Lost Moon Lake

Lost Moon Lake is a massive lake at the center of the Wastes. It is nearly 100 miles long north-south and 80 miles east-west. The water is unnervingly clear despite the lake's average depth of just over 300 feet. The lake floor is dotted with dozens of holes that descend deep into the bedrock below, appearing to be dark voids from which bubbles occasionally rise and where the air and water grows noticeably chilled. There is a cluster of islands called the Crescent Isles in the northern portion of the lake. They vaguely resemble a crescent moon, and it is from this geographical feature that the lake gained its name.
The lake contains a plethora of cold water fish, including blue-backed koi and banded goldfish. Though they look like normal sized fish to the untrained eye, many live quite deep and reach well over 10 feet long. Prior to the Rending, the towns around the lake based their economy on these fish. The fishermen would attempt to pull in one fish then sell off chunks of it at the market or sell the whole fish for an exorbitant price to nobles for entertaining. The more colorful the fish was, the higher the price. Most of the value was in the spectacle, however, as the oversized fish were quite bland. Occasionally a fishing boat would accidentally hook a fish much larger than they anticipated and, if they didn't cut the line quickly enough, their boat would be dragged down. To this day, the remains of many fishing vessels can be seen preserved at the bottom of the lake.

Legends and Folktales

The Lost Moon

The lake has long been a source of legends and folktales for the people of the surrounding forests and plains. It was commonly believed to be the resting place of a fourth moon god named Shymos, the brother of the Three Sisters. Scholars are unsure if Shymos ever actually existed. If he did exist, any tales of the god and his deeds were forgotten long ago. However, many were pulled in by the mystery and romantic notion of a lost god. Most towns around the lake contained numerous small shrines dedicated to Shymos. The monarchy attempted to quash the burgeoning religion in the late 900s, fearing that the growing worship of this nonexistent god would cause a new deity to manifest and throw the traditional pantheon into chaos. Their campaign was reasonably successful, but small pockets of worship remained until the area was decimated by the Rending.

The Planar Bridge

There is a long running superstition that the lake acts as a bridge between planes. Many believed that if you dived deep enough down its dark holes, you would eventually surface in an entirely different plane of existence. There is some truth to the superstitions, as the veil between planes is indeed thinner around the lake. Why this is the case, however, if unknown. The thinning of the veil made it an ideal location for experimentation with interplanar magic and Lillian Moonfall made the Crescent Isles her home in 1120 A.A. to take advantage of the phenomena. Though no one has managed to make it back from the lake alive since the Rending, it is commonly accepted that her tower was the origin of the Rending.

The Death Rider

One of the oldest folktales originating in the area is that of the Death Rider. It was often told by parents to scare their children into keeping out of the lake during bad weather. On stormy days, when the lake grew dark, this terrifying being of rotting flesh was said to rise from the deepest portions of the lake. He would stalk the lake as a shadow on its surface, searching for children to devour. If he managed to catch a child, the Death Rider would use the power he gained from consuming them to bring disaster to the villages surrounding the lake.

Type

Lake