Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

Illustration by Vince Locke
The Red Wizards of Thay use magic to ensure good weather
for their slave-farmed crops, and many believe the strange
storms in the Ashanath are a side effect of this artificial
weather, or an attempt by nature to balance out the magically
induced tranquility in Thay. In any case, the Rashemi avoid
this area and do not consider it part of their territory. The
only time they cross the River Mulsantir and go through the
Ashanath is when traveling to Thesk. Theskian druids have
imbued large boulders on the plain with spells that detect turbulent
weather, so they have a limited awareness of when the
storms are active. Fortunately, it is very rare for the tornadoes
to reach the Golden Way or cross Lake Ashane.
About twenty miles north of Kront, on the shores of the lake,
lie the ruins of a great city. Known locally as the City of Weeping
Ghosts, this place was once Shandaular, capital of the petty
Nar realm of Ashanath. The Nentyarch of ancient Tharos destroyed
Shandaular almost two thousand years ago, the final
step in the unification of ancient Narfell. The place is haunted
by many dangerous undead, including at least one nightshade.
Erech Forest
This remote forest lies outside the domain of Rashemen, but
its dark and bitter woods are the home of angry spirits, hostile
plants, and evil fey. The secret sisterhood of the
durthans, aggressive counterparts of the hathrans, use the
RASHEMEN
Hornclaw greets a hunter
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Erech Forest as their private refuge, just as the hathrans use
the Urlingwood. The durthans invisibly travel to and from the
Erech to meet with their sisters, train guardian beasts, and explore
dark magic. Assassin vines, night hunters, owlbears,
shambling mounds, and at least one gray render guard the
forest, in addition to evil telthors. Most dangerous are the
durthans themselves, who slay any intruders. Few people suspect
the existence of the durthans and fewer still know of
their base in the Erech, so it remains secure against concerted
investigation. The durthans are in the process of building a
fortress for themselves, dubbed Citadel Tralkarn.
FALLS OF ERECH
These falls mark the northwesternmost part of Rashemen. As
the waters of the River Erech flow toward Lake Ashane, they
plunge over a hundred feet in a roaring cascade of white that
is breathtaking. Rashemi youths about to leave their country on
a journey of adulthood camp here for at least one night and cast
offerings into the falls to the spirits and deities. The falls are
said to possess a magic that punishes thieves and rewards those
who show the proper obeisance with good fortune and long life.
Most Rashemi attribute any success in life to proper offerings.
Over the centuries, a fortune in gems, coins, weapons,
armor, and minor magic items has accumulated at the bottom
of the cataract. However, only a fool would try to steal this