Sword Coast

The Sword Coast, also nicknamed the Empty Lands, was the region in western Faerûn that lay along the coast of the Sea of Swords and extended inward into to the vale.

Description
"Leagues upon leagues of lawless waste, home to pirates and outlaws who feast on those who must go north or south while depending on the Sea of Swords as their guide, keeping it in sight so as not to lose their way."

- Cartographer Zane Hellar, on the Sword Coast.

The Sword Coast was an expansive tract of wilderness, dotted with independent cities and overrun by bands of monstrous creatures, that some saw as merely a place through which you had to travel in order to reach an actual meaningful destination. It was much more than that of corse, a rich and vibrant land with a long and storied history that encompassed some of the most important cities in all the Realms.

It was considered one of the rougher locales of Faerûn, both geographically and by virtue of its people.

Etymology
Some say the Sword Coast took its name from the white cliffs that rose up sharply for hundreds of miles along the coastline between the River Dessarin and Baldur's Gate. Traveling author Volothamp Geddarm attributed the region's name to its dangerous inhabitants, both humanoid and bestial.

Geography
While scholars disagreed as to the exact borders of the Sword Coast, it was generally considered to have been bordered by the merchant nation of Amn in the south, and in the north by Waterdeep the Delimbiyr Vale. Some guides believed that it began in the south at Candlekeep and continued north all the way north until the city of Luskan, though most other cartographers and writers shared the former opinion on the matter, including the area north of Waterdeep in the region referred to as the Sword Coast North.

Geographical Features
The landscape of the coastal lands varied from the verdant fields along much the Coast Way to the dangerous badlands found north of the Chionthar.

The River Chionthar was vital to trade all throughout the Western Heartlands, linking the great port of Baldur's Gate with other inland cities including Elturel, Iriaebor, Berdusk, and the ever-important Caravan City of the West, Scornubel.


 * River Chionthar
 * Grayflow
 * Sea of Swords
 * Winding Water

The Cloak Wood was a old and overgrown forest was home to many fearsome monsters, malevolent fey, and according to some, portals linking it to other locales across the continent.


 * Lizard Marsh
 * Troll Hills
 * Trollbark Forest
 * The Trollclaws
 * Sword Hills

Flora & Fauna
Because much of the coastland was still relatively untamed wilderness, it was rich with game: rabbits and fowl including grouse, bustards, and rock doves, could be hunted in abundance.

Government
While there was no central government of the Sword Coast, both Daggerford and Baldur's Gate were member-states of the Lords' Alliance. Each of these cities enjoyed a degree of increased security and lawfulness, benefits that accompanied membership in the coalition of the West.

Law & Order
An agreement known as "the Pact" offered protection for those traveling across the Coast Way, a responsibility shared among the the settlements from Baldur's Gate all the way south to Amn.

Much of the lands beyond the trade roads and away from the influence of the coast's cities were considered mostly lawless. Like many similar places in the realms, bandits, monstrous creatures, and raiders were considered to be regular threats.

Trade
Powerful mercantile organizations operated throughout the Sword Coast, including the High Moon Trading Coster

History
Long before the Era of Upheaval, the Sword Coast was dominated by the ancient elven kingdom of Illefarn.

A devastating plague spread throughout the Sword Coast in the. Worship of Talona soared in the wake of the disaster.

Landmarks

 * Durlag's Tower,
 * Warlock's Crypt, the dreadful lair of the all-powerful lich known as Larloch.

Major Cities

 * Baldur's Gate, the port metropolis nicknamed "the Gate" was the hub of trade for the Sword Coast. While it always flourished, by 15 century DR it had become the most powerful city in all of Faerûn.
 * Beregost, a large trading town a day's travel off the Coast Way, was a popular stopping point for merchants traveling between Amn and the Gate that became a major mercantile center in the region.
 * Daggerford, a small, walled duchy that was surrounded by a number of farming villages. Although it was ruled by a lone head of state, a Duke or Duchess, its daily operations were overseen by its Council of Guilds.

Smaller Settlements

 * Bowshot: A small village, just a "bow's shot" away from the Misty Forest, built around a series of caverns that were believed to connect further deep beneath Faerûn.
 * Candlekeep: This coastal citadel of learning was the former sanctuary of the famous oracle known as Alaundo. The order of monks that called it home, The Avowed, kept visitors to a minimum while offering the wisdom and learning of its libraries, albeit at a steep cost.


 * Friendly Arm Inn: This walled keep was a safe refuge for travelers along the Coast Way. It housed the Temple of Wisdom, a shrine to the gnomish deity, Garl Glittergold.
 * Gillian's Hill: A small farming hamlet that, aside from housing an entrance to the Underdark, was fairly indistinguishable.


 * Kheldrivver, a minor hamlet founded by a mercenary atop the ruins of the repeatedly-destroyed House of the Binder monastery of Oghma.
 * Lathtarl's Lantern, this small fishing village was founded by pirates just a bit too close to the Warlock's Crypt for the comfort of most.
 * Liam's Hold, a welcoming and friendly village that enjoyed a profound swell in population after being featured in a guidebook penned by the notoriously-inaccurate author Volothamp Geddarm.
 * Orlumbor
 * Roaringshore, the coastal village that only managed to keep in business two establishments throughout its repeated raids by nearby mercenary companies.
 * Ulgoth's Beard
 * Trollclaw Ford


 * Coast Way

Zundbridge, at River Dessarin crossing

Trollclaw Ford, at the Winding Water


 * Trade Way
 * Way of the Lion

Landmarks

 * Warlock's Crypt