The Founding of Kaldun
The Warlord of Kaldun had once been a Cormyrian noble, and no one knew, or at least none would tell, why he abandoned the honors of his homeland. But one day he did. Kalamar Rowanmantle and his followers filed onto his ships and sailed into the east.*
Soon thereafter rumors began to circulate that they lived on a great cloud city. For certain, soon after Rowanmantle sailed off into the eastern sea, pirate activity decreased dramatically. Stories abounded of flying ships with golden sails, and a golden knight mounted on a black or green dragon, sweeping down out of the skies to destroy pirates and succor the innocent.
The rumors were true. Several months later, a Cormyrian embassy traveled to the Cloud City of Kaldun, and returned to Cormyr bearing stories more amazing than the rumors.
Floating 500' above the surface of the Sea of Fallen Stars, the Cloud City of Kaldun is a place of awesome majesty and beauty. Hills, forests, farmlands, and a neat, organized town rest atop the square-mile enchanted cloud. But most amazing of all is Lord Rowanmantle's keep, the Citadel of the Lion. Whitewashed stones glitter in the sun, and white towers with blue tile roofs rise like graceful tusks from strong white walls.
The Citadel of the Lion lies on the northern end of the cloud, with farmland to the west, the town largely to the south and east, all interspersed with tracts of trees and hills to keep down the wind. Near the center of the cloud rises the Tower of the Sun, a great temple to Lathander Morninglord. On the southwestern corner stands Stormtower, the abode of a family of Storm Giants, Llangarwain and Ianna, a mated pair, and their 2 children. The northwest corner is called the Dragonlair, and there dwell Lord Rowanmantle's Black Dragons: Arrikan, Khystrophanes, Ker, and Furycho. East of the Tower of the Sun is the skydock and market. Through a rift in the cloud, a mighty magical construct, the Skydock, lifts whole ships or cargo, up to 60 tons, from the ocean surface to the city. Thousands of people make their homes in this beautiful, magical city.
Lord Rowanmantle enchanted the Cloud City, but not alone. Stories abound that his efforts were aided by Elminster, Alustriel, Vanderghast, and others, but exactly who aided Lord Rowanmantle is unknown. One thing is certain, it would take a mage of awesome power to do it alone, and Lord Rowanmantle, while a wizard of repute, is no arch-mage. Rumors run rampant, from a veritable army of gigantic elementals, to the Storm Giants that now inhabit the southwestern tower, made the incredibly speedy construction possible. The city was nearly completed by the time anyone knew construction had begun.
Recently, after Lord Rowanmantle's abrupt and unexpected disappearance, the cloud upon which the city rests nearly doubled in size, resulting in a name change to the Cloud Isle of Kaldun.
An Excerpt from the Song of the City:
Lords of Wind and Water,
Giants of the Earth,
Give this dream its form,
Give this mighty work it's birth.
A Dreamer's Wish unfolds this day,
A titanic work begun,
Rest no man, nor beast, nor force,
Til this mighty work be done.
-- Lord Rowanmantle
* Lord Rowanmantle returned to the Cormyrian fold soon after completing work on the Cloud Isle, and his former fiefdom of lands surrounding Dawngleam on Cormyr's eastern border were returned to him by King Azoun. All his possessions are currently under the capable and watchful eye of Lady Velanna, Steward of the City.
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