Faerûn

Faerûn (fay-ROON ) was a major continent on the planet of Toril.

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

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

The continent included the following geographic and political regions:

Northwest
A region of wilderness, difficult winter weather, orc hordes, and barbarian tribes, this region was generally referred to as "The North", which also contained most of the "Sword Coast North". It was a mostly untamed region that lay between the large Anauroch desert in the east and the expansive Sea of Swords in the west, north of the High Moor.

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

North
This region stretched from the wide Anauroch desert in the west to the eastern edge of the inland Moonsea, in the northern region of the continent. It was a region of contrasts, containing:
 * Anauroch: A huge desert, once the fertile land of the empire of Netheril.
 * The Dalelands: An area of rich farmland and human civilization, and home to the famous wizard Elminster.
 * The Moonsea: A large northern body of water with shores in many politically unstable areas.
 * The Ride: A northern steppe, home to mounted barbarians.
 * The Vast: A pioneering land of wide open spaces. Home to large populations of warring orcs and dwarves

Northeast
This remote area began in the cold, forbidding lands along the great ice sheets and continued south toward the northeastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars, collectively known as the Cold Lands. It was bordered on the west by the mountain-hemmed land of Vaasa and stretched east to the vast steppes of the Hordelands. This region contained:
 * Damara: A tolerant, inviting land that was often at odds with its neighbor Vaasa over the the mineral trade.
 * The Great Dale: An insulated land of mostly human farmers, woodsman and druids.
 * Impiltur: A friendly, peaceful merchant nation.
 * The Hordelands - The vast, barren homelands of the nomadic Tuigan horde.
 * Narfell - This expansive, frigid plains land was home to several nomadic tribes.
 * Rashemen - A frigid, rugged realm known for its berserker clans and powerful sorceress witches.
 * Thesk - Located around the Golden Way, this land of farmers and merchants served as the portal to Kara-Tur.
 * Vaasa: A dreary, frozen tundra sparse in population but rich in natural resources.

West
This region included the nations south of Waterdeep and north of the Shining Sea that bordered along the Sea of Swords. It encompassed both the majority of the Sword Coast and the Lands of Intrigue, as well as:
 * Evermeet: The island homeland for most of the elves of Faerûn following the great retreat.
 * Lantan: This technologically advanced island-nation was home to human and gnomish worshipers of Gond.
 * Lands of Intrigue:
 * Amn: A huge, relatively new human nation of great wealth and prosperity.
 * Calimshan: This kingdom of extreme wealth, founded by genies, extolled mercantilism.
 * Tethyr: This arid land was home to a nation racked with war and intrigue as well as a forest with a heavy elven population.
 * The Moonshae Isles: A series of rugged and harsh islands located off the western coast of Faerûn.
 * The Nelanther Isles: An island of predominantly non-human pirates that raided the Sword Coast.
 * Nimbral: The mysterious, picturesque island nation of famed wizards and mounted aerial knights.
 * The Sword Coast: A rich coastline of trade, piracy, and adventure between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate.
 * Baldur's Gate: This metropolis was the hub between a number of trading routes named after the famous explorer Balduran.
 * The Western Heartlands: This vast land of independent cities and farmlands spanned the area between the western coast and the nation of Cormyr.

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

Interior
With the exception of the Shining Plains, these lands lay along the irregular coastline of the western Sea of Fallen Stars. In the north, the Dragonmere arm of the sea extended far to the west, ending close to the Western Heartlands. To the south, the Vilhon Reach formed a second arm leading to the southwest. The notable areas within this region included:
 * Akanûl: A realm displaced from Abeir during the Spellplague, this kingdom of exotic genasi replaced parts of Chondath and Chessenta.
 * Chondath: This confederation of city-states rested on the southern border of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
 * Cormyr: A feudal nation of humans living on former elven and dragon territory.
 * The Dragon Coast: The southern coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars was a den for pirates, thieves and members of the regions' more unseemly organizations.
 * Hlondeth: This independent city-state was ruled by Yuan-ti halfbloods since 6th century DR.
 * The Pirate Isles: A chain of islands that served as a refuge to the human pirates within the Sea of Fallen Stars.
 * Sembia: This young, expansive nation of lawful merchants served as a broker between the northern and southern powers of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
 * Sespech: An independent barony that gained its independence from Chondath; they banned the use of magic.
 * Turmish: Farmers and honest traders thrived in this republic comprised of small cities and peaceful villages.
 * The Shining Plains: A massive expanse of grassland home to human cities and tribes of centaurs and wemics.

East
Most of the nations in this region bordered the eastern expanses of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Here the sea formed a long arm that travels to the east before turning south to become the Alamber Sea. The northern nations of this mysterious area were termed the Unapproachable East and the southern nations the Old Empires, and, for a time, the Empires of the Alamber Sea. This region included:
 * Aglarond: An autocratic magocracy that acted as a peacekeeping force in the area against pirates and agents of Thay.
 * Altumbel: This small, isolated, xenophobic kingdom was located on the westernmost point of the Aglarondan peninsula.
 * Chessenta: A group of loosely-affiliated city-states whose culture adulated physical prowess and fostered a passion for the arts.
 * Chondalwood: One of the rare, expansive forests of Faerûn that had continuously expanding borders.
 * High Imaskar: Remnants of Mulan-overthrown Imaskar empire.
 * Mulhorand: A formerly mighty empire that continued on in the shadow of its former glory.
 * Murghôm: This country farmers operated in semi-autonomy from Mulhorand, but still gave them mandatory aide in times of war and crisis. During the 15 century DR, it became an independent land ruled by dragon princes.
 * Okoth: This remnant of the oldest known civilization on Faerûn served the return of the Sarrukh in the 14 century DR.
 * Thay: A magocracy built on slavery; home of the notorious Red Wizards.
 * Tymanther: The remains of a realm from Abeir displaced and destroyed during the Spellplague, the kingdom of dragonborn on Faerûn was known for their militant nature.
 * Unther: A realm in decline after the loss of many conquered lands and their patron deity Gilgeam.

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

Southwest
This region lay along the great Chultan Peninsula that jutted out toward the west. The waters to the north were named the Shining Sea, a body bounded by Calimshan to the north and joined to the Lake of Steam through the Straits of Storm. To the south of the land was the Great Sea. Located in this area were:
 * Chult: A region full of both wealth and disease, home to many serpentine races and creatures including dinosaurs.
 * Jungles of Chult: The dense and dangerous jungles held a wide variety of deadly flora and fauna, the rumors of which frightened nearby the neighboring societies.
 * Lapaliiya: A group of city-states of zealous faith, formed by the previously tribal natives.
 * Samarach: This mysterious kingdom on the southern end of the Chultan peninsula was largely obscured by illusion magic.
 * Tashalar: Wealth, skill and exotic goods were found in abundance in this mercantile oligarchy.
 * Thindol: A country of mixed human and Yuan-ti lineage.

South
The Shining South lay to the south of the regions around the Sea of Fallen Stars, being somewhat isolated by the Lake of Steam in the west, and the vast length of the Shaar. It was bordered along the south by the Great Sea, to the west by the Chultan peninsula region, and in the east by Luiren. The south included:
 * The Border Kingdoms: An area of ever-changing mini-nations and fluctuating borders.
 * Dambrath: This nation has exchanged sovereignty between humans and the halfdrow Crinti, and back again over course of a half-millennium.
 * The Great Rift: This giant canyon that cleaved the area in half was the ancestral home of the gold dwarves.
 * Halruaa: The nation of wizards was full of unique magic and well-guarded against foreigners.
 * The Lake of Steam: Many races and species make up the populations of the independent city-states around the southern shore of the lake.
 * The Shaar: A vast, rolling grassland home to nomadic Shaaran tribes, wemics and centaurs.

Southeast
These lands lay to the south and east of the grassy plains known as the Shaar, along the shores of the Great Sea opposite the land of Zakhara. The region included:
 * The Shining Lands
 * Durpar: This merchant kingdom were lauded as the foremost traders in this part of Toril.
 * Estagund: An honorable and virtuous monarchy led the Rajah and the nations noble warriors, the Maquar.
 * Var the Golden: This wealthy and intriguing nation followed the Adama.
 * Luiren: This was the only kingdom of halflings in Faerûn.
 * Ulgarth: A feudal kingdom whose monarch was dedicated to fair and just governance.
 * The Utter East: Home to the Five Kingdoms, this land bordered Kara-Tur and Zakhara.
 * Veldorn: The Land of Monsters was ruled by an alliance of beast-chieftains.

Underdark
The immense complex of caverns and passages that lay beneath many parts of the continent of Faerûn. It contained:
 * Ched Nasad: A destroyed drow city in the midde Northdark.
 * Dunspeirrin: A Duergar city in the Darklands.
 * Gracklstugh: This city of Duergar was located under the earth south of the Evermoors.
 * Llurth Dreir: A drow city under the Great Rift that had been forsaken by Lolth.
 * Maerimydra: This large drow city was located under the Dalelands.
 * Menzoberranzan: The infamous drow city and original home of Drizzt Do'Urden.
 * Sshamath: One of the few drow cities ruled by male wizards.
 * Blingdenstone: Chief city of the svirfneblin, before being driven out to Silverymoon.

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