Ordulin

Once a part of the Dalelands, Ordulin is now the capital of Sembia. Hundreds of years ago, the city was known as Moondale, and it was one of the largest and most prosperous of the Dales. Moondale was one of the first Dales founded after the raising of the Standing Stone. At that time, the Elven Woods still marched all the way to the shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Ordulin lay in a broad, grassy valley deep in the heart of the woods. Over many years, the forest retreated in the face of Chondathian settlers on the coasts. The woods retreated all the way to Moondale and farther still, leaving Moondale as a farming settlement in cleared land by the year 700 DR.

The folk of Moondale continued to flourish. They avoided the conflict between the new nation of the Sembians and the elves of Cormanthor. As they prospered, their town grew and became more dependent on Semblan imports and trade. Sembian settlers swelled the population, and Sembian merchants established permanent bases in Moondale.

About 300 years ago, the Sembians formalized their control of Moondale, announcing the annexation of the area to their new nation. The take-over was peaceful; by this time, better than half the population was of Sembian descent, and the people of Moondale had nothing to complain about. They were happy to unite with their neighbor to the south.

The Dale was renamed Ordulin, and soon grew into a major city. The early rulers of Sembia selected Ordulin as the nation’s capital because it was relatively free of the interference of the established merchant families of the older Sembian cities — Selgaunt, Daerlun, and Yhaunn. Ordulin commands many important overland routes, and is surrounded by rich fields that are the breadbasket of Sembia. It is also the jumpingoff point for most Sembian trade in the Dalelands.

People from the nearby Dales, Archendale and Tasseldale, often journey to Ordulin to trade or simply sightsee. It is the nearest and friendliest .big city. for the Dalelands, and the Sembians exercise little control over foreigners. movements and purchases. Adventurers visiting the city will find that nearly any service or equipment is available here, and that the city enjoys its own intrigues and adventuresome troubles.