Forgotten Realms Wiki
Forgotten Realms Wiki
(utter east != Kara-tur?)
Tag: sourceedit
mNo edit summary
Tag: sourceedit
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 131: Line 131:
   
 
{{Forum post|I'd like to know exactly what the [[Utter East]] is. [[The Grand History of the Realms]] speaks of it as being a conglomeration of 5 kingdoms that is distinct from [[Kara-tur]]. Anyone have more accurate info? I'll look around when I get the chance.|—[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 23:56, January 23, 2016 (UTC)}}
 
{{Forum post|I'd like to know exactly what the [[Utter East]] is. [[The Grand History of the Realms]] speaks of it as being a conglomeration of 5 kingdoms that is distinct from [[Kara-tur]]. Anyone have more accurate info? I'll look around when I get the chance.|—[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 23:56, January 23, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{forum post|
  +
Check out the 3.5 edition ''[[Shining South (sourcebook)|Shining South]]'' page 109... it has a pretty good description of the Utter East :)
  +
| - [[User:Darkwynters|Darkwynters]] ([[User talk:Darkwynters|talk]]) 00:16, January 24, 2016 (UTC) }}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|Shining South says it lies east of [[Ulgarth]]. I found it on the [[:File:Faerûn 2nd edition.gif|2nd edition map]] at map coordinates O-28 (almost the lower right corner) which is south of Ulgarth, but I think they just ran out of map. At any rate, I don't think we can use "Utter East" as a substitute. At best it sounds like a region of Kara-Tur if anything.|—[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 00:35, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|Page 179 of the 3.5 ed. of Shining South says "Though geographical proximity might lead some to consider Ulgarth part of the Golden Water region, the marked differences between this nation and the others on the bay are significant enough to merit its classification as a separate realm. In many ways, Ulgarth is an isolated nation..." So I take that to mean it's not part of Southeast Faerûn nor it is part of Kara-Tur. I vote for placing it in Far East Faerûn.
  +
<br />
  +
I have noticed that various sources say that Ulgarth is bordered on the east by the vast plains of the Utter East, but every map I've seen shows mountains on its eastern border. I think some old source has been copied a few times and never vetted for accuracy with the more recent additions of [[Zakhara]] and [[Kara-Tur]].|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 01:57, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|"Far East"? Is that a canon name somewhere? I'd rather keep to canon terminology where possible.
  +
  +
First, if it appears on maps of Faerûn, I'd put in Faerûn. And be aware that material for one setting will tend to briefly covering neighbouring lands.
  +
  +
[[Ulgarth]]: I did research on this once. It lies just beyond [[Durpar]], but has a very Faerûnian culture. It was covered in both ''Shining South'' sourcebooks. So, it's certainly SE Faerûn. Being the birthplace of the Padhra, it's also very important to the Hordelands, though the setting book barely mentions it. I'm not inclined to put it in the Hordelands, but wouldn't say no either. It has nothing to do with Kara-Tur, so it's not a part of that.
  +
  +
[[Utter East]]: I researched this for the Utter East Redux project on the WotC forums years ago. An obscure place, it lies south of Ulgarth, on the west side of the spit of land connecting to Zakhara. (It's better described as utter south.) It has a local, Indian-like culture, but has strong connections to Faerûn (it was settled by folk from the Moonshaes as well). Although it's something of a nexus for all three continents, with elements of each appearing, it's only ever been mentioned in Faerûn-focused sources, so by extension I would call it SE Faerûn as well. It's definitely not in Zakhara, Kara-Tur, or the Hordelands.
  +
  +
[[Raurin]]: Covered in Faerûn and Horde material, it easily lies in both.
  +
  +
[[Durpar]]: Southeast Faerûn.
  +
  +
[[Murghôm]], [[Semphar]], & [[Gbor Nor]]: Tend to be mapped and covered in both, so East Faerûn and Hordelands.
  +
  +
[[Mulhorand]], [[Plains of Purple Dust]]: East Faerûn
  +
  +
[[Thay]]: No question, East Faerûn.
  +
  +
I'll examine the others later.
  +
  +
Wait! Aha! ''[[The Forgotten Realms Atlas]]'' discusses what's in the Western Realms, the Hordelands, and the Eastern Realms, and it's in-universe and official too. It says the Hordelands are a wedge 2000 miles across in the north, a few hundred in the south. It's bordered by the intermittent mountain chains from Raurin to Sossal, the [[Jumpa River Gorge]] and the [[Dragonwall]], and from Raurin to the [[Ama River]] basin.
  +
  +
In the Hordelands, it places Semphar (also a part of the Western Realms), Gbor Nor, possibly Raurin, the Godswatch Mountains/Teyla Shan, and the [[Shalhoond]]. It also places the "true" Hordelands, the Endless Wastes, and the Horse Plains (all names for the same place) there. It also includes the Chigidi and Chigiogi Mountains, the [[Kora Shan]] mountains, and the [[Quoya Desert]].|[[User:BadCatMan|— BadCatMan]] ([[User talk:BadCatMan|talk]]) 02:08, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|Okay, here is my interpretation of what BadCatMan just said, plus the previous input from Sajuukkhar. This is the "Not Far East" proposal. You can add to or modify it [[User:Moviesign/NotFarEastTable|here]].
  +
{{User:Moviesign/NotFarEastTable}}
  +
|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 03:13, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|Going on, the ''Atlas'' places Semphar and the Endless Wastes as border areas for the Western Realms (what we call Faerûn), more part of the Hordelands. So, a bit of both. The Raurin is in the West. The Yal Tengri is unknown, presumably being a sea it is not counted (though it borders Faerûn, Hordelands, and Kara-Tur). The Horse Plains/Plain of Horses are in the Hordelands (being a Kara-Turan name for the Endless Wastes or "true" Hordelands). The Ama Basin is in the Eastern Realms (aka Kara-Tur).
  +
  +
Khazari, Ra-Khati, and the Katakoro Plateau are unclear, but are mentioned as border areas for the Eastern Realms. The ''Atlas'' definition would place them outside the Hordelands, but they are so big in the setting, I feel they ought to be a part of it. Being border areas, this is feasible.|[[User:BadCatMan|— BadCatMan]] ([[User talk:BadCatMan|talk]]) 06:46, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|
  +
As far as I am aware, Ulgarth is part of the five kingdoms, a group of 5 nations that lie on a strip of land that is physically located on the continent of Kara-Tur, but is considered a separate region because its blocked from the rest of Kara-Tur by the mountains.
  +
  +
If we were going by what landmass its located on, they would be part of Kara-Tur imo.
  +
|[[User:Sajuukkhar9000|Sajuukkhar9000]] ([[User talk:Sajuukkhar9000|talk]]) 12:12, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|
  +
@BadCatMan: I presume you meant to say East when you said Raurin is in the West. I will move its checkmark.<br />
  +
@Sajuukkhar: Ulgarth is definitely not one of the five kingdoms. They are [[Parsanic]], [[Doegan]], [[Edenvale]], [[Langdarma]], and [[Konigheim]].<br />
  +
@All: I would like to nail down some points of agreement. If you disagree with any of the following, please cite or quote sources to back up your argument.
  +
# We agree that "Far East" Faerûn is not canon and we are not going to use it. If you feel strongly that we need another compass point, please explain why you think it would be advantageous.
  +
# The Ni-Ko Oasis is roughly the dividing line between Faerûn and Kara-Tur, down to near [[Solon]]. (Below that is Ulgarth and the Golden Water region which is a different point.)
  +
# The Hordelands are the roughly triangular region between [[Sossal]], [[Raurin]], and the Ama Basin. Areas should be categorized as part of the Hordelands if they are important parts of the setting as discussed in the sourcebooks. They may also be in other geographical categories.
  +
# Ulgarth and the Five Kingdoms of the Utter East are culturally closer to Faerûn than anything else, and are discussed in sourcebooks relating to Faerûn, so even though they could be placed on the continent of Kara-Tur, they are part of Faerûn.
  +
# We generally agree on, or can live with, the categorizations displayed in the "Not Far East" table above.
  +
|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 16:00, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{forum post|
  +
Great ideas, guys! So would we categorize [[Raurin]] as being a part of the [[Hordelands]] and [[east Faerûn]]... Will the Hordelands be linked to ''Locations in Faerûn'' or ''Locations in East Faerûn?
  +
| - [[User:Darkwynters|Darkwynters]] ([[User talk:Darkwynters|talk]]) 18:32, January 24, 2016 (UTC) }}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|I wanted to put Raurin in [[Southeast Faerûn]] since it looks to me it is farther south than anything else in the [[East Faerûn]] category, but BCM (and maybe others) feel it should be kept with the [[Plains of Purple Dust]] and put in East Faerûn, which I can live with. Since the Hordelands are so vast, they will be put in East Faerûn, Northeast Faerûn, and Kara-Tur, unless someone has a better idea. Sorry Artemaz, it looks like we are ''adding'' categories instead of removing them. :-/|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 22:04, January 24, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|So, unless I am misunderstanding what you are saying, the solution to locations that are being tagged for areas they aren't in... is to put more tags for locations they aren't in? How about we just look at the map to see where the locations are, and assign things that way, instead of needlessly applying blanketing tags to places that don't deserve them?
  +
  +
Are we going to start putting places like Winterkeep in Kara-Tur now since its in the Hordelands?|[[User:Sajuukkhar9000|Sajuukkhar9000]] ([[User talk:Sajuukkhar9000|talk]]) 09:13, January 25, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|Moviesign: Nope, I meant that the Raurin is considered part of the "Western Realms" (Faerûn) in the Atlas, and mark the border with the Hordelands. Otherwise, I agree with those points.
  +
  +
What makes up the Five Kingdoms was something of a mystery, as I recall, as the Free Cities of Parsanic aren't technically a kingdom. But Ulgarth is specifically not a part of the Five Kingdoms in the ''[[Realms of Mystery]]'' story "Darkly, Through a Glass of Ale", they're fractious neighbors. Regardless, it's not relevant. Ulgarth and the Utter East both lie on the wrong side of the Yehimals, so they're most definitely not a part of Kara-Tur, nor can they be in the Hordelands by any stretch.
  +
  +
Raurin: I believe this should go in Southeast Faerûn and Hordelands categories.
  +
  +
I don't believe the [[Hordelands]] page or category should go in Southeast/East/Northeast Faerûn or in Kara-Tur categories, because locations in the Hordelands don't necessarily go in any of those larger categories. Instead, it should be treated as a continent-level category, on par with Faerûn and Kara-Tur, while individual locales in the Hordelands might have dual categorisation, as a appropriate. The Atlas specifically excludes the Hordelands from the Western Realms/Faerûn or Eastern Realms/Kara-Tur definitions.
  +
  +
For example, my suggested categories, "Locations in...":
  +
* [[Hordelands]]: Toril
  +
* [[Raurin]]: Southeast Faerûn, Faerûn, Hordelands, Toril
  +
* [[Semphar]]: East Faerûn, Faerûn, Hordelands, Toril
  +
* [[Quoya Desert]]: Hordelands, Toril
  +
* [[Dragonwall]]: Shou Lung, Kara-Tur, Toril
  +
and so on.|[[User:BadCatMan|— BadCatMan]] ([[User talk:BadCatMan|talk]]) 12:40, January 25, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|
  +
Oh my, this snowball just keeps rolling down the mountain...
  +
|[[User:Artemaz|Artemaz]] ([[User talk:Artemaz|talk]]) 13:34, January 25, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|@BCM: Ah, I completely misunderstood what you said earlier about things being in more than one category. I'm all in favor of giving the Hordelands their own continent-level category. It's the smaller parts of the Hordelands that can be in Faerûn or Kara-Tur. So Artemaz will get what he originally proposed :) You did not put the Quoya Desert in Kara-Tur. Is that because you disagree with point #2 above? We need to decide if Faerûn and Kara-Tur touch each other and the Hordelands just overlay the two continents, or if the Hordelands actually separate the two.|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 14:19, January 25, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|I have not read every single comment, but I just wanted to point out that there are corresponding real-world regions with similar issues. Loosely, Faerûn is Europe and some of Africa, Kara-Tur is southeastern Asia, Zakhara is Africa and the Middle East, Maztica is the Americas. The Hordelands then correspond to much of Russia and Central Asia (USSR at time of Forgotten Realm's creation), including Mongolia; Rashemen and Thay are culturally similar to eastern Europe and far-western Russia. In the real world, Russia straddles two continents and at times is considered in both or in one or the other (the concept of a continental separation between Europe and Asia being completely artificial). Also, if we're voting, I vote that the Hordelands not be considered part of Faerûn (and therefore get its own category on Toril), because the Sunrise Mountains serve as a convenient geographical separator, similar to the Caucasus Mountains separating Europe and Asia. And I think the Dragonwall makes a good eastern divider for Kara-Tur, right?|[[User:Coswig|Coswig]] ([[User talk:Coswig|talk]]) 20:51, January 26, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|
  +
I think we have established that the Hordelands are not ''wholly'' contained in Faerûn, but parts of the Hordelands are, and parts are in Kara-Tur. It think we have a majority that want the Hordelands to be a continent-level category, it's the smaller stuff that is in question. I finally dug out my copy of [[The Horde]] and looked up the Ni-Ko Oasis. It only says that it is the traditional dividing line between East and West, '''not''' necessarily between Kara-Tur and Faerûn as point #2 assumed. This seems to allow some locations to be in the Hordelands and no place else. So, using the input from BadCatMan and Coswig, I've created a new table:
  +
{{User:Moviesign/HordelandsContinent}}
  +
Does this look more like what you are envisioning? Khazari is a cultural mix, so I also put it in Kara-Tur. Ra-Khati is almost completely isolated, so only in Hordelands. Are there any areas that need to be added? Please give a thumbs up or down on this new categorization.
  +
|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 04:58, January 31, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post
  +
|This chart looks great to me!
  +
|[[User:Artemaz|Artemaz]] ([[User talk:Artemaz|talk]]) 13:43, January 31, 2016 (UTC)
  +
}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|That sounds fine to me. It can be refined on a case-by-case basis as the Hordelands are developed, as people decide if a place should be this, that, or the other.
  +
  +
Incidentally, ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised)]]: A Grand Tour of the Realms'', pages 4 and 5, list the various continents, and the Hordelands are listed as a separate continent from Faerûn and Kara-Tur, so our reasoning seems supported. It doesn't define its borders, however.|[[User:BadCatMan|— BadCatMan]] ([[User talk:BadCatMan|talk]]) 12:46, February 2, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post|I'm putting the [[Katakoro Plateau]] in the Hordelands because it is mentioned in The Horde boxed set (see the section on [[Fatula Chupa]]). If anyone thinks it should also be put in [[Kara-Tur]], please post here. EDIT: And should it be called the Katakoro Plateau or the Katakoro Tundra? [[The Forgotten Realms Atlas]] uses "Plateau". What do newer sources use?|&mdash;[[User:Moviesign|Moviesign]] ([[User talk:Moviesign|talk]]) 16:19, March 6, 2016 (UTC)}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post
  +
|Both the Forgotten Realms Atlas and The Horde boxed set were released in 1990. Not sure if any newer material mentions the Katakoro area.
  +
|[[User:Artemaz|Artemaz]] ([[User talk:Artemaz|talk]]) 18:04, March 6, 2016 (UTC)
  +
}}
  +
  +
{{Forum post
  +
|Page 117 of Volume II of [[The Horde]] states that the [[Yellow Serpent Border Cliffs]] separate the [[Katakoro Plateau]] from [[Shou Lung]] (and Kara-Tur). Since this is part of Khazari's eastern border, should we remove Khazari from Kara-Tur on the location table above?
  +
|[[User:Artemaz|Artemaz]] ([[User talk:Artemaz|talk]]) 13:22, April 9, 2016 (UTC)
  +
}}

Latest revision as of 13:22, 9 April 2016

Forums: Helping Hand > Northeast Faerun

Use the following template for a nicely presented post:

{{Forum post|Write your message here!|~~~~}}


Would it be possible to remove the "Locations in Northeast Faerun" category from the pages dealing with the Hordelands? From looking at the map shown on Northeast Faerûn much of the Hordelands pages tagged with "Locations in Northeast Faerun" are nowhere close to NE Faerun.

Personally I would like to treat the Hordelands as a separate continent as far as categorizing goes (Faerun, Zakhara, Hordelands, Kara-Tur, etc), but I realize some overlap is involved in the "borders" between Faerun and the Hordelands.

Another suggestion would be to cease East and Northeast Faerun categorization along a solid boundary like the Jumpa River.

Thoughts?

Artemaz (talk) 00:32, January 21, 2016 (UTC)


I was only following the categories on the Hordelands page... The Horde sourcebook is Forgotten Realms... the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition page 145 places the Hordelands in Faerûn... though page 6 of the Horde does state it is a border between Faerûn and Kara-Tur... I would think it should be its own land as you state above or be part of both. Hmmm, after reading the 3e material... it feels like it should be at least set in Faerûn... hmmm
- Darkwynters (talk) 01:57, January 21, 2016 (UTC)


I've labeled most of the Hordelands pages that I've created as Northeast Faerun as well, so I'm not pointing fingers or anything. ;)

The Hordelands seems physically large enough to be its own category, especially considering how different the cultures present in the Hordelands are from the rest of Faerun. Tricky subject!

Artemaz (talk) 03:31, January 21, 2016 (UTC)


It would help if we had a nice map of the region to make it clear what part of Toril is called the Hordelands. I'll see if I can find one. I don't have a problem with giving it the same status as Kara-Tur, Zakhara, or Maztica, if everyone agrees that the region is distinct enough.
Moviesign (talk) 13:57, January 21, 2016 (UTC)


I personally consider the Hordelands to be an integral part of Faerûn, they're just overlooked far too often. The Hordelands history is tied up closely with ancient Imaskar and Raumathar, which pretty much shaped the entirety of the eastern Realms. It's one of those places that get pushed to the side like the Great Glacier, Ulgarth, Murghôm & Semphar (which only became part of the Hordelands after the Tuigan Invasion). The Hordelands may be big but they're still a part of Faerûn. In the past, the general policy on the wiki has been to add MORE categories, not remove existing ones (a move I was originally against but warmed to despite the added bureaucracy) so I think removing Northeast Faerûn from Hordelands pages wouldn't be the right move.
-hashtalk 15:05, January 21, 2016 (UTC)


I don't mind seeing another continent-level categorisation for this area. Each of the campaign settings on Toril is set in a distinct continent: Forgotten Realms on Faerûn, Oriental Adventures/The Eastern Realms on Kara-Tur, Maztica on Maztica, Al-Qadim on Zakhara. Each of these is useful for users of that specific setting. Never mind the logo, The Horde is distinctly meant to be a new campaign setting on that level, saying as much on the cover and in the introduction: Horde/Barbarian Campaign Setting. It had a few sourcebooks and adventure modules. It follows that we set aside an equivalent categorisation for it. (Note that that doesn't necessarily define the area as a distinct continent.)

But what to call it? The campaign setting book calls it all the Endless Waste, which seems fine to me, though the FRCS 3e changes it to Hordelands, of which the Endless Wastes are only a part. I imagine "Hordelands" are merely those areas dominated by the Tuigan, but it will have to be it.

That whole area is all rather hazy, with portions heavily in Faerûn and others in Kara-Tur (as one would expect). So it would be fair to categorise places in both, with Semphar in East Faerûn and in the Hordelands. Or West Hordelands maybe? Would it even need compass-point division?

— BadCatMan (talk) 13:35, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


Naming the new "Hordelands" gets tricky because there are large stretches named:
  • the Endless Wastes- northwest Hordelands near Rashemen and Thay
  • the Great Amber Steppes- central Hordelands between the Lake of Mists and Ejen Horo
  • Yaimmunahar - central Hordelands between the Lake of Mists and Quoya Desert
  • the Plain of Horses- northeast Hordelands near Ama Basin

These are all mostly large grassland areas that are part of the greater "Hordelands", so perhaps just calling the entire region the Hordelands is the way to go.

Given how hazy the borders are for the Hordelands all ready, I would think that adding compass-point categories within the Hordelands would be even more confusing.

Artemaz (talk) 14:20, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


And leave Category:Locations in the Hordelands as a subcategory of Category:Locations in Northeast Faerûn? Should it be a subcat of something else too?
Moviesign (talk) 14:39, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


If the Hordelands is going to be its own region, the maybe Category:Locations in the Hordelands should not be a subcat of Category:Locations in Northeast Faerûn. Locations that border both Northeast or East Faerun (like Murghôm) could still use both of those categories. The same could apply in the east for locations that are part of both the Hordelands and Kara-Tur.
Artemaz (talk) 15:14, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


I don't think we've reached a consensus yet. BCM and I are ok with it being its own region and DW and Hash feel it should be part of Faerûn. At least that's how I read it.
Moviesign (talk) 15:28, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


I would have to agree that it should be its own area. If you look at the map provided in the Hordelands box set, and all the places the "encyclopedia of the wastes" in the Hordelands books, its a massive area. http://i.imgur.com/0Lt3EIk.jpg

Its not just northeast Faerun, its east Faerun, and southeast Faerun as well. It borders it all. And then the booklet even says the Ni-Ko Oasis is generally considered the divide between Faerun and Kara-Tur, and tons of places like Ra-Khati and Khazari on very clearly on the Kar-Tur side of the divide.

You might as well slap "northwest Kara-Tur" on everything also given how much it borders the dragonwall.

Sajuukkhar9000 (talk) 17:10, January 22, 2016 (UTC)


The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide on page 12... states the Hordelands, formally known as the Endless Wastes, is part of Faerûn... it is in a section with the Dalelands and Sembia under a section called "Lands to the East" and the next big sections is Kara-Tur and Zakhara... I do feel it is part of Faerûn, located in the northeast and eastern part of the continent.
- Darkwynters (talk) 00:02, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I do not know much about the Hordelands, so I don't think my vote should have much weight, but I agree with hash and DW that it's part of the continent of Faerûn.
~ Lhynard (talk) 03:44, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


Okay, how about we call it Far East Faerûn and then Category:Locations in Far East Faerûn becomes the parent category of Category:Locations in the Hordelands? (instead of Northeast Faerûn like it is now).


LOL, I just saw that Hash created this category 8 years ago!
Moviesign (talk) 05:42, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


while its true Darkwynters that it says that, the Kara-Tur campaign book lists the plain of horses, which is part of the hordelands, as being part of Kara-Tur. Similarly, its said in the Horde campaign book that the Ni-Ko oasis is whats considered the divide between faerun and Kara-Tur.

If we want to get really technical, everyfrom in the Hordelands from the Ni-Ko Oasis eastward should have their Faerun tags removed, and instead get Kara-Tur tags based on both what The Horde and Kara-Tur campaigns list as being the divide. Basically, this would be the dividing point http://i.imgur.com/mw86utq.jpg

Places like Ra-Khati, and Khazari, are not part of faerun, location wise, or culturally.

Sajuukkhar9000 (talk) 11:49, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


Man, I'd forgotten that I'd already created the Far East Faerûn category for precisely this issue.
-hashtalk 12:09, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


So if we go the "Far East" route, every Hordelands page currently tagged as either "Northeast Faerun" or "East Faerun" would instead get tagged as "Far East Faerun"?
Artemaz (talk) 13:44, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I would say it's not that simple. I have created a table of most of the major regions in and around the disputed area so we can discuss details and really finalize this. See below my draft proposal for what places go in what categories. If I missed anything important, you can add to it here. The table includes the "Far East" category. If we decide against using it, then we just need to decide the fate of Ulgarth because I didn't know where else to put it. Murghôm is geographically Far East but culturally closer to Mulhorand (according to our article that says they worship the same pantheon). So, please discuss where you think the check marks should be placed and remember that geographical locations are fairly fixed, but political locations vary over time, and it is difficult to completely separate them.

X = proposed removal
= proposed addition

Country or
Region
Categories to which it belongs
Northeast
Faerûn
East
Faerûn
Southeast
Faerûn
Far East
Faerûn
Hordelands Kara-Tur
Narfell
Rashemen
Thesk
Endless Waste
Yal Tengri
Ama Basin
Horse Plains
Quoya Desert
KhazariX
Ra-KhatiX
Thay
Mulhorand
Murghôm
Semphar
Gbor Nor
Durpar
Raurin
UlgarthX
Moviesign (talk) 17:29, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I like the Far East Faerûn idea! Follows all editions :)

- Darkwynters (talk) 17:36, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


@Moviesign

Parts of the western Ama Basin are considered to be in The Hordelands. and Ra-Khati and Khazari aren't really part of Faerun at all. Given the Ni-Ki Oasis continent split, both would be part of Kara-Tur. Both nations also follow the religion of the nations of Kara-Tur, which only furthers the idea.

Ulgarth would also, IMO, be part of Kara-Tur. If we look where the Faerun and LKara-Tur continents meet, its on the KLara-Tur side of the Golden Water, which just leads out to the ocean between Faerun and Zakhara

Sajuukkhar9000 (talk) 18:07, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I have updated the table to reflect the suggestions by Sajuukkhar. Anyone else have input? I will give it a few days to a week (depending on how lively the discussion is) so folks have a chance to express their opinions. What else should go in Far East Faerûn?
Moviesign (talk) 19:55, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I disagree about Ulgarth... page 17 of the Player's Guide to Faerûn states it is under the Golden Water region, which could fit under Far East Faerûn... there is a nice map on page 7 of this 3.5 edition sourcebook... Page 79 on Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition has the Golden Water as being in southeast Faerûn... Do we need Far East", if we have an Utter East already?

- Darkwynters (talk) 21:25, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


The 4th edition sourcebook Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide page 87 has the Quoya Desert under the Hordelands... both of these are under locations in Faerûn... Now, technically, the desert could be under Far East or Utter East.

- Darkwynters (talk) 21:54, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


Since there are some discrepancies in the sourcebooks between editions, how about using the Yehimals as the dividing point? Zakhara, Faerun, and Kara-Tur all converge at the Yehimals ... so we could put the Yehimals in the Hordelands or Far East Faerun, then everything south of the Yehimals is Zakhara, everything east is Kara-Tur, and everything west is Faerun, while the North/northwest is the Hordelands.
Artemaz (talk) 22:10, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


I'd like to know exactly what the Utter East is. The Grand History of the Realms speaks of it as being a conglomeration of 5 kingdoms that is distinct from Kara-tur. Anyone have more accurate info? I'll look around when I get the chance.
Moviesign (talk) 23:56, January 23, 2016 (UTC)


Check out the 3.5 edition Shining South page 109... it has a pretty good description of the Utter East :)

- Darkwynters (talk) 00:16, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


Shining South says it lies east of Ulgarth. I found it on the 2nd edition map at map coordinates O-28 (almost the lower right corner) which is south of Ulgarth, but I think they just ran out of map. At any rate, I don't think we can use "Utter East" as a substitute. At best it sounds like a region of Kara-Tur if anything.
Moviesign (talk) 00:35, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


Page 179 of the 3.5 ed. of Shining South says "Though geographical proximity might lead some to consider Ulgarth part of the Golden Water region, the marked differences between this nation and the others on the bay are significant enough to merit its classification as a separate realm. In many ways, Ulgarth is an isolated nation..." So I take that to mean it's not part of Southeast Faerûn nor it is part of Kara-Tur. I vote for placing it in Far East Faerûn.


I have noticed that various sources say that Ulgarth is bordered on the east by the vast plains of the Utter East, but every map I've seen shows mountains on its eastern border. I think some old source has been copied a few times and never vetted for accuracy with the more recent additions of Zakhara and Kara-Tur.
Moviesign (talk) 01:57, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


"Far East"? Is that a canon name somewhere? I'd rather keep to canon terminology where possible.

First, if it appears on maps of Faerûn, I'd put in Faerûn. And be aware that material for one setting will tend to briefly covering neighbouring lands.

Ulgarth: I did research on this once. It lies just beyond Durpar, but has a very Faerûnian culture. It was covered in both Shining South sourcebooks. So, it's certainly SE Faerûn. Being the birthplace of the Padhra, it's also very important to the Hordelands, though the setting book barely mentions it. I'm not inclined to put it in the Hordelands, but wouldn't say no either. It has nothing to do with Kara-Tur, so it's not a part of that.

Utter East: I researched this for the Utter East Redux project on the WotC forums years ago. An obscure place, it lies south of Ulgarth, on the west side of the spit of land connecting to Zakhara. (It's better described as utter south.) It has a local, Indian-like culture, but has strong connections to Faerûn (it was settled by folk from the Moonshaes as well). Although it's something of a nexus for all three continents, with elements of each appearing, it's only ever been mentioned in Faerûn-focused sources, so by extension I would call it SE Faerûn as well. It's definitely not in Zakhara, Kara-Tur, or the Hordelands.

Raurin: Covered in Faerûn and Horde material, it easily lies in both.

Durpar: Southeast Faerûn.

Murghôm, Semphar, & Gbor Nor: Tend to be mapped and covered in both, so East Faerûn and Hordelands.

Mulhorand, Plains of Purple Dust: East Faerûn

Thay: No question, East Faerûn.

I'll examine the others later.

Wait! Aha! The Forgotten Realms Atlas discusses what's in the Western Realms, the Hordelands, and the Eastern Realms, and it's in-universe and official too. It says the Hordelands are a wedge 2000 miles across in the north, a few hundred in the south. It's bordered by the intermittent mountain chains from Raurin to Sossal, the Jumpa River Gorge and the Dragonwall, and from Raurin to the Ama River basin.

In the Hordelands, it places Semphar (also a part of the Western Realms), Gbor Nor, possibly Raurin, the Godswatch Mountains/Teyla Shan, and the Shalhoond. It also places the "true" Hordelands, the Endless Wastes, and the Horse Plains (all names for the same place) there. It also includes the Chigidi and Chigiogi Mountains, the Kora Shan mountains, and the Quoya Desert.
— BadCatMan (talk) 02:08, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


Okay, here is my interpretation of what BadCatMan just said, plus the previous input from Sajuukkhar. This is the "Not Far East" proposal. You can add to or modify it here.
Country or
Region
Categories to which it belongs
Northeast
Faerûn
East
Faerûn
Southeast
Faerûn
Hordelands Kara-Tur
Narfell
Rashemen
Thesk
Endless Waste
Yal Tengri
Ama Basin
Horse Plains
Quoya Desert
Khazari
Ra-Khati
Thay
Mulhorand
Purple Dust
Murghôm
Semphar
Gbor Nor
Raurin
Durpar
Ulgarth
Utter East
Moviesign (talk) 03:13, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


Going on, the Atlas places Semphar and the Endless Wastes as border areas for the Western Realms (what we call Faerûn), more part of the Hordelands. So, a bit of both. The Raurin is in the West. The Yal Tengri is unknown, presumably being a sea it is not counted (though it borders Faerûn, Hordelands, and Kara-Tur). The Horse Plains/Plain of Horses are in the Hordelands (being a Kara-Turan name for the Endless Wastes or "true" Hordelands). The Ama Basin is in the Eastern Realms (aka Kara-Tur). Khazari, Ra-Khati, and the Katakoro Plateau are unclear, but are mentioned as border areas for the Eastern Realms. The Atlas definition would place them outside the Hordelands, but they are so big in the setting, I feel they ought to be a part of it. Being border areas, this is feasible.
— BadCatMan (talk) 06:46, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


As far as I am aware, Ulgarth is part of the five kingdoms, a group of 5 nations that lie on a strip of land that is physically located on the continent of Kara-Tur, but is considered a separate region because its blocked from the rest of Kara-Tur by the mountains.

If we were going by what landmass its located on, they would be part of Kara-Tur imo.

Sajuukkhar9000 (talk) 12:12, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


@BadCatMan: I presume you meant to say East when you said Raurin is in the West. I will move its checkmark.
@Sajuukkhar: Ulgarth is definitely not one of the five kingdoms. They are Parsanic, Doegan, Edenvale, Langdarma, and Konigheim.
@All: I would like to nail down some points of agreement. If you disagree with any of the following, please cite or quote sources to back up your argument.

  1. We agree that "Far East" Faerûn is not canon and we are not going to use it. If you feel strongly that we need another compass point, please explain why you think it would be advantageous.
  2. The Ni-Ko Oasis is roughly the dividing line between Faerûn and Kara-Tur, down to near Solon. (Below that is Ulgarth and the Golden Water region which is a different point.)
  3. The Hordelands are the roughly triangular region between Sossal, Raurin, and the Ama Basin. Areas should be categorized as part of the Hordelands if they are important parts of the setting as discussed in the sourcebooks. They may also be in other geographical categories.
  4. Ulgarth and the Five Kingdoms of the Utter East are culturally closer to Faerûn than anything else, and are discussed in sourcebooks relating to Faerûn, so even though they could be placed on the continent of Kara-Tur, they are part of Faerûn.
  5. We generally agree on, or can live with, the categorizations displayed in the "Not Far East" table above.
Moviesign (talk) 16:00, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


Great ideas, guys! So would we categorize Raurin as being a part of the Hordelands and east Faerûn... Will the Hordelands be linked to Locations in Faerûn or Locations in East Faerûn?

- Darkwynters (talk) 18:32, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


I wanted to put Raurin in Southeast Faerûn since it looks to me it is farther south than anything else in the East Faerûn category, but BCM (and maybe others) feel it should be kept with the Plains of Purple Dust and put in East Faerûn, which I can live with. Since the Hordelands are so vast, they will be put in East Faerûn, Northeast Faerûn, and Kara-Tur, unless someone has a better idea. Sorry Artemaz, it looks like we are adding categories instead of removing them. :-/
Moviesign (talk) 22:04, January 24, 2016 (UTC)


So, unless I am misunderstanding what you are saying, the solution to locations that are being tagged for areas they aren't in... is to put more tags for locations they aren't in? How about we just look at the map to see where the locations are, and assign things that way, instead of needlessly applying blanketing tags to places that don't deserve them? Are we going to start putting places like Winterkeep in Kara-Tur now since its in the Hordelands?
Sajuukkhar9000 (talk) 09:13, January 25, 2016 (UTC)


Moviesign: Nope, I meant that the Raurin is considered part of the "Western Realms" (Faerûn) in the Atlas, and mark the border with the Hordelands. Otherwise, I agree with those points.

What makes up the Five Kingdoms was something of a mystery, as I recall, as the Free Cities of Parsanic aren't technically a kingdom. But Ulgarth is specifically not a part of the Five Kingdoms in the Realms of Mystery story "Darkly, Through a Glass of Ale", they're fractious neighbors. Regardless, it's not relevant. Ulgarth and the Utter East both lie on the wrong side of the Yehimals, so they're most definitely not a part of Kara-Tur, nor can they be in the Hordelands by any stretch.

Raurin: I believe this should go in Southeast Faerûn and Hordelands categories.

I don't believe the Hordelands page or category should go in Southeast/East/Northeast Faerûn or in Kara-Tur categories, because locations in the Hordelands don't necessarily go in any of those larger categories. Instead, it should be treated as a continent-level category, on par with Faerûn and Kara-Tur, while individual locales in the Hordelands might have dual categorisation, as a appropriate. The Atlas specifically excludes the Hordelands from the Western Realms/Faerûn or Eastern Realms/Kara-Tur definitions.

For example, my suggested categories, "Locations in...":

and so on.
— BadCatMan (talk) 12:40, January 25, 2016 (UTC)


Oh my, this snowball just keeps rolling down the mountain...

Artemaz (talk) 13:34, January 25, 2016 (UTC)


@BCM: Ah, I completely misunderstood what you said earlier about things being in more than one category. I'm all in favor of giving the Hordelands their own continent-level category. It's the smaller parts of the Hordelands that can be in Faerûn or Kara-Tur. So Artemaz will get what he originally proposed :) You did not put the Quoya Desert in Kara-Tur. Is that because you disagree with point #2 above? We need to decide if Faerûn and Kara-Tur touch each other and the Hordelands just overlay the two continents, or if the Hordelands actually separate the two.
Moviesign (talk) 14:19, January 25, 2016 (UTC)


I have not read every single comment, but I just wanted to point out that there are corresponding real-world regions with similar issues. Loosely, Faerûn is Europe and some of Africa, Kara-Tur is southeastern Asia, Zakhara is Africa and the Middle East, Maztica is the Americas. The Hordelands then correspond to much of Russia and Central Asia (USSR at time of Forgotten Realm's creation), including Mongolia; Rashemen and Thay are culturally similar to eastern Europe and far-western Russia. In the real world, Russia straddles two continents and at times is considered in both or in one or the other (the concept of a continental separation between Europe and Asia being completely artificial). Also, if we're voting, I vote that the Hordelands not be considered part of Faerûn (and therefore get its own category on Toril), because the Sunrise Mountains serve as a convenient geographical separator, similar to the Caucasus Mountains separating Europe and Asia. And I think the Dragonwall makes a good eastern divider for Kara-Tur, right?
Coswig (talk) 20:51, January 26, 2016 (UTC)


I think we have established that the Hordelands are not wholly contained in Faerûn, but parts of the Hordelands are, and parts are in Kara-Tur. It think we have a majority that want the Hordelands to be a continent-level category, it's the smaller stuff that is in question. I finally dug out my copy of The Horde and looked up the Ni-Ko Oasis. It only says that it is the traditional dividing line between East and West, not necessarily between Kara-Tur and Faerûn as point #2 assumed. This seems to allow some locations to be in the Hordelands and no place else. So, using the input from BadCatMan and Coswig, I've created a new table:

Country or
Region
Categories to which it belongs
Northeast
Faerûn
East
Faerûn
Southeast
Faerûn
Hordelands Kara-Tur
Narfell
Rashemen
Thesk
Endless Waste
Ama Basin
Horse Plains
Quoya Desert
Khazari
Ra-Khati
Katakoro Plateau
Thay
Mulhorand
Purple Dust
Murghôm
Semphar
Gbor Nor
Raurin
Durpar
Ulgarth
Utter East

Does this look more like what you are envisioning? Khazari is a cultural mix, so I also put it in Kara-Tur. Ra-Khati is almost completely isolated, so only in Hordelands. Are there any areas that need to be added? Please give a thumbs up or down on this new categorization.

Moviesign (talk) 04:58, January 31, 2016 (UTC)


This chart looks great to me!
Artemaz (talk) 13:43, January 31, 2016 (UTC)


That sounds fine to me. It can be refined on a case-by-case basis as the Hordelands are developed, as people decide if a place should be this, that, or the other. Incidentally, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised): A Grand Tour of the Realms, pages 4 and 5, list the various continents, and the Hordelands are listed as a separate continent from Faerûn and Kara-Tur, so our reasoning seems supported. It doesn't define its borders, however.
— BadCatMan (talk) 12:46, February 2, 2016 (UTC)


I'm putting the Katakoro Plateau in the Hordelands because it is mentioned in The Horde boxed set (see the section on Fatula Chupa). If anyone thinks it should also be put in Kara-Tur, please post here. EDIT: And should it be called the Katakoro Plateau or the Katakoro Tundra? The Forgotten Realms Atlas uses "Plateau". What do newer sources use?
Moviesign (talk) 16:19, March 6, 2016 (UTC)


Both the Forgotten Realms Atlas and The Horde boxed set were released in 1990. Not sure if any newer material mentions the Katakoro area.
Artemaz (talk) 18:04, March 6, 2016 (UTC)


Page 117 of Volume II of The Horde states that the Yellow Serpent Border Cliffs separate the Katakoro Plateau from Shou Lung (and Kara-Tur). Since this is part of Khazari's eastern border, should we remove Khazari from Kara-Tur on the location table above?
Artemaz (talk) 13:22, April 9, 2016 (UTC)