Narfell

Narfell is a country in the eastern part of Faerûn. It lies in the Cold Lands region but was once the heart of a vast empire that stretched from the Giantspire Mountains to Lake Ashane which included the Great Dale, much of Thesk, part of the Plateau of Thay, what would become Impiltur, and other lands.

History
In its height of power, Narfell was ruled by evil priests. They maintained their power through horrid blood-pacts with demon lords, gaining the control of demonic armies. This once great civilization fell over 1,500 years ago in a terrific battle with its ancient enemy, Raumathar.

In −970 DR, the Nentyarch of Tharos built his capital at Dun-Tharos and forged the artifact known as the Crown of Narfell. He then began to conquer the surrounding Nar kingdoms, bringing them under his rule. In −946 DR, the nentyarch's armies destroyed Shaundaular, the capital of Ashanath, and all of the Nar kingdoms were united into the new empire of Narfell. Circa −900 DR, both the Nar and Raumathari Empires rose to prominence. In −623 DR, Narfell attempted to invade both Mulhorand and Unther by sea, which failed. In −160 DR, Narfell and Raumathar began their decade-long war that involved the summoning of demon lords and an avatar of Kossuth. This final war resulted in the destruction of both empires.

The empire's few survivors fled to Narfell's current borders, vowing to rebuild their mighty realm. That dream, however, has long since faded. Now, Narfell is a frigid land of barbarian tribes who have little or no knowledge whatsoever of their grand and sinister past, preoccupied as they are with simply surviving the region's harsh and bitter winters.

The remnants of Narfell's magnificent empire still exist, the ruins littering the region's plains. These ruins are often avoided by the Nars, for they have learned that the ruins usually contain ancient and long-dormant magical traps, as well as ghosts and wraiths. Once in a while, a group of foreign adventurers decides to explore the ruins. The Nars do not discourage this, as they can always pick up the pieces after the foolhardy adventurers set off any traps, which are usually lethal.

Economy
Trade is minimal, but merchants who do not wish to traverse the empire of Thesk sometimes pass through Narfell instead by way of the Long Road. The Long Road starts in Damara and enters Narfell through the pass in the Giantspire Mountains before intersecting with the Cold Road at N'Jast. From that point, the road continues on to Nathoud, which stands in the shadows of the Icerim Mountains in northern Rashemen. The Giant Gap, as the road is commonly called, is virtually impassable in the winter and is plagued by hobgoblins.