Tunlands

The Tunlands was an appellation given by many Cormytes to the area between the Storm Horns and the Sunset Mountains. Claimed as part of Cormyr due to its proximity to that nation, the region was more accurately owned by various tribes of humans and humanoids.

Dominated by the Farsea Marshes and the Tun Marshes, the Tunlands were wet and humid with very few settlements of any significant size.

The Tunlands were once part of the massive forest of Arcorar, in particular the area was known by the elves as the Gods' Theater due the shape of the surrounding mountains. It was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of all the Crown wars - the Battle of the Gods' Theater wherein over 70,000 elves were killed when the forces of Aryvandaar and Shantel Othreier were both attacked by a massive orc horde.

After the fall of Shanatar, the Tunlands (or at least the tunnels underneath it) were the location of the relatively short-lived dwarven realm of Oghrann.

Evidence exists of an ancient civilization/civilizations that predates elven recorded history in the area. The marsh drovers of the Farsea Marshes told tales of an encounter with an evil lich from this realm who claimed to be "Lord of the Eight Thrones" but they jealously guarded actual artefacts from the realm that they had recovered from the swamp.

Legends of this ancient realm varied with the teller but the most common and easily believed tale told of two factions who wiped each other out on the advice of a mysterious female advisor thought to be Talona. The tale was evidenced by the glass ruins and undead creatures that periodically rose up from the swamps and the insects which carried diseases that even those normally immune to disease were infected by. The truth, unfortunately, was incredibly difficult to verify as the ruins often sank back beneath the swamp and all those sent to recover their histories never returned.

As briefly mentioned, the Tunlands were the home of various tribes of humans, lizardfolk, bullywugs, as well as a small group of trolls and a black dragon called Skurge.

Eagle Peak on the western slopes of the Storm Horns was the only Cormyrean settlement of appreciable size nearby and it was here that the marsh drovers sold their famous catoblepas products such as death cheese and deadeye butter which found its way into the wider Realms from there.

Despite the lawlessness of the Tunlands, Cormyr never made a concerted effort to civilise the region despite the threat from the Tun bandits and Skurge, preferring to concentrate on ridding the Stonelands of monsters instead.

After the Spellplague, the two marshes had become connected, stealing most of the dry land away from the area. '''

The Marshes of Tun:

Humans:

Tun Bandits:

Drover villages are few and spars in the middle fens of the Tun River Basin. That is because the self-proclaimed 'Bandit King's' have lain claim to the Marshes of Tun, holding them against any civilized colonizations by peaceful Cormyrean folk. The outlaws make pacts with black dragon masters, and ambush travelers along the muddy routes that traverse the swamps. Also making it a point to capture and flay any humanoids that might think to challenge their ownership. This leads them into conflicts with trolls and lizardfolk frequently. They waylay the unsuspecting to hold for later ransoms or sacrifice them to hydra and dragons to keep the predation of their own numbers low.

Torchtower is a massive fortress constructed by the Tun Bandits under the rule of one, Thaalim Torchtower, rumored to have been a former officer in the army of Cormyrean Purple Dragon's. The place was built with materials quarried and later stolen from the Storm Horns Mountains. This has become the bandit kingdoms central hub of power and the destination of all plunder seized from as far as Eagle Peak to Silverpool.

Areas farther afield also feel the reach of this new guild of thieves and assassins. Spies and cut-purses abound who hold affiliations with the sect. (Section based on plausible events in the current time frame of the Forgotten Realms. Pending approval by AD&D WOTC official historical record keepers.) A powerful but aging Red Wizard by the name of, Thylash, lords there with a maiden of elf lineage tauted as his queen. She is called, Khyssaria, and is an adept spellcaster as well. Local lore says they betrayed the charismatic first King of the Marshes soon after the fortress was erected. And have maintained control by the careful brokering of umbrage with the venerable black, Skurge, ever since.

While most of the "self-styled" kingdom are human, many evil half-orcs, and a few half-elves make residence with them.

A few hardy but taxed communities shanty the unclaimed reaches of the Tun, but mostly the marshes lay uninhabitable where there are no bandits. They make life hard on the local wildlife and on the other sentient creatures. Largely however, these creatures have learned to avoid their haunts like plague areas. Death comes almost as surely to those who tread unbidden in bandit country.

Reference; material taken from, Elminster's Ecologies: Cormyrean Marshes '''