Moonsea

The Moonsea, also known as the Moonsea Lands, was a region in north Faerûn, dominated by the large sea after which it was named. The shoreline was a wild, frontier land that was home to several city states dominated by evil despots, and no central capital. While it was not necessarily a safe place to live, its settlers were driven, independent, and strong-willed people. Its central location between the untamed lands to the north, along with the rustic faming communities and powerful trading powers to the south fostered varied and contrasting communities that suffered much conflict and turbulence between their people.

Description
A land of hard terrain, severe climate, and tyrannical rulers, the frontier of the Moonsea was a place where only the strongest people survived—and those that did very much prided themselves on that fact. Despite these harsh realities, its wealth of natural resources and the competitive nature of its people made it a land of opportunity to some, especially those with the will and severity to thrive.

Ecology
The terrain of the Moonsea was a veritable treasure-trove of resources, its southern and western coast lands were rich in raw resources and game, its mountains full of ore and minerals, and seas teemed with fish and crustaceans.

Weather
The Moonsea climate could be described as harsh and cold. While not as cold as the Silver Marches to the west, the weather was significantly foul, enough to cause the seas to freeze over during the winter. People of the Moonsea were used to wearing cold-weather and other bulky clothes year-round.

The bitter, eastern shores around Mulmaster and the Earthspur Mountains were particularly harsh, as they were constantly battered by piercing winds and heavy snowfall. To add to the despair that permeated the land, the sky itself was black from pollution, a by-product of the industry of Melvaunt.

The sea itself featured turbulent waters and was wracked with constant storms. As unpleasant as the skies were over the waters, they were not nearly as foul as the black cloud of smoke that hung over the north shores above Melvaunt.

Geography
The Moonsea region comprised the coastal lands around the sea from which it drew its name, and was considered the northernmost of the Eastern Heartlands. It was bordered on the northwest by the appropriately named Border Forest, to the north by the vast steppes of the Ride and the desolate lands of Thar, on the west and southwest by the Dalelands, and along the south by the expansive forest of Cormanthor.

Geographical Features
The Dragonspine Mountains in the northwest of the Moonsea, were rugged and bitterly cold, but rich in raw, natural resources, and home to the great River Tesh. To the west were untamed and sparsely inhabited hinterlands, the serene plains of the Grass Sea, and savage wetlands such as the Twilight Marsh. The marshlands were nearly entirely undevelopable; attempts to construct buildings and lay roads outside the major cities were futile, and all that could be found within were scattered ruins and sporadic farms, home to bands of ravaging humanoids and monstrous beasts. The Stojanow river and the Quivering Forest seperated the the western and eastern stretches of the Moonsea's north shore, acting as a barrier with Thar to the northeast.

The actual Moonsea was a freshwater lake of clear, turbulent waters that shone a dark purple and were wracked by frequent storms. Its depths were rumored to connect to the Elemental Plane of Water, and even housed an island that only above the surface every few years.

Most of the southern shores of the Moonsea were lands of peace and natural beauty in comparison to the north. While the northern borders of Cormanthor lacked the raw, valuable riches of the Dragonspines, they were plentiful in lumber, which complemented the wealth of fish and sea life within the rivers that fed into the Moonsea itself. The beauteous and bountiful terrain came to and end as they reached the River Lis, east of which were the cold, cruel lands around the Bay of Mulmaster and its namesake city. South of these rough lands were the River Dalton, that formed from the fetid swamp known as the Flooded Forest.

Flora & Fauna
The Moonsea lake contained an abundance of species of freshwater sea life, including giant pike, lamprey and a great number of schools of more common fish. The more dangerous denizens under the waves included aquatic trolls and ogres, known respectively as scrags and merrow, and at least one gargantuan dragon turtle.

Government
The region of the Moonsea had no unified government, but rather several warring city-states that briefly that vied for power against and occasionally made peace with one another for brief periods during their shared history. From a politcal perspective, the Moonsea was a land of petty despots, xenophobic dictators, and power-hungry tyrants.

Zhentil Keep lay at the western end, the greatest base of operations of the once-secret society of the Zhentarim.

Hillsfar lay in the southwest, a merchant-state that grew to dominate trade in the 15 century.

Mulmaster in the southeast, a cesspool of crime, mercantile intrigue and Bane-worship; and lastly Melvaunt, which rested on the northern side, its metalworkers producing clouds of smoke over docks rife with slave trade.

Society
In the eyes of the Moonsea folk, the world was a cruel place that only allowed those with the strongest will to survive. The ruined settlements that accumulated across the region throughout its history were a testament to the fact that kindness and benevolence were not enough for those that lived in their lands. As a while they distrusted strangers, held tight to private matters, and did not reveal to others anything that could be seen as a weakness.

To the rest of the Realms, the people of the Moonsea were predominantly viewed as surly, resentful people that did not take kindly to outsiders. While it was not believed that all folks from the region were dangerous, or particularly evil, many travelers acted as such while in their lands, just to be on the safe side.

Trade
For many years throughout the Moonsea's history, the secretive mercantile group known as the Zhentarim became synonymous with power held within. They intertwined their financial interests with those of the region, and strived to dominate trade from the Moonsea to the realms beyond.

Currency
The standard currencies used in the cities of the Moonsea were those minted by the southern nations of Cormyr and Sembia, though authokhs and bebolts were accepted as well.

Trade Routes
Due to the untenable land found across the northern coast of the Moonsea proper, most major trade or travel conducted in that area was done so at sea.

In the western Moonsea, the major trading roads of the Tesh Trail, the Throat, and Bowshaft Way created a triangle of commerce between Zhentil Keep, Voonlar, and Teshwave, the latter of which rested on the Tesh river. The river was a major trade route that facilitated the movement of Moonsea goods to the west, even across the desert of Anauroch to the North, by means of the Black Road.

On the southern coast, the eastern stretch of Bowshaft Way linked Yûlash with the city of Hillsfar. Extending south from Hillsfar was the Moonsea Ride, the trade route that linked the Moonsea with the Dalelands to the south and the kingdom of Cormyr beyond.

Defenses
Many of of the Moonsea's city-states boasted an army that protected their own interests, though seldom acted in defense of their neighbors—unless there was something to be gained. Most notable among these military forces were the Zhentilar of Zhentil Keep, and the Red Plumes of Hillsfar.

Beyond its constantly-warring armies, the Moonsea was fighting forces dedicated to protection of their people, especially the oppression brought forth by Zhentil Keep and the Zhentarim. The Knights of the North were a band of freedom fighters that led raids against the Zhents, and their aerial cavalry squads called the Moonsea skysentinels.

History
In the era when the Moonsea was still rife with ogres and giants, barbarians from the Ride settled along the coasts of the Sea of Dragons. By the, they eventually formed a burgeoning civilization within the citadel of Northkeep, a departure point of sorts for adventures into the lands of the north. The popularity of the settlement drew the attention of the Dark Alliance of Thar, which aimed to put an end to their excursions into their lands.

The city of Phlan was founded just a decade after Northkeep, and like settlements in the region, had been raised and rebuilt throughout a number of cycles over the centuries.

In the, on a night that came to be known as the First Turnabout, the Dark Alliance assaulted, and destroyed, Northkeep from black-sailed ships in the Sea of Dragons, as well as mounted upon the backs of black dragons. After the attack, tens of thousands priests, mages and shamans chanted along the coastlines of the sea and sunk the city beneath its waves. While human-built more cities in the region were repeatedly destroyed by the Alliance, in time human civilization succeeded. Men achieved this feat with no help from the Elven Court who were concerned with defense of their forests from skirmishers and evil raiders.

In the, many of the trading settlements nestled along the western Moonsea were devastated by the Army of Darkness, as the Weeping War broke out in Cormanthyr.

Thentia came to be founded several hundred years later, in 800 DR, by the actions of a few united families; and Hulburg just over a hundred years later, in 940 DR, as a base for those who fought the giants and evil humanoids of That.

In a rare sign of unity, the combined powers of the Moonsea worked together to rebuild the Citadel of the Raven in the. Forces from the major city-states and even some of the smaller cities each maintained a contingent of their forces at the citadel, so that it could best serve as a bulwark against the dangerous beast-men of the lands to the north.

Along with Cormyr and the Dales, the lands of the Moonsea were ravaged by the flight of dragons that occurred in the. Both Phlan and Yûlash were destroyed, and thousands killed during the carnage.

During the mid 1480s DR, the returned empire of Netheril embarked on a campaign of conquest against the Moonsea, just as they had with Sembia a few years before. While the Netherese Shadovar managed to destroy Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the Raven, effectively dismantling the Zhentarim, they could not conquer the entire region. Hillsfar, Melvaunt, and Thentia struck an alliance with the returned city of Myth Drannor, in an act of self-preservation.

North Coast
These barren and deadly lands on the Moonsea's north shore were rampant goblinoid hordes, and polluted with the endless clouds of smoke of industry.
 * Settlements:
 * Melvaunt: Located south of desolate Thar, this smoke-filled mercantile metropolis was a political hotbed and well-known hub of slave trade in the region. .The lands surrounding the city proper were among the most dangerous in all of Faerûn.
 * Phlan, the small city at the mouth of the Stojanow River, that had been destroyed countless times by war and monsters, only to have been continuously rebuilt.
 * Thentia, a small, militarily weak city that retained fierce independence and strong trade in what was a harsh climate, both geographically, and politically.
 * Turell,


 * Landmarks:
 * Gazzeth • Giant's Cairn • Grimshackle Jail • Hall of the Black Bull • Hulburg • King's Pyre • Lone Tower • Point Monsea • Seawave Ruins • Sorcerer's Isle • Sulasspryn • Vig's Dock

West Branch
The most populated region of the Moonsea was also most rife with Zhentarim influence and Zhentilar occupation.
 * Settlements:
 * Hillsfar, the large mercantile city-state that was located on Tailings Bay on the southern coast of the Moonsea. It was a crucial hub of commerce and was home to important merchant-nobles and guild masters.
 * Zhentil Keep, A widely influential city-state that was home to the infamous network of spies and manipulators known as the Zhentarim. Before having been twice destroyed, it was the oldest standing settlement within the region.
 * Aleston,
 * Citadel of the Raven, the fortress-complex of interconnected towers and underground passageways was once shared by the powers of the Moonsea, before becoming a seat of power and symbol for the Black Network.
 * Elventree, A small Sylvan settlement that was established shortly after the fall of Myth Drannor.
 * Teshwave, While officially this city was under the jurisdiction of Teshendale, it eventually under sway of Zhent influence.
 * Voonlar, an apparent independent barony that acted as the chief rival to the town of Shadowdale. The city was in fact under Zhentarim control for quite some time.
 * Yûlash, The city-upon-a-plateau was once an important city but fell into decline over the centuries.
 * Zortagra,


 * Landmarks:
 * Chamber of Spells Guarded • Elua's Lighthouse • The Maiden's Loss • Scarp • Seat of Bane • Shrine to Tempus • Wizard's labyrinth

South Coast
The desolate lands on the southeastern shores of the Moonsea were secluded away from the rest.
 * Mulmaster: The crime-ravaged metropolis on the southern shore of the Moonsea was a distinctly evil location in the Realms. After decades of influence from the Zhentarim, it had by the 15 century become the home for worship for the god Bane.
 * Elmwood, a small farming community that was one of the rare locales of peace and serenity.
 * Ironfang Keep: This ominous keep, of unknown origin, was long-rumored to be home to a school of dark and powerful wizards.


 * Landmarks:
 * Dalton's lighthouse • Drowned Tower • Harr's Hold • Lis Ruins • Point Iron • The Retreat

Inhabitants
The Moonsea region was a particularly dangerous one. Considering the sea itself was once referred to as the "Sea of Dragons", the remnants of dragon lairs littering the wilderness, a byproduct of the land being their former mating grounds, came as little surprise. Bronze dragons made their lairs near the eastern shores of the sea, while green dragons were still active along the northern coast near Thar.

In fact the lands of the Moonsea bordering Thar featured other strange beasts and monstrous humanoids, including hordes of ogres, orcs and goblins.

The humanoid inhabitants living within the Moonsea included dangerous bands of pirates, raiders and bandits.