General/IC Knowledge

[Ithildur]

((I'm concerned the below will end up getting buried and overlooked on page 3 of the thread it was already posted in in the MS General forums. If this is actually not meant to be general knowledge available broadly in character, apologies and please delete))

Posted by HDM Arriana:

Current Recent Events on the Isles

Since about a year ago as the cycle turned to springtime , the weather in various places started to turn bad one after another. Drenching rains, occasionally broken by days of searing heat enveloped the Isles. As a result the crops in most places failed miserably. Fishing became a chore either the weather made taking the boats out too dangerous or there was not fish to be found.

A Tidal wave hit the Nelanthar Isle of Skaug, washing the streets clean of filth , damage was quickly repaired and business resumed. Also as the Crowns Navy was in the general area at the time most of the Crowns navy ships were destroyed as well.

During Late Spring / early summer the lower coast of Alaron , the only areas not affected by the weather extremes, had multiple raids on the small fishing and farming[unnamed] villages that lined the coast between the walled towns of Grady, Llewellyn, Kythyss, Dorset and Blythe. The few survivors from these raids tell of the people and livestock being rounded up and carried away on galleys sporting purple sails. The walled towns were never attacked and since late summer there have been no further raids. Without the people to work the land and sea it lies idle, the few crops rotting in the fields. About this time the undead started harassing Kingsbay on occassion.

In the fall Queen Alicia sailed to Waterdeep to buy grain to feed her people though the winter. This was a month long journey to and fro. Grain was distributed to the the various towns and Keeps including the Northmen Isles affected by the Weather. Because of this the Crown and Cantrevs have very little coin to offer as rewards as the coffers have been drained to feed the people. If the weather does not improve soon the next winter will see many die to starvation.

In Late Winter, Adventurers focused on the problem around Kingsbay, that seemed to stem from the Ruined town of MacSheehan. Things got worse before it got better, the town was on edge and there were many days when the people all complained of nightmares. Once they declared the problem solved the weather in Kingsbay improved significantly as did the fishing.

Some Specific Background

[ I try to use mostly the cannon by the Creator of the Moonshae's, Douglas Niles. Including the information in the Moonshae accessory, the Darkwalker Novel trilogy, the Druidhome Novels trilogy, and then relevant information from other TSR/WOTC resources.]

Per Druidhome trilogy - The Earthmother is NOT Chauntea. Chauntea gained a solid foothold on the Isles between the time of the Darkwalker Trilogy and the Druidhome trilogy when the Earthmother was presumed dead, killed by the Beast. At the beginning of the Druidhome Trilogy Alicia Kendrick reawakens the Earthmother at one of her Moonpools with the staff her mother, Robyn Kendrick the previous Grand Druid gave her.
The Earthmother is Jannath.

Jannath The Earthmother, the Goddess, the Greatmother

Symbol: The Tree of Life
Alignment: N
Portfolio: Nature, the Moonshae Isles
Worshippers: Most denizens of the Moonshaes
Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NG
Domains: Animal, Earth, Plant, Protection, Renewal, Water
Jannath, more commonly referred to as the Earthmother, is a goddess of nature, wild places, and the natural order of things. She advocates a simple life, conducted in harmony with one’s environs and the beasts that live within it. The Moonshaes are her specific charge, because she and the islands are one and the same, and all who dwell upon them are her children. When the Moonshaes suffer, Jannath’s power wanes. When they prosper, she grows in strength.

The druids of Jannath associate no images with her, as she is all around them, all the time. Although her symbol is often shown as the Tree of Life (said to be within Myrloch Vale), in truth any aspect of the natural world can serve as her symbol, whether it be a songbird, or a towering oak. The air is her breath, the earth her body; her essence is in everything that lives on the Moonshaes.

It is commonly believed by foreigners that Jannath is an aspect of Chauntea, the faerûnian goddess of agriculture. Some theologians harbor doubts about that assertion, however, as Jannath is a much more primal power. In actuality, she has more in common with Silvanus than with Chauntea. Jannath regards agriculture kindly enough, but not when it begins to dominate the land. According to the Earthmother, wild places are sacred and must be preserved.
History: By all accounts, Jannath has always been worshipped on the Moonshaes. According to the Ffolk, their ancestors were mainland followers of Jannath, who she called to the islands by speaking to them in their dreams.

Dogma: There is balance in all things, and all is a cycle. Find your place in this dance and be content with it. Wild places must be preserved, for they are the cradle of life, and all life must be respected. Particularly your own. Do not complicate your existence by making things more difficult for yourself than they have to be. Live a life that is simple and pure. Do not covet more than you need. Nature provides all that you need, and to claim more than that is to invite misfortune.


The other dieties most seen on the Isles are Tempus and Ishtishia

Synorria and the elven city of Chrysalis was destroyed by the elf eater during the Druidhome trilogy. It lies in Ruins, the remaining Llewyrr either returned to Evermeet or scattered to enclaves around the Isles. Though they have certain loyalties to Queen Alicia due to her Help in Stopping the Elf eater before it destroyed them all.