Moonsea

The Moonsea was a region in the Eastern Hearlands of north Faerûn, dominated by the large titular sea that was connected to the Sea of Fallen Stars to the south by the River Lis. The shoreline was a wild, frontier area that was home to several city states dominated by despots, with no central capital. The Moonsea was not necessarily a safe place to live and its settlers were driven and independent as a result. Its central location between Thar to the north, and the Dalelands and Sembia to the south fostered conflict and turbulence between its varied people.

Ecology
The area 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 vast region of the Moonsea comprised the coastal lands around the sea from which it drew its name. They were bordered on the northwest by the appropriately named Border Forest, along the north by both 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. South and east of the mountains were to the harsh flatlands of the northern coast, such as the barren Grass Sea that was sparse of any notable vegetation, and savage wetlands such as the Twilight Marsh, lands that 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 made peace with one another for short durations in their collective history. It was a land of tyrannical despots,

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.

Trade
Major trading roads created a triangle of commerce between Zhentil Keep, Voonlar and Teshwave. The latter of these cities rested on the mighty Tesh river, a major route for trade and travel in the west.

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

The Moonsea was criss-crossed by a number of roads that linked its various settlements, as well the far-reaching trade routes extending to the realms beyond.

To the west was the Black Road, the ran through the oases of the Anauroch desert to the harsh lands of the North.

The Moonsea Ride ventured south from Hillsfar, snaking through the Dalelands and the Cormanthor.

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. In 400 DR, 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.

As humans built more cities within the region, they were destroyed by the Alliance. In time, civilization succeeded, although with no help from the Elven Court who were concerned with defense of their forests from skirmishers and evil raiders. 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; 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.

Landmarks

 * Bell in the Depths, a landmark found in a citadel within the submerged city of Northkeep, deep beneath the waves of the Moonsea proper. At times, nearby ships could hear the ghostly bell ring.
 * Temple in the Sky, an ovular, floating rock formation, similar to an Earthmote, that was a relic of ancient Netheril.
 * Umberlee's Talons, a spear-like changeland rock formation in the western Moonsea.

Ruins

 * Northkeep, home to the first human settlers of the Moonsea, this ancient settlement served as a jumping-off-point to settlers in the area.
 * Hulburg, by the mid 14 century DR, this ruined city was little more than a lone keep protected by the Hulmaster family.
 * Sulasspryn, A destroyed city that was overrun by drow from the Underdark.

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 adjacent to the Great Gray Land of Thar, this smoke-filled mercantile metropolis was a well-known hub of slave trade. .The lands surrounding it 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 • King's Pyre • Lone Tower • Point Monsea • Sorcerer's Isle • 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, located on Tailings Bay on the southern coast of the Moonsea, was an important hub of commerce and home to 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, this series of interconnected fortresses served as a temporary headquarters, and symbolic haven for the power of 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, the chief rival to Shadowdale, was an independent barony upon the surface, but was in fact under Zhentarim control.
 * Yûlash, The city-upon-a-plateau was a former-fortified city that had slid in decline throughout 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 decidedly evil location on Toril. After decades of influence from the Zhentarim, it had, in 15 century DR, become the home for worship for the god Bane.
 * Elmwood: This small, farming community was one of the few locations within the Moonsea that could bring its inhabitants some 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. Green dragons were still active along the northern coast near Thar, and that region 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.