Moonstair

Built among the ruins of the troll kingdom of Vardar, the town of Moonstair is a trade outpost that lies at the confluence of two rivers. The town’s most renowned feature is the Moon Door, a portal to the Feywild that opens when the moon is full and the sky is clear.

Geography: The peninsula on which Moonstair was built starts as rocky hills jutting up from the river at its westernmost tip. The western high ground is heavily settled, with the population thinning to the east as the ground slopes away. There, the town gives way to fertile farmland that borders the swamps of the Trollhaunt.

Population: Just over a thousand people live in and around Moonstair. With the river serving as a natural protective barrier on two sides, the town has grown up rather than out, and multistory buildings are common. Situated as it is on a major trade route, Moonstair’s population fluctuates (sometimes drastically) depending on the number of travelers passing through.

Government: Moonstair is led by a half-elf mayor, Kelana Dhoram. Her primary focus is in maintaining the town’s prosperity through trade, and her leadership is more about commerce than security. As a result, the town watch is small and poorly equipped. The monsters to the east have long been quiet, but Moonstair is ill equipped to deal with the new power in the Trollhaunt.

1. The Moon Door
An island of stone juts from a stretch of white water beyond the westernmost point of the town. Atop this crag stands a wide ring of moss and flowering plants. Under especially clear skies within a few nights of the full moon, a portal opens to the Feywild. The Moon Door is reached by traversing a series of smaller, rocky islets—the “moon stair” for which the town is named. This portal serves as a regular pathway between this part of the natural world and the Feywild, specifically to an eladrin castle-city on the other side.

2. Moonstair Keep
This small keep is built upon Vardari ruins. Great slabs of stone make up its foundation, with walls of stone and mortar above. The mayor lives and works here, and the barracks for the town watch (such as it is) are located within.

3. Cloudwatch Inn
Operated by a halfling named Cham, the Cloudwatch Inn offers the most luxurious accommodations in town. Its clientele consists primarily of travelers on the trade road or the rivers, and hopefuls waiting for a chance to take the Moon Door to the Feywild. Either way, bad weather is good for Cham’s business.

4. Temple
The temple here is small, but it features a few capable ritual casters. The most prominent shrines here are dedicated to Oneiros, the Circle, and the Wanderer. Oneiros’s whims are said to control the operation of the Moon Door, while the Circle and the Wanderer protect those who pass through Moonstair by road or water.

5. Ferry Landings
Trade caravans crossing from one side of the river to the other must pass by ferry through Moonstair. The town watch spends much of its time patrolling these landings, keeping them secure.

6. Old Troll Wall
Dating from when these lands were part of the kingdom of Vardar, this 20-foot-high wall is built from enormous unmortared stones. Though sturdy, the moss-covered wall has suffered neglect for untold years. In many places, gaps and cracks are visible.

7. Rualiss’s Island
An eladrin emissary from the Feywild, Rualiss lives on this small island just a short boat ride from town. The island is overgrown with thick trees and brush, concealing Rualiss’s small stone house.

8. Outer Wall
When humans first settled this area, they turned the land east of the Old Troll Wall into farmsteads. The outer wall they built is not as thick as the Old Troll Wall, but it is in better repair.