The Forgotten Realms

Described as a world of strange lands, dangerous creatures, and mighty deities, where magic and supernatural phenomena are quite real, long ago, planet Earth and the world of the Forgotten Realms were more closely connected. As time passed, the inhabitants of Earth had mostly forgotten about the existence of that other world – hence the name Forgotten Realms.   The Forgotten Realms is part of the fictional world of Abeir-Toril (usually just called Toril ), an Earth-like planet with many real-world influences and consists of several large continents. The other continents of Toril include Faerûn, Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Maztica, and other yet unspecified landmasses. There is also a vast subterranean world called the Underdark beneath the surface.   The main focus of the Forgotten Realms setting is the continent of Faerûn, and more specifically the west coast, named the "Sword Coast".  The lands of the Forgotten Realms are not all ruled by the human race, with populations of many humanoid races and creatures such as dwarves, elves, goblins, and orcs. Technologically, the world of the Forgotten Realms resembles the pre-industrial Earth in the 13th or 14th century. However, the presence of magic provides an additional element of power to the societies. There are several nation states and many independent cities, with loose alliances being formed for defense or conquest. Trade is performed by ship or horse-drawn vehicle, and manufacturing is based upon cottage industry.