Forgotten Realms: The Apocalypse

WATERDEEP REGION

Regional Benefit - Waterdeep: Add one language of your choice and 2 Ranks in Diplomacy skill

DESCRIPTION: The City of Splendors remains what it has been for centuries: a bustling, crowded, busy mercantile crossroads where coin is king and tolerance for other races and habits is high. Gossip is the grease that helps the daily lives of most Waterdhavians along in their endless striving to make ever more money. Waterdeep is divided into a system of seven wards or civic districts. Economic activity continues to be dominated by the city's many guilds. Street plans of Waterdeep remain almost identical with those of a century ago. The old maps are still pretty accurate. The city gates are customarily opened at dawn and closed at dusk. The streets are lit at night by city lamplighters. Wagon traffic is common. The nobility was hit hard during the Spellplague, most losing most of their wealth from the destruction of Neverwinter and Luskan in the north. Many nobles had to sell their villas to those of the merchant class who had better fortunes. Waterdeep’s navy has been scuttled, and the city relies on warships from Mintarn for defense. The City Guard is now part of the City Watch, serving as a permanent bodyguard for the Open Lord and the Palace. The famed Griffon Cavalry was dissolved years ago after the griffons perished in various battles and were never replaced. Aside from sharing facilities and personnel with the Guard, the City Watch patrols pass along main streets once between bells, varying their routes often. It’s rare for a patrol to have fewer than eight Watchmen. All Watch patrols are armed and carry horns to summon reinforcements. Waterdeep enjoys an often-noted golemwork clock called the Timehands installed in the tallest tower of the Lords’ Palace. It possesses three continually turning dials, facing north, east, and south. The clock has bells that strike the hours, beginning with a “pay heed” chord, followed by a deep bell tolling the hours by number. Timehands also sports an hour hand and a smaller hand denoting minutes. Waterdeep was spared many of the ravages experienced by other cities during the Spellplague. However, the event did introduce hundreds of glowing globes (floating, mobile spheres of continual radiance) that now drift freely around Waterdeep. Although they are not sentient according to the House of Wonder (arcane college, formerly a temple to Mystra), they behave uncannily as if they are. They seem to become curious, and for a random time, follow certain beings who are moving about the city; they always seem drawn to any release or casting of magic. Also, a few of the fabled Walking Statues of Waterdeep went wild, striding across the city until they collapsed, toppled, or got wedged between buildings. Most have been removed, but some still remain. One local change wrought by the Spellplague is that detection and location magic no longer functions in the region.

Castle Ward: Administrative District - Castle Ward lies in the heart of Waterdeep, wrapping around the eastern slopes of Mount Waterdeep. This ward is home to the city’s administrative buildings and buildings of state. City Watch and Guard patrols are heavy. The ward’s most prominent landmarks include Ahghairon’s Tower, Blackstaff Tower, Castle Waterdeep, the Lords’ Palace, the Market, the Cynosure, and New Olamn.

Dock Ward: Harbor District - Dock Ward is Waterdeep’s oldest and most colorful ward. The harbor is a working place, full of dockworkers and sailors loading and unloading vessels. Carts groan hastily between warehouses all over the southern half of the city and Dock Ward, carrying goods to and from the ships. Dock Ward is also notorious as a lawless, brawling place of drunks and smugglers. Notable landmarks of Dock Ward include Cookhouse Hall, Shippers’ Hall, and the Full Sails tavern.

Field Ward: Young District - Field Ward is a crowded area, newly built, between the North Trollwall (the old inner north city wall) and the outer north city wall (still anchored by Northgate). It was once the caravan camping fields. Neither wall has been torn down, leaving Field Ward fenced off.This district is home to folk of all walks of life who lacked coin enough to hire lodgings or own buildings in Waterdeep, and arrived as the ravages of the Spellplague began. It is a slum in some places, and a struggling middle-class area in others. The Ward is a noisy, lively area that’s home to poor (and a few wealthy) elves, half-bloods of all sorts (and anyone who has a deformity or visible taint), and dwarves determined to get the respect they are sure they deserve.

North Ward: Home of the Wealthy - Waterdeep’s quietest ward is also one of its wealthiest. North Ward is home to most of the middle class and lesser noble families and the Cliffwatch. This ward all but shuts down at dusk. This placid reputation belies the intrigue and scheming that goes on behind closed doors, and the volumes of smuggled goods that lie in cellars beneath the city streets. The only widely known landmark of North Ward is the Gentle Mermaid, whose fame as a gambling hall has spread up and down the Sword Coast.

Sea Ward: Noble District - Waterdeep’s most affluent ward is notable for the many-spired, grand homes of the nobility, the gleaming edifices of the city’s leading temples, and the imposing towers of its premier wizards. Lashed by sea storms, Sea Ward was traditionally deserted in the winter; the nobles preferred to weather the cold months in estates farther south. This practice has been largely abandoned over the last century, however, as strife erupted across the Sword Coast. Notable landmarks of Sea Ward include the Field of Triumph, the lush Heroes’ Garden, and the Sea’s Edge Beach. Waterdeep’s largest temple, the House of Heroes dedicated to Tempus, stands just north of the Field of Triumph.

South Ward: Working-Class District - South Ward lies in the southeastern corner of Waterdeep, bounded by Trades Ward to the north and Dock Ward to the west. Caravan City, as this ward is known, is a homely, friendly, busy, and largely poor area of Waterdeep. South Ward is dominated by large, tall, old warehouses made of stone, mud brick, or timber. Crowded among them are three- and four-floor tenements, most with shops at street level. Notable landmarks of South Ward include Caravan Court, Waymoot, and Metalmasters’ Hall, headquarters of the Most Careful Order of Skilled Smiths & Metalforgers.

Trades Ward: Center of Commerce - Trades Ward lies in the eastern half of Waterdeep, encircling the western and southern walls of the City of the Dead. Given over almost entirely to commerce it has the hustle and bustle of a marketplace throughout the day and night. Notable landmarks of Trades Ward include the Court of the White Bull and Virgin’s Square. The towering Plinth stands no longer, having collapsed during the chaos of the Spellplague.

BALDUR'S GATE REGION

Regional Benefit - Baldur's Gate: Add one language of your choice and 2 Ranks in Gather Information skill

 DESCRIPTION: This sprawling city depends on the trade passing through its ports and gates to support its overpopulation. The only criterion for citizenship is a couple of silver pieces. Humans dominate the city, though elves, dwarves, and many others have settled here. Baldur’s Gate is a city anyone can visit. The city’s population is believed to have surpassed even Waterdeep. Baldur’s Gate is a prosperous city where just about anything can happen, and often does. It contains an active and organized thieves’ guild, powerful merchants with questionable ethics, and influential cults and secret societies. All the power groups maintain a precarious balance under the authority of the Flaming Fists, a former mercenary group that serves as the city’s police force, law enforcement, and protector. One can hardly spend an hour in the city without seeing one or more members of the Flaming Fists. Untouched by the Spellplague, Baldur’s Gate received an influx of refugees from the south that greatly swelled its population in the months and years following the disaster. Word soon spread that Baldur’s Gate was an “open city,” a safe haven for refugees from south of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The trickle of displaced people soon became a flood, and the city grew a population that doubled, then tripled in size. It is governed by Grand Duke Portyr, a fair man well liked, though not quite loved, by the citizens and a parliament. The heart of Baldur’s Gate lies within the old, high walls, but the city has spread across the River Chionthar and for miles in every direction. Built quickly and by the hands of refugees, the architecture is a hodgepodge of styles from all across Toril. Streets meander in a maze visitors find impossible to navigate. Most districts are named for what can be found there, namely the Docks East and West districts, Garden District, Merchnat Quarter, Riverside Slums, the Westland Gate district and the Bridge District across the Chionthar River.

Bloomridge: Wealthy Neighborhood - Bloomridge is contained on and within the old walls of Baldur’s Gate. The neighborhood extends down the side of the wall in swoops of stairs, galleries, and hanging gardens. It swarms with well-dressed buyers and discreet sellers. Architecturally pleasing shops are built in and around flower-filled arcades and open-air cafes. The wealthy and celebrated seek to buy one of the rarely available houses in Bloomridge, or failing that, to rent one of the small but expensive apartments built over popular shops and cafes. 

Twin Songs: Temple District - Twin Songs is one of many temple districts in the city, and a small one at that. Because the city’s population is so diverse, this area hosts temples to powers with wildly different goals. Even shrines to evil gods persist unchallenged by the Flaming Fists. Twin Songs is wholly devoted to the divine. Here one can easily find temples willing to perform healing rituals for the appropriate price.

 LUSKAN REGION

Regional Benefit - Luskan: Add 1 Rank in Hide, Move Silently, and Sleight of Hand skills

 DESCRIPTION: The cesspool of the world, Luskan is a city stewing in its own rot. Once it was a thriving port anchoring the northern end of the Trade Way on The Sword Coast, but decades of rampant crime has left it largely abandoned. Now Luskan is the exclusive territory of rival street gangs, monsters, and vermin. A middle-class citizen of Luskan would be a beggar anywhere else.

Mirar River - The Mirar River is a stinking bog, choked with the old hulks of partly sunken ships and topped with a layer of rubbish, waste, and worse. No one crosses the river if he can help it; dire things lurk in the water, and the bridges that spanned it are long since smashed, their remains still protruding from the murk. The odor is so profound that few can stand to walk its shores for long before fleeing for the relatively cleaner air of the city. 

North Bank - A former thriving merchant district, the North Bank has become a favored haunt of vile gangs and bands of undead. An old water tower still stands called The Throat. 

South Bank - Sprawling out from the southern side of the Mirar River is the great slum known as the South Bank. Once the lifeblood of Luskan, it now is a graveyard of old dreams. Between the rotting buildings, narrow streets twist through the shadows cast by the burned-out and collapsed structures on all sides. Gangs and pirates control much of the South Bank, but reports of more monstrous masters occasionally filter out from the city. 

  AGLAROND REGION

Regional Benefit- Aglarond: Add Elven (or Fey, if already known) language and +1 Rank in Listen and Spot skills

  DESCRIPTION: A land of open water and deep woods known as the Yuirwood, Aglarond is a nation of humans, elves, and half-elves on a broad peninsula thrust into the Sea of Fallen Stars. Elves and humans have intermingled in Aglarond for centuries—few natives can claim a pure bloodline one way or the other. No region in Faerûn has a higher half-elf population. Aglarond’s major cities lie on the coast near the nation’s most valuable resource, the sea. Most of Aglarond’s towns rely on ships for travel and trade. Some portions of the Yuirwood are shunned, for strange magic lingers in its depths. Aglarond faces threats from beyond and within its borders. Many residents maintain hope that the Simbul will return to deliver Aglarond from its enemies, but such hopes grow increasingly dim as dangers accumulate. In addition to the threat of an overt attack by Thay’s undead army, evils spawned under Thay’s influence find their way to the wilds of the Yuirwood. 

Veltalar: Capital City - Population 70,000 - Aglarond’s capital, formerly called Velprintalar, is the nation’s chief port. The inhabitants followed the retreating coast as the Sea of Fallen Stars subsided late in the previous century. They left behind the older, narrower, jumbled buildings of what is now called Old Velprintalar to worsening slumhood. Aglarond is ruled by a council of fifteen simbarchs, all spellcasters. They meet in the old Palace of the Simbul, a mansion of pale green stone built upon a rise overlooking the city. The simbarchs inherited both the palace and their titles from the country’s former ruler, though their current positions required armed strife with outlying populations who were initially disinclined to be governed by the Council. The Stone Bears are notorious Aglarondon thieves based in Veltalar.

Dantalien Citadel - The simbarchs constructed a fortress south of Undumor, directly across the wide Umber River. The massive citadel is continually seeking naive recruits, skilled adventurers, and mercenaries loyal to coin. The citadel provides basic training and equipment for raw recruits. Forces of untried city youths and battered woods folk, launched from Citadel Dantalien, join in the attempts to clear the undead threat from Thay and Undumor. 

Delthuntle - This city has emerged as a commercial power, extending enormous piers to follow the ocean’s retreat. Much of the city’s wealth comes from trade with Airspur, the capital of Akanûl. Delthuntle is host to one of the largest genasi populations living peaceably with humans and half-elves. However, a rising population of pirates patrolling the surrounding coast threatens the city’s peace and prosperity. 

Glarondar - Glarondar’s population has swelled from an influx of humans and tieflings fleeing Thay. The population now extends beyond what can be defended easily, and the Simbarch Council increasingly commits Aglarond’s military strength to Citadel Dantalien in the north, leaving the south vulnerable to beasts and undead. 

Undumor: Thayan Outpost - Aglarond’s grim fortress-city Emmech was lost to Thayan influence and renamed Undumor. This fortification at the mouth of the River Umber houses voracious monsters, vampire knights, and shambling corpses under the command of a necromancer.

 AKANUL REGION

Regional Benefit - Akanul: You gain 2 cold, fire, thunder resistance

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Wild Elf, Ghostwise Halfling or Strongheart Halfling) - Chondalwood: Add +3 bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot skill checks while in Forest terrain

 DESCRIPTION: This land is characterized by crazed stone spires, cavernous ravines, and cliffs like petrified waves. Free-floating earthmotes host miniature forests, grasslands, and lakes. Ever-replenishing waterfalls flow from watermotes to drape the land below in curtains of mist. The wild landscape seems perfectly suited to the tempestuous genasi who claim the land as their own. They breed several varieties of drakes to assist them in trade, transport, and war. A new nation formed in the devastated and warped lands between Chessenta and Chondath, Akanûl has overcome great adversity  on The Sea of Fallen Stars and is now a name to be respected and feared. Akanûl’s capital and largest city, Airspur, holds the bulk of the population. Otherwise, the claimed territory is mostly frontier. The shattered ruins of Chondathan cities lie broken at the bottom of ravines or thrust high atop stone buttes, a constant draw to adventurers seeking troves of lost gold. Predators native to Abeir hunt shadowed lowlands, while ravenous abolethic horrors stalk the cloud-girdled northern skies, pursuing their own inscrutable plans. Wondrous suspension bridges are prevalent in Airspur and other areas. These connections run from cliff dwellings to sky-scraping towers and even to earthmotes. Thickly muscled, if slow, draft drakes pull conveyances across these bridge-roads. Simple carts compete with elaborate carriages for space on the swaying lanes. Akanûl is ruled by Queen Arathane in partnership with the four Stewards of Earth, Fire, Sea, and Sky. Arathane is considered a good and just ruler. Her throne is high atop a twisted spire above Airspur where each of the four Stewards holds his or her own tiny "thronemote.” There, the lords decide the fate of the kingdom. Each of the four Stewards has specialized responsibilities. Lehaya, Steward of the Sky, is also called the Lawgiver because she is charged with administering the laws of Akanûl. All give their allegiance to the queen, but if they together disagree with their monarch—by her late mother’s own decree—she must abide by their wishes. Some genasi hold the queen and the four Stewards in contempt for their failure to adequately secure the kingdom’s borders, against either the abolethic threat or the dragonborn of Tymanther. They formed the Firestorm Cabal, pledged to patrolling the northern and eastern borders of Akanûl, beyond the kingdom’s official defensive perimeter. It keeps its Motherhouse in Airspur and has smaller safe houses all around the kingdom. Average citizens see the Firestormers as national heroes, willing to risk all.

Airspur: Capital City - Population 30,000 - Airspur’s infrastructure, shops, and dwellings are incorporated into Akanûl’s wondrous landscape of elemental spires and earthmotes. In this threedimensional city, upper spires do not necessarily have a foundation on solid land (though most do). The city is patrolled by genasi riding well-trained war drakes. Airspur is home mostly to genasi. Representatives of other races also live here, usually craftspeople, mercenaries, or other specialized workers, but genasi also fill many of these positions and none but genasi ever act in leadership roles. Being a genasi in the city means never having to worry about falling on hard times.

New Breen - Rising up above the Bay of Akanûl, this city stands on an earthmote and is inhabited almost entirely by genasi. The city was created in the image of an Abeiran genasi city called Breen. Waters flow from an unseen source deep within the earth- mote, spilling in a perpetual mist into the sea below. The falls encircle an island neighborhood known as Lower Breen, which is a rich and thriving trading port. The island prospers as a gateway between the east and west. 

Deepspur - Although most genasi of Akanûl have the windsoul manifestation, those who manifest other elements gravitate to Deepspur, a city built into the sheer cliffs that sink into a chasm in the Akanapeaks. The precious gems and metals found in the caves surrounding this city have made Akanûl rich, but of late, many genasi and other humanoids have disappeared from Deepspur without a trace. 

 AMN REGION

Regional Benefit - Amn: Add 1 Rank in Diplomacy, Sense Motive and Sleight of Hand skills

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Orc, Half-Orc, Hobgoblin or Goblin) - Muranndin: Add 4 Ranks in Intimidate skill

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Human) - Velen: Add +2 to AC and attack rolls while defending a ship against being boarded

Alternative Regional Benefit - Tethyr: Add 2 ranks in Knowledge (nature) and 2 Ranks in any other Knowledge skill

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Goblin, Hobgoblin, Wild Elf or Wood Elf) - Wealdath: You can travel across treetops with ease in dense forest terrain

DESCRIPTION: Amn is located to the south of Candlekeep and Baldur's Gate, at the southern end of the Sword Coast and the Sea of Swords. In Amn, everything has a price. Amn’s rulers have declared arcane magic to be illegal, except in the hands of spellcasters licensed by the High Houses. All others are denied the opportunity to level the magical playing field. From assassins and slaves to art and artifacts, the nation offers an indulgence or a vice for everyone. The laws can be strict for those without a coin or two for the right bribe at the right time. Humans and halflings comprise most of Amn’s population. In Amn’s eastern cities, the halfling population has grown dramatically, and many humans resent this change, especially as members of the smaller race gain increasing wealth and power. Rebellion simmers constantly among Amn’s numerous disaffected and disenfranchised, many of whom are halflings. Nonetheless, Amn is a place where respect and reputation can be bought, regardless of race. The exceptions are many of the monstrous races, which have become reviled since the rise of Muranndin, a monster kingdom that lies to the south. The High Houses maintain a bounty on the heads of trolls, ogres, and giants. Although Amn as a nation is distrusted, the majority of the population is honest, seeking only to carve out a small piece of the land’s fortune. Because strict laws work against the people who can’t afford to purchase justice, many in Amn resent the corrupt rule of the High Houses. Five wealthy and powerful merchant houses control Amn. These so-called High Houses form the governing Council of Five, which has complete authority over the nation and keeps a close check on all mercantile and military activity. Through the efforts of the council, Amn has amassed a formidable fleet of ships to guard and transport goods across western Faerûn. Amn is widely disliked, but it has avoided major conflicts through a combination of scheming, intimidation, and pragmatism. Despite its harsh reputation, Amn is a civilized and developed country. The High Houses ensure that roads are maintained and kept safe for commercial use. However, Amn also contains a few places that even the High Houses avoid. 

Athkatla: Capital City - Population 100,000 - This capital city is the golden heart of Amn, so far as the country’s wealth goes. Athkatla might be home to some of Faerûn’s richest citizens, but the city’s core is rotten. In a place with enough coin, morality dies. Anything goes in Athkatla. What is considered illegal, immoral, or despicable in other places passes without comment in this so-called city of sin if the price is right. Lewdness, slavery, and even less savory acts such as murder occur here, as in any large city. But in Athkatla, the law permits almost anything. The only illegality is speaking or acting against a merchant house. In all other cases, the response to an offense is a fee, whose size depends on the degree of inconvenience to the other party. Once the fee is paid, the act is not considered criminal—only not paying is seen as unlawful behavior. Gold flows freely in Athkatla. One of the busiest ports in all Faerûn. Ships from places near and far dock in the city, transporting exotic vegetables, slaves, jewelry, strange relics, pirate booty, and more. Athkatla’s marketplace might even overshadow Waterdeep’s. Above the bay is Goldspires, a temple to Waukeen nearly as large as a small town. Popular shops include Tiny Deaths (poisons), the Museum of Inquisition (torture equipment), Lowmarket (slaves), Faded Ages (memory tailoring), Odd Candy (sweets . . . ?), and I Change (body modification). Enjoy your stay.

Crimmor: Caravan City - Population 40,000 - The “caravan capital of Amn” is a fortified mustering point for practically all trade heading northward by land. The Shadow Thieves openly headquarter in Crimmor because it is the one city where they do not practice their trade. Indeed, they ruthlessly stamp out any freelance thieves. Crimmor bristles with inns, taverns, and festhalls serving the numerous caravanners and adventurers who pass this way.This city attracts wealth, opportunity, and danger. Northerners are constantly coming and going, making the city one of Amn’s more diverse. Bandits and pickpockets who do not ally with the guild known as the Shadow Thieves face a grave threat from the domineering organization. 

Esmeltaran: In recent years, halflings have become the dominant portion of Esmeltaran’s population. Many displaced halfling refugees fled to this city and began new lives. Under their influence, the city is now thriving and has become home to a renowned adventuring company known as the Blazing Swords. 

Velen: Capital City - Population 16,000 - The forested realm of Velen's only major city is that from which the region takes its name. Great walls of burnished, copper-colored stone fortify Velen, protecting it from pirates and monsters alike. The wharf contains several hidden defenses against privateers, including great submerged chains that can be raised to hem in and limit the mobility of attacking ships. Ghosts are somewhat common in the city, sometimes seen stalking the high walls after dark and are something citizens have learned to ignore, despite the fact that no one really knows their origin or true nature. Duke Calchais rules from a small, tidy castle that has been in his family since the days when the dukes and duchesses of Velen answered to the Queen of Tethyr.

Darromar: Capital City - Population 100,000 - This beautiful city stands on the northwestern bank 

of the River Ith. From Faerntarn, her palace on the 

Ithal Crag overlooking the city and river, Queen Anais 

handles royal dealings. She maintains a huge military 

force in Darromar, five days’ ride from any point in the 

land. Queen Anais takes the advice of the Royal Council, which includes seventeen-year-old Ysabel Linden. Overseeing the city is a lord mayor whom the 

queen appoints every three years. The lord mayor 

administers the needs of the city, deals with city 

guilds, and commands the fine Darromar Watch. Under the queen, the lord mayor, and the standing military, Darromar is a safe and efficient city. Darromar also holds the wizards’ academy Black Towers, a huge market for mercenary work, and an underground of thieves. Extraordinary and odd folk come to Darromar for magical learning. Adventurers and sellswords come for work fighting the realm’s many monsters. And despite the prominence of the Shadow Thieves, Darromar’s underworld offers ample opportunities for the morally lax.

Zazesspur: Port Metropolis - Population 100,000 - Once the nation’s capital, Zazesspur is a mixture of 

Tethyrian and Calishite culture. The great port, in 

which almost any item can be purchased, sprawls 

around the mouth of the River Sulduskoon. It’s a 

major source of goods and materials for Tethyr, as 

well as a departure point for sea trade. A group of 

nobles known as the Council of Lords rules the city, 

but guilds and the Shadow Thieves have great influence here. Zazesspur also houses most of Tethyr’s 

gnomes and their leader, the Samnilith.

Mosstone: Wilderness Trade Town - Population 3,000 - Mosstone stands under the boughs of the great trees 

of the Wealdath, north of Zazesspur, a walled trade town along the Trade Way. Caravanmasters coming from the north welcome the sight of the Wealdath as a sign of relief from the tolls of Muranndin. They view the sun-dappled gates of Mosstone as the first real shelter along the road after the trials of that monster-infested land. Most people here make their living working in services that cater to merchant traffic. They all place great importance on living in accord with the surrounding forest and the elves of the Wealdath. This is because druids maintain a powerful circle here, ruled by the Archdruid of Mosstone, whose grove surrounds the Great Oak of Mosstone. The town is ruled by consensus, and the townsfolk watch out for the needs of their fellows with a generosity unheard of in most lands.

Riatavin: Metropolis - Population 80,000 - An Amnian city that seceded to join Tethyr in 1370 DR, Riatavin has been the major spur of trade between the Dragon Coast and the Sea of Fallen Stars. Riatavin is unusual in Tethyr in that a group of merchants, the Chosen Council, runs it rather than the nobility. Faith in Waukeen is primary in the city, and a number of powerful arcanists also have had influence here since the days of secession. Shadow Thieves have controlled the illicit side of the city for centuries. Riatavin and its lands have suffered greatly under the threat of bandits from Erlkazar, just across the river. The city’s population has dwindled over the years, leaving parts abandoned or full of desperate souls.

Saradush: City - Population 35,000 - Saradush has suffered decline since the days of the Spellplague, even though it remains a main passage to the independent city-states in the Lake of Steam region. The city lies in the foothills of the Omlarandin Mountains, and rolling farmlands surround it to the west. Saradush is the source of Omlar gems, useful in some rituals, that come from the mountains.

 CALIMSHAN REGION

Regional Benefit - Calimshan: You gain 4 Fire Resistance and +5 to Constitution checks made due to thirst

 DESCRIPTION: Calimshan is located between the Trackless Sea and the Shining Sea. It is south of the Sword Coast, Amn, Velen and Tethyr, and north of the Mhair Archipelago. It lies just west of the Lake of Steam and the old region of Shaar which is now in ruins. Home to genasi and their human slaves, Calimshan is engaged in a civil war for control of the harsh desert of the Skyfire Wastes. A second Era of Skyfire once again pitted the forces of Calim and Memnon against each other. As during previous battles between these ancient foes, fell magic was employed that drained the life from the landscape. The sands of the Calim Desert spread east during the decades-long conflict, consuming the once-fertile Schamedar Plains and the fetid Spider Swamp (present-day Plain of Stone Spiders). Even the beautiful city of Suldolphor now lies in sand-blasted ruin along Talagath’s Gauntlet. Almraiven is the lone human bastion in this war-torn land of efreets, djinns, and their genasi servitors. Calimshan is a desert ruled by battling genasi who keep human slaves. The overlords wage constant war against each other across the dune seas and in the high air. Untold treasures await any brave enough to venture into the war-torn badlands of the Calim Desert, also called the Skyfire Wastes. Calimshan is unthinkably ancient; before the Spellplague, it was the oldest of all human lands.The headquarters of the warring genasi factions are the cities of Memnon and Calimport. The human population of both cities serves as slaves and as fodder in the constant battles. Only the city of Almraiven, still rich in magic and well defended, remains under human control. Indeed, it is the last bastion of human rule in Calimshan. Calimshan’s unforgiving desert can sear the skin and strip the bones of the unwary traveler. When the Calimemnon Crystal shattered during the Spellplague, it released the djinn Calim and his rival, the efreet Memnon, to resume their millennia-old war, ushering in the Second Era of Skyfire. Calim and Memnon overthrew Calimshan’s government and marshaled forces of efreets, djinns, genasi, and human slaves. What was once a prohibition against elemental races became an open invitation to any who would offer allegiance. After many years of war, without warning or reason, the two great entities disappeared again. But strife between their followers, the genasi, did not end.

Calimport: City of Calim Loyalists - Population 60,000 - Calimport is known for exotic goods, black markets, and its thriving slave trade. Many slaves are slated for a short life in one of Calimport’s two deadly arenas. Its population greatly diminished in the Second Era of Skyfire, Calimport is controlled by genasi who have enslaved the remaining human population and wage constant war against Memnon. The city contains large palaces taken over by genasi and their retinues, extensive slave markets, and two great arenas where human slaves are pitted against each other and against threats from the Elemental Chaos. The slave brand of Calimport is infamous—a stylized gust of sand-laden wind. Human slave stock has dwindled over the years. As a result, the genasi have begun to employ the services of slavers from other lands to collect fresh merchandise for the Calimport slave block. Expanding such operations risks the ire of northern nations, so slavers range east and south. This situation of course puts a premium price on slaves of northern stock.

Memnon: City of Memnon Loyalists - Population 35,000 - Founded by the army of the efreet Memnon, this city reveres the entity from which it takes its name. The genasi of Memnon followed Calimport’s lead and enslaved the remaining human population, finding the people to be useful pawns in their war against the hated followers of Calim. The city’s outer walls are made of a dark, smooth rock that absorbs heat and shrugs off wear. This same dark rock is mined to the east, in the Marching Mountains, and those slaves who can be spared from the war effort toil in the mines. The life of a slave miner is brutal and short. Memnon has been transformed from a city of clay and stone into a magnificent metropolis of glittering palaces and verdant villas. The influx of exotic and valuable goods has made Memnon a tempting target for foolhardy thieves and bold adventurers. 

Almraiven: Human Bastion - Population 38,000 - Prior to the genasi uprising, Almraiven was the premier center for magical study within Calimshan. Because the Spellplague left the spellcasters of the city relatively unharmed, they were able to defend it from the genasi rebellion that overthrew human rule in greater Calimshan. The WeavePasha of Almraiven is sworn to protect his city from the endless wars of fire and air, but he’s barely holding the place together. If the citizens understood how tenuous is his hold on the peace, they would flee as fast as they could. The WeavePasha’s policy is to expand trade with and gain allies among other seafaring nations, while keeping Almraiven from the attentions of its genasi enemies. The WeavePasha sometimes sends agitators and Akanûl expatriates to stir up trouble in either Calimport or Memnon, laying the blame at the other city’s doorstep.  Some humans who escaped the clash of Calim and Memnon fled to Almraiven. Almraiven’s arcane tradition bolsters its defenses, and an arcane college recently founded by the WeavePasha assures the city’s continued attraction for young apprentices. 

CHESSENTA REGION

Regional Benefit - Chessenta: +1 to "to hit" rolls with melee weapon for the first attack after the initial one - your second attack roll in a round

Alternative Regional Benefit - Tymanther: +1 to damage rolls in combat when using a polearm from a higher elevation than your target and this bonus increases to +2 while on a mount in flight

Description: A land of tenuous alliances and isolated pockets of civilization, Chessenta fights to remain stable and prosperous. The nation’s existence hinges on the success of a few cities and settlements, and its people have been hardened by internal strife and external threats. Chessenta strives to set aside regional differences under a banner of mutual perseverance. Large pieces of Abeir fell in Chessenta, altering the landscape and setting off a series of devastating volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Even today, much of the land remains impassable, and roads are few and far between. Chessenta ceded its western lands to the genasi of Akanûl. Nonetheless, out of crisis emerged a new, stronger Chessenta, united against a seemingly hostile world. Since the cataclysmic events of the Spellplague and its aftermath, Chessenta’s population has been confined to sparse pockets. Its communities are swollen with immigrants from Chondath, Unther, and Mulhorand. Originally a human nation, Chessenta has grown diverse in the past century as refugees have flocked to the nation. Bordered on the west by the genasi of Akanûl and on the south and east by the dragonborn of Tymanther, Chessenta hosts many traders and warriors of both races. This racial diversity has only strengthened Luthcheq’s traditional suspicion of arcane lore—a suspicion now focused on High Imaskar. Spellcasters in Luthcheq can expect a swift execution unless they agree to have green tattoos applied to their palms to mark them as practitioners of their craft. Chessenta remains devoted to a tradition that honors the strongest and bravest warriors. The hero Ishual Karanok has gained a godlike status in the past century since his heroic actions united the Chessentans. Descendants of ancient Imaskari slaves, the people of Chessenta are obsessed with physical conflict. They value their war heroes highly, hailing them as celebrities and potential rulers. Chessenta’s national enmity is focused mostly on the resurrected nation to the east, High Imaskar. Despite half the nation being devastated by a cast-off piece of Abeir, elements of the former Chessenta survive and even prosper. Although many Chessentan cities were destroyed in this tumultuous transposition, others survived.

Luthcheq: Capital City - Population 38,000 - Luthcheq is the self-proclaimed capital of Chessenta on its western border near Akanul. The city sits against sheer cliffs, making its geography as abrupt and intimidating as its people. Luthcheq upholds the traditional Chessentan ideal of living by the sword, a tradition bolstered by the city’s renowned War College. Luthcheq stands in the lee of a great cliff-face, half of its squat structures partially embedded in stone. Warlord Shala Karanok’s seat of power is the War College, which juts from the face of the cliff overlooking the city like the prow of a mighty ship. Chessentans’ distaste for Imaskar extends to all uses of arcane magic. Known wizards, warlocks, and other arcanists face execution by burning unless they agree to have their palms tattooed with special green sigils that identify their disreputable art. Rumor has it that the marks prevent their bearers from casting spells if they do not know their own particular tattoo’s “password.” 

Djerad Thymar: Capital City - Population 30,000 - The citadel-city of Djerad Thymar is visible for miles. Indeed, the cyclopean structure’s vast, pyramidal silhouette looms like a mansion of the gods on earth. The city’s lowest foundation is a massive block of granite that rises at least 200 feet above the surrounding land, the surface of which serves as Djerad Thymar’s lowest street level. The citizens refer to this district as the Catacombs for the tunnels that wind through the foundation block. Resting on this foundation are hundreds of massive stone pillars, each 50 feet in diameter, that support an enclosed, four-sided structure vaguely resembling a pyramid. However, the four walls do not rise to a point, but rather to a flat, upper level exposed to the elements. This is the City-Bastion, where the bulk of the city’s dragonborn live. The open spaces between the pillars form the Market Floor. The combined height of the foundation, the pillars, and the enclosed City-Bastion contribute to a structure that towers more than 1,500 feet into the sky.

Djerad Thymar: Catacombs: This area houses the crypts of the dead, as well as copious siege supplies, foundries, and various machines of war such as ballistas, catapults, and other equipment designed more for piercing dragon scales than castle walls. Grand funeral rites sometimes wend through these tunnels for days, when heroes or other beloved individuals perish. The dragonborn adorn themselves in white ash and sing deep songs commemorating the fallen.

Djerad Thymar: Market Floor: This level is a wide-open bazaar of both permanent and temporary structures for trade, commerce, and entertainment. Farmers haul their produce up the Great Ramp to the Market Floor daily. The Market Floor also serves as the festival hall, site of monthly Grand Balls. Visitors are always welcome to attend these joyous occasions in which the dragonborn relax, dance their strange dances, and eat their exotic delicacies.

Djerad Thymar: City-Bastion: This upper level is the protected, elevated home for thousands of dragonborn. A central open gallery rises the height of the structure’s interior, ringed by tier on tier of balconies that mark dragonborn apartments. Magical light copiously illuminates the enclosed City-Bastion, waxing and fading to distinguish day from night. Each morning, residents gather at their balconies to sing the Dawn Greeting. The gallery floor is thick with plants that thrive in the artificial light. The ceiling is the Lance Roost, home to a colony of bats large enough to carry armored dragonborn. Above the City-Bastion is the open-air platform called the Lance Barracks, where Tymanther’s army trains under the sky, ever watchful for approaching wings on the horizon.

CORMYR REGION

Regional Benefit - Cormyr: Add 1 Rank in Knowledge (nobility) and gain +1 bonus to saves against Fear effects

Alternative Regional Benefit - Wheloon: Add 1 Rank in Hide, Move Silently and Sleight of Hand skills

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Orc, Half-Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, or Lizardfolk) - Storm Horns, Thunder Peaks and Vast Swamp: Gain +3 to dismount attempts against a mounted rider

 Description: The Forest Kingdom of Cormyr lies at the western end of the Sea of Fallen Stars, nestled between the Storm Horns and the Thunder Peaks and stretching from the Stonelands to the Dragonmere. Dominated by humankind, Cormyr has been ruled by House Obarskyr for over fourteen centuries, with the strong backing of an army of heavily armored knights on Cormyrian destriers and magically potent war mages. The Forest Kingdom emerged from the Spellplague largely unscathed but threatened from the north by the resurrected Empire of Netheril, whose agents, called the Shadovar, are suspected to lurk in every shadow, and from the east by the Netheril-aligned kingdom of Sembia. In the past century, House Obarskyr has reclaimed its strong authority and reluctantly become an imperial power, conquering cities to the east and west. The populace has gained new freedoms and forms the backbone of the region’s strength. Armed adventurers are still required to carry a written charter, but such charters are now granted by any herald upon request. The heart of Cormyr lies in the great forested vale surrounded on three sides by the Storm Horns and the Thunder Peaks and bordered to the south by the shrunken Dragonmere. The reach of House Obarskyr extends north into the Stonelands, where Cormyr’s influence is contested by the Empire of Netheril; west into the Tunlands, where fierce bandit tribes harass trade moving south and west from High Horn to Proskur; and east into the Sembian cities of Daerlun and Urmlaspyr. Cormyr is a strong nation that lies at the western end of the diminished Sea of Fallen Stars. The kingdom is ancient but remains vigorous. Old forests dominate the landscape and national character. Humans predominate in Cormyr, and they are proud of their country’s long and noble traditions. The dragon, the stag, and the unicorn are prominent in Cormyrian folk tales, ballads, and heraldry. Though the nation has a reputation for just rule, sometimes Cormyr has had to make difficult choices to ensure its security. Cormyr is protected by two highly skilled and renowned forces. The Purple Dragons are an elite army of battle-trained warriors. The War Wizards include powerful swordmages that even the Netherese respect. At seventy years of age, King Foril Obarskyr has ruled for the last thirty years. He’s not the old lion that Azoun IV was, nor a great lawmaker like his father Azoun V, but he is a great strategist, statesman, and administrator. Cormyr’s citizens are fiercely loyal to House Obarskyr. Although the majority of the population is human, elves and half-elves are not uncommon.

Suzail: Capital City - Population 55,000 - The royal capital and richest city in Cormyr, Suzail is home to the important nobles and merchant houses of the country. The city center is the royal palace, which is surrounded by gardens and the buildings of the Royal Court. King Foril keeps his residence in the palace. The Purple Dragons and the War Wizards jointly occupy an impressive fortresslike barracks in Suzail. Both constantly drill in the courtyard, using swords, spells, and special tactics to quell a variety of threats. The city maintains the realm’s new shipyards and is home to the royal navy, called the Blue Dragons, that once docked in Marsember. Suzail is also known for its inns, taverns, and festhalls. Coin of every nation is good here, and the city is thick with diversions and entertaining experiences. Adventurers and explorers from all over the continent are always welcome. Tymora’s temple is the most prominent one in Suzail. Shrines to Oghma, Tempus, and Waukeen are also found here. The famous carvers of Suzail buy exotic ivory from many lands, shape it into new and decorated forms, and export it at a greatly increased value.

Marsember: Seaport - Population 38,000 - Marsember spans a series of islands connected by bridges and cut with canals. Many of the higher canals are now planted with crops or allowed to grow wild for livestock to graze upon. Bridges overhead permit both farming and urban life to occupy the same space. Newer facilities nearer the lowered Sea of Fallen Stars keep alive Marsember’s status as a hub of trade, though the volume of items moving through the port is much reduced from a century earlier. Marsember took longer to recover from the lowering of the Sea of Fallen Stars, and the navy never returned to that moorage. Marsember is known as the City of Spices due to the local merchant companies that specialize in such wares. These Spice Lords trade in a variety of flavorings, elixirs and some banned ingredients as well. The Purple Dragons and the War Wizards constantly seek to disrupt illegal trade but never seem to be able to stamp it out, possibly because some among their ranks secretly count the Spice Lords as allies.

Wheloon: Prison City - Population 3,000 - Once known for its vibrant green slate roofs and ferry trade along the Wyvernflow River, the city has been transformed into something far darker by royal decree. The Purple Dragons discovered that a majority of Wheloon’s residents, be they craftsfolk, traders, or farmers, were also secret worshipers of Shar. Fearing that the entire city was a front for Netherese spies, the king ordered it walled up with brick and magic, and all its residents declared lifetime prisoners. Now, whenever Shadovar spies or sympathizers are discovered, they are put over the wall and left to fend for themselves. Life as a prisoner in Wheloon is brutal and short, unless one is able to join one of the many rival gangs. To “escape from Wheloon” is a euphemism for accomplishing a difficult task. Those who do so literally are marked by prisoner and gang tattoos imprinted while behind the walls. This branding makes continued life in Cormyr one that requires constant disguise.

Arabel: This small city lies in northeastern Cormyr, at the crossroads of the main east-west and north-south trade routes leaving the Forest Kingdom. Over the past century, Arabel has evolved into a fortified military base, defending against the threat of the Empire of Netheril to the north and east. 

THE DALELANDS REGION

Regional Benefit - The Dalelands: Add 1 Rank in Knowledge (nature) skill and gain +1 to Initiative checks

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be any Elf) - Cormanthor Forest and Myth Drannor: Once per day you can reroll a saving throw against a charm effect or spell

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Orc, Half-Orc) - Desertsmouth Mountains: You gain +1 to attack rolls while in Mountain terrain

Description: North of Sembia and Cormyr, east of Netheril, South of Thar and The Ride, and west of The Sea of Stars and Vesperin and Impiltur, along the periphery of the elf-ruled forest of Cormanthor lie the Dalelands. It is a group of loosely allied communities that share common cultures and traditions. Linked by winding trade roads and their alliance against the encroaching powers to the north, west, and south, the Dales are known for their lush forests, fertile farmland, and fierce independence. The northern Dales have largely prospered over the last century, thanks to a strong alliance with elf-ruled Myth Drannor and close ties with the kingdom of Cormyr to the south. The southern Dales have fallen under the sway of Sembia as that merchant kingdom continues its gradual, yet relentless, expansion northward under the guide of Netheril. The Dalelands generally lie in or near the valley carved by the River Ashaba and its tributaries. People of the Dalelands, Dalesfolk, who are predominantly human, believe strongly in individual freedom and collective responsibility. They are suspicious of expansionistic empires, and they reject those who seek power by sword or spell. Dalesfolk view their lands as a trust to be held and nurtured for future generations. Most human Dalesfolk live in harmony with elves, and many half-elves, particularly in Deepingdale, are the product of their unions. Some Dalesfolk remain suspicious of the imperialistic ambitions of House Obarskyr, but such sentiments have largely faded in the face of burgeoning threats from the Empire of Netheril, its Sembian client state, and the nations of the Moonsea. A typical inhabitant of the Dalelands would like nothing more than to live in peace to farm and hunt, but she keeps a sword and a bow at the ready and volunteers to serve in the local militia at the first sign of trouble. The Dalelands comprises several forested counties, called dales, scattered around the perimeter of the Cormanthor Forest. Although the dales share common traditions, cultural practices, and religious allegiances, the Dalelands is not a unified kingdom like Cormyr or Impiltur. The broad forest vales, separated by rolling farmlands, are interlinked by narrow trade roads through lush woods. The dales’ independent spirit and age-old alliance with the fey of Cormanthor are well known across most of Faerûn. Over the last century, the Dalelands has been the focus of powerful surrounding realms, all vying for control.

Archendale: Militaristic Dale - Population 90,000 - Known as the unfriendliest and most aggressive of the dales, Archendale is also the toughest and best defended. The vigilance of both citizens and soldiers leaves Archenfolk free to get on with the business of growing wealthy through trade, something they have always done very well. Archendale fills the long, narrow valley of Arkhen Vale. It surrounds the gorge cut by the swift, cold River Arkhen. The valley flanks the gorge and spreads out a day’s ride in all directions from the dale’s preeminent community, Archenbridge. Archenbridge (population 8,000) is the Dalelands’ most fortified city. Its center is as cramped and as bustling as a ward of a much more populous city. Wagons rumble up and down cobbled streets at all hours, and every building rises at least three floors above ground level. Tenements and noble townhouses alike feature barred windows and hidden inner holds equipped with arrow slits and nastier defenses. Though it nearly fell to Sembia’s expansionist desires, Archenbridge maintains trade with its southern neighbor. The heavily fortified capital city of Archendale lies on the border with Sembia and is increasingly becoming a marketplace where Cormyrians and Sembians can trade outside the scrutiny of their respective rulers. 

Battledale: Tranquil Dale - Population 30,000 - Despite its impressive name, Battledale is today a guarded but peaceful land. Large in size, it is one of the least populous and most dispersed of the Dalelands. Visitors to Battledale see only the open, rolling farmlands along Rauthauvyr’s Road, referred to by Dalesfolk all over as “the Belt.” In summer this is marvelous country to camp in, although one should beware of brigands. Deep within the thick woods of Battledale lies the ghost town of Essembra, a long lane of abandoned and fire-ruined cottages rotting on both sides of Rauthauvyr’s Road. Nearly sixty years ago, Essembra was the site of a fierce battle between forces from Myth Drannor and Netherese-backed Sembia. Alarmed by Featherdale’s bloodless capitulation to Sembia, Battledale began to restrict trade and travel with the Netheril puppet state. The dale came under heavy attack in the Year of the Advancing Shadows (1422 DR), forcing the evacuation of Essembra. Fell magic was unleashed in the ensuing conflict, prompting local Battledarrans to abandon their homes and seek refuge at the Abbey of the Sword. 

Daggerdale: Nightmarish Dale - Population 15,000 - Most of Daggerdale is rolling wooded hills broken by labyrinthine rocky valleys. It’s good grazing country for livestock, but large ranches are confined to the region around Dagger Falls. That name applies both to the steep waterfall and to a nearby frontier town (population 2,000). The Desertsmouth Mountains tower over the hills of Daggerdale. A great dwarven kingdom called Tethyamar once occupied the Desertsmouths. Several hundred years ago, it fell to orcs, ogres, evil wizards, and fiends—some of which still lurk in the peaks. Many adventuring companies based in Daggerdale seek Tethyamar ruins in the western mountains. A century ago, Daggerdale was ruled by Zhentarim agents, but that occupation is a distant memory today. Daggerdale has been increasingly troubled by humanoids raiding out of the Desertsmouth Mountains and by a resurgence of lycanthropes infesting the crags of the Dagger Hills. As a result, the frightened villagers of Dagger Falls have become isolated and cut off from the other dales. Long since free of Zhent influence, Daggerdale now finds itself an unwilling buffer against the Empire of Netheril.

Deepingdale: Welcoming Dale - Regional Population 50,000 - This dale is situated along the contested route between Cormyr and Sembia. Deepingdale comprises the lands around the rivers Glaemril and Wineflow. Both of them flow swift and strong, and have abundant salmon runs that nourish forest creatures as well as the people of Highmoon (population 8,000), Deepingdale’s capital city. More than any other dale, Deepingdale is woven into and around Cormanthor. The Deepingfolk, half of which are elven or half-elven in ancestry, live in the shadow of the trees and in the lighter growth at the outskirts of the great forest.

Featherdale: Sembian Dale - Population 18,000 - Featherdale isn’t technically a dale, since it is not a valley. Its rich farming lands fall within the sweep of the River Ashaba as it flows east toward the Sea of Fallen Stars. The lowlands of the Ashaba are a patchwork of gently rolling farms. Waist-high fieldstone walls and rather haphazard lines of evergreen-planted levees guard against flooding. Featherdale is truly the pastoral farming country that many Sembians imagine the Dalelands to be. Thus, despite being under Sembian control, the Shadovar puppet state pays little mind to this stretch of road between regions of far greater significance. Unlike other Dalesfolk, Featherdarrans have little to do with Myth Drannor. This traditional separation has become even more pronounced with the influx of Sembian merchants, who collect taxes and enforce their trade policies on farmers by means of well-paid mercenaries. Over the years, Sembian investors slowly bought up so much of the place that eventually Sembian administrators moved in. As a result, the Shadovar of Netheril “accidentally conquered” Featherdale in the Year of the Lords’ Coronation (1418 DR).

Harrowdale: Oldest Dale - Population 44,000 - Harrowdale borders Cormanthor to the west, the Dragon Reach to the east, and the Cold Field to the south. The dale is mostly farmlands, which turn to orchards closer to the sea and to the Velarswood at its center. The countryside has changed little over the last century, though the former small seaside village of Harrowdale Town has grown into the rich mercantile port of New Velar (population 9,000). With aid from Myth Drannor, Harrowdale Town completed work on a defensive wall. In the Year of the Elfqueen’s Joy (1428 DR), the Seven Burghers announced a formal alliance with Myth Drannor and renamed the city New Velar. Soon after, Myth Drannor established an embassy in New Velar and began construction on shipyards.The renamed city is the largest free settlement in the Dalelands, now that Scardale has fallen to Sembia, and claims the best port into the area. Goods from all across the Sea of Fallen Stars flow through New Velar on their way to and from Myth Drannor along the Harrow Ride (the old Halfaxe Trail, now a well-guarded, paved road through the old Elven Court). This robust trade accounts for the great wealth of the city. Greater Harrowdale and its capital city are ruled by its wealthiest merchants, the Council of Seven Burghers. A Burgher holds his or her position for life, and upon a death in the Council, the Harrans appoint the wealthiest non-Burgher to fill the seat.

Mistledale: Ruling Dale - Population 34,000 - Mistledale occupies the valley along both sides of the Moonsea Ride, east of Peldan’s Helm and west of the spot where the forest closes in roughly three miles before the Standing Stone. The River Ashaba cuts across the center of the dale, crossed by the Ride at the excellent natural ford at Ashabenford (population 5,000), whose population has exploded over the last several decades. Mistledale is a widely spread dale. Its small settlements can see each other and Ashabenford across the gently rolling hills, except in the mornings and the evenings, when mist rises from the river and fills the valley. For communication across the dale, each hamlet is equipped with special bells whose peals penetrate the fog. By varying the rings, the bell-ringers carry different messages of alarm or inquiry. The sounds are understood by long-term residents of the dale but are a mystery to outsiders. Ashabenford, the seat of the Dales Council sprawls across the banks of the River Ashaba. Its relative security, far from the threats of surrounding lands, and its proximity to Myth Drannor have made this small city wealthy. 

Shadowdale: Fey Dale - Population 10,000 - Shadowdale is a broad tract of rolling hills and thick forest with patches of cleared and settled land. The unwalled village of Shadowdale (population 1,000) and the looming presence of the white granite promontory called Old Skull dominate the forested area where the North Ride and the River Ashaba cross. Today the woods of Shadowdale are quite changed from centuries past. The Living Wood, as it is once again known, is peopled by all manner of benevolent fey. Just outside Shadowdale’s town limits, north of the old Silverhand farm, are a series of standing stones surrounding a copse of ancient trees. This is the Druid’s Grove, a place that visibly exudes great primal power and is particularly sacred to the fey. Shadowdale is currently ruled by Lady Addee Ulphor, who gained the Pendant of Ashaba twenty years ago when Azalar Falconhand resigned his lordship. Elminster resides there still, but his powers have diminished since Mystra’s fall.

 MOONSEA LANDS REGION

Regional Benefit - Moonsea Lands: You gain the Endurance feat

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Arctic Dwarf or Shield Dwarf) - The Great Glacier: You gain +3 cold resistance and +5 to Balance checks made due to slippery surfaces

Alternative Regional Benefit (must be Human, Orc or Half-Orc) - The Ride: Add 4 Ranks in Survival skill

 Description: The Moonsea Lands cover the areas starting with The Border Forest in the west near Netheril, and spans east across The Ride and Thar, over the mountains surrounding Vaasa and over Damara. The Moonsea, in reality a deep freshwater lake, is the centerpiece of a land of harsh climate and hardened folk. The region includes many city-states ruled by tyrants. Its northern steppes are dominated by roving tribes. The western reaches are dotted with monster infested ruins; the burned-out hulks of Zhentil Keep and other strongholds of the former Black Network. The Church of Bane is still strong in the region, its power base moved to the dark eastern metropolis of Mulmaster. The Great Gray Land of Thar remains a desolate breeding ground for orcs, ogres, and minotaurs. The brutish humanoids provide a buffer for the civilized lands against the growing predations of neighboring Vaasa. The region saw a glimmer of hope when King Gareth Dragonsbane united Damara and Vaasa into the unified kingdom of Bloodstone. But the assassination of Dragonsbane’s heir twenty years ago led to civil war throughout Bloodstone, allowing the patient Warlock Knights to seize control of windswept Vaasa. Damara is wild, rugged, and rustic; a frontier as unrefined as it is remote. This is a northerly land of windswept plains, ice-crowned mountains, dark pine forests, and long, fearsome winters. Any who stray too far from the walled towns end up fighting for their lives against horrible monsters. Adventurers are drawn to Damara to carve out lands of their own, taking on lordship and inventing titles for themselves. King Yarin understands that the Warlock Knights are a real threat. He relies on the strongholds and war bands of upstart vassal lords, many of them former adventurers, to defend the passes of the Galena Mountains. Yarin reserves his own cadre of foreign mercenaries to crush any subordinates who show signs of moving against him. Vaasa is a desolate realm of bogs, tundra, and windswept mountains in the northwest corner of the Bloodstone Lands. The dreaded Warlock Knights of Vaasa gather an army of monsters of all descriptions, preparing for the day when their terrible hordes will sweep away neighboring kingdoms, spreading their evil. An entity called Telos, Master of the Iron Sky, is the focus of the Warlock Knights’ power. The most powerful members of the Warlock Knights advise this mighty ruler of Vaasa as a group called the Ironfell Council. Members of the council, as well as their servants, also compete with each other for status and power.

Helgabal: Capital City - Population 25,000 - This once prosperous trading city is the former seat of Damara’s throne. Merchants traveling north now think twice before venturing into the frontier domain, given the despotic control of its temperamental monarch.

Darmshall: Town - Population 5,000 - Warlock Knights conquered this town, once ruled by successful adventurers, quickly and brutally. It supports a large number of free humans and fewer nonhumans than other Vaasan communities. The city’s fields and ranches support the Iron Divide, a fortification that guards the Vaasan end of Bloodstone Pass.

Palischuk: City - Population 10,000 - Palischuk was once a ruined city, but it was rebuilt after the war with Damara. Palischuk was peaceful until the coming of the Warlock Knights. It is now the fortress city of Knight Vindicator Mansard Kanaoth, an influential member of the Ironfell Council who wishes to be Vaasa’s king.

Telos: Fortress City - Population 15,000 - The Ironfell Council meets in a large central castle in this city. Each councilor has a suite of rooms in the castle but is only rarely in residence, because every Warlock Knight serves as lord over a portion of land in Vaasa. Some Warlock Knights claim only a small keep and patch of surrounding land, but some have true fortresses and miles of surrounding region to rule. Every Warlock Knight maintains a private army, which the council can summon at need. Much of Telos’s population is composed of refugees from other Vaasan settlements that the Warlock Knights destroyed when taking the land for themselves. In addition to humans and dwarves, the fortress contains orcs, giants, goblins, and kobolds. Many are slaves, some are slave-soldiers, and an elite few are true Warlock Knights.

 DAMBRATH REGION

Regional Benefit - Dambrath: Gain +4 to Handle Animal and Ride skill checks involving horses

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be a Halfling) Southern Lluirwood: Add 2 Ranks in Knowledge (nature) and 2 Ranks in Diplomacy skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be any Elf or Half-Elf or any Halfling) Amtar Forest: Add +10' to all ranged weapon range increments

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be a Gold Dwarf or Shield Dwarf) East Rift: You gain Deep Speech as an additional language and add 2 Ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) skill

Description: This region lies along the Great Sea in the southern part of Faerun, just south of the Underchasm and East Rift and east of the Halruaa Plaguelands. Dambrath is a hot plain dominated by horse-riding, nomadic humans related to the Nars of northeastern Faerûn. Some Dambrathan clans are bellicose and insular, raiding nearby lands. Others are less aggressive and more accepting of outsiders. The clans don’t war on one another, except in highly ritualized honor-duels or minor raids for resources and sport. At one time all Dambrathans were slaves, so they still see themselves as united against a hostile world. Half-blood drow known as Crinti formerly ruled Dambrath under a state religion dedicated to Loviatar. Native Dambrathans, who call themselves Arkaiuns, rebelled during the Spellplague. Turning to their totems and nature spirits, they drove the half-bloods from their lands and burned every priest of Loviatar they could catch and every city under their rule.

Purl: Pirate Port - Population 800 - On the peninsula between the Bay of Dancing Dolphins and the Great Sea, the lawless town of Purl still stands. Lack of Crinti rule spared it the fires of rebellion, and the nomads sometimes come here to trade.

 Eartheart: Capital City - Population 50,000 - Fortified Eartheart is the heart of the dwarven kingdom. The Deep Lords, a council of important dwarves chosen by merit from among the populace, once ruled from below the earth. They fled from their tunnels during the cataclysm, and they now govern the dwarves of the region from a great citadel carved into the vertical side of the East Rift. The identity of each Deep Lord is kept secret, out of fear of drow assassins. Each lord speaks through one or more emissaries, and the Lord Scepter of Eartheart is their mouth to the populace. The structures of Eartheart are built into the sides of the East Rift, and the city extends far more in the vertical than the horizontal. The vertical “streets” that grace Eartheart’s expanse are a series of cunningly carved switchbacks. Small stairwells, suitable for a single creature at a time, are prevalent, but one immense switchback exterior stair connects the vertical portion of the city from top to bottom. The lower regions, untouched by the sun, glow with magical light, day and night. Those who don’t want to chance the stairs, and who have extra coin, can travel by griffon steeds, which are bred and stabled throughout the city. The principal gold dwarf settlement in the East Rift, Eartheart remains the spiritual and cultural center of these people. Before the great collapse, Eartheart housed all the temples and shrines devoted to dwarven gods and heroes. Dwarves from the depths and from other countries made pilgrimages to behold the architectural splendor of this holy city.

Hammergate: Once a tent city known as Hammer and Anvil that sprawled around the southwestern gate of Eartheart, Hammergate is now a walled foreign quarter of the city. Its eastern gateway opens onto the road to Delzimmer. Nondwarf outlanders are not allowed beyond Hammergate, but just about anyone can stay and trade in this part of Eartheart, under the watchful eye of numerous dwarf guards.

Underwatch: Garrison Town - Population 7,000 - This fortress is easily three times the size of a typical riftedge tower. Situated within sight of the Gates of Underhome, Underwatch serves as a station for dwarf soldiers assigned to watch the lost city for interlopers. Woe to any who let the dwarf authorities catch wind of a plan to enter Underhome.  A village around the fort is a trade station and a logging camp where trees harvested from the Riftwood can be brought into the East Rift. The village is often used as a base of operations for those who wish to enter the East Rift or the Underchasm. From Underwatch, dwarves mount regular expeditions into the Underchasm to refine their maps and to keep tabs on what threats might be gathering below. Any outsider interested in signing onto one of these expeditions is welcome—after being vetted to assure the expedition leader that the newcomer isn’t a spy or worse.

DRAGON COAST REGION

Regional Benefit - Dragon Coast: Add 1 Rank in Intimidate, Sleight of Hand and Use Rope skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human) Turmish: Add 2 Ranks to Perform (any) skill and gain +1 to damage with throwing javelins or shortspears when thrown

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human) Nathlan: Add Shou language and 1 Rank in Balance and Concentrationskills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human, Elf or Half-Elf) Gulthandor: Add Elven (or Fey, if already known) language and 2 Ranks in Knowledge (nature) skill

 Description: The Dragon Coast is a collection of independent city-states along the southwest coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars, ranging from Proskur in the west to the Ruins of Starmantle in the east. Mention of the Dragon Coast evokes images of dark alleys and underhanded dealings, of thieves’ guilds and pirate ships. The region is lawless and piratical so commerce is king. The area is also a cultural hot spot. As the western termini of the sea routes leading to the Golden Way—a continental trade route from Thesk all the way to Shou Lung, Westgate and Teziir have grown large and prominent Shou towns much like those in eastern trade cities. An entire nation of Shou formed even farther west: Nathlan. All manner of eastern wizards, monks and spirits can be found in the region. The receding waters of the Sea of Fallen Stars spelled ruin for Ilipur and Pros; those small trading towns dried up and blew away. Proskur has fallen under Cormyrian dominion, and Purple Dragon lords now hold sway over most of the southwest coast of the Dragonmere. Cormyr annexed Proskur in 1405 DR and later adopted Teziir as a protectorate. Westgate rebuffed both Cormyr and its rival Sembia. Westgate is the most wellknown city along the Dragon Coast. The city proved too large and powerful to be drawn into the orbit of either Cormyr or Sembia. A shadowy group known as the Fire Knives has a strong presence there.

Westgate: City Built on Trade - Population 40,000 - Westgate is the major trading city on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It is an open city; open to all races, all faiths, and all coin. Westgate is the one coastal city that has never suffered from the far-ranging aboleths of Xxiphu. Jaundamicar Bleth is the First Lord of the city. The Bleths are hard at work transforming Westgate from an oligarchy back to a monarchy. Jaundamicar would prefer to change his title from First Lord to King. The vampiric Night Masks thieves’ guild was driven out long ago. A new syndicate, the Fire Knives, now employs the majority of the assassins, extortionists, enforcers, and spies in Westgate. The Fire Knives are opposed by a group out of Westgate’s growing Shou District—the Nine Golden Swords. The Nine Golden Swords in Westgate has publicly opposed the Fire Knives’ worst affronts against those too weak to defend themselves. Consequently, the group, criminal or not, enjoys the popularity of the working class.

Nonthal: Large City - Population 14,000 - Nonthal is the most peaceful and stable city in Turmish, and the citizens are set on keeping it that way. Though not entirely unwelcoming to visitors, it tends to give adventurers a chilly reception, even though there’s no shortage of them passing through.

Alaghôn: Capital City - Population 75,000 - By far the largest city in Turmish, Alaghôn was founded in –37 DR by Chondathan settlers as a mercantile trading post on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It became one of the Inner Sea’s busiest ports, but all that ended when the sea withdrew. The Turmian merchant fleet never completely recovered. Though Alaghôn still enjoys a reasonable standard of living, it’s not nearly the boomtown it was a century past. Boarded-up buildings and shabby storefronts mar the streets. Alaghôn’s curious architecture is the result of the Chondathan humans building over existing structures left by a previous dwarven civilization. The dwarves also left an abandoned mine beneath the city streets. This maze of subterranean tunnels has never been fully explored. Two major festivals are observed throughout Turmish. The Feast of the Moon is celebrated throughout the rest of the world in winter, Turmish observes it on the first full moon after Midsummer. It is the one day that Turmians allow themselves to truly relax, enjoy what they’ve earned over the preceding year, and spend time with their families and friends. Turmian merchants go to great lengths to return home in time for the Feast of the Moon. The Reign of Misrule is ten days after Highharvestide , a day devoted to destructive celebrations and petty civil unrest in which the normally serious and reserved Turmians let go of all restraint. 

Sapra: Small City - Population 8,500 - Sapra is Turmish’s only active port. Though nowhere near as busy as Alaghôn once was, goods from all over the Inner Sea pass through it. The citizens of Sapra tend to be fearful of those who flamboyantly wield extraordinary power, and the public display of such activity, though no longer illegal, is strongly discouraged.

Xorhun: Small City - Population 8,000 - Not too much more than a caravan stop along the Halondar (the trade road connecting to Hlondath), Xorhun is most notable for its strange mix of citizens. Many eladrin who once dwelled in Xorhun have migrated to Myth Drannor. The remaining population is split evenly between elves, half-elves, and gnomes. A small community of kobolds, once bitter rivals from the Orsraun Mountains, have settled peacefully in Xorhun in a ghetto neighborhood known as Koboldtown.

 DURPAR REGION

Regional Benefit - Durpar: Add 2 Ranks in Listen and Spot skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human or any Halfling) Estagund: You gain Improved Unarmed Strike Feat

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be a Lizardfolk) Okoth:  You gain +1 to Reflex Saves that increases to +2 when in water terrain

Description: The Dupar region includes Durpar, Var the Drowned, Estagund, Beastlands and Okoth lands. It rests in the southeast corner of Faerun on the Great Sea. It is due east of the East Rift and south of High Imaskar. Monsters infest the region north of Estagund and Durpar known as the Beastlands. Among the remains of the lost kingdom of Veldorn, the Beast Lords rule this area without mercy over competing tribes and brutal city-states. Each monstrous lord vies against the others for land, power, and prestige. The Beastlands exists in a constant state of low-level conflict. The Beast Lords include undead, dragons, giants, and even beholders, but plenty of humans live here, mostly slaves or outlaws who have fled other realms. Durpar is a frontier region. Most of its lands are menaced by monsters from the Beastlands, marauders from the mountains, and roving brigands. Humans, halflings, kenkus, and other races inhabit Vaelan, Assur, or scattered keeps controlled by independent sovereigns and petty princes. Others live hand to mouth as desperate wanderers. Only the Durpari capital, Vaelan, retains a glimmer of its former strength. Since the ascendancy of the Datharathis, Vaelan has existed in relative peace. House Datharathi keeps its coffers stuffed by taxing the other chakas’ right to trade with Delzimmer, Estagund, and High Imaskar. The ruling house also maintains a standing army, which includes bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins that were integrated during the Merchant Wars. The kingdom of Durpar lies south of the Raurin Desert, in the southeastern corner of Faerûn. Long thought destroyed by residents of the rest of the con- tinent. The remnants of Durpar’s once wealthy chakas, or merchant houses, survive through trade with Estagund and High Imaskar. Estagund shares a common cultural heritage with decimated Durpar. Its folk are Durpari, who value trade and honor the Adama, a divinely inspired moral code. Beset by enemies, and within reach of few allies, Estagund relies on its noble warrior class and friends in High Imaskar to keep it safe. Estagund endured a few ills in the wake of the Spellplague, but its lands were spared from the devastation. Unlike other states created by the Durpari people, Estagund has been and remains a monarchy. Rajah Jasraj Seltrarir rules with the aid of the Council of Chakas. The rajah is the final authority in the land, as well as the commander of its armed forces. Differing further from their counterpart in Durpar, Estagund’s people honor a class of noble warriors known as the Maquar. The members of this class follow a highly restrictive code of conduct that dictates many aspects of their lives, limiting or prohibiting many activities. In exchange for these sacrifices, the Maquar are freed from the responsibility of providing for themselves so they can devote their lives entirely to the protection of the people. The Maquar form the command structure of the military. 

Tirumala: Holy City - Population 10,000 - Situated atop seven “holy hills,” the city-state of Tirumala is ruled by a rakshasa rajah of the same name. Tirumala rebuilt the so-called Holy City from the foundations of a Durpari settlement razed long ago by giants. Rakshasa nobles live here, served by a large force of hill giant and orc soldiers, as well as a spy network of kenkus. The rest of the populace is composed mostly of human, halfling, and kenku slaves. Recently, Tirumala opened trade with Estagund. All folk know that evil rules in the Holy City, so many people suspect that Estagund’s rajah has been magically influenced, if not outright replaced.

Vaelan: Capital City - Population 45,000 - Vaelan, the original crown jewel of Durpar’s trading empire, remains the last bastion of Durpari culture in the region. Dominating its skyline is a central district of over a hundred pale, slender towers that serve as the homes of chaka members deferential to House Datharathi. The tower district—a complex of white-plastered walls, balconies, stairs, galleries, promenades, and open courts—is surrounded by the city proper. Wide streets separate one piece of the mazelike complex from the next, and high bridges arch overhead to connect rooftop gardens. Vaelan maintains all the grandeur of a wealthy Durpari trading city. Even so, Vaelan’s citizens are reminded daily of their precarious position. Goblin soldiers and citizens long included in the fabric of the city are rough, inhuman, and all too privileged, serving as a reminder of how far Durpar has fallen.

Assur: Port Town - Population 5,000 - Destroyed by giants out of the Beastlands, Assur was uninhabited for decades. After the Merchant Wars, Assur was rebuilt more as a military and naval station than a true city. Assur still has a bustling market and enjoys a naturally deep harbor. It also sports a stout wall and a large garrison of human, halfling, and goblin soldiers. These warriors defend the town and patrol the roads and farmland between Assur and Vaelan.

Chavyondat: Capital City - Population 80,000 - Set on the Bay of Kings, Chavyondat houses important centers of government, trade, military, and religion. In the city’s center are Seltrarir Palace and the House of Chakas, where affairs of state are handled. Nearby stands the House of the Vanquisher, central training grounds for all Maquar. The minarets of the House of the Adama rise next to the palace, and within, halflings displaced from Luiren long ago maintain a shrine to Chauntea and Sheela Peryroyl. The largest ward in Chavyondat is the marketplace, where everything imaginable within the morality of the Adama is for sale. Chavyondat’s market gives way to docks on the Great Sea. From these quays, Estagund’s merchant ships sail the Gulf of Luiren west to Delzimmer, north to High Imaskar, and beyond into the Sea of Fallen Stars. They also brave the Great Sea in routes to Calimshan, Amn, and the Sword Coast.

  ELFHARROW REGION

Regional Benefit - Elfharrow: Add 2 Ranks in Balance and Survival skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - Chult: You gain +4 to saves against Diseases

 Description: Surrounded by the wastelands of Halruaa and the western portion of the Shaar Desolation, Elfharrow sits in the south near the Mhair Archipelago of the Shining Sea southeast of Calimshan. Beneath the heights of the North Wall mountain range stretches windswept scrubland that marches to the Shining Sea. Home to tribes of intolerant wild elves and aggressive herds of centaur raiders, Elfharrow is as unwelcoming as it is mysterious. The Elfharrow badlands, known in prior days as the Bandit Wastes, extend as far north as the Dead Vale, as far west as the shores of the Shining Sea, and south and east to the North Wall. Dust devils whip across the sweltering land. Parched plains are dotted with tough brush and thorny bushes. Rumpled hills covered with harsh grass, gnarled shrubs, and the occasional hackberry tree border the region. In the distance rises the towering North Wall, a great barrier between Elfharrow and the vast plagueland to the south (the former nation of Halruaa). Water grows scarcer with each passing year. Rain, when it occurs, is brief and intense, flooding more than it quenches the land’s thirst. The scant vegetation provides little in the way of nourishment and guards its seeds with poisonous thorns. Dead trees scoured white by blowing grit and dust are the only reminders of what this land once was. In spite of the punishing heat and extended dry spells, Elfharrow teems with life. Desert birds, snakes, coyotes, and other creatures subsist on tough fruits and isolated wells of murky water, scratching out a harsh but livable existence. Though the divisions are invisible to outsiders, Elfharrow is carved up into numerous tribal territories ruled by wild elf chieftains. Each territory extends for miles, and the tribes fiercely defend their domains, brooking no trespass from unwanted visitors. The elves mark the borders of their territories with small, rectangular stones etched with the flowing script of the Elven language. Often, these stones are all the notice that travelers have to go by when they cross from one territory into another. Within each territory, the elves erect villages of stone culled from the ruined cities in the west. Perched atop the hills that ring the scrubland, they gain a considerable view of the terrain for miles around, which allows them to watch for enemies. Elfharrow takes its name from the tribal groups of wild elves that laid claim to the wastes. Driven from the Misty Vale during its long death, the wild elves climbed into the hills in search of food, water, and a place to live. Although some argued in favor of moving on, most of the elves had little interest in mingling with other races and contented themselves with whatever good fortune they could find in their adopted wasteland. Although the wild elves are every bit as aggressive as rumor suggests, their violence and intolerance of outsiders stems from self-preservation. However, they have been known to relent on occasion, trading with travelers and even escorting pilgrims to the North Wall to behold the devastation of lost Halruaa. Centaur herds also inhabit Elfharrow. They rarely disturb the wild elves. Other than the elves and the centaurs, Elfharrow is empty of civilized races. The threat of the plaguelands beyond the North Wall and the dangers posed by the haunted cities of Lapaliiya usually keep unwanted people away. Intruders who persist are encouraged, at the points of spears and arrows, to explore elsewhere. 

Abn’dak Territory: Northwest Elven Territory - The Abn’dak Tribe, commonly called the “Sea Crows,” claim several miles of coast along the Shining Sea that includes the ruins of Sheirtalar. The Sea Crows live in stone huts on high hills overlooking the scrubland interior and the restless waves of the Shining Sea. Collections of abodes make up a string of tribal villages, each of which contains at least one Abn’dak shaman responsible for communication between villages. Such messages are mostly news of the latest hunts by land or by sea. The Abn’dak chieftain is Seaspark. She is young, having gained the chiefdom from her grandfather, who died while she lay in the womb. Control over the tribe bypassed her parents at her grandfather’s dying request. Seaspark’s grandfather is not around to pass on his wisdom directly, but her mother, the old chieftain’s daughter, teaches her the tribe’s wisdom while Seaspark grows into her role. Most believe Seaspark will rise to the challenge, though she remains untested.

Fort Beluarian: Baldur’s Gate Trade Fort - Population 1,000 - This outpost has weathered much over the years, and twice was completely eradicated by native uprisings. However, Baldur’s Gate retook the fort both times. The high stockades are manned by elements of the Flaming Fists mercenaries. Amn has lately made offers to buy out the city’s interest in the fort. Most suspect that if the Amnians acquired Beluarian, they would merely shut it down so that their competing Port Nyranzaru would control all water traffic to and from Chult.

Port Nyranzaru: Amnian Trade Colony - Population 12,000 - The harbor of Port Nyranzaru was designed with defense as its first priority, because pirates roam the sea north of Chult. Protecting against threats from the interior is just as important, and thus a high stockade wall of stone fronts the jungle, pierced by three well-guarded gates. Amn owns and controls all activity in Port Nyranzaru. Taxes are high, but those lucky enough to be employed by one of the major trading companies live in relative safety inside the walls of this ultimate frontier city. Those not affiliated with any of the trading companies are forced to live in the expansive shantytown beyond the wall. They survive as best they can, dealing constantly with disease and threats from the jungle.

 GRAY VALE REGION

Regional Benefit - Gray Vale: Add one language of your choice and 2 Ranks in Knowledge (nature) skill

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human) Elturgard: Add 1 Rank in Diplomacy, Heal and Knowledge (religion) skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be an Elf) Evereska: Add Fey language and you gain Arcane Study feat

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be a Lizardfolk) Najara: You gain +1 damage with your natural weapons

Description: Beneath the mysterious Star Mounts, at the southern edge of the ancient High Forest, the Gray Vale straddles the river Delimbiyr in the North. A prosperous region thanks to river traffic, merchant caravans from distant lands, and other travelers looking for treasure amid the wreckage of lost kingdoms. Gray Vale has grown into a trade center in the North in large part due to the success of Loudwater. This small town has an advantageous location at the confluence of the Delimbiyr and Grayflow rivers. Rich and arable farmland enables the community to thrive. Most merchants in the vicinity use the river to transport goods, making Loudwater an ideal nexus for nearly all commerce in this part of the world. Although Loudwater and other small settlements enjoy some prosperity, the threat of danger checks their growth. Displaced savages from beyond the High Forest are a constant peril. Goblins infest the Southwood, snatching cattle, supplies, and the occasional child before retreating to the dim shelter of their foreboding forest. Whispers of Najaran serpent-folk fill the taprooms as locals peer suspiciously at strangers, ever watchful for these sinister infiltrators. All of these dangers and more cast a pall of fear and mistrust over Gray Vale. Gray Vale’s borders are the Star Mounts as its northern boundary, the rugged Graypeak Mountains as the eastern border, and the High Moor as its southern perimeter. The Vale stretches west, following the Grayflow out to the Sword Coast, though the influence of the area thins as one draws closer to the Western Heartlands. Unlike other areas of the North, the people of Gray Vale are decidedly mixed, blending cultures from all over the region. But humanity has a slight edge, and most humans have fair skin, hair that ranges from blond to light brown, and the full range of eye colors (though hazel is dominant). A proud people, they are self-reliant, tough, and grizzled, accustomed to the hardships that press against them. Most folks are farmers, though plenty of miners try their hand at coaxing more out of the old mines of the Graypeaks. Half-elves comprise another large group of the Gray Vale population. Like the humans of this area, the half-elves have fair skin and light hair. Although most retain signs of their elven heritage, years of human and half-elf marriages have diminished these traits until most half-elves could pass for human. In addition, one can find a number of dwarves, drawn to Gray Vale to reclaim their lost holds. Half- ling fisherfolk work the river, living alongside their human allies. The region even has a smattering of eladrin and elves, though most members of those races encountered in the Vale hail from the High Forest to the north. 

Loudwater: Easily the largest settlement in Gray Vale, Loudwater is encircled by a wall of timber and stone more than 20 feet high. The fortifications and the determined but personable people living here make Loudwater an attractive stop for travelers of all kinds. 

Llorkh: Ever an unsavory place, Llorkh has sharply declined in recent years. A string of incompetent rulers drove off most of the honest residents, and now the ruined city serves as a haven for a self-styled bandit king and his lackeys. 

Elturel: Capital City - Population 17,000 - The city of Elturel rests atop a cliff that dominates the River Chionthar. A shining orb hangs like an eternal promise directly over the city’s center, providing a golden companion to the sun’s light by day, and reassuring sunlike illumination by night. The heatless second sun is called the Companion or Amaunator’s Gift, though no one but the High Observer knows if the object was truly bestowed by the sun god. Whatever its provenance, the Companion’s illumination suffuses the city, and undead of every sort are burned by its touch. Elturel is the capital of the wider kingdom it claims. The city is ruled by the High Observer of Torm, who keeps order within the city and the wider realm through a knighthood of paladins who share Elturgard’s goal of one day bringing righteous judgment to all Faerûn. Numerous citizens dream of joining the knighthood, and many succeed. Though not all serve the same god, all have sworn oaths to Elturgard and wear the blazing insignia of the Companion. As in previous generations, Elturel sees to it that the city and surrounding lands are the safest, best policed, and most efficient trading and farming community in the Western Heartlands. Caravans and riverboat convoys dread tying up in Elturel. More than anywhere else, travelers must be on their guard lest they use profane language, joke in an impious way, or otherwise accidentally anger the righteous port officials. Taxes are high for such offenses, and penalties include stripping a trader of the right to enter the city.

Scornubel: City of Caravans - Population 14,000 - Scornubel is a sprawling swarm of mercantile activity along the north shore of the River Chionthar where it meets the River Reaching. Caravans of all nations, organizations, and trading costers are welcome as long as they abide by the rules of good business. The paladin citadel visible from most points in the city is a constant reminder to those who might try otherwise. Dirty dealing in Scornubel can lead to severe punishment. Its earlier rulers chose profit over ideals, but the exact opposite is now true. Scornubel’s fortunes nearly failed in the decades following the Year of Blue Fire, when trade across Faerûn essentially fell to nothing. But the City of Caravans found a strategy to survive when it was nearly wiped out by destitution and starvation: The elders of Scornubel allowed it to be annexed into the realm of Elturgard. A contingent of paladins rode into the city, and it was saved. Over the last few decades, Scornubel has regained much of its former mercantile vigor, but the permanent citadel Elturgard built at the city center, brimming with paladins, has changed its overall tenor.

Iriaebor: Free City-State - Iriaebor, just east of Berdusk, is still an independent and strong city-state, despite the best efforts of Elturgard to bring it into the fold. The City of Thousand Spires is not free of Elturgard’s influence, however. Where competing states might seek to overrun a rival through force of arms, Elturgard attempts to woo Iriaebor with gifts, largesse, and promises of safety, all delivered by sun-blazoned paladins. Some merchants of the city freely accept these gifts, even going so far as to allow small companies of Elturgard knights to stay in their guest towers. More than a few see this as a threat, but others say the resident paladins are gracious and handy to have around when true evil is afoot.

Evereska City: Large City - Population 22,000 - Evereska is built on a lofty mesa nestled in a valley surrounded by high hills. The Three Sisters are towering marble cliffs a thousand feet tall, upon whose plateau the city glistens. Its winding streets and towering structures have changed little in thousands of years. Buildings carved of granite and marble are merged with living plants. The air smells of moss, leaves, and flowers. Streets paved with marble extend up the vertical sides of great towers. The eladrin wander over every surface, occasionally flying or levitating from place to place. The Hall of the High Hunt is an imposing structure of soaring marble minarets and vine-covered arches where the Hill Elders hold court. This council of the most learned eladrin includes fierce warriors, high mages, and nobles born of families that were old when humans still wielded bone clubs. Evereska has a number of temples devoted to gods worshiped by the fey. A statue of Hanali Celanil rises hundreds of feet above the city center, and the aweinspiring Floating Gardens of Aerdrie Faenya provide a tranquil respite. Though confusion accompanied the revelations that Hanali Celanil was in fact the elven aspect of the goddess Sune and that Aerdrie Faenya was none other than the primordial Akadi, the worship of the goddess of beauty and the Lord of Sky Home are still major parts of life in Evereska. Both Sune and Akadi must surely be pleased by Evereska, which combines jaw-dropping beauty with stomach-dropping heights. Nothing is close to the ground here, and towers compete with each other to scrape the clouds. The tallest structure in the city is the Tower Higher than Eastpeak, which is so named because it’s taller than the mountains east of the vale that sometimes block the rising sun. The Academy of Magic and the Academy of Arms are sponsored by the high mages and the Long Watch, respectively, and no finer wizards or fighters can be found in the world. Possessed of extraordinary power, the high mages of Evereska keep their lore a closely guarded secret.

Ss’thar’tiss’ssun: The sarrukh, the yuan-ti progenitor race, built this temple-city thirty thousand years ago, making it one of the oldest ruins in all Faerûn. Ss’thar’tiss’ssun was abandoned after the death of the deity it was built to exalt. It stood sealed for thousands of years until it was restored by the ancient naga Terpenzi and its followers, marking Najara’s first flowering. However, in the Year of the Moor Birds (90 DR), the Shadowking and other Netherese wizards slew Terpenzi and partially razed the city. Humans briefly inhabited the land above the ruins, but their habitation, called Serpent’s Cowl, now stands empty. The surface dwellers were annihilated when the Netherese wards designed to keep out serpent kin failed roughly a hundred years ago. The Shrine of the Cowled Serpents lies in the heart of ruined Ss’thar’tiss’ssun. Over the last century, yuan-ti have uncovered the shrine and often visit the location.

THE GREAT DALE REGION

Regional Benefit - The Great Dale: Add 2 Ranks in Knowledge (nature) and Survival skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human) Narfell: Add 2 Ranks in Ride skill and gain 2 cold resistance

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human, any Elf or Tiefling) Rashemen: Add Fey language and gain +4 to Diplomacy checks involving Spirits

Alternative Regional Benefit - Thesk: Add 1 Rank in Diplomacy, Bluff and Sleight of Hand skills

 Description: The Great Dale is the vast, windswept vale that divides two enormous forests, the Dunwood to the north and the Forest of Lethyr to the south. Narfell is north of the Great Dale and Rashemen is to the east across Lake Ashane. To the south of the Forest of Lethyr is the kingdom of Thesk. The druids and other folk who inhabit the great rocky tor of Yeshelmaar are all that stand between the sparsely settled, wild southern woodlands and the festering evils of the northern forest. Rumpled ridges of bare rock rise from the thin soil, growing steeper and more rugged to the north and south as one climbs toward the forests that flank the vale. Fierce winter winds scour the land during the cold months, and all year long the Great Dale is a desolate land. Leaving aside trade towns, the only major settlement is Yeshelmaar. Trade has collapsed along the Great Road, leaving the defenders of Yeshelmaar as the last bastion of civilization in the Great Dale. Demons that were bound beneath the Dunwood by the long-fallen Empire of Narfell now stalk the northern forest and threaten to overwhelm the wild reaches of the Forest of Lethyr. The southern woods are home to hidden wood elf villages and a handful of human settlements along the border with Thesk. The Great Dale is divided into three major regions: the Dunwood, the Forest of Lethyr, and the open lands between the two. The remnants of relatively recent settlements lie along the crumbling Great Road that runs west to east through the heart of the region. Centuries-old ruins harkening back to earlier eras largely lie beneath the boughs of the two great forests. Though few in number, the inhabitants of the Great Dale are hardy folk who respect and love wild expanses of nature. Most are humans or wood elves, though half-elves and shifters are not unknown. The trappings of civilization are viewed with scorn and a small amount of fear, as the detritus of ancient cultures still taints the land with a legacy of evil and despair. Because Yeshelmaar is largely cut off from the outside world, visitors to the stronghold are viewed with a healthy degree of suspicion. Anyone suspected of dealing with demonkind, or of the wanton destruction of nature, is summarily dispatched.

Bezentil: Trade Post - Population 200 - This walled village serves as a way station along the Great Road. On nights of the full moon, packs of wolves assemble outside the walls in a gathering known to residents as the Great Howling, which usually is followed by a series of attacks on travelers in the region. Mostly overgrown now, the Great Road runs through the dale from Uthmere to the crossroads of Kront. It passes through this walled village, which serves as a waypoint for travelers and caravans. Five-foot-high stones, carved with a tree-in-circle mark, stand on the road to Bezentil, signifying that the crossroads is under the protection of the Circle of Leth.

Kront: Trade Village - Population 400 - This rough frontier village at the eastern end of the Great Dale remains free, despite regular raids by warriors from Narfell. Kront is ruled by Lady Chinilvur, the scion of a minor Impilturan noble house. The first glimmer of civilization along the Cold Road from N’Jast in Narfell, Kront stands on a crossroads that leads to Two Stars in Thesk. Despite raids from far-roaming Nars, the rough frontier village still stands. No lord higher than the current Lady Chinilvur, of an Impilturan noble line, claims dominion over Kront. The Chinilvurs would have built the town in the Ashanath on Lake Ashane, but that stretch of land is prone to unnaturally regular and severe tornadoes.

Uthmere: Trade Village - Population 400 - A walled trading post surrounded by small farms is all that remains of this former port city, which once marked the western terminus of the Great Road. The Easting Reach withdrew as the Sea of Fallen Stars receded, leaving this former port landlocked. A major earthquake then finished the city. Most citizens fled to Impiltur. A walled trading post still stands along the Great Road and the Dalestream here, surrounded by small farms. The Hall of the Just, once a temple to Tyr, is the town’s authority. Uthmere’s streets are safe, and a traveler can expect fair treatment in the village.

Yeshelmaar: Trade Town - Population 2,000 - This outpost stands on a sheer-sided hill that rises from the southern forest next to a small lake. The stronghold is notable for its tall, elf-carved spires linked by curling stairs that seamlessly blend into the original stone of the volcanic plinth. Massive stone planters holding ancient trees line the hillside, giving the fortress the appearance of a graceful, protruding section of the forest floor. Yeshelmaar is now the seat of power of the Circle of Leth, ruled by the Nentyarch and his High Druids. The Nentyarch guards the wild Forest of Lethyr and seeks to reclaim his seat in the demon-haunted Dunwood. Near the center of the dale, a great tor rises from the forest. A pristine lake of clear, cold water stands at the foot of the hill. Carved into the tor is an old stronghold known as Yeshelmaar, built in a day when the Lethyr fey faced off against threats from Narfell. During the wars with the Nars, Yeshelmaar grew higher and deeper, until the original tor was obscured. Now it is difficult to pick out the transition between the natural stone of the hillside and elven engineering. Trees root in earth-filled stone planters on nearly every level surface, providing soothing breaks in the otherwise stern stonework. Green ivy grows over the sides of every wall. The Nentyarch and his Circle of Leth formerly dwelled at Dun-Tharos, but the Rotting Man and his blightlords drove them out. Yeshelmaar became the Nentyarch’s seat-in-exile.

Bildoobaris: Trademeet - Population 30,000 (summer) - During the majority of the year, this place is nothing more than a vast stretch of flat land cut by winding draws. When summer sun makes travel easier and fills the gullies with meltwater from nearby Mount Nar and the Firward Mountains, Nar tribes gather in Bildoobaris for a festival of the same name. At that time, miles of hide tents fill the plain, mingled with the finer temporary abodes of foreign merchants. The Nars drink, feast, and trade. Marriages are arranged and stories are swapped. Through an intertribal council, the tribes make common policy, each voting according to its size and the number of riders it can muster. The current ascendant tribe is the Harthgroth. During Bildoobaris, Nars also sell horses, native craftwork, and ancient treasures to foreigners. They trade for armor, clothing, jewelry, weapons, and even food and exotic drink. Merchants must be wary, however, because any Nar who feels cheated might become violent.

Jiyyd: Crossroads Village - Population 500 - A rough collection of squat stone buildings and hide tents, Jiyyd is a trading center. It boasts the first available services along the Long Road past the Giantspire Gap, set where the road to Peltarch meets the Long Road. Passing Nars, traders from Peltarch, and even a few goblins come to Jiyyd to barter. Foreigners and natives alike take advantage of the village’s largest feature, the Delyth Caravanserai, which is operated by a family that moved from Damara long ago.

N’Jast: Crossroads Village - Population 500 - Much like Jiyyd, N’Jast is a trading settlement nestled at the point where the Long Road crosses the Cold Road, a passage from remote villages and dwarfholds near the Icerim Mountains all the way to Nethentir in Thesk. N’Jast is a stopover for Nars and merchants on their way to Bildoobaris.

Peltarch: Port Town - Population 2,000 - The only sizable permanent settlement in Narfell is on the southern shore of Icelace Lake, a body formed by runoff from the Great Glacier to the north. The Nars of Peltarch, mostly of the Ulyoon tribe, fish the lake. They also welcome the few winter caravans that cross frozen Icelace Lake instead of braving the snow-choked and goblin-infested Giantspire Gap in the winter. Through food trade and intermittent traffic, the citizens of Peltarch have become wealthier than their kin, and other Nar tribes consider them outlanders. Stone for the buildings and walls of Peltarch was taken from an older ruin that lies to the north, which the Nars call Old Peltarch. Peltarch has had its share of strange occurrences, dark spirits, and overly aggressive animals—especially cave bears and dire bears. Many Nars blame these troubles on the ruins and the transported masonry.

Immilmar: Capital City - Population 25,000 - The Iron Lord’s citadel, built upon an ancient Nar fortification, stands at the center of Immilmar on the shore of Lake Ashane. Ambassadors and merchants come here to deal with the Rashemi. Most of the buildings within the city are sturdy lodges, far different from the grim keep of the Iron Lord. They are formed with steep sides and a central peak, created by stout timbers embedded in the ground. These buildings are covered with earth and have grass growing over them, similar to structures all across Rashemen. Important locations are simply more elaborate lodges. Witches Hall is a whitewashed and elaborately carved affair closed to all but the witches. The House of the Three, in which Chauntea, Mielikki, and Selûne are worshiped as the Rashemi pantheon, has a central garden court open to the sky.

Mulsantir: Trade Town - Population 7,000 - Trade might be queen in Mulsantir, but war is king. Ferries extend the Golden Way here from Two Stars in Thesk. During winter, caravans can cross the ice of Lake Mulsantir. Thayan advances into Aglarond and movements on the borders of Thesk haven’t gone unnoticed in Rashemen. Thay has besieged Mulsantir three times in the past, but the town has never fallen. It sports three rings of walls and the most stone buildings in Rashemen. Mulsantir is home to magic warships called witchboats, as well as numerous rage-fueled warriors.

Urling: Village - Population 400 - When not on business within Urlingwood, many witches reside in this village. The community looks to be little more than a grove of primeval trees punctuated by grassy mounds. The hills are the lodges of the Wychlaran, their spouses, and their servants. Unlike Urlingwood, Urling is open to common folk. Some of the most potent magicians in eastern Faerûn live here, including Lady Rameena, the most dangerous witch in Rashemen.

Phsant: City - Population 30,000 - Where the armies of the western alliance put down the Tuigan Horde, Phsant is the cultural center of Thesk and a layover point for most who travel east or west. Its diversity is astounding, even for Thesk. Thesk supports a large population of civilized orcs and half-orcs, and Phsant has the largest population of orc-blooded citizens in the nation. 

Shou-Town: Phsant is also home to the biggest population of Shou people in Thesk. Like every Theskian settlement, it has a city ward dedicated to Shou culture, but Phsant’s Shou-Town is the largest in Thesk. Anyone seeking an aspect of eastern culture can find it here. One such societal element is the criminal one—the yakuza came to Thesk along with their more honest kin. Yakuza disdain outright theft, preferring other illicit activities and violent work, such as assassination and intimidation. Nonetheless, they clash with the Shadowmasters in Phsant and elsewhere.

Telflamm: Port City; Population 40,000 - Telflamm is Thesk to most outlanders. Even though the Council of Thesk recognizes no one settlement as the nation’s capital, Telflamm’s prominence makes that point moot. Founded by the Balindre Impilturan noble house (whose company, the Royal Company of Shou Lung, also pioneered much of the Golden Way), Telflamm is as far into Thesk or the East as many ever travel. A prince of the Balindre line once ruled here, but with the death of that line’s final scion, Telflamm passed into oligarchy. Its Merchants’ Council now manages the city’s affairs, and the council’s leader is given stewardship over old Castle Balindre. The powerful criminal guild known as the Shadowmasters, servants of Shar and users of shadow power, is the real authority in the town, but it allows the council and its leader to maintain the appearance of working against corruption.

HIGH IMASKAR REGION

Regional Benefit - High Imaskar: Add Arcane Study feat

Description: Located north of Durpar and the Beastlands, south of Thay and east of Chessenta and Tymanther, High Imaskar rests on the southeastern coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars on the far eastern end of Faerun. Amid roiling clouds of purple dust rises the newly founded empire of High Imaskar, some 4,000 years absent from Toril. Its appearance marks the return of an ancient nation, a people whose stamp on history continues to foster fear and distrust. Although High Imaskar has broken with many of its former customs, its checkered past stoke the suspicions of times gone by. High Imaskar stands on the ruins of ancient Mulhorand, a nation shattered nearly a century ago by the Spellplague, its people destroyed, its gods vanished. In the vast emptiness came the Imaskari, appearing as if they had stepped through millennia of history, untouched and unchanged. Beginning with the reemergence of the Palace of the Purple Emperor, the Imaskari extended their influence throughout the vacated lands and even farther. High Imaskar has been careful to break with its more sinister traditions, going so far as to abolish slavery in all forms. The new realm retains elements of original Imaskari culture, though it renounces slavery in all its forms (unlike the old Imaskari, whose slave-taking led to their downfall). Despite High Imaskar’s example and stated intentions, nearby countries deeply distrust this revived empire. After all, its ancient namesake was one of the most hated reigns of all time. Its natural penchant for magic and its adherence to other old customs lead many to question the nation’s true motives. It is widely believed that those born of Imaskari blood possess a special talent for magic. Humans dominate this region, descendants of the original Imaskari who fled into the Underdark, where they survived for thousands of years in exile. Although they share many similarities with other humans and indeed resemble them at a glance, close inspection reveals some curious features. For example, Imaskari have unusual skin striations, not unlike the marbling seen in some stones. Imaskari prefer to wear dramatic and elaborate styles of dress, such as high-collared greatcoats that buckle up to the neck. Each coat is intricately patterned, woven with fine silver thread that seems to shift and writhe in the light. Beneath these outer layers, Imaskari of either gender favor black garb, from dark silken shirts to dull ebony boots. Rings decorate their flesh and fingers. Aside from humans, only tieflings dwell here in any significant numbers, especially in the city of Gheldaneth, a remnant of ancient Mulhorand. Finding the magical traditions to their liking, they blend in as best they can. Few other races call High Imaskar home. The newness of the nation, its curious culture, and its deadly landscape dissuade many from settling here. A few bold traders sail the Sea of Fallen Stars to exchange goods at Skyclave, but they are infrequent visitors at best. Trade is accommodated between various urban centers using huge flying beasts known as redwings. These dragonflylike creatures, bred by the Imaskari, transport both trade goods and passengers on great gondolas strapped to their undersides. Mulhorand did not go peacefully into the night, and the Spellplague saw the land utterly transformed into an unlikely fusion of motes of all types, yawning abysses, towering spires, rivers of earth tumbling across the lands, clouds of roiling fire, boiling yellow seas giving off brimstone bubbles, and other strange environmental phenomena. Such is the influence of wild magic on the region that travel is a challenge in itself. Instincts trump the senses because sights, sounds, and smells can’t be trusted. 

Skyclave: Capital City-Tower - Population 18,000 - Vast and imposing, Skyclave is the seat of the Empress and the Body of Artificers, Planners, and Apprehenders and the capital of High Imaskar. Skyclave is essentially a single tower thrusting a mile above the ground. Like the branches of a tree, smaller secondary towers sprout from the neck of the central trunk, and festooned all along its height are staircases, balconies, portals, verandas, and more. Over half of the city’s population resides within the great tower, which, due to a magical effect, is larger inside than out. The rest huddle around it, supporting the city through agriculture, fisheries, and other industries. Lord Planner Yanay commands the nonmilitary workers and deals with the day-to-day needs of the population. She is the designated lead representative for those Imaskari who do not concern themselves with arcane enterprises. Skyclave’s “mayor” Yanay sees to the city-tower’s needs and provisioning. A proficient arcanist, Lord Artificer Qhapaq, leads a powerful group of citizen-mages that makes up a large segment of the Imaskari population. He styles himself a man of the people and speaks for their concerns. It includes the partly restored and relocated Palace of the Purple Emperor. The lowest balcony is a good two or three hundred feet above the farms, fisheries, and light industries that surround and support Skyclave. More than half of all the citizens of High Imaskar live within Skyclave’s hollowed interior, a space magically larger on the inside than on the outside. The city-tower’s endless interior galleries are thick with interesting sites and shops. This area holds a grand theater, a vast library, residences both large and small suitable for common folk and nobles alike, and numerous gathering places for the locals to congregate. Here and there, uninhabited levels are given over to plantlike growth and magical lights. In the halls of the Academy of Imaskar, wizards pass on what they remember of their ancient craft to the next generation. High Imaskar’s military force, the Vengeance Riders, stables specially trained redwings in grand balcony-roosts near Skyclave’s tip. A patrol of at least four redwings always circles the great spire, on the lookout for trouble. 

Ayar’s Table: From the Imaskari inscriptions on the walls to the jug of mushroom ale on every table, the atmosphere in Ayar’s recalls the vaults of Deep Imaskar, with excessive exaggeration. The main room is a sprawling, boisterous hall whizzing with invisible servers, called uskuras, carrying trays, drinks, and decorations. Red and black sauces, popular in Deep Imaskar, dominate the menu. In Ayar’s, platters are piled high with herbed cabbages balancing on mountains of succulent fennel worms.

The Edge: Occupying a series of connected exterior balconies along Skyclave’s western face, the Edge is famous for its views of the surrounding landscape. Its menu boasts anomalous Mulhorandi twists on classic Imaskari delicacies. The Edge also features the perpetual presence of Jard Sharoch, an expatriate of Waterdeep whose nightly stage performances have secured a home for him in High Imaskar.

Gheldaneth: Remnant City - Population 22,000 - Drastically reduced in size from the metropolis it once was, Gheldaneth yet persists, the sole surviving bastion of ancient Mulhorand. Despite its grand history, Gheldaneth proclaims fealty to High Imaskar. A detachment of Imaskari vengeance-takers has a permanent post in Gheldaneth, ensuring that the city obeys the dictates of the Empress in Skyclave. The two rules most at odds with the previous way of life in Gheldaneth are the ban on owning slaves and the ban on worship of the Mulhorandi pantheon. Several bitter, bloody conflicts have been fought by vengeance-takers and Gheldanethi loyal to Imaskar against slaver syndicates and priests of banned deities. Despite these controversial edicts, social status remains important to average Gheldanethi. Many citizens shave their heads and paint circles upon their brows. One circle indicates someone of the middle class, two an arcane spellcaster, and three an honored 

historian of lost traditions. The middle class consists of artisans, craftsfolk, traders, mercenaries, and scribes. A high concentration of tieflings lives in Gheldaneth. Many of them claim that they are mortal descendants of ancient Mulhorandi deities, though most believe they are scions of slaves who made deals with devils in an attempt to escape their bondage. Gheldaneth is composed of relatively modern stone buildings and streets squatting on the ruins of a metropolis that once numbered over 170,000 residents. Only a few of the grand structures the city once boasted remain in use—the rest were buried in the upheaval that obliterated the greater part of Mulhorand. Submerged structures include Mulhorand’s Great University and Wizard College, temples great and small, and grand tombs of previous rulers. At one time, Gheldaneth was known to house the largest collection of relics and magic items in the area. Precious few have been recovered. All those buried structures and treasures make modern-day Gheldaneth a hub for adventurers who dream of lost riches ripe for the taking just below the city streets. The city’s economy is booming, mostly 

serving hopeful salvagers and adventuring companies from all across Faerûn.

Skalnaedyr: Largest Dragon Ruled City - Population 10,000 - This “crossroads of Murghôm” has grown from a village to a city over the past seventy years, and the winding streets and jumbled architecture are a testament to this rapid growth. The newest parts of the city are built around the palace of Skalnaedyr, an elder blue dragon. Skalnaedyr is rarely seen, but 

his vizier Merwena has the authority to speak in his place. The city has grown so large because Skalnaedyr was the first dragon prince to give a measure of respect and freedom to his human subjects. People early on flocked to the city, finding work in various trades. Other dragon princes have since attempted to 

emulate Skalnaedyr, but most prefer to rule through 

fear rather than respect.

 IMPULTUR REGION

Regional Benefit - Impultur: Add the higher of your Wisdom score or your Con score modifier to extra HP

Alternative Regional Benefit - Vesperin: Add 1 Rank in Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive skills

Description: Impultur is located on a large peninsula with Vesperin on The Sea of Shining Star's northern coast. It rests between The Dalelands and The Great Dale. The star of Impiltur has fallen. The retreat of the sea, coupled with widespread corruption, has led this region into decline. The people of this once-great nation huddle in fear as their kingdom unravels around them. Travel between the cities is dangerous, and plaguechanged monsters haunt the countryside. Demons bound long ago were freed when Mystra’s Weave failed, and many yet roam the landscape. Impiltur’s fortunes failed when the Sea of Fallen Stars withdrew, drying up the vibrant ports of the cities that served as the heart of commerce. In addition, the death of the last royal, King Imbrar II, during the Year of Blue Fire ended the long reign of the monarchy and shifted power to the lords of the remaining cities. Now collectively called the Grand Council, the lords have proven to be inept at rule, impotent in the face of their nation’s inexorable decay. They do nothing to combat the spreading stain of demon worship that holds Impiltur in the grip of terror. Impiltur has grown since the days of old, but not from conquest or expansion. Instead, the Sea of Fallen Stars withdrew as the water level fell, striking a death blow to the nation’s commercial power. Robbed of mercantile clout, cities such as Dilpur and Hlammach shrank, hemorrhaging citizens as the food supplies dwindled and prices rose. Some escaped to New Sarshel, the only city that proved adaptable enough to respond to the shifting climate. The countryside beyond the ragged coast remains much as it did, consisting of rolling hills climbing toward the Earthspur Mountains, where tough humans and dwarves mine gems, gold, silver, and iron. The nation still sees some overland trade, largely with Vesperin, whose own fortunes seem to rise as Impiltur’s fall. Impiltur remains a human nation. Most residents are of Chondathan or Damaran extraction, though years of intermingling have merged them into one people. Typically, Impilturan humans have tawny skin and brown or black hair. Blond hair is somewhat rare and exotic. Attractive and big-boned, Impilturans are taller and larger than humans of other lands. In the folk who dwell farther inland, Damaran features assert themselves. People fleeing from Narfell found work here as miners and farmers, so western Impilturan people are slightly shorter than the city-dwellers and have somewhat darker complexions. The mining folk are a people of absolutes, seeing as an enemy anyone who does not fit neatly into their perspective. Impiltur is also home to small pockets of shield dwarves and halflings. The halflings roam up and down the few waterways and trade with the tiny settlements that huddle on the shores. The dwarves coexist with the western humans, finding the humans’ rigid outlook and honorable customs much to their liking.

Lyrabar: Relocated Port - Population 50,000 - Lyrabar is long and narrow, stretching along the seacoast for nearly a mile. Most of its port remains high and dry, however. Newer, smaller dock facilities keep the city on the map. Lyrabar is known for its thriving community of thieves. In addition to thieves’ gangs, Lyrabar hosts several companies of demon-hunters. The adventurers regularly strike out into Impiltur’s interior, intent on bringing home a demonic trophy. Such trophies have high value here and in other countries.

New Sarshel: Port City - Population 30,000 - Because New Sarshel was able to keep pace with the retreating Sea of Fallen Stars when it mattered most, it captured a volume of trade and imports that Lyrabar and other western port cities previously enjoyed. Unlike the rest of Impiltur, New Sarshel enjoys trade from the Great Dale, and its fortunes continue to wax. Several members of the Grand Council reside in New Sarshel, including the influential head of House Marhana, the wizened and little-seen Behroun Marhana. Tavern talk has it that magic, perhaps of a sinister nature, sustains Lord Marhana’s life. All know that his rise to power occurred roughly eighty years ago, during the decades after the lowering of the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Tantras: Capital City - Population 23,000 - As capital, Tantras hosts the Golden Lords, a council of the most powerful, wealthy, and influential merchants who rule as an oligarchy. As fortunes rise and fall, people gain or lose their status as Golden Lords (a term applied to both male and female council members). Despite these changes in personnel, the council has acted in a remarkably consistent manner, providing a reliable and stable government that ensures the basic necessities of life for its people. The business and residential districts display a clear hierarchy, in the cost of items sold in shops and in the price of homes. Ornamentation and embellishment is the norm, with thin layers of gold commonly coating carriages, furniture, and even architectural features. Of course, such ostentatious displays of wealth attract the attention of unscrupulous individuals. Hence, the well-to-do hire personal guards, household militias, and even small, private armies for protection.

Calaunt :Large City - Population 32,000 - Important because of its ability to regulate trade on the River Vesper, Calaunt has become vigilant recently about pirates and raiders. A legal Writ of Trade issued from the Merchant Dukes of Calaunt or the Golden Lords of Tantras is required for travelers to pass unmolested. Nonetheless gold, connections, or blackmail can make even the questionable legal.

Ravens Bluff: Large City - Population 40,000 - Over the last hundred years, Ravens Bluff has eclipsed Calaunt as the largest city in the region. Danger, intrigue, action, and rumors abound in this adventurer’s paradise. Ravens Bluff is sweeter smelling than the tannery-scented Calaunt and less structured than Tantras, with its rigid economic social and political class arrangements. As a result, most immigrants choose to settle here. The city provides an ideal place for all manner of urban and dungeon adventures. Its cellars, sewers, natural caverns, and multiple entry points to the Underdark offer much in the way of below ground exploration.

  LURUAR REGION

Regional Benefit - Luruar: Add one language of your choice and 2 Ranks in Knowledge (history) skill

Alternative Regional Benefit - (must be Human, any Dwarf, Orc or Half-Orc) Icewind Dale: You gain +3 cold resistance and +5 to Balance checks made due to slippery surfaces

Description: Luruar, also known as the Silvery Marches, lies north of the Gray Vale, west of Netheril, and east of the Sword Coast region of Luskan. It sits in the far north west of Faerun, with the Great Glacier ot the north. Luruar is a land of friendship and safety, a defensive league of strong, independent cities. It offers a new start for people with ruined lives, welcoming those of all races and backgrounds, as long as their intentions are noble. The past century saw several smaller forests merge into the Glimmerwood. Although the cities of Everlund, Silverymoon, and Sundabar remain strong and united, dwarven allies of old have withdrawn. The boundaries around Luruar have changed as well, with the formation of the orc nation of Many-Arrows to the north, the opening of the elven kingdom of Evereska to the south, and the expansion of Netheril to the east. The united cities of Silverymoon, Sundabar, and Everlund form a trinity of civilization at Luruar’s core. Despite the safety of the region’s cities and roads, its wilderness is dangerous. Humans, elves, and half-elves make up Luruar’s dominant population. Dwarves, halflings, and eladrin are present in smaller numbers. Although viewed with some skepticism, dragonborn, tieflings, half-orcs, and genasi also appear on the streets of Luruar’s diverse cities. Each city offers a differing degree of open-mindedness, but in general, the nation’s cities have shrugged off the prejudices that plague much of Faerûn. Enemies of Luruar include the orcs of Many-Arrows to the north, the Netherese and their puppet monsters in the eastern marches, and the nearby Underdark realms of Menzoberranzan and Gracklstugh. Before she passed away, High Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon founded a mutual defense league in the region. Her son Methrammar Aerasumé came to head a more diminished league. Methrammar has reached an advanced age, and choosing the next High Lord of Luruar is the talk of the league. Each member city has its own distinct government and traditions. The dwarves of Adbar, Mithral Hall, and Felbarr parted ways with the others, unwilling to compromise their own defenses by shoring up the smaller settlements in the area. The dwarves remain potentially powerful allies of Luruar but are not always reliable. 

Everlund: Walled City - Population 23,000 - Located on the banks of the Rauvin River, Everlund is an active mercantile community. A thick stone wall is pierced in five places by the city’s gates. Like the spokes of a wheel, straight streets lead from each gate to Bell Market at the city center. City architecture was designed to accommodate the needs of trade caravans—hostelries feature stables and wagon parking, and streets are well cobbled and in good repair.

Silverymoon: Elven City of Renown - Population 40,000 - Silverymoon is the Gem of the North, a center of learning and a symbol of greatness. It is a beautiful place of ancient trees and soaring towers, with curving lines and garden plantings adorning every nook and balcony. Aerial steeds carry riders across the skies, magic and learning are revered, music and laughter echo in the streets, and the city is celebrated for its fascinating shops brimming with maps, books, art, and items of lore. Silverymoon boasts a conservatory of music, a great library, parks, and castlelike residences of noble folk. It boasts temples and shrines to such deities as Mielikki, Oghma, Silvanus, Sune, Tymora, and long-dead gods (the old temple to Mystra still stands, but now as a memorial shrine and monument to the goddess of magic). The arcane-oriented University of Silverymoon comprises several formerly separate colleges, including The Lady’s College, Miresk’s School of Thaumaturgy, and Fochluchan. The city’s army, the Knights in Silver, circulates constantly and lends detachments to the Luruar confederacy for patrols between the three main cities. Silverymoon’s famed magical wards of protection faltered during the Spellplague and have not regained their original strength.

Son of the Goat: Located north of the Moonbridge, the Son of the Goat tavern is built where its forerunner, the Dancing Goat, stood before a fire consumed it. The Son of the Goat is every bit as renowned for its raucous revelry at all hours as its predecessor. Dancing, flirting, and singing are never-ending pastimes, all fueled by a cellar boasting hundreds of vintages. Pickpockets and other professionals are drawn to the tumult.

Golden Oak Inn: This historic inn features cozy, rustic rooms, dim flagstoned passages, fragrant herbs, and pots and window boxes full of well-tended plants. All the rooms open off a central atrium dominated by a gargantuan oak that rises into the open sky. The tree’s branches are alight with glimmering lanterns, giving soft light to the tables beneath.

Dark Arrow Keep: Capital Fortress - Population 2,000 - King Obould unified the mountain orcs beneath his harsh banner over a century ago, and an orc king still rules from the same citadel. Rambling and well defended, Dark Arrow Keep is renowned for its massive weight of stone, blind alleys, crude traps, and confounding corridors raked by hidden arrow slits. From his skull-adorned, horned throne in the keep’s central chamber, King Obould XVII holds his kingdom of brutish orcs in thrall. As with all previous kings, he sometimes finds it necessary to mete out lethal punishment as an example to his chieftains. This punishment is administered in the Pit, an arena where a victim is given a sword to defend against an array of giants, monsters, and better-armored and armed veteran orcs. An orc who has seen the bottom of the Pit and lived receives a pardon.

 MOONSHAE ISLES REGION

Regional Benefit - Moonshae Isles: Add +1 Rank in Knowledge (nature), Survival and Swim skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - Nelanther Isles: You gain +2 to AC and attack rolls while boarding a ship

Description: Off the western coast of Faerûn lies an archipelago known as the Moonshae Isles. Home to two human cultures, the druidic Ffolk and the seafaring Northlanders, the Moonshae Isles are beset by encroaching threats from the Feywild and Amnian mercenaries bent on conquest. The Moonshae Isles are dominated by six major islands—Alaron, Gwynneth, Moray, Norland, Oman, and Snowdown—and countless tiny isles. Small settlements of Ffolk or Northlanders are scattered across nearly all the isles, though the bulk of the population dwells on Alaron.The Moonshae Isles are a land apart from the rest of Faerûn, marked by towering mountains, dark forests, and ancient rings of standing stones. The realm of House Kendrick, nominally the royal family of the entire archipelago, has been reduced to the isle of Alaron. The isle of Snowdown has fallen under the sway of Amnian mercenaries, while the Northlander kingdoms of Oman and Moray have been abandoned to fomorians (a race of giants from the Feywild) and savage lycanthropes who serve the bloodthirsty beast-god Malar. The Moonshae Isles are home to two distinct cultures, the Ffolk and the Northlanders. The Ffolk embrace the druidic faith and revere the wild, untouched reaches of the islands. The Northlanders embrace a more warlike creed and revere the violent, unrelenting sea. Both cultures are fiercely independent and reject the influence of mainlanders from Faerûn. Amnians are intensely hated because of their nation’s conquest of Snowdown, while Baldurans and Waterdhavians are tolerated for the wealth their trade brings to the Moonshaes. The islands’ inhabitants see themselves as stewards of the land and sea. They are apt to be superstitious, and all manner of traditions surround the large and growing presence of the fey. Followers of Malar are hunted without mercy, but even so the insidious threat posed by the Beastlord’s lycanthrope followers continues to grow. 

Alaron: High King’s Isle - Population 70,000 - Ruled from the city of Callidyrr, this island is the most powerful Moonshae kingdom. The rugged Fairheight Mountains to the north separate the traditional lowland homes of the Ffolk from the Northlanders who congregate in the realm of Gnarhelm to the north. Intermarriage has eliminated the cultural divide between the two peoples in all but name. Customs and respect for the sea and the woods are shared. The Kendrick dynasty yet rules in Caer Callidyrr, a mighty castle overlooking the sprawling port city of the same name. Derid Kendrick is the current High 

King. His most pressing concern is to retake ancestral holdings on Snowdown stolen by Amn-sponsored mercenaries, and to establish a lasting peace with the fey kingdom of Sarifal. Only portions of Dernall Forest remain tamed by the nation’s druids—the interior is a shadowy realm beset by the worst of the Feywild. Every day, battles are fought on the border. Sometimes the druids win. More often, the fomorian influence grows.

Gwynneth: Fey-Controlled Isle - Population 50,000 - Gwynneth today is a breathtakingly magical place, home to a race of noble eladrin claiming to be of the same stock as the mythical fey creator race of old. Radiating outward from the shining city of Karador at the heart of Myrloch Vale, the valleys, 

forests, and waterways of Gwynneth are filled with lush vegetation, fantastic beasts, and the laughter of sylvan creatures dancing beneath the stars. This land is called Sarifal by some of its fey inhabitants, and humans are no longer welcome on its shores. The old human kingdom of Corwell has not existed for over a century. The ruins of Caer Corwell rest atop a rocky promontory above the terminus of Corwell Firth several hundred feet below. King Kendrick has vowed to see the ancestral home of his family restored.

Oman: Giant-Ruled Wilderness - Population 3,000 - This central island was once ruled from Iron Keep, the most feared and violent of the Northlanders’ kingdoms. A brief surge in settlement following the Treaty of Oman years ago was reversed when a plague of cyclopses and fomorians burst from the Grampalt Highlands. The giants overran all colonies of the Ffolk and Northlanders, slaughtering their villages; most vestiges of civilization on the isle were overwhelmed. Today Oman is the wildest and most dangerous isle of the Moonshaes. 

Only fools seeking death set foot on its rocky shores.

Norland: Northlander Stronghold - Population 30,000 - Norland is home to Rogarsheim, a warlike and powerful Northlander realm. The Stormbanner Wolves, unlike the Northlanders on Alaron, are culturally distinct from the Ffolk. They remain suspicious and warlike even against their long-time neighbors. Like western Moray, Norland has seen an upswing in giant activity from its southern mountains. Stalwart defense by Northlander and Ffolk settlements working together have thus far checked the invasions. Stormbanner Hold is the greatest stronghold of the Northlanders. The hold perches upon the east central coast of the isle overlooking the Bay of Norland. Norland remains a warlike realm, focusing most of its energy against Amn’s colonies in the south. Northlanders take special delight in overtaking and sinking Amnian merchant vessels that sail between Snowdown and the mainland.

Moray: Lycanthrope Badlands - Population 3,000 - Moray, the westernmost of the major Moonshae islands, is infested by a bloodthirsty sect called the Black Blood tribe. 

Snowdown: Amnian Isle - Population 20,000 - Amn’s mercenaries and merchant houses are bent on subjugating the islands, and they’ve made a good start in Snowdown. Since the early 1400s, the Ffolk of Snowdown have been subject to Amnian law and rule from the mainland. Lady Erliza Daressin is the Viceroy of Westphal. The Amnians buttress their control through the threat of violence against members of the royal family. The isle’s resources are being consumed by Amn at a ferocious rate.

Ioma Town: Mining Community - Population 800 - Ioma Town lies on the large island of Ioma, which is dominated by a mountain of the same name. A rough band of purple crystal caps the peak’s summit. Ioma Town was founded by Amn roughly sixty years ago, back when “Iomic crystal” enjoyed the reputation of having antimagical qualities. Amnian merchants made good coin selling it set into amulets and bracelets as wards against future Spellplague flare-ups. However, as wizards relearned their craft in the decades following the Weave’s collapse, Iomic crystal was shown to be nothing special. That didn’t stop the industrious miners. Ioma Town and its mine operate to this day, quarrying the purple crystal, which Amnian merchants sell as faux amethyst on the mainland. Ioma Town has become a competitor to Skaug, the other open community in the Nelanther Isles, though its port can handle only twenty ships, half that of Skaug. On the other hand, Amn’s presence in the village has brought a force of three Cowled Wizards to the island. These three, armed with a reputation and a badge of authority, keep an eye on things. As a result, visitors are slightly less likely to be stabbed in a tavern brawl. Just slightly. 

Skaug: Pirate Port - Population 2,000 - Skaug is a rough-and-tumble port that welcomes pirates of every stripe, and actively discourages bounty hunters and others who threaten the flow of grog and coin. Lawless Skaug is a good place to fill a ship with scurvy seadogs who value plunder over all else. Life is cheap in its alleys and ale-soaked taverns. Of all the infamous taverns along the wharf, the Keelhaul is the longest-running concern. Cards, dice, companions-of-the-hour, illicit substances, and questionable deals can readily be found within its creaking timbers. Drunken patrons sometime fling newcomers and alleged cheaters down an oiled chute. The plunging victims are ejected from the prow-fronted building and into the cold waters of the harbor outside.

 NETHERIL REGION

Regional Benefit - Netheril: Add 1 Rank in Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history) and Spellcraft skills

Alternative Regional Benefit - Sembia:  Add one language of your choice and 1 Rank in Diplomacy and Bluff skills

Description: The Empire of Netheril has risen from the desert sands of Anauroch, a land wreathed in shadow that dominates the northern reaches of Faerûn. The floating cities of Shade Enclave and Sakkors rule the great basin between the High Ice and the Stonelands, and hold the nearby land of Sembia in thrall. It sits right in between The Dalelands and The Gray Vale.The Empire of Netheril has been reborn, thanks to the return of its residents from their centuries-long exile in the Shadowfell. Under the strict rule of the Twelve Princes, the returned Netherese, now calling themselves Shadovar, are ascendant, having defeated old enemies and reclaimed what they see as their rightful place in Faerûn. The region is growing increasingly verdant with each passing year, and its enemies remain at bay, fearful of Netheril’s potent magic but unable to contain the tendrils of shadow spread by Netherese infiltrators. Netheril is a vast and sprawling land undergoing a rapid environmental transformation. Its borders stretch from the High Ice to the Stonelands and from the Graypeak Mountains to the Desertsmouth Mountains. Four major cities have been refounded: Landeth, Orofin, Rasilith, and Oreme. Scattered through the empire are smaller settlements built atop ancient Netherese ruins or in regions with sufficient fertility to support a small population. The Netherese proudly trace their ancestry back to ancient Netheril, though in truth their culture is the product of many influences. The ruling upper class consists primarily of Shadovar, descendants of the Netherese who spent centuries in exile in the Shadowfell. The middle classes include the com- mingled human descendants of Bedine nomads, Tunlar savages, tribesfolk of the Ride, and those not of Netherese stock. The lower classes consist of krinths (humanoids descended from mixtures of humans and shadow demons) and asabis (lizardfolk who favor hot, dry climates and cool, subterranean caverns). The Netherese are proud of their accomplishments and feel that they are gradually reclaiming the land that was stolen from their ancestors. They have little sympathy for the savage tribes that over- ran their ancestral lands, and fear that those tribes seek to bring Netheril low again. The Netherese view Sembians with a measure of disdain, eyeing their commercial inclinations with suspicion but acknowledging their contributions to the Empire of Netheril. Elves and humans in Luruar, Evereska, Cormyr, and Myth Drannor are viewed with great distrust, if not outright hostility. The active worship of any deity but Shar is forbidden in Shade and Sakkors, and is only moderately tolerated in the territories of Netheril.

Shade Enclave: Capital City - Population 35,000 - This city of black walls and high spires hangs suspended by mighty magic above the Scimitar Spires. Shade Enclave is peopled by descendants of ancient Netherese wizards now thousands of years old, sustained in life by magic and a connection to the Shadowfell. Legions of dark-armored swordmages patrol the city. The Twelve Princes of old, wizards infused with the power of shadowstuff, yet lead the city as they did before it escaped the empire’s fate. Shade represents one of the most potent concentrations of arcane might on the face of Toril. It has forged an empire of incredible size and power in just a few short mortal generations. The Twelve Princes never cross each other. They are unified in their goals, or at least they present that public face. Each rules the confines of his own dark mansion much as a mortal baron oversees his community. All the princes answer to the Most High. All told, only a couple of hundred shades live in the city. Most of the Shadovar are still human. However, all have been touched by generations of living in the Shadowfell, and shadar-kai began to appear spontaneously in the generation following Shade’s return to Faerûn.

Sakkors: Resurrected City - Population 15,000 - Unlike the city of Shade, Sakkors did not survive the original fall of Netheril—it crashed into the Sea of Fallen Stars and languished on the bottom. Over a hundred years ago, in the Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR), the Shadovar raised the ruin, rebuilding and rejuvenating it, fashioning a second city approaching the glory of old. Sakkors is built on a floating inverted mountaintop. Shadow magic is incorporated into its rejuvenated structure: Darkness twines around thin spires, over thick walls, along wide boulevards, and through the windows of shops, residences, and noble manses. From time to time, Sakkors appears over Sembia in the dead of night, apparently not having crossed the intervening distance, or at least without being sighted by anyone in Cormyr or the Dalelands. This appearance, not part of any openly discussed or official Netheril policy or promise, might be designed to create fear. After such sightings, disagreements between the Empire and Sembian merchants, if any, fade away.

Daerlun: Large City - Population 40,000 - The most heavily fortified city in Sembia, Daerlun lies inside a great fortress built while it remained under Sembia’s control. The wall was constructed to protect Netheril’s trade cities from Cormyrian influence or invasion. Shadovar magic has raised 500-foot-high walls of magically hardened obsidian around the city, the tallest curtain wall on Toril. Despite this impressive defense, Sembian control of Daerlun faltered in the face of clever Cormyrian stratagems forty years ago. Rather than becoming what it saw as a pawn of the western kingdom, though, Daerlun declared itself a free city-state. To maintain Daerlun’s independence, armies of conscripts from across Sembia drill on massive parade grounds that compete for space with a bustling marketplace and wealthy trade quarter. Patrols from Daerlun on foot and astride veserabs and griffons are often encountered in the Vast Swamp in the south, along the Thunder Peaks, and even in Sembian-controlled Tasseldale, Featherdale, and Scardale.

Saerloon: Metropolis - Population 50,000 - The port city of Saerloon is the least stable of the Sembian cities, and more prone to trouble from resistance cells, thieves’ guilds, demon cults, and other threats both petty and severe. A new Lord Governor, Haelia Johannes, was installed only a year ago with a mandate from her Netherese masters to bring Saerloon under control. She has spent the first part of her term searching out and destroying any hint of the worship of any deity other than Shar, desecrating and destroying one hidden shrine or secret temple after another.

Selgaunt: Capital City - Population 60,000 - The capital city of Selgaunt is a bustling metropolis that welcomes travelers and merchants from across the world. It is the site of the largest Sharran temple in Sembia, and something of a showplace for the Netherese overlords, who view Selgaunt as a shining example of the benefits of their divine right to rule. The Lord High Governor, the chief administrator of Sembia, is Thamalon Uskevren II. Thamalon was the first of Sembia’s merchant princes to ally with the Shadovar and has held this post for over a century. He is the public face of the very private Netherese administration. He long ago embraced the Netherese way of life, to the point of allowing himself to be transformed into a shade—the highest honor the Shadovar bestow upon their servants.

Urmlaspyr: Large City - Population 18,000 - With the exception of Ordulin, the city of Urmlaspyr suffered the most during the early days of Netherese rule. It was once known as a city of temples, where people from all over Faerûn were welcomed as friends. When the worship of any deity but Shar was officially banned by the Shadovar, the merchant princes of Urmlaspyr resisted with disastrous results. Temples and manor houses alike were razed by magical fire, and the merchant princes, their retainers, and families were stolen away to Shadow or enslaved by petty merchants and thieves elevated in status by Netherese decree. Since the city cast off its Sembian shackles, temples and merchant manors have returned but have yet to achieve their former status. Reminders of Sembian control yet remain. Parts of the city are still haunted by shadow creatures, and a blanket of clouds conjured by a Netherese archwizard seventy years ago perpetually hides the sun despite the best efforts of modern magecraft to remove the blight. Trade goods flow again through Urmlaspyr’s ports since Cormyr enforced its edict that Urmlaspyr remain free. Indeed, a contingent of Purple Dragons, on loan from Cormyr, is posted in the city to guard it from peril. Of course, the true threat to Urmlaspyr’s independence is more likely to be hidden machinations than open assault.

Yhaunn: Large City - Population 25,000 - Constructed on the remains of a once-rich mineral quarry, the port city of Yhaunn was ravaged by the Spellplague. The resilient Sembians, with magical help from their Shadovar overlords, made the most of the uncanny changes that the Spellplague brought about. They have adapted so well that the city has grown from its pre-Spellplague population, even though nearly ten thousand were killed when the towering cliffs of stone on which its wealthiest districts were built broke away and became earthmotes. Where once the city’s wealthiest citizens competed for status by building their mansions higher and higher on the quarry walls, now the ultimate status symbol is to live on the highest of the three dozen earthmotes that comprise Yhaunn’s Air District.

THAY REGION

Regional Benefit - Thay: Add the higher of your Intelligence score or your Con score modifier to extra HP

Alternative Regional Benefit - (Human only) Hordelands: Add +1 to attack rolls, including damage rolls, with shortbows when elevated above target or mounted on a horse

Description: Beneath skies of ash and cinder lies the broken landscape of Thay. Situated east of Aglarond and Thesk, and south of Rashemen in the eastern lands of Faerun. It rests atop an elevated plateau, with The Hordelands to the north and east (the Plateau of Thay is just west of Uzbeg and the Lake of Mists on the map above) and Murghom and High Imaskar to the south. A forbidding place, much of Thay consists of badlands, deserts, rugged mountains, cinder cones, and active volcanoes that belch forth plumes of toxic steam and rain flaming debris on the lands below. Under the tyrannical rule of Szass Tam, the undead are the masters of Thay. Where life exists, it suffers terribly in the form of slaves, playthings, and chattel to be sacrificed, sold, or remade into undead thralls. Thay harbors the largest population of undead in Faerûn. Wealthy and powerful individuals often join Szass Tam’s new order in undeath. Conversely, an undead slave won’t rebel or easily die, and doesn’t have to be fed. Thay’s living citizens have a hard existence. Red Wizards were once purveyors of magic items across Faerûn. However, civil war and the Spellplague spelled the end of Thay as a mercantile power. Where the Red Wizards were unpopular, the upheaval left their enclaves open to attack and destruction. Luckier Red Wizards were often cut off from their homeland. Many decided to stay abroad rather than return to a Thay ruled by Szass Tam. The people of Thay still refer to the arcanists among them as Red Wizards, and only such mages are allowed to wear red within Thay. The nation of Thay sprawls across a great plateau, thrust up from the ground. Its sharply defined borders are ragged ruins, tumbling falls of stone and debris where the raw earth bleeds poisonous gas and rivers of lava. The roads are lined with traitors who have been left to rot in crow cages or impaled on great spikes, their bodies writhing in agony as fell necromantic energy transforms them into dutiful servants. Rising above it all is the fiery Thaymount, a spine of broken peaks and volcanoes that ride the devastated landscape and house the lord of darkness. Undead are the most numerous creatures in Thay, but the region also contains a fair number of gnolls, orcs, and humans. None of them has much love for the others, but all fear the wrath of the Citadel enough to set aside their petty squabbles. They all fill a variety of roles, from wretched slaves and gladiators to selling their lives cheaply in the ranks of the Dread Legions. Among the humans, the lowest classes—the laborers, farmers, and slaves—are almost wholly of Rashemi stock (from the nation of Rashemen to the north), whereas the ranking aristocracy, including the infamous Red Wizards, consists almost exclusively of the Mulan peoples. Rashemi slaves cleave to the same sorts of customs and beliefs found among their kin in other lands. The Mulan humans are distinctive, being tall and slim, with sallow skin and no hair anywhere on their bodies. It is their custom to remove body hair and replace it with intricate tattoos depicting dragons and, more commonly, demons and devils. One can also find tieflings, dwarves, halflings, and other races in Thay, but in almost every case, they serve as slaves. Their fate is grim and their lives short. 

Eltabbar: Former Capital City - Population 100,000 - Whether by miracle or design, the former capital of Thay survived the changes to the land, as did Lake Thaylambar to the city’s north. The River Eltar flows through the city and a series of elaborate canals into the nearby lake. When the zulkirs must handle affairs of state by dealing with human vassals, they do so in the Council Hall of Eltabbar. Tharchion Sylora Salm oversees the city. Recently handpicked by Szass Tam, she also sees to the needs of visiting zulkirs. From Eltabbar, Sylora also oversees the lands north of Lake Thaylambar and the Thaymount. Magic controls the volcanic ash and smoke, as well as moderating weather in parts of this area. Limited agriculture there supports Thay’s living citizens.

Uzbeg: Village and Inn - Population 500 - A fortified caravanserai situated along the Golden Way is a welcome sight to travelers. Uzbeg, near the Lake of Mists, is the largest along the route. After the Lake of Mists swallowed many settlements during the Spellplague, Raumvirans established this town with help from merchants from Thesk. A scrupulous and industrious Raumviran woman named Taimurel now heads the place. Uzbeg has a sterling reputation. Trade, information, and travelers moving up and down the Golden Way support its economy, and explorers interested in the Lake of Mists use Uzbeg as a base. Brave fisherfolk make up the majority of the citizens here. Four structures, two on each side of the Golden Way, stand in Uzbeg’s center. Each building is a walled square surrounding a courtyard accessible through a single gated entrance large enough to permit a horse-drawn caravan. Though the courtyard is open to the elements, the inner and outer walls form a cavernous hall suitable for sheltering animals and wagons. Stables, rooms for sleeping, a tavern, and vaults for valuables are also located inside. Each courtyard contains a central well that provides water, and tent shops that offer various wares. Uzbeg merchants sell mainly travel supplies at a number of stalls. Other traders come and go depending on the particular mix of merchants currently in residence and their willingness to sell to or trade with others.

 VILHON WILDS REGION

Regional Benefit - Vilhon Wilds: Add 1 Rank in Survival skill and gain +1 to Initiative checks

Alternative Regional Benefit - Erlkazar: You gain +1 to all attack rolls made during the actual night (not under magical darkness or other forms of false night)

Description: These lands lie south of Turmish and The Dragon Coast. The untamed lands formed by the draining of much of the Vilhon Reach and the destruction of Chondath are known as the Vilhon Wilds. Wracked by the Spellplague and the continuing threat posed by the Plaguewrought Land, the Vilhon Wilds is a true frontier. The Spellplague drained much of the water of the Vilhon Reach and unleashed the Plaguewrought Land upon the region. Like other frontiers, the Vilhon Wilds is an ungoverned wilderness. The only vestige of civilization is the small, near-lawless city of Ormpetarr, where merchants and thieves prey on pilgrims who seek something from a visit to the Spellplague-riddled land nearby. The Vilhon Wilds lies in a verdant valley carved by the diminished Vilhon Reach. The Chondalwood has swallowed much of this region, as has the Plaguewrought Land to the south and west. The remaining inhabitants of the Vilhon Wilds are deeply affected by the Spellplague and its aftermath. For the plaguechanged and the spellscarred, the effect is readily apparent. The magic of the Spellplague or the lingering effects of the Plaguewrought Land have transformed them into something else entirely. For the rest of the inhabitants, the effect is more psychological than physical. Some consider it an opportunity for insight and are drawn to the surreal landscape like a moth to a flame. Others find the aftermath of the Spellplague a nightmare to be suffered, battled, or fled. Regardless, denizens of the Vilhon Wilds care little for events in the outside world, as the formidable landscape deters any thoughts of conquest by other nations. The residents change constantly; the dangers of the region inflict a significant toll on the population, which is replenished by the steady flow of pilgrims from other lands. In the Vilhon Wilds, it is an unwritten rule that you never ask where someone comes from, and everyone starts with a clean slate. For some, the region is a chance for a fresh start. For others, it is a place to hide. The Vilhon Wilds is a frontier unclaimed by any state, containing the wreckage of cities devastated by the Spellplague, separated by rough open country and plaguelands. It includes the partially drained estuary of Vilhon Reach and the strip of land formerly called Chondath on the edge of the Chondalwood. The notorious Plaguewrought Land lies close by, which means the entire region is unsafe at best.

Ormpetarr: City of the Scar - Population 4,000 - This is a city of merchants and road agents who prey on, or, as they prefer to say, cater to pilgrims, mages, alchemists, mystics, and adventurers seeking to explore nearby ruins. No other state or authority claims Ormpetarr. The Order of Blue Fire maintains its most prominent edifice, the Changing House, in the town. Its agents, important to local governance, help maintain order where the only other law is a rough brand of frontier justice. A popular place in Ormpetarr among would-be scar pilgrims is an inn called Finara’s. The inn offers reasonable rates for clean rooms above a large tavern to anyone on a scar pilgrimage. The elderly owner Finara was also a pilgrim, but the one time she approached the Plaguewrought Land, the horror of it forced her to flee. With her advanced age, it seems unlikely she will return. She does point people to the services offered by the Order of Blue Fire, of which she is a fringe member.