Collection of islands located north of Chult. Home to the
Lantan Nation, a technologically advanced people who trade with mainland Faerun but remain socially separate.
Description
The islands of Lantan are rocky and covered in lush jungle with stone pinnacles rising up from the trees. While lush, the plant cover is less dense than nearby Chult.
The settlements of Lantan are built elevated above the ground and jungle cover, with turreted homes connected by "spiderwebs" of rail-less bridges.
Lantan has several coastal fishing communities. The islands also have prime soil for farming.
Defenses
The islands of Lantan are said to be protected by "secret weapons". Whether true or only rumor to scare off unwanted intruders, the ships of the Lantana navy indeed have fire throwers and explosive nets for weapons.
Smoke powder is especially common in Lantan, and guards are armed with guns (pistols/rifles), weapons that made use of the stuff. The smoke powder is produced by the inventors of the island. The protectors of the islands also have access to stable, flying ships armed with "firesticks" (light cannons) and defend with walls of force to shield the crew. The military also is rumored to possess an "armored worm" that could bore through solid rock.
Rich merchants of Lantan protect their goods with watchspiders and guns.
Society
The inhabitants of Lantan are primarily rock gnomes and humans called the Lantanna. The humans of the land are pale-skinned with red hair and green or black eyes. They favored yellow-colored, loose clothing and wear wide sun hats.
Trade
The people of Lantan use primarily platinum and electrum coins and trade bars for currency. The trade bars typically are valued at 25 gold pieces by other nations.
Lantanese merchant vessels are easily recognizable with maroon-colored sails and triangular lateen rigging.
The island nation exported many items of wonder to mainland Faerûn, including suspension systems for wagons, self-filling oil lamps, intruder alarms, clockwork time-release devices, snap-together weapons, intricate sewing and surgery tools, and many other wondrous things.
The Lantanese are said to have stolen the technology of the printing press from Halruaa. This, and the supposed existence of dangerous and powerful weapons on Lantan led to tense diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Language
While most of the natives speak Common the natives of Lantan prefer to speak their home language Lantanna. The languages of Alzhedo, Chondathan, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Ignan, Illuskan, and Shaaran were also common there.
Religion
After the Time of Troubles, Gondarism was the state religion of Lantan. Clerics of Gond are called "krii", a Lantanna word that actually meant "disadvantaged".
Government
The island nation is ruled by a council of twelve, called the Ayrorch. The Ayrorch itself is led by the Ayrar. The Lantar is the Ayrorch's representative to other lands. The remaining ten members are known as Santar, an ancient Lantanna word for "others".
History
After captain Cordell from Amn discovered Maztica, the Lantanna, being the westernmost extension of Faerûn along with the reclusive Evermeet and the enigmatic Nimbral, also claimed some lands.
Some scholars believed that the Lantanna acquired the secret of smokepowder from Gond during the Time of Troubles. However, the Lantanese had been using bombards since as early as 1246 DR.
When the Spellplague erupted in 1385 DR, the sudden shifting of continental bodies sent tsunamis all along the island and coastal regions of Faerûn, devastating them all. Lantan was hit harder than most. Before the waves reached the island, all the smokepowder and magical reagents in Lantan exploded at the same time, causing great chaos. And as the waves reached the coastline, most of Lantan was engulfed by the Spellplague and sent to Abeir. What remained of Lantan on Toril was entirely flooded, killing the remaining Lantanese and cleaning away their advanced technology.
The size of the island of Lantan was greatly reduced after the transfer of most of its lands to Abeir; the eastern island of Orlil was completely submerged, and the southern island of Suj became two much smaller islands. The waters around the island were said to be haunted by some sort of monster, destroying any ship that approaches, usually pirate ships from Nelanther.
In 1487 DR, Lantan was returned to Toril as part of the Second Sundering, and Lantanese ships began to travel again to the Sword Coast. People who traded with them said that the Lantanese were more secretive than before, and that their technology was more advanced as well. Rummors exist that their ships sometimes fly into the air as soon as they are out of site of the port and other ships, but no Lantanese has ever discussed this.
Temples
The High Holy Crafthouse of Inspiration, the heart of the entire Church of Gond, is located in Illul. It was a large, walled monastery, run by the High Artificer.
It was said that only a single dragon lived in all of Lantan, a blue dragon
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