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Caer Corwell

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This article is about the town. For the castle of the same name, see Caer Corwell (castle).

Caer Corwell, also called simply Corwell or Corwell Town,[1] was a small city[3] and castle on the isle of Gwynneth that served as the capital of the Ffolk kingdom of Corwell through the late 14th century DR.[4][6] It lay abandoned and in ruins as of the late 15th century DR.[5][7]

Description[]

While little more than a fishing village for most of its existence,[8] Caer Corwell was said to have grown intothe prettiest city in the Moonshaes prior to its fall into ruin.[7] It was small enough to be located mostly on a hill leading down to the port.[9] The city was overlooked by a castle located on a tall rocky cliff that overlooked the waters of the harbor,[5][10] with terraced sections of the town leading down toward the port from the castle walls.[9]

A large village green to the north spread out below the castle with a druid's grove, surrounded by a ring of massive oak trees in the center, that also contained a moonwell. The small wooden buildings of the Ffolk were protected by a three-sided low stone wall.[10][1] A wooden harbor jutting out into the Corwell Firth was used to moor Corwellian fishing boats, barges, coracles and Calishite trading vessels.[7][11] It was surrounded by storage buildings which the city itself was built around,[12] as well as several stone courtyards connected by cobblestone streets.[7] Buildings nearer to the port were more civic oriented while smaller residential homes were located further inland, with poor neighborhoods sitting uphill along stairs.[9]

The town was a crumbling ruin as of the late 15th century DR. The surviving buildings were stone or brick, but many of these had collapsed.[7][13] Those that still stood often had collapsed roofs, and their doors and windows sat wide open.[9]

Geography[]

A map of southern Gwynneth, showing Caer Corwell on Corwell Firth.

A map of southern Gwynneth, showing Caer Corwell on Corwell Firth.

The city was located at the terminus of Corwell Firth, and was said to be the only usable harbor on the west coast of Gwynneth.[7][12] Just inland from the town were wheat fields, forests, and an open moorland. The castle hill was visible from a long way off, and in turn, Caer Corwell had a clear view of the Highlands to the north from atop the hill.[9][12]

Defenses[]

The harbor was protected by the castle and by guard towers.[7] The town could muster a militia of up to 100 fighters wielding longbows and swords, while the castle garrison consisted of 200 soldiers.[14]

History[]

Caer Corwell was said to be the original site where the ancestors of the Ffolk, led by a woman named Gwynneth, first settled the Moonshaes in the Year of the Impenetrable Mystery, 141 DR.[15][16] It was long thought of as the heart of the Moonshaes.[17]

Elminster remarked in the early–14th century DR that the city's inns were fine, but he was largely unimpressed with the town itself.[8]

During the events of the Darkwalker War in the Year of the Saddle, 1345 DR, the beast Kazgaroth assumed the form of the Northlander king Thelgaar Ironhand and led and invasion of Caer Corwell. The ensuing Battle of Caer Corwell saw the death of King Bryon Kendrick and the overrun of the town. However, Prince Tristan Kendrick organized the survivors behind the walls of the castle, and a fortuitous intervention by The Pack broke the siege and saved the town.[18]

The city was attacked again the next year by the armies of Bhaal in the Second Battle of Caer Corwell. Even with the help of allies among the Ffolk and Northmen, the town was quickly overrun, and was only saved when Bhaal was banished by the newly crowned High King Tristan wielding the Sword of Cymrych Hugh.[19]

Following the rise of Sarifal in the Year of Risen Elfkin, 1375 DR, the great city fell into decline as the fey began to encroach on its holdings.[5][20][17] After the United Moonshae Isles came into conflict with Amn over the island of Snowdown in the Year of the Sceptered One, 1404 DR,[note 1] Amnian mercenaries subsequently put Corwell to the torch, creating the opportunity for High Lady Ordalf of Sarifal to declare that all humans were to be expelled from Gwynneth in the Year of the Dauntless Dwarves, 1412 DR.[21][note 2] The fey subsequently laid siege to Caer Corwell, sinking all the ships in the port, putting to death any members of the Kendrick family, and enslaving or killing the inhabitants—including children—and hanging their bodies from the battlements.[7][22]

By the late 15th century DR, human visitors still were not permitted on Gwynneth and the Caer Corwell was a ruin largely inhabited by beasts and unseelie fey.[20][23] High Lady Ordalf of Sarifal also maintained a small and hidden prison beneath the ruins where she kept captives whom she intended either to have killed or to be simply forgotten.[24]

In the late 1470s DR, Lord Aldon Kendrick—a cousin to the High King—strong-armed the crew of the Sphinx to take him to Caer Corwell on a mission to secure the loyalty of the Winterglen Claw, a human rebel group. However, this was a trap laid by his rivals within his own family, who notified High Lady Ordalf of his arrival.[7][note 3]

As of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR,[note 4] High King Derid Kendrick of Callidyrr felt that it was a point of both pride and necessity to reestablish a foothold at his family's former seat. He was engaged in negotiations with Ordalf's son to secure permission to establish an embassy at Caer Corwell.[20] However, High Lady Ordalf refused to allow this, and continued to do so through at least 1489 DR.[25]

Notable Locations[]

Inhabitants[]

Ffolk[]

As of the mid–14th century DR, the Ffolk of Caer Corwell were prosperous.[26]

Notable inhabitants during this time included:

  • Tristan Kendrick and his father's ward, Robyn, who lived and had been raised within the castle walls.[2]
  • Arlen, captain of the guard.[27]
  • Erian, one of the royal guards.[28]

Fey[]

As of the late 15th century DR, the ruined town was home to scattered evil fey[20] as well as many bats, birds, and rats.[7]

Notable inhabitants during this time included:

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Canon sources do not provide a specific year for the invasion of the Moonshae Isles by Amn, stating only that it was "the early 1400s" (Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, p. 153) and "at the dawn of the century" (Dragon #405: "Character Themes: Heroes of the Moonshaes", p. 5). However, Brian R. James (one of the authors of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide as well as Dragon #376: "Realmslore: Sarifal") clarified in a Tweet that the event occurred in 1404 DR.
  2. ↑ Canon sources do not identify a date for the conflict that expelled the Ffolk from Caer Corwell. On one hand, The Rose of Sarifal implies that it was in 1375 DR, however this conflicts with other sources stating that it occurred at the start of the 1400s DR (see Backdrop: Moonshae Islands and Realmslore: Sarifal). Consistent with a later date, Brian R. James clarified in a Tweet that the year was 1412 DR.
  3. ↑ Canon material does not provide a year for the events described in The Rose of Sarifal, although the novel indicates that it takes place "more than a hundred years" after the return of High Lady Ordalf to Gwynneth in 1375 DR (ch. 1) and "nearly a hundred years" after the Spellplague in 1385 DR (ch. 3). While this fits the usual assumption that all 4th edition material is set in 1479 DR, the novel contradicts a number of other sources set during that year: at the start of the novel, Caer Moray is held by lycanthropes rather than by soldiers loyal to House Kendrick (as stated in Backdrop: Moonshae Isles), Citadel Umbra has been home to Prince Araithe for at least 12 years rather than being the base of his enemies (as stated in Backdrop: Moonshae Isles, the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, and Realmslore: Sarifal), and Malar is stated to be "dead" rather than an active exarch of Silvanus (as stated in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide). These contradictions are largely resolved by the end of the narrative, meaning that the novel is best assumed to be set prior to 1479 DR. Unless a canon source contradicts this assertion, this wiki will thus assume that the events of the novel take place after 1475 DR but before 1479 DR.
  4. ↑ Unless otherwise stated, all Forgotten Realms content released as part of 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons is assumed to take place in 1479 DR.

Appearances[]

Novels & Short Stories

Darkwalker on Moonshae • Black Wizards • Darkwell • The Rose of Sarifal

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Dragon's Knowledge

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 ProFantasy Software Ltd. (1999). Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas. TSR, Inc.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 16. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 13. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 152. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  6. ↑ Map included in Douglas Niles (April 1988). Black Wizards. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-88038-563-4.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Douglas Niles (November 1987). Moonshae. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-88038-494-8.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 23. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.
  11. ↑ Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 11. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Douglas Niles (November 1987). Moonshae. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 35. ISBN 0-88038-494-8.
  13. ↑ Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  14. ↑ Douglas Niles (November 1987). Moonshae. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 39. ISBN 0-88038-494-8.
  15. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  16. ↑ Brian R. James (December 2007). “Grand History of the Realms: The Moonshaes”. Dragon #362 (Wizards of the Coast). Archived from the original on 2009-06-01.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 112. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
  18. ↑ Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), pp. 43–45. ISBN 978-0880388573.
  19. ↑ Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 58. ISBN 978-0880388573.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 7. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
  21. ↑ Brian R. James (June 2009). “Realmslore: Sarifal”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #376 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 60.
  22. ↑ Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 3. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  23. ↑ Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 3. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
  24. ↑ Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 4. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  25. ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  26. ↑ Douglas Niles (May 2011). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ISBN 978-0-7869-5958-7.
  27. ↑ Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.
  28. ↑ Douglas Niles (May 1987). Darkwalker on Moonshae. (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 0-88038-451-4.

Connections[]

The Moonshae Isles

Major Islands and Island Chains
Alaron • Gwynneth • Korinn Archipelago • Moray • Norheim Isles • Norland • Oman's Isle • Snowdown
Minor Islands
Amarune • Dragonshome • Flamsterd • Gotha's Island • Grayrock • Sunset
Major Kingdoms
Callidyrr • Corwell • Gnarhelm • Grondsgrunn • Kressilacc • Moray • Norheim • Norland • Oman • Sarifal • Snowdown • Synnoria • United Moonshae Isles • Vor Thomil
Major Settlements
Caer Callidyrr • Caer Corwell • Caer Moray • Caer Westphal • Chrysalis • Gnarhelm • Hammerstaad • Iron Keep • Karador • Rogarsheim • Westhaven
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