Overview
- Population: ~90,000 (including surrounding area)
- Nicknames: Cat-town
- Primary Race(s): Mostly Tabaxi, Some Aarakocra Villages, other common humanoids.
- Location: The Corsair Seas
- Leadership: The Coin Lords
- Known For: Mage-bred Animals, Exotic Training, Artifact Research, School of Dance
Description
Nestled deep within the emerald expanse of the jungle lies Moonshadow, a secluded Tabaxi city perched upon the broad limbs of ancient trees. Here, life dances to a rhythm both wild and wondrous. The Tabaxi of Moonshadow are masters of animal husbandry, forging gentle bonds with beasts great and small, including the formidable jungle dinosaurs they rear with reverent care. Their artistry is equally profound—graceful dances mimic the motions of predator and prey alike, echoing the natural order. Though largely isolationist, the city is not hostile; its people prefer the rustle of leaves to the clamor of diplomacy. Intriguingly, the Tabaxi also engage in the subtle art of mage-breeding—enhancing creatures not with cruelty, but care, to better coexist with their handlers. Though distant in temperament, Moonshadow maintains a quiet, pragmatic alliance with the pirate haven of Corsair’s Landing, exchanging exotic beasts and performances for vital trade and protection. Visitors are not unwelcome, especially those local to the Corsair Seas, but are generally nudged away unless there for a specific purpose. The nearby Aarakocra villages are more strictly 'closed' to outside visitors unless granted a pass by someone of authority in Moonshadow.
History
Moonshadow is an older city, built directly into the jungle and is little interested in the affairs of the wider world outside of trade, the acquisition of rare artifacts and exotic beasts. A member of the Chartist cities under the Coin Lords for mutual defense, easier trade and a shared distrust of larger, more involved systems of governance. The city's origins are unknown but can be traced back to at least the end of the third age.
Geography and Layout
Large permanent structures built directly into the jungle near the coast. There is a small town on the coast, roughly 2 hours away on foot, connected to the city by road that serves as the de-facto Harbor for Moonshadow.
Economy
- Primary Industries: Animal Breeding and Training, Bardic School of Dance
- Trade Partners: The Corsair Seas, The Free Lands
- Currency: Standard, although bartering, especially with magical or cultural artifacts, is also common.
Culture and Society
| Religion: | Temples to Brian, Talic, Stannis, and Lady Corinette can all be found here | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditions: | Lantern Lighting Ceremonies are common here. | |||
Notable Figures and Groups
| Name | Title | Bio | Desciption | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo-of-Ash | Coin Lord of Moonshadow, “The Silken Claw” | F Tabaxi, 42 | A lithe and silver-furred Tabaxi, she rarely raises her voice, yet her words carry great weight. She never speaks in public without her ivory-handled fan, a magic item with unknown powers or function. A skilled negotiator and a celebrated dancer in her youth, she now orchestrates trade agreements and mercantile alliances across jungle and sea and is respected for her discretion and uncanny foresight. Unknown to most outside her fellow Lords, has an expansive network of spies and informants. Echo is an anonymous patron for an abolitionist group that raids the western Empire to free the enslaved there. | ||||
| Silk Dancers | Spies/Bards | … | Tabaxi Agents trained as Bards and Dancers that work as intelligence operatives. The agents both spy for Moonshadow and offer their talents for hire to those in the know; although never against Moonshadow or the Coin Lords. | ||||
Points of Interest and Services
| Name | Type | Contact/Owner | Desciption | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Blazing Coil | Exotic Tavern & Dance Hall | Zalri, owner and fire-dancer | A softly lit, circular treehouse where dancers ply their trade and drinks pour freely. The house drink is made with fermented jungle fruits and moonlit herbs called “Claw Juice”. | |||
| Verdant Howl Stables | Exotic Animal Training | Tlarissk, a one-eyed Orc | Specializing in mage-bred raptors other animals, the stables are built into the roots of a massive tree | |||
| The Weeping Fang | Tattoo & Scar Studio | Chitter-of-Ink, F Tabaxi Mute | Uses enchanted bone needles and venom-based dyes to etch tribal runes and protective wards into fur and skin. Magic Tattoos here slightly shift when seen in moonlight. | |||
| Moonroot Archive | Library | Mist-of-Voices, M Tabaxi | A canopy-level collection of scrolls and tombs. Knowledge is stored not just in parchment, but in magically crystals. The Crystals are alive and must be conviced to surrender their information. | |||
| The Twisting Nest | Aviary and Magical Familiar Broker | Ira the Feathered, Aarakocra | This elevated rookery offers magically bonded messenger birds and rare familiars. | |||
| Twilight Shrine | Temple of Brian and Talic | Whispers-at-Dusk, M Tabaxi | Dual Shrine built behind a waterfall. Often uses Lantern Lighting ceremonies unique to this area. | |||
Media
Moonroot Archive
