Western Heartlands
The Western Heartlands (originally "Hartlands" for the abundance of deer) was a region located in the western portion of Faerun. It stretched from the Sword Coast region at water's edge of the Sea of Swords in the west, to the Storm Horn Mountains in the east. The region extended north until the Lizard Marsh of the Delimbiyr Vale, including the High Moor to the northeast, and went as far south to the Lands of Intrigue of Amn, Tethyr and Calimshan.
For centuries, the Western Heartlands were divided into a serious of small rival factions. This dynamic changed in the early 15th century, after Tormish clerics and paladins of Elturel united the surrounding settlements into the Kingdom of Two Suns, Elturgard. On the coast, Elturgard's greatest rival, Baldur's Gate, lies. Further north, lizardfolk and yuan-ti have unexpectedly allied under the naga, King Jarant. Though war has not broken out between these three factions, tensions continue to rise.
Geographic Regions
by Wizards of the Coast
Backlands
Aside from the Savage Frontier to the northwest, the Backlands were considered the largest swath of wild, untamed frontier land in the western realms of Faerun. It was infested with goblinoid raiders, malevolent beasts from the nearby Marsh of Chelimber and horrors from beyond the Material Plane. While dangers could be found among the old ruins of ancient Netheril, the presence of a an unusual number of gates was postulated by sages as the cause of the region's exorbitant number of monstrous beasts.Notable Locations
Elturgard
The theocracy of Elturgard comprises most of the central Western Heartlands.Situated on and around the River Chionthar, Elturgard's domain is mostly composed of rolling hills, plains, and forests.Notable Locations
Najara
Despite its vast expanse, the Kingdom of Serpents, comprised of nagas, yuan-ti, lizardfolk and other scalykind, existed merely as rumors and hushed warnings to the other denizens of the Western Heartlands. In the late 15th century DR, King Jarant sent yuan-ti ambassadors to neighboring kingdoms and city-states with a clear message that declared their sovereignty and dictated the terms of their diplomatic relations.Notable Locations
The Sword Coast
Dominated by the city-state of Baldur's Gate, the Sword Coast, named so for the massive cliffs that form its barrier with the ocean, is perhaps one of the most politically relevant areas in the world today. (Note: not to be confused with the Sword Coast North, the which runs from Waterdeep to the Sea of Moving Ice.)Notable Locations
Sunset Vale
The southern-most tip of the Western Heartlands is the Sunset Vale. The rolling knolls and vast stretches of wilderness of the Vale were accentuated by a pair of large cities settled on the River Chionthar. The area between them, full of prosperous and well-protected farms, served as the bread basket for the surrounding lands, shipping their goods as far away as Amn. Roaming bands of bandits and goblinoids kept the roads well-traveled and acted as a buffer against possible invasions from the nearby powers of the Sea of Fallen Stars.Notable Locations
Alternative Name(s)
The Hartlands
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