Callidyrr
Callidyrr, sometimes called the Realm of the High King, was the most powerful Ffolk kingdom in the Moonshae Isles. It occupied the south of the island of Alaron.
In 1371 DR, Callidyrr grew to absorb the other islands of the Moonshaes, as started to be known as the United Moonshae Isles. This unity began bringing together the Ffolk and Northlander realms for the first time. By the late 15th century DR, it had been reduced to only the island of Alaron, and was thus sometimes referred to as the realm or kingdom of Alaron.
Structure
The United Moonshae Isles were ruled over by the High Kings and Queens of the Kendrick dynasty, sometimes referred to as the High Throne. They were served by the various lesser Ffolk kings of the southern Moonshaes even before the creation of the United Moonshae Isles. The Northmen kings retained their traditional lands and power under the Kendricks, but were retitled as "Jarls" in recognition as their new status as vassal-kings. It was said that the Kendricks maintained a network of portals connecting the capitals and other key sites around the isles.
The coat of arms of the United Moonshae Isles was the same as that of the reigning Kendrick family: a bear's head. It was displayed on banners and shields where the High King or High Queen reigned.
Culture
All Moonshavians are shaped by the rugged, striking landscape and harsh weather. The Ffolk revere the land (and the deity who is the land), long aware of the divine power present in the rushing streams, secret pools, and mist-wreathed forests of their isles. The Ffolk adore their home with a deep and abiding love hard for other humans to understand.
The Northlanders are less moved by the landscape. Their hearts are turned to the sea, and they tend to he boisterous and outgoing compared to their neighbors. Relations between the two peoples are often strained, even if they are better now than ever before.
The Ffolk do not often welcome outlanders. To farmers, outlanders are trouble: brigands and thieves who imperil families, belongings, stock, and crops. To local lords and warriors, outlanders are rivals. If they abide by local laws, they are respected but watched: There's no telling what trouble will erupt if foreign sword-swingers run amok. News from the Sword Coast travels fairly well to the Moonshaes, so the previous deeds and reputation of arrivals color their reception. Heroes may be fully accepted by warriors of the Ffolk as one of their own. The Northlanders have a stronger tradition of sea trade and travel and tend to be simply curious about visitors from the rest of Faerûn.
Outlanders are most likely to find employment as sellswords in the service of feuding lords, or as guards aboard Moonshavian vessels running to and from Sword Coast ports. The Nelanther isles are all too close for comfort, and the pirates grow bolder with each passing year. In every Moonshavian port tavern, one may hear a dozen colorful tales about narrow escapes.
History
It was established by High Queen Alicia Kendrick of the Ffolk in the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR, after the Northmen kings of the Sea of Moonshae swore fealty to her at the encouragement of King Brandon Olafsson of Gnarhelm. During a glorious ceremony, High Queen Alicia signed a proclamation that established the United Moonshae Isles. This act united the two long-time rival peoples under a single banner for the first time in their fractious history. However, violence did not end completely between the two groups, and enforcing Ffolk justice against unruly Northlanders threatened to spark rebellion if not handled with care.
The realm lost control of Oman's Isle to an invasion of firbolgs and fomorians in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR. It then lost control of Gwynneth following the return of the ancient fey realm of Sarifal beginning in the Year of Risen Elfkin, 1375 DR. It lost control of Moray during the Spellplague when Caer Moray was overrun by lycanthropes. It also lost Snowdown to an Amnian invasion in the Year of the Sceptered One, 1404 DR. Around the same time, the kingdom was rocked by wars with separatists and insurgents sparked by the self-proclaimed true High King Lionel Carrathal, leaving scars that weakened the Kendrick High Kings and Queens for decades to follow. High Queen Alicia herself would die in the Year of the Halls Unhaunted, 1407 DR, likely due to assassination.
By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, Norland had seceded and Norheim was likewise no longer under Kendrick rule. The United Moonshae Isles continued to nominally exist through the late 15th century DR when it was ruled by High King Derid Kendrick. While many Ffolk and even some Northlanders across the Isles still felt loyal to him, his power only extended across the island of Alaron, encompassing the Kingdom of Callidyrr in the south and Gnarhelm in the north. Although diminished, this realm remained perhaps the mightiest in the Moonshaes at this time. As of the Year of the Warrior Princess, 1489 DR, High King Derid was undertaking efforts to reclaim territory on Oman, Gwynneth, and Moray.
Demography and Population
Population: 680,400 (89% human, 4% halfling, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% half-elf, 1% misc.)
The Moonshaes are divided between the Ffolk (a mixture of ancient human tribes and more recent immigrants from Tethyr in the last millennium or so) and the Northmen or Northlanders, akin to the inhabitants of Ruathym, Gundarlun and Tuern. Some hold this dividing line to be more simplistic than it is: there are some Ffolk living under Northlander rule and many Northlanders living under Ffolk rule. Although there has been much animosity between the Northlander kingdoms and the Moonshae kingdom in the past, they have also joined forces to work together against mutual threats. The Northlanders in the Moonshaes, with larger amounts of land and better harbours than their northern kin, are also finding it often easier and more rewarding to engage in farming and trade than in constant raiding and warfare.
Non-humans are also present. There is a significant halfling minority, mostly settlers from Calimshan and Tethyr in past centuries, and a small number of dwarves, mostly dwelling in Highhome far up in the Cambro Mountains. There is also a highly secretive and extremely ancient elven kingdom named Synnoria that can be found in south-eastern Myrloch Vale, surprisingly close to several human towns. Synnoria has kept itself almost completely secluded from the rest of the world for millennia until it was forced to reveal itself during the Darkwalker Wars and allied with the Ffolk against the forces of the Beast, Kazgaroth. Giants and firbolgs can also be found in small numbers, along with small numbers of orcs and goblins. Traditional dragons are in relatively short supply, apart from the bronze philosopher-dragon Nymmurh who lairs on Alaron, but song dragons are surprisingly commonplace.
Territories
The Kingdom of Moonshae nominally controls most of the archipelago, in particular the large islands of Gwynneth and Alaron and the smaller isles of Moray, Snowdown and remote Sunset. It also nominally oversees Flamsterd, a larger island that was once ruled over by a wizard before his feuding apprentices reduced the island to a desolate wilderness. Flamsterd, his tower and most of the southern half of the island vanished in a thunderous explosion and nobody has been minded to settle it since.
Military
The High Kings and Queens had a standing army consisting of their own elite bodyguards (consisting of 180 skilled fighters) and an additional 1,800 troops, which included 300 elite infantry, 400 longbow-wielding archers, 300 cavalry, and 25 chariots each manned by a crew of 2 charioteers. This force mustered alongside Callidyrr's knights of the realm, and could be supplemented by militias from the major cantrevs, each of which could field 200-800 troops (about 1-in-4 of whom were trained with the longbow and another 1-in-6 trained in mounted combat) as well as a few more chariots. In general, the cantrevs closer to the dangers of the Fairheight range (including frequent attacks by orcs and goblins) maintained the larger militas. In the wilder parts of the realm, the realm's rangers worked alongside druids to battle bandits, fey, and other threats to the people and the crown.
Thanks to the presence of the council of sorcerers, Callidyrr long boasted by far the greatest number and potency of battle-ready wizards in the Moonshaes.
During the Darkwalker War, the realm assembled a fearsome mercenary army known as the Scarlet Guard, comprising three brigades of ruthless, battle-hardened soldiers and a fourth brigade of armored ogres. It was claimed to be the most feared and dangerous army in the Moonshae Isles despite numbering no more than 2,400 strong.
During the 15th century DR, an elite force known as the Callidyrr dragoons rose to prominence: these particularly loyal knights and heroes had the power to speak with the authority of the High Kings and Queens, and often embarked on clandestine missions for the crown.
Religion
The Earthmother was worshiped exclusively by the Ffolk of the Moonshae Isles. Rather than clerics, she was venerated by druids at sacred pools known as moonwells. She was widely believed to be an aspect of the deity Chauntea, however this view was not shared by many of the Ffolk. The isles were one of the greatest centers of druidic power in all of Faerûn, although the druids of the Moonshaes considered themselves largely distinct from the druids of the mainland. The only other god known to be acknowledged by the druids of the Moonshaes was Silvanus.
In the 14th century DR, Northlanders primarily worshiped a storm-themed aspect of Tempus who drove them to raid and plunder their neighbors. They also worshiped the Auril and Umberlee, and some were also known to venerate Valkur. The worship of these gods was often little more than cursory for the Northlanders and dependent upon whether or not they were residing in the god's sphere of influence. The Northlander faith expanded in the 15th century, introducing the deity Talos to their pantheon and giving Valkur much more prominence. The latter became viewed as the most important among the gods, embodying the qualities the Northlanders valued most in life.
Starting around 1256 DR, clerics from various faiths began visiting the Isles, with the goal of converting the islanders to their faith and establishing churches. The reactions of the islanders were mixed, with the Northlanders killing the clerics while the Ffolk generally considered the clerics harmless and a source of entertainment. The foreign clerics successfully converted a handful of Ffolk, but the vast majority of the Ffolk remained faithful to their traditional religion.
In 1358 DR, during the Time of Troubles, Bhaal was banished from the Moonshaes. In 1359 DR, priests of the Risen Cult of Bane led by the cleric Gauntather began establishing themselves on the Moonshae Isles. Their goal was to transform the islands into kingdom led by the Cult.
Worship of Yondalla, who was known locally as Perissa, was common among the halflings who inhabited the Moonshaes.
The firbolgs of the Moonshaes worshiped the demigod Grond Peaksmasher, thought by religious scholars to be the son of Hiatea. While in truth the firbolgs were descendants of Othea and Ulutiu, the firbolgs of the Moonshaes believed that Grond carved them from stone and that the dwarves were the result of the "leftovers" of this process. Before Grond was reawakened, many of the firbolgs of the Isles were ruled by Kazgaroth, an aspect of Malar, while others venerated the Earthmother.
Worship of Malar was popular among the lycanthropes of the isles in the late 15th century DR. The druids of the Earthmother and Silvanus clashed viscously with the faithful of Malar.
Foreign Relations
Under the United Moonshae Isles, the people of the Moonshaes forged greater ties with mainland Faerûn in contrast to their historic isolationism. In particular, they opened a formal embassy in Waterdeep.
The kingdom had a contentious history with Amn, with it being believed in the late 14th century DR that they were working to undermine and stoke unrest against Kendrick rule. This would ultimately be proven true when they invaded and burned the southern isles at the turn of the 15th century DR, cementing Amn as a lasting enemy and rival even as the Amnians became more economically entrenched throughout the Moonshaes.
Trade & Transport
Most goods traveled on ships from port to port, although some overland trade occurred between realms that shared an island. Nearly all sea trade occurred during summer, with traffic falling by half during the spring and autumn and brought to a halt by the fierce winters. Even as enemies, the Ffolk and Northlanders were known to engage in commerce with each other, albeit warily.
The major external trading partners of the Ffolk were Amn, Calimshan, Mintarn, Tethyr, and Waterdeep. Pirates threatened the waters around the Moonshaes, but the Isles benefitted from providing a relatively safer route up and down the Sword Coast as compared to sailing through the Nelanther Isles, thus making Ffolk ports a common stopover between the North and Calimshan. Caer Callidyrr, with its sprawling and accessible port, was the main commerce and trading hub of the Moonshaes. Merchants from all over Toril could be encountered here. Exported goods bound for Waterdeep or Calimshan were shipped from the city, and imports from outside were brought in. The Moonshaes were one of the few lands where ships from Evermeet were known to call.
Waterdhavian merchants sought to trade cloth, oil, or spice for high-quality steel crafted by the Ffolk. Calishite merchants brought horses, parchment, silks, and spices in their galleons. The southern merchants sought fur, metals and weapons. Timber from the islands was in high demand, as it was the only easily accessible location for the large trees required to build galleons. Some Calishite merchants sailed the extra week to trade in the ports on Corwell or Moray.
Some Waterdhavians also stopped in the ports of the Northlanders, who mostly otherwise traded with Ruathym. The Northmen traded slaves and Ffolk weapons for alcohol, cloth, gold, and oil.
The inhabitants of the Moonshaes were wary of cold-hearted merchants who sought only to pillage their natural resources for financial gain. Tarnian shipbuilders from Mintarn, an island that had exhausted its supply of timber, were a frequent sight in Caer Callidyrr. They arrived in the city, purchased enough raw materials to build another ship, then sailed back to Mintarn in both vessels.
Moonshavian merchants brought ale and livestock from Corwell, and coral and iron ore from Moray, to Caer Callidyrr to be traded for high-quality weapons. By the late 14th century DR, the Moonshae had an established gold mining and minting. The Moonshae gold had a unique telltale tint – rose, the shade found nowhere else in the Realms. Occasionally, the Moonshae gold was used to create enchanted jewelry that could be found as far as the mage nation of Halruaa. However, Moonshae gold was considered to be of lesser quality than gold jewelry of Halruaa.
Amnian merchants aspired to dominate the isles and exploit their natural resources. As of the late 15th century DR, Amnian businesses and immigrants had gained increasing influence across the Isles, and Amnian gold pieces (referred to as thalers) had become common in circulation. At the same time, the fey of Gwynneth had begun minting gold pieces that were acceptable for doing business beyond their borders, although Moonshae merchants expressed suspicion when handed such coins.
Armour, rose-gold, timber, weapons
Coal, horses, minor magical items, ore, parchment, silk
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