Faerûn (/feɪˈruːn/ fay-ROON or: /ˌfeɪɛrˈuːn/ FAY-er-OON))
Faerûn (pronounced: /feɪˈruːn/ fay-ROON or: /ˌfeɪɛrˈuːn/ FAY-er-OON) is a major continent on the planet of Toril.
Etymology
The word "Faerûn" is widely believed to be a modification of the word "Faerie", the name of the homeland of ancient elves.
Geography
The continent includes terrain that as varied as any other. Besides the exterior coastline to the west and south, the most dominant feature on the continent is the Sea of Fallen Stars. This is an irregular inland sea that keeps the interior lands fertile, connects the west and east regions of Faerûn and serves as a major trade route for many of the bordering nations.
Next in significance is the Shaar, a broad region of grasslands in the south that, together with the Lake of Steam, separates the area around the inland sea from the coastal nations at the southern edge of the continent. To the east, Faerûn is bordered by a vast region of steppes from Kara-Tur, and in the north are massive glaciers (Pelvuria and Reghed) and tundra. South of the continent, separated by the Great Sea, is the sub-tropical land of Zakhara.
The continent is divided into the following geographic regions:
Northwest
A region of wilderness, difficult winter weather, orc hordes, and barbarian tribes, this region is generally referred to as "The North", which also contains most of the "Sword Coast North". It is a mostly untamed region that lays between the large Anauroch desert yo the east and the expansive Sea of Swords to the west, north of the High Moor.
This area contains:
- High Forest: A traditional home of the elves.
- Frozenfar: The frigid north that contains the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale, the Spine of the World, and the Sea of Moving Ice.
- Savage Frontier: The rugged frontier of the north attracts farmsteaders and others that choose to subsist off the land.
- Silver Marches: A confederation of humans, dwarves, and elves, with the city of Silverymoon at its heart.
- Sword Coast North: This dangerous coastal area comprises several great cities, including the metropolis of Waterdeep and the city of Neverwinter.
North
This region stretches from the wide Anauroch desert in the west to the eastern edge of the inland Moonsea, in the northern region of the continent. It is a region of contrasts, containing:
- Anauroch: A huge desert, once the fertile land of the empire of Netheril.
- The Dalelands: An area of rich farmland and human civilization, and home to the famous wizard Elminster.
- The Moonsea: A large northern body of water with shores in many politically unstable areas.
- The Ride: A northern steppe, home to mounted barbarians.
- The Vast: A pioneering land of wide-open spaces. Home to large populations of warring mountain orcs and dwarves
Northeast
This remote area begins in the cold, forbidding lands along the great ice sheets and continues south toward the northeastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars, collectively known as the Cold Lands. It is bordered on the west by the mountain-hemmed land of Vaasa and stretches east to the vast steppes of the Hordelands. This region contains:
- Damara: A tolerant, inviting land that is often at odds with its neighbor Vaasa over the mineral trade.
- The Great Dale: An insulated land of mostly human farmers, woodsman and druids.
- Impiltur: A friendly, peaceful merchant nation.
- The Hordelands: The vast, barren homelands of the nomadic Tuigan horde.
- Narfell: This expansive, frigid plains land is home to several nomadic tribes.
- Rashemen: A frigid, rugged realm known for its berserker clans and powerful sorceress witches.
- Thesk: Located around the Golden Way, this land of farmers and merchants serves as the portal to Kara-Tur.
- Vaasa: A dreary, frozen tundra sparse in population but rich in natural resources.
West
This region includes the nations south of Waterdeep and north of the Shining Sea that bordered along the Sea of Swords. It encompasses both the majority of the Sword Coast and the Lands of Intrigue, as well as:
- Amn: A huge, relatively new human nation of great wealth and prosperity.[3/li]
- Calimshan: This kingdom of extreme wealth, founded by genies, extolls mercantilism.
- Tethyr: This arid land is home to a nation wracked with war and intrigue as well as a forest with a heavy elven population.
- The Nelanther Isles: An island of predominantly non-human pirates that raid the Sword Coast.
- The Sword Coast: A rich coastline of trade, piracy, and adventure between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate.
- Baldur's Gate: This metropolis is the hub between a number of trading routes named after the famous explorer Balduran.
- The Western Heartlands: This vast land of independent cities and farmlands spans the area between the western coast and the nation of Cormyr.
Moonshae Isles
This archipelago contains a series of rugged and harsh islands located off the western coast of Faerûn.
Evermeet
Evermeet lies far to the west of the Moonshae Isles in the Trackless Sea. It is the island homeland for most of the elves of Faerûn following the great retreat.
Interior
With the exception of the Shining Plains, these lands lay along the irregular coastline of the western Sea of Fallen Stars. In the north, the Dragonmere arm of the sea extends far to the west, ending close to the Western Heartlands. To the south, the Vilhon Reach forms a second arm leading to the southwest. The notable areas within this region include:
- Akanûl: A realm displaced from Abeir during the Spellplague, this kingdom of exotic genasi replaced parts of Chondath and Chessenta.
- Chondath: This confederation of city-states rests on the southern border of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
- Cormyr: A feudal nation of humans living on former elven and dragon territory.
- The Dragon Coast: The southern coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars is a den for pirates, thieves and members of the regions' more unseemly organizations.
- Hlondeth: This independent city-state has been ruled by Yuan-ti halfbloods since 6th century DR.
- The Pirate Isles: A chain of islands that serves as a refuge to the human pirates within the Sea of Fallen Stars.
- Sembia: This young, expansive nation of lawful merchants serves as a broker between the northern and southern powers of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
- Sespech: An independent barony that gained its independence from Chondath; they have banned the use of magic.
- Turmish: Farmers and honest traders thrive in this republic of small cities and peaceful villages.
- The Shining Plains: A massive expanse of grassland home to human cities and tribes of centaurs and wemics.
East
Most of the nations in this region border the eastern expanses of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Here the sea forms a long arm that travels to the east before turning south to become the Alamber Sea. The northern nations of this mysterious area are termed the Unapproachable East and the southern nations the Old Empires, and, for a time, the Empires of the Alamber Sea. This region includes:
- Aglarond: An autocratic magocracy that acts as a peacekeeping force in the area against pirates and agents of Thay.
- Altumbel: This small, isolated, xenophobic kingdom is located on the westernmost point of the Aglarondan peninsula.
- Chessenta: A group of loosely-affiliated city-states whose culture adulate physical prowess and foster a passion for the arts.
- Chondalwood: One of the rare, expansive forests of Faerûn that with continuously expanding borders.
- High Imaskar: Remnants of the Mulan-overthrown Imaskar empire.
- Mulhorand: A formerly mighty empire that continues on in the shadow of its former glory.
- Murghôm: This country's farmers operate in semi-autonomy from Mulhorand, but still give them mandatory aide in times of war and crisis. During the 15th century DR, it has become an independent land ruled by dragon princes.
- Okoth: This remnant of the oldest known civilization on Faerûn served the return of the Sarrukh in the 14th century DR.
- Thay: A magocracy built on slavery; home of the notorious Red Wizards.
- Tymanther: The remains of a realm from Abeir displaced and destroyed during the Spellplague, the kingdom of dragonborn on Faerûn is known for their militant nature.
- Unther: A realm in decline after the loss of many conquered lands and their patron deity Gilgeam.
Southwest
This region lay along the great Chultan Peninsula that jutts out toward the west. The waters to the north are named the Shining Sea, a body bounded by Calimshan to the north and joined to the Lake of Steam through the Straits of Storm. To the south of the land is the Great Sea. Located in this area are:
- Lantan: This technologically advanced island-nation is home to human and gnomish worshipers of Gond.
- Chult: A region full of both wealth and disease, home to many serpentine races and creatures including dinosaurs.
- Jungles of Chult: The dense and dangerous jungles hold a wide variety of deadly flora and fauna, the rumors of which frighten neighboring societies.
- Lapaliiya: A group of city-states of zealous faith, formed by the previously tribal natives.
- Samarach: This mysterious kingdom on the southern end of the Chultan peninsula is largely obscured by illusion magic.
- Tashalar: Wealth, skill and exotic goods are found in abundance in this mercantile oligarchy.
- Thindol: A country of mixed human and Yuan-ti lineage.
South
The Shining South lay to the south of the regions around the Sea of Fallen Stars, being somewhat isolated by the Lake of Steam in the west and the vast length of the Shaar. It is bordered along the south by the Great Sea, to the west by the Chultan peninsula region, and in the east by Luiren. The south includes:
- The Border Kingdoms: An area of ever-changing mini-nations and fluctuating borders.
- Dambrath: This nation has exchanged sovereignty between humans and the half-drow Crinti, and back again over course of a half-millennium.
- The Great Rift: This giant canyon that cleaves the area in half is the ancestral home of the gold dwarves.
- Halruaa: The nation of wizards is full of unique magic and is well-guarded against foreigners.
- The Lake of Steam region: Many races and species make up the populations of the independent city-states around the southern shore of the lake.
- The Shaar: A vast, rolling grassland home to nomadic Shaaran tribes, wemics, and centaurs.
Southeast
These lands lay to the south and east of the grassy plains known as the Shaar, along the shores of the Great Sea opposite the land of Zakhara. The region includes:
- Durpar: This merchant kingdom is lauded as the foremost trader in this part of Faerûn.
- Estagund: An honorable and virtuous monarchy led the Rajah and the nation's noble warriors, the Maquar.
- Var the Golden: This wealthy and intriguing nation follow the Adama.
- Luiren: This is the only kingdom of halflings in Faerûn.
- Ulgarth: A feudal kingdom whose monarch is dedicated to fair and just governance.
- The Utter East: Home to the Five Kingdoms, this land borders Kara-Tur and Zakhara.
- Veldorn: The Land of Monsters is ruled by an alliance of beast-chieftains.
Underdark
Main Article: Underdark
The immense complex of caverns and passages that lay beneath many parts of the continent of Faerûn. It contains:
- Ched Nasad: A destroyed drow city in the midde Northdark.
- Dunspeirrin: A duergar city in the Darklands.
- Gracklstugh: This city of Duergar is located under the earth south of the Evermoors.
- Llurth Dreir: A drow city under the Great Rift that has been forsaken by Lolth.
- Maerimydra: This large drow city is located under the Dalelands.
- Menzoberranzan: An infamous drow city and original home of Drizzt Do'Urden.
- Sshamath: One of the few drow cities ruled by male wizards.
- Blingdenstone: Chief city of the svirfneblin, before being driven out to Silverymoon.
The Underdark also contains the almost unpronounceable cities of kuo-toa, illithids, and beholders.
Maps
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Faerûn
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