Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

with the half-elves left for the western part of the peninsula,
settling in either Altumbel or the Fang. Neither region has
much of a say—if any—in Aglarondan politics or culture
these days.
Human Aglarondans are sturdy, dark-haired people with
brown or blue eyes and ruddy skin from regular exposure to
the elements. The men average about 5´8˝ tall, while the
women stand around 5´2˝. Aglarondan half-elves, descended
from humans and wild elves, have coppery skin, sometimes
with a greenish tinge, with black or blond hair. Their ears show
a subtle elven point, and their eyes tend to be gold-flecked and
wise. Aglarondans of both races are stoic by nature and harbor
a deep love for the woods and shores of their peninsula. Most
take any chance they can get to hike or travel along the rocky
coast or the eaves of the Yuirwood, although few without
elven blood find the forest’s depths comforting.
Aglarond’s half-elves include both wary foresters, living as
simple, nomadic hunters in the heart of the Yuirwood, and cosmopolitan
city-dwellers living alongside humans in shoreside
towns. Most fall somewhere between these two extremes: They
live under the forest’s canopy but are schooled in the ways of
the outside world; they treasure their own culture while recognizing
those of others. They participate in governing their
nation, because if they fail to moderate the commerce and expansion
of their human neighbors, open strife between the
races may one day return to Aglarond.
Life and Society
Aglarondans prefer to live alone and in peace, but they’ve
rarely been given that opportunity. The rest of Faerûn does
not think much of the peninsula nation (if they think of the
place at all) but the same can’t be said of the Red Wizards of
Thay. Before the recent cessation of hostilities, Aglarond lived
under the constant threat of invasion by the zulkirs, who saw
the peninsula as the first stepping-stone in their ongoing campaign
toward world domination.
Despite this, the outside world rarely touched Aglarondans
who weren’t part of the nation’s well-trained military force.
While not ignorant of foreign affairs, most Aglarondans chose
not to be affected by distant events. The humans quietly fished
the Sea of Fallen Stars and tended the broad fields and pastures
between the shore and the trees. The elves harvested
nature’s bounty beneath the Yuirwood’s leaves.
Coastal and arboreal Aglarondans have differing attitudes
toward magic. Those who live under the trees have a healthy
respect for and appreciation of magic. Those who don’t are
fearful of all things magical, especially if they come from outside
the country, an attitude likely rooted in generations of
trouble with Thay. Even native Aglarondan spellcasters are
regarded with suspicion until they have demonstrated their
trustworthiness.
The Simbul is aware of the coastal attitude to magic. She
personally takes in citizens who display a talent for spellcasting
and arranges for their schooling in the art. The most
promising she instructs herself. These spellcasters are
known as the Simbul’s Hands. Once they are ready, the Simbul
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scatters her students as both ambassadors and spies throughout
the wider world.
ECONOMY
Aglarond’s economy is traditionally self-contained and selfsufficient.
The recent peace with Thay has made the ports
more open every day. While the people here still have few
needs from the outside world, they are happy to open up new
markets for their goods.
Aglarond’s main exports are grain, gems, copper, iron, textiles,
and produce, as well as lumber milled from trees fallen
throughout the Yuirwood and cleared out by the half-elves.
The most commonly exported gemstones are the black pearls
that divers harvest off the northern and eastern coasts. These
are highly prized in distant lands, as is the Aglarondan blood
wine favored by the half-elves.
The nation has no merchant fleet to speak of, although a
number of noble merchants own a ship or two. Most goods
that come in and out of Aglarond are carried in Impilturan
or Sembian vessels, and foreign merchants maintain warehouses
and mercantile emporiums in large cities such as Velprintalar
and Furthinghome.
LAW AND ORDER
The people of Aglarond follow a simple set of laws that proscribe
most acts of violence against people or property. The
local ruler settles all matters of justice, often through punitive
fines, unless someone has been hurt or killed. There is
no national police force, but any officer in Aglarond’s army
can enforce the laws of the land and apprehend anyone
breaking them. Technically, anyone can appeal a local sentence
to the Royal Council or even the Simbul, but in practice,
this rarely happens.
The written laws are kept in the library of the Royal
Council. However, they are often misunderstood, so local officials
often apply common sense to any situation. If the city
watch believe an action to be a crime, they treat it as such.
One universal law is compulsory enlistment in the army,
served when an Aglarondan reaches the age of majority. Service
is at least one year, but many youths choose to serve for
several. Many conscripts are assigned to local militias and
garrisons and never serve in the distant border fortresses of
Emmech or Glarondar.
DEFENSE AND WARCRAFT
Aglarond has often been a country at war but is not a
nation of soldiers. The Aglarondan fighting force consists
of three small armies, almost all of which are stationed
along the border between their home and Thay. The Army
of the Green Drake consists of 4,000 troops stationed at
Glarondar Keep and the Watchwall, while the Army of the
Lion numbers 1,500 soldiers in Emmech. An additional 500
soldiers garrison Velprintalar, and the Simbul’s navy (a fleet