Brief History of the Moonshae Isles

I’ve filled my days on the ship poring over the book of Moonshaes lore left to me by my father. The early years of the islands are lost in the mists of legend. Fey, giants, and dwarves? An Earthmother who is the spirit of the isles? “The Beast” who speaks to upset the Balance? It’s a bard’s tale brought to life!
I shall attend to my father’s wishes, and then I intend to visit all of these islands. The moors will be such striking contrast to the jungles of Chult. Maybe I’ll see a faerie? The chwinga back home are skittish, reclusive creatures. The fey of the Moonshaes sound much more eager to engage!
In the beginning was the Earthmother. Whether she was born with the Moonshae Isles or they were born from her is unknown, but she brought life to the Moonshaes and established the Balance so that nature could flourish. She created three servants to be her agents – the Leviathan, the Unicorn, and the Wolfpack – to defend the isles and maintain the Balance.

Trods of Ancient Fey

Then came the fey through the crossroads between the Moonshaes and the Feywild. They lived on the islands in revelry and glamer. The leShay, the greatest of the faeries, founded the Realm of Sarifal and built the shining city of Karador on the isle of Gwynneth.
Nearly 10,000 years ago, the Llewyrr elves landed on the Moonshaes after their fleet to Evermeet foundered in a great storm. The leShay welcomed them, and the elves built their new realm of Synnoria in the peaks overlooking the Myrloch Vale.
To challenge these new realms, Malar sent Kazgoroth the Beast to upset the Balance in the Moonshaes. The Beast brought the fomorians and other dark terrors from the Feydark. The resulting war was terrible, but the leShay, the Llewyrr, and the Earthmother defeated Kazgoroth and drove his servants into the far corners of the isles. Several centuries later, most of the fey, including the leShay and the fomorians, retreated to the Feywild. The ancient city of Karador sank beneath the waves of the Myrloch on Gwynneth as Sarifal shifted back to Faerie.

Coming of the Ffolk

About 1,300 years ago, the Ffolk migrated to the Moonshaes from what is now Tethyr. They settled all the islands, but focused primarily on Gwynneth, where they established Corwell as their first realm. The Ffolk came into conflict with the Llewyrr who still lived in the mountains. After many years of conflict, the Ffolk came to revere the Earthmother and the two sides settled into a peace that remains to this day.

First High King

Two centuries ago, the evil god Bhaal assumed control of Kazgoroth and sent the Beast against the Ffolk of the Moonshaes. The legendary warrior chieftain Cymrych Hugh defeated Kazgoroth and the grateful Ffolk crowned him High King of the Moonshae Isles. The union was short lived. With no strong heir to the throne on Cymrych’s passing, the Kingdom of the Moonshaes split among the islands.

Northlander Raids

Illuskan sailors from the far north of the Sword Coast made landfall on the Moonshae Islands and found a collection of squabbling kingdoms. Over the following centuries, Ffolk settlements throughout the Moonshaes suffered seasonal attacks from the barbaric Northlanders. Eventually, the Ffolk conceded the northern isles of the Moonshaes to Northlander settlers.

Cymrych Hugh, the First High King

Cymrych Hugh was the first High King of the Moonshaes and his tale dominated Ffolk culture until the rise of Robyn Moonsinger and Tristan Kendrick. His sword is said to be an intelligent blade that was forged with the special purpose to slay Kazgoroth. When his wife died, he commissioned the construction of a palace to house his wife’s body. The druids then sent the castle to a watery grave beneath the Strait of Alaron. His legacy is such that every ruling family among the Ffolk adopted his name which evolved over the centuries into the families Carrathal, Kendrick, Selkirk, Cambridge, Kimball, Riker, and Kincaid.

Darkwalker Wars

In 1345 Dale Reckoning (DR), agents of Bhaal corrupted one of the Earthmother’s moonwells. From this darkwell, Kazgoroth attempted to destroy the Earthmother and ruin the Moonshaes. He was slain by Prince Tristan Kendrick, of Corwell and his companions. Tristan was later anointed High King of the Moonshaes by the Earthmother herself. Shortly afterward, Bhaal used another corrupted moonwell to send a manifestation known as “The Ravager” to the Moonshaes. Embracing the goddess Chauntea, the Great Druid Robyn Moonsinger used her new powers to drive Bhaal’s avatar back through the moonwell and King Tristan used the legendary Sword of Cymrych Hugh to seal the gate, severing Bhaal’s link to the Moonshaes.

Kendrick Dynasty

In the aftermath of the Darkwalker Wars, Robyn and Tristan married and within two years the royal couple welcomed into the world two female heirs: Alicia and Deirdre. The following year, the Northlander kings signed a peace treaty with the Ffolk, ending their raiding and bringing peace to the Moonshaes.
Talos sought to turn the Northlanders and the Ffolk against one another and destroy their fledgling peace. The god recruited pirates, sahuagin from the deep realm of Kressilacc, and the dracolich Gotha to his cause. His greatest success was to turn Deidre Kendrick against her family and use her in an attempt to conquer the isles. Talos’ power consumed Deirdre, and she attempted to raise an army of giants to destroy the worshippers of the Earthmother. Talos’ plot only ended when her Alicia slew her sister.
Queen Robyn later retired to Myrloch Vale to commune with the Earthmother. King Tristan abdicated his throne to be with his wife. Their daughter Alicia was crowned High Queen of the Moonshaes, marking the first continuation of the high royal line to the next generation.

United Moonshae Isles

In 1371 DR, the Northlander jarls throughout the Sea of Moonshae swore fealty to High Queen Alicia Kendrick. For the first time in their stormy history, both Northlanders and Ffolk were united under a single banner. With a grand ceremony the High Queen proclaimed the birth of the United Moonshae Isles. The Northlander kings adopted the title of jarl and continued to rule the traditional lands of their people.
About the same time, many of the druids began to disappear from their moonwells. Robyn and Tristan Kendrick harnessed the power of the Great Moonwell of Myrloch Vale and entered the Feywild in search of the missing druids. Their quest must have been successful for the disappearances stopped, but Robyn has only returned once, and Tristan hasn’t return at all.

Stepping Out of Time and into Legend

The ultimate fate of Robyn Moonsinger and Tristan Kendrick is unknown. Both vanished into the Feywild more than a century ago. While both should have passed away a century ago from age, time is tricky in the Faerie. Many of the Ffolk believe that both are alive and well, waiting for a moment of great need to return to the Moonshaes, much like Robyn did when she returned to save Caer Callidyrr from the red dragon Hoondarrh. Some of the druids believe that Robyn is now the voice of the Earthmother and speaks to them through omens. It’s possible that High Lady Ordalf of Sarifal knows the truth, but she has made no mention of either of them.

The Fey Return

In the years after the unification of the Moonshaes, many types of fey, largely benevolent though occasionally mischievous, begin emerging from the Feywild. The faeries confined themselves primarily to the lands of Myrloch Vale and Winterglen Forest.
The peaceful fey migration ended when the fomorians emerged from the Feydark and overwhelmed the Northlanders on Oman. In less than a year, the island fell to the fey giants, and the Northlanders were forced to flee to their other holdings.
The next year, the ancient leShay capital of Karador rose from the crystal-clear waters of Myrloch. The fey queen Ordalf announced the rebirth of Sarifal and declared herself High Lady over all the lands of Gwynneth. War immediately erupted between the Ffolk and the leShay. The conflict ended with the complete rout of the Ffolk and the expulsion of most humans from Gwynneth.

What Are the LeShay?

The leShay are noble eladrins. Descended from the primal elves who sprung from Corellon’s blood, the leShay are the leaders of many of the primal elves who remained in the Feywild after the Elven Diaspora. The leShay are enormously powerful, commanding magic far beyond that of mortal elves. While they can be slain, they do not age and are effectively immortal while in the Feywild. What happens now that they have returned to Faerûn is yet to be seen. The leShay feel little affinity for Arvandor and don’t long to end their cycle of rebirth and rejoin Corellon. The leShay are closest among the eladrin to being reincarnated as an archfey.

Splintering Moonshae Isles

While the Moonshaes avoided the worst of the Spellplague, recent years have not been kind to the isles. The dreams of the golden years under Robyn and Tristan have faded. With the rise of Sarifal, High King Derid, descendant of Robyn and Tristan, rules a much smaller realm. Even his ancestral home of Corwell is in fey hands.
Sensing weakness, Amn invaded Snowdown and captured Caer Westphal. They still seek to expand further, making forays into Kork on Moray and are even eyeing Gwynneth.
The Northlanders have remained loyal to the union with the Ffolk for now, but the Storm Maiden, a Northlander reaver, sought to return them to their raiding ways. She led raids against the petty kings of the northern islands, the holdings of King Derid, and the Amnians. After winning countless battles, the Storm Maiden’s ship was lost at sea. None know what happened, but many hope (or fear) for her return.

Rise of Shadows

In recent years, another dread threat has spread across the Moonshaes. The Shadowfell has drawn near to the isles and fell things are slipping through the veil between the worlds. Dark things now lurk in the shadows, preying upon the weak and vulnerable. The light of the moon keeps them from owning the night, but each time the moon wanes, the darkness spreads.
The original source of the shadows is unknown. Rumors tell of a howling disease spreading across Moray. Meanwhile, the bright fey of Sarifal brace for a confrontation with the dark fey of Citadel Umbra who draw strength from the Plane of Shadow. The darkness even extends to the Deepshaes, where a dragon born of shadows haunts the caverns and hollow places below the islands.