Lantan

Lantan is a grouping of three remote islands north of Chult, located in the Trackless Sea. It is the land of the Gnomes. The largest and most heavily populated island is Lantan; the more mountainous southern island is Suj; and the third, almost uninhabited island, is Orlil. After the Time of Troubles, Gond gave the gnomes of Lantan the secret of smokepowder. After Captain Cordell from Amn discovered Maztica, Lantaneses, being the westernmost extension of Faerûn (with the reclusive Evermeet and the enigmatic Nimbral), also claimed some lands.

Lantan is by far the most technologically advanced country on Faerûn (arguably on the whole of Toril too if they surpass the Chou empire, which is very possible). After the Avatar crisis, their main god, Gond, gave them the secret of smoke powder (Toril's black powder) and they are on the verge of inventing printing press. They still are a minor power, because, due to the emphasis and reliance on magic on the Realms, technology is seldom used; they would be much more powerful at the center of the Outlands where all magic, including divine, is banned.

A Sketch of Lantan: Not much is really known about Lantan, The Isle of the Gnomes, other then it consists in total of 3 separate islands; North Lantan, South Lantan and Orlil. Lantan as a whole is a country focused primarily in the arts and sciences, unlike that which is found in the rest of Abeir-Toril. The Gnomes of Lantan eventually hope to initiate a kind of renaissance in its scientific and mechanical achievements to finally bring about a global age of peace to all gods, races and sub-races. Its greatest mechanical achievement is said to be that of flying machines. As a result very few Lantanian Gnomes ever delve into the Arcane Arts of spell-casting, but those who do will usually take up residence on the Island of Orlil.