For many years the Moonsea has served as a natural barrier between the elven lands to the south and the darker, more sinister lands of the Ride and Thar to the north, home of dragons, giants, and ogre tribes in great multitudes. Originally the only significant human presence was the barbarian nomads who wandered the Ride. These barbarians, misunderstood by the rest of the peoples of Faerun, have long been involved in foiling the machinations of Zhentil Keep, Thar, and other evil powers. Though their reasons were not altogether altruistic, the barbarians nevertheless played a role in ensuring that the Moonsea coast was not fully under the thumb of evil factions.
Northkeep was the first truly civilized Moonsea human settlement. It was a shining citadel established as a beacon of civilization and a jumping-off point for merchants seeking trade with the dwarves of the North who traded their metalwork and craft for much-needed magic. It was settled in the year 348 DR and quickly became an important trade area. Unfortunately, Northkeep was undone by its own popularity. The evil, inhuman forces known collectively as the Dark Alliance (spearheaded by the land of Thar) realized that Northkeep was a danger to their way of life. The Alliance knew that Northkeep would be the first of many large settlements if it were allowed to prosper. They saw in Northkeep's strength the unstoppable approach of more humans, more civilization, and more laws, so the Alliance decided that something had to be done. In the year 400 DR, the Year of the Blue Shield, on a night later called the First Turnabout, the forces of the Dark Alliance swept down on the backs of black dragons and attacked Northkeep. What's more, a huge fleet of their black ships with ragged sails sacked and destroyed Northkeep. After the attack, 40,000 humanoid priests, mages, and shamans stood on the shore of the Moonsea and chanted desperately to their gods. They must have been heard, because with a deafening crack, the city was sunk beneath the icy purple waters of the Moonsea by the inhuman forces, and humankind suffered one of many setbacks in the region. Of course the 40,000 chanters were all killed for disturbing the divine slumber of the gods.
Rather than putting a damper on humankind's enthusiasm for colonization of the region, the First Turnabout inflamed it even more. It became a matter of pride. Pride, and something more, greed. The entire Moonsea region was (and for the most part, still is) a veritable treasure- trove of resources waiting to be exploited. It is no secret that the land on the Moonsea's north coast is rich in mineral wealth. The sea teems with fish. The farmlands that border the Moonsea are fertile. Human settlements in this area typically thrive for a few years, usually through sheer willpower and on the strength of a sharp sword, and then are overrun by the Dark Alliance or other sinister forces. Phlan has fallen and risen again. Yulash is a ruin where a decade ago there was a thriving town. Hulburg and Sulasspryn are empty hulks. The greatest cities - Hillsfar, Mulmaster, and the impenetrable Zhentil Keep - are all ruled by evil people who control their lands with iron grips. The lesser cities, Elventree, Phlan, and Thentia, may be less evil, but have a strong, independent, almost chaotic nature. But for every one city that still exists on the Moonseas coast there are three that were not so fortunate. The Moonsea is dotted with the ruins of cities and the tombs of the unfortunate men and women who built them and sought to dwell in them. In addition to the dead cities, there are the ruined castles and towers of petty would-be rulers and mages who sought solitude in order to better work on their spells of power and conquest.
By this time, some people thought of populating the region as a fool's errand, the Mooneyes (a term used when referring to the regions inhabitants) saw it as an opportunity. These people, truly believing that they could tame the frontier, continued to wrestle with the land. Apparently they were (and are) oblivious to the futility of the task. If humanity was to prevail, however, it would have to be without any help from the elves of the Elven Court. These were the same elves who had given permission for humans to settle in the Dalelands. The elves wanted nothing to do with the colonizing efforts, and repeated attempts to draw them into a military-economic partnership failed miserably. The elves were far too busy dealing with the orc and ogre threats from north of the Moonsea to bother with the petty problems of a few humans. Ironically, those evil humanoid forces were factions that had split from the Dark Alliance. They were composed of restless beings tired of raiding the Moonsea coast and more interested in pursuing old racial hatreds. After the fall of Myth Drannor however, the majority of the elves retreated from the region to settle on the hidden island of Evermeet off the Sword Coast. Although a few elves remain in their ancestral lands, they tend to remain hidden from passersby.
The centuries passed. The Moonsea is now dotted with many cities, and it can be said that humankind has, for now, won (ignoring the fact that many of the cities have been rebuilt countless times). The most significant events in the Moonsea region have come about in the wake of the Time of Troubles, 1358 DR. Zhentil Keep, the most powerful and influential group in the area, had to switch tactics in the wake of the damage done during the Banedeath.
Zhentil Keep has, for the most part, eased up on plans of overt conquest. The group is now intent on rebuilding itself and using more discretion in its drive for power. The Keep is currently locked in contention with Hillsfar for trade dominance in the area, and this rivalry threatens the stability of the Moonsea's coasts.
It is now the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR. The average Mooneye has no choice but to wait and see what the powers that be have in store. This cold wild, turbulent region has never known a decade's worth of peace, and everyone is sure that one will certainly not start now. The Moonsea has it all, and will either make you very rich and famous or very, very dead. |
