Located east of the Goodlund Peninsula, Claren Elian has been the object
of legends since the days when Silvanesti merchant vessels were common
sights in Istari harbors. A heavily forested island, it has nonetheless
not been plundered by minotaurs for lumber and virtually no known exploration
of it has been undertaken—even by the kender.
Most peoples in eastern Ansalon believe the tales
that powerful forest spirits dwell on the island. The fact that those known
to have embarked on expeditions to Claren Elian have failed to return,
or have returned with tales of terrible beasts lurking in the forests,
reinforce the perception that the stories of the island are anything but
kender tales.
In truth, the island is home to beings who
are at once much less and much more than the legends claim….
Geographic Overview
Only skilled sailors can approach Claren Elian safely. The waters around
it are fraught with reefs, and both the winds and currents are unpredictable,
making the waters dangerous even for expert crews.
The eastern and southern shores of the island rise
steeping from the Southern Courrain Ocean, sheer cliffs against which ships
crewed by unwary sailors may be pounded to tinder. Dark, forbidding forests
can be seen atop the cliffs.
The northern and western coasts are lined with narrow beaches of black
sand. 15 to 20 foot high cliffs rise from the beaches along the eastern
northern shores, but more gentle slopes lead inland on the island’s northern
tip. However, reaching these beaches can be very dangerous. The waters
are shallow and rife with reefs and cliffs, and both winds and currents
are unpredictable, making it dangerous to even bring small boats close
to the island.
There is only one well-known place where larger
vessels can approach the island. In the decades before the Second Cataclysm,
Illtide Bay emerged as a regular portage for the vessels under the command
of the notorious Gad Maccaby. He charted a safe course through the reefs,
reportedly at the cost of two ships, and the raiders could anchor in well-sheltered
natural harbor, and their water supplies could be replenished from the
falls of pure, sweet-tasting water that tumbled over the 15-foot cliff
onto the beach.
Although Maccaby’s grandson, Scarrel Maccaby, continues
to plague shipping in the Bloodsea, he does not make use of Claren Elian.
He is smart enough not to draw that close to the shores controlled by the
Red Marauder.
The majority of Claren Elian is covered by lush
green forests, and even though Malys, the great red dragon who seized control
of the Goodlund Peninsula in 3SC demonstrated her power by burning a swath
across the island’s middle, the hearty forests are already starting to
reclaim that land.
No obvious paths lead from the island’s shores to
its interior, and would be explorers must cut their own trails. This is
slow going, with a party only being able to cover a mile in an hour. Once
away from the shore, however, they start to encounter overgrown blocks
of stone and toppled pillars here and there. The cry of wildlife and flutter
of wings echoes beneath the trees.
These signs of ancient civilization become more
common as one moves northward. Finally, the forest falls away to reveal
the ruins of a once-glorious city, now over-grown and resembling a gigantic
garden. Pillared courtyards vie for attention with many tiered buildings
that tower as high as 60 feet. Friezes of serpents and flowers and ornate
statuary decorate everything. Everywhere, stand statues representing idealized
dwarves, and many walls are carved with scenes of dwarves being served
by human slaves. At the heart of the city is a 150-foot-tall building.
Slender crystal towers capture and focus the light onto the center palace
which sparkles like a thousand stars.
Claren Elian enjoys a mild climate for most of the
year thanks to warm southerly currents from the Blood Sea. Summer lasts
for nine months here of the year, and winter is only a dulling of the ever-present
heat.
The People
Claren Elian is inhabited by the Ran-Eli, a little known culture who has
lived in isolation for many centuries. They were once peaceful philosophers,
but after being enslaved by magic using dwarves to help build the city
of Claren Elian, they turned to mastering every form of combat so they
would never be enslaved again.
Theirs is a strongly patriarchal society and the
measure of a man equals his skill at arms. The greatest honor for a male
among the Ran-Eli is to become a Master of Rank. These are the greatest
warriors among them, and one only reaches this stage by surviving a grueling
series of tests. The highest honor for a woman is to bear the children
of a Master of Rank.
Before the Cataclysm, the Ran-Eli dwelled high in
the eastern mountains of Istar, only interacting with other peoples when
they were sought out. More than once, they served as assassins for the
Kingpriest, but they mostly kept to themselves. When the Cataclysm struck,
the vast majority of the Ran-Eli warriors were killed, leaving only women,
children, and the elders who were the master philosophers of the fighting
orders. Only the highest of the mountain villages and the city of Claren
Elian (now known as the Forbidden City, for only the most senior or the
Masters of Rank went there, or gave permission to go there).
From this base, they rebuilt. They continued
to hone their fighting skills and became the greatest of all warriors and
assassins on Ansalon, despite the fact that they rarely used their skills
beyond the confines to their island. (Many explorers, however, met their
end on an Elian blade.)
When Malys arrived, she almost failed to notice
the Ran-Eli. Almost. Upon transforming the Goodlund Peninsula into a volcanic
wasteland, she turned to the islands off the coast. She realized that these
skilled killers could be of use, and she set about to intimidate them.
After burning a swath across the island and destroying the entire population
of a village, she realized they would die rather than submit. She tried
a different approach and sent an emissary to learn how she might earn their
submission. The leader of the Masters of Rank, the Superior Master, said
that the Emissary would have to best him in combat. She did, and the people
of Ran-Eil swore allegiance to Malys.