Review of Sources
The only sources for Trademeet that I could find are Empires of the Sands, Lands of Intrigue, and the Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn video game. Rather than focus on the content of the game (which honestly borrows a lot from the book) I’m just going to look over Empires of the Sands and Lands of Intrigue.
Despite its very unique history and legal system Amn has unfortunately been largely overlooked in the past as a place for adventures. Even Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate 2 has nothing on Trademeet.
What Makes it Unique Compared to Other Cities?
The merchants peace: the biggest thing that makes it unique compared to other cities is its treatment of merchants. Merchants here believe fundamentally in maintaining the peace and in good honest dealings. No ambushes or thefts can be carried out or even planned in the city. Merchants who break this peace find themselves facing terribly bad fortune shortly after doing so.
What are the City’s Issues?
Devastation: about 120 years ago the city was devastated by forces led by the Ogre Mage Sythillis. Only 40% of the town’s population survived this and much of the city was leveled (with only the stone buildings being the ones to survive the burnings). This should be a driving force for the city in building new defences and becoming more active with influencing the affairs of the goblins, orcs, and giants that inhabit the lands near them.
Frontier life: Athkatla and Murann are far away from Trademeet. It is very much on its own. It’s proximity to difficult to patrol mountains and it’s isolation from Amn’s main cities means that goblins, bugbears, orcs, and giants are only some of the many active threats travelers face trying to reach or pass through the city. Merchants passing through the city should be constantly looking for protection and even the town itself may have work that needs to be done at removing monsters that pose a threat to them.
Merchant family control: the Alibakkar family back in the 1370’s owned virtually all of the land around Trademeet. The Lurraxol were the only other major family (and had a strong rivalry if the video game is any indication). Assuming they survived the devastation both families should still be vying for control over the city.
Magic ban: while this is not enforced in the video game technically like Athkatla arcane magic is still banned here (as well as everywhere in Amn) unless you have a license or permission from one of the more powerful oligarchs. Wizards, Sorcerers, and even probably Bards and Warlocks are all affected by it.
How Can I Use It in My Campaign?
Trademeet is fundamentally a frontier city. It’s not closer to Athkatla and that makes life out its way tough. It also means that it is very reliant on the trade that passes through its way. It takes security matters seriously.
It also makes a really good middle of the road city for an adventure that is making its way along the trading routes in this area. The town has plenty of supplies, undoubtedly its share of enemies, and enough local history that I think some interesting encounters could happen here.
DnD Detective 