North Faerûn

North Faerûn stretches from the wide Anauroch desert in the west to the eastern edge of the inland Moonsea, in the northern region of Faerûn. It is a region of contrasts, with the forested Dalelands, the wastes of Anauroch, the coastline of the Moonsea, and the bitterly cold steppes of The Ride.

Anauroch
This desert was once a rich, flourishing land that was home to the ancient Netherese Empire. During a war with the mysterious and powerful phaerimm, this region became magically drained of life and was transformed into a broad wasteland. This desert swallowed the human empires and states of this region, and is now only sparsely populated by desert tribes. Recently, however, it has witnessed the arrival of the Shades; the strangely-transformed descendants of the original Netherese.

Dalelands
This is a forested region that lies to the southwest of the Moonsea. The western edge is defined by the mountains along the eastern edge of the Anauroch desert, and the east by the Dragon Reach of the Sea of Fallen Stars. In the deep, northern forest is Cormanthyr, an ancient homeland of the elves &mdash; now mostly abandoned. The remainder is sub-divided into a number of sparsely-populated dales; several small, independent states linked by the Dales Council.

Moonsea
This is actually a large lake that is connected to the Sea of Fallen Stars to the south by the River Lis. The shoreline is a wild, frontier area that is home to several city states that are dominated by despots. The most notable of these are Zhentil Keep at the western end, Mulmaster in the southeast, Melvaunt on the northern side and Hillsfar in the southwest. The region is rich in ruins, monsters, pirates, and harsh, cold terrains.

The Ride
This is a cold, northern plains region surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, located to the northwest of the Moonsea. Several tribes of fierce, mounted barbarians dwell on these steppes, preying upon any who trespass here. At the western edge is the Border Forest, forming a barrier between the plains and the Anauroch desert. Southeastward is the moors of Thar, along the north coast of the Moonsea. Further north beyond the mountains is the rugged, volcanic flows of the Tortured Lands.

The Vast
This is a region of land along the north coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars that follows the eastern shore of the Dragon Reach. It is a temperate land with farmlands, the rugged peaks of the Earthfast Mountains, and the forests along the eastern border with Impiltur. It is home to the large cities of Calaunt, Procampur, Tantras, and Ravens Bluff ("The Living City"). This land was once an Orcish kingdom, and the mountains remain infested by orcs.