Laerakond



Returned Abeir is the name the natives of Toril have given the large, horseshoe-shaped landmass, known to its inhabitants as Laerakond (pronounced L-AIR-ah-KON-d), that appeared during the Spellplague. Located west of the Trackless Sea, it appears to have replaced Maztica.

History
During the Spellplague parts of Abeir merged or swapped with parts of Toril. Returned Abeir is the largest of these. The jaunt between world disrupted the tyrannical dragon overlords who had ruled the land since the separation of Abeir and Toril. Now, for the first time, the human and dragonborn kingdoms have gained a sliver of independence.

Regions
As of 1479 DR, Returned Abeir is divided into roughly eight regions or kingdoms. They surround the great bay of the Dragon Sea. The entire continent is covered in the silvery Steelsky of Abeir, a residue of a fallen Dawn Titan.

The Dusk Ports
The Dusk Ports are ostensibly a collection of free trade cities on the western shores of the Dragon Sea. In reality, they are vassal states to the green dragon, Orlarrakh. Each port vies with each other for favored status with "The Green Duchess" but all will follow her orders. The five Dusk Ports are:
 * Dusklan&mdash;A city of racial diversity that harbors escaped slaves, if only to use them as sacrifices to Orlarrakh.
 * Lylorn&mdash;The currently dominant Dusk Port. Lylorn boasts the most far reaching trade network and the most aggressive sailors.
 * Marrauk&mdash;A bleak and wind-scoured city in an equally desolate hillside. Marrauk features a busy shipping trade and a fiercely defiant government.
 * Mreyelundar&mdash;A city of lawlessness and home of the strange Order of the Dawn. It is the most actively anti-draconic of the 5 cities.
 * Tarsith&mdash;A calm fishing community known for their exports of rock crabs and fine sailing equipment.

Eskorn
Eskorn is a densely forested land that is controlled by an upstart human kingdom that overthrew their draconic overlord, Eskornamundyr, some several hundred years before the Spellplague threw the continent into Toril. It is considered a backwater realm pretending to be a kingdom. The current royal dynasty barely enforces the laws of the region, moving from one royal keep to the next and the law of the land moves with them. The capital of Stormhelm is a small city on the Dragon Sea rife with political intrigue and backstabbing.

Another point of interest is the Royal Keep of Nornglast: a mysterious, haunted castle. Nornglast is the “capital” of the undead empire, the Eminence of Araunt, a bizarre organization of specters and ghosts that claims every crypt and mausoleum in the world as a principality. A network of undead-only portals called "deathways" extends out from Nornglast, connecting its crypt to dozens of others across Toril.

Fimbrul
Fimbrul is a vast mountain range locked permanently in winter's grip. It is the sleeping place of the last of the Dawn Titans who have slumbered since they were overthrown by their former dragon mounts. What little population calls this region home are mostly earth giants and near-feral orcs. All of these residents despise dragons for one reason or another and expel them from Fimbrul whenever possible. A handful of dwarves make their home there, constantly warring against both the dragons and giants.

Melabrauth
Melabrauth is the oldest dragon kingdom on Returned Abeir. It is ruled by Melauthuar the Undying One, a huge black dragon. The region is mostly unmapped, heavily monster-infested and completely unnavigable to non-dragons. During the Spellplague shift, the dragonborn slaves of Melauthuar rose up and escaped, leaving the kingdom dramatically weakened, but not destroyed. Now, dragonborn are prohibited from entering and humanoid slaves of all kinds are not allowed.

Relmaur
Relmaur lies on the southern edge of Fimbrul and acts as a buffer between the dragon empires of Melabrauth and Skelkor. Relmaur is primarily a dragonborn kingdom consisting of escaped slaves and their descendants. It is a highly defensive kingdom, with all cities lying underground. As of 1479 DR, they have come into conflict with orcs from Fimbrul, but the dragonborn had the upper hand at that time.

Skelkor
Skelkor is the evil dragon empire of Returned Abeir. Larger than Melabrauth and more powerful, Skelkor is ruled by the Empress Dragon, Gauwervyndhal. Skelkor treats its slaves with special brutality, which led to a large rebellion when the Spellplague hit. In the wake of the planeshift, a large quantity of amber-like crystals appeared across Skelkor. The amber had the peculiar quality of weakening dragons almost to the point of death. This "dragonbane amber" fueled a rebellion that nearly wiped Skelkor off the map, but the substance quickly evaporated after use and within a few years, Gauwer returned and resumed control of the region.

Some two hundred years before the Spellplague, a rebel group of dragonborn managed to seize a portion of western Skelkor and hold it until the plague ripped their kingdom of Tymanchebar from Abeir and literally dropped it on Unther in Toril. The survivors founded the kingdom of Tymanther. Tymanchebar occupied a portion of what is now the Dragon Sea.

The Sword Lands
The Sword Lands are human-controlled lands south of Eskorn. They are largely lawless and without rulers save a series of warlords who constantly disrupt the relative peace of the countryside. For some reason, the Sword Lands are left alone by the dragons that dominate the rest of the continent. The reality of the situation is the dragonheirs, humans with the ability to control dragons by gaze or touch, probably still frighten the dragons, despite the fact that these near-mythical figures have probably all died out.

Tarmalune and the Windrise Ports
Tarmalune is often referred to as Tarmalune Great Port. It is a sizable metropolis rivaling Waterdeep in size and splendor. The surrounding area is free of draconic control due to the lingering presence of the sleeping Dawn Titan Achazar, who ruled the region centuries ago. His extended slumber prompted the people of Tarmalune to declare themselves free, although dragons still fear a centuries planned ambush from the sleeping pillar of fire. The titan slumbers in the form of a 100-foot column of fire that burns at all hours, regardless of weather.

While the city is free from the dragons, it has a reputation for collaborating with them and returning escaped slaves, lest the dragons overcome their fear and turn on the bustling metropolis. The Windrise Ports, of which Tarmalune is the largest and the most prosperous, are made up of five cities on the southeastern shores of the Dragon Sea. The other cities are:
 * Harglast&mdash;A spartan trade port ruled by the dragonborn.
 * Imdolphyn&mdash;A wealthy city that specializes in shipbuilding and textiles.
 * Ramekho&mdash;A dilapidated city with little or no laws that is popular with adventurers.
 * Sambral&mdash;A city of eloquent blademasters who pride themselves on their taste and style.