good numbers.
South of Teristraz lies a mountain range, most of which belongs to the dwarves of Ironhold. Still, one small stretch of the range falls under Teristraz’s control, and it has undergone significant development recently. The Lords' Alliance has made a complicated deal with both Teristraz and Ironhold. The main clauses of the deal, in simple terms, were as follows:
The Lords' Alliance takes primary control of this part of the mountain range and organizes the excavation of minerals and ores.
The Teristrazian sailors' class gets whatever they need for their ships for free.
Ironhold helps the Lords' Alliance and receives some of the profits from this area as well, but in return, they must construct a direct mountain highway from Ironhold to Teristraz.
This highway has boosted the economic activity of both cities and benefited the Lords' Alliance as well. However, the highway is usually closed for about a week every month in order to check for the presence of demons that are still dwelling in the Ironhold caves and mines, as well as to make repairs. This is usually planned well in advance, allowing merchants and travelers to plan their journeys accordingly.
With the new highway, more citizens, less danger from pirates, and the only more-or-less safe port on the western side of Kildar, Teristraz, much to the shame of its local military sailors, has become a very important trade hub. It was always interesting because of its finest goods, such as wool, pearls, and dyes, as well as rare marine ingredients valued by alchemists, but now you can find much more than that.
What also boosts trade are the secret deals with those who live in Eir-Andusk, making Teristraz truly unique from a trading perspective.
The way the city is governed has changed. More precisely, it has become separated. The old system still works, but only for the social class of Teristrazian sailors. It works like this:
Teristrazian sailors are ruled by a Chief. The leader is chosen through a trial by combat on Medvedov Island. Only those from Teristraz and those who have completed the rite of passage can join this trial. They are brought to the island with a single overseer, and there they fight in an all-for-all contest. Killing is permitted but dishonorable; the true mark of skill is to knock opponents unconscious without slaying them. When only one contender remains, the overseer and the victor bind the fallen candidates, return by ship, and present the results to respected elders. These elders confirm the legitimacy of the trial and then announce the new Chief at the Forum.
The Forum itself is the heart of Teristraz’s politics. When decisions must be made—whether concerning disputes or responses to a crisis—the process usually follows a ritual order:
The Chief presents his stance and argues for it.
The audience votes in favor or against.
If the majority agrees, the decision stands.
If the majority disagrees, the Chief may debate further, explaining his reasoning while others propose an alternative.
A second vote is held, either for the Chief’s decision or the alternative.
If the Chief loses again, he faces two choices: accept the alternative or call for a Fight of Resolve.
The Fight of Resolve is what makes Teristraz unique. If called, the Chief stands alone against however many people are willing to raise their weapons in defense of the alternative. To prevent mobs from forming through hesitation or peer pressure, all challengers must raise their weapons above their heads at the signal, committing instantly. Sometimes this means the Chief faces only three opponents; at other times, it could be one against a hundred.
These contests are not fought to the death, but with heavy clubs or bare hands. Victory lies in endurance, strength, and willpower rather than slaughter. In this way, the Chief rules both by the voice of the people and by the strength of his own arm, and every law carries the weight of debate—or blood.
The rest of Teristraz, however, is governed by the careful hands of the Lords' Alliance. They made a deal with the sailors that they would take care of the "boring stuff," such as trade and disputes involving the "landcrabs," while providing the former pirates with what they need at a fair price or through a fair deal. The local Tribunal takes care of spellcasters. The pirates, however, managed to hide most of their druids, so the Lords' Alliance underestimates the use of magic in Teristraz.
When the Lords' Alliance wants to make a deal with Teristraz, they usually do so either through the governor of Arland or directly. In the latter case, however, they send a military person, usually a general, rather than a political figure. This has proven to be more successful. The general, however, is usually advised by someone with political experience.
In these relations, there have been ups and downs, and the Lords' Alliance has had to deal with a couple of rebellions. In the last few years, however, things seem to be working somewhat. Those sailors who actively dislike the Alliance have left the city, while the rest are enjoying hunting sea monsters and pillaging foreign ships in unexplored (for Kildar) parts of Faerûn.
Teristraz’s dominance at sea comes not only from skilled sailors and sturdy longships, but also from the unorthodox tactics refined over centuries.
One such tactic is the active use of druids and their mastery of wild shape. Druidcraft holds great respect in Teristraz, for it allows them to become sea creatures that blend seamlessly with the waves. In these forms, druids scout the waters ahead, shadowing potential prey without notice. Some go further still—slipping aboard ships in the guise of animals to sabotage sails, gnaw through ropes, or spread chaos below deck. By the time the longships close in, their victims are already weakened and ripe for plunder.
Among the boldest tricks of Teristraz pirates is their use of great wind-boards: narrow planks bound with ropes and a rig of canvas that catches the sea-breeze. Skilled riders harness the gales to skim across the waves faster than most ships can row. In raids, they launch from their longships or even from hidden coves, darting like seabirds toward their prey.
These wind-riders are used to slip past blockades, board ships suddenly from the flanks, or carry lines to bind vessels together for boarding. On rare occasions, they are even seen leaping from the crests of waves onto a ship’s deck in the middle of battle. To outsiders, the sight of men skimming across the sea as though flying is uncanny and terrifying. To Teristraz, it is simply another example of turning the sea and wind into weapons.
Teristraz has always had a difficult political situation within Kildar, and with the arrival of the Lords' Alliance, things did not become easier. During the war, the local pirates gathered a huge armada and attacked the Lords' Alliance. Normally, they would have been destroyed even with all their tricks, but due to the assassination of the Lords' Alliance admiral and their use of her ship as bait, they managed to launch a successful attack. Both fleets were greatly damaged, but neither side would be capable of operating effectively at sea afterward.
The Lords' Alliance, however, succeeded on land against the Guilds, and the pirates could do nothing against an army that did not come from the sea. The result of all of this was very complicated:
The pirates became divided. Some of them accepted the power of the Lords' Alliance because, due to their military forces and tactical, strategic, and political advantages, the Alliance managed to conquer Kildar. Despite the disadvantage during the sea battle, the pirates were not completely defeated, and the attack was, in general, repelled. Other pirates, however, did not want to give up their independence and continued pirating (and creating hiding spots in the coves and on Medvedov Island) or secretly started working with the Eldritch Inquisition and other forces that oppose the Lords' Alliance.
Teristraz became a problematic place for many years, because from time to time, the local military class tried to push its agenda and regain its power in Teristraz.
The Lords' Alliance is still not completely sure what to do with Teristraz. On the one hand, the locals do not use much magic, and they help hunt sea monsters quite considerably. On the other hand, they also cause trouble. Because of this, the Lords' Alliance tries to bring more peaceful people into the city and pays quite generously to those who work with them.
Author: Pavel
Viking meets monster hunter