Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

The Fang
The Fang is the part of the north coast that juts out the farthest
into the sea. Although close to Aglarond’s capital, its
people here consider themselves part of another land. This
hard territory contains two settlements: Findar and Dhast.
Both are windswept fishing ports filled with people who are
as weathered as their homes.
The people of the Fang (derisively called Fangers) are even
more suspicious of foreigners than those of Altumbel. They
don’t dislike just half-elves; they can’t stand anyone who
wasn’t born and raised in the area. There are no inns in this
land. Strangers simply are not welcome.
A gleaming white tower known as the Fang Light stands
proudly at the far end of the Fang. The wizard Thymar (NG
male human Wiz12) tends to the beacon atop the tower, a
light that guides travelers clear of the local reefs.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, an Altumbellan
pirate, Quelzur Naismen (LE male human Rog5/Sor8), has recently
captured the lighthouse—and Thymar along with it.
Naismen is in the pay of the Sons of Hoar, who want to disrupt
trade in the area; the sinister marauder uses a hat of disguise
to pose as Thymar, manipulating the beacon to cause
ship after ship to founder on the nearby reefs. He has so far
sent half a dozen vessels to a watery end and plundered their
holds. Someone’s sure to come looking for the ships eventually,
but when that happens, Naismen will be ready.
Tannath Mountains
The Tannath Mountains form the southern range of the Dragonjaws,
south of the River Umber, which flows from the heart
of Thay past the Aglarondan fortress at Emmech. Tall and
rugged, they form the bulk of Aglarond’s geographical defenses
against Thay. They are considered unscalable by humanoids—
especially the peak of Umbergoth at the easternmost edge—
but wide passes flank them on both sides. To the west is the
Tannath Gap, while the Shyvar Pass is wedged between the rest
of the Tannaths and Umbergoth to the east.
The steep, bare slopes of the Tannaths are a discouraging
prospect for most homesteaders. Little more than birds and
mountain goats reside here. The most notable exceptions are
the griffons that nest atop the highest peaks and the ancient
fang dragon of Umbergoth.
THE TANNATH GAP
The Tannath Gap is a narrow range of woodland between the
Tannaths and the rest of the Dragonjaw Mountains. The
slopes drop steeply to the narrow plains surrounding the River
Umber, which winds down the middle of the gap. The fauna
is typical for the region: deer, foxes, squirrels, badgers, raccoons,
opossums, otters, beavers, and so on; there are few monsters
here. Travelers, Thayan invaders, and Aglarondan
defenders alike have hunted most dangerous species in the
region to near extinction—only the occasional mountain lion
AGLAROND
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is a threat. Those creatures smart enough to realize they were
not welcome have long since left.
Still, unnatural creatures wander through the Gap. Attentive
travelers can spot griffons from the Tannaths soaring
overhead, but they rarely get close enough to interact with
earthbound souls.
The River Umber, long a natural barrier between Aglarond
and its neighbors, has recently become a pulsing artery of
trade passing in and out of the country through Emmech. Despite
the recent improvement in relations between Aglarond
and Thay, though, few dare to eat fish from the waters of the
Umber, much less swim in it. Living downriver from a civilization
that has spent centuries trying to destroy them has
created generations of distrust that a few good years of trade
won’t allay.
SHYVAR PASS
The Shyvar Pass is a much more difficult passage through the
Tannath Mountains than the Tannath Gap, varying in width
from 100 yards to ten miles. It seems a natural invasion route
for Thay, and the Red Wizards have attempted the pass several
times over the centuries. However, it is high, narrow, and
tortuous, filled with places where a small company can hold
off an army. Aglarondan watchtowers keep an eye on the pass,
but these days they greet Thayan trade caravans instead of
fending off raiders.
UMBERGOTH
Umbergoth is the mightiest mountain in all of Aglarond. In
recent years, Nartheling, an ancient fang dragon, decided to
carve out a home for itself in the caves riddling the snowcapped
crest. This creature plagues the trade caravans passing
back and forth between Aglarond and Thay. It doesn’t choose
sides, but it prefers the Thayan trade trains stocked with magic
items. It remains a mystery why the creature is gathering such
things and what it plans to do with them.
Umbergoth is so high that its peak always wears a snowy
mantle, even in the hottest days of summer. Griffons, hippogriffs,
and giant eagles used to soar in the updrafts around
the mountain, but Nartheling has scared off all but the most
foolhardy of such beasts.
Umber Marshes
The Umber Marshes are so named for their rust-brown color,
which they get from vast amounts of submerged iron. More
than one dwarf has commented, “If you could only drain it,
what a beautiful mine you’d have.”
These wetlands consists of almost impassable bogs, swamps,
and mudflats, run through with shallow streams that drain
south into the River Lapendrar and from there into the Wizards’
Reach. Both Aglarond and Thay claim the territory,
though neither country really wants the waterlogged lands.
Since they form the first line of defense between two nations