Mosstone

Mosstone was a walled caravan-stop town in Tethyr on the Trade Way near the Wealdath forest by.

Description
Mosstone was a walled settlement, like so many others along the Trade Way, offering the weary caravaners safety from trolls of Muranndin and comfort on their long journey. Mosstone was the first civilized stop past monster-infested Muranndin to the north.

Geography
Located on the busy caravan path, around 90 miles south past Trademeet, with the Trade Way stretching further south over Starspire Mountains to Zazesspur, Mosstone was located on the patch of shore often referred as Firedrake Shores. The town of Mosstone was on the crossing of the Trade Way and the Firedrake Road that ran along the shores of Firedrake Bay to the east from the town.

Wealdath forest that bordered Mosstone was home to the druid population of the town, where they could be found in the Archdruid's Grove.

Flora & Fauna
Calantra, red-barked and thick deep-brown wood trees, could be found growing in abundance to the south and east of the town. Calantra wood was favored for its durability and longevity after being chopped down and used for Calishite carving.

Shadowtop trees of immense size surrounded the Archdruid's Grove outside Mosstone's walls.

Government
The town was self-governing and residents as well and druids reached decisions through consensus. Mosstone valued balance and peace, living respecting the forest that surrounded the town as well as its elven inhabitants. The residents were kind to each other and watch out for their neighbor, something that was almost unheard of in many places across Faerûn.

The Archdruid of Mosstone was one of the five emissaries to the crown of Tethyr, representing interests of Mosstone residents, druids, and their elven allies in the governance matters.

Trade
Most inhabitants of Mosstone provided services to the trade caravans that regularly passed through the city, offering supplies, lodging, and hearty meals.

Defenses
Mosstone was inhabited by many druids that lived within and outside the city walls as the part of a powerful druid circle ruled by the Archdruid of Mosstone. The druid grove surrounded the Great Oak of Mosstone.

Apart from druid defenders, Mosstone maintained troops, jointly with Port Kir. The forces were stationed in Kirgard, a rebuilt manor of a long-dead baron. The garrisons were located exactly half-way between Mosstone and Port Kir, on a sea-cliff, one mile west of the Trade Way. Along with troops, Kirgard housed the Greenshores baron, his consort and their office in the late 14 century DR.

History
Mosstone was founded in 687 DR by King Strohm II of Tethyr, sometimes referred to as the Stag King who was also its first Archdruid. As a king he gave refuge to the elves of destroyed Myth Drannor who settled in the forests of Tethyr that surrounded Mosstone.

In 1367 DR, Zaranda Star became acquainted with the Company of Eight while investigating a series of murders in Mosstone. The town's rangers were slain by a pack of wereboars. Zaranda and the Company of Eight became fast friends and fought for the same goals of law and equal responsible governance in the lands of Tethyr. Later, on Higharvestide, Zaranda Star was blessed by the Archdruid of Mosstone during a ceremony in Port Kir with he forest and costal Tethyrians accepting her regency.

In the month of Eleint, 1369 DR, the Archdruid's Grove of Mosstone became the cite of the Interregnum Tribunal. Seventeen nobles who were imprisoned during the Reclamation Wars were moved from Cloister of St. Ramedar on the Starspire Peninsula to Mosstone for the proceedings.

A year later, in the month of Eleint, 1370 DR, following the fall of Imnescar and Trademeet to the "Sythillisian Empire", elves of Noromath and defenders from Mosstone were attempting to hold off the invaders off the Tethyrian portion of the Trade Way.

By 1370 DR, Arkaneus Silvermane was the reigning Archdruid of Mosstone and represented its inhabitants in the court of Queen Zaranda Star Rhindaun and King Haedrak Rhindaun III as one of the five major emissaries.

Rumors & Legends
Local legends stated that each Archdruid of Mosstone entered the forest at the end of their lives and became an oak tree within Old Oak Dell, merging essence with the Great Oak.

Notable Locations

 * Great Oak of Mosstone: Center of the Archdruid's Grove of Mosstone that served as the secondary place of druidic worship. The grove itself housed only three buildings. The biggest building made of stone was the Archdruid's residence that housed living quarters for his small staff, a large meeting hall used for town gathering and the Interregnum Tribunal. Two smaller wooden houses were the druids' library, and the seminary.
 * Due east of Mosstone was Old Oak Dell, the main center of worship of Silvanus in Faerûn.

Shops

 * A Kiss Across the Table: a curious store of Maeragha Olgarlar's that dealt in spike-heeled footwear, daring dresses, perfumes, as well as some good disguise fare in the 14 century DR.
 * Steeleye's Armory and Smithy: the Mosstone's smithy of supreme quality, located almost at the center of the town. All goods in the store were created by its dwarven proprietor Angar Axeson in the 14 century DR.
 * Taluth's Shrewd Flight
 * Uncrimmon's Trophies & Sundries: the store that dealt in exotic monster parts and spell components. The shopkeep of the store was a secret doppelganger named Ardreth Ulnshoor who served the mysterious Uncrimmon in the 14 century DR.

Notable Inhabitants
Apart from hard-working kind townsfolk and the members of Mosstone's druidic circle, the town was home or the base of operations for adventures and foresters. These individuals were often capable warriors, wizards, and rangers, who offered Mosstone additional defenses on top of the many druids found in the area. By 1372 DR, the number of druids associated with the Mosstone circle was almost two hundred.

Mong less then savory residents were poachers, found operating north of Mosstone, and the Shadow Thieves, who maintained presence in the city via the Sword Sect that operated in Zazesspur, Port Kir, and Wealdath.


 * Arkaneus Silvermane: the Archdruid of Mosstone circa 1370 DR.
 * Jordy Gallum: the beloved Count of Greenshores who was instrumental in Mosstone's support of Zaranda's regency circa 1370 DR.
 * Shaern Gallum: Jordy Gallum's countess-consort who just like her mate was born and raised in Mosstone.
 * Strohm II: the founder and the first Archdruid in 687 DR.
 * Turnock Draether: the magister of Mystra who reigned between 709 and 762 DR, was born to a forest-dwelling herbalist family in the area that eventually became Mosstone.