Korinn Archipelago

The Korinn Archipelago was a chain of islands in the Sea of Swords, situated in the northernmost region of the Moonshae Isles.

Geography
The Korinn Archipelago stood west of Delmarin Island, as well as east of both the island of Ruathym and the small archipelago known as the Whalebones. Beneath the water between those latter two locales, it laid close to the storm giant fortress of Maelstrom.

Flora & Fauna
Dragon turtles were known to prowl around the waters of Korinn. Many of its islands were inhabited by dragons, griffons, harpies, and wyverns.

Viledel Isle in particular was known to have a myriad of mundane sea birds, wild goats in its western hills, and rats. In addition, a variety of edible wild plants grew on the island that included onions.

Trade
Primary exports of the Korinn Archipelago's islands included fish, pork, mutton, leather, linen, and wool. As well as a myriad of wild herbs and spices. The larger islands and greater port cities also had many craftsmen, who provided luxury goods and services.

History
Around roughly 1128 DR, the Korinn Archipelago was discovered by human farmers and fishermen emigrating into the Moonshae Isles region. These settlers lived a rough and lawless life, lacking trade as well as any sort of central leadership.

Over the course of a century they became firmly settled on its islands and their population. With this came increased trade and attention from pirates. Between 1188 DR and 1228 DR, strong bands of pirates terrorized the waters of Korinn, holding great sway over its people.

Around that latter date, a Northmen chieftain named Viledel led a large fleet of his human and demihuman followers into the archipelago from their southern kingdom of Petathal. They sought to colonize the lands themselves, aspiring to one day create a strong maritime empire. They set up a base on the westernmost island, which came to be named after him. Over the next four decades, through a combination of clever tactics and skill in sailing that surpassed them, his people managed to diminish the power and presence of the once supreme pirate forces. Sending them scattering out north and south from the Moonshae Isles.

Over the course of those forty years Viledel's people also came to mix peacefully with the island's already settled humans, over time bringing more islands under the chieftain's control and establishing more trade routes. His kingdom thrived and the people lived in a time of relative peace. But on 1268 DR, the fortieth year of Viladel's reign, a kingdom of pirates launched a retaliatory attack. They quickly overran his island and rampaged throughout it, destroying nearly the whole population.

Having lost their king, the islands became fragmented and the weakest fell victim to stronger forces. The pirates went on to grasp dominion over the western islands of the archipelago and cut them off from trade routes so thoroughly that knowledge of their location was lost to much of the Realms. In sixty years following the death of their king the independently governed islands came to thrive once more to some degree, cooperating in manners of trade and growing their populations.

Around the early 14 century DR, Elminster sailed up from the Moonshae Isles and through the archipelago upon a longship captained by King Rolf Olafson. The whole time they sailing through them, the king and his Northmen crew were very tense and vigilant, for they were concerned of the possibility of getting attacked by the local pirates.

Caftenor
The most southern of the islands, Caftenor had temperate weathers and was the most abundant in resources, in particular that of fish. It was surrounded by well-stocked fishing grounds. Alongside its humans inhabitants lived a sizeable population of halflings. They had a decent port of the same name, which was one the most frequent stopping off ports for ships bound between the nations south of Korinn and its western islands.

Jacaman
One of the smaller and apparently insignificant islands. As of 1479 DR the isle was ruled by a disguised devil known as Roquern who worked to keep his realm unnoticed. He enslaved creatures and forced them to work on his spice plantations.

Pandira
One of the northernmost isles, Pandira was best known as a haven for pirates.