Neverwinter (city)

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Neverwinter is a coastal metropolis on the Sword Coast in Northwest Faerun. It is one of the two metropolisses of Northwest Faerun, the other being Silvermoon. The city is built around the estuary of the river Mirar into the Sword Coast. It is the seat of power for the Lord's Alliance, a semi-government of the region.

History
While the river Mirar was used by the Bardulur dwarven state for hundreds of years before Neverwinter was established, there was relatively little civilization around the estuary. For the Netherin Elven Empire, it formed the western border of their sphere of influence. Several Orc, Goblin, and Halfling tribes lived around the Hotenow mountain range, although these tribes were small and nomadic.

During the early 15th century DR, settlers, explorers, and adventurers from Baldur's Gate and the lands of Amm were investigating the lands of the northern Sword coast for possible colonization. This was eventually realized when Imperator Valator IV of Baldur's Gate launched a massive campaign onto the region.

The isolated tribes stood little chance against the well-trained and organised troops of Valator's army. While Valator himself campaigned up the river Surbin towards the Evermoor and the elven capital of Silvermoon, his second general constructed the roads that are now known as the High Road and the Swordpath, forming a supply line along the Sword Coast. Along this road, many towns and mottes were founded and constructed to exploit the newly conquered lands for Baldur's Gate.

This plan crumbled when Valator's conquests came to a halt after his lethal defeat during the siege of Silvermoon. Valator's heir had neither the prowess nor the diligence to hold on to the newly established vassals of the north. The now independent lords and ladies of the various towns agreed to work together to fight off common enemies, but held on to their autonomy of rulership.

One of these autonomous lordships was Neverwinter, named so for the gentle winters brought by the fire magics of the vulcano Hotenow. With fertile lands, extensive woods, ample mining opportunities, and access to open sea, Neverwinter quickly grew in size over the years and became a powerhouse in the region.

Political structure
Neverwinter is governed by Lordship. The Winterian dynasty is the primary claimaint of the lands surrounding the city, and leases this land to the city council and the local barons and knights. On a continental scale, this places the head of the Winterian dynasty on the level of a Duke or Duchess. In Northwest Faerun, this is called a Lord or Lady.

The Lord or Lady of Neverwinter holds a third of the political weight in the government of the Neverwinter sphere-of-influence. The city council and the noble council hold the other thirds, respectively. The Lord or Lady are the commander of the armed forces of Neverwinter, and are the city's representative in the Lord's Alliance.

The city council is an oligarchic collective of prominent people of the city of Neverwinter. This includes the guildmasters, judges, and company executives. The city council was the main executive branch of the government, often dealing with the day-to-day activities in the city.

The noble council is a collective of all the lesser nobility of the Neverwinter sphere-of-influence. This includes the various land-owning barons and knights. The lesser nobility is mostly tasked with the food supply of the city and managing the resources collected from the lands.

While the Lord or Lady officially only hold a third of the political power in the government of Neverwinter, in practise they hold more than half of it. This comes from the enormous amount of soft power that they can influence over the lower nobility either by handing out priviliges or threatening to take away privileges.

Sphere of influence
Over the centuries, the sphere of influence of Neverwinter has expanded to encompass a large portion of the Sword Coast. While the exact borders are vague, Neverwinter's direct influence stretches from the Moor of Dead Men in the south to the edge of the Luskan Forest in the north, while also laying claim to most of the Neverwinter woods.

Many of this land has been leased to barons and knights, overseeing the exploitation of the land from villages or manors.