Faerûn
Faerûn is a
fictional continent, the primary setting of the
Dungeons & Dragons world of
Forgotten Realms. It is the western part of an unnamed supercontinent quite similar to real-world
Eurafrasia. It is set on the planet
Toril (more formally, "Abeir-Toril"). Other parts of this supercontinenent include
Kara-Tur (original setting of the D&D
Oriental Adventures campaign setting), and
Zakhara, home to the
Arabian Nights setting
Al-Qadim.
Maztica, home of a tribal, Aztec-like civilization is far to the west, across the
Trackless Sea. The subterranean regions underneath Faerûn are the
Underdark.
Economically and
technologically, Faerûn is comparable to Western
Europe during the late
Middle Ages.
Gunpowder (here called
smoke powder and different in its composition from historical gunpowder) is starting to make an appearance, but much of the armament is still dominated by
swords,
spears,
bows, and the like. Most of the population consists of
farmers, organized somewhat loosely in a semi-
feudal system. There are also a number of notable
cities, and
trade between
nations is common, comparable to the
Renaissance era. Likewise, there are regions where more barbaric tribes and customs persist.
The great equalizer in this setting is the presence of
magic. This is subdivided into divine and arcane, with the former empowered by a god in one of the Pantheons, and the latter by peculiar rituals or innate abilities which manipulate the Weave, the source of magical energies. There are many shades of grey in this mixture, with the societies containing both good-natured magic practitioners and those with a decidedly evil bent.
Psionics are transparent to magic (which means that everything that affects magic will affect psionics and vice-versa). Arcane magic is called
The Art and Psionics are called
The Invisible Art. Some speculate traditional firearms will never enjoy a great success in the Realms, since magic can generally accomplish everything that explosives can, but more effectively. The only advantage of smoke powder seems to be that it can be used by non magic-users, which represent the vast majority of the population.
Faerûn is also home to a number of non-human creatures of varying degrees of civilization or barbarism. Among these are several different races of
dwarves,
gnomes,
halflings and
elves, as well as
goblins,
orcs,
lizardmen,
ogres, various
giants, and even
dragons.
See also Geographical index of Toril |
The full 3rd-Edition Faerûn map. |
|
The 2nd-Edition Faerûn map.
|
The continent includes terrain that is as varied as
Europe, western
Asia, and much of
Africa is on our planet
Earth; it also is significantly bigger than the
United States (as shown in a first-edition comparison map). 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 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 regions of
steppe 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 includes the following geographic and political regions:
*
Northwest â€" A region of wilderness, difficult winter weather, orc hordes, and barbarian tribes, this region is generally referred to as "The North". It is a mostly-untamed region that lies between the large
Anauroch desert in the east and the expansive
Sea of Swords to the west. This area contains the
High Forest,
Icewind Dale, Savage Frontier,
Silver Marches (Luruar),
Sword Coast,
Neverwinter,
Mithral Hall, and the port city of
Waterdeep. This area is one of the most popular regions for role-playing campaigns set in Faerûn, and has been the setting for a number of popular
computer role-playing games.
*
North â€" 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, with the forested Dalelands, the wastes of Anauroch, the coastline of the Moonsea,
The Vast, and the bitterly cold steppes of
The Ride.
*
Northeast â€" 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. 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 also contains
Damara, the
Great Dale,
Impiltur,
Narfell,
Rashemen, and
Thesk.
*
West â€" This region includes the nations south of Waterdeep and north of the
Shining Sea, that border along the Sea of Swords. The west includes
Baldur's Gate,
Amn,
Tethyr and
Calimshan (the "Lands of Intrigue"),
Evereska,
Lantan, the
Moonshae Isles,
Nimbral, and the
Western Heartlands. It also includes the multitude of islands that lie to the west in the vast ocean called the
Trackless Sea, collectively named the
Nelanther Isles.
*
Interior â€" With the exception of the Shining Plains, these lands lie 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
Chondath,
Cormyr, the
Dragon Coast,
Hlondeth, the
Pirate Isles,
Sembia,
Sespech,
Turmish, and the Shining Plains.
*
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" in campaign setting publications. This region includes
Aglarond,
Altumbel,
Chessenta,
Chondalwood,
Mulhorand,
Murghôm,
Thay, and
Unther. Many of these nations allow slavery, and depend on slaves for much of their economy.
*
Southwest — This region lies along the great
Chultan peninsula that juts out toward the west. The waters to the north are named the Shining Sea, a body bounded by Calisham 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 Chult,
Lapaliiya,
Samarach,
Tashalar, and
Thindol.
*
South — This land lies 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,
Dambrath, the
Great Rift,
Halruaa, the Lake of Steam, and The
Shaar.
*
Southeast — These lands lie 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 the lands of
Durpar,
Estagund and
Var the Golden (collectively called
the Shining Lands),
Luiren, the land of Halflings,
Ulgarth, the Eastermost extent of Faerûn, and
Veldorn, the land of monsters.
*
Underdark — The immense complex of caverns and passages that lie beneath many parts of the continent of Faerûn — it contains cities of
drow including the infamous
Menzoberranzan and the ruins of Ched Nasad, as well as Maerdrimydra, Llurth Dreir and Sshamath; cities of
duergar such as Gracklstugh and Dunnspeirrin; and almost unpronounceable cities of
kuo-toa,
illithids, and
beholders.
*
Timeline of FaerûnThe following individuals figure prominently in the lore of Faerûn, particularly in
Forgotten Realms novels and RPG.
*
Artemis Entreri*
Arilyn Moonblade*
Bruenor Battlehammer*
Cattie-brie*
Danilo Thann*
Drizzt Do'Urden*
Elminster*
Gareth Dragonsbane*
Guenhwyvar (big cat)
*
Jarlaxle Baenre*
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun*
Regis the halfling*
Taegan Nightwind*
Volo*
Wulfgar*
List of Forgotten Realms deities
