The Mornset Countryside is in southern Tal'Dorei, lying west of the Stormpoint Mountains and just south of the Gladepools, as the gateway to the Rifenmist Peninsula.[1]
Description[]
The Mornset Countryside is a haven for those who have fled the northern governments and societies of Tal'Dorei, whether to avoid punishment for illegal activity or simply because they prefer the freedom, if also the uncertainty, of the frontier. The terrain is primarily grassy plains, with some interspersed woodlands, and the settlements are small.[1] The Mornset Countryside is also known for its landscapes marked by rivers and rolling hills.[2]
In the eastern Mornset, along the Stormpoint Mountains, are towns nestled in swamps and shadowy forests.[3]
Notable locations[]
Official art of Byroden, by BlackSalander.[art 2]
- Byroden: The northernmost community in the Mornset Countryside. Was the second-largest settlement in the Mornset in 812 PD,[1] but had become the largest by 836 PD.[2]
- Heldenfaire: A small uncharted village.[2]
Society[]
Mornset society is fiercely independent in outlook. It is primarily populated by humans,[1] with small groups of similarly free-thinking dwarves,[4] halflings seeking the simpler life of the past,[5] and even some elven outcasts from Syngorn.[6]
However, those living in the Mornset Countryside cooperate with each other and help each other out in order to maintain the self-sufficiency of their society. They hold to a code of behavior called the Fundaments, prescribing hospitality toward travelers, outcasts, and neighbors in need.[2] Many of the people have also allied with local "lowborn" giantkin for protection against the southern threat of the Iron Authority.[1] Mornset settlers rarely travel further south to the dangerous Rifenmist Jungle other than for occasional peaceful dealings with the Orroyen Tribes.[7]
As of 836 PD, some Emonian merchants desire for the Mornset communities to be brought into the Tal'Dorei Republic, and while some on the Rifenmist Peninsula would welcome some assistance in protecting against the Iron Authority, they also fear allowing the Republic to establish a military presence that would bring them under Emon's control.[8]
Religion[]
Both Avandra, the Changebringer and Erathis, the Lawbearer have prominent followings on the Rifenmist Peninsula, and presumably these are majority faiths in the Mornset specifically. Several other gods have minority followings on the peninsula: Melora, the Wildmother, Sehanine, the Moonweaver, Zehir, the Cloaked Serpent, and—established sometime between 812 and 836 PD—Asmodeus, Lord of the Hells.[6][9]
History[]
The outsider colonies of the Mornset Countryside were formed by refugees from the rule of Drassig joining with outcasts of Syngornian society.[6]
In 792 or 793 PD, here at the southern edge of the Tal'Dorei Council's influence, the ancient red dragon Thordak began to raid caravans and autonomous villages, which sent requests to Emon for aid and protection against a "nightmare of fire and malice." Sovereign Odellan Tal'Dorei rejected the idea of sending a regiment as too costly without confirmation of the threat. Two years later, when the Council finally received more specific reports of the largest red dragon on record, Thordak had already burned the fields of the Mornset Countryside and enslaved the Outerfolk of the region.[10] Allura Vysoren's adventuring party arrived to find Thordak laying waste to everything around the Gladepools, including Byroden.[11][12] However, as of 812 PD, Byroden had been fully rebuilt,[13] and when the Crown Keepers visited in 843 PD it was still a heavily guarded town but was vibrant.[14] The Crown Keepers traveled through the Mornset Countryside on their way south to investigate the ruins of the Qoniira Tetrarchy.[15]
Trivia[]
- Byroden is listed as the second-largest Mornset community in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, but no larger one is given. The Rifenmist Peninsula was deliberately left vague to give GMs creative license to surprise their players.[1]
- It is rumored that Raishan's lair was in the Stormpoint Mountains, and as of 812 PD treasure hunters in the eastern Mornset searching for said lair were not uncommon.[16]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 77.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 114.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 108.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 22.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 76.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 78.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, pp. 112–113.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 113.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 11.
- ↑ In late 810 PD, Allura said this was 15 years ago. See "Desperate Measures" (1x40) at 2:36:36.
- ↑ This says Thordak was sealed for 16 years before the Chroma Conclave attacked Emon in 810 PD. Note also p. 77: Thordak attacked Byroden "nearly two decades ago." See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 11–12.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 77.
- ↑ See the events of "By the Road" (E1x04).
- ↑ See "A Test of Worth" (E1x05) at 22:34.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 79.
Art:
- ↑ From Andy Law's official map in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting
- ↑ Official art of Byroden, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.