Northeast Faerûn, referred to in large part as the Demonlands, comprising large portions of the Cold Lands and Unapproachable East,[1][2] was a remote area of the continent of Faerûn. It began in the cold, forbidding lands along the great ice sheets and continued south toward the northeastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars.[3] It was bordered on the west by the mountain-hemmed land of Vaasa and stretched east to the vast steppes of the Hordelands.[2]
Regions[]
Cold Lands[]
These lands comprised the dry, cold, and sparsely-populated regions surrounding the Great Glacier. They were largely insulated from the rest of Faerûn and seldom drew in visitors, save for those folks from nearby nations.[4]
- Narfell: A land of dry, cold grasslands to the north of the Great Dale, it was bordered on the west by Damara and on the east by Rashemen. Most of the sparse population were hardy barbarian nomads, struggling to survive in this harsh region. The most notable feature was the large Icelace Lake. It was said that once a great nation rose here, but it was destroyed in a war with their enemies, the kingdom of Raumathar.
- Sossal: This small nation maintained good trade relationships with the neighboring lands but remained insulated from the rest of the Realms.[5][6]
Long at war with one another, the two realms of the Bloodstone Lands united as a single kingdom for many years before being thrown into turmoil once again.[2] It earned its name from the rich veins of ore that ran through the Galena Mountains.[citation needed]
- Damara: While it was always a rugged, frozen frontier that beckoned forth many adventurers, the kingdom enjoyed great prosperity for many years until it fell under tyrannical rule during the late 15th century DR. The capital city of Helgabal, formerly Heliogabalus], lay in the middle of the nation at the confluence of two rivers.[7]
- Vaasa: The isolated moors, bogs, and tundra of Vaasa were situated just south of the Great Glacier, encircled by the Galena Mountains,.[8] It was perhaps well known for the presence of Castle Perilous, once home of the great Witch-King.[9]
Great Dale[]
This coastal land was dominated by the large forests of Rawlinswood to the north and the Forest of Lethyr to the south. The Great Road ran along this gap, starting at the coastal city of Uthmere on the Easting Reach of the Sea of Fallen Stars.[10] This was the most populous area of this land, with only scattered settlements further east.[citation needed]
Unapproachable East[]
- Impiltur: This prosperous nation located on the west coast of the Easting Reach existed as a peaceful kingdom for centuries, home to a line of kings and crusaders that repeatedly defended the region from the forces of darkness.[11] Unfortunately it was overrun by demonic incursions and plagued with internal strife during the Era of Upheaval. Following the Great Rain that accompanied the Second Sundering, Impiltur regained its status as a great trading presence in the northeast, and began to earn back some of its former glory.[12][5]
- Rashemen: The cold and wild northern nation in the was home to famous berserker warriors and the powerful, revered Wychlaran. It was a place of spirits of nature, and a land mostly untamed. Among its scattered settlements were Mulptan, Mulsantir, and the capital city of Immilmar, home to the Iron Lord.[13][5]
- Thesk: The "Gateway to the East" was situated on the far western stretch of the Golden Way, the great road that connect the Realms of Faerûn to the continent of Kara-Tur. The residents of these confederated settlements enjoyed free trade and little judgement among their people. They were just as welcoming to all human ethnicities, as they were to goblins and even orcs.[14]
Hordelands[]
Lying outside Faerûn proper, this vast region of barren steppes stretched far to the east, reaching the distant land of Kara-Tur. It was populated by nomadic horse riders and expert bowmen of the Tuigan people.[15] The region had no permanent settlements, but served as a trade route between Faerûn and Kara-Tur.[16][14] It earned its nickname as the Endless Wastes from its unbearable climate of frigid winters to unpleasantly hot summers, as well earth that was unsuitable for permanent farming.[17] It used to be part of the kingdom of Raumathar and the present-day Raumviran were believed to descend from the inhabitants of that kingdom.[18]
Pelvuria[]
The northernmost stretch of the region housed lands of Pelvuria, known to most as the Great Glacier. A frozen landscape of tundra, ice, snow, and more ice,[1] was home to fearsome giants,[citation needed] dragons,[19] and the Ulutiun peoples.[20]
Auril's Teeth[]
During the 15th century DR, the snowy and infertile tundra that comprised Pelvuria, Sossal, and the dangerous lands "at the top of the world"—known as the Frostfell—were referred to by some scholars as Auril's Teeth.[2]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 116. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Map included in Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 11. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore (1989). The Bloodstone Lands. Edited by Elizabeth T. Danforth. (TSR, Inc), p. 2. ISBN 0-88038-771-8.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 134. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ George Krashos (August 2006). “Impiltur: The Forgotten Kingdom”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #346 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 56–71.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 168–169. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 143. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 189. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ {{Cite book/The Bloodstone Lands|22}
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 117. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.