Chapter 5: Moonshae Isles

Ffolk

The humans of the southern Moonshae islands call themselves Ffolk. A peaceful but proud people, they show their respect for the land through their worship of x, a nature god. Industrious and curious, Ffolk value laws, hard work, and education. They farm, herd sheep and hunt in the lowlands, and they form craft guilds, law courts, and militias for mutual defense. Ffolk navigate the isles in sturdy vessels built for fishing and hauling cargo.

The Kendrick family is Ffolk and has ruled the Moonshaes for over a century. Lesser noble families hold land on Alaron, Gwynneth, Moray, and Snowdown. Because these knights and barons each control only a small castle and a nearby town or village, petty feuds over land rights and old grudges occur regularly. High King Kendrick tries to keep his lords in line through a system of financial rewards, tax penalties, and land grants.

The Ffolk perform rites to placate the local fey: leaving pails of milk on the back porch, hanging bells around their homes, or reciting rhymes that name and flatter the fey while politely asking them to leave. The people of Waterdeep and 6 dismiss these practices as quaint superstition, but these traditions have allowed the Ffolk to coexist with fey.

Norlanders

Norlander culture was born on the island of Ruathym, hundreds of miles north of the Moonshaes. Settlers reached the Moonshaes centuries ago, making homes on Norland, Oman's Isle, and many smaller islands. Norlander longships are feared along the Sword Coast for their speed and their crews' reputation for sudden, bloodthirsty raids.

Norlanders revere a bold and cunning hero-god named Valkur whose exploits include slaying monsters, winning fantastic treasures, and performing feats of physical prowess. Valkur was also a good father and husband, a wise and generous ruler, and a protector of his people. Norlanders admire these traits, but they have a cynical view of life and human nature. They believe the world is tragic and that all good things are temporary. Norlanders know every great hall will one day go up in flames and every hero will die, but they laugh in the face of fate and live well so they'll be remembered long past their deaths.

Norlanders in the Moonshaes have rulers known as jarls, typically one to each island. These jarls have sworn oaths of loyalty to High King Kendrick.

A Unified People

Ffolk and Norlanders warred with each other for over a century before the two cultures united under the Kendrick dynasty. Ffolk learned of Norlanders' generosity, love of life, and boldness, while Norlanders learned to appreciate the Ffolk values of hard work and determination. The two cultures shared agricultural and industrial strengths, including Ffolk animal husbandry and Norlander shipbuilding. While the Ffolk and Norlanders retain their own cultural identities—including manners of dress, cuisine, and musical tastes—the Ffolk and Norlanders often view themselves as a singular people, particularly in places where the two cultures intermingle most, such as on Alaron.

Recent Threats

Recently, a longship fleet of fire, frost, and hill giants sailed to Oman's Isle from Maelstrom (see "Related Locations" below). They reclaimed their ancient steadings, driving out Ffolk and Norlander families.

Fomorians surface from the Underdark wherever the Rusting takes root. Many suspect a connection between fomorians and this strange curse.

Hollow Hills

A hollow hill is a small, low hill, typically with a single entrance framed by enormous stones. Anyone entering a hollow hill walks into a magnificent fairy palace. A hollow hill might be a fey crossing or a powerful magical effect that makes the space bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Time can pass strangely inside a hollow hill, so visitors who spend months or years there might emerge to find only a day has passed.

Fairy Trods

Fairy trods are magical pathways that lead through wilderness and connect islands together. Travelers on a fairy trod quickly reach their destination regardless of distance or terrain. Every fairy trod has a guardian, typically a dangerous fey. Guardians allow other fey to use the trod freely, but Humanoids must pass a test of the guardian's devising. See "x" for more information.

Ffolk Sailing Ship

Ffolk craft durable sailing vessels that can handle even the roughest waters in the Moonshae Isles.

Norlander Longship

Norlanders use longships of their own design for extended voyages, raids, and whaling expeditions. These longships are renowned for their speed. During whaling expeditions, these longships frequently carry up to three Whaleboats (see below).

Rusted Hulk

Rusted warriors conduct raids using mighty warships. Queen Forfallen and her allies strengthen these hulking vessels by adding rusty metal plates to their hulls.

Whaleboat

Whaleboats are light, specialized craft deployed when Norlander longship crews spot their quarry. They carry six rowers and a single harpooner armed with spears.

Dead Calm

This describes a water region with no wind. The sea is completely flat, and vehicles that rely solely on sails can't move.

Entangling Kelp

Entangling kelp is a magical phenomenon where seaweed growth is unnaturally dense, clinging to passing vessels and impeding their progress. A vehicle moving through Entangling Kelp can move no faster than 1½ miles per hour.

Reef

The Moonshaes are littered with dangerous reefs known only to experienced sailors and local guides. Failing to navigate a reef can result in severe damage to a ship or even the ship's destruction. Reefs are populated with aquatic creatures.

Rusted Sea

A water area where the Rusting has manifested is covered in thin, stinking oil. This water is hazardous to aquatic life.

Finding Fairy Trods

As a Study action, a creature can search for a fairy trod within 1 mile of their current location and make a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check; a creature that has used this fairy trod before has Advantage on this check. On a successful check, the creature discovers the shortest path to the nearest fairy trod, if any.

Fairy Trod Guardians

Every fairy trod has a guardian, and they change over time. It is possible for characters to encounter a new guardian each time they use the same trod. A guardian is usually a Fey such as a Centaur Druid, Dire Worg, Green Hag, or Satyr Revelmaster. Most guardians are initially Indifferent to the characters. The guardian appears to anyone attempting to use the trod and puts them through a test. This test can take varying forms, such as a duel, a riddle game, or a poetry contest. If the party completes the test or if the guardian becomes Friendly, the characters can use the trod.

Traveling via Fairy Trod

While using a fairy trod, characters feel like they are traveling through an ordinary path in the wilderness, but the journey takes less time and ignores impassable terrain such as water and mountains. Travel time along fairy trods can vary, but typically 1 minute of travel on a fairy trod is equivalent to 1 hour of travel elsewhere. After the requisite amount of time spent traveling, the party arrives at their destination. Characters can pause along the trod and camp there safely, but leaving the trod before reaching the destination causes them to emerge at a random point in the Moonshae Isles.

Fairy trods are a great way to sneak off to a fairy revel, hang out all night with friends your parents don't approve of, and still be home before sunrise, not that I know anything about that.

Caer Calidyrr

The seat of High King Kendrick's power, Caer Calidyrr is the center of trade and diplomacy in the Moonshaes. Properly speaking, the name "Caer Calidyrr" applies only to the ancient castle that overlooks the city of Calidyrr. This sprawling fortress was raised by Cymrych Hugh, first high king of the Isles, and includes abandoned underground levels.

Now in his sixties, High King Kendrick has learned from the misfortunes of his youth and has become a consensus builder with a keen eye for detecting deception. He is a member of the Lords' Alliance and a patron to its agents. When not keeping court, he travels south to Caer Corwell to visit his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.

Ffolk and Norlanders mingle on the busy wharves of the city, where traders from the Sword Coast unload weapons, armor, a dizzying array of alcoholic beverages, and rare magical components collected across Faerûn. Meanwhile, Moonshae merchants sell everything from fish and lumber to jewelry and ambergris. The rough-and-tumble mix of sailors, merchants, and soldiers makes the city dangerous after dark, especially near the docks. Zhentarim money has opened many doors and now funds a warehouse that serves as a foothold for Zhentarim activity in the Moonshaes.

Dernall Forest

The largest forest in Alaron is home to violent gangs of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears that prey on hamlets within the forest, travelers, and each other, sometimes raiding farms in southern Alaron. Packs of Worgs roam through these woods and cooperate with the goblins.

The Swanmay River provides shelter to forest guardians known as Swanmays, fey with the ability to change into swans (see 9). They seek heroic folk to help them restrain the goblins and restore harmony to the forest.

Fairheight Range

These mountains, and the vast tunnel complexes that run under them, were claimed by dwarves and orcs long ago. The war between these two groups has been interrupted by swarms of Undead, trolls, and creatures from the Shadowfell, led by a mysterious Shadow Dragon.

The dwarves of Clan Rookoath have old ties to the high king, and the high king believes the only hope of victory is for Rookoath to ally with their traditional enemies, the Proudfury orcs, and confront the shadow dragon together. But so far his attempts to bring Rookoath and Proudfury representatives together have been fruitless, as the orcs consider him to be on the side of the dwarves.

Gnarhelm

The northern half of Alaron is governed by Jarl Scyld Sundersing (Medium Warrior Veteran), a young human who respects the high king but is eager to establish his own heroic reputation in battle. The people of Gnarhelm work as miners, shepherds or goatherds, and mercenaries. They are fierce, heavily armored fighters who wield long axes, riding horses to battle but fighting on foot. Scyld keeps a personal guard of a hundred of these warriors and urges the high king to use them at every opportunity.

An Ancient Copper Dragon named Nymmurh lairs in a complex of twisting caves in the northern end of the Hardangheight mountains. Nymmurh is a patron of the Silmerhelve family in Waterdeep, leading him to spend time away from his lair. The Cult of the Dragon has found the lair and hopes to plunder its greatest treasures while Nymmurh is away, then ambush him on his return.

High King's Road

The High King's Road is the lifeblood of Alaron. Beginning at the southern tip of the island in Kythyss—a village infamous for smugglers, thieves, and bloodthirsty mercenaries—the road cuts through the lush farmlands of Bregonshire and the county of Stirgewick. It also provides the safest route through Dernall Forest. From Caer Calidyrr, the road branches west to Blackstone and north to White Rock. It is the high king's responsibility to keep the road safe. But the road is long, and adventurers patrol the road, helping the king with everything from worgs of the forest to Zhentarim smugglers, and even the occasional border war between feuding nobles.

Moonwells

The Earthmother graces Alaron with several moonwells. The northernmost is near the cairn of Cymrych Hugh, where the first high king of the Isles was buried. Cymrych Hugh possessed fabulous treasures that became symbols of his rule, including a crown fashioned by dwarves, a silver sword forged by elves, and a ring given to him by his wife, Allisynn. The crown and sword were later recovered by the Kendricks and became royal heirlooms, but the ring has never resurfaced; many believe it to still be around Cymrych's finger. Other moonwells are located in Rushdown Wood, in Torriage Wood, and tucked into the northwest corner of the Dernall Forest.

Caer Corwell

The ancestral home of the Kendrick family, Caer Corwell fell into ruin after High Lady Ordalf's arrival. The castle was the lair of evil and mischievous fey for years, but after Ordalf's retreat to Winterglen, the Kendricks returned to Caer Corwell and rebuilt it. The reconstruction effort brought merchants and crafters aplenty, and the settlements of southern Gwynneth are thriving for the first time in a century. There's always more to do, such as driving back bullywugs in the Fens of the Fallen or hunting Displacer Beasts in Llyrath Forest.

Princess Tarilyn Kendrick leads this resurgence. Her marriage to Prince Araithe, Ordalf's son, was born out of tragedy and political necessity, but the couple found happiness. Tarilyn brings intellect and diplomacy to this relationship, and she is beloved by Ffolk and Norlanders alike. Araithe set aside his sword and armor and spent most of the last two decades raising the couple's daughter, Caitlyn Kendrick.

Chrysalis

The elven city of Chrysalis lies hidden within mountains at the southeast corner of Myrloch Vale. Powerful illusions hide the city from the air, and a thick fog conceals the mountain passes. No one can reach the city without a guide.

Chrysalis stands at the center of a lake cradled by these mountains. The Serene Matriarch Ate Onah (Medium Noble Prodigy), a young elf of a mere two centuries, rules Chrysalis. After rescuing a Harper near death in the mountains, she agreed to open the city to visitors. Since then, a small community of gnomes has settled in Chrysalis, building two-story cottages among elven towers of glass, silver, and crystal. Harpers use the city as their base in the Moonshaes.

Kingsbay

Once a quiet settlement on Gwynneth's southeastern shore, Kingsbay was the primary port through which Ffolk returned to the island after Ordalf's withdrawal to the forest. It's become a boomtown in the last few years, where anyone looking to strike it rich, escape an unpleasant situation at home, or run from the law can find what they need. There's always another merchant caravan, military patrol, or wagon train setting out, and no one has time to ask questions.

This busy, get-rich-quick atmosphere allowed Vvim Toth (Medium, Neutral Evil Archmage), a human Red Wizard of Thay, to establish a Thayan enclave in Kingsbay, ostensibly providing magical services to well-paying merchants and mercenaries. In truth, Toth seeks information on the moonwells and the secret rites of the Moonshae druids, hoping to use them to fuel his rise to power in Thay.

Myrloch Vale

A forested valley with an ancient connection to the Feywild surrounds the lake known as Myrloch, framed by multiple mountain ranges. For centuries, fey creatures have crossed the border between worlds in the Vale, and enough have stayed to make the vale home to a bewildering population of fey. Here, centaurs ride in herds, pixies and Sprites flit through the air like starlings, and packs of Blink Dogs patrol the trails. Ancient forests are home to dryads and treants. Faerie dragons are especially common here. Druids work with bards of the College of the Moon to keep the peace, monitor moonwells, and perform rites to honor x. Agents of the Emerald Enclave come here to train.

Karador

The fairy city of Karador lies beneath the waters of Myrloch. Once home to High Lady Ordalf and thousands of fey, the city sank beneath the waves when the magic of its mythal was broken. Treasure hunters and explorers probe the sunken ruins, preyed on by Sea Hags, sahuagin, and giant sea beasts.

Sarifal

When Karador sank into Myrloch, High Lady Ordalf led the survivors north into the forest of Winterglen. She drove out the arch-hag Urphania and moved into Castle Umbra, Urphania's old fortress. This deep and dangerous pine forest is now all that remains of the kingdom of Sarifal, which once encompassed all of Gwynneth. Ordalf still rules here, assisted by eladrin who survived the sinking. She is vastly weakened and has been forced to accept evil fey into her court.

Although fey of every kind dwell here, the Shadowfell has corrupted flora and fauna alike. Trees crowd around trespassing travelers, herding them to their doom deep in the forest; packs of Worgs and Displacer Beasts prowl unchecked; Swarms of Stirges feast on the slow and the dead.

Storaad

Norlanders settled the mountains around Myrloch Vale but were driven out by Ordalf's fey. Now they're reclaiming their old family homesteads without permission from the high lady or high king. Storaad, a village on the west coast of Gwynneth, is the launching point for these resettlement efforts, which must navigate through the mountains surrounding Myrloch.

In contrast to Alaron, most of the moonwells on Gwynneth are in the north near abandoned Norlander settlements. Norlanders come to these moonwells to commune with x. The Rustfire dwarves fled Gwynneth a century ago through tunnels to Alaron. Recently however, these dwarves have reopened the mines in these mountains. Conflict between Norlander families and Rustfire miners has already led to tragedy and could soon erupt into warfare.

Breasal Marsh

Lizardfolk dwell in Breasal Marsh around the Shannyth River. They desire to be left alone, but their position in the center of the island means every other faction on Moray simultaneously trespasses on their land while coveting their allegiance. Red Shadow raiders are so fierce that lizardfolk make no attempt to stop them when they cross the marsh, but they drive other intruders off with force and elemental magic.

Caer Moray

High King Kendrick built a stout stone fortress at Caer Moray to guard the port. The garrison includes hundreds of armored cavalry who escort trade shipments to villages on the east side of the island. Stubborn civilians inhabit the villages of Dynnegal, Kork, and Horst, which make up Kendrick's domain on Moray. They refuse to leave their homes, no matter how dangerous the island becomes. These insular Ffolk developed elaborate customs to avoid lycanthropes, lizardfolk, and orc raiders, such as wearing special clothing to camouflage themselves or traveling only during certain hours of the day.

Dennin's Delve

Giants and giant kin live in the Trollclaw mountains on the north end of Moray and have built a new home for themselves above the remains of Dennin's Delve, an ancient dwarven stronghold. A portal connects tunnels beneath Dennin's Delve with old tunnels under the Fairheight Range in Alaron, and the Shadow Dragon menacing the dwarves and orcs of Alaron has sent its minions to Dennin's Delve. The giants responded by locking the tunnels, and a small band of heroic goliaths later appointed themselves watchers of the locked door. They stand vigil to this day.

Farview

Razed by the Red Moons a century ago, Farview has become a factory for Norlanders embraced by the Rusting. The Rusted chop down the Shannyth Forest, dredge the Breasal Marsh for treasures, and reopen old dwarven mines in the Trollclaws. These raw materials are converted into tools for further resource collection. The high king longs to dislodge these Rusted, but the settlement is protected by imposing walls and fierce warriors.

Orcskull Mountains

The orcs of the Orcskull Mountains value crafting skill. They live in small family groups focused around a central forge; the smoke from these forges creates a gray pall over the entire range. Although they aggressively defend these mountains, they avoid Highpeak, the tallest mountain in the range. Highpeak is famously haunted by a Banshee, the spirit of a mother whose four sons died in battle. Her wails can be heard for miles. She supposedly dwells in a glass castle, but it hasn't been found.

Frostfenn

The Frostfenn fills central Norland. Home to creatures of ice and snow, this frozen marsh is the lair of a Werewyvern, a mysterious individual who transforms into a dragon (see 9). Purple Dragon Knights travel to Norland to hunt it down.

Jotunhammer Range

Cloud Giants and Stone Giants keep steadings in the Jotunhammer Range. These mountains were once part of the giant kingdom of Ostoria, and the giants remember its former glory with pride. Oblivious to this legacy, Norlanders intruded on giant enclaves for centuries, attempting to prove their heroism with violence or cunning thefts. Many of these adventures ended in tragedy. Eventually goliaths, firbolgs, and dwarves migrated to the Jotunhammer Range and acted as intermediaries between Norlanders and giants, forging peace treaties. Nevertheless, brave adventurers still try to sneak into giant holds to prove their valor or recover some lost family heirloom, and sometimes they return alive.

The Tvarstoldt tar pits lie in the Jotunhammer Range. The Rusting has turned these oozing black pools into a source of Undead and Aberrations. Droves of Fomorians lair there and thwart attempts to heal the land. They also threaten a lighthouse north of the pits, built by Ostorian giants and maintained by the jarl's coffers. The lighthouse warns sailors away from the area's treacherous rocks. The fomorians plan to claim the lighthouse and extinguish its lamp.

Norheim Isles

The islands of Canthrell, Jotunspine, Llorgh, Graygruun, Rotterock, and Dragonshome are collectively known as the Norheim Isles. This grouping also includes many smaller islands, some too small to support a single Norlander family. The people here barely sustain themselves through fishing and hunting and often turn to raiding or piracy. Small villages are built around a few extended families.

In these harsh conditions, a single bad season can spell the end for an entire community. As insurance against famine, the locals hunt whales with personally marked spears. Elaborate laws divide whale meat fairly among all whose spears contributed to slaying the whale, although hunters often feud over what constitutes their fair share.

Rogarsheim

Rogarsheim is the bustling capital of Norland, well defended from Rusted raiders by Jarl Olfsvenn's sizable fleet and made rich through the bounty of the sea. Merchants from the Sword Coast buy fish, whalebone, ambergris, coral, pearls, and rare magical and alchemical ingredients. Shipbuilding is a key industry here, and visitors from across Faerûn come to purchase ships or learn from Norland shipwrights. Goliaths, firbolgs, and dwarves live alongside Norlanders and visiting Ffolk. Purple Dragon Knights maintain a base in Rogarsheim, using it to hunt the werewyvern and investigate the island of Dragonshome to the east. Their fantastic steeds have made the knights a legend among the children of the city. Many aspire to become squires and one day ride a dragon of their own.

Signs of the Rusting are evident in the city after years of pollution and overfishing in the Bay of Norland. The water has an oily sheen and a chemical smell, and a thin skin of rusty iron creeps up the timber logs of Rogarsheim's piers. Dockworkers sometimes fall prey to the curse. Ships that show signs of the Rusting are towed out to the middle of the bay and set on fire.

Cairn of Thelgaar Ironhand

The only moonwell on Oman's Isle lies in the Stone Wood. Thelgaar Ironhand was buried in a stone cairn within this grove, surrounded by menhirs. A small band of druids and bards struggles to keep the grove safe, concealing it with magic to avoid being crushed by giants or the Rusted. But every year, the violent inhabitants of the isle draw closer to discovering the grove's location. No one knows what the giants would do with the grove, but the lord of Iron Keep's intentions are clear: to plunder the cairn and corrupt the moonwell with the Rusting.

Giant Steadings

Years ago, a coalition of giants from Maelstrom returned to Oman's Isle in enormous longboats, driving the previous inhabitants out of their homes and across the water. Now the giants live in small but well-established steadings across the isle, especially where Ostorian ruins were left intact in the Grampalt Highlands. Hill Giants cluster on the eastern slopes, protecting their steadings with kennels of Dire Wolves. Frost Giants occupy the western highlands, which are covered in freezing rain and snow. Under the shadow of Icepeak, the region's tallest mountain, frost giants herd Giant Goats, build ships, and raid Gwynneth from across the Strait of Oman. Fire Giants reopened the old Norlander mines underneath the highlands and sell the ore they find to Iron Keep in exchange for treasures gathered in Rusted raids.

Iron Keep

Norlanders constructed Iron Keep on the site of an Ostorian fortress, and it was once their greatest stronghold. From here, Thelgaar Ironhand ruled as king of Oman's Isle. The Norlanders of Oman's Isle joined the kingdom after his death, and Iron Keep was a jewel in the Kendrick crown.

Iron Keep was abandoned when the giants invaded Oman's Isle, and it lay empty for decades. Now it is home to Axenwight (Medium, Chaotic Evil, Rusted Pirate Captain; see the "Other Rusted" sidebar in 9), one of Queen Forfallen's chief lieutenants. No one knows why the giants tolerate Axenwight's presence in Oman's Isle, but rumor has it that the queen cut a deal with the fire giants, and the frost and hill giants followed along according to giant custom.

Although he's proclaimed himself jarl of Oman's Isle, Axenwight controls only the area around Iron Bay. From here, he harvests from the Stone Wood, buys ore from giants, and builds ships and weapons for Queen Forfallen's war machine. His desire to plunder Thelgaar Ironhand's tomb draws treasure seekers who promise to satisfy Axenwight's greed. However, expedition attempts have failed, and Axenwight doesn't tolerate failure.

Trondhelm

The birthplace of Thelgaar Ironhand, Trondhelm was devastated after giants overwhelmed Oman's Isle. In the years since, the village has become a settlement for creatures who serve giants or associate with them: firbolgs, goliaths, ettins, ogres, and cyclopes. These new inhabitants expanded the old village by reclaiming building stones from ancient Ostoria, assembling homes that suit their stature. Life in Trondhelm is brutal, but it's the only place in Oman's Isle where traders can do business with the giants. For more on Trondhelm, see "x" later in this chapter.

Caer Westphal

Snowdown's capital, Caer Westphal, is relatively safe. From the high towers of Caer Westphal's castle, Governor Eduard Westphal (Medium Noble), chosen for his loyalty to the high king and familial connections to Snowdown, combats the island's dismal decline. Eduard recognizes how desperate things are on the island but has few resources to do anything about it. He focuses his efforts on keeping the Snowdown Ride safe.

Caer Westphal surrounds a harbor that shows signs of Amn occupation decades after the war. Tall cargo cranes line the docks, and rows of rusty shipping containers stand stacked where Amn mercenaries left them. Although much of Caer Westphal stands empty, refugees fleeing their polluted farms and villages occupy these shipping containers so they're poised to board any ship that will carry them elsewhere.

Snowdown Ride

A single road, the Snowdown Ride, leads south from Landrian to the village of Harloch, crosses through Caer Westphal, and ends at Pengram. Amn forces widened the Snowdown Ride during their regime, paving it with a mixture of lime, mortar, water, and volcanic ash. Over the years this substance has cracked, rendering the road unusable to wagons.

Tomb of Owaren

I never met Uncle Owaren. He died before I was born, and I'm already older than he ever got to be. Why do you think I spend my nights out having fun with my fey cousins, instead of playing the perfect princess? I'm living for both of us.

On the tip of land east of Caer Westphal lies the tomb of Owaren Kendrick, unsullied by the island's ecological devastation. Surrounded by a silver fence and protected by the magic of Moonshae druids, verdant grass and white, crescent-shaped flowers surround a stone memorial under the shade of a massive oak tree. The tomb has become a symbol of the alliance between Ffolk, Norlanders, and fey, and it is a site of pilgrimage for travelers willing to risk Snowdown's dangers.

Caer Allisynn

The most famous of the Moonshae's wandering isles is Caer Allisynn, the burial place of the first queen of the Moonshaes. This island rises from the sea in sunlight four times a year and has been spotted in different places: sometimes in the Strait of Alaron, other times north of Oman's Isle. The queen is buried in the castle for which the island is named, but only a few fortunate heroes have ever seen it for themselves.

Korinn Archipelago

Many of the Moonshaes' smaller islands are part of the Korinn Archipelago. Here, sparse forests grow amid rugged, rocky cliffs. Nearly all of these islands are inhabited. Families on these islands subsist on fishing, shepherding, and raiding. Many frequent sailors of the Sea of Moonshae have a favorite fishing spot, safe haven, or smuggler's cache hidden among the islands of the archipelago.

Some of the archipelago's islands are wandering isles. Yet others are home to pirate bands, fey, elven ruins, or giants who hurl stones at visitors.

Kressilac

The sahuagin kingdom of Kressilac lies at the floor of the Sea of Moonshae. From here, sahuagin ride hungry sharks to raid Alaron, Gwynneth, and Oman's Isle. Few humanoids have ever seen Kressilac's coral palaces and kelp gardens.

Maelstrom

Sometimes the natural currents around Ruathym, Whalebones, and the Moonshaes combine and create a whirlpool strong enough to draw in ships. Ships caught in its currents are torn apart and their wreckage drifts to the ocean floor three thousand feet below, where it is picked clean by Giant Crabs.

The storm giant stronghold called Maelstrom lies underneath the whirlpool. The undersea fortress of Serissa, queen of the giants, is carved into a reef. Four rocky towers covered in barnacles and coral reach upward, ringing a large sinkhole that descends into the heart of the fortress. (For more on Maelstrom and Queen Serissa, see Storm King's Thunder. )

Ruathym

Norlander culture was born on the island of Ruathym, two hundred miles north of the Moonshaes. Seeking to escape the bleak and mountainous Ruathym, wracked by strong waves and bitter cold, Norlanders sent longships south and east, settling in both the Moonshaes and the old city of Illusk (now Luskan). While Norlanders of the Moonshaes have little reason to return to Ruathym, they still tell stories of their people's grand exodus. Queen Forfallen uses the settlement of Ruathym as a safe harbor, selling plunder from her raids, buying supplies, and recruiting fresh crew.

Whalebones

Whales have come to the small rocky islands east of Ruathym known as Whalebones for as long as Norlanders have chronicled their history. Rocs perch on the islands' tallest peaks, and the islands' fierce locals eagerly take food and supplies by force from anyone foolish enough to draw near.

Druids believe that the whales come here to honor and commune with their dead ancestors and have banned whale hunting near the islands. Unfortunately, overfishing elsewhere in the Moonshaes has drawn whalers to the Whalebones in a clear violation of tradition. Inhabitants of Whalebones have begun striking back at whaling ships to protect the pods.

Political Goals

The rulers of the Moonshae Isles are proud people who do as they please. They expect their customs and territory to be respected, and they expect to be treated like the nobles they are. While some of these rulers might be persuaded to unite peacefully, others—like Queen Forfallen or the leaders of the Red Shadow—might need to be defeated by force.

Forging the Peace

A campaign aimed at bringing the people of the Moonshae Isles together might follow this broad outline.

Rusted Goals

Creatures cursed by the Rusting relish despoiling nature by cutting down forests, damming rivers, poisoning wells, and spreading the curse. Many of these creatures focus on bringing the curse to moonwells, especially those on Gwynneth where x is strongest.

A Rusting Arc

The party's investigation of the Rusting and their eventual efforts to end the curse might follow this broad outline.

Kendrick Family Renown

Characters earn renown with the Kendricks by bringing rivals and enemies together, keeping the peace in Ffolk lands, and completing personal favors for the Kendrick family.

High Lady Ordalf Renown

Characters earn renown with Ordalf by assisting Sarifal or the fey, adventuring in the Feywild, and protecting nature.

Jarl Olfsvenn Renown

Characters gain renown with Olfsvenn when they're generous or true to their word, when they perform heroic deeds, and when they help Norlanders.

Moonshae Druids Renown

Characters earn renown with the druids of the Moonshaes when they master druidic or fey magic, when they protect or restore the environment or moonwells, and when they aid or communicate directly with x.

Bastion Events

The Bastion Events table in the Dungeon Master's Guide describes random events that can happen to a Bastion. You can tailor these events to the Moonshae Isles as follows.