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Tashalar, also referred to as the Tashalar, was a small, self-contained country located on a strip of coast along the southern Shining Sea. It lay just east of the Chult peninsula, and west of the magic realm of Halruaa. It was famous for beautiful weather, beautiful people, excellent crossbows, and the richest wine-producing region in the world.[11][3]

Description[]

The country was a lush and bountiful land of great natural wealth and goods that were considered exotic to many northern realms.[3] It comprised a number of small city-states,[11] scattered rural villages and vast jungle wilderness.[3][12]

Geography[]

While "the Tashalar" was the name commonly used to refer to the entirety of the Tashtan Coast, the country itself comprised the Tashalar Basin set within the Hazur Mountains.[3]

Geographical Features[]

Jungles[]

Mountains[]

Regions[]

  • Tashalar Basin, the natural depression formed within the Hazuk Mountains that encompassed the nation of Tashalar.[3]

Flora & Fauna[]

The rare bloodflower could be found and harvested in the jungles of Tashalar to be used in the production of healing salves.[11]

Life and Society[]

Magic used is magic abused.
— A common saying in Tashalar.

The small city-states in Tashalar were home to various wealthy mercantile families who lived quite lavishly. In essence, they ruled the country through various merchant consortia. Commoners of the region typically made their living working in the fields, groves, or vineyards of these merchants' estates. Failing this, they could commonly find work as sailors, shipwrights, sail makers, and provisioners, all contributing to the trade of the region's goods.[11]

Tashalarans obsessed over the future; nearly every adult owned a deck of cards or plaques that they could be found poring over for personal divinations, often calling to the deity Savras. Most decks were made of wood or vellum. Wealthier people may have had decks carved from ivory or other exotic materials.[11]

The other unifying factor was a general distrust of arcane magic users. A long, costly feud between several wizards attempting to dominate the region remained fresh in the minds of the people who had to rebuild their spell-ravaged cities. It should be noted that this attitude did not apply to divine magic.[citation needed] Despite its taboo, servants of the church of Mystra taught magic to willing students in secret.[13]

Practitioners of psionics were more commonly encountered in Tashalar than many other regions of Faerûn.[14]

Culture[]

Hunting was a popular sport in Tashalar, as there were many deadly creatures to be found in the jungles.[3][11]

The indigenous spicy foods were quite popular, as were strong wines[11] kaeth,[7] roasted pumpkin and loalurr seeds,[15] and fruits such as dates and dried apricots[16][17] and the rather tart yhaumarind.[citation needed] The distinct licorice-flavored drink of rollrum originated from locales in Tashalar.[18]

Government[]

The Tashalar was part of the Lapal League. The major city centers to the south and east of the Shining Sea shared a common history dating back to the time of the sarrukh empires of old. Today[as of when?], the Lapal League shared little more than a non-aggression pact and an interest in trade.[citation needed]

Trade[]

Influential Tashalaran merchants earned their great wealth from rich vineyards and olive groves within their estates.[19] The country was also renowned for its beaches' sand, considered among the finest for use in making glass,[20] as well as beautiful purple-and-green fabrics that were more beauteous than the highest-quality silk made in Calimshan.[21] Taahalaran coffee was renowned for its strength and exported as far as the city of Arrabar in the Vilhon Reach.[8]

Its cities enjoyed long-standing trade relationships with the nation of Calimshan, dating back thousands of years before the Era of Upheaval,[22][23] having been historically dominated by the mercantile consortium known as the Rundeen.[24] Smaller groups like the yuan-ti of House Se'Sehen[25] and the dwarves of Delzimmer held sizable financial interests in the region.[26][27]

Currency[]

The cities and settlements of Tashalar utilized authokh and bebolts,[28] coins that were minted in the eastern realm of Chessenta.[29] Calishite trade bars were also a widely-accepted form of currency.[29][30]

Defenses[]

Tashalar was defended by a navy commanded by the mercantile consortium known as the Rundeen, operating out of the capital city of Tashluta.[3]

History[]

Along with other settlements on the coast of the Shining Sea, the cities of Tashalar were devastated by the Temples Plague that broke out in the Year of Frenzied Tempests, −676 DR.[31]

Settlers from Calimshan arrived in Tashalar in the Year of Plentiful Wine, −553 DR,[note 1][32] but only remained in the region in power for a few centuries. The Tashalaran people barely survived the Empire plague that struck in the Year of Clutching Dusk, −375 DR,[33] before the invading serpentfolk of Serpentes drove out the Calishites in the Year of Sunned Serpents, −189 DR, forcing them to flee across the Shining Sea.[34][35] The lizardfolk and other scaly kind were then overthrown themselves in the early 1st century DR following a ten-year war.[36]

The Confederation of Tashtan was formed in the Year of Purloined Power, 34 DR, claiming much of the coastland along the Shining Sea as its own.[11][34][37] It would endure for over a quarter century before the Shoon Imperium launched the Tashalar Campaign of conquest over the region,[38] supplanting local city leaders with loyal straps of Calimshan,[39][40] and forcing the collective nation to disband into a number of smaller powers.[41]

Disease once again spread throughout the region in the Year of the White Jonquil, 701 DR. Many Tashalans were inflicted by lycanthropy via the Moon Plague that originated in the northern metropolis of Calimport.[42][43]

During the 12th century DR, in the Year of the Sword's Oath, 1142 DR, the Rage of Wizards erupted between the yuan-ti mages of the Coiled Cabal and a score of archmages that lived throughout Tashalar and Lapaliiya. Terrible destruction was brought down upon many of their cities.[44][45][46] While the controlling Rundeen endured the devastation, along with Harper-led assaults against their trade monopoly in other lands, they remained in control of Tashluta nd sought to expand their influence in the surrounding lands with help of their allies in the Knights of the Shield and secretly, the yuan-ti of House Se'Sehen.[34]

Following the cataclysmic event of the Spellplague, and throughout much of the 15th century, a vast stretch of Tashalar remained submerged beneath the joining of the Great and Shining Seas.[47]

Rumors & Legends[]

Circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, successive assassinations and blackmail attempts targeting Tashalar's nobility led many to believe that some power-hungry group such as the Rundeen or yuan-ti cabal were attempting to elevate a single ruler over the region.[41]

Notable Locations[]

Some of the more prominent settlements of Tashalar were included among the Cities of the Seabreeze.[citation needed]

Landmarks[]

Settlements & Ruins[]

  • Procalith, a ruined city that dated back to the Shoon Imperium, having been destroyed during the Rage of Wizards in the 12th century.[33]
  • Tashluta, the capital of Tashalar and the main point of arrival of nearly all outsiders to the realm.[11][33]

Inhabitants[]

Tashalar was home to the Tashalan ethnic group of humans,[48] wild dwarves that referred to themselves as "the Authalar",[49] and myriad yuan-ti,[50] including the human-like tainted ones,[51] and the purebloods that served as covert agents within cities,[52] whose hatred of snakes led their to be killed on sight.[33]

Many of the region's lizardfolk along with its Chultan and Shaaran populations were slaves brought in from foreign lands.[3]

Notable Inhabitants[]

  • Balagos, the self-styled King of the Dragons dwelled throughout Tashalar for at least a decade during the mid–14th century.[53]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. The date of 583 DR ascribed to this even on page 126 of Serpent Kingdoms appears to be a mistake that was corrected in The Grand History of the Realms.

Appearances[]

Adventures
Candlekeep Mysteries: "The Canopic Being
Novels
Referenced only
The Sapphire Crescent

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  2. Map included in Voronica Whitney-Robinson (November 2002). Sands of the Soul. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2813-1.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  4. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 32. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  5. Ed Greenwood and Doug Stewart (1997). Prayers from the Faithful. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-0682-0.
  6. Ed Greenwood (August 1992). “The Everwinking Eye: Words To The Wise”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #74 (TSR, Inc.), p. 14–15.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 0786960345.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Thomas M. Reid (November 2003). The Sapphire Crescent. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 8, p. 177. ISBN 0-7869-3027-6.
  9. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 0786960345.
  10. Darrin Drader, Thomas M. Reid, Sean K. Reynolds, Wil Upchurch (June 2006). Mysteries of the Moonsea. Edited by John Thompson, Gary Sarli. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7869-3915-2.
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 105. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  13. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 158. ISBN 0786960345.
  14. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 291. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  15. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 0786960345.
  16. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 83. ISBN 0786960345.
  17. Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 100. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
  18. Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
  19. Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  20. Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Who's Who in Waterdeep”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 45. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
  21. Ed Greenwood (April 1996). “The Athalantan Campaign”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #228 (TSR, Inc.), p. 35.
  22. Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
  23. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  24. Ed Greenwood (September 1993). The Code of the Harpers. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 119. ISBN 1-56076-644-1.
  25. Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 14. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  26. Ed Greenwood (2002-03-06). Part #36: The Satraps of Delzimmer, Part 1. Elminster Speaks. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2017-06-29.
  27. Ed Greenwood (2002-03-20). Part #37: The Satraps of Delzimmer, Part 2. Elminster Speaks. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2017-06-29.
  28. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 118. ISBN 0786960345.
  29. 29.0 29.1 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (March 2006). Power of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 78. ISBN 0-7869-3910-9.
  30. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0786960345.
  31. Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 17. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
  32. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 43. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 126. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  35. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  36. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 59. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  37. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  38. Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 102. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  39. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  40. Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 120. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  41. 41.0 41.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 106. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  42. Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
  43. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  44. Ed Greenwood and Doug Stewart (1997). Prayers from the Faithful. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 0-7869-0682-0.
  45. Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 103. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
  46. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 120. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  47. Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  48. Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 109. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  49. Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 23. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  50. Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 151. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  51. Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  52. Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 172. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  53. Steven E. Schend (August 1997). “Book One: Tethyr”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Lands of Intrigue (TSR, Inc.), p. 57. ISBN 0-7869-0697-9.
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