Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue IX Editorial Welcome to issue IX of the Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions Webzine. My intention is for this to become a home for people who wish to publish material about their own versions of the Forgotten Realms. The content presented within these pages should in no way be considered canon material and is meant to represent a glimpse of the possibilities available to people running a campaign world in the Forgotten Realms setting. I would just like to say a brief thank you to all the scribes at Candlekeep and everyone who has worked on the Forgotten Realms for the past few decades. Thank you for inspiring me and giving me many years of enjoyment with the Forgotten Realms. Foreword This version of the Moonshae Isles is an attempt to blend all the lore from various editions into a cohesive whole. It is written based on the premise that the various novels written about the Moonshae Isles and events surrounding them never happened and so Kazgoroth has not yet returned. With this in mind it is written with a base starting date of early in 1345 DR before the invasion takes place, but can easily be used with a future date in mind. A full campaign based around an alternate return of Kazgoroth will follow in Issue 10. Supplementary information to support the information in this issue can be found in Issue 8. 1 Contents Editorial ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Alternate Dimensions Presents: The Moonshae Isles ..................................................................... 3 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Callidyrr ........................................................ 13 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Corwell .......................................................... 47 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Dwarvenhome .............................................. 74 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Gnarhelm ...................................................... 81 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Korinn Archipelago ...................................... 94 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Moray .......................................................... 100 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Norheim ..................................................... 118 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Norland ....................................................... 130 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Oman .......................................................... 146 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – Snowdown .................................................. 162 Alternate Dimensions Presents: Moonshae Isles – The Myrloch Vale ...................................... 179 Credits ............................................................................................................................................. 194 Appendix #1 – Complete Timeline ............................................................................................... 195 2 Alternate Dimensions Presents: The Moonshae Isles Capital: Varies by island Government: Varies by island Population: Varies by island Religion: Varies by island Imports: Varies by island Exports: Varies by island The Moonshae Isles are a collection of islands with numerous individual kingdoms spread among them. They are broadly split into two groups based upon racial distinctions; the northmen kingdoms of the northern islands (including Norland, Norheim, Oman, and Gnarhelm), and the ffolk kingdoms of the southern islands (including Callidyrr, Corwell, Moray, and Snowdown). LIFE AND SOCIETY Society in the Moonshae Isles is split depending upon whether you live in the northmen controlled kingdoms or the ffolk controlled kingdoms. Ffolk: Ffolk society is very rural, the people are generally simple farmers that pursue a subsistence lifestyle through fishing, sheep and goat herding, and farming. They have little time for luxuries or fun and are a stoic hard working people as a result. Most ffolk live together in grouped, walled settlements for safety from the wilderness around them and the northmen raiders. Few ever leave the settlement into which they were born (known as a Cantrev or Hommlech depending upon its size), spending their entire lives in the wood or stone cottage that their parents lived in. Life is hard for the ffolk, but they seem to like it that way. Gorwyr: Of old the Ffolk lived in wooden huts that were easy to construct and being windowless did a good job of keeping out the wind. The lairds lived in a variety of grand wooden structures (none of which survive to the present day) that were made to whatever design the laird requested, then the entire settlement would be surrounded by a wooden stake wall for defence. Of course this did little to keep the northmen raiders out who delighted in burning the wooden structures and taking what was inside as they raided the ffolk on their annual excursions. Then in 467 DR a large group of tethyrian immigrants arrived and in the space of a few decades almost every ffolk settlement in the Moonshae Isles changed. The tethyrians brought with them considerable knowledge of stone working and fortifications. They helped the ffolk build round stone fluted towers ( wider at the top than the bottom, to provide a better target of the attackers below and the better to deflect siege weapons) with a double stone wall around the tower at least 10 ft high. The fluted towers were wide at the bottom and even wider at the top, narrowing in the middle to accommodate a single staircase. In the process many tethyrian builders became very rich and eventually a number of them attained positions of nobility. When the northmen raiders next came they were often unable to breach the towers and took heavy losses when they tried. The took what valuables they could find but the ffolk typically 3 carried as much as they could with them and holed up in the safety of the tower until the raiders had fled. Raids by northmen on the ffolk dropped off precipitously in the 6th century Dalereckoning and ushered in a prolonged era of peace between ffolk and northmen kingdoms, until 621 DR when Princess Bridget of Callidyrr disappeared en-route to her arranged marriage with Prince Scothgar of Rogarsheim (who was found dead a few days later). Both sides blamed the other and the hostilities that later erupted ended up with the northmen capture of Oman‟s Isle. The Great Bards: Modern ffolk revere the three Great Bards of the Moonshae isles as almost legendary beings whose authority rivals the individual kings of the isles. Few would disobey the request of one of the Great Bards as they are seen as beings of immense skill and wisdom and as integral to the future of the Moonshaes as the druids. What few people know; despite the tradition of bards as keepers of history, is the origin of the Great Bards. Each of the Great Bards carries one of the three legendary Instruments of the Isles; Belshareen‟s Harp, Falataer‟s Lute, and the Finger Flute of Myrrginn Shadowcloak. The middle of these instruments was created around -2000 DR by the elves as a means to drive back the raging hordes of Kazgoroth (and Kazgoroth himself) as the LeShay set about enchanting the Moonwells to put an end to the danger posed by The Beast. The soothing music played by the three musicians calmed the rage that Kazgoroth instilled in those he touched and even drove Kazgoroth himself away in pain. Again when Kazgoroth emerged in 201 DR to threaten the isles, the goodly races of the Moonshae Isles formed an alliance to combat the Beast. The elves brought the three instruments and gifted one; the beautiful Selantime Harp, to Queen Allisynn herself who was renowned for her musical talents. Together the elves and dwarves forged a great sword to defeat Kazgoroth and gifted it to Cymrych Hugh. With these weapons the alliance took the fight to Kazgoroth and his undead hordes of drathak. Only two of the instruments were present at the final battle (a number of elven bards died during the war with Kazgoroth) and Queen Allisynn and the remaining bard played their music to pain Kazgoroth, Cymrych Hugh then used the distraction to sever Kazgoroth‟s horn from his head. The blow seemingly vanquished the monster; for all that was left of him withered away into the horn. However the music of two of the instruments was not enough to disable or drive away the beast and he succeeded in wounded Queen Allisynn (a wound which later caused her death). Cymrych Hugh never completely forgave the llewyrr for the loss of his wife, even though they could not have predicted all three instruments would now be required to disable the Beast It wasn‟t until 964 DR when the ffolk maiden Belshareen married Ridinlahr of the Llewyrr and relations between the two races were momentarily restored. The elves once again fashioned an instrument of such power that it would sooth the Beast, they then gifted it to the ffolk. Any bard that carries one of the three Instruments of the Isles is automatically given the title Great Bard. The High King can of course nominate anyone he deems worthy to the position of Great Bard and tradition dictates that there always be three, but should another find one of the Instruments of the Isles then he immediately replaces an existing Great Bard (one without one of the Instruments of the Isles). 4 Currently only two of