West Faerûn

Faerûn is a fictional continent in the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting world of Forgotten Realms. The western part of the continent includes the nations south of Waterdeep and north of the Shining Sea, that border along the Sea of Swords. It also includes the multitude of islands that lie to the west in the vast ocean called the Trackless Sea. The closely-linked nations of Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan have been collectively termed the "Lands of Intrigue" in the campaign setting publications. These works include the "Empires of the Sands", published in 1988.

• Amn — A land of merchants that lies to the north of Tethyr along the Sword Coast, this region is a fertile plain between mountain ranges to the north and south. The northern border is formed by the Cloud Peaks and the Snakewood forest. To the south is the evil humanoid-infested mountain range called the Small Teeth. The capital city of Athkatla is a port along the coast. Much of the trade in the country is carried by a series of rivers. Athkatla and Amn formed the setting for the computer game Baldur's Gate II.

• Calimshan — This is a nation with an ancient Arabic flavor, being formed from an empire of genies. It lies along the north coast of the Shining Sea, to the south of Tethyr. The dominant features are the Calim desert in the west, the Marching Mountains in the north, and monster-infested Forest of Mir to the east. The far eastern border is formed by the Alamir Mountains on the western edge of the Lake of Steam. The capital city is Calimport, a large port at the south edge of the Calim Desert.

• Evereska — At the northern edge of this region, along the western edge of the Anauroch desert, is this last major settlement of Elves upon the continent. It lies within a refuge of hills, far from the cities of man. This region lies along the north of the Western Heartlands.

• Lantan — This island nation lies far to the west of Calimshan, and to the northwest of the Jungles of Chult. It is a land of strange devices, wonderous machines, and many new forms of technology little seen on the mainland. The Lantan people use technology the way that other lands employ magic.

• The Moonshaes — These cold, rocky isles form an archipelago to the west of the Sword Coast. There are several major islands and many hundreds of smaller islands in this group. The terrain forms a mixture of mountains, bogs, and woods. There are only a handful of towns, the largest being Caer Callidyrr on the island of Alaron and Caer Corwell on the Island of Gwynneth.

• Nelanther Islands — This is a general name for the multitude of islands scattered across the Trackless Sea to the west of Faerûn. Many of the inhabitable islands are home to pirates who prey upon coastal shipping.

• Nimbral — This is a remote, pleasant island that lies to the southwest of Lantan. It is notable for its powerful wizards and pegasus-mounted knights.

• Tethyr — This is a feudal monarchy bordered on the north by Amn and to the south by Calimshan. The northern half of the country is dominated by the Wealdath forest(or the "Forest of Tethir"), home to tribes of Elves and various fey. This is bordered on the south by the Starspire Mountain range. In the south is the River Ith plain with the capital city of Darromar.

• Western Heartlands — Together with Cormyr and Sembia to the east, this region forms the heart of the civilized lands of Faerûn. It is an extensive land that stretches from the Sword Coast in the west to Cormyr and the Dragon Coast in the east. On the southern border is the nation of Amn. This land is not a unified nation, but instead consists of a series of city-states that include Baldur's Gate, Evereska, Berdusk, Elturel, and Scornubel. The southern part of this region formed the setting for the original Baldur's Gate series of computer games.

References

• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Greenwood, Reynolds, Williams, and Heinsoo, Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
• Empires of the Sands, Scott Haring, TSR, Inc., 1990.