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Nerathi Legends:

Merindaelion,

Barony of the

Emerald Blade

By Richard Baker

Illustration by Bernadette Carstensen

Cartography by Adam Gillespie

“A beautiful land and a people favored by

fortune, but don’t let the glittering waters

dazzle your eyes—dark perils gather in the

Barony of the Emerald Blade, and old evil

stirs in the shadows of the forest.”

guilds based in Merindaelion’s ports f lourish under

the relaxed laws of the barony, and hundreds of ships

from all over the world call here. Unlike with the

large trading houses of Sarthel and other such cen-

ters, the merchants of the Emerald Blade are mostly

private shipowners and individual speculators. In

troubled times, they are quick to turn to piracy,

making up for lost or interrupted trade by sending

their ships and crews out to take what they can by

force. As long as the baron’s share is paid, the authori-

ties are happy to set loose Emerald Blade privateers

on the coasts of Tithinia, Numoth, Relis Vullin, and

sometimes even the kingdom of Rethmil.

Merindaelion’s merger of human and elven cul-

ture took shape one thousand years ago, when the

great elven kingdom of Solaneillon entered its final

decline. In those days, hordes of gnolls from the

Sand Sea and the Desert of Black Stone posed a con-

stant, ever-growing threat to the fading power of the

elves. The rulers of Solaneillon took into their service

human warriors from the vigorous tribes of southern

At the eastern end of the great Altaran Peninsula

lies an expanse of dense green forests and sparkling

white sands—Merindaelion, the realm of the Emerald

Blade. A small domain in comparison to the neigh-

boring Kingdom of Tithinia or the Duchy of Solandir,

Merindaelion is home to a unique people. Elves and

humans have blended and mingled in these beautiful

lands more than anywhere else in the world, giving

rise to a bold, handsome, and independent people

known the world over as great adventurers and

seafarers.

Situated on the western shores of the Sunrise Sea,

the Emerald Blade Barony has long been a land with

its eyes turned outward. The merchants and trading

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Nerathi Legends: Merindaelion, Barony of the Emerald Blade

Kelarnil to stem the tide of monstrous incursions, and

afterward rewarded them with land to settle in the

realm’s northern wildlands. The elves who lived in

these lands were at first bitterly opposed to the grow-

ing number of human settlers. But as the strength of

Solaneillon waned, the bravery of the humans, along

with their sheer numbers, proved decisive in stand-

ing up to the monstrous hordes. When Solaneillon

broke apart into smaller states six hundred years ago,

a charismatic half-elf noble named Althier Merind

succeeded in uniting the human towns and elven

forest-holds of northern Solaneillon into a single

realm, establishing the Barony of Merindaelion. Since

Altheir’s time, House Merind has ruled over the

realm with a permissive hand.

The heirloom of House Merind is Althier’s

enchanted sword Perifal, the work of an ancient

eladrin master smith. This hand-and-a-half sword is

forged from an alloy of adamantine that glitters with

a deep, metallic green color; the hilt is wrapped in

supple leather made from hide taken from the throat

of a green dragon. The blade is depicted on every

banner, standard, and sail of the barony as a vertical,

crosslike design f lanked by sleek, feathered wings.

This is the “emerald blade” from which Merindaelion

derives its nickname.

Baron Geras Merind

The heir of House Merind holds the titles of Baron

of Nesmalen and Protector of Merindaelion. He or

she commands the realm’s army, heads the baronial

administration, and is primarily responsible for con-

ducting foreign affairs. The authority of the baron

and baronial officers is limited when dealing with

matters of justice and taxation within the boundar-

ies of other lords’ fiefs; the peers of Merindaelion are

skeptical of giving the baron more power, and they

have guarded their own prerogatives jealously.

The current baron is Geras Alsarien Merind, a

half-elf of thirty-five who ascended to his post when

his father was assassinated one year ago. Before his

accession he was a restless and troublesome heir

apparent, adventuring incognito through nearby

lands and dallying with more than a few females

along the way. Although Geras dislikes the burdens of

the throne and misses his freewheeling days, he has

P ower S tructure

The Emerald Blade Barony was originally a league

of allied nobles, of which the Baron of Nesmalen was

the highest-ranking and most powerful member. In

the years since Althier Merind successfully united

the disparate fiefs into Merindaelion, the barony has

drawn together, taking on the functions (if not the

titles) of a kingdom.

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Nerathi Legends: Merindaelion, Barony of the Emerald Blade

proven to be a bold and cunning leader, who has won

great favor with most of his people. Notably, he has

instituted a series of reforms and recalls to root out

corruption and incompetence in the baronial admin-

istration. Unfortunately for Geras, his crusading has

earned him some powerful enemies, and some say he

has been marked for the same fate as his father—it’s

only a matter of when.

territories in the forested hills. The Forest Lords and

their people serve as a crucial first line of defense

against incursions from Tithinia and Iron Circle

spies. The Forest Lords do not maintain a permanent

residence, roaming from season to season between

various natural refuges and shelters (some of which

are more comfortable and secure than any human

nobleman’s tower). A contingent of Forest Lords often

visits the court at Nesmalen, quietly advising the

young baron on elven concerns and interests.

The Yuan-ti

An ancient enemy lurks in the caverns and the for-

ests of the wild southern borderlands of the Emerald

Blade Barony—the dreadful yuan-ti. The yuan-ti once

battled the elven realm of Solaneillon for supremacy

of eastern Altara, and were defeated. Down through

the long centuries they have stirred from time to time,

erupting in turn against the dragonborn warriors of

Arkhosia, the proud lords of Nerath, and now the half-

elves, elves and humans of Merindaelion.

The Peers of the Realm

Merindaelion’s peerage is a patchwork of small noble

fiefs with a variety of titles of uncertain precedence.

There are approximately twenty baronets, seigneurs,

and lords or dames, plus a number of indepen-

dent holds and free towns that are part of no lord’s

domain. The more powerful of the nobles hold fiefs as

impressive as House Merind’s own and have strong

claims on the barony’s throne due to old marriages

with the royal house.

Lord Kinimar: The lord of Anduiros, the second-

largest city in the realm, Kinimar is a cousin of Geras

Merind. He is an ambitious and calculating forty-

year-old human known for his talents as a sorcerer.

He entertains schemes of unseating House Merind

and installing his own House Fhalton as the ruling

family in Merindaelion.

Baronetess Sefini: Hotheaded and impetuous,

Sefini is a striking young female half-elf who reigns

over the pirate haven of Talon Bay. She is sometimes

called the Corsair Queen, and for good reason—

Talon Bay is the home of a large and raucous corsair

f lotilla. Sefini chafes under what she sees as the

overly heavy hand of Baron Geras, and constantly

tests the limits of baronial authority with brazen

acts of piracy.

The Forest Lords: Seven of Merindaelion’s

ranking peers hold no towns or castles, but instead

represent noble elf clans of the forested interior.

Each Forest Lord governs a clan, a house, or a tribe

of elves and their retainers, watching over unsettled

NesMaleN aT a GlaNce

A fortresslike haven harboring scores of ships, this

small city is the capital of the Emerald Blade Barony.

PopulationMix: Approximately 8,000 people,

most of them humans or half-elves, live in Nes-

malen. Several times that number live in the fields

and towns along the River Nes and the shores of

Emerald Bay. Halflings, elves, shifters, and dragon-

born make up the nonhuman population.

Government: Nesmalen is ruled by a lord mayor

appointed by the baron. The city and its surround-

ing lands are the historical demesne of House

Merind, but the baron, as the ranking noble of the

realm, delegates oversight of local affairs to various

officials. The current lord mayor is an old, officious

male halfling named Tarren Thistler. Lord Mayor

Tarren makes a great show of any civic ceremony

and never misses a chance to give a speech, but

otherwise governs lightly.

Commerce: Nesmalen’s major industries are

shipbuilding, woodworking, and the production,

dyeing, and embroidering of textiles such as silk

and cotton. The major food crops are brown rice,

fruit, nuts, beans, and other crops that do well in

warm, humid conditions. In addition, every kind

of seafood can be found in the markets and is a

daily part of the residents’ diet. Nesmalen imports

metalwork, wine, grain, and leather.

Defenses: Emerald Blade Keep is a large fortress

that commands the harbor, but Nesmalen’s first

line of defense is its excellent war fleet of twelve

sturdy dromonds with iron-beaked rams. The city

is otherwise unwalled. In addition to the dromond

crews, the Keep is defended by two hundred fifty

elite foot soldiers and the order of wizards known

as the Mages of the Emerald Star.

Inns and Taverns: Nesmalen is renowned for

its excellent fare and comfortable inns. The White

Sail Inn caters to visiting shipowners and captains,

offering good food and safe lodgings overlooking

the harbor. Travelers of more modest means can

choose the Storm Gull near the wharves, where

one’s stay might be marked by brawling, robbery,

and the occasional murder. The House of Swans, a

mile outside town on a forested hilltop overlooking

the Nes, caters to elves and other people who have

refined tastes.

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Nerathi Legends: Merindaelion, Barony of the Emerald Blade

e xPloring

the B arony

The Emerald Blade Barony lies in a region of warm,

heavily forested hills marked by steep, rugged ridges.

The area is not truly mountainous and isn’t an

actual jungle, but the terrain forms a significant bar-

rier against attacks from the west or south. A small

amount of the land is under cultivation, mostly in the

valley of the River Nes and the gentle coastal plain

around Anduiros. The interior can grow warm and

humid in the summers, but the coast remains temper-

ate from the ever-present sea breezes.

goods from all over the world. A picturesque head-

land above the harbor is home to Emerald Blade

Keep, the stronghold and palace of House Merind

and the seat of Baron Geras.

Nesmalen is a reasonably safe city, although not

without its intrigues and dangers. Yuan-ti spies and

abominations lurk in its sewers and catacombs,

along with audacious gangs of thieves and a persis-

tent cult dedicated to the two-headed demon prince

Demogorgon.

Emerald Blade soldiers. The commander of the for-

tress is High Captain Sinnovhan el-Moirad, an elf

swordsman of great accomplishment and one of the

realm’s Forest Lords.

Nesgard Keep is also notable for its proximity to

the ruins of an Arkhosian school of war-sorcerers. The

hilltop academy was destroyed by demons fifteen cen-

turies ago, and dark powers still lurk in the catacombs

and vaults beneath the academy’s crumbling towers.

lighthouse of saris

The elves of ancient Solaneillon built a tower on the

northernmost point of Cape Saris to guide passing

ships through the shallows of the straits. After the

original tower fell into disuse, the Nerath Empire

raised a new lighthouse and stronghold on the same

location two hundred years ago. The Nerathi are now

long gone; Emerald Blade soldiers staff the lighthouse

and guard the small town at the tower’s base. Power-

ful trebuchets on the tower can throw fifty-pound

stones, posing a serious threat to any hostile vessels

venturing too close.

anduiros

Anduiros is the second city of the Emerald Blade

Barony. It lies on an expanse of f lat farmland in

the heart of the realm, ringed by cotton fields and

orchards. The city is the center of the barony’s timber

industry, producing highly valued hardwoods in

its sawmills. Because it stands on open ground,

Anduiros is protected by a city wall, the most exten-

sive to be found in Merindaelion.

In the past, the human lords of Anduiros feuded

bitterly with the elven clans of the forest, and in

all Merindaelion this is the place where humans

and elves remain most at odds; few elves live here,

and Anduirosans harbor suspicions about elven

inf luence over the barony’s affairs. Anduiros is the

domain of Lord Kinimar Fhalton, a cousin of the

baron and the most powerful and ambitious of the

realm’s nobles.

Nesmalen

The largest city in the Emerald Blade Barony is

Nesmalen, located where the River Nes meets the

northern arm of Emerald Bay. Nesmalen is a scenic

city, with whitewashed walls and colorful tiled roofs

glittering among the green, forested hillsides. Its ship-

yards turn out the finest vessels on the western shores

of the Sunrise Sea, and its warehouses are filled with

Faldrin Vale

In the highest and most inaccessible hills of

Merindaelion lies a valley of wild and sinister

beauty—Faldrin Vale. Moss-grown trees, f lowering

vines, and ancient standing stones mark the vale as

a region where the Feywild lies close to the mortal

world. The woods are haunted by dryads, centaurs,

and sometimes darker and more dangerous fey; this

forest is perilous for mortals, and even elves tread

carefully in Faldrin. The vale lies at the heart of

the Forest Lords’ domains, and it serves as a meet-

ing place and mustering ground for Merindaelion’s

nonhuman denizens. The forests surrounding Fal-

drin Vale are protected by mazes of brambles and

enchanted glades that can capture travelers and send

them into a deep slumber that lasts for days.

Nesgard Keep

Located at the head of the valley of the River Nes,

Nesgard Keep blocks the only practicable invasion

route into the Emerald Blade Barony from the west.

The castle’s construction began early in the reign of

Baron Halvar Merind, father of Baron Geras, and

proceeded in several stages—first a watchtower, then

a small keep, and finally an encircling wall, provid-

ing accommodations for a garrison of four hundred

Ju l y 2011 | DRAGON 401

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