Merchant Princes

Stuff to know

Seven merchant princes rule Port Nyanzaru, each one with an equal vote in matters of state. All are Chultan. Their single qualification is that they're the seven richest people in the city. Their seat of governance is Goldenthrone, an old, regal Amnian palace overlooking the bay. A merchant prince who retires can yield his or her position to a family member or someone else of  immense wealth agreed on by the majority.

The merchant princes surround themselves with loyal family and underlings, but they also employ foreign mercenaries both as city guards and as personal guards. Most of these mercenaries are Zhents, and where one finds the Zhentarim, one can also find Harper spies.

The merchant princes have specific monopolies on all merchandise sold in the city. Characters in need of gear or supplies must deal through these individuals directly or their consortiums indirectly. The only alternative is to resort to the black markets in Malar's Throat or Tiryki Anchorage.

Merchant Princes

Ekene-Afa

Deals in weapons, shields, traveling gear, rain catchers, saddles, wagons, and canoes

Ekene-Afa (LG female Chultan human gladiator) won numerous gladiatorial contests in Port Nyanzaru's arena before she invested her winnings into financing her first trade deals. She is a legend among the common

rabble who grew up watching her battles. Her husband, Kura, is a painter, and they have twin teenage sons named Soshen and Tiryk. Soshen is a city guard, and Tiryk is a popular dinosaur racer. Both were named after Chultan rivers.

Ekene-Afa sells nonmagical weapons and shields of every kind, but most of her inventory consists of flint daggers, yklwas with wooden shafts and obsidian tips, and shields made of wooden frames with layers of reptile hide stretched over them. Ekene-Afa pays Wakanga O'tamu to place permanent enchantments on a select few of these items, which she sells at the prices listed.

Ifan Talro'a

Ifan Talro'a (NE male Chultan human noble) is a greedy,conniving man supported by influential and dangerous friends among the Zhentarim. He is jealous of Wakanga O'tamu's magical power and Ekene-Afa's reputation from the arena. Talro'a sells animals that can be trained as mounts or pets, including dinosaurs and flying monkeys. The yuan-ti of Omu secretly pay Talro'a to warn them if treasure hunters are headed south into the deep jungle. He uses flying snakes as messengers. Talro'a doesn't know for certain that the messages go to yuan-ti, but he strongly suspects it.

Ifan has no family and no close relationships. He is naturally distrustful of everyone.

Buying Beasts. !fan Talro'a employs dozens of merchants throughout Port Nyanzaru who not only serve as his spies but also sell domesticated beasts that can be used as companions, mounts, or pack animals. Flying

snakes trained as messengers are popular with the Zhentarim, and Talro'a sells them to no one else.

Jessamine

Deals in plants, poison, and assassination.

Jessamine (N female Chultan human assassin, her hit point maximum reduced to 58) doesn't speak often. When the council finds itself divided on an issue, however, Jessamine usually casts the deciding vote. Most

of her body is hidden under billowy robes and tightly wrapped black bandages.

Jessamine trades in plants, herbs, poison, and sanctioned assassination. Murder is illegal in Port Nyanzaru, as it is almost everywhere, but Jessamine has a monopoly on "sanctions" - writs that allow a killing by ordained methods (usually poison or stabbing with a blade). For an added fee, her agents will carry out the assassination, with results guaranteed. Poison is her specialty, and she has a vast personal collection. She sells all the poisons listed in the Poisons table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide at market prices.

Twelve years ago, Jessamine had a brief but torrid love affair with an Amnian sea captain. The "fruit" of that affair is a shy daughter named Ymezra. Under Jessamine's watchful eye, tutors are teaching Ymezra the skills she needs to lake over the family business one day.

Jessamine's Curse. Before she went into business for herself, Jessamine worked as an assassin for a Calishite pasha. She died on a mission, but her benefactor paid a handsome price to raise her from the dead . As a result of her misfortune years ago, Jessamine is now suffering from the effects of the Soulmonger's death curse. She covers her rotting flesh with scarves and bandage wrappings, and she is predisposed to help any adventurers actively trying to end the death curse.

Jobal

Deals in guides and sells words

Jobal (NE male Chultan human scout) made a fortune as a wilderness guide when the party he was working for discovered a stunning cache of Chultan gold and jewels. Miraculously, only Jobal survived the gauntlet

of undead and dinosaur attacks, making it back to Port Nyanzaru in a canoe laden with treasure. There's no doubt he's led a life of adventure; his body bears many scars from his escapades. His chief spy, confidante, and consort is Aazon Talieri (NG male Tetbyrian human spy). Johal trusts him implicitly, and Aazon's loyalty is beyond reproach.

Because of his dealings with explorers, Jobal has an intense interest in maps of Chult. He would pay the characters handsomely for Syndra Silvane's map, if he learns of its existence. If they refuse to sell, he'll resort

to theft, and eventually to murder.

Hiring a Guide. If the characters visit Jobal in search of a guide, he recommends that they seek out one or more of his guides in Port Nyanzaru. Jobal assigns Aazon the task of escorting the adventurers to whichever guides interest them. Jobal doesn't require payment up front, since all guides in Port Nyanzaru are required by law to pay him a fair cut of their earnings.

Kwayothe

Deals in fruit, wine, ale, tej, oil, perfume, and insect repellent

Kwayothe (NE female Chultan human priest wearing a ring of resistance [fire]) is calm and contemplative in a way that's vaguely menacing. She worships the fire god Kossuth (pronounced kaw-SOOTH) and likes

torturing others, particularly if it involves fire and hot coals. Kwayothe bas two consorts - a succubus named Ixis and an incubus named Indar. These fiends take the forms of beautiful Chultans.

Kwayothe grew up in the streets of Port Nyanzaru, poor and destitute. She despises nobility and wants to destroy every last vestige of the Chultan royal families. She considers Zhanthi her mortal enemy and has grown

impatient waiting for the old noblewoman to die. Although she hides her contempt well, Kwayothe is forever meddling in Zhanthi's business and family affairs. If Zhanthi is aware ofKwayotM's hostility toward her and

her family, she's elected not to show it.

Kwayothe employs traders who make their own tej and insect repellent.

Wakanga O'tamu

Deals in magic and lore

Wakanga O't amu (LN male Chultan human mage) is the only arcane spellcaster among the merchant princes. He's a long-ti me friend of Syndra Silvane, and he's something of a dandy who's easily seduced by smart women - or perhaps that's only a carefully constructed public image. Unknown to his peers, Wakanga is sympathetic to the Harpers and allows them to use his villa as a safe house.

Wakanga deals in knowledge, information, lost lore, potions, and scrolls. He knows of the death curse but little else about it. If the characters seem committed to ending the curse, he'll help them as best he can, including selling them minor magic items. Wakanga has a monopoly on these items in Port Nyanzaru, so characters either pay his prices or go without. As much as he wants to help, he's unlikely to extend credit; all purchases must be in coin, gemstones, or jewelry.

Wizard's ]ournal. In his collection, Wakanga has a tattered, water-damaged explorer's journal that was brought out of the jungle 15 years ago. It describes a wizard's explorations of various places in Chult, but not in enough detail to locate them on a map. The unnamed author does, however, make many mentions of his only traveling companion: a shield guardian named Vorn. If the characters befriend Wakanga, he gives them the

journal and shows them on Syndra's map where it was found (he accurately indicates the hex containing the guardian; see "Yorn" in chapter 2 for more information). The journal contains a picture of Vern's control

amulet but provides no clues to the amulet's current whereabouts. As reward for finding and retrieving the construct and its control amulet, Wakanga offers a spellbook containing fifteen randomly determined spells (roll a d6 to determine the level of each spell).

Zhanthi

Deals in gems,jewelry, cloth, and armor

Zhanthi (NG female Chultan human noble) has royal blood in her veins, and few have the courage to dispute the wise, old trader. She's a secret member of the Ytepka Society, and she has forged ties with the Zhentarim so that she can monitor the organization's activities.

Zhanthi trades in gems, jewelry, colorful Chultan cloth, and non-magical leather, studded leather, and hide armor. Her son, Shago, is a guide stationed at Fort Beluarian. Shago sends regular reports to his mother

about what's happening at the fort, but he's not her most reliable spy among the Flaming Fist.

Zhanthi is one of very few people who've stumbled onto evidence of Liara Portyr's secret arrangement with the pirates, but she keeps this knowledge to herself for the time being. Zindar, the half-dragon harbormaster, is looking for adventurers to dispose of the pirates, while Zhanthi is putting up the reward money.