Elminster's Ecologies (in-universe)

Elminster's Ecologies was a series of nine books, compiled by the sage of Shadowdale, Elminster, that detailed the various natural wildlife, local trees and plans, and magical beasts that could be found in a number of regions in the Heartlands and surrounding areas of northern and central Faerûn.

Books

 * An Investigation into the Natural Systems of Organisms and Their Surroundings:
 * A "definitive treatise" on the natural classification and order of the species of Toril. It described a number of concepts and ideas that applied to the understanding of the subsequent volumes.
 * The "chain of consumption" was charted, detailing the relationship between apex carnivores, lesser meat-eaters, matter-eaters, herbivores and plant life, in relation to the availability of these various life forms. It continued to explore the concepts of population control, competition over food sources and the effects of climate on the entire circle of life. It concluded with guidelines that had to be considered when observing life on Toril: creatures from different locales often displayed different behavior, they were governed by a variety of motivations, and while they tended to prefer certain locales, they often wandered from where they were usually found.
 * Written by Elminster Aumar.


 * Cormanthor:
 * This descriptive guide detailed the diverse plant life, natural species, magical creatures historical landmarks, geographical features and weather of the sprawling forest of Cormanthor. Its texts explored the four smaller woods that made up the greater region, including the Rimwood, Midwood, Starwood, and Edgelands. These included descriptions of the effects that residual magic from the Ruins of Myth Drannor had on the surrounding wild life and forests.
 * Written by the Lyra Sunrose


 * Anauroch
 * The secrets of the massive desert were detailed within this firsthand account. It offered a broad description of the three regions of the Anauroch desert, including the Sword, the Plain of Standing Stones, and the High Ice. It continued with an exploration of both the more commonly-found animals as well as the rarer, particularly deadly beasts found within the three regions.
 * Written by Ibn Al'Arif


 * The Storm Horns and the Thunder Peaks
 * Two of the most formidable mountain ranges in all of Faerûn, the Storm Horns and Thunder Peaks, were detailed from the perspective of an educated naturalist. The book presented the reader with firsthand reporting of the severe weather patterns among the peaks, commonly found plants and animals, as well as the myriad of dangerous beasts and monsters, along with notes about how they differed from from those found in other locales.
 * Based on the notes of Nibulus Loral


 * The Cormyrean Marshes
 * This volume of the compilation expounded upon the weather and identified the varied species of plans and animals that lived in the foreboding wetlands of Cormyr. These included the Farsea Marshes, the Tun Marshes and the Vast Swamp. In addition to describing the monstrous humanoids and other dangerous denizens of the swamps and marshlands, with particular attention given to the black dragon Skurge, accounts of the humans of the region, including the marsh drovers and bandit kingdom of Tun.
 * Written by Brother Twick


 * The Stonelands and the Goblin Marches
 * The dangerous and nearly-uninhabitable stretches of land known as the Stonelands and the Goblin Marches, which separated the more civilized part of Cormyr with the great desert of Anauroch, were detailed in this entry of the compendium. It detailed the threat of the various goblinoid tribes, such as the Neidlig and Melial, and the devastating effects they had on the existing wildlife in the region.
 * Written by Maris Khorma Terrabin


 * The Sea of Fallen Stars
 * This tome contained reports on the activities of aquatic monstrous humanoids who created hostile territories between the civilized cities dotted along the coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars, with a focus on how they affected areas that were heavily-traveled by the local fishing communities. It continued to provide accounts of the deep-sea creatures and species that posed a threat to ships, sailors and anyone else conducting nautical business and activities. It concluded with a number of maritime tales, myths and rumors.
 * Written by Lucas Surin


 * The Great Gray Land of Thar
 * The penultimate book in the series contained the accounts of traveling the desolate lands of Thar and the various monsters that plagued the stony terrain. It had a particular focus on the ogre tribes, remnants of the long-lost kingdom of Tharkul, as well as the great number of orc clans, including the Black Spears. It included a map outlining the rough boundaries of each monstrous bands' territories.
 * Written by Taylssa Strongbow (edited by Elminster)


 * The Settled Lands
 * This book focused on the "civilized" Heartlands, describing the effect that humans had on the fertile and diverse Dales, Cormyr with its abundant farmlands, with brief mention given to the overcrowded cities of Sembia. It spoke upon the animals and monsters of these lands, both domesticated and wild, and detailed the balance, or lack thereof, between them and the humanoid races of central Faerûn.
 * Written by Bryn Ohme Thornwood

Appendices

 * The Battle of Bones
 * This entry described the desolate wasteland of the Battle of Bones, including the historical events that led to its creation and the living and unliving creatures that made their homes there.
 * Written by Rolanda Invenweigh


 * The Hill of Lost Souls
 * This thoughtful guidebook detailed the seemingly innocuous Hill of Lost Souls and Pelleor's Prairie, with its wide variety of strange phenomena, creatures, and plants.
 * Written by Tharnn Greenwinter


 * The High Moor
 * This entry covered the environs of the High Moor, with an understanding of the natural and magical forces that shaped the terrain and climate.
 * Written by Bara


 * The Serpent Hills
 * This travelogue reluctantly recorded the Lark's adventures in the Serpent Hills, as she encountered a wide variety of snakes, scalykind, and other strange and terrifying serpent-themed subjects.
 * Written by the Lark of Suzail


 * Elminster's Ecologies Appendix IIIa
 * This addition to the series contained studies on variant sub-species of some of the strangest creatures of Faerûn, such as fission slimes and fire trolls.

Contributors

 * Lyra Sunrose: The half-elf of Alyssim who had spent 11 years traveling Cormanthor with her husband, a scholar and lepidopterist from the Dalelands, Ruke Diggot.
 * Ibn Al'Arif: Born the son of a sheikh in the Maurani tribe, the bedine traveler spent many years braving the elements of the Anauroch desert in solitude.
 * Nibulus Loral: This wizard had spent much of his later life as a sage and a scholar, fully appreciative of the natural world he was studying.
 * Brother Twick: Dispatched by the Chauntean High Priest in Arabel, the halfling Twick spent some time ministering to drovers of the High Marsh.
 * Maris Khorma Terrabin: Known as the "One-Eyed Mistress" of Daggerdale, the skilled wizard Maris spent much of her youth adventuring through the Stonelands in search of the legendary Citadel of Seligonil.
 * Lucas Surin: This experienced captain serving within the Cormyrean Purple Dragons had lived in the coastal area of Cormyr and Sembia for 30 years, escorting caravans and keeping the locals safe from monsters.
 * Taylssa Strongbow: The grim but well-traveled ranger spent some time as a guide, assisting travelers through the barren landscape of Thar.
 * Bryn Ohme Thornwood: The elven farmer lived on the outskirts of Mistledale for over 300 years.
 * Rolanda Invenweigh: This antisocial necromancer was driven from her druidic circle, and found a new home among the dead at the Battle of Bones.
 * Tharnn Greenwinter: This quiet druid was dedicated to protecting and understanding the Hill of Lost Souls and Pelleor's Prairie.
 * Bara: This misanthropic and unforgiving druid lurked in the High Moor and protected it from foolish adventurers.
 * The Lark of Suzail: This urbane wizard and researcher had an abiding fear and hatred of snakes, unfortunately.