Faerûn

Faerûn was a major continent on the planet of Abeir-Toril. ^{[note 1]}

Geography

Main article: Portal:Geography

The continent included terrain that was as varied as any other. Besides the exterior coastline to the west and south, the most dominant feature on the continent was the Sea of Fallen Stars. This was an irregular inland sea that kept the interior lands fertile and served as a major trade route for many of the bordering nations.

Next in significance was the Shaar, a broad region of grasslands in the south that, together with the Lake of Steam, separated the area around the inland sea from the coastal nations at the southern edge of the continent. To the east, Faerûn was bordered by a vast region of steppes from Kara-Tur, and in the north were massive glaciers (Pelvuria and Reghed) and tundra. South of the continent, separated by the Great Sea, was the sub-tropical land of Zakhara. The continent included the following geographic and political regions.

Northwest

Main article: Northwest Faerûn

A region of wilderness, difficult winter weather, orc hordes, and barbarian tribes, this region was generally referred to as "The North". It was a mostly untamed region that lay between the large Anauroch desert in the east and the expansive Sea of Swords in the west. ^{[note 2]}

This area contained:

The High Forest: A traditional home of the elves.
Icewind Dale: The site of the Ten Towns, and once the home of the Companions of the Hall.
Mithral Hall: The ancient dwarven stronghold rediscovered and reclaimed by Bruenor Battlehammer.
Neverwinter: A northern city, known as the Jewel of the North.
The Silver Marches: A confederation of humans, dwarves, and elves, with the city of Silverymoon at its heart.
The Sword Coast: A rich coastline of trade, piracy, and adventure.
Waterdeep: The City of Splendors, a huge and richly cosmopolitan city on the Sword Coast.

North

Main article: North Faerûn

This region stretched from the wide Anauroch desert in the west to the eastern edge of the inland Moonsea, in the northern region of the continent. It was 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.

Northeast

Main article: Northeast Faerûn

This remote area began in the cold, forbidding lands along the great ice sheets and continued south toward the northeastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars. It was bordered on the west by the mountain-hemmed land of Vaasa and stretched east to the vast steppes of the Hordelands. This region also contained:

West

Main article: West Faerûn

This region included the nations south of Waterdeep and north of the Shining Sea that bordered along the Sea of Swords. The west included:

Amn: A huge, relatively new human nation of great wealth and prosperity.
Baldur's Gate
Calimshan
Evereska: The crumbling final stronghold of the elves on Faerûn.
Lantan
The Moonshae Isles
The Nelanther Isles
Nimbral: The mysterious island nation.
Tethyr
The Western Heartlands

It also included the multitude of islands that lay to the west in the vast ocean called the Trackless Sea.

Interior

Main article: Interior Faerûn

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 extended far to the west, ending close to the Western Heartlands. To the south, the Vilhon Reach formed a second arm leading to the southwest. The notable areas within this region included:

Chondath
Cormyr: A feudal nation of humans living on former elven and dragon territory.
The Dragon Coast
Hlondeth
The Pirate Isles
Sembia
Sespech
Turmish
The Shining Plains

East

Main article: East Faerûn

Most of the nations in this region bordered the eastern expanses of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Here the sea formed a long arm that travels to the east before turning south to become the Alamber Sea. The northern nations of this mysterious area were termed the Unapproachable East and the southern nations the Old Empires. This region included:

Aglarond
Altumbel
Chessenta
Chondalwood
Mulhorand
Murghôm
Thay: Home of the notorious Red Wizards.
Unther

Many of these nations allowed slavery, and depended on slaves for much of their economy.

Southwest

Main article: Southwest Faerûn

This region lay along the great Chultan peninsula that jutted out toward the west. The waters to the north were 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 was the Great Sea. Located in this area were:

South

Main article: South Faerûn

This land 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 was bordered along the south by the Great Sea, to the west by the Chultan peninsula region, and in the east by Luiren. The south included:

The Border Kingdoms: An area of ever-changing mini-nations and fluctuating borders.
Dambrath
The Great Rift
Halruaa
The Lake of Steam
The Shaar

Southeast

Main article: Southeast Faerûn

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 included:

Underdark

Main article: Underdark

The immense complex of caverns and passages that lat beneath many parts of the continent of Faerûn. It contained:

Ched Nasad
Dunspeirrin
Gracklstugh
Llurth Dreir
Maerimydra
Menzoberranzan: The famous drow city and original home of Drizzt Do'Urden.
Sshamath
Blingdenstone: Chief city of the svirfneblin.

It also contained the almost unpronounceable cities of kuo-toa, illithids, and beholders.

Appendix

Notes

↑ As the key setting of the Forgotten Realms, the majority of official Forgotten Realms material covers this continent, and it has had more attention than any other area of the planet.
↑ 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.