Page 73 - D&D - Player's Handbook

Asavir's Channel from Tethyr, is a land of raiding
pirates. Farther south, some three hundred miles from
the Moonshaes, is the fabled island of Lan tan, birthplace
of many odd inventions. Well south of there, beyond the
jungles of Ch ult, is the mysterious island of Nimbral.
LANTAN
I had not visited Lantan for over a year when it hap-
pened, but the way most tell it, when magic failed utterly
in this place, all the stored smokepowder and magical
gewgaws in Lantan exploded, one by one, just as great
waves washed over the island. Within a terrifyingly
short time, Lantan was no more.
Or so the stories of survivors went. It appears now
that Lantan was transferred to another world, much like
Halruaa. Halruua, though, had foreseen the calamity
and taken time to prepare. Lantan was not so lucky.
The Lantanese were fascinated- some say obsessed-
with building mechanical wonders. Though they
employed magic from time to time, the whole island
smelled like sawdust, grease, and freshly scraped
metal, as shop after shop worked on refining its latest
and greatest invention. The new creation might have
been little metal knights that walk and fight and knock
each other over, elaborate coffers with locks that latch
themselves, or mechanical arms that copy what a scribe
is writing onto a second sheet of parchment. During
my past visits there, I'd seen all of those and more with BANNER OF THE
my own eyes. KNIGHT S OF N1MBRAL
Were these gewgaws and trifles of help to the Lan-
tanese when the whole world was ripped from under
them? To whom did they turn when in that other world and as viciously as they do any passing ship or convoy.
their prayers to their favored god, Gond, went unan- Simply put, the Nelanther Isles are a chain of reavers
swered? What happened in their century away, and and raiders, who eke out a living fighting whomever
now that they are returned, are they happy to be here, they can find.
or does it seem like their world has once more been No one's ever bothered to count or name all the tribes
ripped away? of these islands, and I doubt anyone's going to start
Some ships claiming to be from returned Lantan now. For one thing, it's a fool's errand: tribes split up
have appeared in ports along the Sword Coast, but from or are destroyed at such a rapid pace that by the time
what I hear, the Lantanese who emerge from them are you finished counting, you'd have to start over anyway.
guarded and say little about their homeland. These For another, it's dirty, dangerous work, and dealing
traders seek to attain large quantities of raw materials with pirates is a task best left to swift ships, well-armed
such as various types of woods and metals, trading navies, and the kinds of fools that would want to count
unusual gems and strange gold coins in return. Of their them in the first place.
inventions, folks have seen little, but the few glimpses If you do find out the name of a tribe in the Nelanther,
attained have fueled much speculation about Lantan's be careful about mentioning it to another Nelanther
development of smokepowder weapons and greater ship unless you can confirm that the ship belongs to
willingness to blend magic with machinery. Indeed, a friendly tribe. Even so, be advised that alliances are
Lantanese traders have reportedly offered many shield short as summer storms in these isles, and it's not likely
guardians in private auctions up and down the Sword
you'll be around long enough to witness a new one being
Coast, and such golem-like constructs are usually the forged. Proclaiming your allegiance to a certain tribe
province of wizards, not tinkerers. might anger the one you're talking to.
Still, if you're looking for cheap, strong hands, Nelan-
NELANTHER
ther may be the place for you, but don't expect much in
Take an old salt's advice and beware the Pirate Isles of
the way of loyalty or cleverness out of them. Hiring too
the Sea of Swords, the Nelanther. Here, all manner of
many Nelanther sailors on a ship is just asking for your
seafaring or sea-dwelling creatures live, from lizardfolk
ship to be taken from you, sailed back to the islands, and
and minotaurs to ores and ogres, with a smattering of
given new life as a pirate vessel.
humans and others thrown in for variety. Where some
pirates hold to their own code of conduct, the folk of NIMBRAL
Nelanther care nothing for rules, honor, or even good, Ever seen an island simply disappear? That is, sup-
neighborly sense: they attack each another as often posedly, what happened to Nimbral at about the time
CHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTH