The Nelanther Isles, also just called the Nelanther, were a widely scattered chain of nearly one thousand islands west of Amn and Tethyr in the Trackless Sea. More than half the islands lacked potable water and were an unfit place to live. The hundreds of islands that could support life were fought over by ruthless pirates who tended to prey upon the shipping lines of Amn, Tethyr, Calimshan, the Sword Coast and the Moonshae Isles.[4]
Geography[]
Among the hundreds of islands, only the largest of the islands were named. Only a handful of these names were known to mainlanders, while the pirate captains knew them like the back of their hands. The bulk of the Nelanther pirates were never captured due to the multitude of hiding places among the islands. Mainlander maps showed many of the main islands and many of the minor islands, but not the shoals, currents, small exposed or submerged islets, and other hazards among the inner Nelanther.[citation needed] Most of the islands were surrounded by perilous reefs.[1]
The known islands among the pirate captains were:[citation needed]
The channel between the Nelanther Isles and the Tethyr Peninsula was known as Asavir's Channel (presumably named after the pirate Asavir[5]). It was a well-traveled sea lane but treacherous because of the many pirates.[1]
History[]
By 1369 DR, the Twisted Rune placed a magical gate on the islands to allow for instantaneous movement to other locations.[6]
Demographics[]
Aside from their shared acts of violence and larceny, the Nelanthers had surprisingly little in common with the Pirate Isles of the Dragon Coast. Most of the Nelanthers' pirates were nonhumans such as orcs, lizardfolk, ogres and minotaurs. These various races and factions waged war on each other as often as they did with outsiders.[4]
Life & Society[]
The reavers of the Nelanther Isles were entirely honorless pirates that tortured their victims, leaving them to horrible deaths. The Nelanther youth were born into the society's violence and their only escape was death, typically while still young. Nearly all fit adults fought aboard ships, while weak and crippled children who somehow survived were left ashore to repair ships or salvage wrecks.[4]
Notable Locations[]
Except for a couple of smaller settlements, the pirates of the Nelanther Isles lived in their ships or in huts that could be abandoned at a moment's notice.[citation needed]
Ports[]
Landmarks[]
- The Sea Towers
- Magically warded hard stone towers that were located on some of the islands and in the sea of the region.[4]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
Further Reading[]
- Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), pp. 94–96. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
- Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 118–119. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Philip Athans (2008). A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-4915-5.
- ↑ Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 5. ISBN 978-0880388573.
- ↑ Mike Schley (2015-11-18). Map of Faerün (from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) (HTML with JPG maps). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved on 2019-02-17.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 150. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book Three: Erlkazar & Folk of Intrigue”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.