King Derid Kendrick was the ruler of Alaron, as well as the nominal High King of all the Moonshae Isles in the late 15th century DR. He hoped to reassert his authority over the entire archipelago.[1][3][4]
Activities[]
While House Kendrick had once ruled over the whole of the United Moonshae Isles,[5] King Derid's reign saw his control dwindle to just the realms of Callidyrr and Gnarhelm on the island of Alaron.[1][4]
He resided within his stronghold at Caer Callidyrr, and the dire condition of his realm meant that he was always in need of fearless adventurers willing to offer their services.[2] Only those adventurers who proved their ability and their loyalty would meet with the king directly.[6]
As High King, he had a special retinue of knights known as the Callidyrr dragoons, who served him directly as guards, diplomats, spies, and elite warriors. They were trusted enough to issue proclamations on his behalf.[7]
Relationships[]
His youngest son was Prince Owaren, and his daughter was Princess Tarilyn.[2]
Although his power was diminished, he still commanded the respect of most Ffolk and Northlanders in the Moonshaes,[1] including scattered pockets on the recently seceded Norland[8] as well as many of the escaped Ffolk slaves living under fey control on Gwynneth.[9] In other cases, humans living in oppression in his family's former kingdom (such as on Gwynneth or Snowdown) saw the king as ineffectual and cowardly for failing to intervene on their behalf.[9][10]
Despite his strained relationship with the leShay of Sarifal, Derid maintained friendly contact with the ruler of Sarifal's Llewyrr elves, the Serene Matriarch Ate`Niah.[11]
History[]
High King Derid's reign saw his people and his troops steadily withdraw to his capital and the surrounding lands as threats mounted from all sides, notably the Storm Maiden in the north, Amnian mercenaries from the south, and evil fey led by Great Gark on his doorstep. His reign saw one of the most turbulent times in the Moonsahes since the rise of House Kendrick over a century prior.[2][4]
In the late 1470s DR,[note 1] he expressed interest in supporting a rebel organization in Sarifal, known as the Winterglen Claw, in their fight against the ruling High Lady Ordalf. In exchange for weapons and supplies, he required the rebels to swear fealty to him. This message was to be delivered to the rebels by Derid's cousin, Lord Aldon, but schemes and spies among the various Kendrick family members resulted in this mission being betrayed and ending in failure.[12]
King Derid's tenuous position was exacerbated by the decision of Jarl Rault the Wise of Norland to declare independence from Kendrick rule.[8] While the isle of Moray continued to be settled by Ffolk loyal to House Kendrick, the danger posed by the Black Blood tribe of lycanthropes demanded a contingent of soldiers be stationed at Caer Moray.[13] Derid was known to have druid spies in the lycanthropes' ranks, such as Einar Stormsson and Eleuthra Davos, who used their ability to transform into beasts as a trick to pass as werewolves.[14]
As of 1479 DR, he aspired to return his family's holdings to the heights they had seen under High Queen Alicia Kendrick, but it was clear that accomplishing this goal would require great sacrifices.[1] His first priority was to reconquer all of Alaron, starting with the Dernall Forest.[2] At the same time, retaking Amnian occupied Snowdown was a critical objective,[5] however his efforts were halted when the Amnian viceroy, Lady Erliza Daressin, took his young son Owaren as a hostage.[6] Amidst the struggles on these fronts, he attempted to reach out diplomatically to Prince Araithe of Sarifal, son of High Lady Ordalf, hoping to establish an embassy at the ruins of his family's ancient seat of Caer Corwell, which he had made a vow to reclaim. He offered his daughter, Tarilyn, in marriage to the fey prince, who invited her to come live in Karador.[2][4][15]
As of 1489 DR, he was still unable to obtain permission from High Lady Ordalf of Sarifal for his embassy. By this time, he also hoped to foster an alliance with the dwarven clans of the Fairheight Mountains, but was frequently rejected,[16] and he expressed interest in reclaiming the old settlement of Iron Keep on Oman's Isle.[17]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 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.
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
The Rose of Sarifal
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 2. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 4. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 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.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 13. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ Matt James (November 2011). “Character Themes: Heroes of the Moonshaes”. In Steve Winter ed. Dragon #405 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 5.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 10. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 15. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
- ↑ Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 12. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ Brian R. James (June 2009). “Realmslore: Sarifal”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #376 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61.
- ↑ Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
- ↑ Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 9. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 3. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 18, 68. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 69. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.