The Shaar

The Shaar is a massive country that consists of various independent cities that had individual governments. The unifying factor between these cities the Church of Shar.
The Shaar is a hot country with temperatures averaging over 100 in the summer and in the 50's for their winter. Due to this, society in the Shaar has adapted to a nocturnal schedule. It allows the residents to go about their lives without the oppressions of the overbearing heat and humidity. Because of this, the residents worship the god of night, Shar. While their nocturnal lifestyle can be hard for foreigners to adjust to and traders to work around, many citizens consider it a form of worship to dedicate their waking lives to the dark of night.
Due to the climate of the Shaar, it is also common for fog to be heavy, especially in the more humid regions where they do most of their farming. After the Spellplague in 1300 DR, the eastern side of the continent has become barely more than a hot and barren wasteland. Citizens have strived hard in the past hundred years to rebuild, especially since many of the survivors had loved ones swallowed by the Underchasm. This has led to hardy villages made entirely out of ash toned stone with little in the way of plant life. They sky is always hazy and the ground is scorched, but the residents make do, claiming that with the guidance of Shar they will prevail.
Before the Spellplague, the Church of Shar had grown to prominence across all of Faerun. Citizens from Shaar established churches in many other countries, including Amn, Sembia, and many cities along the Sword Coast. After the desolation wrought on the country, many of these members decided to return home to help rebuild, causing the influence of the Church fell outside of Shaar.
The country still survives even in these circumstances, and while the church of Shar may not be as widespread as it was, they are still found across the territory of Shaar.

In the Eastern regions the citizens have turned to maintaining underground farms that consists of nocturnal plants. The people claim these plants come directly from the realm of Darkness that Shar resides in. On the surface in these areas nothing more than darkened, twisted briars and weeds grow.