Wheloon, once a prominent trading town renowned for its white plaster buildings, beautiful green-slate roofs, and ferry service across the Wyvernflow River, has endured a dark and troubled past. Once bustling with commerce, Wheloon was turned into a prison colony as punishment for harboring a cult of Shar in the years leading up to the war with the Shade.
For decades, criminals from across
Cormyr were cast into Wheloon, condemned to a life within its walls. During the war with the Shadovar, the mad general **Lady Marsheena** attacked the city, releasing its prisoners to bolster her army. Those who refused loyalty to Shar either fled or were killed, with many joining the refugee forces led by **Erzoured Obarskyr**.
Today, Wheloon is a ghost town, its grandeur diminished, yet its bones still strong.
The City Today
Lady Marsheena left much of Wheloon’s **infrastructure intact**, though years of neglect as a prison colony have left many buildings in disrepair. The Crown has begun efforts to restore the city, granting property deeds to returning residents and encouraging merchants from
Suzail to invest.
New **ferry lines** to the north and south now operate across the Wyvernflow:
- The northern barge costs 1 sp per head and 50 sp per cart. It is cheaper but smaller and less popular.
- The southern barge, more popular for its ability to handle large carts, costs 2 sp per head and 1 gp per cart, though wait times can stretch for hours.
Independent skiffs ferry small parties across for
10 sp per trip. A crown-maintained ferry line through the city itself, staffed by
Purple Dragons, offers free passage to encourage commerce.
The portion of Wheloon outside the city walls on the Wyvernflow’s eastern bank remains the most prosperous. It avoided the prison’s curse but became home to administrative buildings supporting the colony.
Inns and Taverns
The Scarlet Sheaf: A disreputable tavern within the city walls, favoured by the city’s seedier elements.
The Wyvern Watch Inn: Located just inside the eastern gates, this former inn now serves as a receiving house for the condemned.
Points of Interest
The Tower of Shame
Built on the ruins of an ancient citadel and commissioned as Cormyr's first temple to Mystra, the Tower of Shame stands as a dark reminder of Wheloon’s past. The temple, secretly dedicated to Shar, was the heart of the cult that condemned the city. During its time as a prison colony, it became home to gangs and Sharran remnants. After the city was reopened, the temple was razed to its foundations, and construction has begun on a Purple Dragon citadel on the site.
Wheloon Moothouse
Facing the Wyvernflow, this wide stone and timber building serves as the city’s courthouse and meeting hall. It was once used to process prisoners but has since returned to its original purpose.
Oldstone Hall
Once the palatial estate of Lord Sarp Redbeard, Oldstone Hall’s grandeur has faded but remains evident in its gargoyle-covered architecture. It now serves as the home of Ella Redbeard, daughter of Sarp and the current
Lord of Wheloon.
Woodsinger Wood
A patch of forest within the city walls, Woodsinger Wood was claimed by a caravan of wood elves trapped during the city’s imprisonment. Known as the Woodsingers, they fiercely defended their territory against gangs and later the Shadovar. Their leader, Illan Wildfinder, died during the liberation of the city.
In honor of Illan’s sacrifice, the Crown gifted the forest to the remaining Woodsingers and erected a statue at its edge. The wood has since grown into a thriving community of wood elves and half-elves, offering a rare glimpse of beauty and hope within the otherwise gloomy city.
Current Climate
Wheloon remains a city in recovery. The scars of its imprisonment and the war with the Shadovar linger in its crumbling buildings and diminished trade. Yet, hope stirs within its walls. Merchants return, ferries bring travelers, and the Woodsinger elves offer a quiet sanctuary amidst the shadow of its past.
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