The Sword Coast North
The Sword Coast North was a region on the northwestern coast of Faerûn. While it comprised a rough landscape of rugged hills, precarious mountain ranges and dense forests, it was home to several like-minded towns and cities. The most prominent of these cities banded together with nearby allies to form the Lords' Alliance, which united much of the region well into the late 15th century DR.
Geography
The region stretched from Waterdeep in the south to the Spine of the World in the north, and from the Sword Coast in the west to the Long Road in the east.Geographical features
Bodies of Water
- Mere of Dead Men: Once home to a great kingdom of the North, this swamp land became the domain of savage lizardfolk and will-o'-wisps.
- River Mirar: The Mirar ran roughly parallel with the Blackford Road, from the Spine of the World to the Sea of Swords near the city of Luskan.
- Sea of Moving Ice: The icebergs that floated in the frigid northern waters were home to men, orcs, frost giants and even dragons.
- Sea of Swords: This sea was between the Sword Coast and the Moonshae Isles. The body of water was sometimes considered to have an extent as far as Luskan.
- Silverwisp Swamp: A swamp off the southern High Road.
Forests
- Ardeep Forest: The moon elf community that dwelled within this forest were a remnant of ancient Illefarn. They were joined by a group of wood elves sometime in the late 15th century.
- Neverwinter Wood: Originally known as the "Llewyrrwood", this forest was home to elves and a great many fey.
- Kryptgarden Forest: The home of the green dragon Claugiyliamatar was the site of many dwarven ruins.
- Westwood: The small forest located between the Kheldell Path and the Long Road housed a notable shrine to the deity Mielikki.
Hills and Mountains
- Berun's Hill: Named after the famous ranger, this mound offered a great view of the Dessarin Valley to the east.
- Crags: These peaks contained a number of abandoned mines and were overrun with goblins and gnolls.
- Mount Hotenow: While dormant for many years, this volcano erupted in the mid–15th century, after the primordial Maegera was awoken within.
- Starmetal Hills: The hills earned their number from the significant number of meteor showers that it experienced throughout many centuries.
- Sword Mountains: While these mountains were dotted with a number of ruins and underground dungeons, they were also home to a scattered goblinoid and orc tribes.
Landmarks
- Lance Rock: This solitary granite monolith garnered its location in the valley thanks to two feuding dragons.
- Red Rocks: These rocky isles were situated just off the coast, west of the Sword Mountains.
- Wyvern Tor: The rocky crag that overlooked the crossroads town of Triboar was home to to orcs, ogres and wyverns.
Valleys
- Dessarin Valley: Encompassing the lands just east of the Long Road, the valley was home to many farms, villages, and towns; some of which referred to themselves as "the Gateway to the North".
History
- The first great realm to appear in the region known as the Sword Coast North was that of Illefarn. The kingdom of Illefarn was a contemporary of Netheril, consisting of both dwarves and elves. Illefarn survived the Fall of Netheril, until the elves left for Evermeet. Northlanders and other humans began migrating into the region a few years before the Year of Sunrise, 1 DR.
Notable Locations
Landmarks
Keeps, Forts & Towers
- Crossroad Keep: The keep of the Neverwintan Greycloaks was strategically located in-between a number of prominent settlements.
- Fort Locke: Another of the Greycloaks' garrisons, this wooden outpost was built on the southern end of the Mere of Dead Men.
- House of Stone: Also known as "Stoneturn", this keep dated back to the ancient Illefarn.
- Tower of Twilight: This tower was the residence of the well-known mage, Malchor Harpell.
- Harrowgate Keep: This fortress sat at the centre of the city of Harrowgate and was the ancient seat of the Trevelyan noble line.
Earthmotes
Nearly all these earthmotes all floated in the skies around Neverwinter.- Fisher's Float: As its name suggested, this floating settlement was home to a community of fishermen.
- Moonstone Mask: This mote encompassed the beloved festhall of the same name.
- Pirates' Skyhold: While the hold was originally held by a group of pirates that traveled within a skyship, it was later taken over by the black dragon Garrundar.
Ruins
- Ember: The residents of this small town were killed by Luskan assassins in the late 14th, an act that was blamed on the adventurer known as the Knight-captain of Crossroad Keep.
- Thundertree: The community that called this place home was devastated by the eruption of Mount Hotenow during the mid–15th century.
- Torzac: This village was completely razed by drow.
Temples and Monasteries
- Darkmoon: This dark temple was built by drow centuries before the Era of Upheaval.
Other
- Carnath Roadhouse: Located on the High Road, this lodging house served those individuals traveling between Waterdeep and Neverwinter.
- Helvenblade House: This estate served as the country retreat of the Waterdhavian Silmerhelve family.
- Old Owl Well: Believed to be magical in nature, this watering hole was regularly fought over by a number of interested parties for a number of years.
Roads
Blackford Road • High Road • Kheldell Path • Long Road • Northern Means • Ten Trail • Triboar TrailSettlements
Cities
- Gauntlgrym: The fabled capital of the dwarven kingdom of Delzoun was abandoned for centuries, before being reclaimed by shield dwarves under the lead of Bruenor Battlehammer.
- Helm's Hold: The city of Helm's faithful was well-guarded by the splinter sect of the Order of the Gauntlet, known as the Order of the Gilded Eye.
- Ironmaster: This dwarven city was situated on the northern reaches of the coast in the Frozenfar region of the North.
- Luskan: The City of Sails was home to two great power groups: the High Captains and their respective fleets, and the ambitious wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood.
- Mirabar: The mining city of men and dwarves was main source of stone and metal for all the Sword Coast.
- Neverwinter: The former Jewel of the North was a multi-racial city-state, that slowly remade itself as a beacon of civilization after being nearly decimated by the eruption of Mount Hotenow.
- Waterdeep: The City of Splendors was considered perhaps most influential and important metropolis in all of Faerûn.
- Skullport: Larger than many surface settlements, this underground town was a haven for criminals and other dark agents.
- Undermountain: The mysterious dungeon-complex was built beneath the city's mountain by the Mad Mage Halaster Blackcloak.
Towns & Villages
- Amphail: This peaceful village fell under the protection of Waterdeep and was renowned for the magnificent steeds offered by its horse-breeders.
- Auckney: The small fiefdom of a couple hundred was governed by the noble Auck family.
- Conyberry: The farmers of Conyberry did well to live off the land and provide for themselves.
- Highcliff: The port of Highcliff was located on the edge of the Mere of Dead Men, near the ruins of Highcliff Castle.
- Ieirithymbul: This mountain village was home to a community of gnomes.
- Kheldell: The folks of this settlement were loggers by trade and lived under the influence of the nearby Dusk Circle of druids.
- Leilon: Although it was destroyed during the Spellplague, this small town was rebuilt thanks to the efforts of Dagult Neverember the Neveren people.
- Morgur's Mound: This unique site served as the ancestral mound to the Thunderbeast tribe of Uthgardt barbarians.
- Nightstone: The fortified settlement built next to Nandar Keep was so named for the obsidian monolith that was embedded within its town square.
- Phandalin: A frontier settlement of farmers and prospectors, this town was a safe haven for those that sought wealth in the Sword Mountains.
- Port Llast: Resilient to the last, this coastal town has remained a strong ally to Neverwinter despite suffering a number of calamities throughout the years.
- Rassalantar: Surrounded by farms and pastures, this sleepy village served as a waystop for travelers and a garrison for Waterdhavian soldiers.
- Red Larch: The crossroads trading town was located at the intersection of the Long Road, the Cairn Road, and the Kheldell Path.
- Ten Towns: Located around the region's three lakes, the settlements of Icewind Dale were the last bastion of civilization north of the Spine of the World.
- Triboar: Bustling with merchants, vendors and travelers, Triboar was an important crossroads town located where the Long Read met the Evermoor Way.
- Twilight Tor: This dwarven settlement was built deep within the mountains, on the shore of Lake Glorfindar.
- Westbridge: The cleverly-named village was located a bit ways west of Stone Bridge.
- West Harbor: The nearby wetlands created lush farmland that well-served the people of West Harbor.
- Xantharl's Keep: Built around a fortified keep, this settlement was under the governance of the Marchion of Mirabar.
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