Laerakond

Laerakond (pronounced L-AIR-ah-KON-d), known to the people of Faerûn as Returned Abeir, was a large, horseshoe-shaped landmass, west of the Trackless Sea and north of the Great Sea. Originally a continent located in the world of Abeir, Laerakond was transposed to Toril during the Spellplague.

Laerakond's location was conflictive for the people of Faerûn. Some believed Laerakond had replaced Maztica when that continent was sent to the world of Abeir. However, in fact Laerakond was located near Evermeet, in the Great Sea the to the south of the elven island.

Geography
As of 1479 DR, Laerakond was divided into roughly eight regions or kingdoms. The continent was composed of mountain ranges on three sides, surrounding the great bay of the Dragon Sea. The entire continent was covered by arambar, that caused the sky to be silver-colored. This phenomenon was called the Steelsky.

The Dusk Ports
The Dusk Ports were ostensibly a collection of free trade cities on the western shores of the Dragon Sea. In reality, they were vassal states to the green dragon Orlarrakh. Each port vied with each other for favored status with "The Green Duchess" but all followed her orders. The five Dusk Ports were:
 * Dusklan- A city of racial diversity that harbored escaped slaves, if only to use them as sacrifices to Orlarrakh.
 * Mreyelundar- A city of lawlessness and home of the strange Order of the Dawn. It was the most actively anti-draconic of the 5 cities.
 * Tarsith- A calm fishing community known for their exports of rock crabs and fine sailing equipment.
 * Lylorn- The dominant Dusk Port as of 1479 DR. Lylorn boasted the farthest reaching trade network and the most aggressive sailors.
 * Marrauk- A bleak and wind-scoured city in an equally desolate hillside. Marrauk featured a busy shipping trade and a fiercely defiant government.

Gontal
Gontal was a western land isolated from the rest of Laerakond. It was separated from the rest of the continent by its mountainous frontier and it was a land of mystery even to the Abeirans. The inhabitants of Gontal knew it as a place of intrigues. Commerce with other lands of the continent did occur. Trade consisted primarily of lotions, oils, wines, and specialty herbs, and occasionally also magical elixires and golemwork toys.

Melabrauth
Melabrauth was the oldest dragon kingdom on Laerakond. It was ruled by Melauthaur the Undying One, a huge black dragon. The region was 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. As of 1479 DR, dragonborn were prohibited from entering and humanoid slaves of all kinds were not allowed.

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

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

Skelkor
Skelkor was the evil dragon empire of Laerakond. Larger than Melabrauth and more powerful, Skelkor was ruled by the Empress Dragon, Gauwervyndhal. Skelkor treated 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 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.

Eskorn
Eskorn was a densely forested land that was 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 was considered a backwater realm pretending to be a kingdom. The current royal dynasty barely enforced the laws of the region, moving from one royal keep to the next and the law of the land moved with them. The capital of Stormhelm was a small city on the Dragon Sea rife with political intrigue and backstabbing.

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

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

Tarmalune and the Windrise Ports
Tarmalune was often referred to as Tarmalune Great Port. It was a sizable metropolis rivaling Waterdeep in size and splendor. The surrounding area was 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 feared a centuries-planned ambush from the sleeping pillar of fire. The titan slumbered in the form of a 100 foot (30 m) column of fire that burned at all hours, regardless of weather.

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

Underdark
Like Faerûn, Laerakond also had its own Underdark region. However, this region was usually unknown even to the inhabitants of Laerakond.

History
During the Dawn War, Glaur, a huge metallic fortress, was erected in the northern region of the land later known as Gontal by the Dawn Titan Nehushta to serve as a central front in that ancient conflict. After the war, Ao sundered Abeir-Toril into the twin worlds, Abeir and Toril. Laerakond was sent to Abeir.

Not long after, the War of Fang and Talon took place and the few Dawn Titans who survived retreated into hiding to the northern mountains of Laerakond and fell silent. A few years later, a mighty dragon called Gorloun founded the first dragon empire. Rival draconic realms sprang up thereafter, and the long Rule of Dragons began. Unlike the eastern continent of Shyr, Laerakond was ruled almost exclusively by dragons.

In the 13th century DR, dragonborn and human rebels won the rebellion. They managed to seize the nation of Eskorn and a province of the empire of Skelkor. The dragonborn renamed the province Tymanchebar, and fought bravely against flights of dragons to maintain their freedom.

In 1385 DR, the Blue Breath of Change took place and affected the world of Abeir. The blue flames first appeared in Gontal, where they made contact with the ancient fortress Glaur. Unable to withstand the chaotic forces, the fortress detonated in an explosion as potent as the Tearfall. This rocked the entire planet of Abeir and created the Glaur Barrens where the old fortress once stood. Laerakond was torn apart in a powerful earthquake, and a portion of Tymanchebar disappeared amid the blue fire. Laerakond then was sent to the Trackless Sea in the world of Toril. Meanwhile, in Toril, magical energy subsumed the continent of Maztica and transported those lands to Abeir.

Laerakond remained on Toril and in time became known as 'Returned Abeir' to the native inhabitants of that world.

Small quantities of dragonbane amber were uncovered after the Spellplague transported Laerakond to Toril. Although small, those quantities of dragonbane amber were enough to kill a lot of dragons. Dragonborn slaves across the lands were able to get enough dragonbane amber to start a rebellion during the Wailing Years, killing many dragons and even destroying a few dragon empires. Among the most fierce rebellions were those of Skelkor and Djerad Kusold in Melabrauth. Eventually, however, the reserves of dragonbane amber were depleted and dragons were able to retaliate and destroy the rebels.

In 1479 DR, merchants from Tarmalune and Lylorn had began to trade with the Faerûrian cities of Neverwinter and Luskan, in hopes to establish permanent trade routes between the two continents.