The world of the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting is Toril. This Earth-sized planet is dominated by oceans surrounding a handful of continents, the largest of which stretches more than 8,500 miles east to west. Faerûn When the eladrin first stepped upon its verdant soil, they called the world Faerûn, an old Elven term meaning “One Land.” Today, Faerûn describes only the westernmost portion of an immense landmass; Kara-Tur lies to the east. Faerûn is the cradle of the world. It is bounded on the west by the Trackless Sea, on the south by the Great Sea, on the east by the wide expanses of the Hordelands, and on the north by the ice of the uttermost arctic. The North The extent of the North is debated, but most agree it includes the entire wilderness south from the Spine of the World through the High Forest, and east from the Evermoors through to the Icerim Mountains. An endless, unbreakable wall of frigid, snowcapped peaks in the Spine of the World holds the Kingdom of Many-Arrows, an orc realm ruled by a succession of peaceable kings uncommon for their kind. Tucked beyond the Wall is tiny Icewind Dale. The more civilized of this “Savage Frontier” have come together in coalition to form Luruar, a confederation of city-states also known as the League of the Silver Marches. The dour dwarves in their fortified citadels left the League long ago, unwilling to break their age-old enmity with the orcs. Sword Coast Commerce along the Trade Way and other caravan routes binds the city-states of the Sword Coast. The coast itself is treacherous, featuring undersea reefs, rocky outcroppings, and a soft, mucky bottom that extends for miles in many areas. True ports are few and far between, a fact that makes the sheltered bay at the foot of Mount Waterdeep so precious. Its natural harbor has permitted Waterdeep, the City of Splendors, to grow into one of the shining jewels of the Sword Coast. Port cities north of Waterdeep didn’t fare well in the years after the Spellplague; both Neverwinter and Luskan are now in utter ruin. Baldur’s Gate, on the other hand, survived the last century relatively unscathed and has swelled to become the most populous city in Faerûn. Candlekeep remains a bastion of learning, though the crag it rests upon now stands at least 100 feet off the coast.
