Aglarond

Aglarond is an autocratic kingdom in the southwesternmost part of the Unapproachable East, with the capital of Velprintalar. Most of its land is covered by the Yuriwood. Filled with magic and mystery, it is ruled by one of the most potent spellcaster of the Realms, the Simbul, who also has an affair with the immensely powerful archmage Elminster. It is mostly humans who make up the 1,300,000 inhabitants, though one third are half-elves and a fair number elves.

Geographic Overview
Aglarond is separated from the rest of Faerûn by the plateau of Thay to the east, and the Sea of Fallen Stars on the three other sides. The lands beyond the fortress at Emmech to the Thayan borders are past the direct protection of the armies of Aglarond and are thinly populated for this reason among others.

Although Aglarond is at roughly the same latitude as Cormyr, its weather is much more moderate. The waters moderate the weather, so the seasons are rarely as harsh as they are elsewhere.

The Pirate Isles lie only a hundred miles or so off Aglarond's own western islands, but since piracy is punishable by immediate execution in Aglarond, most buccaneers give the land a wide berth. The lenght of water that separates Aglarond from Thesk is known as the Sea of Dlurg. This is more of a bay than a proper sea: At it's narrowest point, about midway down its lenght, only fifteen miles separate the city of Furthinghome from Theskian shore.

While the Yuriwood covers much of Aglarond, the land between the trees and the shore consists of fertile, rolling hills that make excellent farmland. Farms are rarely more than ten miles from the shore. The half-elves who make their home under the Yuriwood's leafy canopy discourage largescaled settlement of the forest with a mixture of compromise, diplomacy, and the occasional veiled threat. Despite such efforts, though, the woods continue to recede every year. Grasses, shrubs, and vies quickly reclaim abandoned farmsteads, but trees are slow to return to territory stripped from the Yuriwood long ago.

Major Geographic Features
From its rocky shores to the heart of the Yuriwood, Aglarond is a land that defines its people as much as they define it. Its isolation and its long history of sieges by Thay have made the once-trusting Aglarondan people suspicious of outlanders - anyone could be an agent of their hated enemy.

Altumbel
The people of Altumbel do not consider themselves as part of Aglarond. When Aglarond was formed many centuries ago, after long years of war, humans and[half-elves agreed to share power in the form of a council of locally appointed leaders led by a king. A number of humans were too bitter from the wars to lay aside their animosity. Rather than become part of this new nation, they set out for the far western end of the peninsula, claiming it as their own.

Altumbel is a harsh and unforgiving land, which includes the mazelike archipelago of the Thousand Swords. Most of these isles are desolate and rocky, covered with low scrubs and lichen, but some are fairly large, with Ghevden as the largest. One-third of Altumbel's people live scattered over the barren Swords. Pirates harry the islands, but many hail from the Swords themselves - raiding one's neighbors is something of a local tradition.

Altumbel and its archipelago are almost ebtierly devoid of woods. The people here don't care for trees, which remind them of Yuriwood's half-elves. Most make their living from the sea, either netting fish or trapping shellfish. The land is rocky and unforgiving, not much good for farming, although some sheltered dells are suitable for gardening. These sun-warmed and wind-protected valleys usually have springs and the occasional cave.

Spandeliyon, the capital of the region, is known as the City of Pirates. These days, however, The Simbul's harsh punishment of pirates has put the lie to that name. Few dare to brave the lady's wrath, even in a city so far from her home in Velprintalar.

Beyond the rocky, fog-cloaked norther shores of Altumbel - and all Aglarond, in fact - the sea quickly drops off into a deep trench. The seasonal upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters make this place a fisher's paradise.

Dragonjaw Mountains
The Dragonjaws separate Aglarond from Thesk to the north, and serves well as a natural defence against the forces of Thay, preventing armies from entering River Umber and the Sea of Dlurg. Most of the mountains are considered part of Thesk, only the Tannath Mountains and the Tannath Gap are truly part of Aglarond.


 * The Watchwall
 * The Watchwall is a massive, magically engineered length of stone wall, stretching from the fortress city of Glarondar to the slopes of Umbergoth, and thus extends the defensive barrier of the Dragonjaw Mountains another fifteen miles, up to a rocklike fortification containing one-third of Aglarond's armed forces. The wall is 30 feet high and 10 feet thick, with no gates nor windows, and wide stairs are carved into the Aglarondan side every quarter-mile or so The wall is patroled at all times, and guard barraks where the patrols can rest are found at each mile marker.

The Fang
The fang is the part of the north coast that juts out the farthes into the sea. Although close to Aglarond's capital, its people consider themselves part of another land.