Peoples and Beings of the City
The human population of Skullport is almost entirely made up of the dregs of soceity. Every dark and sinister occupation is covered in Skullport; prostitution, assassin, hired thugs, etc. Some of the humans living in Skullport are not there by choice. Many of the slaves sold in Slave Square stay in Skullport working for one of the Lords or a wealthy merchant. It is a hard life living in the dank caverns of the dark city.
The dwarves living in Skullport are members of two clans that claim to be remnants of the Melairkyn clan that the Mad Mage Halaster wiped out as he descended further into the depths of Undermountain. I was unable to verify the claims of the Clan Chieftains and King Thrugos, as they are very wary of anyone curious about them. The dwarves are hard workers and brutal fighters. The clans work with the seedier humans and dark elves because it benefits their cause: to regain their ancestral homes still in Halaster's grasp. If Halaster still lives, I suspect they have little chance of realizing their cause. Not only are they far too small a group to fight a mage of that power, but they are riddled with in-fighting and betrayals.
The dark elves living in Skullport use the city for a location to trade the goods from their mines and the caverns. They are very active in the city's slave market and wholeheartedly support the Beholder and his encampment. The drow, like the dwarves, maintain a healthy respect and hatred for the Mad Mage for their own war against the dwarves(and, incidentally, the surface elves of the Northern Wood) was put to a stop by the workings of Halaster. The Matron Maerisha is a power and strange woman who maintains a strangle-like hold on her people.
A class all their own. I was given permission to visit the Thieves Guild in Skullport by the Guildmaster himself. After meeting a young thief at a room in the Lords Inn, I was blindfolded and led along a mindless twisting path before they removed the blindfold. I looked back the way we had come and was astonished to be looking over a black chasm that seemed bottomless. I hope to write more on the Thieves, and will devote an entire section to their Guild.
It has long been whispered among those who know of Skullport that the city harbored the darkest denizens of the night, the Vampire. Insanely, I attempted to discover their existence on every trip to Skullport and had almost given up when I was invited to a Theatre in the Outskirts of Skullport. The Outskirts aren't exactly the best part of town and very few people of the city will risk using the caverns. But I was interested in what kind of theatre existed in the City of Thieves and accepted the invitation. The good man Drinn, now a close friend of mine, accompanied me to the theatre saying he'd been their many times before. Let me just say here... that night I received proof positive of the existence of the vampire in Skullport. I hope to relate more of my adventure... as I copy excerpts from my journals.
The beholder that runs the majority of the slave trade in and around Skullport is reportedly a huge beast with an appetite for human flesh. I'm sure you understand that in a moment of sobriety and sanity I chose not to pursue a meeting with this being.
Skullport itself is not haunted, to my knowledge. There is too much life in Skullport for any but the strongest of the undead to remain there. However, the far up the Sargauth from Skullport lies on of the ancient forts of the Melairkyn. Presumably one of the last bastions against the mad mage, the fortress is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the Melairkyn. I admit that I never was able to make the journey to the Fortress.
Also of note is the ship the Leviathan and its captain the Merchant Horn. I'm sure you will note that the map of the possible path of the Sargauth was given to me by Merchant Horn. I assure you this was before his untimely demise. No one is quite sure what dreadful fate befell the crew but if you meet the Leviathan on the waters of the Sargauth it will be crewed by the undead and not the good men who once sailed that fine ship.