Page 50 - D&D - Player's Handbook

RUINED KINGDOMS OF THE NORTH Members of local guilds that do business outside the
Many folk consider the start of civilization in the North to town don't entirely trust the Traders' Bank, preferring
be marked by the founding ofWaterdeep. More learned instead to borrow coin from the Hardcheese family of
folk are aware of the deeper history of the region , and halfiings that run the Happy Cow tavern. The Alliance
know of at least some of the kingdoms that have been officially has no preference, but I find Lady Anteos trust-
built by the residents of the North down the centuries. worthy enough to be an alternative to carrying large
Ruins of these kingdoms are scattered throughout the sums on the road. It's easier to part with a small portion
North, and many present-day cities and towns are built
of one's purse than to lose everything to a band of brig-
atop their remains, sometimes with their residents igno-
rant of what lies just beneath their boots. ands during a journey through the wilds.
Eaerlann. The elven kingdom of Eaerlann, a survivor of Visitors to Daggerford are advised both to avoid the
the ancient Crown Wars, stretched from the High Forest to tannery to the west and to swiftly cross Tyndal's Bridge
the Delimbiyr Vale. Weakened by the retreat of much of its when approaching from the south. The tannery's loca-
populace to Evermeet and by ore attacks, Eaerlann finally tion, up on the hill, does little to contain the stink of the
fell six hundred years ago to the demons that burst forth process, and the Watermen's Guild dumps the city's
from Ascalhorn (once known as Hellgate Keep and now as waste over the side of the bridge. On hot days, the scents
Hellgate Dell). exuded from both sites can be overwhelming, which is
11/efarn. Ten thousand years ago, the capital city of llle-
why I have again asked the Alliance to assign a different
farn occupied the site where Waterdeep stands today. A agent to visit on next summer's rounds.
kingdom of elves that accepted both humans and dwarves
Tyndal's Bridge is a low stone structure over which
in its lands, lllefarn stood intact for seven millennia. It was
travelers pass when approaching from the west, where
eventually fragmented by increasing human settlement of
the area, and repeated ore attacks spelled its doom. a local boy named Tyndal held off a number of lizard-
Athalantar. The short-lived human kingdom of Athalan- folk with only a dagger. He grew to manhood, married
tar lay south of the High Forest in territory claimed by the local ruler's daughter, named himself duke, and
its self-styled Stag King thirteen centuries ago. Its rulers built Daggerford atop the ruins of an older castle. This
were briefly supplanted by magelords, but then reclaimed story, and most of the area's history, is happily related
the throne, only to be wiped out by ores within a few to any who ask by Sir Darfin Floshin, an elf older than
generations. Daggerford itself. He longs to see a rise in cooperation
Phalorm. Dwarf, elf, and human monarchs all shared between humans, dwarves, and elves in the region, such
the rule of Phalorm, also known as the Realm of Three
Crowns, which was founded nearly a thousand years ago as was once embodied in the realm of Phalorm. Darfin
in the High Moor. Phalorm lasted barely a century before has been advisor to many dukes of Daggerford through
repeated ore and goblin attacks overcame it. the yea.rs. Though he was rebuffed by Duke Maldwyn
Kingdom of Man. When Phalorm fell, the surviving hu- during his reign, there are signs that Lady Morwen may
mans of the kingdom established the Kingdom of Man, be more receptive to the advice of a gold elf who has wit-
formally known as Delimbiyran, which lasted only two nessed the fall of the human kingdom of Delimbiyran,
generations. Its dissolution left behind a number of petty the founding of Daggerford, and all the days since.
"kingdoms" that welcomed new human settlers in several
locations, leading to the founding of new cities and towns LONGSADDLE
on the Sword Coast and in its environs.
Netheril. For centuries, the legend of Netheril served The hamlet of Longsaddle is little more than a row of
as a lesson of human hubris and a lure for treasure hunt- buildings on either side of the Long Road, halfway along
ers too prideful to learn from its story. Long before the the lengthy journey from Triboar to Mirabar. A path
Dales Compact and the advent of Dalereckoning, Netheril leaves the road here and winds to the Ivy Mansion, the
arose as a human empire founded on the might of magic great house of the wizards of the Harpell family. Since
learned from the golden Nether Scrolls, artifacts at least the Harpells founded the town more than four centuries
as old as the creator races. Flying Netherese cities drifted ago, they have brooked little nonsense and less mayhem.
through the skies all over the North, but primarily they Their own behavior sometimes borders on the bizarre
hung high over a verdant land that is now the desert
of Anauroch. and can be disturbing- they once turned two rival sects
Then Karsus, one of the mighty mages of Netheril, dared of Malarites into rabbits for disturbing Longsaddle with
to believe that he could wrest control of the Weave and their squabbles, leaving them at the mercy of the pred-
become a god himself. He almost succeeded, but in his ators they had honored- but they are one of the most
failure Karsus killed the goddess of magic, shredded the potent gatherings of mages anywhere in the North.
Weave, and sent the floating enclaves that couldn't flee to The Harpells are a jovial, if insular, lot. All wizards,
other planes crashing to the ground. From the moments they tend to marry wizards as well, and the elder women
after the crash when the spilt blood was still fresh to the of the family (by blood or marriage) set the course
present day's moss-covered or dune-buried stones, the ru- for the house and utterly rule matters within the Ivy
ins of Netheril and its arcane secrets have drawn many to
their doom. Mansion. The family takes on a number of apprentice
wizards, using them for menial tasks and for basic
defense of Longsaddle. Some apprentices are often the
or Baldur's Gate. Lady Belinda Anteos (of the Water-
inadvertent test subjects for an experimental spell, but
deep noble house) promises that her business is secure
such is the danger of apprenticing to the Harpells. It
and that the bank's magical means of communicating
is likely this spirit of experimentation that caused the
precise amounts of currency between cities can't be
Harpells to found their town so far away from other
tampered with.
settlements. Young wizards with oddly sized or shaped
CHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTH