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GWYNN ETH
                                                           Over my lifetime, the isle of Gwynneth has become ever
                                                           more fey and mysterious, home to the elven realm of
                                                           Sarifal, under the rule of High Lady Ordalf.
                                                             Sarifal shares the island with the reclusive mountain
                                                           kingdom of Synnoria, the home of the Llewyr elves, plus
                                                           a few small shield dwarf settlements, and the ruins of
                                                           Caer Corwell, the former Ffolk settlement on Gwyn-
                                                           neth. High King Derid wants to reclaim the old citadel
                                                           and rebuild it as an embassy, but has yet to secure Lady
                                                           Ordal f's consent to do so.
                                                             Gwynneth is also home to Myrloch Vale, a lush valley
                                                           nestled in the mountains with the shimmering waters
                                                           of the Myrloch to the south. Druid circles are active in
                                                           the Vale, allied with the elves and the fey creatures of
                                                           this area.
                                                            In the north of the island, High Lady Ordalf's son,
                                                           Prince Araithe, leads the struggle against the darker fey
                                                           of the forest of Winterglen. The prince is a pragmatist
                                                           willing to accept aid in fending off his people's foes, and
                                                           so has been known to allow adventuring companies to
                                                           cross the Strait of Alaron and land on Gwynneth, if they
                                                           pledge to aid the cause.

                                                           KORINN ARCHIPELAGO
                                                           The Korinn Archipelago is dozens of rocky, rainy,
                                                           and windswept islands populated mostly by North-
                                                           landers, who herd sheep, fish the nearby waters, and
                                                           occasionally go raiding or pirating. Dozens of separate
                                                           settlements are their own mini-kingdoms with little that
                                                           unifies them besides a shared Northlander culture.
                                                             There's no safe harbor for outsiders; you just have no
                                                           idea what you are dealing with. For other Northlanders,
                                                           the settlement of Westhaven on Pandira serves as a neu-
                                                           tral ground where Northlanders of all stripes who ply
                                                           the waters of the Sea of Swords might come to port and
                                                           wait out a storm or resupply.
         and have fought occasional wars with the Ffolk in the
         centuries that the two groups have uneasily shared
                                                           MORAY
         the islands.
                                                           To the west of Gwynneth, Moray is a land at war with
                                                           itself. The embattled Ffolk of Caer Moray struggle to
         ALA RON
                                                           keep the port town open so that Dynnegall, farther
         The largest and most populous isle of the Moonshaes is
                                                           inland, can receive vital goods and supplies.
         Alaron. The Ffolk stronghold of Caer Callidyr overlooks
                                                             These supplies sometimes include reinforcements
         a bay south of the Fairheight Mountains, at the northern
                                                           to deal with the threats of the island, which are many
         edge of Dornall Forest. The forest is a perilous place,
                                                           and varied: the Black Blood tribe of Malar-worshiping
         filled with goblins, worgs, and their ilk. The deeper one
                                                           werefolk, the giants of the Trollclaw Range in the north,
         goes, the more otherworldly the woods become, with
                                                           and the ogres and ores of the Orcskill Mountains in
         fey creatures leading travelers astray- or to their doom.
                                                           the south.
         Even the High King's rangers walk the forest with care.   The Ffolk of Moray are loyal to the High King. They
           Rumor has it the Rookoath dwarves of the Fairhe-  hope for a return to a unified Moonshaes under the
         ight range- bolstered by Clan Rustfire of the isle of
         Gwynneth, and adventurers out of Callidyr-have won
         victories against the local ores and their shadow dragon   VALKUR,  HERO-Goo OF THE  NORTH LANDERS
         master. High King Derid hopes to forge an alliance with   Whi le  Northlanders revere many other gods-Auril, Um-
         the dwarves, but thus far they have spurned the aid of   berlee, Talos, and Tempus,  in  particular-they see  mighty
                                                             Valkur as the most important. This hero-god  is unique
         the crown.
           Meanwhile, Kythyss, a port town on the Great South   to the Northlanders and embodies the qualities that
                                                             Northlanders most admire: fierceness, cunning, courage,
         Head of Alaron, has been hiring mercenaries to guard   strength, and sailing skill.
         caravans running north to Callidyr. Caravan masters
         there are always looking for help, if you're willing to
         brave the road for a while.
         CHAPTER  2  I THE  SWORD  COAST AND THE  NORTH
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