�These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world isto be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious

thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heedwords unwritten�and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn

then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and theywill lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding.�

�Alaundo of Candlekeep

Cyclopedia of the Realms

Table of Contents

Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

About this Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Time in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Names in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Languages of the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Currency in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Religion in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0

Cyclopedia Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

Anauroch Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3

Arabel Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4

Cormyr Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3

Cormyr Royal Lineage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4

DalelandsMap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6

Immersea Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3

Mages� Sigils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 8 , 5 9

Merchant Company Banners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3

Myth Drannor Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 , 6 7

Scornubel Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5

Old Skull Inn Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6

Shadowdale Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8

Suzail Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2 , 8 3

Westgate Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0 , 9 1

Zhentil Keep Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3

Appendix: The Shadowdale Census . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4

Credits Graphic Design: Stephanie TabatCalligraphy (Runes, Sigils, Languages): Paula M. Holz

Design: Ed GreenwoodDesign and Development: Jeff GrubbEditing: Karen S. MartinCover Art: Keith Parkinson

Deity/Faith Symbols: David E. MartinTypography: Betty Elmore

Interior Art: Jeff Easley, Keith Parkinson, Tim ConradCartography: Diesel, Dave Sutherland, Dennis & Ron Kauth

Printed in the U.S.A.ISBN 0-88038-472-71031

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva, WI53147

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore Road

Cambridge CB1 4ADUnited Kingdom

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distribu-tors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork presented herein is prohibitedwithout the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

©1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

T hat which follows is a brief intro-duction to the world of the Forgot-

ten Realms, with hopes to entertain,illuminate, and provide information incampaigns using the ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® system. Thistome and the cyclopedia it contains,with its companion volume, the DM�sSourcebook of the Realms, should allowthe creation of an individual campaignsetting using this world.

The Forgotten Realms are a worldvery similar to the Earth of the 13th and14th centuries. Most of the area underdiscussion here has until recently beencovered by wild forests and unsettledgrasslands. Civilization is still a noveltyin much of this world, even the oldestof cities on the Inland Sea, or the found-ing of Waterdeep, the greatest City ofthe North, are within the memory ofthe oldest living elves of Evermeet.

The people of these realms (includingman, dwarf, elf, gnome, and halfling)are similar in mindset and advance-ment to the men of the 13th century.City-states are common, and nations onthe increase as more of the wild landsare pushed back and gathered under asingle king or government. Skills suchas metalworking, farming, and craft-industry are common in the civilizedlands, so that swords and heavy metalarmor are all-too available to the war-rior. Literacy and the quest for knowl-edge in on the rise, with the recentintroduction of printed hand-bills inWaterdeep. The merchants-class isincreasing in both wealth and power asmore markets and resources open up.Faith, while not as dominant as inEurope of this period, is a major forcein the lives of the people.

There are great differences betweenthat world and this as well. Great beastsand evil humanoids wander the wild (andnot-so-wild) country of the ForgottenRealms. Ruins of ancient cities and tow-ers may be found among the under-brush, old lands and names that are lostto memory and the past. And there ismagic.

Some individuals of the ForgottenRealms have the ability to channel magi-

cal energies, allowing them to performmighty tasks. Others receive such abili-ties with the blessing of extra-planarbeings known as Powers. These magic-users and clerics can reshape the faceof the world, and indeed have done soover the millennia. Hills and forestsmay appear where there have beennone before, and mountains may moveseveral miles. A great sandy waste hasbeen moving further south in the heartof the Realms, matched by a sheet ofice, equally relentless, to its east. Nei-ther of these may be the fault of naturealone, but the meddling of spell-casters,human and otherwise.

Finally, the Realms are a land ofadventure, and therefore adventurers.It is the time of heroes, when one manof pure heart (or with a powerful arti-fact) may hold his own against enemyhordes, where legions of evil forcesmay muster and be destroyed by theactions of a few, where the nations riseand fall on magical tides which meremen can control. It is a time when thebold and the lucky may make their for-tunes and gain great power over theirworlds.

The information presented herein isas known to myself, those about me inthe lands north and west of the Sea ofFallen Stars, and those I have encoun-tered in my travels. On my word as asage nothing within these pages is false,but not all of it may prove to be true. Allstories presented are as I have heardthem and had them recorded, all infor-mation is checked as best as possiblegiven the limited resources of an oldman in a small town (even if that oldman has the power to flatten moun-tains, mind you). As you adventure inthis fantasy world, be warned that notall things are as they appear, and trustto your wits, your weapons, and yourcommon sense in surviving and profit-ing from the Forgotten Realms.

As recorded by Lhaeo, Scribe to theSage ELMINSTER OF SHADOWDALE,30th and last day of Nightal, Year of thePrince, 1357 Dalereckoning

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About this ProductT he FORGOTTEN REALMS� Boxed

set contains two books, four maps,and two sets of plastic overlays. Theplastic overlays are used to determinedistances in the realms without need ofoverlaying hexes or other grids on thesurfaces of the maps themselves. Twoof the maps are drawn to provide a gen-eral overview of the Realms, runningfrom the Moonshae Isles in the west tothe land of Thay in the east, and fromthe Spine of The World Mountains inthe North to the Jungles of Chult in thesouth. These maps have been drawnwith that information available to ourrepresentative in the Realms, Elminsterthe Sage, and represents what is knownof those lands from the mindset of theDalelands and Cormyr.

The other two maps are detailedblow-ups of sections of the formermaps, covering that region from theSword Coast to The Dragon Reach ingreat detail, for use in adventuringthrough the Realms. As more of theworld is fully explored, more maps ofthis and scale will be made available foruse in Realms-related products.

The book you are reading, The Cyclo-pedia of the Realms, is intended as ageneral overview of life in the Forgot-ten Realms, concentrating on thoseareas best-known to our source. That isto say, this book concentrates primarilyon those areas detailed in the large-scale maps. Areas beyond their borders

which are of interest or influence in thearea (such as the land of Red Wizards,Thay) are included as well, as are locallegends and stories that might easily beknown to those living in these times.

The second book, The DM�s Source-b o o k o f t h e R e a l m s , i s w r i t t e n t oemphasize the use of the Realms for theAD&D® game system, including tablesand information necessary for runninga campaign, advice on the differenttypes or styles of campaigns, some sam-ple adventures, and items speciallygeared to the FORGOTTEN REALMSsetting.

This book is divided in two portions:the first a general overview on theRealms and those things common tomost of the Realms (Currency, Calen-dar, major gods, and language), the sec-ond being a Cyclopedia section, whichis an alphabetical description of themajor regions of the Realms, theirraces, and the power groups whichinfluence the world.

The Cyclopedia entries are furthersplit into three sections. They are:

l AT A GLANCE: This is informationreadily available to individuals inthe Realms, such as how a townlooks when riding into it (is itwalled or open? Are there tradingcompanies? Any large temples?). Itis a brief summary of informationwith a minimum of detail.

l ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Culled

5

from the texts of the Sage of Sha-dowdale, this section includes allmanner of details, notes, gossip,legends, tales, and other generalinformation on the area or indi-viduals encountered.

l GAME INFORMATION: Often,something will be mentioned inthe section of Elminster�s Noteswhich may require further expla-nation for the AD&D game player,such as suspected levels of a ruleror guard-captain, the numbers ofa patrol or armed force, or statsfor ships or types of alcohol. Rath-er than digress in the text, or refert h e c u r i o u s g a m e - p l a y e r t oanother section, those topics arecovered under this heading.

Also provided within this text are var-ious and sundry maps of cities andtowns within the Realms, ranging fromScornubel the Trade-city to Suzail, capi-tal of Cormyr, to Shadowdale�a verysmall town with some very powerfulprotectors. The City of Splendors,Waterdeep, is mentioned in passing,and a full description of the largest cityin the North is left to a project whichcan do justice to the space required todiscuss it. Also included here is the Cen-sus of the town of Shadowdale, takenfrom its �Book Of Days,� on the eve of arecent battle, to note the typical inhab-itants of such an area.

TIME IN THE REALMSThe calendar and roll ofyearsThe following calendar is specificallytailored for the kingdom of Cormyr.

The year consists of 365 days: 12months of exactly 30 days each (due tothe single moon and its followers), plus5 days that fall between months. Thesedays are special occasions. Leap year isretained purely for social convenience,and provides a sixth special day that isused as the basis for long-term agree-ments and such.

Months are subdivided into three ten-day periods. These are known various-ly as �eves,� �tendays,� �domen,� �hyrar,�or �rides� throughout the ForgottenRealms. Rides is the standard term usedin Cormyr and the Dalelands, and isused for reference in these texts.

Although the months themselves arestandardized, the system of dating var-ies from place to place. Usually, yearsare numbered from an event of greatpolitical or religious significance; eachnation or region has cultures withunique histories, and thus differentreckonings. The system in naming themonths is named for its inventor, thelong-dead wizard Harptos of Kaalinth,and is in use throughout the North.

The Calendar Of HarptosThe name of each month in the Calen-dar of Harptos is listed below, from thebeginning of a calendar year to the end.Each month�s name is followed by a col-loquial description of that month, plusthe corresponding month of the Grego-rian calendar in parentheses.

Special days are listed when theyoccur between months and appear initalic type. Each special day is describedin a paragraph following the calendaritself.

1. Hammer; Deepwinter. January

Special Day: Midwinter

2. Alturiak; The Claw of Winter, or TheClaws of the Cold. February

3. Ches of the Sunsets. March

4. Tarsakh of the Storms. April

Special Day: Greengrass

5. Mirtul; The Melting. May

6. Kythorn; The Time of Flowers.J u n e

7. Flamerule; Summertide. July

Special Day: Midsummer

8. Eleasias; Highsun. August

9. Eleint; The Fading. September

Special Day: Higharvestide

10. Marpenoth; Leafall. October

11. Uktar; The Rotting. November

Special Day: The Feast of the Moon

12. Nightal; The Drawing Down.D e c e m b e r

Special Calendar DaysMidwinter is known officially as theHigh Festival of Winter. It is a feastwhere, traditionally, the lords of theland plan the year ahead, make andrenew alliances, and send gifts of good-wil l . To the commonfolk , this i sDeadwinter Day, the midpoint of theworst of the cold.

Greengrass is the official beginning ofspring, a day of relaxation. Flowers thathave been carefully grown in innerrooms of the keeps and temples duringthe winter are blessed and cast outupon the snow, to bring rich growth inthe season ahead.

Midsummer, called Midsummer Nightor the Long Night, is a time of feastingand music and love. In a ceremony per-formed in some lands, unwed maidensare set free in the woods and �hunted�by their would-be suitors throughoutthe night. Betrothals are traditionallymade upon this night. It is very rareindeed for the weather to be bad dur-ing the night�such is considered a verybad omen, usually thought to foretellfamine or plague.

Higharvestide heralds the coming offall and the harvest. It is a feast that

6

often continues for the length of theharvest, so that there is always food forthose coming in from the fields. Thereis much traveling about on the heels ofthe feast, as merchants, court emis-saries, and pilgrims make speed ere theworst of the mud arrives and the rainfreezes in the snow.

The Feast of the Moon is the last greatfestival of the year. It marks the arrivalof winter, and is also the day when thedead are honored. Graves are blessed,the Ritual of Remembrance performed,and tales of the doing of those now goneare told far into the night. Much is saidof heroes and treasure and lost citiesunderground.

Once every four years, another day isadded to the year in the manner of Feb-ruary 29 in the Gregorian calendar.This day is part of no month, and fol-lows Midsummer Night. It is known asthe Shieldmeet. It is a day of open coun-cil between nobles and people; a day forthe making and renewing of pacts,oaths, and agreements; tournaments,tests and trials for those wishing toadvance in battle fame or clerical stand-ing; for entertainment of all types, par-ticularly theatrical; and for dueling.

Wars, by the way, are often but notalways fought after the harvest is done,continuing as late as the weather per-mits. The bulk of the fighting takesplace in the month of Uktar, and theironic practicality of the Feast of theMoon is readily apparent.

Years (�winters�) are referred to bynames, each one consistent across theRealms, because each kingdom or city-state numbers years differently, usuallyto measure the reign of a dynasty or thecurrent monarch, or since the foundingof the country. The current year is 1332in Cormyr, and 1357 in the Dales(Dalereckoning, or DR). The CormyrReckoning derives from the foundationof House Obarskyr, the dynasty whichstill rules that land. Dalereckoning istaken from the year that men were firstpermitted by the Elven Court to settlein the more open regions of the forests.Dates given within this tome are inDalereckoning for the sake of conven-

ience, though other regions will havetheir own methods of reckoning thepassage of the years.

Names for the years are known as theRoll of Years, as they are drawn frompredictions written down under thattitle by the famous Lost Sage, Augathrathe Mad, with a few additions by theseer Alaundo (for further informationon Alaundo see entry under Candle-keep). The Roll is a long one; here is therelevant portion of it.

YEAR OF THE DRAGONYEAR OF THE ARCHYEAR OF THE BOWYEAR OF THE HARPYEAR OF THE WORMYEAR OF THE PRINCE

year just ending).YEAR OF THE SHADOWSYEAR OF THE SERPENTYEAR OF THE TURRENTYEAR OF THE MAIDENSYEAR OF THE HELMYEAR OF THE WYVERNYEAR OF THE WAVEYEAR OF THE SWORDYEAR OF THE STAFFYEAR OF THE SHIELDYEAR OF THE BANNER

(1352 DR)(1353 DR)(1354 DR)(1355 DR)(1356 DR)(1357 DR�

(1358 DR)(1359 DR)(1360 DR)(1361 DR)(1362 DR)(1363 DR)(1364 DR)(1365 DR)(1366 DR)(1367 DR)(1368 DR)

NAMES IN THE REALMSThe system of naming is wide and var-ied in the realms, with many local cus-toms common. Player characters maycarry one- or two-part names, nick-names, titles, or pseudonyms in theircareer. General guidelines on namingare as follows.

Common Humanity. The greater bulkof humanity takes a single name, suchas �Doust� or �Mourngrym,� with a sec-ondary name added if there is confu-sion, either from profession (�Doust theFighter�), location (�Doust of Shadow-dale�), or lineage (the latter in particularif some legendary figure was in thefamily line, such as �Doust, Grandson ofMiniber the Sage�). In addition, an namemay be added for a physical condition,such as �Blackmane� or �Firehair,� of forsome legendary or extraordinary

event. (There are a large number of�trollkillers� in the Realms, more acredit to the numbers of the monstersrather than the prowess of their slay-ers.) In the course of a lifetime, an aver-age human can take and discard severalsurnames, keeping his �given� namethroughout.

Human Nobles and Gentry. Theseindividuals tend to retain the �familyname,� a name usually derived from theindividual who established the family�sfame, position, or prowess. Such namesare retained even after the nobility hasfallen from grace or power. For exam-ple, the Wyvernspurs of Cormyr, whilestill well off, are significantly less pow-erful than the days when they wereadvisors to the king. Again, specialnames for events or appearances arecommon.

Human Magic-users . Magic-userstend to eschew long titles and names,and the general feeling is that a mage�sfame should precede him, such that asingle mention of the name is sufficient,and no one would doubt the speakerwas refering to anyone else but the gen-uine article. For example, there maywell be an Elminster the Barber, orElminster of Waterdeep, but the refer-ence of �Elminster� (or even the moremodest �Elminster the Sage�) refers tothe advisor without peer who resides inShadowdale.

Human Clerics. Identifications of thefaiths of the realms are usually includedin a name, supplanting any family orn o b l e n a m e s . A m a s t e r , C l e r i c o fTymora can be referred to as �Amasterof Tymora� without incident. In higherchurch circles, involving leaders of par-ticular temples or faiths, the full title isimportant, such as �Asgaorth of Tem-pus, Patriarch of Baldur�s Gate.�

Elves. �The People� have familynames, which they tend to translateback into common as nicknames, sot h a t t h e r e w i l l b e f a m i l i e s o f�Strongbows� or �Starglows� in theworld. Such family names are impor-tant in that elvish siblings can be hun-dreds of years apart in age. Half-elvestake Elvish or Human naming fashions,

7

depending on where they were raised,and change back and forth severaltimes.

D w a r v e s . D w a r v e s h a v e a v e r ystrong sense of their past and theheroes in their families. They carryonly a first name, followed by the quali-fier of heritage. The lowest dwarvesattach themselves to their state, such as�Mongor of the Iron House.� Dwarveswith a hero or dwarf of renown in theirheritage may use the appellation �sonof� or �grandson of� such as �Thelarn,son of Mongoth.� Beyond two genera-tions, the phrase �blood of� is used, butonly for the greatest dwarven leaders,as in �Nor, blood of Ghellin, king-in-exileof the Iron House.�

Gnomes. These quiet people use bothgiven and surnames, and maintain long-standing family ties, such that a thirdname, for location, may be necessary.For example, outside of his home land,Wysdor Sandminer may have to beknown as �Wysdor Sandminer, of theSandminers of Arabel,� to avoid con-stant discussions with other gnomesthat may or may not be close relations.

Halfings. Halflings are similar to thegnomes in the fact that they both givenand surnames, but both those namesmay change over time, and be over-lapped with nicknames for adventures,physical abilities, and pet or diminutivenames, and in addition, may be lostbehind a maze of pseudonyms and falsebackgrounds. For example, the halflingCorkitron Allinamuck chose both firstand las t names (h is parents werenamed Burrows), and goes by the dimi-nuitive �Gorky� and the nickname �HighRoll.� The last comes from his penchantfor dicing for treasure, saying �HighRoll gets it!� If the others agree to such adeal, the halfling feels no qualm,regardless of the dice, taking his �right-ful property� from the others. (After all,they did agree that �High Roll� wouldget it.)

Other Races. Most of the other racesmake do with a single name, and fur-ther clarification as need be (a centaurn a m e d A l d o p h u s m a y b e c a l l e dAldophus the Roan, for example). Orcs

and goblins tend to use proper namesonly when they need to, the rest of timeusing a native word that translates as�Hey You!� in everyday speech (a truespeaker of the orcish tongue can put agreat deal of venom behind the word,such that fights can start in bars at itsmention).

LANGUAGES OF THEREALMSMost people north and east of the Sea ofFallen Stars are literate, at least to somedegree. This is not the case, travelersand tutors have intimated, throughoutthe Realms. Westgate, southern Sem-bia, and perhaps Hillsfar are the pre-dominantly literate areas in the vicinity,and Waterdeep on the Sword Coast;elsewhere �trust to your tongue,� aswayfarers say.

Note that every alignment has its ownspecial tongue, understandable usuallyonly to those of like alignment. Suchtongues are very basic, able to commu-nicate acceptance or disagreement,emotions, and favored concepts orbeliefs (for example, �lawful� beingscould discuss �justice� and its adminis-tration). Alignment tongues are notused with strangers, and so are viewedas offensive (in the least) and hostile (atworst).

Thieves, druids, and illusionists alsohave their own special languages, inaddition to �the High Tongue� in whichrunes of power (i.e. �magic,� as magicusers know it) are set down. Almost alli n t e l l i g e n t c r e a t u r e s y o u m i g h tencounter can understand and speak�common� (the trade-tongue of men,spoken with little variance all across theknown Realms), although they may pre-tend not to.

From region to region of the RealmsCommon may have different accentsand slightly different vocabularies,influenced by other local human andnonhuman tongues. While a native ofThay will be able to communicate witha denizen of Baldur�s Gate, each will beaware of the other�s ridiculous accent.

In a similar fashion, non-humantongues each belong to the same lin-guistic tree, so that elves native toEvereska, Evermeet, and the ElvenCourt may understand each other (bar-ring again local dialects and accent). Toh u m a n s , a n � e l v i s h c o m m o n � i sreferred to simply as elvish, and the�dwarvish common� as dwarvish.

Written languagesWritten tongues are much rarer thanspoken languages, for most races haveno use for them beyond the standard

rune-symbols that are universally rec-ognized. They are as follows.

�MODERN COMMON�

The written common tongue, which ispresented in these writing as English, isa descendent of Thorass, the originaltrade-language. Literacy in this tongueis rare (and taken as a separate lan-guage), as most individuals use runesfor conveying information.

RUATHLEK

The �secret language� or magical scriptof illusionists is rarely found in theRealms. Illusionists themselves are fair-ly rare in the North�but Waterdeep isknown to hold at least one library ofb o o k s i n t h a t d w e o m e r - g u a r d e dtongue. It has been surmised that thiswritten �secret language� of the illu-sionists is derived from the use of magi-cal runes.

THORASS (Auld Common)

Thorass, or the written trade-tongueand universal language of the long-agoRealms (often found in tombs, under-ground ways and habitations, andeven�still in current use�in certainsouthern areas of the Realms) is theancestor of the Common Tongue. Trou-bled times across North (when the

8

Inner Sea lands were very sparsely set-tled) caused a period of little literacyamong young people, and the use ofrunes or symbols (deta i led la ter )replace Thorass for a time.

An inscription in Thorass will trans-late directly into Common, albeit usu-ally a stilted and archaic form ofphrasing and vocabulary.

ESPRUAR

Espruar (Es-prue-AR) is the Silver Elvenalphabet, in which most elves of theRealms render messages, either in Com-mon or their native language.

DETHEK RUNES

Dwarves seldom write on that which canperish. Rarely, they stamp or inscriberunes on metal sheets and bind thosetogether to make books, but stone is theusual medium: stone walls in caverns,stone buildings, pillars or standingstones�even cairns. Most often, theywrite on tablets�which are called runes-tones in the Common Tongue.

A typical runestone is f la t anddiamond-shaped, about an inch thick,and of some very hard rock. The face ofthe stone is inscribed with Dethekrunes in a ring or spiral around theedge, and at the center would bear apicture. Some runestones have picturesin relief, and are used as seals or can bepressed into wet mud to serve as tem-porary trail markers underground.

To a dwarf, all runestones bear somesort of message. Most are covered withrunic script, the most well-known ofwhich is �Dethek� which translatesdirectly into Common. The runes of thisscript are simple and made up ofstraight lines, for ease in cutting theminto stone. No punctuation can beshown in Dethek, but sentences areusually separated by cross-lines ofscript; words are separated by spaces;and capital letters have a line drawnabove them. Numbers which areenclosed in boxes (within the frames)are dates, day preceding year by con-vention. There are collective symbolsor characters for identifying peoples

(clans or tribes) or races. If any runesare painted, names of beings and placesare commonly picked out in red, whilethe rest of the text is colored black orleft as unadorned grooves.

Runestones are commonly read fromthe outer edge toward the center; thewriting forms a spiral which encloses acentral picture.

CURRENCY IN THEREALMSBarter and coinage of all sorts are com-mon in the Realms. The following sys-tem is that of the nation of Cormyr, andis typical of the other organizednations.

The favored manner of currency inCormyr is the royal coinage of theCourt, stamped with a dragon on oneside, and a treasury date mark on theother (the penalty for counterfeiting inCormyr, and most other similar nations,is death). There is no paper currencysave for I.O.U.s which are known as�blood-notes,� as they must be signed inblood by both (or all, if more than two)parties involved, and taken to the localLord for the affixing of the royal seal.

Coinage throughout the realms is cus-tomarily valued as follows:

200 cp = 200 copper pieces= 20 silver pieces= 2 electrum pieces= 1 gold piece= 1/5 platinum piece

In Cormyr, coinage terminology is asfollows:

cp = copper pieces= copper �thumbs�

sp = silver pieces= silver falcons

ep = electrum pieces= �blue eyes�

gp = gold pieces= golden lions

pp = platinum pieces= tricrown

A few local greetings and farewellsare given hereafter, for use by the trav-eler.

Well met �The most often used greet-ing, particularly between strangers of adifferent race or those of whom one isunsure.

Well again �Between business associ-ates or acquaintances, (i.e. we�ve greet-ed before�hence the �again���and youlook well) is usually used; if one isannoyed, curt, or sarcastic, one usuallyjust says, �Again� (i.e. �we meet again�or �you again!�)

Olore� (Oh�LOR-ay��Well met�/�Goodday�), as travelers in the Inner Sea landssay; �Olore� to you, my friends.�

Until swords part� Warriors� farewellthroughout the Realms.

Unti l next , may your sword be everwet, and your bottom dry �the piratesof the Inner Sea.

Alavairthae! (Al-ah-VARE-thay��Mayyour skill prevail�)�the Red Wizards ofThay, in giving their farewells.

Amarast! (Ah-mah-RAST�Fare welluntil next we meet!)�the sailors of theSouth.

Sweet water and light laughter untilnext �the People (Elves).

Aluve (Ah-LOO-veh�I/we leave you)�the Drow.

Axe high, friend. I go. �Dwarvish fare-well.

Forges warm, friend. �Gnomish fare-well.

Good morning, and good day after that!Don�t let anything curl your hair! (towhich is sometimes added�) �Ware thatBig Folk, and mind the goblins too!, asthe Halflings speak to each other� toothers, they usually say, �Gods smile!(upon you) /(for others rarely have thepatience for the longer form).

Braeunk vhos trolkh! (If you die whileI�m gone, do it quietly)�Hobgoblin,with the unspoken addendum �becauseI wouldn�t want to miss the fun.�

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Local city states often mint their owncopper, silver, and gold pieces, thoughthe electrum and platinum pieces arerarer, usually used only by the morepowerful states such as Cormyr, Water-deep, and Amn mint these types .Smaller states, such as the fracturedregions of Damara, use coinage bor-rowed from other nations and lootedfrom ancient sources.

Finally, Merchants throughout theRealms make use of �trade-bars,� eitherof silver or (for the more profitable car-avans and costers) electrum. Thesetrade-bars are ingots of the particularmetal in 10, 25, and 50 gold piecedenominations, and marked with thetrail mark of that particular merchantor company.

The deities & demigods ofthe Forgotten Realms:Human Deities

RELIGION IN THEREALMSThe �gods� of the Realms, also calledPowers, are important beings; theygrant magical spells to their worship-pers, involve themselves in earthly deal-ings, and grow or diminish in personalpower in relation to the number ofmortal worshippers they possess. Cler-ics in the service of a god will advanceonly if they please the god, by remain-ing faithful to the god�s rules and aims,and acting as the god wishes.

There are many deities in the Realms,even among humans, and this plethoraof divine beings, and the wide varianceof �portfolios� which they represent orepitomize, has led to general toleranceof the beliefs and worship of others inthe Realms. This extends to all who donot break laws among the general pop-ulace, the Court, and the soldiers of theKing. Human sacrifice is consideredmurder in lawful realms, and use ofanother�s goods as offerings is boththeft and wanton destruction.

Individuals, particularly clerics, maynot be all tolerant of the beliefs of oth-ers. It is considered impolite to inquiretoo deeply into the details of worship ofa god one does not worship or is notlikely to worship.

It might be wise to learn the religionsand/or alignments of any persons youmust trust, do business with, or adven-ture with, but take care; it is often anaffront of the highest order to ask suchinformation openly. Some people havebeen known to attack individualsinquiring as to their faith.

The main deities and demigods of theRealms are listed hereafter, includingnotes on less-major powers, ElementalLords, Cults of the Beast, and non-human deities.

A l l e n t r i e s i n t h i s s e c t i o n a r earranged in the following format.

NAME (pronunciation)nickname or title(s)

PortfolioPowerSymbol

NOTES:

AlignmentHome Plane

AURIL (AWE-rill)Frostmaiden

Goddess of Cold NEDemipower PandemoniumSymbol: A white snowflake paintedon a grey diamond, long axis vertical.

NOTES: This demipower is portrayedas a beautiful blue-skinned maidengarbed in a mantle of white. Auril isconnected to Talos . Her personalpowers include double-strength coldspells such as ice storm, and Otiluke�sfreez ing sphere , and an icy breath(effect of cone of cold) that kills plantson contact (saving throw if applicable),and has the effect of a successful cry-stalbrittle spell on all metal it touches.

AZUTH (AH-Zooth)High One

Patron of Magic Users L NDemipower ArcadiaSymbol: A Human Hand, forefingerpointing upward, outlined in a nim-bus of blue fire.

NOTES: Azuth is portrayed as a power-

ful old man, unbent by age, wielding astaff. Azuth is venerated as the mostpowerful of mages, and has the powersof a 30th level magic-user and a 20thlevel cleric. In addition, Azuth may beable to discern the abilities of thoseweapons he is confronted with, and ontouch may negate the effects of an itemas a rod of cancellation.

BANE (BAIN)Lord Bane, The Black Lord

God of Strife, Hatred, Tyranny LEGreater Power AcheronSymbol: A black hand, open, withthumb and fingers aligned together(sometimes on a red field).

NOTES: Lord Bane is never seen,although there are tales of a freezingblack-taloned hand and eyes of blazingfire. This being has both a powerfulchurch in the Realms, and in additionhas the support of the mages of ZhentilKeep (q.v.).

BESHABA (Beh-SHAH-ba)Maid of Misfortune, Black Bess, LadyDoom

Goddess of Mischief, Misfortune, IllLuck, Accidents (Treachery,Betrayal) CE

Lesser Power AbyssSymbol: Black antlers on a red field

NOTES: The Maid of Misfortuneappears as a beautiful white-hairedface, laughing hysterically. Ill fortunefalls on those who behold her. Often,surefire plans go awry, stout weaponsor walls suddenly give way, and freakaccidents occur to man and beastwhere Beshaba has been.

BHAAL (Beh-HAHL)Lord of Murder

God of Death LELesser Power GehennaSymbol: A circle of red blood-tears,falling counterclockwise, about awhite skull.

NOTES: Bhaal strikes unerringly, hisdagger causing the area wounded towither He rarely appears to worship-pers or others, but is depicted by

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priests as a bloody, mutilated corpsewith a feral face and silent movements.It is said that every murder donestrengthens Bhaal. While Myrkul recog-nized as lord of the dead, Bhaal is lordof death itself, the act of killing.

CHAUNTEA (Chawn-TEE-ah)Great Mother

Goddess of Agriculture NGGreater Power ElysiumSymbol: A budding flower encircledby the sun, or a sheaf of goldenwheat.

NOTES: The Great Mother is the patronof the farmers and gardeners, and herhand is on every place where men seekto grow. Chauntea is not a goddessgiven to spectacle or pagent, but ratherto small acts of devotion, and her tem-ples are often small caverns and modestchambers filled with greenery. Chaun-tea is always at war with Auril andTalos. The Earth Mother of Moonshaemay be a guise or aspect of Chauntea.

DENEIR (Deh-NEER)Lord of All Glyphs & Images

God of Literature, Art NGDemi-Power BeastlandsSymbol: A single lit candle, often witha eye beneath.

NOTES: Deneir is allied with Oghma,and is popularly depicted as an old,balding sage with flaming white beard.His priests tend to be scholarly in nat-ure, and ascribe most of the magicaltomes or hooks (Tome of Understand-ing, Manual of Clear Thought, etc.) tohim.

ELDATH (EL-dath)The Quiet One , Goddess o f S ingingWater

Goddess of Waterfalls, Springs,Streams, Pools, Stillness, Peace,Quiet Places, Guardian ofDruid-Groves N

Demipower Prime Material PlaneSymbol: A waterfall plunging into astill pool, or a circular disc of sky-blue, fringed with green ferns.

NOTES: Eldath has reputed among her

powers all enchantment/charm typespells, including sympathy, empathy,sleep, and silence 15� radius. Allied withand servant to Silvanus, Eldath is thesupreme pacifist. She guards all druids�groves and when she is present in anygrove, that place becomes a sanctuarywhere no blows land and no one feelsangry. The elven war-hero Telva is saidto have camped in such a grove andnever taken up arms again afterward.Eldath appears as a beautiful womandressed in translucent greens.

GOND (Gond)Wonderbringer

God of Blacksmiths, Artificers, craftsand construction N

Lesser Power Concordant OppositionSymbol: A toothed wheel of brass,bronze, iron, or bone.

NOTES: Gond appears as a burly red-hued smith with a mighty hammer, andhas at his disposal a forge and anvil withwhich he may hammer out the stuff ofstars. Those who venerate him are pri-marily tinkers, alchemists, and build-ers, but the island of Lantan (q.v.)considers worship of Gond the statereligion, and nowhere else is the maniafor invention (or the success of suchinventions) so strong.

HELM (Hehlm)He of the Unsleeping Eyes

God of Guardians L NLesser God NirvanaSymbol: An open, staring eye, oftenpainted on a metal gauntlet.

NOTES: Helm is always vigilant, andwatchful. He is never surprised, andanticipates most events by intelligenceand observation. He can never be borneoff his feet, rarely can he be tricked, andhe will never betray or neglect thatwhich he guards. In short, he is the idealof guardians, and is worshipped so thatsome of his qualities will come to, or beborne out in, the worshipper. Temples ofGond tend to be located where some evilor potential danger is afoot, such as inHluthvar, at the foot of Darkhold.

ILMATER (Ihl-MAY-ter)God of Endurance, Suffering,

Martyrdom, Perseverance LGLesser Power Twin ParadisesSymbol: the Bloodstained Rack orcrossed hands bound at the wrist.

NOTES: This god appears as a brokenman, his hands smashed but still useful.Ilmater is willing sufferer, the one whotakes the place of another. He has thepower to manifest himself in creaturesbeing tortured, relieving their pain, butonly if such creatures are of good align-ment and have not done anything todeserve such treatment.

LATHANDER (Lah-THAN-der)Morninglord

God of Spring, Dawn, ConceptionVitality, Eternal Youth, Renewal,Self-Perfection, Beginnings NG

Greater Power ElysiumSymbol: A wooden disk of rosy pinkhue.

NOTES: Lathander Lord of Morning iscommander of creativity. Offerings aremade to him by those who worship otherpowers upon the occasion of beginning anew venture or forming an alliance orcompany. Lathander�s presentation iseither as a rosy radiance or mist, or, inearlier renditions, of a golden-skinnedmale youth of great beauty. Its priestswhere robes of pink or scarlet, the higherranks having them trimmed with ornateribbons of gold.

LEIRA (LAIR-ah)Lady of the Mists

Goddess of Deception, Illusion CNDemipower LimboSymbol: A triangular plaque, pointdownward, painted in cloudy, swirl-ing greys.

NOTES: Leira is demigoddess of decep-tion and illusion, both natural and magi-c a l . L e i r a � s t r u e a p p e a r a n c e i sunknown; her pr ies ts worship athorned altars whose upswept armsframe nothing but air. Leira can be any-thing, anywhere, that is not what itseems. Few worship Leira outside theranks of illusionists, since few other

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types of characters see profit in misun-derstanding and deception thoughmany pay her homage to ward her offor placate her before important deci-sions and judgments are made. She isseen a neutral rather than evil becauseshe represents the caprices of natureand not deliberate deceit (that is theprovince of Mask).

LLIIRA (LEER-ah)Our Lady of Joy

Goddess of Joy, Carefree Feeling,Contentment, Release,Hospitality, Happiness, Dance,Patron of Festivals CG

Demipower ArvandorSymbol: Three stars of six pointseach, colored orange, yellow, andred.

NOTES: This goddess is allied to Mililand Sune, and is invoked an offered toat all joyous occasions. She is usuallydepicted as a young, dancing, sensuouslady, laughing and carefree. She cannotabide violence and ill feeling, and anunsheathed sword (save for in solemnceremony) any place is said to beenough to drive her, or her favor away.

LOVIATAR (Low-vee-A-tar)Maiden of Pain

Goddess of Pain, Hurt, Patron ofTorturers LE

Demipower GehennaSymbol: A black whip of nine strandswith barbed tips.

NOTES: Loviatar is the being of the Finn-ish Pantheon in Legends & Lore, and sheappears in these realms as a pale maidendressed in white pleated armor, and herdagger of ice is represented here as a slen-der wand. Her abilities and attitudes are asfor the Finnish goddess of hurt.

MALAR (MAY-larr)The Beastlord, The Stalker

God of Wild, Marauding Beasts,Bloodlust, and Hunting CE

Demipower TarterusSymbol: A taloned, bestial claw

NOTES: Malar is related to Silvanus andthe other �nature� gods, and is said to

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be a black beast, covered with wet drip-ping blood, and having the fangs andc l a w e d f o r e l i m b s o f a g r e a t c a t .Hunters (both for game and in sport)make offerings to him before settingforth in the chase, and he is said to mani-fest himself in berserkers, enragedbeasts, and in that type of frenziedhuman killer that men deem �mad.�Bhaal is overlord to those who view kill-ing as an art to be coldly perfected;Malar is the patron of those who exultin it endlessly, sensually; and is prefer-red by adventurers over professionalwarriors.

MASK (MAHSK)Lord of Shadows

God of Thieves, Intrigue NELesser Power HadesSymbol: A black velvet mask

NOTES: Mask is the lord of shadowsand those actions which take place inthose shadows; he is the patron of thethief and cutpurse, the sneak, the spy,and the alleyway mugger. He appears asa handsome youth dressed in colorfuljerkin and breeches, wearing a greycloak. The cloak allows Mask to fly,become invisible, and when the hood isplaced up, appear as any other being inan impervious illusion. The worship-pers of Mask tend to hold their servicesin dimly lit vaults, and the worshippersand priests all wear heavy garb andmasks.

MIELIKKI (My-LEE-kee)Lady of the Forest

Goddess of Forests, Dryads, Patronof Rangers NG

Lesser Power Prime MaterialSymbol: The unicorn (or the whitestar on a green leaf)

NOTES: Mielikki is allied with Silvanus,and is the Finnish Power described int h e L e g e n d s & L o r e b o o k . I n t h eRealms, she appears as a young maidenwith leaves and moss of hair, garbed ingreen and yellow. Her powers are asdescribed in the above-mentioned text,

MILIL (Meh-LILL)God of Poetry, Eloquence, and

Song NGDemipower BeastlandsSymbol: A silver harp

NOTES: Milil, allied to Oghma and Sune,is held in special esteem by bards. He isseen as a young, charismatic man or elfwith beautiful features and voice, but isusually manifested as a haunting music(particularly in clearings in the depthsof a wood), or a radiance about somehuman bard or raconteur in the throesof inspiration. He has been known toprovide sudden inspiration to his fol-lowers, often in the form of a handymeans of escape or treasure buried inthe area.

MYRKUL (MERR-kool)Lord of Bones, Old Lord Skull

God of the Dead, Wasting, Decay,Corruption, Parasites, Old Age,Dusk, Fall, Exhaustion NE

Greater Power HadesSymbol: A skull or skeletal hand

NOTES: This god usually appears as acloaked, animated corpse�skeletal atits head, becoming fleshed toward itsfeet, which are gangrenous and rotting.Myrkul is said to have a cold, malignantintelligence and to speak in a high whis-per His supernatural servants areknown as �Deaths� (such as that whichappears as part of the deck of manythings, DMG, p.143). He can animateand command the dead, but has nopower over undead above the level ofzombies and skeletons. Myrkul lives inthe Castle of Bones, located in a moon-less Land of Always Night (Hades).

MYSTRA (MISS-trah)The Lady of Mysteries

Goddess of Magic LNGreater Power NirvanaSymbol: A blue-white star

NOTES: The goddess of magic is a mani-festation of the Cosmic Balance. whichappears to right great inequalities orgoing-awry in the magical balance ofthings. She appears as a source of lightakin to a prismatic will-o�-the-wisp, and

may use all spells at maximum level,one defensive spell per round and oneoffensive spell per round (only one spelltotal per round if the spell used is wish,time stop, gate, or alter reality). Mystrais constantly shape changing as far asan observer on any Prime Materialplane is concerned. She is said to havegiven the first teachings that unlockedthe forces termed �magic� to the racesof the Prime Material plane (and, somesay, has forever after regretted thedeed.) Mystra was made lawful neutralon the premise that magic is inherentlyneutral and exhibits internal order andlaws. Many mages believe that Mystradetermines success in the creation ofnew spells, potions, and magical items.

OGHMA (OGG-mah)The Binder

God of Knowledge, Invention,Patron of Bards N

Greater Power ConcordantOpposition

Symbol: A partially unrolled scrollNOTES: Oghma of the ForgottenRealms is the same beings as the Oghmaof the Celtic mythos in L&L, save forthe lack in the Forgotten Realms of�true names� other than those providedfor in the spell of the same name.Oghma appears in the realms as an oldburly man with a black beard streakedwith white, and carries a yarting ofwhite snowwood on a thong across hisback.

SELUNE (Seh-LOON-eh)Our Lady of Silver

Goddess of the Moon, Stars,Navigation CG

Lesser Power GladsheimSymbol: Circle of seven stars aroundtwo feminine eyes.

NOTES: Revered by femalespell-casters, (and worshipped by few)and by all who navigate or must workat night Selune is continually eithergrowing to full glory or dying. Seluneis linked to Mystra; children bornunder a full moon often exhibitmagical ability. Lycanthropes who

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enjoy their condition (rare though theymay be) usually come to worshipSelune, for she governs their powers.Selune has been said to aid devouutworshippers of her Mystery of theNight by sending aid to those lost bytrails of �moondust� (small motes oflight similar to dancing lights or will-o�-the-wisps,) which produce moonlightwhere none would otherwise be. The�night-stalk,� or solitary moonlit walk, isthe occasion and ritual of worship to,and communion with, Selune. Clerics ofSelune seek and prize �drops fallenfrom the moon,� the offerings of thegoddess, for with this precious sub-stance they can make many potions andunguents. These are considered tocome from the �tears of Selune,� theshards that follow the Realm�s majorsatellite in its path. Whether the moonis named for the goddess or vice-versais unknown. Selune appears as a dusky-hued maiden with wide, radiant eyesand a long-tressed mane of white.

SHAR (Shahr)Mistress of the Night, the Lady of Loss

Goddess of Darkness, Night, Loss,Forgetfulness NE

Greater Power HadesSymbol: Circle of black with a borderof deep purple.

NOTES: This goddess is said to be dark-ly beautiful. She is often worshipped bythose made bitter by loss of a loved one,for in her dark embrace all forget, andalthough they forever feel loss, theybecome used to such pain until theyconsider it the usual and natural stateof existence. Shar battles continuallywith Selune, slaying her often (i.e. eve-ry new moon), and is worshipped (orpaid lip service by) all surface-dwellingbeings who dislike light. Those whomake or take disguises worship Leira,but those who seek only to hide or burysomeything pay homage to Shar. Sharappears as a raven-haired beautydressed in black.

SILVANUS (Sihl-VANN-us)Oak-Father

God of Nature, Patron of Druids NGreater Power Concordant

OppositionSymbol: An oak leaf or wooden staff

NOTES: Silvanus is as described in Leg-ends & Lore under the Celtic Mythos.Silvanus appears as a long-limbed manin his suit of leaf-armor, wielding agreat wooden mallet. His priests num-ber both clerics and druids, dependenton the location in the Realms.

SUNE (SUE-nee)Firehair

Goddess of Love, Beauty, Charisma,Passion W

Greater Goddess ArvandorSymbol: A beautiful fire-haired maid-en

NOTES: Sune is the fairest of the gods,the most radiant of creatures, and isrendered as the beautiful woman in allthe Known Worlds, a stunning redheadof incredible charms. She dwells inArvandor and shares with the Elvengoddess Hanali Celanil the waters of theEvergold, Sune Firehair will, to thosew h o m e r i t h e r p r a i s e , p r o v i d e acharisma-raising draught to faithful fol-lowers. Sune�s followers tend to beenamored of physical beauty and rath-er vain, but their temples, in particularthe large complexes such as found inWaterdeep, are among the most splen-did in the Realms.

TALONA (Tah-LOW-nah)Lady of Poison, Mistress of Disease

Goddess of Disease, Poisoning CEDemipower TarterusSymbol: Three teardrops in a trian-gle, apex upwards.

NOTES: Talona appears as a blackenedand weathered crone with a scarredface. In ancient texts in the Realms hername is Kiputytto, and it is likely thatthe Finnish deity and this native of theForgotten Realms are one in the same.

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TALOS (TAH-los)The Destroyer; The Raging One

God of Storms, Destruction CEGreater Power PandemoniumSymbol: Three lightning bolts radiat-ing outward.

NOTES: Talos is a most fickle and venge-ful god, like the forces that he isentrusted with beneath his pantheon.He is rendered as a broad-shouldered,bearded young man with a single goodeye, carrying a bundle across his back.In this bundle Talos carries staves madeof the first iron forged in the Realms, ofthe first silver smelted, of the first treeplanted and grown by man, and others.With these staves he raises the winds,cleaves the earth, rends the sky, andwrecks his havoc. His followers are asvulnerable as any others in his path, butthey hope that by their supplication, hisfury may pass over them and strikesomeone else, in particular followers ofChauntea. In the southern lands, Talosis known as Bhaelros, and his symbol isa white bolt erupting on a field of crim-son.

TEMPUS (TEM-pos)The Lord of Battles, Foehammer

God of War CNGreater Power LimboSymbol: Blazing sword on blood-redfield.

NOTES: The Lord of Battles is vener-ated by all alignments and all causes inconflict. He appears as a 12-foot-tallhuman giant in battered and bloodiedarmor, his face hidden by a massive warhelm. His shoulders and legs are bareand crossed with wounds, and he isalways bleeding, though never tiring.Tempus is called upon before the eve-ning of battle, to enhance the skills ofone side and curse another. Tempus hasbeen known to manifest to one side orthe other in battle to indicate his favor.Most often he is seen standing with onefoot on a white mare, Veiros, and theother on a black stallion, Deiros. If seenriding the mare, favor in battle is indi-cated, while riding the stallion foretellsdefeat. The priests of Tempus wear bat-

tered armor, but in larger temple com-plexes wear skull caps made of steel.

TORM (torm)Torm The True, The Foolish, or TheBrave

God of Duty, Loyalty, Obedience,Those who face danger tofurther the cause of good LG

Demigod Prime MaterialSymbol: A metal gauntlet

NOTES: Torm is the god of those whohave served most faithfully, and soughtto protect others. Torm was the mostfaithful of warriors, renowned forobeying all the commands of his kingregardless of personal danger. Heremains a great fighter, serving as thewar-arm of Tyr. Many cavaliers, pala-dins, and other groups dedicated to acode of arms or protection cite Torm.

TYMORA (Tie-MORE-ah)Lady Luck

Goddess of Good Fortune, Luck,Victory, Skill, Patron ofAdventurers and Warriors CG

Lesser Power ArvandorSymbol: Featureless disk of silver

NOTES: Lady Luck is fickle, and notgreat in power; she helps those whohelp themselves. She appears as a short-haired, boyish woman with a craftylook, and areas with large halfling pop-ulations, as a halfling. Tymora may bestan opponent in any single contest perday, and in addition will always makeher saving throw. Her clerics oftenwear her symbol (the silver disk), andoften find her favor bestowed uponthem in times of great need. Skill andinnovation are rewarded by her withgood luck, wherefore many adventur-ers pay her homage.

TYR (teer)Grimjaws, the Even-Handed

God of Justice LGGreater God Seven HeavensSymbol: Set of balanced scales, rest-ing on the head of a war hammer.

NOTES: Tyr�s is a new faith, appearingin the Forgotten Realms within the past

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thousand years. His title as the �even-handed� refers to his position as a godof justice, and is a grim joke consideringthat the appearances of Tyr show himas missing his right hand. Tyr is likelythe being of the same name found in theN o r s e M y t h o s . T h o u g h n o o t h e rPowers of that realm are present, andTyr is portrayed as a god of justice onlyand not war.

UMBERLEE (Um-ber-LEE)The Bitch Queen

Goddess of Oceans, Waves andWinds at Sea, Currents CE

Lesser Power AbyssSymbol: A forked, blue-green wave,curling in breakers to both left andright, painted on a black backgroundstreaked with white.

NOTES: This goddess contests the fateof ships at sea eternally with Selune,causing the wicked currents thatimperil shipping on the Sword Coasts.Umberlee commands the wind over theopen sea, but prefers to use the wavesas her weapons, striking opponentswith 60 feet waves, drowning theunprotected. She is rarely seen, prefer-ring to set currents and winds inmotion for afar, or send forth greatsharks to engulf swimmers to ship-wrecked sailors. Her title has beenbestowed upon her by the pirates, voy-agers, and traders who have sufferedunder her rule, but tends to be usedmost often when these individuals areon dry land, and then in hushed voices.

WAUKEEN (Wau-KEEN)Liberty�s Maiden, Merchantsfriend

Goddess of Trade, Money NLesser Power Concordant OppositionSymbol: A woman�s full face or profilewithin a circle of gold.

NOTES: A relatively recent goddess, noolder in her worship than that of Tyr,but quite favorite with the merchant-class and traders, who rever her, if notin hopes of her kindness, than in hopesthey will be elsewhere when be bringsfinancial ruin upon the unwary. She isportrayed as a richly garbed blonde

woman with a pair of large golden lionsat her feet.

Elemental LordsThe symbols of the elemental lords areusually some manifestation of their ele-ment, but vary from faith to faith.

GRUMBAR (GRUUM-bar)Gnarly One, King of the Land Below theRoots, Boss of the Earth Elementals

God of Elemental Earth NLesser Power Plane of Earth

KOSSUTH (Koh-SOOTH)T h e L o r d o f F l a m e s , T h e F i r e l o r d ,Tyrant among Fire Elementals

God of Elemental Fire NLesser Power Plane of Fire

AKADI (Ah-KAHD-dee)The Lady of Air, Lady of the Winds,Queen of Air Elementals

Goddess of Elemental Air NLesser Power Plane of Air

ISTISHIA (Iss-TISH-ee-ah)The Water Lord, God-king of Water Ele-mentals

God of Elemental Water NLesser Power Plane of Water

NOTES: The Elementa l Lords areuncaring, inhuman beings from theInner Planes, the most powerful oftheir elemental types. Unlike the otherGreat Powers , they care l i t t le forhumanity or worshippers, and providetheir favors most unwillingly, or only ifthey may benefit themselves. Menoften appeal to an elemental power tooffset the rage of an evil deity, such asbeseeching Istishia to placate Umber-lee.

There are a number of different sym-bols of the Faiths of Elemental Lordsacross Faerun, and not all of them agreein symbols, alignment, services, ororganization. The Red Wizards of Thayare said to venerate Kossuth the FireTyrant, but have a number of differentsects, each fanatically believing thattheir group is the well-favored of this

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uncaring being.

The Beast CultsSimilar to and more varied than thesects of the Elemental Lords, the BeastCults are wild faiths, attracting the wor-ship of savages, nomads, evil human-oids, and those removed from thenormal circles of the world. They are asvaried as the beasts of the fields, andvary in alignment from Nobanion, theg o o d a n d l a w f u l l i o n - g o d o f t h eGuthmere Woods, to evil cults of Lolthamong the dark elves and the DragonCult among those evil mages beyondThar.

Major Non-Human GodsMen are not the only creatures withgods; the elves, dwarves, gnomes, half-lings, orcs, and other creatures vener-ate their own Powers greater andlesser. The Gods of the elves, dwarves,gnomes, halflings, and orcs are definedin Unearthed Arcana, appendix S, andLegends & Lore, under Nonhuman dei-ties. They are summarized below.

DWARVES:Moradin (Soulforger, Ruler of Dwar-

ven Gods)Clanggedin (Father of Battle)D u m a t h o i n ( K e e p e r o f S e c r e t s

Under the Mountain)Abbathor (Master of Greed)Vergadain (God of Wealth and Luck)Berronar (Mother of Safety, Truth,

and Home)

ELVES:Corellon Larethian (Ruler of AllElves)Rillifane Rallathil (Chief God of Wild

Elves)Aerdrie Faenya (Goddess of Air andWeather)Erevan Ilesere (God of Mischief and

Change)Solonar Thelandira (God of Archery

and Hunting)Hannali Celanil (Goddess of Roman-

tic Love and Beauty)

Labelas Enoreth (God of Longevity)

HALFLINGS:Yondalla (Provider and Protector)Sheela Peryroyal (The Wise)Arvoreen (The Defender)Cyrrollalee (The Faithful)Bandobaris (The Master of Stealth)

GNOMES:Garl Glittergold (Leader of the Gods)Baervan Wildwanderer (The Forest

Gnome)

Alliance among the gods

Urdlen (The Crawler Below)Segojan Earthcaller (God of Earth

and Nature)Flandal Steelskin (The Forger)

ORCS (and some other goblinoids)Gruumsh (He-who-never-sleeps)Bahgtru (Son of Gruumsh)Shargaas (Night Lord)Ilneval (Gruumsh�s Lieutenant)Yurtus (The White-Handed)Luthic (Cave Mother)

Other Gods of the RealmsThere are many gods worshipped inthe Realms, those listed above being themost popular. Many are either wor-shipped by very few, or in only particu-lar areas, or largely forgotten and notworshipped at all. These additionalgods include the following.l Valkur the Mighty (CG), whom

northern sailors invoke to inter-cede against Talos with favorablewinds.

l Siamorphe, a Lawful Neutral deityworshipped by a few in Water-deep, who represents the rightfulrule of nobility over the bulk ofmankind provided that nobilitykeeps themselves fit for the taskand responsibilities of rule.

l Gwaeron Windstrom, the NG demi-god who serves Mielikki as themaster of tracking and interpret-ing woodland signs, and is wor-shipped by rangers in the North.Windstrom is tall and physicallyimpressive, with a white beard thatconstantly whips about in the

wind, and long white hair. He cantrack infallibly through any condi-tions, in or on any terrain.

l Sharess, a CG aspect of Shar wor-shipped in Calimshan, Waterdeep,and by idle rich or decadents allover the Realms. Sharess is a god-dess of lust, free love, and sensualfulfillment, and is worshipped inprolonged fes ts with scentedbaths, music, good food, dancing,and other gratifications. Her sym-bol is a image or representation offemale lips, carved traditionallyfrom amber or ruby, and worn atwris t and ankle on th in goldchains.

l Hoar, the Doombringer, who is theLN demigod of revenge and retri-bution, and is worshipped in theInner Sea lands as Assuran of theThree Thunders (three deep rollsof thunder are his sign). An act ofnatural justice, such as murdererbeing killed accidentally just afterthe murder is committed, (particu-larly if the accident, e.g. slipping,was initiated by the murderer himor herself), is referred to as �theHand of Hoar.�

l Earthmother, called only �the god-dess� on the Moonshae Isles, whomay or may not be an aspect ofChauntea. This lesser power is ven-erated only on the Moonshaeislands, and her clerics are alldruids.

l Iyachtu Xvim (EE-yak-too Zeh-VIM)is called �the Godson� and the sonof Bane, and serves as Bane�sinstrument in the Realms, directlycarrying out his �father�s� will. ADemi-Power, Iyachtu Xvim has fewfollowers, and appears as a gaunt,unclothed man with scaley brownskin, wielding a large scimitar.

l Moander, a dark and forgotten godof the Realms, whose main templewas in what is now ruined Yulash,and whose faith died years beforethe erection of the Standing Stoneand the coming of the Dalesmen.His/Her/Its symbol was an openpalm with a mouth set in its center.

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Beings from other planes of existenceoften come to the Realms, and may wellworship other gods, and so small tem-ples and shrines to such may also befound in the Realms. There is a smallmeasure of tolerance for them, as thenew cult in one generation may be amajor faith in the next, as was the caseof Tyr.

Organized pantheons such as those ofthe Greek and Norse cultures do notexist in the Forgotten Realms, thoughthere are some natural alliances andfactions among the gods. These factionsamong the human gods are as follows.

Mielikki and Eldath serve Silvanus,and their priests (if such individuals val-ue their deity�s favor above mortal feel-ing an conflicts) work together tofurther common goals.

Torm and Ilmater serve Tyr and wor-shippers and priests do the will of thisTriad willingly. In certain situationsTorm and Helm will work together.

Oghma is served by Gond on onehand, and by Milil and Deneir on theother. Milil often works directly withLliira.

Talos is served by Auril, Umberlee,and Malar. All three are known collec-tively as �The Gods of Fury.�

C h a u n t e a a n d L a t h a n d e r w o r ktogether, and often go so in alliancewith Silvanus and his allied gods againstThe Gods of Fury.

Lliira and Selune serve Sune Firehair.Azuth serves Mystra, and Mystra and

Selune have some mysterious connec-tion. Mystra often works with Oghmaand his gods.

Loviatar, Talona, and Malar serveBane through Bhaal, although Loviatarand Talona are rivals. Bhaal and Myrkulhave an unbreakable symbiotic alli-ance, as one delivers the dead to theother. Shar is allied with Myrkul. All ofthese beings are collectively known as�the Dark Gods.�

Many of the Powers present in theForgotten Realms are from the Celticand Finnish mythos, indicating portals

or gates leading from this plane to theirlocations in the Outer Planes. TheOlympian pantheon is unknown, andthe Outer Plane of Olympus is known inthe Forgotten Realms by its elvishname, Arvandor. Sune Firehair, how-ever, sounds suspiciously like Athena ofthe Greeks, and may be the samePower. Tyr is of the Norse Pantheon,yet no other Norse Powers are presentin the Realms, indicating that either thisgod of justice has not informed his fel-lows of the Realms, or they as a panthe-on have chosen to stay away from thisPlane.

There are those in the realms whoreject the power of these self-claimed�deities,� or choose to follow none ofthese gods as their own. The failure ofthe sky to fall upon the heads of theseindividuals indicates this is as good acourse as pledging one�s allegiance to afaith or deity.

GAME INFORMATION: Individuals ofspecific c lasses tend to gravi ta tetowards specific religions. Player Char-acters are not limited to professing abelief in any particular Power, or offer-ing worship to any of them (except cler-ics, which draw their powers fromsuch veneration). Often particularclasses will worship one faith, yet seekto placate another god if the individual�swork takes him or her into that Power�sdomain. (A group of adventurers set-ting out for a raid at night may chooseto make offering to Selune, regardlessof their chosen alignment, class, or pro-fessed faith.)

�Typical� faiths of different types are:

CLASS/PROFESSIONFighter (Warriors)

Paladin/CavalierCavalier

Magic-user

Illusionist

Assassins

Thief

RangerBarbarianBardDruidMonk

Cleric

ALIGN. DEITIESLE TEMPUS, BANECE TEMPUS, MALAR, TALOSNE TEMPUSLN TEMPUSCN TEMPUSNG TEMPUSCG TEMPUS, TYMORALG TEMPUS, TYR, TORMLG TYRNG TYR, MILILCG TYMORALE MYSTRA, AZUTH, LOVIATAR, BASECE MYSTRA, AZUTH, TALONA, TALOS, BESHABA, UMBERLEENE MYSTRA, AZUTH, MASK, MYRKUL, AURILLN MYSTRA, AZUTHCN MYSTRA, AZUTH, KOSSUTHNG MYSTRA, AZUTH, DENEIRCG MYSTRA, AZUTH, SUNE, TYMORALG MYSTRA, AZUTH,TYRLE LEIRA, BANECE LEIRA, BESHABASE LEIRALN LEIRACN LEIRA, KOSSUTHNG LEIRA, DENEIRCG LEIRA, SUNE, SELUNE, TYMORALG LEIRA, TYRLE BHAAL, LOVIATAR, BANECE BHAAL, TALONA, BESHABA, TALOS, MALARNE BHAAL, MYRKUL, MASKLE MASK, BANE (Placate SELUNE)CE MASK, TALOS, BESHABA, (Placata SELUNE)NE MASK, MYRKUL, AURIL, SHARLN HELMCN LATHANDER, DENEIR, MILIL, MIELIKKI, CHAUNTEACG SUNE, TYMORA, SELUNE, LLIIRALG TYR, ILMATER, TORMAll MIELIKKIAll BEAST CULTS, SILVANUSAll OGHMA, MILIL, LLIIRAN SILVANUS, ELDATH, CHAUNTEA (rarely), ELEMENTAL LORDS

LE BANE, LOVIATARLN ILMATER, TYR, TORMLG HELMLE LOVIATAR, BANE, BHAALCE TALONA, TALOS, MALAR, BESHABA, UMBERLEENE MASK, MYRKUL AURIL, SHARLN HELMCN LATHANDER, DENIER, MILIL, MIELIKKI, CHAUNTEACG SUNE, TYMORA, SELUNE, LLIIRALG TYR, ILMATER, TORM

Professions and their normal gods:

Healers, including midwives, surgeons: LATHANDER, Placate MYRKULPoets, Artists, Scribes: SUNE, DENEIR, MILIL, LATHANDERSages: OGHMA, DENEIR, MILIL, and GOND: occasionally MYSTRA, SELUNE, TYE, or another Power

depending on the sage�s specialityGuards: HELM; occasionally TORM and ILMATERArtisans and Smiths: GOND, OGHMAFarmers: CHAUNTEA, Placate TALOS, LATHANDERSailors: TYMORA, SELUNE; Placate STRAASHA, MISHA, TALOS, UMBERLEEMerchants/Traders: WAUKEEN, TYMORA, MASK, ILMATER, but most traders profess no strong belief in

Greater Powers.

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ABEIR-TORIL (Ai-BEER-toh-RILL)AT A GLANCE: Abeir-toril, more com-monly called Toril, is the name of theorb that Faerun and the ForgottenRealms is set upon, just as Earth is theOrb that Eurasia is set upon. The nameis archaic, meaning �Cradle of Life,� andis rarely used in everyday life.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Abeir-Toril is anEarth-sized planet dominated by a largecontinent in its northern hemisphere aswell as a number of other large land-masses scattered about its surface. Thisnorthern continent is called Faerun inthe west and Kara-Tur in the east, and itis the primary purpose of this tome todeal with the western portion of thishuge landmass, in part icular thatregion between the Sword Coast andthe Inner Sea.

Abeir-Toril has a single satellite, calledSelune (which is also the name of the god-dess of the night sky and navigation). ThisMoon-sized body is followed in its pathacross the sky by a collection of shiningshards, called �the tears of Selune.� Whatthese tears are is unknown, yet theyremain reflective and bright even whenthe moon is new in the sky.

ADVENTURING COMPANIESAT A GLANCE: Individuals of extremepower and disposition tend to congre-gate into similar forms. Those that havea mind towards money form the basisof the Merchant Companies. Thosewhich rely upon the force of arms andwar tend towards the MercenaryBands. Those special individuals whohave a flair for both, and a spirit ofadventure and desire to leave theirnames in the history of the ForgottenRealms form Adventuring Companies.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Bands of adven-turers are many in the Realms; toler-ated in most places, they have a longtradition. Certain lands, such as Cor-myr, require such companies to have aroyal charter if they wish to operatetherein; other lands, such as Amn, for-bid adventurers as such within theirborders (so most adventurers often

acquire mercenary company regalia ormerchant gear and cargoes before theycross Amn�s borders).

As with merchant companies, thenumber of Adventuring Companies islarge and constantly changing. Suchgroups are established, vanish, andchange names and locations constantlywith the passing winters.

A partial listing of Adventuring Com-panies is included below, with inclusivenotes as to known levels and abilities.

The Company of the Wolf No relationto the long-ago mercenary company ofthe same name, this small band ofadventurers operates out of Nesmè inthe Evermoors of the North. They areexpert woodsmen and trackers, andknow the North well, tangling oftenwith orcs and wild beasts of the woods.They earn their daily thumbs (silvercoins) guiding and guarding merchantcaravans to and from the Sword Coastand points south and the relatively iso-lated Northern cities of Silverymoonand Sundabar. At least four among thisgroup are expert archers. Their leaderis unknown; their spokesman is theaged witch Umlatha of Nesmk.

The Four A highly mercenary adven-turing band, this quartet was recentlyexpelled from Waterdeep by Khelben�Blackstaff� Arunsun, ordered not tore-enter the city upon pain of death fortheir work in assassinating one noble ofWaterdeep after another (despite thefact such assassinations were always atthe behest of this or that rival noble).Active throughout the North and inTethyr, the Four is not welcome in Cor-myr or, as all such groups, in Amn, andmaintains a low profile when passingthrough those lands. The Four carefullyplan their activities so as to slay any pos-sible enemies or those who know toomuch about them (such as formeremployers), and are experts in theunseen or �accidental� death. They areall human males, and are:l Baerduin Thask, 9th level NE

magic-user,l Fiirfar Nulomn, 6th level CN

magic-user,

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l Diloule �Lanternhand,� 8th levelNE thief, and

l Telorn, 7th level CN thief.

Halfling Inc. One of the few well-known groups of non-human adventur-ers, this party is made up entirely ofhalflings, who have gained notorietythroughout the Sea of Fallen Stars fortheir adventures and their con-games.All are more than willing to take advan-tage of their abilities and the naturalgullibility and greed of the Large Folksin a number of scams which have leftsome human holding a gem-bag filledwith rocks (their signature). This groupmore than any other, has contributed tothe idea of halflings as dangerouslyclever individuals, despite their hero-ism, usually in situations where theyhave no other choice, such as theremoval of the beholder Xall from theHaunted Halls and the destruction of agate to the Lower Realms in Westgate.Halfling Inc. has been known to usehumans and other races as agents, andto hook up with larger adventuringcompanies. Those who encounter thiswily group of halflings should bewarned that they may be trusted onlyas far as their interests lie alongsidethose of the party.

There is a core group of five halflingsin the organization, though there areoften others who join up for a missionor series of adventures.

l Corkitron �High-Roll� Allinamuck,9th level thief, CN

l Allyia Columbine, 6th level clericof Brandobaris, female

l Ortegar Mistfiffle, 8th level fight-er, weapons specialization in theDrow Hand-crossbow, CG

l Gormogord Fleminstar, 8th levelthief, LN

l Ozyman Listfitter, 7th level druid,N�Listfitter chose as the �mam-mal� shape to transform in ahuman shape, and wi l l o f tenappear as a hulking Northern bar-barian.

The Hunt A recently-formed band ofadventurers based in Selgaunt and sec-

tive in Cormyr, Sembia, the Dalelands,and the Moonsea area, the Hunt hasgrown rapidly from eight to fourteenmembers, despite some early fatalitiessuffered in a brutal fight in Archendalewith some local troops. The Hunt hasrecently been active in the Myth Dran-nor area; its aims and character remainlargely unknown, as it seldom dealspublicly for commissions and the like,existing (thus far) almost exclusively onthe fruits of self-directed adventuring.The Members of the Hunt are:l Shass lan Timtrane , 9 th level

human female fighter, leader, CGl H e l d o r m U m b r a v , 7 t h l e v e l

human male fighter, CNl Crommlar Muirel, 7th level cleric

of Tempus, human male, CNl Narhas �Battlemad,� 6th level fight-

er, CN human malel Darrstul, 6th level thief, CN,

human male,l Orlin Thabbar, 5th level illusionist,

NG, human male,l Gultim, 5th level fighter, NG,

human malel Vhelt Marrim, 4th level cleric of

Tempus, CN, human malel Laelin Blackhand, 4th level thief,

CN, human malel Szellim Thunn, 4th level cleric of

Tyche, CG, human malel Illar Zund, 3rd level thief, CN,

human female (real name �Illara�)l Voras Warburr, 3rd level fighter,

CN, human female, ST 16l Zemmas, 3rd level fighter, CG,

human malel Thavran Tori, 2nd level cavalier,

CG, human male

The Knights of Myth Drannor Theseadventurers first came to prominenceas rulers of Shadowdale, in their suc-cessful defiance of the armies of ZhentilKeep. They were instrumental in thedefeat of Lashan of Scarsdale, andremain able foes of the Zhentarim andof the Drow beneath the Inner SeaLands.

Taking their present name uponrenouncing their Shadowdale offices(they remain �Lords� and �Ladies� of

the Dale), the Knights include the rang-ers Florin Falconhand and his wifeDove (a known Harper); the elvenfighter-magic user Merith Strongbowand his bride, the magic user JhessailS i l v e r t r e e ; a n d s e v e r a l j u n i o rmembers�the thief Torm (�Rathgar�);his lover the magic user Illistyl Elven-tree; the cleric (of Tymora) RathanThentraver , and a female ranger ,Sharantyr, who recently joined theband upon being rescued by them fromDrow capitivity. Less active seniormembers of the Knights include DoustSulwood cleric of Tymora, his bride theformidable fighter Islif Lurelake, andthe cleric of Lathander Jelde Asturien(�Semoor Wolftooth�). Allies and com-panions of the Knights include LordMourngrym of Shadowdale and thesage Elminster.

Mane�s Band Originally based in Sha-dowdale, this group of ten (humanmale) adventurers formed around thecharismatic local warrior-hero Mane, ablack-bearded man of middle yearswho was justly famed in the easternRealms for his feast of arms whileadventuring. Over the years one mem-ber deserted the group and two wereslain, until the band nearly met theircollective dooms in the Yuirwood,w h e r e t h e y w e r e s c a t t e r e d a f t e rencounters with many fearsome beastsand the summoners of these monsters,a Red Wizard of Thay.

A l m o s t a y e a r l a t e r , t h e b a n dreformed; Boots and Tamshan hadreturned to the Dales in time to takepart in the defeat of Lashan of Scardale,and the other band members graduallyjoined them, Mane last of all, for he hadwandered afar in Thay and been brieflyenslaved there. Finding a new regime inShadowdale and the dale arming forcontinual war with Zhentil Keep, Maneand his companions (who had been lawand order in Shadowdale, in concertw i t h E l m i n s t e r , S y l u n e , S t o r mSilverhand, and the innkeeper JhaeleSilvermane while there was no Lord ofthe Dale) relocated to Hillsfar, wherethey were briefly involved in the

intrigue of the Council before settingoff east past Mulmaster in search ofwilder country, and adventure. Theband is believed to be still wandering inthe wilderlands east of the Moonsea,where Mane is contemplating establish-ing a stronghold, and are still all veryactive adventurers.

The present roster of the group is:l Mane, 8th level fighter, CNl Boots �the Lucky,� 6th level magic-

user, CGl Ruldo Murk, 5th level ranger, CGl Kheldarr, 5th level fighter, CNl Despar, 5th level cleric of Tempus,

CNl Dorn, 6th level thief, CNl Tamshan, 4th level bard (6th level

fighter, 5th level thief), NG

The Men of the Basilisk An exclusivegroup of wealthy, powerful merchantswith a taste for adventure, this reclu-sive society is based in Teziir, south ofthe Lake of Dragons. They operatelargely in the intrigues of Cormyr, Sem-bia, Westgate, and Iriaebor, preferringthe dagger in the night to blades baredin the high sun. They meet in largefeasts at least once each winter, to hearcommon business and decide on theiractions in the summer ahead. Theirexact numbers and levels are unknown.

The Nine This powerful, long-lastingband of adventurers wandered theRealms for over thirty winters, and iscurrently thought to be on other planesthan this. The Nine were said to havemaintained a subterranean strongholdin the woods east of Waterdeep, on thebanks of the Unicorn Run, and were ledby the 24th level mage Laeral, who isknown for the magic items she has cre-ated in her later career. The Nine hadlinks to the Harpers and to the Lords ofWaterdeep, but have not adventured�in public� for many years. They areconsidered very rich and need do onlywhat they please, and hence have large-ly vanished from public memory, savefor Laeral herself.

The Purple F lame Based in a keepsomewhere near Soubar (on the Trade

2 0

Way from Scornubel to Waterdeep),this large band of warriors has somemagic, which they employ only seldom,but in the main earns their golden lions(gold coins) guarding caravans in thedangerous lands about their abode.One Thintel Ormbar appears to be theirleader, although Sindel, his mate, isthought to be a sorceress of solidpower. This group clashes often withthe creatures of Darkhold, and no loveis lost between the two sides.

The Savage Seven An adventur ingband active in the North against giantsand goblinkind, the Savage Seven haveundertaken many commiss ions toassassinate this or that orc chieftain,half-orc spy, or giant ruler on behalf ofinterested parties in Waterdeep, orrivals of their targets who send word tothat city; their agent therein is thelantern-maker Zorth Ulmaril of PresperStreet. The Seven recently slew thegiant Tyrus of the Peaks near Mirabar;before that they guarded a caravan toLuskan from repeated raiding attacksfrom bandits hired by a rival Luskanmerchant. The Savage Seven are allhuman males, and are:

l Aumrazaum, 9th level magic-user,CN

l Rhiitel, 7th level magic-user, NGl Tlazar, 8th level cleric of Tempus,

CNl Thiraphel, 7th level cleric of

Tymora, CGl Thiirus, 8th level fighter, CNl Dzilfar, 7th level fighter, CNl Silvar, 7th level thief, CN

The Swords of Leilon Based in the smallcoastal town of Leilon, on the HighRoad north of Waterdeep, this ragtagband of local toughs has done surpris-ingly well in a brief career of adventur-ing, plundering (and surviving) at leastsix of the Mage-Tombs in the mountainseast of Leilon, slaughtering a colony oflizard-men in the nearby Mere of DeadMen (gaining some strange magicaltreasure thereby), and doing some cara-v a n g u a r d i n g f o r m e r c h a n t s i nNeverwinter. Recently they lost some oftheir members in a bloody fight with

mage-led hobgoblins in Ironford, andare spoiling for revenge.

The Valiant Warriors One of the long-lived adventuring groups, this grouphas had a large and ever-changing ros-ter over the years; based in Telflamm, ithas done much to establish trade-routes and keep the wilder areas safefor humans in the lands north and eastof the Inner Sea, as far as Rashemen�swestern borders and beyond Impiltur�snorthern borders into Damara. Alongthe way, the Valiant Warriors have tan-gled with many authorities in Impiltur(where they are no longer at all wel-come) and with duergar in the moun-tains to the west of that kingdom,where they seized an entire under-ground city of the evil dwarves by thesword, looted it, and then left it empty.The group is spoken well of in regardsto its heroic defense of a witch of Rashe-men whom the band encountered besetby over forty ogres in the northenwastes, and its daring boarding of apirate raider that had just left the har-bour of Telflamm loaded with loot. Fol-l o w e r s o f T y m o r a t o a m a n , t h eWarriors truly live life dangerously, fol-lowing the reckless path or �the Lady�sWay.� The present roster of the group ismale; four females in the original groupretired over twenty winters ago to raisechildren and become respectable ladiesof Telflamm, where they inhabit asprawling palace-keep that the War-riors still use when they are in the city(rarely, these days).

In recent years the Warriors havelessened their wild ways slightly, usingsome of their loot to found a fleet ofmerchant vessels now plying the InnerSea, to earn themselves (and the retiredWarriors ladies, all of whom the entiregroup calls �Mother�) some honestmoney. Of course, a few trips to thePirate Isles, to ensure the safety of theircargoes, have been necessary...

The Warr iors current ly have 12members, and are led by the 11th levelfighter Valahar �Swordswinger� Teth-o j h . T h e f o u r r e t i r e d l a d i e s a r eRaetheena, a 13th level magic-user,

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Shaelreetar, 8th level fighter; UlravvaThorntar, 9th level thief-acrobat; andMairuu Lethsatha, 10th level fighter,and mother of two, Rauvaun and Sundby her husband Valahar.

GAMING INFORMATION: Most of the�dungeon-parties� the player-charac-ters are involved in are AdventuringCompanies, whet her they are recog-nized or not. Certain regions, such asCormyr, require the registration ofsuch parties, their symbols, and theirmembership to authority. In manycases, accounts for an AdventuringCompany may be established with mer-chants and traders. Finally, if the grouphas attained some measure of renown(or notoriety), this may entitle them tospecial treatment by those who currythe favor of the powerful and seek theirhelp in other matters. For example, ifthe �Knights of The High Moors� areknown for tithing a large amount oftheir treasure to the Temples of Gond,temples of the same faith in other citieswill be well-disposed to members ofthat band, even if they had only recent-ly joined.

Moreso than Merchant and Merce-nary Companies, each AdventuringCompany has its own methods of doingthings, and will vary with the area, thesituation, and the people involved. Afew common situations that all Adven-turing companies deal with are:l Leadership: Many groups, such as

the Valiant Warriors and TheHunt, have a set, stated leader,who speaks for the group in nego-tiations, and determines groupactions. Others are run entirely onthe idea of �one-man one-vote,�and some go as far as declaring�one-level, one-vote� for makingmajor actions.

l Treasure: One of the key reasonsfor adventuring companies in thefirst place is to gain magical andmonetary treasures. The methodsof splitting such treasures up dif-fer from group to group, andinclude random choice, choice bylevel, equal shares, and allocation.

Some of the longer-lived groupsset as ide moneys gained for�emergency funds,� in case of sud-den death or disapearance of amember. Groups may split up trea-sure after each adventure, ormaintain a common fund for con-tinuing adventures.

l Codes of Conduct: Again, this willvary according to the alignment ofthe group, and may be decided bydeferring to a leader, seeking theadvice of a sage (a needless andwasteful expenditure of time, saysElminster), or a democratic vote.Often the loudest voice or thestrongest swordarm prevails, butsuch groups rarely last beyondone or two winters.

AGLAROND (AHG-lah-rond)AT A GLANCE: Aglarond is a small coastalnation on the Inner Sea, east of the PirateIsles. It is bounded on the north and westby the inner Sea, on the south by theYuirwood, and to the East by the nationof Thay. It is one of the best-known ofeastern states to inhabitants of the North,primarily due to the visibility of its ruler,the Simbul, and its repeated battles withthe Red Wizards of Thay.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: A small realm thatkeeps to itself, Aglarond exerts little influ-ence in affairs of state beyond its borders.It is important in the overall stratigic bal-ance of the Inner Sea lands, however, sim-ply because its continued existenceprevents Thay from overwhelming thenorthern region. Aglarond�s strength isits current ruler, a female archmage offabled powers, known only as The Sim-bul. This is also the nation�s greatest dan-ger, for the neighboring Red Wizards ofThay do not take kindly to rivals, and itdraws the attention of these beings to thesmall nation.

Aglarond lies on the northern side ofa peninsula jutting out into the easternend of the Inner Sea. It is a sparsely-inhabited, heavily-wooded realm of fewfarms and no large cities. Jagged pinna-cles of rock stand at its tip, and runalong the spine of its lands; to the east,

these fall away into vast and treacher- of the �Southern Kingdoms� along theous marshes that largely isolate The West Coast, and lies 200 miles south ofSimbul�s realm from the mainland. Tra- Beregost on the Trade Way. Its bordersvel in Aglarond is by griffon, ship, or are considered to be the Cloud Peaks toforest trails. It trades lumber, gems, and the North, the Forest of Tethyr to thesome copper for glass, iron, cloth south, the Snowflake mountains to thegoods, and food when freetrading ves- east, and the sea to the west. As a power-sels come to port. Aglarond, however, ful merchant nation, however, the reachsends out no trading ships of its own. and influence of Amn is much greater.

Aglarond cannot boast a field army ofany size, nor a navy, but within its woodsThe Simbul�s foresters are expert anddeadly troops, adept at firefighting and atusing �coastboats� (long, canoe-like openboats handled with lateen sails, oars, andpoles) to raid by night. These forestersare equally well-trained for traveling inthe treetops and fighting amongst thefoliage. The foresters are alert and grim;the menacing might of Thay is uncom-fortably near, and Aglarond�s blades areall too few. At the battles of Singing Sands(1194 DR) and Brokenheads (1197 DR),Aglarond�s forces turned back invadinghosts from Thay, but the cost was great.Skirmishes with raiders hoping to winglory for Thay, or mercenaries hired byThay, are common.

Little is known of The Simbul�s aimsand true strength, but she appears toconstantly roam the northern Realms,working to influence all manner ofevents, operating in disguise or frombehind the scenes. Such actions are pre-sumably to better Aglarond�s safety,although The Simbul is said to be amember (or at least an ally) of the groupknown as the Harpers, whose aims aremore widespread.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The southernland of Amn is called the �Merchant-Kingdom,� and its citizens range far andwide in the Realms, more widely thanthose of any other land, save perhapsthe Rashemites.

Amn is ruled by a Council of Six. TheSix are merchant kings who are mas-ters of intrigue and manipulation, andhave more wealth than they can everspend. This cabal of like-minded menhave held control of Amn for overtwenty winters. During this rule, twomembers of the Council have died, andreplacements have been selected fromAmn�s wealthy merchants by the sur-viving Council members.

Amn�s rulers are shrewd, but morethan one of the Council is fat, lazy andarrogant. Upon ascending to the Coun-cil, a merchant-king is known only byhis or her title. Speaking, printing, orotherwise using the original name of amerchant-king in Amn is punishable byslow torture and death.

GAME INFORMATION: Aglarond coast-boats have the following stats:

Hull Value: 1-6Length: 10�-15Width: 2-4�Movement from standstill position to

normal speed: 2 roundsSpeed, Normal Sail: 3 mph

Maximum Sail: 5 mphNormal Oar: 1 mphMaximum Oar: 2 mph

AMN (AWW-mmm)AT A GLANCE: Amn is the northernmost

The pre-eminent member of thepresent Council is the Meisarch, a pow-erful Magic User, who is never withoutat least fifteen retainers/bodyguards.The remainder of the Council are morereclusive and almost never leave Amnitself. The other Council members arethe Tessarch, the Namarch, the Iltarch,the Pommarch, and the Dahaunarch.

Amn is the richest land on the SwordCoast, rivaling the city of Waterdeepitself. Arguably, Calimshan is richer, butthe latter land is really a region of inde-pendent city-states. Amn and Water-deep see themselves as the powerfulrivals of the region (discounting thestates of the Inner Sea in a fashion thatwould make a native of Cormyr or Thaybridle), and agents from both sides are

22

abroad, gathering information and dis- Tusk, 1200 years ago.) for its jewelry (principally that of therupting the trade of its rival. The area of the Great Desert is in fact merchant House of Thond). A number

GAME INFORMATION: The Meisarch isa collection of different types of des- of trading companies have major out-

a 9th level magic-user of chaotic neutralerts, and includes the hot sandy wastes posts here, and there is always a float-similar to the Dust Desert of Raurin, ing pool of mercenary talent to be hired

alignment. He has an 18/56 Strengthand an 18 Intelligence, and is consid-

rocky badlands with very sparse scrubs at any time. The city is also the main

ered the craftiest of his group. Hisand no available water, basins filled shipping area for coal in Cormyr, gath-with salt flats and prickly cacti, wind- ering the coal from mines in the Gnoll

entourage of bodyguards are youngmen and women raised from birth to

swept sandstone mountains carved by Pass area. A map of Arabel may be

lay down their lives in his defense, andwind into bizarre shapes, and polar found on page 25.

are all fighters of 6th level. In personali-steppes and icy wastes in the north Arabel was for a brief time in recentwhich would rival those of Vaasa. In memory the center of a swordsman�s

ty, the Meisarch is debauched, corrupt,and jaded, and the subject of his social

general, it is as inhospitable a place as Empire. This swordsman was Gonde-

life is better suited for discussion in acan be found on the surface of Toril. gal, the �Lost King,� who in the Year of

low-class tavern than in a scholarlyScience, such as it is, does not explain the Dragon (1352 DR) attempted to

work.the reason for this advancing desert, carve a kingdom for himself, centeredand great magical or godlike powers on Arabel and extending north to themay be involved. On the positive side, Desertsedge Mountains, south andANAUROCH (Ann-OAR-ock) the encroaching desert has forced west of Wyvernwater and the farms

The Great Desert trade south through the bottleneck the outlying from Eveningstar, and east to

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Great Des-ert was not always so huge, and has

of almost a thousand main buildings ingrown remarkably in the recent millen- Gondegal ruled for less than a season;nia, driving wild men, goblins, and oth- eastern Cormyr, situated where The he reigned for scarcely eight days; theer evil creatures further south into the East Way meets Calantar�s Way. Arabel

ands of men. Many human and elvish is a fortified city, though has manyremainder of his rule being spent fight-

posts for trading houses outside itsing here and there in the lands he

kingdoms were swal lowed by thewalls.

claimed against one foe or another. Hiswastes, and their ruins remain buried troops were largely mercenary, and hisbeneath the sands. (See above for the ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Arabel is first treasury of seized goods, was small andextent of the desert in the Year of the and foremost a merchant city, famed soon gone. One night Gonegal�s force

wastes create, into the realms of Cor-myr, Sembia, and the Dales, makingthese regions the wealthier for the lossof such great cities as Orolin.

Tilver�s Gap and the mountain passes.�Gondegal�s reach was longer than his

blade,� men say�he could not hold anyof his territory against the might of Cor-myr, Sembia, Daggerdale, Tilverton,

ARABEL (AIR-ah-bell) and several of the other dales�all ofwhom he drew blood and ire of in the

AT A GLANCE: Arabel is a mid-sized city making of his throne.

AT A GLANCE: This barren wastelanddominates the north, a huge mass ofsteppeland, rocky wastes, and true des-ert that runs from the Uttermost Northalmost to the Lake of Dragons.

23

1.2.3.4.

5.6.

7.8.9.10.11.12.13.

14.15.

16.

17.18.19.20.

21.

22.23.24.

25.26.

27.28.29.

30.

31.32.33.34.35.36.

37.38.39.

40.

41.42.43.44.45.46.47.

48.

49.50.51.52.53.

Citadel (and jail)Palace (court, assembly hail)House Marliir (noble family)The Weary Knight (inn of goodquality)The Lady’s House (temple of Tymora)The Dragon’s Rest (guesthouse &barracks, owned by the crown forquartering of its guests)The Whistling Wheel (inn)The Traveler’s Banner (inn)The Lamps (hardware store)“The Bazaar” (market area)EastgateThe Eastwatch InnThe Iron Throne (merchant company)yardsMilzar’s Yards (rental stockyards)Thousandheads Trading Coster(merchant company) yardsDragoneye Dealing Coster (merchantcompany) yardsElfskull InnCalantar’s GateRed Raven Mercenary Company HQThe King’s Trading Yards(crown-owned, but available forrental)Trueshield Trading Priakos(merchant company) yardsThe High Horn GateThe Night Wolf InnMother Lahamma’s House (boardinghouse)Raspral’s Kiss (Festhall)Six Coffers Market Priakos (MerchantCompany) yardsGelzunduth Warehouse

" "House of Gelzunduth (localmerchant)Rhalseer’s (boarding house of goodquality)House of Kraliqh (local merchant)House of Bhela (local merchant)WellHouse of Misrim (local merchant)House Hiloar (local merchant)Shassra’s (boarding house of goodquality))Falcon’s Rest (inn of good quality)House of Nyaril (local merchant)The Watchful Shield (rentalbodyguards)Dulbiir’s (rental costumes & finery,escort service)Mulkaer Lomdath, fine tailorThe Silver Tankard (tavern)Mhaer Tzintin, Moneylender/-changerEighlar’s Fine WinesJhamma’s Silks and FursDhelthaen (butcher)“The Strongwatch” (rentalwarehouse, heavily guarded)The Pride of Arabel (inn of goodquality)Orbul’s Fine Carving & FurnitureKhammath’s Crystal (shop)The Black Mask (tavern)House of Thond (local merchant)Hawk’s Perch Trading House(pawnshop)

54.

55.

56.57.58.59.

60.

61.62.

63.

64.

65.66.

67.68.69.

70.71.72.73.74.75.76.

77.

ARABEL MAP KEY

Szantel’s Ropes, Cords, Chains, and 107.Mesh 108.The Wary Warrior (weapons of alltypes)The Two-Headed Lion (tavern)The Striking Snake (tavern)The Coiled Whip (tavern)The Gentle Smile (festhall of goodquality)The House of Baerlear (localmerchant)The Black Barrel (tavern)Hundar’s Fine Carpets, Perfumes,and Lanterns

109.110.111.

112.113.

Iardon’s Hirelings (rental servants,escorts, loaders & lifters, mourners,message or errand runners)Monument to Dhalmass, The WarriorKingThe Silver Stallion tack shopGreen Phial medicines & physicsshop and clinicMhaes’s (festhall)House of Thond rental warehouseSix Coffers Market Priakos (merchantcompany) warehouseThe Bent Bow (tavern)Laeduth’s (boarding house)The Red Sword (tavern)Vaethym Olorar, rental FalconerSaerdar’s Silks and FlowersThe Hungry Man (restaurant)The Chalice (fine brass &metalworks)The Net of Pearls (gowns, jewelery,and lingerie)

114.115.116.117.

118.119.

120.

121.122.

123.

Nelzara’s (boarding house)Buldo Cravan (butcher)The Eyes and Ears of Arabel(messenger service, caravan-guardhiring service, fast delivery servicewithin Arabel)Kelsar’s Fowl (live poultry & gamebirds)Ssarra’s (restaraunt)The High Moon InnThe Orange Banner InnThe Lady’s Tastes (fine clothing)Soldiers Boots (tavern)The Red Stirge (inn)House Misrim WarehouseThe Velvet Couch (festhall)The Burning Blade (tavern)Nathscal’s (rental) WarehouseThe Lavander Lion (festhall)The Smoky Skull (tavern)The Old Warrior (inn)Zelond’s (rental) WarehouseZelzar’s (pawnshop & used goods)Naneatha’s (festhall)The Dancing Dracolisk (tavern)Thael Diirim’s Parchment andProclamationsThe Roll Roast (inn)Daglar Maermeet (armorer)Orphast Ulbanath (scribe,cartographer, genealogist)

78.79.80.

81.

82.83.84.85.86.87.88.89.90.91.92.93.94.95.96.97.98.99.

100.101.102.

103. The Moonlit Touch (nightclub,festhall)

104. Quezzo’s (rental) Warehouse105. Dhaliima’s (boardinghouse)106. The Three Sisters (pawnshop, used &

damaged clothes and goods)

124.125.126.127.128.129.130.131.132.133.134.135.136.137.138.139.140.141.142.143.144.

145.146.

147.148.

149.

150.151.

Nuirouve Dornar, PotterFillaro’s Overland Food (barrels offish, etc., from the Sword Coast orInner Sea)The Blue Mace (inn)House of Baerlear warehouseHouse of Lheskar Bhaliir (owner ofthe Dancing Dragon & the DancingDracolisk taverns, & fence of stolengoods)The Dancing DragonThe Open Casket (pawnshop, usedgoods, caravan liquidations, & fenceof stolen goods)Ghastar Ulvarinn, StonecutterBaalimr Selmarr, CapenterDazniir Relharphin, WheelwrightCheth Zalbar, Purveyor of fineperfumes, soaps, lotions, dyes, andcosmeticsBracerim Thabbold, BedbuilderThe Lamp, Lantern, and Candle Shopof Nphreg JhanosTamthiir’s Leather Shop: fine clothesmade to orderPsammas Durviir (tailor)Elhazir’s Exotica (rare & unusual gifts& treasures)“The Baths” (bath-house, wrestlinggym, and beauty parlour)Wayscross InnThe Ivory Jack (tavern)Phaesha’s (boarding house)Vondor’s Shoes & BootsThe Feasting Board (eatery)House Hiloar warehouseThe Lame Camel (tavern)Blackhand Lhaol’s smithyHouse Misrim warehouseHouse of Kraliqh warehouseThe Scarlet Spear (inn)The Lazy Lizard (tavern)The Watchful Lynx (inn)Nyaril warehouseHouse Misrim warehouseThe Swinging Gate (inn)The Nine Fires (inn)The Three Bars (inn)The Tired Traveler (inn)The Wink and Kiss (tavern)Thousandheads Trading Coster(merchant company) warehousesThe ‘Pork Market’ (yards)Dragoneye Dealing Coster (mechantcompany) warehouseSsantusas’s (rental) WarehouseDhalgim’s Yard (fuel: wood,charcoal, oils, kindling)The Copper Cockatrice (hardwareshop)Irriphar’s InnThe Murdered Manticore (inn)

simply melted away before the advanc-ing host of Cormyr and was gone.

The forces of King Azoun IV retookArabel on the morn without wetting ablade; no man found Gondegal�s body.He is known to have fled north and theneast, via Teshwave, and then his fateb e c o m e s a m a t t e r o f c o n f l i c t i n grumour and legend. Most believe hestill lives, with a score or more loyal fol-lowers, keeping court in the wildssomewhere, a careful and ruthless ban-dit who takes care that none surviveone of his attacks to carry tales any-where. When entire caravans vanish attimes, anywhere between the HighDale and far-off Impiltur, he is blamedin the taverns.

Gondegal is said to be a tall, grey-haired warrior of considerable person-al skill and intelligence. His badge is agrey wolf�s-head, face on, with red eyes.Caravan-guards often warn merchantsto beef up the escort on a particularcaravan, �else thy gold�ll soon be gildingGondegal�s throne.�

GAME INFORMATION: Gondegal is afighter of 20th level and neutral align-ment, and a specialist in combat withboth long sword and two-handed broadsword. Whether he yet lives, the magicor treasure he carries, and who hisallies might be are all unknown.

Arabel is currently ruled by Myr-meen Lhal, a ranger of good/neutralalignment and 12th level. Myrmeen�slordship tends to turn on the fact thatshe permits the traders and merchantsto engage in whatever tactics they seefit, as long as no one is hurt and thecrown is not endangered.

ARCHENDALE (ARK-hen-dale)AT A GLANCE: This small, isolatedrocky gorge carries the river Arkhenfrom the Thunder Peaks down to thesea at Selgaunt, producing a beautifulvalley of ferns, lilies, mosses and clearpools. There are scattered farms andorchards along the valley floor, but nocentral market or square.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Archendale is

h o m e t o a g g r e s s i v e t r a d e r s ( s e eSESSRENDALE) who operate fromMoonsea to Dragonmere and beyond.The Orchards provide rich fruit whichcommands a good price in Sembia. Inaddition, freshwater crabs, regarded asa delicacy in Archendale, live in thepools there.

Archendale is ruled by three officersknown as Swords; a Black Sword, a RedSword, and a Blue Sword. The Swordsare deliberately mysterious, and usu-ally speak through officers of theArchendale army.

Archendale society has been formedby a long and proud history, tainted bylong-lasting grudges and many-layeredintrigue. Its people tend to be haughty,even among other Dalesmen, short-tempered, and vain. It is considered afine place to trade but a poor neighbor-hood to live in.

GAME INFORMATION: The Archendalearmy consists of six �rides� of 60 menper ride, for a total regular force of 360men. These are mounted forces of men-at-arms, dressed in chain and carryingswords, lance, and composite bow.Each ride has has a �ridemaster� of fifthlevel or higher. In addition, the tradersof Archendale have used their wealth inthe past to hire mercenary troops andspell-casters when the need arises.

The identities of the Swords areunknown, and may be any of the �ride-masters� or holders of some other posi-tion in the Dale. Inquiries into suchmatters meet a blank (and effete) starefrom natives, and it is surmised thatthey themselves do not know the identi-ties of the Swords.

ASBRAVN (Az-BRAH-ven)AT A GLANCE: Asbravn is a small townof about 50 central buildings, nestled ina shallow delve, where roads fromHluthrar, Berdusk, and Iriaebor meet. Itis patrolled by riders in red capes.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The town ofAsbravn lies in the center of a thrivingarea of farms. These farms provide thenearby cities of Berdusk and Iriaebor

26

with food, and produce wool for localuse and for export elsewhere in theRealms. The wool-mills proper are inBerdusk, but the gathering-place formost of the farmers is here in Asbravn,where several small costers ply a busytrade over the roads between the townand its neighboring cities. It is here thatthe large local farmer�s market is held,and its is here that the Riders with RedCloaks are based.

The Riders, named for their distinc-tive garb, are local volunteers com-manded by experienced warriors, andare paid a beneficence by Iriaebor tocover their costs of operation. Theysupplement this stipend with anybattle-loot they may take. In return, theRiders in Red Cloaks patrol the areaaround the town (particularly themountain slopes to the east), fightingoff bandits, orcs, bugbears, and preda-tory monsters to keep the farm-landssafe.

GAME INFORMATION: A typical RedCloaks patrol numbers 12 first levelfighters, led by a patrol leader of 3-4thlevel. They are mounted on mediumhorse, wield spear and long sword, andwear chain mail (plate for officers).There are such patrols in normal opera-tion, but in times of danger that num-ber may triple through recruitment,and the Red Cloaks may hire on addi-tional magic-users and clerics. Standardstipend is 10 gold per level per week,plus a share equal to level of any trea-sure recovered (a 1st level will get 1share, a 3rd level three shares, etc.).

ASHABENFORD�SEEMISTLEDALEBALDUR�S GATEAT A GLANCE: Baldur�s Gate is located50 miles up the Chionthar River fromwhere that flow enters the TracklessSea, at the southern reaches of theSword Coast. It is siutated on the north-ern shore of the river, astride the TradeWay from Amn to Waterdeep. Baldur�sDeep consists of a �lower city� outsidethe stone walls, and an �upper city�

within those walls.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This importantindependent city is known as one of themost tolerant but quietly well-policedplaces in the western Realms, and ishome to many adventurers and entre-preneurs as a result. It is ruled by the�Four Grand Dukes,� though the title of�Duke� is an honorific taken uponascending to the Council, and is giveneven if the candidate is female or of arace that uses other titles.

The city was originally completelywalled, with gates to the North for theTrade Way and to the south leading tothe docks. With the expansion of tradeand the founding of Amn, trade hasbecome very profitable in the relaxedclimate of Baldur�s Gate, and the citygrown as a result. The city has nowburst its original bounds (about the sizeof Suzail in Cormyr) and is divided byits original wall into a �upper� and�lower� city. The �upper� city is botholder and of a more permanent nature,and it is here that the nobles, risingmerchants, and newly-wealthy adven-turing companies rub shoulders.

GAME INFORMATION: The presentDukes of Baldur�s Gate are:

Entar Silvershield, a 20th level cava-lier,

Liia Jannath, a 16th level femalemagic-user of chaotic good alignment,

Belt, a 17th level fighter, andEltan, a 20th level lawful neutral

fighter. Eltan is commander of theFlaming Fist Mercenary Company, oneof the most powerful such companies inthe Realms, which is based in Baldur�sGate. Further information on the Flam-ing Fist may be found in the MercenaryCompanies Section, and on Eltan in thePersonalities of the Realms section inthe DM�s Sourcebook.

BARBARIANSAT A GLANCE: There are many wild,unsettled reaches of the ForgottenRealms, in particular the great gaps thatseparate areas of civilization such asWaterdeep and Cormyr from each oth-

er. These lands are not empty, for inaddition to monstrous creatures andi n h u m a n t r i b e s , o f t e n g r o u p s o fhumans make out their living in a com-fortable, if primitive, fashion. These arethe barbarians of the Realms.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The meaning ofthe word barbarian depends on theuser. The definition above is the classicdef ini t ion, but those of the olderr e g i o n s o f t h e R e a l m s , s u c h a sMulhorand and Calimshan, consider allthe land north of the Sea of Fallen Starsas wilderness and its inhabitants as bar-barians.

Barbarian life varies from place toplace, and situation to situation. Mostbarbarian tribes do not engage in trade,and tend to be hostile to outsiders ingeneral and magic-users in particular. Arejection of the existence of the magicalarts is a hallmark of the barbarian, asopposed to his table manners. Barbari-ans do adhere to the codes of their owntribes, and concentrate on survival as aprimary goal. Both the barbarian andthe ranger are fighters suited for life inthe wild, though the ranger is more of ahunter and tracker in nature, and thebarbarian is a long-term survivor.

GAME INFORMATION: Barbarians inthe Forgotten Realms are as detailed inthe Unearthed Arcana Tome. Barbari-ans may come from a number of areasin the Realms, and will have tertiaryproficiencies according to their nativeterritories. An individual running a Bar-barian character should choose the�type� and home territory of his barbar-ian.

Horse Barbarians� Found north of theMoonsea, in the steppe-land and thearea known as �the Ride.� Such Barbari-an tribes have the tertiary abilities ofanimal handling, horsemanship, andlong distance signaling. Typical weap-ons are lance, short sword, and javelin.

Moor Barbarians� Found in the HighMoors and that Immediate area, andmake their living without large beasts.These barbarian tribes have the ter-tiary abilities of animal handling, long

27

distance signaling, and running. Typi-cal weapons are spear, ornate two-handed sword, and short bow.

Hill and Mountain Barbarians� Foundin caveman-like hovels in mountainchains removed from the cities, includ-ing the Far Hills and the Earthrustmountains. Their chief weapons areclubs and stone daggers, and their ter-tiary skills sound imitation and snarebuilding.

Desert Barbarians� dervishes andnomads living along the Desert�s Edge.Their tertiary skills include horseman-ship and running, and their weaponsare lasso, lance or spear, and longsword.

Forest Barbarians� Found in regionssuch as the Border Forest and theWoods north of the Troll Hills, and arefierce fighters from their battles withorcs and other local tribes. Their ter-tiary abilities include animal handling,sound imitation, and snare building.Their chief weapons are short bow,dagger, and short sword.

Island Barbarians� Found on the scat-tered small islands of the Sea of Swordsand the Sea of Fallen Stars, eking out apassible existence by fishing and occa-sional raids. Their secondary skillsinclude small craft, both paddled androwed, and snare building, concentrat-ing on nets.

BATTLEDALEAT A GLANCE: The region of Battledaleis a series of low hills and dales that liebetween the Pool of Yeven and Hap-tooth Hill. There are a large numbersmall and farms and homesteads in thearea.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This region ofoft-disputed ground is gently rollingfarmland, open and a most suitable sitefor large battles (hence its name). Battle-dale has seen heavy use in all manner ofconflicts, and still serves as the local siteof the Shieldmeet.

Battledale has no official ruler or seat,though Essembra serves as a trading/

gathering/goods center for the Dale,and the leader of the Shieldmeet, WarChancellor Ilmeth, is sent as Battledale�srepresentative to the Dales Council.

GAME INFORMATION: Battledale,despite its hostile name, maintains nostanding army, and the title �War Chan-cellor� is hereditary. Ilmeth is a 12thlevel fighter, dark of beard and mood,w h o c o n t i n u a l l y w o n d e r s a t t h estrengths of the various factions in theregion.

THE BATTLE OF THE BONESAT A GLANCE: Travelers moving intothe area will note a withered land witha few stunted scrub-trees. The soil has adusty white pallor to it. As the site ofthe battle nears, outcroppings of bonejut from the soil, until finally the bonesoutnumber the rocks themselves andthe adventurer is moving through awasteland of remains.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: On this site, in ashallow valley some two hundred win-ters ago, a t i tanic bat t le eruptedbetween human forces and the variousgoblinoid races. The Goblin Nations,along with orcs, hobgoblins, and theirallies, had overrun the North with thefall of the Early Kingdoms of men andthe dwindling of the dwarven peoples.After almost a week of continuousfighting, the humans triumphed, but athorrendous cost; so numerous werethe dead that even today their bonesare said to cover the ground here to adepth of twelve inches. This region isavoided by most travelers because ofthe great numbers of undead creaturesthat are said to now be here. Those whodo come this way, seeking a route alongthe edge of the Desert, speak of somepower organizing the undead intopatrols, and thereby controlling thearea. No one has yet investigated theseclaims.

GAME INFORMATION: Encounters inthe area of the Battle of the Bonesextend thirty miles in all directions, andinclude the following types of undeadcreatures: skeletons (humanoid and

animal), zombies (human and monster),wights, wraiths, spectres. They may befound in mixed parties, with one morepowerful undead leader (wight, wraith,or spectre) to be found for every 20lesser undead). Lesser undead underthe control of greater undead turn asthe greater undead. Those undead inthe Battle of Bones area itself use thespecial column for turning. The myste-r ious force behind the gather ingundead may be of liche or skeletal war-rior power at least, and if greater, mayhave several of these types as servants.

BEREGOST (BEAR-eh-gost)AT A GLANCE: Beregost is a small townof about 40 central buildings, with sev-eral larger estates further from thetown itself. The town is dominated by alarge temple and its attendant build-ings. To the east on the low rise over-looking the town is the shell of a ruinedcastle.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The small townof Beregost is first and foremost a trad-ing center, a jumping-off point for expe-ditions into the Southern Kingdoms ofAmn, Tethyr, and Calimshan. It is alsothe home of several notable individuals.

One of the foremost smiths in theSword Coast area, Taerom �Thun-derhammer� Fuiruim, has his estateand shop here. Beregost is also theabode of the wizard Thalantyr, a wiz-ard who specializes in magic of theConjuration/Summoning type. Finally,Beregost is the home of a large templeto Lathander, God of the Morning. Thehigh priest of this temple is one Keld-dath Ormlyr, once a merchant of notewhose ships plied their trade up anddown the Sword Coast.

On a hill to the east of Beregost lay theburned ruins of a school of wizardry,founded some three hundred years agoby the mage Ulcaster, and destroyedeighty years later by Calishite mages,who had feared the school�s collectivepower had come to rival their own.Interestingly enough, the Ulcasterianschool was also a school of Conjurersand Summoners.

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GAME INFORMATION: Taerom �Thun-derhammer� Fuiruim is a MasterArmorer, capable of forging full sets ofplate armor, ornate weapons, and usingrare and unique ores. He is neutralaligned, has 25 hp, and fights as a 1stlevel fighter in combat. He has experi-ence in helping Thafantyr create magi-cal items.

Thalantyr, 15th level magic-user, spe-cializes in Conjuration/Summoningspells. ( + 1 on all his saving throws, - 1o n s a v i n g t h r o w s a g a i n s t h i sConjuration/Summoning attacks).

Kelddath Ormylyr, Patriarch of theChurch of Lathanier, 16th level cleric.

Temple Staff:3 8th level clerics6 4th level clerics9 2nd level clerics18 1st level clerics200 men-at-arms in Temple Complex

Kelddath is regarded as the town�s gov-ernor, though day-to-day operationsare handled by a five-man town coun-cil.

BOARESKYR (Boar-reh-SKEER)BRIDGEAT A GLANCE: The bridge is a massivestructure crossing the Winding Wateralong the made way from Waterdeep toScornubel. It is of grey stone, and wideenough to carry two wains side-by-sidein either direction. On the southernside of the bridge is a large encamp-ment of tents and wagons.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: This bridge isnamed for a famous adventurer of theearly days of human settlement in theNorth. Boareskyr (also called in theseparts �The Great Boareskyr�) built thefirst temporary bridge at this site inorder to rush an army across it andassail an unsuspecting tribe of orcs (theorcs, a tribe called the Bloody Tusks,were wiped out by this manuever).Since then, several other bridges havebeen erected on the site, the mostrecent being a massive bridge thatspans the Winding Water in five archesof grey stone.

Boareskyr Bridge has no permanentsettlement in normal terms, but there isalmost always a city of tents and wag-ons here, where caravans stop to tradegoods back and forth, and buy mounts,wagons, and necessary provisions andmaintenance. �The Bridge� is the lastorganized post on the Trade Way fromScornubel to Waterdeep, until the trav-elers reach the way inn.

Law is a rough-and-ready matter in�the Bridge,� but several powerfuladventurers are often in the tent-citywho respect and keep law and order: afighter named Barim Stagwinter, a cler-ic of Tyr named Theskul Mirroreye,and Aluena Halacanter. The last is amagic-user and is thought by most to bea member of the harpers. Aluenaspends much of her time training pega-si for use by humans as mounts.

GAME INFORMATION: �The Bridge� is amobile settlement that is continuallychanging its make-up and personel.There will be continual merchant cara-vans heading in both directions, toWaterdeep and Scornubel, every fived a y s o r s o . T h o u s a n d - H e a d a n dTrueshield Trading Costers maintainsemi-permanent areas for their traders,and wagons, but the majority of wag-ons are from independent wagoneers.

The closest thing to a permanent gov-erning body are the three adventurersmentioned above:

Barrim Stagwinter�7th level fighterThreskul Mirroreye�6th level clericAluena Halacanter�9th level wizard

Barrim and Threskul tend to wander inand out of the tent-city, though one willalways be about. Aluena maintains as m a l l e s t a t e , c a l l e d H e a r t w i n g ,upstream, where she raises her pegasi.Her standard charge is 5000 gp for amount, and she has candidates for pur-chase undergo a number of interviewsand examinations to determine thatthey are capable and willing to handleone of her steeds. Her contract at timeof sale includes a clause that if the pega-s i i s m a l t r e a t e d a n d r e t u r n s t oHeartwing, the money will not berefunded.

CALANTAR�S (CAH-lan-tare�s)WAYAT A GLANCE: The Way is a cartroad,running from Immersea to Arabel inCormyr.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Way hasbeen named for he who surveyed andbuilt it, over four hundred winters ago.It has been carefully tended by the mer-chants and soldiers who use it.

CALIMSHAN (CAL-im-shan)AT A GLANCE: Located south of Tethyr,the rich lands of Calimshan are a hot-bed of merchant dealings and double-dealings. Predating Waterdeep and thecities of Amn, the Calishites are one ofrichest and most powerful nations onthe western coast of Faerun.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The nation ofCalimshan is really a collection ofsquabbling city-states, each such cityripped by its own internal merchantfactions and power struggles. The larg-est of these states is Calimport, and it ishere that a sequestered Pasha relaxesand debauches while his servants andbureaucrat ic underl ings squabbleabout the kingdom.

By royal decree, all ships of Calim-port�s navy and merchant fleet fly theflag of Calimshan; a gold field with bluelines slanting across it. This, plus thenature of these traders to gloss overtroubles at home, gives the illusion of avibrant, unified nation.

Calimshan considers both Amn andWaterdeep its economic rivals, and isalso involved in a continual series ofclashes with �the Border Kingdoms� toits east, which are considered part ofthe Calishite sphere of influence onlyby those who must report to the Pasha.

CANDLEKEEPAT A GLANCE: Candlekeep is a complexof clustered towers perched on a spurof volcanic rock overlooking the sea. Itis reached by a single road. Lights burnin the windows of the keep at all times,and travelers approaching the struc-

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ture can hear a low chanting.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This center oflearning preserves the predictions ofAlaundo the Seer, the singular sagewhose prophecies have proved correctover the years. Upon his death, his cita-del at Candlekeep became a haven ofboth veneration of his prophecies andthe accumulation of all knowledge. Theacolytes of the keep continually chantthe remaining prophecies of Alaundo,which grow shorter over the centuriesas they come true and are discarded.Candlekeep boasts one of the finestlibraries in the Realms.

The fortified keep derives much of itsincome from finding and copying spe-cific passages of information from thebooks of lore, magic, and philosophypreserved there for clients all over theRealms, and from issuing new manu-script books for sale in Waterdeep andBaldur�s Gate. These new manuscriptsare created by collecting certain pas-sages from older texts together. TheScribes of Candlekeep also make addi-tional copies of books brought to them,but there are others in the Realms pro-vide this last service for less severe fees.

GAME INFORMATION: Fees for serv-ices at Candlekeep:l Sage Advice is twice standard rates

(page 33 of DMG), but all informa-tion is �In Major Field� for purposesof discovering information.

l Book copying is 100 gp per text,10,000 gp per magical text (includ-ing spellbooks but excluding magi-cal tomes such as the Tome of ClearThought).

l Browsing is tolerated under spe-cific rules:

1) the petitioner must be sentbearing the seal or sign of a recog-nized powerful mage

2) The petitioner must gift tothe Keep a book of no less than10,000 gp value

3) Such browsing is permitted for9 days and nights. On the tenthmorning, the petitioner is given thechoice of leaving (he may return) orjoining the order as an acolyte.

In browsing, the traveler may engagein research as if a sage himself, withknowledge in Special Category. forveracity, and at no further cost.

Magical books and other dangerousitems are kept in the Inner Rooms. Onlythe Keeper (the order�s head) and theReaders (his accomplished staff) mayenter these rooms. Any informationthat may be found within these areasmust be researched as for sages (NoBrowsing).

CALAUNTAT A GLANCE: Calaunt is a medium-sized city on the eastern side of theDragon Reach, where the River Vesperflows into that body of water in a widedelta.

CAVALIERS AND PALADINSAT A GLANCE: Cavaliers and paladinsare fighters of a �higher stripe� than thecommon warriors and fighters. Adher-ing to a cause or credo, these individ-uals are usually of high-class birth orminor nobility. Many see themselves asthe obvious true leaders of men andnations, others merely as messangersand servants of higher powers.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: If ever therewere a group of people as a class suffer-ing further under delusions, it has beenlost on this writer. Cavaliers (and theirrelated paladins) see the world in blackand white, good and evil, us and them,with precious little space betweenthem. Fortunately, those which adheremost closely to the tenets of their cre-dos die out early, while those thatunderstand give-and-take and coopera-tion among people of varying (or hos-tile) viewpoints often develop intoleaders.

Cavaliers have as yet no �standardorganization,� but instead are found inAdventuring Companies, MercenaryGroups, and often operating alone. Cav-aliers seek to emulate �the Flower ofKnighthood� in thought and deed.

GAME INFORMATION: The Credo of

the cavalier in the Forgotten Realms issimilar to that presented in UnearthedArcana, with a few modifications.

The Knightly Virtues are generallyconsidered to be:Liberality HonorGood Faith GloryCourtesy UnselfishnessBraveryPride in one�s actionsHumility in one�s deed (in particular forpaladins)

Different Cavaliers may rate these in adifferent manner of importance.

The Chivalric code, adapted for theForgotten Realms Campaign, is as fol-lows.

l Noble Service cheerfully renderedl Defense of any charge unto deathl Courage and Enterprise in obedi-

ence to rules and one�s superiorsl Respect for all peers and equalsl Honor to those above one�s stationl Earning respect and obedience

from those below one�s stationthrough one�s actions

l Military prowess in service toone�s lord

l Courtesy to ladies for male cava-liers

l Courtesy to lords and honorablemen for female cavaliers

l Battle is the test of honor and glo-ry

l Personal glory in battlel Death before dishonor

Cavaliers in the Realms are filled withthe ideas of their own abilities, and areoften the first to leap into battle. Player-character cavaliers have the choice offighting directly or behaving in a cra-ven fashion, with the note that suchbehavior may cost experience points.NPC Cavaliers will usually charge intothe fray, though they will make an abili-ty check against their Intelligence iffaced with a difficult situation (i.e.Orcus drops in for lunch; the cavaliershould be given a chance to reconsiderbefore attacking with a butterknife).

Cavaliers often enter into servicewith Noble Lords in the Realms. Pala-dins may offer their allegiance to such

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lords of Good and Lawful alignment, orto the various Good and Lawful faithsof the Realms. Either may operate asmasterless swords, until they find a sit-uation suited to their talents.

CHESSENTAAT A GLANCE: Situated on the far sideof Sea of Fallen Stars, Chessenta is oneof the elder nations of the South (seeTHE SOUTH). It is said to be a rich, fer-tile land filled with wild, drunkenly cra-zy men.

CITADEL OF THE RAVENAT A GLANCE: The Citadel of the Ravenis a large, well-protected chain of inter-connected fortresses on the westernedge of the Dragonspine mountains, itsmultiple towers under the control ofZhentil Keep.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Citadel ofthe Raven was an ruined series of for-tresses from a long-forgotten kingdom,rebuilt by the combined forces of theMoonsea cities of Yulash, Zhentil Keep,Melvaunt , Thent ia , Hi l l s far , andMulmanster. Staffed by combinedforces of these cities (and by groups ofadventurers as well), the fortressrepulsed many major attacks by orga-nized groups of ogres over the eighty-years of its existence.

A few winters back, through a combi-nation of bribery, threats, and shows offorce, Zhentil Keep has come into con-trol of the Citadel, expelling all otherforces (see KNIGHTS OF THE NORTH),and raising the banner of the Zhen-tarim in place of the Raven of the North.

GAME INFORMATION: The Citadel ofthe Raven is in reality a chain of for-tresses connected by walled passage-ways and secret paths. The chainstretches for some ten miles, and canhouse a large number of troops.

The Citadel is currently the majormilitary outpost of the forces of ZhentilKeep, as well as a prison for its politicalprisoners. The forces of the Citadelhold little political power within theorganization of the Zhentarim, and a

posting here is regarded as a punish-ment for internal feuding. The citadel isarmed by:2000 Men-At-Arms suited in chain

and wielding medium bowsand swords

200 Horsemen, in plate armor andsimilar barding with lance andlong sword

50 level 3 commandersLord Kandar Milinal (10th level fight-er, commander of the army)

In addition, the Citadel is often the win-tering ground for mercenaries in theemploy of Zhentil Keep.

Several members of the ZhentarimNetwork may be present as well, andSememmon the Wizard (12th level)makes his home here.

The battlements of the Citadel of theRaven face outwards, north and east,but are very strong to the west andsouth as well. Should the cities of theMoonsea fall to outside force, this is thebolt-hole planned by the Zhentarim andother evil creatures.

CLERICSAT A GLANCE: Clerics are those individ-uals capable of directing energies deriv-ing from particular entities knownproperly as Powers, though oftenreferred to as deities or gods. All clericsbelong to faiths which venerate thesePowers and advocate their aims andgoals.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: The Realms tendto be in generally tolerant of all faiths,such that in larger cities their are �tem-ple districts� of various faiths of dissimi-lar alignments and goals existingside-by-side. Faiths and temples main-tain varying levels of influence in thelocal government, and only in a fewcases is there a �state-religion.� Onesuch example is the island-nation ofLantan, whose strange inhabitants arealmost all worshipers of Gond. Even so,there are shrines to other deities onLantan, though they exist primarily toserve foreign visitors.

Clerics tend to be divided into two-groups within their faith, though mem-

bers of one group easily and often crossinto the other group. �Hierarchy� cler-ics are those which are usually tieddown to a specific location, such as atemple, shrine, or monastery, and workprimarily to the good of that locationand its community. �Mission� clerics are�at-large� agents entrusted to wanderthe length and breadth of the Realmsspreading the basic tenents and beliefsof the organization. Many of the clericsfound in Adventuring Parties, or work-ing alongside merchant or in merce-nary companies are �mission� clerics.Again, the line is fuzzy one, such that acleric who has spent his life in the �hier-archy� may suddenly decide, for thegood of his order, to engage in a questfor an artifact, and gather a group oflike-minded adventurers, and set off asa �mission� cleric. Similarly, a clericwho has spent her life in adventuringcompanies, tithing a large part of herearnings to setting up shrines for thePowers, may determine to retire (orsemi-retire) to a temple to use the expe-rience gained to teach others, and enterthe hierarchy in that fashion.

Most faiths are fairly loose with suchrestrictions, only requiring that a clericseeking to leave his or her hierarchy getthe approval of a superior (or of thePower being venerated, if the cleric isof Patriarch/Matriarch level) beforejoining or leaving the hierarchy.

In a similar fashion, there is norequired �dress� or raiment for a clericoutside of the raiment required for cer-emonies. In general, clerics dress in thecolors of their order (which are usuallythose of their holy symbol) and wearsome clearly-obvious symbol of theirfaith on the person. A cleric of Tymorawill tend towards greys, and wear a sil-ver disk either on a neck-chain or in asetting on the forehead, while a wor-shiper of Tempus will wear helms (ormetal skullcaps) and display his symbol(the blood-red sword on the crimsonfield) on his or her shield.

GAME INFORMATION: Clerics in theForgotten Realms are as presented inthe Player�s Handbook, with those limi-

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tations as to armor and weapons whichmay be used. While certain restrictionsmay be lifted in particular cases at afuture date, the cleric of the ForgottenRealms is limited to plate mail andweapons which do not draw blood.

CLOAK WOODAT A GLANCE: This wood, north ofCandlekeep, is ancient and thickly over-grown with elms, beeches, felsul, andhiexel trees.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Cloak Woodis an old, thickly grown forest markingthe southern end of the Sword Coast.Just south of Baldur�s Gate, the Cloakwood is a perilous place, and home toquicklings, satyrs, stirges, kampfult,and other less common monsters. Thishigh number of creatures has turnedthe wood into a battleground betweenrival races. The sages of Candlekeephave sufficient evidence to indicate atleast one gate exits in the wood, but theexact numbers and/or destination ofthese gates is unknown. They may leadto other parts of the Realms, to an Alter-nate Material Plane where such crea-tures are common, or to the Beastlands(Happy Hunting Grounds). Few whohave investigated the matter havereturned to report on it.

CORM ORPAT A GLANCE: The village of Corm Orpis a flea-speck on the road betweenHluthrar and Hill�s Edge, with about 15permanent buildings. The low hills tothe east of the town are dotted withhalfling burrow�s, dominated by agoodly-sized structure emblazonedwith the symbol of a butterfly.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This tiny villageis known for its large resident popula-tion of halflings, who live amicably withthe few human inhabitants of the place,despite the fact that the village�s Lord,Dundast Hultel, is human, as is the vil-lage militia. The latter fact is one thatmost native halflings, preferring to seesome else fight their battles, are quitecomfortable with.

Halfling priests of rank dwell in CormOrp, making the area a common well-known gathering-spot for the race.Many halflings converge on the hamleteach Shieldmeet to do business withtheir fellows, trade native goods, andtrade tales.

Corm Orp�s notable export (otherthan halflings) is a type of stout pottery.Made of simple red clay in large, usableforms, the pottery of Corm Orp is incommon use throughout the Realms foreveryday functions, and is highlythought of.

GAME INFORMATION: Corm Orp�sLord is Dundast Hulrel, a 4th levelhuman fighter of LN alignment. He isfriendly and tolerant of the little folkwho infest his town, an in particularencourages the gathering at Shieldmeetas a way to bring more visitors (andmore money) into the area. His militianumbers 30 members, all 1st level fight-ers. Their armor is chain mail, and theirweapons are swords and short bows.The militia are identified by strips ofgreen-colored cloth worn on the rightarm and left thigh (the latter for betteridentification by the halfling popula-tion).

A large (by halfling standards) templeto the deity Sheela Peryroyl has beenconstructed in the hills overlookingCorm Orp. Its Matriarch is AllyiaMacanester, originally of Evenstar.Allyia is a 10th level cleric with anincredible 20 Wisdom, and is much ven-erated and loved by her followers. Sheis served in the temple by:

4 6th level clerics8 3rd level clerics and16 1st level clerics.

Most noted of the potters is the shopof Ilvn Makepeace, whose work isregarded as superior even alongsidethe sturdy pots the area is famous for.Makepeace�s shop uses a staff of a half-dozen halfling apprentices. His worksells for 1-5 sp per piece, which is tentimes that of normal pottery.

CORMYR (Core-MEER)AT A GLANCE: One of the handful ofproper nations in the North, Cormyrstraddles the land between the Dragon-mere and Anauroch in the north eastregion of the Sea of Fallen Stars. It wasat one time heavily wooded, but is nowa region of small forests and organizedfarms.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Cormyr, alsocalled the Forest-Country is a rich king-dom; its southern, eastern and north-western areas have many farms,offering abundant yield for trade. Thecentral area of the kingdom are stillwooded; these woods, carefully hus-banded by the forces of the King, stillyield good timber, and have plentifulgame (which all may hunt, if they huntalone). Cormyr is also strategicallylocated on overland trade routes fromthe cities of the Moonsea to the north-east; the Dalelands to the east; the InnerSea (on which it has two major ports,Suzail and Marsember); and the landsto the west, northwest, and south�particularly the rich city-states andkingdoms of the Sword Coast.

Cormyr is a wet land, receiving abun-dant rain in summer and spring, andabundant snow in winter; it has long,cold winters, and short but hot sum-mers. Much of spring and fall is temper-ate and moist, and as a result Cormyr�sfarms and forests are green and rich inboth yield and splendor. Mists are com-mon along the seacoast, and on theHigh Moors, extending in to the pass atHigh Horn, and the gorge north ofEveningstar.

Cormyr is a hereditary monarchy;the present King is Azoun IV, an effetebut regal middle-aged man of sophisti-cated tastes and keen wits, son of thefamed warrior-king Rhigaerd II. Azounrules from his hilltop palace in Suzailand in the �Royal Court� of intercon-nected public buildings below it, and israrely if even seen in the forest towns(he is rumored to travel in disguisewhen he must leave Suzail). Azoun�sbanner is the Purple Dragon (a purpledragon on a black field); it is borne

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often by a strong standing army underthe command of the Lord High Marshalof the Kingdom, Duke Bhereu.

Cormyr dates its years from thefounding of House Obarskyr, 1332years ago. For the bulk of this time, Cor-myr was little more than a single city(Suzail) and a few fortified outposts,and at times the King was forces intoruling from those outposts as opposedto ruling from his throne. The currentking is the fourth of his name and the71st of his line.

The land has been officially �at peace�for many years, since Rhigaerd overthrew the Border Raiders. Its forcehave taken part in actions in nearbyregions, and the nation has recentlymustered its forces to face Gondegal(for more on Gondegal, see under ARA-BEL). In addition, patrols often skirmishwith bandits on the roads in the northand west, and are at present battlingorcs and other creatures north and eastof Cormyr, in Tilver�s Gap and Dagger-dale. Both of these areas are threatenedby evil raiders, who will menace Cor-myr itself if they ever overrun Tilver-ton and Daggerdale. Cormyr has beenbuilding a fortress, Castle Crag, for thelast decade, to defend against any suchattack.

The King rules by means of Lords,one in each town, and by the fealty ofthe rich �merchant lords.� The mer-chant lords are too numerous to men-tion (at any one time, perhaps twentyare of prominence), and change withthe shifts of fortune, but the local Lordswho are beneath the officers men-tioned above, under the granting ofcharters are as follows. (Towns are list-ed in order of size and importance.Each town of Cormyr has its ownentry.)

ARABELLocal Lord: Myrmenn LhalHerald: Westar of the Gates

DHEDLUKLocal Lord: ThiomburHerald: Ildul

ESPARLocal Lord: Hezom

Herald: �Yellow Hand� YesparEVENINGSTAR

Local Lord: Tessaril WinterHerald: Tzin Tzummer

HIGH HORNLocal Lord: Lord Commander Thursk

DembarronHerald: Dhag Greybeard

HILPLocal Lord: Doon DzavarHerald: Delzantar

IMMERSEALocal Lord: Samtavan SulacarHerald: Culspiir

MARSEMBERLocal Lord: IldoolHerald: Scoril

SUZAILLocal Lord: Sthavar, Lord Magister of

the City of SuzailHerald: Xrorn Hackhand

TYRLUKLocal Lord: Suldag �the Boar�Herald: �Tooth� Nzal Tursa

WAYMOOTLocal Lord: Filfar Woodbrand (also

called �Trollkiller�)

Herald: Dhag GreybeardWHELOON

Local Lord: Sarp RedbeardHerald: Estspirit

Each local lord defends the localfarms, dispenses the King�s justice,keeps the peace, serves as �the King�seyes and ears,� and collects tithes forthe King and for himself (1 sp/head/year). Each Lord is allowed up to fortymen-at-arms, plus up to six guides/captains (typically rangers). These mayserve as the town guard. Volunteertown guardsmen are known as �theWatch,� and may, upon the judgment ofthe Lord, be exempted from the tax iftheir service has been valuable. TheLord is also requested to stable andmaintain a fit, fast horse of the bestquality for the use of the King�s Messen-gers (who ride fast and far, requiringthem to change mounts at every stop).Each Lord must have a right-hand man,who serves as a clerk/record-keeper,and is a trained Herald. (Heralds are list-ed with their respective masters above).

The King taxes lightly (in addition tothe �tithe� collected by the local lord,there is a �royal tax� of 1 gp per headannually, 5 gp for wealthy landowners),and makes the law by his decrees in theCourt of the Crown. To enforce the Roy-al Word, there are three caravels (twoat Suzail and one at Marsember), astanding garrison of 100 archers and300 men-at-arms in High Horn, and 100palace guardsmen in Suzail. There isalso an standing army of over five hun-d r e d m o u n t e d m e n - a t - a r m s a n dlongbowmen, led in battle by thirty orso knights of the Court, and bolsteredby a council of widely-feared �war wiz-ards,� who are known for their black-and-purple robes.

Mages of any rank of power, fromthaumaturgists (level 5) and up, mustby law report their names, sigils, andwhereabouts of abode to the RoyalMagician, Vangerdahast, in Suzail. Suchspell-casters are also required to givetheir names whenever challenged inCormyr by soldiers of the King or offi-

3 3

cers of the Court, upon pain of magicaldestruction at the hands of the RoyalMagician or the Council of Mages (theaforementioned �war wizards�). Themilitary history of Cormyr is one ofguerilla ambushes and running skir-mishes, rather than �setpiece� battles,and the Court is thus very sensitive tothe presence of armed men within thekingdom. �Lawless freeswords� cannotoperate within Cormyr. Mercenaries(that is, all armed men not in servicewith the King) cannot gather, whilearmed, in groups of more than five inany place save public markets or innsand taverns (and in the latter, it is cus-tomary to surrender all weapons to acustodian behind the bar). Violatorsface immediate disarmament, forfeit-ure of goods, and imprisonment at thehands of the local Watch or soldiers ofthe King. The exceptions to this decreeare; when such fighters are operatingunder hire; under contract to someoneauthorized to hire them (nobility, orchartered merchants) as caravan orware house guards, or as bodyguards;

or by permission of the King. Save intimes of war, permission of the King isgranted only in the form of a royalcharter.

Such charters can be obtained onlyfrom the Lord Commander at High Horn,the Warden of the Eastern Marches inArabel (Baron Thomdor), or the Chancel-lor or Lord High Marshal at the RoyalCourt in Suzail. The King can of coursegrant one at any time, anywhere. Suchcharters customarily cost a thousandpieces of gold, a further tax of three hun-dred gold pieces a year (payable upon theanniversary of the issuance of the origi-nal charter, late penalty of twenty goldpieces per day thereafter, up to ten dayslater. Any further delay results in auto-matic suspension of the charter, and awarrant for the arrest and detention ofany such mercenaries operating withinthe boundaries of Cormyr thereafter),and can be revoked without warning atany time.

Charters are customarily given to a�company of adventurers.� Such a com-pany may not number more than thirty

persons at any one time. All membersof the chartered company must wearthe arms or badge of their company atall times when armed in Cormyr. Finallythe names of the members of any suchcompany must be on file in Suzail, anychanges in rosters being reported oncea month to the aforementioned officersin High Horn, Suzail, Arabel, or theHigh Constable of the King�s Garrison atWaymoot.

Customs of Comyr: The nation of Cor-myr has a number of recognized cus-t o m s , w h i c h t h e t r a v e l e r s h o u l drecognize when operat ing in thenation. These customs include:l Commoners of both sexes bow

their heads to royalty.l Burials are followed by wakes.l It is unlucky and an offense to the

gods to kill a cat, for cats are theeyes and messengers of gods. It isgood to keep a cat, but a sin to clipits tail, ears, or fur, or hamper itsability to produce kittens. A catmay not be kept in a cage.

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l Women interested in finding amate wear purple scarves at hipand/or throat.

l Adventurers who go in peace, butarmed, wear peacestrings abouttheir swordhilts (to prevent quickunsheathings). These strings arecolored and tasselled cords, and itis an art to tie them in ornateknots. The best of such knots lookcomplicated, but may be undonewith a single jerk to free the weap-on.

DAGGERDALEAT A GLANCE: Daggerdale is a truedale, or stream valley bounded bymountains on the west and rocky hillson the east, and is a farming and hunt-ing community that has largely kept toitself in the past.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Daggerdale is aclosed community, a reclusive settle-ment that makes the natives of Archen-dale look friendly and outgoing. Noinns, hostels, or taverns exist in theland, nor are the people willing to offerthe space in their barns to weary trav-elers. The reason for this lack of hospi-tality is not known, but as in the case ofmany of the Dales, most likely harksbath to some long-forgotten incident orslight.

Daggerdale sends a different repre-sentative to the Dales Council each year,but all seem to be stamped with thesame unfriendly mold. At one point,Ilmeth of Battledale hazarded the guessthat Daggerdale only attended theCouncil to make sure the other Daleswere not ganging up on her. Like simi-lar comments about Daggerdale, thiscomment was not well-received by therepresentative.

DAGGERFORDAT A GLANCE: Situated in the flood-plains of the Delimbiyr River, Dagger-ford is a small, walled, community of 40stone buildings, dominated by the smallcaslte of the �Duke� of Daggerford. Thetown is situated on the south side of the

ford.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Daggerford is asparsely inhabited but strategic junc-tion where the Trade Way (the mainroute from Waterdeep to the South)crosses the Delimbiyr River (which isalso known as the River Shining). Dag-gerford gained its name in from areputed incident of 400 years ago: Amerchant traveling through this regionsearching for a safe crossing sent hisson ahead of the family wagons to lookfor a safe passage across the Shining.The boy found the ford in the dark, butwas set upon by a raiding party of liz-ard men. Defending himself with hissole weapon, an old dagger, the lad slewsix of the creatures before aid arrivedfrom the wagons and drove the crea-tures off. The story spread along themerchant-ways over the years, so thatthe ford, and later the town that grewup on its banks was known as Dagger-ford. This may just be local legend,though there may be a grain of truth inthe old tale. The current so-called Dukeof Daggerford claims to be a descend-ent of this merchant lad.

For more information on Daggerfordand the areas of the Realms that sur-round it, see N5, Under Illefarn.

DAERLUN (Dare-LOON)AT A GLANCE: Daerlun is a large city inSembia, closest to the nation of Cormyrand benefitting the greatest from tradewith that nation. See SEMBIA.

THE DALELANDSAT A GLANCE: The region known asthe Dalelands is defined as the non-forested regions inhabited my mannorth of Sembia and Cormyr and Southof the River Tesh and the town ofVoonlar. This region includes a widescattering of different communities, allprimarily rural in nature, who share(generally) common interests andideals. In addition, the Dalelands are thehome of many powerful individuals orgroups which find the independence ofthe natives in keeping with their own

35

beliefs.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The founding ofthe Dalelands long preceeded thefounding of any of the existing Dales byhundreds of years, and the phraseknown as �Dalereckoning� is actually acommemoration of mankind beinggiven permission to settle in the landsnorth and west of the Inner Sea.

In those ancient days, when Suzailand Chondathan which is now Saerloonwere mere coastal trading posts, theElves who ruled this forest entertaineda request from settlers from the East,f rom lands such as Impi l tur andDamara. This request was not to settlethe Elvish forest, but to farm and settleits borders, in particular the rich delvesand dales along the rivers Arkhen andAshaba. The Elven Court granted thatrequest, in return for aid from thesenew dale-landers against outside agres-sion. In commemoration of that pactman and elf raised the Standing Stonewhich is now seen where the road fromMist ledale reaches the road fromEssembra to Hillsfar. It is from the rais-ing of this Stone that Dalereckoning istaken.

From the pact made, the Dalesmenwould only settle those regions whichwere unforested or unclaimed by theelves. As the Elven Woods recededunder the axe-falls of further invadersand settlers, old Dales perished andnew ones came into being along theborders of the woods. Men, both goodand bad, have raised petty nations inthe dalelands since, though any onedale that turned against the pact wouldhave to deal with the others.

Each of the Dales is a large swath offarms and fields, with a few scatteredsettlements and usually one centralmarketplace, capital, or dale center.These centers are often but not alwaysnamed after the Dale they are in, add-ing to the confusion as to what is a Dale-lands territory. The Dales are notcity-states, for their largest groupingsof population rate as towns at best, norare they true nations in the way of Cor-myr, Sembia, or even the shattered

states of Damara. They occupy a greymiddle-ground, and are nothing more,or less, than Dales.

The Dales are self-governed, but forma loose Council that meets each year atMidwinter in a different town of theDales. This Dales Council is no strongerthan the strength of its members, yethas been followed with (generally) goodfaith over the past hundred winters. Atthe best of times, the Dales Council is agroup of tough-minded, independentargumentative individuals who wouldlay down their lives rather than seeanother Dalesman threatened.

A list of the members of the DalesCouncil and their rulers or representa-tives follows. No two dales have theexact same form of government, oreven titles for their rulers. Severalmerely send a representative for thepeople of that dale, others have a hered-itary or military leader, some pass fromone adventuring bravo to another, andsome, in the manner of Amn and morecivilized states, hide the identity of theirleaders behind a title. The Dales are list-

ed alphabetically, for any attempt todeclare one Dale greater, larger, ormore important than another is an invi-tation to an argument. Each Dale has itsown individual entry.

ArchendaleThe Three Swords

BattledaleWar Chancellor Ilmeth

DaggerdaleVaries; each year a different repre-sentative (called Councilman, Coun-cilwoman, or Councilelf) is sent.

DeepingdaleT h e r e m e n U l a t h , L o r d o f

HighmoonFeatherdale

Representative KirshoffHarrowdale

Seven Burghers of Harrowdale, ledby Reindorf Sandbeard

High DaleHigh Constable Irreph Mulmarr

MistledaleHigh Councillor Haresk Malorn

ScardaleO c c u p i e d b y o t h e r D a l e l a n d s

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forces.Shadowdale

Mourngrym, Lord of the DaleTasseldale

Elizzaria, Grand MairsharBshendale

Elder Jaoth Hulnhurn (Teshendalewas destroyed some forty wintersago, yet it remains listed as a mem-ber of the Dales Council, and a chairis set aside at each meeting for themissing Elder Jaoth).

Each dale has slightly different laws,customs, and military forms. Many relyon the work of charismatic heroes andadventuring companies for aid in timesof trouble, and a large number of theseindividuals use the region as a base.This attraction to adventurers is fur-ther increased by the large number ofpre-elvish ruins in the area, and therecent departure of the Moon Elves ofthe Elven Court for Evermeet, leavingthe woods open.

The Dales have most recently beeninvolved in a war with one of their own

members. The area of Scardale, underthe command of Lashan Aumersair,launched a number of swift attacks,conquering a number of the surround-ing Dales before a coalition of forcesfrom the other Dales, Sembia, Cormyr,and Zhentil Keep crushed the invaders.

DAMARA (Dah-MARR-ah)AT A GLANCE: Damara is a regionnorth of Impiltur and east of the Moon-sea, which consists of a large number ofpetty kingdoms and small rural com-munities similar to the Dales.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Until the mostrecent generation of men, Damara wasa nation of the power and importanceof Impiltur or Sembia. It maintainedstrong t rade re la t ions with othernations of the Moonsea and Inner Sea,and its trade banner and bloodstonetrade bars were found throughout theRealms.

In recent memory, however, Damarawas invaded by a force from Vaasa, itsnorthern neighbor (see VAASA). Thewar between these two nations lastedfor ten years, until the Witch-king ofVaasa defeated King Virdin of Damaraat the Ford of Goliad, sweeping the lastportions of organized resistance fromits path and slaying the cream of theDamaran nobility.

The Vaasan invaders captured andstill rule the northern portions of thisrealm, while the southern portions ofwhat was once the Kingdom of Damarahave been broken into small baroniesand isolated, quarrelling communities.The distances between these communi-ties have over the passing years grownless civilized and more dangerous.

The land of Damara today is cold,empty, and poor. With its once-proudcities sacked and its merchant classchased to more hospitable climes, thereis little communication between thevarious baronies, and each remains dis-trustful of the others.

The people of Damara are similar tothose of the Dales in appearance andattitude. It is though that the Damaransand Dalesmen spring from the same

western-wandering peoples.The faiths of the Damarans are simi-

lar to those throughout the realms,though they pay special attention toIlmater, god of endurance and suffer-ing, and in particular venerate thememory of a long-dead patriarch ofthat fa i th , St . Sol lers the Twice-Martyred. The symbol of this sect ofIlmater�s faith is either the bloodstainedrack or Soller�s own symbol, the yellowrose.

GAME INFORMATION: When Damarawas at its height, its merchants woulduse trade bars made of chalcedony, adeep-green stone, flecked with sparksof red jasper, which gave the gems thename bloodstones. These bloodstonetrade bars were made in 25 gp mea-sures, and the fact they were used incommon trade ref lected the hugeamount of this stone that could be tak-en out of the Galena Mountains throughscattered mines.

Such trade bars, marked with thecrest of a Damaran noble house on oneside and the year (in Damaran Reckon-ing) on the other, are rarely used in theRealms today, as most merchants recog-nize it as �cursed money,� bringing onthe user the same misfortunes as befellDamara. Hoards of bloodstone tradebars may be found in parts of theRealms, as part of more ancient trea-sures.

DARKHOLDAT A GLANCE: The Darkhold is a high-spired keep of black stone that risesfrom a bare rocky spur on the side ofthe mountain known as �the GreyWatcher� (also called locally �the GreyWatcher of the Morning�). Small figuresmove along its battlements, giving anidea of the massive size of the Keep.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The stone of thisancient tower is not of local origin, andhas been fused together in someunknown fashion into a single piece.Legend says that the tower was con-structed by elementals commanded bya fell sorcerer in the waning day of

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Netheril (See THE LONELY MOOR). It isalso said that the sorcerer, now a lich,still inhabits the secret ways and cham-bers beneath the keep.

The keep itself can house at least athousand men-at-arms, though itspresent garrison numbers less thanhalf that. The tunnels and storagecairns lace the mountainside beneaththe keep, and a number of escape tun-nels have been bored through the livingrock by various owners. The keep hasbelonged to a number of organizations,wizards, and companies, and was mostrecently a bandit-hold before being�appropriated� by its present owners.

The fortress of Darkhold is part ofthe Black Network of the Zhentarim,and is presently the westernmost estab-lished refuge of that organization andtheir allies. Patrols from Darkholdroam the Far Hills north to YellowSnake Pass and Skull Gorge and Southto Asbravn, often sparring with the RedCloaks of Asbravn and the Corm Orpmilitia. Caravans controlled or guardedby Zhentarim forces make this place aregular stop when traveling to andfrom the Sword Coast, and representa-tive of Darkhold can be found in mer-chant trains from northern Mirabar tosouthern Calimshan, and east to ZhentilKeep itself.

GAME INFORMATION: Darkhold is cur-rently the base for 400 men-at-arms,under the command of two fifth levelfighters from Zhentil Keep, Beldrar andHlestin. T h e K e e p c o m m a n d e r i sthought to be the 12th level mage,Sememmon of the Zhentarim.

A Darkhold patrols normally num-bers 20 troops led by a second levelfighter. They are normally dressed inbanded mail, carry crossbows and longswords. Those within ten miles of thekeep will be foot patrols, while thosebeyond that range will be mounted onmedium horse, and in addition carrylances.

DEEPINGDALEAT A GLANCE: Deepingdale is a wide,deeply carved valley blessed with an

abundance of game and timber. Likemany Dale communities, it is scatteredin many homesteads, but considers its�capital� to be the town of Highmoon atthe head of the valley.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Deepingdalemaintains excellent relationships withthe elves of the area, and in these daysof the Passing of the Elven Court, manyindividual elves and half-elves call thisdale their home, and over half of thepopulation is elvish or half-elvish. As ahaven for wildlife, the inhabitants alsocount the druids and treants as friendsas well.

Deepingdale�s relationships withhumans have been less than good, andin the past the region and Archendalehave almost come to blows over smallmatters. For this reason, Deepingdalemaintains a well-trained bow-force ofelves as well as a well-drilled militia.

GAME INFORMATION: About half ofDeepingdale�s population (9000 or sototal) are in the militia reserves, andhave in their possession leather armor,sword, and spear. If a call goes out (ahorn-call from High Moon relayeddown the valley by special posts), themilitia units will gather at predeter-mined spots before marching on thecity.

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

In addition, Deepingdale maintains acompany of 70 2nd level elvish fighterswho are weapon specialists in longbow. These elves have remained dispitethe disbanding of the Elvish Court, andconsider Deepingdale their home.

The ruler of Deepingdale is There-men Ulath, Lord of Highmoon. There-men is a half-elven fighter of 4th level.

DHEDLUK (DED-luke)AT A GLANCE: Dhedluk is a small townof a hundred buildings surrounded by awooden stockade with a single (known)gate, situated just north and west of themeet ing of roads f rom Waymoot ,Eveningstar, and Immersea, in thecountry of Cormyr.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Dhedluk is asmall community in the heart of the

King�s Forest (the forest is also calledCormyr�s Woods by some). The famousadventurer, Thiombur the fighter, runsan inn, The Blushing Maiden, at the cen-ter of town. Thimobar is the appointedlocal lord of Dhedluk, and is said to�know everyone in Cormyr.�

GAME INFORMATION: Thiombar, an8th level fighter, is indeed a master ofthe skill of putting the correct people intouch with each other, and his inn isoften a stopping point for those seekinga particular individual of certain skill orability. There is a 50% chance thatThiombar knows of someone whomight help a player-character, thoughhis fee is usually no less than 200 gp perlevel of the individual he is helping orreferring to (whichever is higher).Thiombar will never aid in situationswhere someone within the court isthreatened, and in that case, will usu-ally tip the authorities off.

Thiombar�s attitude towards the posi-tion of Lord of Dhedluk is one of doingthe crown a favor, and the retired fight-er would be as happy just to hoistdrinks. The crown, on the other hand,is pleased to have such a source ofinformation at their disposal.

DRAGONSAT A GLANCE: The most dangerouscreatures of the Known Realms, aDragon in full fury may level an entirecity, and even one at play may destroy aparty of brave knights. These creaturesvary in size and capabilities, but aregenerally huge winged reptiles that canspit fire, acid, cold, or other fell crea-tions.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Dragons in theearliest days were the rulers of Faerunbetween the Inner Sea and SwordCoast, and though they are now fewand far between, their power remainsgreat. With the coming of Elves andMen, the Dragons retreated to thenorth, yet on occasion, some giant ofthe race will come from the north orarouse itself from its decades-long sleepin some forgotten dale and terrorize

38

those it encounters.A recent event gives the true idea of

the power of the dragons. Two wintersago, many dragons of great size flewsouth and west f rom the g lac iersbeyond Thar, attacking many abodes ofmen. The damages from this singleflight of less than a hundred dragonsincludes:

The city of Phlan was smashedinto smoking ruin and abandoned.At the Citadel of the Raven two ofthree attacking dragons, as well asover nine thousand warriors per-ished.Mighty Zhentil Keep was heavilydamaged by dragons who ragedthrough the streets like greatscaled cats, ere they were slain.Shadowdale and parts of the ElvenW o o d s w e r e s e t a b l a z e . T h edragon was slain by the WitchSylune, though the battle claimedher life as well.Yulash was utterly destroyed;b e i n g r e d u c e d t o s h a t t e r e d ,scorched stone (it has since beenrebuilt by Zhentil Keep).The largest worm of all attackedthe city of Hillsfar, and was slainby the mages of the city; its vastbulk fell into the harbor and layhalf-submerged for many nights,like some grotesque island, untilthe mages blasted and burned itaway.A large dragon was slain over Ara-bel by catapults and archers, andcrashed into the road east of itsgates.The mages of Suzail�s Royal Court,led by Vangerdahast drove away agreat green dragon there bymeans of their arts. It flew southover the sea and was not seenagain.

This sudden attack is widely held tobe the work of the Cult of the Dragons,a mysterious group of men said to havedevised strange magical arts that givethem mastery over evil dragonkind.Other sages believe it to be some sort ofritual or cyclic behavior on the part of

evil dragons, rather than a concertedattack.

GAME INFORMATION: Individuals run-ning characters in the Forgot tenRealms are warned that the Dragons ofthe Forgotten Realms are more danger-ous and deadly than those of mostAD&D® game campaigns. The DM hasfurther information on the care andfeeding of dragons in his book.

DRAGONSPEAR CASTLEAT A GLANCE: Dragonspear Castle is asprawling ruin situated on a trio of lowhillocks to the east of the Trade Way. Itappears desolate and abandoned.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This vast, ruinedsprawl of high walls and toppled spiresvisible from the Trade Way is little morethan a hundred years of age. it wasoriginally the home of Daeros Dragon-spear, who built the stronghold at theheight of h is adventur ing career .Daeros was slain some sixty winters agoin battle with the forces of the evil wiz-ard Casalia. Dragonspear castle wassoon afterwards beset by other evilspell-casters and brigands seeking togold and treasure within. Daeros� com-pany of skilled warriors repelled anumber of these attacks, but in the endthe entire company was slain or drivenaway, and the citadel was plundered.

The ruined fortress fell empty for atime, and thereafter served as tempo-rary home to small groups of bandits oroutcast mages. These would prosperfor a few years raiding the caravans ofthe Trade Way until driven out them-selves by mercenary companies fromWaterdeep, or by Khelben and hiscolleagues-at-magery.

In recent years, some evil agent alliedwith the orcs, trolls, and bugbears ofthe High Moor succeeded in opening agate to the Nine Hells within the castle.Strengthened by a growing army ofdevilkind, the combined forces of theHigh Moors tribes devastated the areafrom The Way Inn to Boarskyr Bridge,such that today that part of the TradeWay is not considered safe territory.

In the face of the Diabolic incursion,armies were raised in Waterdeep andelsewhere to clear the Trade Way anddestroy the evil at Dragonspear. Theattempt to empty the castle met withheavy resistance, and the battle contin-ued for almost two years before the cas-tle was again cleared. Most of thestructure was burned in the process,leaving an empty shell on the moors,

The wreckage of Dragonspear Castleis considered desolate, though priestsof Tempus have set up a small shrinewithin the castle walls, in hopes ofkeeping evil creatures from using it as abase again. Few inhabitants of theSword Coast will camp near the Castleby choice, and rumors persist of exca-vations that predate Daeros� fortress,and of a still-operational gate.

DRUIDSAT A GLANCE: A sub-grouping of cler-ics which tends to worship outside ofthe standard Temple-complexes are thedruids, who wander the land, or areorganized into loosely-affiliated �cir-cles� throughout the Realms. Thesedruid-circles tend to fill the samerequirements as hierarchies within theclerical faiths, but are much smallerand there is still less definition aboutwhich activities fall under which head-ings.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: In the northernRealms from the Sword Coast toImpiltur, druids in lightly settled areashave tended to gather in small groups,often with rangers and other allies, formutual protection, defense of key areasor resources, and in order to accom-plish their common goals more easily.These groups, usually consisting of adozen or less druids and twenty or lessothers, vary widely in prominence andworking relationships; in some, thedruids live together in a woodlandgrove, and in others, they are widelyscattered, with other group membersserving as go-betweens; in some groupsthe druids and rangers deal as equals;and in others the druids are revered bythe others who work with them. The

39

groups are known as �Circles;� the termserves to illustrate the unending cyclesof natural processes, and to emphasizethat no one creature is intrinsicallysuperior to another.

In the Dalelands, recent warfare hasdestroyed that last two known andlong-established circles; the Circle ofShadowdale and the Battledale Seven,although a few individuals from each ofthe groups have survived. The Circle ofShadowdale�s one-time roster is givenwith the census of Shadowdale. In num-bers and power, it is typical of thesegroups. Many circles still exist else-where in the Realms, in wooded areas,and these may be of great local impor-tance, often working with non-humanwoodland beings to maintain wilder-ness areas and keep the peace in theirterritories.

In the Realms at large, these circlesmake up a network of communicationand aid among those who venerateChauntea and similar Powers. In gen-eral, the Druids of the realms seek bal-ance between man and nature, at theexpense of neither.

The druids, while relatively weak inthe Dalelands at the moment, have sev-eral major areas of power, including theBorder Forest, the forest of Guthmere,and in particular the Moonshae Isles. Inthe last, the druids are worshipers of apossible aspect of Chauntea known asthe Earthmother, and are the nativefaith in the area. The conflict betweenthese druids and the faiths of the invad-ing settlers is more extreme than in nor-mally found in the realms, but is asmuch the result of the conflicting cul-tures on those islands as on differencesin faith.

GAME INFORMATION: Druids of thesame circle may worship different dei-ties, though in general, druids of thesame circle tend to worship the samegod. Common Powers venerated by theDruids are Eldath, Silvanus, Chauntea(in places) and the Elemental Lords, inparticular Grumbar and Kossuth (earthand flame, respectively).

Player-character druids do not begin

the game as members of a Circle, butmay form such circles if they find otherdruids and either accept them or areaccepted into their ranks.

Great and Grand Druids are singularbeings, and there is only a single suchindividual for a five-hundred-mile areaabout the abode of such an individual.Each is entrusted to the organizationand protection of the Circles and otherdruidic shrines within that domain. Theprecise borders of a Great Druid�sdomain are nebulous at best.

On location of high-level druids:When a druid reaches sufficient level tochallenge another druid of his or herposition, a sign will be sent by thePower the druid worships indicatingthe location of the druid sought, unlessthe first druid knows the second druid�slocation already.

DURLAG�S TOWERAT A GLANCE: South of the Wood ofSharp Teeth a plug of hard rock jutsfrom the plains. Atop this pinnacle is asingle, massive tower. It is in goodrepair, but seems unoccupied.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This local land-mark is the isolated keep of a dwarvenhero of old. Durlag �Trollkiller,� son ofBolhur, massed treasure in legendaryproportions and stored it here and in afew other choice locations. This trea-sure was protected by all manner ofmagical wards and mechanical traps,the latter of his own devising.

The tower itself, built entirely of vol-canic stone and in fair condition givent h e a m o u n t o f t i m e a n d n e g l e c tinvolved, lies atop a volcanic plug thatdominates the surrounding lands.Durlag, aided by hired dwarves, is saidto have hollowed out the mountain forthe rock that made up his tower, andused the space created to hide furthertreasure. Durlag is now long dead, andmany have come seeking his treasureover the decades, with varying degreesof success. Within the last twoscore ofyears, a new power of fell majesty hastaken up residence within the remainsof the tower, and uses the defenses cre-

ated by Durlag to keep both itself andthe treasure safe.

DWARVES AND THE SHARDSOF THE DWARVEN KINGDOMSAT A GLANCE: The Dwarves of the For-gotten Realms are a short, stocky peo-ple who seem to be a part of the earthitself, ranging in shade and hue from arich earth-red to a granite-stone grey.Dour and with a s t rong dis trusttowards magic beyond that which amagical axe can lend, they tend to be awithdrawn, sullen people.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Like the elves,the Dwarves are a people whose num-bers have been dwindling. In their case,the overall population has been declin-ing since the days when the dragonscontrolled the lands of Cormyr, and theSunrise Mountains still spouted flamesand steam.

The reason for this decline is twofold:For ages the Dwarves have engaged inwars bordering on the genocidal, fight-ing against other races, such as orcsand goblins, who sought out the samecaverns and mines the dwarves consid-ered their homes. In those ancient daysa live orc was competition both for trea-sure and for living space, and dwarvenarmies fought and died to protect andexpand their realms. Unlike the goblinraces, however, the Dwarves were slowto recover their losses, and in time theirnumbers have diminished so that inanother millennium the Dwarf may jointhe Duergahydra in extinction in theRealms.

This sense of racial loss hits Dwarvesdeeply, and they tend be melancholyand defeatist, yet just as often throwingthemselves into their work, be it craft-ing blades or seeking adventure. Thelast vocation is quite popular with thefew younger Dwarves of the Realms, asthe thinking is that if Fate has dealt apoor hand to the race, the best one cando is perform great deeds, so that therace is remembered in wondrous talesif not children.

As an additional sense of their loss

40

and danger as a race, most Dwarvesremain secretive about their home-lands, and the small kingdoms of theDwarves are known about only in ageneral fashion. For example, theDwarves of the Far Hills travel to East-ing for trade, yet no one knows if theyare one community or several, and howthey are ruled. More common are thosedwarves who identify their home assome long-abandoned or enemy-occupied hold, such as the Dwarvesthat were of Hammer Hall, or the IronHouse, who had been driven out of theMines of Tethyamar.

Another type of Dwarf that has beenon the increase is the Dwarf that seeksthe company of men in its towns and

cities. Most adventuring Dwarves comefrom this background, and are conver-sant in human styles and customs with-out abandoning their own heritage. Ithas been hazarded (but not voicedaround Dwarves) that the beings enjoybeing around other creatures moreshort-lived than they.

Dwarves come in a wide variety ofhair, skin, and eye colors, regardless oftheir origin. The �sub-races� of hill,mountain, and city Dwarves are fairlyartificial, and more a matter of taste,closer to those humans who like the seaand those who prefer the high country.Both Dwarvish males and females havebeards, though the females usually (butnot always) shave.

Dwarves remain deeply tied to theirroots and their sense of family andnobility. Dwarven nobles have declinedin number with their race, and so aretreated with respect by all, despite anylong-running feuds that may developbetween the Dwarvish kings.

Finally, deep beneath the surface ofthe Earth dwell a race of twisted Dwarf-like creatures called the Duergar. Sur-f a c e w o r l d D w a r v e s v i e w t h e s ecreatures with a hatred that exceedsthat of the elves for the draw.

As the race of dwarves dwindles inthe North, there is talk of a greatdwarvish kingdom far to the south,beyond the Vilhon Reach. A mightychasm greater than Cormyr in size issupposedly rent in the ground, andlocated on the rim of that chasm are thetowers of the city of Eartheart, andwithin the walls of that chasm arecarved the huge Dwarven nation ofUnderholme. These southern Dwarvesare said to be very different than theirnorthern cousins : prouder , morehaughty, and more energetic.

GAME INFORMATION: Most but not alladventuring Dwarves tend to be youngand natives to Dwarven communities inor near human communities, and thiscontact overcomes the natural dwar-ven insularity. A Dwarven player-character seeking a purely-Dwarvenbackground may select one from the

Dwarven communities mentioned inthis book.

Player-character dwarves are notrequired to act in the manner detailedabove. The above comments apply tothe majority of the race, and in everyrace, even a dying one, there are indi-v iduals who go beyond s tandardrestrictions.

EASTINGAT A GLANCE: Situated east of Irieabor,the town of Easting is a small commu-nity of less than 40 buildings within thetown proper.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Easting is a smalltown east of Iriaebor (hence its name),and typical of such small communities.Three things set it apart from othersimilar communities:

Easting�s small size and location nearthe Far Hills make it a meeting spot fordwarven merchants working out ofhidden delves in the Far Hills. Theirsmithy-work is above the human aver-age, and individuals wishing to contactsuch craftsmen or dwarven communi-ties usually start in Easting.

Easting is the home of Rulthaven thesage, whose area of expertise lies in thestudy of plants and their uses, includingherbs and poisons. Rulthaven is a �true�neutral, and is frequented both by cler-ics of good and representatives ofDarkhold.

Finally, Easting is the home of at leastfour noted horse-breeders, whose sta-bles do a brisk trade in remountingtravelers journey from the Sword Coastto the Inner Sea. Their prices remaincompetitive.

ELTUREL (ELL-tur-ELL)AT A GLANCE: Situated on a bluff over-looking the River Chionthar, Elturel isdivided between a lower city, calledThe Dock District, and an upper city,called the High District. In size and gen-eral capabilities it is similar to its rival,Scornubel, upriver.

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ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This agriculturaland trade center is known for itsstrong, well-equipped mounted troops,�the HellRiders,� who patrol and pro-vide caravan escort from Waterdeep toIriaebor.

GAME INFORMATION: The HellRidersare a closeknit organization that areextremely loyal to their leaders and toeach other, and take their name fromthe story that a company of Riders hadin the past ridden into Avernus, first ofthe layers of the Nine Hells. The Hellri-ders are of levels 1-6, usually fighters,with a mixture of clerics thrown in, andled by Marshal of 6th level. They ride inplate mai l of cr imson and white ,marked with an upturned crescent.One-tenth of all the earnings of theHellRiders go to the coffers of Elturel.

Elturel is governed by High RiderLord Dhelt, former leader of the HellRi-ders. Elturel is a 12th level cavalier, andshares the protective nature of his men.Bold, proud, and ruthless, he has beenseeking ways to unseat Scornubel asthe major trading town on the TradeWay between Waterdeep and Iriaebor.

ELVES AND THE ELVENNATIONSAT A GLANCE: The Elves are one of themajor races of the Forgotten Realms,and ruled large sections after the timeof the Dragons and before the comingof men. Now the majority of these long-lived beings have retreated from theonslaught of mankind, seeking quieterforests , and their numbers in theRealms are a faction of those even athousand years ago.ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Elves of theForgotten Realms are of human height,but much more slender. Their fingersand hands are half-again as long asmen, and delicately tapered, and theirbones are light and surprisingly sturdy.Elven faces are thinner and moreserene, and Elven ears, as ears in half ahundred Known Worlds, are pointed.

There are five known Eleven sub-racesin the Forgotten Realms, and four of

them live in relative harmony. Cross-breeding is possible between the sub-races, but in the case of the Elves, thechild will either take after the male orfemale parent�s race (there are nodrow/moon Elf mongrels, and the childof such an unlikely union would eitherhave all the traits of a dark Elf, or of amoon Elf).

The sub-races are:Gold Elves are also called sunrise

Elves or high Elves, and have bronzeskins and hair of copper, black, orblonde. Their eyes are golden, silver, orblack. Gold Elves tend to be recognizedas the most civilized of the elven sub-races and the most aloof from mankind.The majority of the native Elves of Ever-meet are gold elves, though they are ledby a moon Elf royal family (see EVER-MEET).

Moon Elves are also called silver orgrey Elves, and are much paler, withfaces of bleached white tinged withblue. Moon Elves usually have hair ofsilver-white, black, or blue, though allreported colors normally found in menand Elves may be found in this race.Their eyes are blue, or green, and havegold flecks. They tend to tolerate menthe most of the Elven sub-races, and themajority of adventuring elves and half-Elves are of moon elf heritage.

Wild Elves are called green Elves, for-est Elves, and wood Elves, and arereclusive and distrusting of non-Elves,in particular humankind. Wild Elves ofthe Forgotten Realms tend to be cop-perish in hue, with tinctures of green,their hair tends towards browns, andblacks with occasional blondes andcopper-colored natives, and their eyesgreen, brown, or hazel. They tend to bethe least organized of the Elven peo-ples, and while there is no Elven nationmade up entirely of wild Elves, thereare wild Elves in every other elvennation and on Evermeet.

Sea Elves, also called water Elves, arefurther divided into two further divi-sions: those of the Great Sea (includingall salt-water domains such as the Shin-ing Sea and Sea of Swords), and those ofthe Sea of Fallen Stars. Great Sea Elves

are radiant in different shades of deepgreens , with i rregular patches ofbrown striped through their bodies.Fallen Star Sea Elves are various shadesof blue, with white patches and stripes.Both have the full variety of eye andhair color found in all the Elven peo-ples, and have webbed feet and hands,and the ability to breathe water.

Dark Elves, also called drow or nightElves, are the most sinister and evil ofthe Elven race, as if this sub-reacts seemsto balance the tranquility and goodnessof their cousins with unrepentant mali-ciousness and evil. Drow have blackskin that resembles nothing so much aspolished obsidian, and eyes and hair ofstark white. The variation of the otherElven sub-races is missing here. Most ofthis fell race have been driven under,and are shunned by the other Elvensub-races.

The Elves call their own race Tel-�Quessir, which translates as �the Peo-ple.� Strangers, in particular non-Elvenstrangers, are generally placed underthe category �N�Tel�Quess,� or �Not-People.� Most Elves treat the not-peoplewith respect and politeness, as a hostwould a stumbling child, though thedrow fiercely enslave any who are notof their race, and consider the otherElven subraces �N�Tel�Quess.�

The Elves are generally ruled bynoble houses, which have held controlof their nations for generations (andgiven the nature and long life of Elves,the rule of a wise king may exceed thehistory of a human nation). The Elvenrule is autocratic and absolute, and it isthe theology and philosophy of theseelves which prevent abuse of such com-plete power. The monarchs of the ElvenCourt make pronouncements rarely,preferring to remain outside the nor-mal course of their subjects� lives. Oncesuch a decision is made, whether todeclare war or retreat to Evermeet, it isfollowed by the bulk of the population.

The oddest phenomenon of Elvish life(to human observers) is the Retreat,which is viewed as a lemming-like driveto sail beyond the sea. In the case of theElves of the Forgotten Realms, the reason

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is not some biological drive, but ratherthe decision of the leaders of the Elvennations to withdraw to less hostile lands.Such a decision is made after years (man-kind generations) of thought and medita-tion, and once made, is irrevocable. In thecase of the recently-voided Elven Court,the decision to retreat was made some500 years after deliberation began, sothat while for humans the disappearanceof the Elven Court is regarded as a sud-den vacuum in the heart of the Realms,for the Elven Court itself it was as inevita-ble (and as important) as a merchant mov-ing his shop further down the street toincrease the distance from a competitor.

The Elves in retreat always make forEvermeet, and there whatever noblesled the retreat swear their fealty toQueen Amlaruil, who is that domain�smonarch. Long ago the Elven nation ofEvermeet made the decision to tightthose men who came to her shores, andas a result is both the strongest powerof the sea, and a haven of the otherElves in retreat.

Those Elves on the Sword Coast andwith easy access to the sea make thepassage to Evermeet by boat, protectedby the Navy of the Queen. How thosefurther inland cross is not known, fornone see their passage out of the worldof men. The everyday Elven folk knownot the method, for after they retiredone evening, their leaders and magesworked great spells or appeared thegods, for they awoke in their newhomes.

The former Eleven nations of theRealms include Illefarn, where Water-d e e p n o w r i s e s : t h e s e a c o a s t ;Askaver, which is now called the Woodof Sharp Teeth: and the Elven Court,which once ruled Cormanthyr, the for-est country that ran from Cormyr tothe Moonsea. Current Elven nationsinclude Evermeet its seaward seclu-sion and Evereska, which has just set upa colony in the Greycloak Hills. In addi-tion, there are scattered groups of Elvesfound throughout the realms, includingwild Elves, groups without noblerulers, the dark Elves, those who havefound Evermeet not to their tastes and

EVERESKA (Eh-ver-EH-ska)AT A GLANCE: Evereska is a rich andfabled valley nestled in unbreathablemountains, tucked against the bordersof Anauroch. It is one of the last of theElven Nations in the north.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: With the ElvenCourt deserted and its inhabitants pass-ing out of the Realms, Evereska is thelast large concentration of silver elvesin the North, possibly in the Realmsthemselves.

Evereska (which means �fortresshome� in the elvish tongue) is a high val-ley surrounded by mountains, its onlyentrances either well-guarded and diffi-cult ascents, or secret ive tunnelsknown to few. All good elven folk arewelcome to this vale, and elven lore andwisdom are held in high esteem andcherished down through the centuries.

This vale has been a refuge of theelven peoples for over seven thousandyears, and has never fallen to any out-side attack. It is said to be guarded bythe Greater Power Corellon Larethianhimself, when that Power is in the For-gotten Realms. Several times in its longhistory, the mountain fortress has beenattacked by goblins and orc armies, butthese armies have been eradicated byscreaming magical bolts from the sky.

GAME INFORMATION: The High Valleyof Evereska is removed from the com-mon world by its altitude, and this maybe why this region remains stronglyelvish while most of the rest of theElven Nations have gone into retreat.Constant guards and watchposts lacet h e m o u n t a i n s s u r r o u n d i n g t h edomain, so that travelers seekingEvereska are usually discovered by theelvish watchmen first, before they getwithin five miles of the vale.

Those who seek to fly above therange have a similar problem, for theelves of Evereska maintain severalwings of giant eagles, which are used asmounts for the slenderer members ofthe race. Those who seek to enter bymagic (from another plane, or by tele-port) will find all such magical methods

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departed, and adventurers.

GAME INFORMATION: The Elves are inretreat in the North, but this does notpreclude the play of Elven characters.Such Elves are adventurers, and assuch exempt from the dictates of theirnoble rulers. These Elves will be awarethat the nobles of their race may movetheir nations away from humanity(some say by stopping time itself), butnot the method.

Elven player-characters are usuallymoon Elves, though there are wild andgold Elves as well. Play of sea Elves anddark Elves is not recommended, save byagreement with the DM.

ESPARAT A GLANCE: Situated in the richfarmland north of Waymoot, Espar is ascattering of six score of stone buildingswithout central plan or defense.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: Espar is a quietCormyrian farming town, whose localsmithy is reknowned for its swords.

GAME INFORMATION: Espar�s lord isHezom, a 9th level cleric of Helm onleave from his church to fill this posi-tion for the crown.

ESSEMBRA (Ess-SEM-brah)�seeBATTLEDALEEVENINGSTARAT A GLANCE: Eveningstar is an unfor-tified town of fifty or so main struc-tures, situated where the main roadcrosses the Starwater, in Cormyr.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Eveningstar is acrossroads village, and home to skilledcraftsmen who produce wine, parch-ment, and wool for the weavers inSuzail and Daerlun. Eveningstar is amarket for the small but good farms inthe vicinity, with a good inn, The Lone-some Tankard.

GAME INFORMATION: Eveningstar�slord is Tessaril Winter, a 10th level fight-er who is both quick and efficient in herduties to the crown.

foiled (perhaps some gift from Corel-lon).

T h e b e s t m e t h o d o f e n t e r i n gEvereska is as an elf or in the companyof elves, in an open and honest method.Of the vale itself, its resources are richand abundant, dwarfing the meagerresource of the wastes beyond itsmountain walls. Temples of all theelvish deities may he found within, withPatriarchs of superior-level, as well as a�college� of elven and select half-elvenmages who make their specialty theEthereal and Astral Planes.

EVERMEETAT A GLANCE: Evermeet is a largeisland several thousand miles to thewest of the Moonshae Isles, and of simi-lar size to those islands. Despite itsgreat distance, the island of Evermeet iswell-known to most of the knowledg-able of the Realms as the final home ofthe Elven Nations.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Evermeet is theisland kingdom of the elves, which lieswest across the stormy seas, beyondthe lands of men. It is a happy realm, ofdeep, wondrous forests and muchlaughter, where the golden elves, underthe leadership of Moon Elven RoyalHouse, live in rich splendor. The art, themusic, the magical research: all are farabove what is seen elsewhere, even inWaterdeep the Splendid. All elves savethe Drow and half-elven are welcomethere, and many sea-elves live in thesurrounding waters.

To guard this wondrous realm againstmen, particularly the aggressive raid-ers from Ruathym and the Pirate Isles,Evermeet has the mightiest navy of thishemisphere, the most numerous andwell-armed in the known Realms. Basedin the fortress of Sumbrar, with smalleroutposts at Elion and Nimlith, the ves-sels of Evermeet�s fleets patrol from theWave Rocks to the Gull Rocks and �theTeeth,� in a wide circle of ocean.

Boats are built and repaired at Siiluthand call at only a few ports in the landsof men: Eskember, the Moonshae Isles,Neverwinter, and Waterdeep. In the

past, the ships of Evermeet have foughtmany battles with Ruathym, the reav-ers of the Nelanther Pirate Isles, andCalimshan, hurling back all attempts toseize the island or its treasures.

Many of the Elven Nations from theRealms have sought safe haven in Ever-meet, and this navy has aided in ensur-ing those nations which made theirhome on the Sword Coast safe passageto the island. How Elven Nations farinland have made their way to Ever-meet has not yet been revealed, forwhile the Elven Court has vanishedfrom Cormanther, there was no recordof mass migration of the elves.

GAME INFORMATION: The Realm ofEvermeet is ruled by a royal house ofmoon elves, and the royal familyincludes six princes and seven prin-cesses, all masters of the various per-mitted classes of fighter, cleric, andmage. The nation is ruled by QueenAmlaruil, who has ruled alone since thedeath of her husband King Zaor thirtywinters ago.

Elvish ships come in two types; fast,light catamarans and larger, more con-ventional warships. The former is oftencarried by the latter to be sent out asmessengers or scouts, but both arearmed and their crews of the finestquality.

An Evermeet catamaran/scout is adouble-hulled ship with three mainsails, having the following statistics:

Hull Value: 5-8Length: 30�Width: 5 feet per hull, overall 5-10

feetSpeed, Normal Sail: 7 mph

Maximum Sail: 10 mphNormal Oar: 1 mphMax Oar: 1 ½ mph

Armaments: Small ballistae at eachbow

Crew of 10, usually includes a spell-caster

Evermeet warship: as for standard war-ship, though their design permitsreaching normal speed in six rounds asopposed to one turn. Armament varies,but includes several ballistae, a cata-

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pult, and facilities to propel Greek fireat a range of 240 yards (the last is asecret mixture of the royal house). Anelvish warship can have a crew of 80-100 men, led by captains and officerswho are dual-classed (fighter/magic-user or fighter/cleric). In addition, war-ships carry 10-40 marines (see below.).

Elvish warships usually travel inthrees, and carry three catamaranseach. They will attack and sink shipswhich they encounter beyond the WaveRocks, those which attack elvish mer-chantmen or refugees, or those ofelvish make which are manner by non-elves. In addition, most elvish warshipscarry contingents of sea elf marineswhich may scuttle the opposition frombelow, or board its enemies.

ELVERSULT (EL-ver-suhlt)AT A GLANCE: Elversult is a small trad-ing community located where the Over-moor Trail meets the Trader�s Road, inthe lands South of Cormyr. It is a com-mon place for shipments heading forCormyr to be separated from thoseheading west for the Sword Coast.From Elversult such packages are rout-ed either along the winding road northto High Horn, or to the lake ports of Ilip-ur and Pros.

FEATHERDALEAT A GLANCE: This dale is not physi-cally a dale at all, but rather the fertilebanks of the river Ashaba, from Black-feather Bridge to Feather Falls. Its roll-ing farmlands produce much of thestaple food of the dales.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Featherdale hasno ruler and no army, and is still recover-ing from its brief sojourn under thethumb of Scardale. Its farmers are atheart independent of outsiders and self-sufficient, going to Tasseldale for �city�goods. The Dale sends a freely electedrepresentative to the Council, and thatrepresentative has a seven-year term.The current representative is the secondin the line of Kirshoff to serve in thatcapacity in the past generation.

FIELDS OF THE DEADAT A GLANCE: These open, rollinglands between the Winding Water andthe River Chionthar are an area of headfarming, and, along the banks of Chion-thar, crops.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Despite thepeaceful appearances, it was no lessthan 500 winters ago this region was afavorite battleground for those inter-ests contesting control of the landsnorth of Calimshan (this was before thefounding of Amn). With continualbloodshed over centuries of war-seasons, the land was littered with thecairns of the dead and the booty of thefallen. Even today, bones litter the fieldand plows turn up skeletons in rustingarmor, or the occasional magic blade ormetal tubes containing a scroll or trea-sure map.

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FIGHTERSAT A GLANCE: The good sword-arm ofthe Realms are those individuals train-ed in the use of weaponry and tactics,and they may be found, in variousforms, throughout the Realms.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The services oftrained fighters, warriors, rangers, andbarbarians are in constant demand inthe Forgotten Realms, owing to thelarge number of hostile creatures(including men) to be found in theworld.

Fighters and their sub-groupingstend to gravitate to certain positionsand responsibilities, including:l Local Militias, including police

patrols, sentries, watchmen, andin times of hostilities as foot troopsin battle. Such positions are usu-ally low-paying and hold little sta-tus, as in the battlefield suchtroops are often used to softenenemy attacks with �acceptablelosses.�

l Mercenary Companies whichengage in fighting for a price. Thesepay better, but have the disadvan-tage that local rulers/employersusually give the Mercenary Com-

panies the most difficult positionsor tasks, as they have earned it.Trade Guards have the advantageof good benefits and travel withthe disadvantage that the fightermust fight not only to protect hisown life but the property of oth-ers. Some of the smaller tradersoffer high wages but deduct anylosses from those wages.Raiders are the other side of thecoin, and include acts of banditryand piracy. The disadvantage of thislife-style is that the fighter does notnormally operate in civilized areasand may be hunted down by morelaw-abiding groups.Bodyguards and other protectionopportunities offer low pay at rel-atively little risk.Leadership possibilities are availa-ble at high level for fighter-types,as their abilities are generallyunderstood by the populace (asopposed to magic-users and cler-ics) allowing a measure of trust.Adventuring Companies offer thehighest return in advancementand moneys, as well as allowingthe warrior a great degree of inde-pendence. The disadvantage ofthese operations is the great dealof personal risk the fighter isplaced in and the essential need ofcooperation with others.Gladiators and professional fight-ers are a rare occurence in theNorth, though some debauchedregions do set up such matches,usually between slaves or pris-oners against monsters. The olderrealms to the south, includingAmn, Calimshan, and Unther,have established gladitorial guilds.

GAME INFORMATION: Fighters may befound in every part of the Realms,though the tools of their trades varyaccording to area and wealth.

All the weapons and armor listed inP l a y e r � s H a n d b o o k a n d U n e a r t h e dArcana are available in �the North��the region of the Forgotten Realmsdetailed in the enclosed maps. Those

weapons which cost more than 50 gpand armor costing more than 500 gpcan only be readily found in cities, or inthose towns that have smiths of suffic-ient ability to make armor.

Further information on the role ofthe fighter in the Realms is delineated inthe DM�s Sourcebook of the Realms.

THE FORGOTTEN FORESTAT A GLANCE: This forest is a rich,mature woods filled with oak, walnut,and shadowtop trees. The foliage isthick so that the interior is cast in deepshadow.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This forest is theremains of a larger wood that hasdiminished over the years with thespread of Anauroch. It is a mysterious,deeply overgrown wood of huge trees,and travelers who have skirted its edg-es have reported seeing sprites, korred,and unicorns within its depth. The For-gotten Forest is said to have the largestpopulation of treants in The North,ruled by one known as Fuorn. In addi-tion to the treants, the HeirophantDruid Pheszeltan makes his homesomewhere in the depths of this land.Travelers through the forest is discour-aged, and those in the area are highlyencouraged to build their fires onlyusing wood from deadfalls.

GAME INFORMATION: Fuorn has abili-ties as a treant of double the largest hitdie (24), and inflicts 5-30 points of dam-age on a blow.

Pheszeltan is a 16th level druid whomakes his home in the forest, but oftenwanders, up to 300 miles away, inexamining the land and its inhabitants.Using his abilities to alter his appear-ance, Pheszeltan can sometimes hefound in cities mixing with the people.

GLACIER OF THE WHITEWORMAT A GLANCE: The Glacier of the WhiteWorm is a single, isolated river of icelocated some 400 miles south of theGreat Glacier itself, weaving among the

45

highest peaks of the Earthspur Moun-tains. It flows off a high cliff east ofMulmaster into the Moonsea on on side,and into Lake Icemelt on the other.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This glacier ishome to a wide variety of polar crea-tures, giving rise to the idea that it wasonce a part of the larger sheet of ice tothe north. It is farther south than evenits altitude would justify, and somedweomercraft may be involved. Thearea takes its name from the pale albinoremorhazes that inhabit the region.

GLISTERAT A GLANCE: Glister is a small townsituated at the gateway between Thar

and Vaasa. Well-defended by hills onthree sides, the community is a rough-and-ready trading post, willing to dealwith ogre tribesmen and nomads aswell as traders from the Moonsea.

THE GOBLIN RACESAT A GLANCE: The Gobl in Racesinclude all creatures such as Kobolds,Goblins, Orcs, and Hobgoblins. Somesages extend the definition to Ogres,Bugbears, Trolls, and Half-orcs. In gen-eral, these are uncivilized bands of sen-tient creatures that prey on otherbeings, raiding and pillaging when theycan, stealing quietly when they can�t.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The GoblinRaces have existed in the Realms as longas the elves, for elvish histories havemention of the various creatures asbrutish invaders harassing the bordersof their realms. The Goblin Races wereinvolved in race-killing wars withdwarves over their mountain peaks,and with men over the lowlands. Usu-al ly the Gobl in Races have beenrepulsed or crushed, but there aremany dwarven halls in Orcish hands.

The Gobl in Races are genera l lyunder-organized and under-equipped,and would have been wiped out severaltimes over were it not for a rapid breed-ing cycle and a high self-preservationinstinct. Faced with overwhelmingodds, most Goblin Races will waver andretreat, and for this the tag �cowardly�is usually added to their other names.

The Goblin Races tend to be cruel,evil, and malicious, aping mankind indress and title, but with a slant towardsharm as opposed to help. The greatestOrcish citadels of the DesertmouthMountains have are governed by a Kingand Royal Court in a rough travesty ofCormyr. Similarly, those Goblins livingbeyond the range of the Lords of Water-deep tend to have lords who rule fromdisguise in the manner of the Lords ofWaterdeep.

There are members of this race,including some Half-orcs, that bravethe well-deserved hostile attitude of therest of the world in order to seek to

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make an honest or good living, butthese are exceptions to the generalcharacter of these savage creatures.

GNOMESAT A GLANCE: The Gnomes are a small,friendly race of humanoid creaturescommon in most regions of the realms.They are smaller and less-stocky thandwarves, and are thought distant rela-tives (though only Gnomish men havebeards).

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The faces ofGnomes, regardless of age, are linedwith centuries of smiles and frowns, soit appears that these creatures arecarved from wood. Their natural color-ing, from light ash and maple to that ofvarnished and buffed oak increases thetendency to think of Gnomes as awoods-folk, when they are thought ofat all.

The Gnomes are called the ForgottenFolk of the Forgotten Realms, fordespite the fact they seem an everydaysight in major cities, and have good-sized communities of their own, theyseem unbothered by the world and sim-ilarly only rarely become involved withit. Gnomes have no history beyond thememory of the eldest clan-member andthe songs of legend. They have neverdeveloped their own written tongue,rather acquiring the languages aroundthem for everyday use. Unlike the elvesthey have no millennial heritage andunlike the dwarves no deathknelltomorrow. As a result, they tend to takelife as it comes, one day at a time.

G n o m e s a r e a m o n g t h e m o s tcommon-sense beings of a world filledwith all manner of magical things.T h e i r n a t u r a l t e n d e n c y t o w a r d sillusion-craft, instead of making themmore crafty, has given them a wisdomto look beyond the fancy trappings ofspeech and appearance to find outwhat is really there. Gnomes value theirfamilies first, then whatever other rela-t i v e s t h e y e n c o u n t e r , t h e n o t h e rgnomes, then the world, in that order.

GAME INFORMATION: The above

description is for Gnomes in general, ering the general withdrawal of theand need not apply to individual player- Elven Peoples from the Realms. Onlycharacters as a law that �ALL GNOMES the ruling elves know the full reasons,ARE WISE.� Individuals vary within a but it has surmised that there is some-race, and it is as possible to find an thing in the Greycloaks that the elves ofimpulsive Gnome as it is to find a trust- Evereska wish not to fall into the handsworthy halfling. of others.

GREYCLOAK HILLS HALFAXE TRAILAT A GLANCE: These hills are high, roll-ing ridges of earth covered by weedygrasses and occasional patches of smalltrees.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Greycloaksare a small group of high, isolated hills,north of Evereska, and are consideredan outpost of that elven homeland, set-tled less than thirty years ago by a con-tingent of elves and half-elves.

The normal grey garb of these elvishsettlers is what has given the hills theircurrent name. They were previouslyreferred to as the Tomb Hills, for theregion held (and still contains) the finalresting places of long-dead warrior-kings, and was (but is no longer) hauntedby banshees. Adventuring companies upto a few decades ago made forays intothe area to loot these old tombs, but withthe current settlement of elves underThe Evereska Charter, such activitieshave ceased (or at least become morediscreet).

AT A GLANCE: Halfaxe Trail is an over-grown footpath which runs throughthe heart of the Elven Woods, from Har-rowdale to the road running from Hills-far to the Standing Stone.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: An early Lord ofHarrowdale, in the days of the Black-sails (pirates), grew weary of losingtrade outside his harbors, and resolvedto strengthen the importance andwealth of his dale by linking up with theoverland road from Moonsea south toCormyr and the Inner Sea. His chiefobstacle in this goal was the Elven-woods.

The elves and half-elves of the Grey-cloaks are of silver blood, though thereare a few wild (copper) elves amongthen. They are friendly with the groupknown as the Harpers, but wary of theZhentarim and their allies, and extend-ed patrols from Darkhold have beenspotted in the area.

The elves of the Greycloak Hills aresaid to make musical instruments fortrade with men, though they work qui-etly through certain merchants in thetown of Hill�s Edge to the south. The set-tlement is said to be ruled by an elvenLord (7th level fighter/11th level magic-user) named Erlan Duirsar, who is saidby the women of Hill�s Edge to be bothvery tall and handsome.

Despite the elves� claim, the Lord,Halvan the Dark, hired a dwarven engi-neer, Durl Halfaxe, to cut him a road tothe trade road. Halfaxe Trail was thework of the dwarf and an army of men;they burned and cut a mile-wide slashthrough the trees to guard againstelven ambushes. The elves raised anarmy, but were overmatched by men�sweapons and stronger magic, and theTrail was put through.

The reason for the Greycloak settle-ment is unknown, and puzzling consid-

Greedily, Halfaxe commanded hismen to cut on, into the forest west ofthe road where he knew the ruins ofMyth Drannor lay. There he foresawunearthing riches to keep him all hisdays. There the elves raised up old andpowerful magic slumbering in the ruinsand slew the engineer utterly. Not aman or dwarf returned to the party,nor were there bodies to send back.

The Trail has since grown in until it isbut a footpath, close-guarded by theelves; none pass save by their will. It issurprisingly well-used, for the elves arewise traders and not unfriendly to men.Whether the trail remains open in thesedays following the disappearance of theElven Court remains to be seen.

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THE HALF-ELVEN PEOF�LESAT A GLANCE: Half-elves are a mixtureof man and elf, and occupy the middleground between the two. They arestockier than elves and lack the pointedears, though they still have slender andfinely-chiseled facial-features of theelven faces. It is possible for a Half-elf to�pass� as man or elf for brief periods,but usually such duplicity is discovered.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Half-elves arenot a true race, but rather the productof the union of man and elf, and as suchhave no national or racial heritage oth-er than that of the area they have beenbrought up in. A Half-elf that had beenraised in the Elven Court thinks like anelf: one from Aglarond thinks as a man,for the elven people have been longbred into the general population.

Half-elves appear as men, tending tobe slenderer than most but not match-ing the thinness of the elves themselves.Half-elves tend to take on some of thefeatures of their Elvish sub-race:l Moon Half-elves tend to be pale

with just a touch of blue aroundthe ears and at the chin.

l Gold Half-elves tend to be bronzedof skin.

l Wild Half-elves are very rare andtend to have bronzed skin touchedwith green.

l Sea Half-elves tend to he a blend ofthe fleshtones of human and elvenparent. A child of a Lantan mer-chant and a Great Sea Elf willappear a like green.

l Drow Half-elves are very rare andtend to be dusky-colored withwhite hair.

Half-elves may mate and breed, butwill always produce the offspring of theother parent (a Half-elf/elf pairing willproduce elven children, while a Half-elf/human pairing will result in humanchildren). Second generation Half-elvesonly result if two Half-elves marry (as isthe case in Aglarond).

GAME INFORMATION: Half-elf player-characters have the limitations andadvantages as set down for the Half-elf

in the Players Handbook and DMG,regardless of the sub-race of the elvenparent. A drow Half-elf, in other words,would not gain all the drowish abilities,and would be considered N�Tel�Quess byhis people as well.

HALFLINGSAT A GLANCE: Halflings are the small-est of the major races, and to see theircommunities outside some major (andminor) cities, the most numerous (andgrowing). They tend to resemble smallstreet urchins, wise beyond their years.The Halfling of the Forgotten Realmshave a light covering of hairy down allover their bodies, which is most notica-ble on the backs of their hands and topsof their bare feet. Often their faces arebare, though there are more than a fewfull-bearded halflings as well.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Halflingpeople have a saying: �First there wereDragons, then Dwarves, then Elves,then Men. Then it�s our turn!� This atti-tude that all will turn out to their bene-fit (and be served up to them on a silverplatter) is typical of the Halfling mind-set; cocksure, confident, and with morethan a streak of larceny.

A Halfling�s appearance, similar tothat of a small human child, belies thefact that this is a race with the samebasic needs as any other. They live inmany of the same areas as mankind,and may be considered a competitor.Yet as opposed to being hostile, Half-lings have a smug, far-sighted attitudethat these lumbering giants will eventu-ally leave, destroy themselves, or givethemselves up, and that which remainswill be theirs.

This is not to say that halflings as arace or individuals are evil, for theywould do nothing to harm anotherunless harm had been inflicted onthem. But the tendency to take advan-tage is strong. Many a human thieves�-guild has as its master-thief a smallchild-like creature who can sneak intoand out of areas that larger folk cannotmanage.

Halflings are delighted by the concept

of money, which they consider a humaninvention which redeems the race.They enjoy gathering bunches of it, butunlike the dwarves and their ancienthordes, they see no point in keeping it,rather frittering it away on gifts, par-ties, and purchases. Money is a way ofkeeping score on how well you aredoing against the lumbering men.

Halflings come in all shades and withthe same variety of hair and eye coloras men. They tend to respect their fami-lies as groups you do not steal from(though borrowing is permitted), andshow a strong loyalty to friends andthose who have stood up for them.There seem to be no racial sub-groupsof Halflings, though to the far souththere is said to be a nation of the crea-tures, called Lurien, whose inhabitantshave pointy ears. Considering the factthat most of the other dominant racesof the Inner Sea have come originallyfrom the South, the idea of a HalflingNation is disturbing in the least.

HAMMER HALL and theHALLS OF THE HAMMERAT A GLANCE: The Halls of the Ham-mer are an abandoned stockade locateddownstream from the gates of anancient dwarven settlement, equallyabandoned.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Halls of theHammer are an abandoned dwarf-holdwest of Mt. Hilm, generally ignored andin neglect. Hammer Hall is an isolatedhomestead, consisting of a house andstables, and surrounded by a stoutwooden palisade, built by a company ofadventurers. As is common for adven-turing companies working for long per-iods in a particular area, the �Men ofHammer Hall� used the stockade as aplace to retire to between sorties intothe dwarf-hold.

After exploring the ruins for severalseasons, the adventurers are said tohave set off for the north, and have notbeen heard of since. The fate of theirtreasure, and the treasure that mayremain in Hammer Hall, is unknown.

4 8

The aims and activities of the Harpersremain mysterious, but they are knownto work for the causes of good, and tooppose the Zhentarim and the moreaggressive trading kingdoms (such asA m n ) w h o c u t t r a d e - r o u t e s i n t owilderland areas, and fell trees andmine precious things with little regardfor local nonhuman inhabitants. Theyalso work to maintain peace betweenhuman kingdoms (recently opposing

�Rangers and bards of great powerare rare, Florin. Aside from thefamous few; the bard Mintiper, forexample, or the rangers Thulravenand Estulphore; most are membersof that mysterious group known asthe Harpers.

�Storm Silverhand may be one ofthem, but I wish you luck findingout...I tell you this now because all ofus, and of the bards, must considerand respect whatever aims the Harp-ers have: they strike down or turnaside activities that do not fit withtheir wants, and so your own causeswill be advanced or damaged accord-ingly.

�They seem to operate only in theNorth, and there is little else I can tellyou of them. If you see the device ofa silver moon and a silver harp, youface a Harper.�

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: The following istaken from the Druid Briadorn of theCircle of Shadowdale, quoted by theranger Florin Falconhand thusly:

AT A GLANCE: The Harpers are a mys-terious organization of high-leveladventurers, in particular bards andrangers, which operates in the North.The exact a ims of th is group areunknown, as are their numbers and fullidentities, though there are severalnoted members.

THE HARPERS

This area is a true wilderness, traveledby men but seldom settled, and thequestion remains open.

Scardale as a threat to that peace, forinstance), and to thwart at every turnthe burgeoning goblinkin races in theNorth.

Known Harper members includeAlustriel, High Lady of Silverymoon;the archmage Khelben �Blackstaff�Arunsun of Waterdeep; the rangerDove, now bride of Florin; the latew i t c h S y l u n e ; t h e b a r d StormSilverhand; the late ranger Ascore ofE l v e n t r e e ; a n d t h e a d v e n t u r e rSharanralee. Known allies includeElminster the Sage; The Simbul, rulerof Aglarond; and Mourngrym, Lord ofShadowdale.

HARROWDALEAT A GLANCE: Harrowdale is a farmingdale of gentle slopes and old, well-wornroads cut deep into the land, reachingfrom the Dragon Reach to the forestalong Halfaxe Trail.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The northern-most of the coastal dales, Harrowdale�ssurvival has in the past depended upongood relations with the elves. Much ofthe food it produces went to elvish mar-kets, and the elvish court supported it,along with Mistledale, Deepingdale, andShadowdale because its ideals blendedwith their own.

Harrowdale was overrun by Scar-dale�s forces in the recent war, and itwas the appeals of the Dale�s Council ofSeven Burghers that resulted in mobili-zation of the northern countries againstthat threat.

The people of Harrowdale escapedthe war relatively unscathed, and havealready returned to their simple, pleas-ant lives. Harrowdalesmen are oftenportrayed as a bit slow and provincialby the other dales, but they are contentin their lives and, with the abandon-ment of the Elvish Court, are seekingnew markets for their products.

THE HAUNTED HALLSAT A GLANCE: Hidden within a steep-sided gorge north of Eveningstar, theHaunted Halls is a keep built into the

49

cliffwall itself. Its main gates lie twistedand rusted to one side.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The HauntedHalls were a long-standing bandit-hold,cleaned out most recently during thereign of King Azoun III and unoccupiedsince. It has been raided several timessince by adventuring companies, butrumors perist that the Halls hold richtreasure.

THE HIGH DALEAT A GLANCE: The community of HighDale lies north of Sembia, along the car-avan trial from Saerb to Thunderstoneon the Wyvernwater, and is a pass

between Hooknose Crag on the southand the Thunder Peaks to the north.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The High Dale isa dale of terraced farms (which raiseand produce sheep, turnips, potatoes,and hay).

High Dale is ruled by the High Consta-ble, currently one Irreph Mulmar, whois a member of the Dale Council. Thecouncilors are elected once a year, andthe High Constable is one of their num-ber chosen by the councilors them-selves. The High Constable has sixconstables under his control, who com-mand the army and command and trainthe militia.

GAME INFORMATION: The High Dalemaintains a standing militia of 50 fight-ers, armed with sword and spear, but intimes of crisis could muster most of thevale population. In addition, the HighDale is home to the Pegasus ArcheryCompany, a mercenary company ofhorse archers, 75 in number, mountedon light horse and armed with shortcomposite bow.

Irreph Mulmar, the high constable, isa 12th level ranger, and his constablesin command of the militia and archersare fighters of levels 7-10.

HIGH HORNAT A GLANCE: The High Horn is a greatgrim fortress of high curving walls andfrowning towers, and is the center ofCormyr�s military operations.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The great tow-ers of the High Horn were once essen-tial, but are now no longer so heavilyused. It is still the strongest defensiveposition in the realm of Cormyr. Itguards the road to the West, and a stra-tegically important mountain pass, andwas built to protect against the �BorderRaiders� (bandits) and the lizard men ofthe marshes (although these latter havenot proved troublesome since it wasbuilt). High Horn has a guest enclave,where travelers can stay, but is strictlya military community.

GAME INFORMATION: There is a stand-

50

ing garrison of 400 men at High Horn atany time; 100 archers and 300 men-at-arms, led by one 4th level fighter forevery 10 men, and under the overallcontrol of the Lord Commander of HighHorn. The position of Lord Commanderis appointed annually by the King, andis currently Thursk Dembarron, a 15thlevel cavalier.

The High Horn is also the winteringquarters of half the Cormyrian army,and has extensive facilities to host bothman and beast through a season-longsiege.

Finally, there is an outpost of the Cor-myr War Wizards making its base atthis keep. There will always be at leastthree magic-users of 6th level presentat any one time, and a 50% chance of aspell-caster of levels 7-12 in residence atany time.

THE HIGH MOORAT A GLANCE: The High Moor is a vast,rocky wasteland rising to a gorge-scarred plateau cloaked in grass andscrub trees.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Moor isoften shrouded in mist, and is the hometo many trolls and bugbears, as well asgoblin races. The monstrous inhabit-ants often raid the roads, so that mer-chants often collect in large caravansand hire additional guards, and TheWay Inn (q.v.) maintains a permanentforce of well-armed defenders. The soilof the Moor is too thin for farming andits rock (mostly granite) too poor invaluable ores to support permanent set-tlements; the barbarian humans foundin these lands depend on herding sheepand goats and overland trading fortheir livelihoods.

HIGHMOON �see DEEPINGDALEHILL OF LOST SOULSAT A GLANCE: Once in the years beforeeven the elves lived in the north, thiswas an extinct volcano, but has with thepassage of the winters become littlemore than a hill with a cup-like peak. Its

sides are covered with soft, shiny grass,and only the occasional outcropping ofhardened lava or a scattering of obsidi-an chips belies its true origin.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The slopes ofthis grass-cloaked peak were home toan armed camp at the time of the Battleof the Bones (q.v.) and it was here thatthe armies of men raised their stand-ards and tended their wounded. Inmore recent times, the peak has beenused by rogue spel l -casters as ameeting-place, and by the HeirophantDruid Pheszeltan (see FORGOTTENFOREST) to work mighty weather mag-ics. Today the Hill is empty, save for theHaunts (spirits of the fallen men) andtribes of goblin races.

Somewhere on the Hill of Lost Souls isthe tomb of Thelarn �Swifthammer,�son of Mongoth. This dwarven adven-turer is said to lie entombed with ahammer of thunderbolts and a weaponcalled Skysplitter, an intelligent war axethat has the ability to call lightning, aswell as much gold. The Tomb of The-larn has not been uncovered, and atleast one group of adventurers, theMen of the Blue Blade, have met theirend at the hands of orc bands whilelooking for it.

HILLSFARAT A GLANCE: Located on the SouthernShore of the Moonsea, Hillsfar is one ofthe petty states vying for control in thatarea with Zhentil Keep. Like many ofthe Cities of the Moonsea, Hillsfar is aseries of ringed walls reaching from thecoast to the city proper, with access tothe central keep restricted only to thoseindividuals currently approved by thecurrent government.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Hillsfar, former-ly the most open city on the Moonsea,has recently changed markedly in out-look, a change directly linked to the dis-appearance of the elves. Formerly the�meeting-ground� between the elvesand humankind for trade and diplo-matic dealings, Hillsfar is today anambitious, well-armed city-state, chal-

lenging Zhentil Keep for economicsupremacy in the region, and now visi-bly ready to meet any resultant militarythreat.

Hillsfar was until recently ruled by acouncil of men, half-elves, and repre-sentatives of the Elven Court. TheCouncil was corrupt and soon collapsedwhen troubled t imes came to theregion: the elven members resignedand left with the Elven Court, and all ofthe humans and most of the half-elveswere in the pay of various foreignpowers; Zhentil Keep, Mulmaster, Scar-dale, Sembia, the drow and the Cult ofthe Dragon (some were paid by two ormore of these groups).

The Council was overthrown lastwinter, and the city is now governed byMaalthiir, First Lord of Hillsfar, amerchant-mage who is said to beshrewd, ruthless, and independent ofSembia, Mulmaster, Zhentil Keep, Cor-myr, and other power groups in thearea. He has no known allies (or ene-mies) as yet. Rumor has it that he hasplans to annex Elventree and spreaddown the coast, eventually opening aport on the Inner Sea. His mercenaryguards, already nicknamed �The RedPlumes,� have a squad in Scardale, andp a t r o l s o u t h t o w a r d E s s e m b r a .Maalthiir has assured Sembian envoysthat he intends to establish a guardpostat The Standing Stone eventually withthe latter force, nothing more.

GAME INFORMATION: The new gov-e r n m e n t o f M a a l t h i i r i s a g r e a tunknown in the Moonsea area, and hisaims are unknown but can be assumedto be expansionist. However, in notingthat first glances may be misleading,what follows is a passage written by theSage Elminster in response to an adven-turer�s inquiry as to the previous, now-revealed as corrupt, government:

�Hillsfar is a free city, governed by aloose, democratic Council of Mer-chants. All members must base theirbusinesses within the city, and have onevote each. The Council is called togeth-er each Greengrass, each Shieldmeet,and in times of emergency. The Council

in turn elects and advises a Court ofElders, who control the Watch andserve as magistrates. These Elders holdoffice for life, and have one vote eachon any decision of the Council. AnElder�s vote can be overturned by amajority vote of the Court of Elders.The Council numbered 306 when lastconvened; the Elders have always been14 strong. Of these 14, four are men offame and distinction (heroes and sages),seven are half-elves, and three areelves. They are as follows.

�The representatives of the ElvenCourt: Tiarshus, Elephon, and Sylvar

�The Half-elves: Duarros, Milzhen,Niunen Hlintos, Torst Brathen, Hir-panen, Krios, and Hlathem

�The human heroes: Elske, Ammakar,Hlammech Bevuldor, and Ormech

�Little can be said of their charactersand interests. The sage Elminster hasdealt with Tiarshus and Elephon andnotes them as old and noble elf-lords.Rumor says that Niunen and Torst arebards, that Ammakar is a young butwhite-haired, cruel magic user, andOrmech is a cleric of Tempus.�

While Elminster�s entry stresses thatthis is secondhand information, and notverified facts, it does go to show the lim-itations of even mighty sages in the faceof human nature and greed.

The Red Plumes are various merce-nary companies, carrying their owncompany insignia and dress but wear-ing the red-plumed helms provided byMaalthiir to show their allegiance. Theyvary in attitude and ability as most mer-cenary companies (see MERCENARIES).

HILL�S EDGEAT A GLANCE: Hill�s Edge is a small butprosperous community along one ofthe less - t raveled routes betweenIrieabor and Waterdeep, at the foot ofthe Far Hills.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This is a no-questions asked town where raidersare as common as traders. Situatednear the western entrance of YellowSnake Pass, the town sees a lot of trade

5 1

and agents of the Zhentarim and theirforces at Darkhold.

HILPAT A GLANCE: Hilp is a small town ofsouthern Cormyr. It is unfortified, andsurrounded by rolling farms and graz-ing lands.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This sleepy vil-lage between Immersea and Suzail isnamed for the warrior who founded itlong ago by slaying or driving out all thetrolls that infested the area. It is thelocal farmers� market and has a largecoopers� and wagonmakers� business.

GAME INFORMATION: The local lord ofHilp is a former merchant named DoonDzavar. Doon is not a native to Cormyr,but has worked hard in his brief tenureto earn both the approval of the peopleof Hilp and the crown.

HLINTAR (Heh-LIN-tar)AT A GLANCE: Hlintar is a small cross-roads town situated a days hard ridefrom both Calaunt and Tantris, to theEast of the Dragon Reach.

HLUTHVAR (Heh-LUTH-var)AT A GLANCE: This town of a hundredbuildings is set at the foot of the FarHills, and surrounded by a wall of stoneten feet high. Three gates pierce thewall, and wall-tops are patrolled. Thetown is circular, and its largest buildingis a temple near the center of town.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Hluthvar wasnamed for a locally born warrior herowho fought and died at the Battle of theBones. Located at the foot of the FarHil ls , the town is within s ight ofDarkhold (q.v.) and is armed against it,and its patrols are not welcome here.

Hluthvar is a medium-sized town sur-rounded by a ten-foot high wall ofstone, which surrounds the city in arough circle. The streets of the cityradiate from the central open marketlike the spokes of a wheel, with the larg-est street being the north-south roadthat follows the Trade Route. At the

north end of the circle stands a templeto Helm and a large livery stable, at thesouthern end a wagonwain�s shop andthe local inn, The Watchful Eye.

GAME INFORMATION: The town isdominated by the temple of Helm,whose high priest is a 13th level Patri-arch named Maurandyr. The town�smilitia consists of 70 2nd-level fightersof both sexes, in plate mail with swordsand crossbows, and is organized by thetemple.

HUDDAGH (HUHD-agh)AT A GLANCE: A small town in Sembia.It is the site of several deep, never-failing wells of pure mineral water usedby a number of local faiths as an ingre-dient for their holy water. It is also thehome of a number of reknown pottersand jewelers. See SEMBIA.

IMMERSEAAT A GLANCE: Perched on the westernedge of the Wyvernwater, Immersea isan unfortified town of about a hundredstructures, with several large manorsto the south and west of the city.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Immersea is away-town on the road, a stopover andwatering-place for the horses and live-stock, as it is right on the Wyvernwater.A large inn, The Five Fine Fish, pro-duces its own potent and justly-famedale here.

The manor to the south and west iscalled Redstone for its color, and isancestorial home of the Wyvernspurfamily, a group of petty nobles. The cas-tle is also the current abode of Sam-tavan Sudacar, the local lord appointedby the King. Samtavan is neither local(he is a native of Suzaill nor a Lord, andhis main occupation is to stay out of theway while his Herald handles theimportant business of the area.

Immersea is also home to the �Mist-Fishers,� who go out in the morningmists to catch fish in the Wyvernwaterwith long draglines and scoop-nets. Amap of Immersea may be found onpage 53.

52

GAME INFORMATION: Samtavan Suda-car had a brief career as an adventurerbefore settling down to a life of courtpolitics, and is a 3rd level fighter. Hisalignment is lawful neutral.

IMPILTUR (IM-pill-tur)AT A GLANCE: Impiltur is a nation ofunited city states rising in the areabetween the Earthfast mountains andthe bay called Eastingreach, south ofDamara on the shores of the Sea of Fall-ing Stars.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Impultur wasformed two hundred and sixty wintersago, when the independent cities ofLyrabar, Hlammach, Dilpur and Sarshelwere united by Imphras, war-captain ofLyrabar, to face the menace of hobgob-lin hordes advancing from the Giant-spire Mountains, from whence theyhad only raided sporadically before.

Impiltur today is a war-ready realm,still on the frontier of �civilized� lands,but largely at peace. It is friendly withits neighbors Telflamm, Rashemen,Aglarond, and the scattered states ofDamara, and does not meddle in affairsbeyond its borders.

Impiltur is still a land of opportunityfor the daring and the hard-working;rich new copper, silver, and iron lodeshave been found north of Lyrabar andnear the High Pass, and trade is increas-ing in the area, reaching out to Rashe-m e n , S e m b i a , P r o c a m p u r , a n dBloodstone Pass,

The arms of Impiltur are a crossedsword and wand on a dun banner, bor-dered in scarlet.

G A M E I N F O R M A T I O N : M o s t o fImpiltur�s imediate neighbors arefriendly and open to the nation and itscitizens. One is not, and another is ques-tionable.

Lothchas the bandit-lord operates inthe Desertspire Mountains and the IceGorge to the west, where the hobgob-lins lived ere their strength was broken.Lothchas is a 15th level lord with asmall but powerful group of followers(numbering about 50 total, but includ-

ing all non-good character classes andnot including any less than 9th level).Those trespassing on his lands arerobbed and slaughtered, and not eventhe descendants of Imphras II can turnhim out.

The other neighbor is questionable;to the north and east in the Great Daleand the woods north of where Narfellonce flourished, dwells the Nentyarch,a mysterious mage of great power whorules grim men and strange beasts, liv-ing in peace, unless the wood is enteredby those he has not invited; such unin-vited guests simply vanish.

Sambryl is a magic-user of 17th leveland chaot ic -good a l ignment , whounderstands the need for her appear-ance at leadership but finds it boringand tedious at best, unpleasant andinsulting at worst.

The Lords of Imphras II are the trueprotectors of the realms, and numbertwelve; their levels are unknown butnot less than 11th, and their alignmentalmost always lawful and good. Theirnames are:

l

l

l

l

Kyrlraun (a 20th level paladin),Imbra, Lashilaun, Limbrar, Soargilm,Haelimbrar, Sambrar, Rilimbraun,Imbraun, Silmgar, Silaunbrar, andRilaunyr.

IRIAEBOR (Ear-ee-AY-bore)AT A GLANCE: The many-towered cityof Iriaebor occupies a sprawling ridgeabove the south fork of the River Chion-thar. It is the farthest that barges can bepulled up the river, and this, combinedwith the fact that the city is the end-point of roads coming out of Cormyrand the Inner Sea, makes Iriaebor oneof the most populous and economicallypowerful cities in the region.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Irieabor is calledthe �Overland City,� and it is here thatmany caravans form up for the over-land journey to Scornubel, or to be fer-ried downriver before making the trekacross The High Moor.

The bluff the city is built on is impres-sive and an adequate defense againstmost attackers, but space is at a premi-

um on the relatively flat top, so thatIriaebor has more towers than any oth-er city of its size. Indeed, the variousmerchant houses indulge in shamelesscompetition to exceed the others, withoccasional collapses as a particular spellneeded for construction elapses, orshoddy materials are used.

The plains surrounding Iriaebormake the city a center for breeders offine mounts and draft beasts. In addi-tion to towers, the city�s craftsmen areknown for construction of kegs andbarges (which are of better quality thanmost of the towers).

GAME INFORMATION: The Ruler ofIriaebor is Bron, who was an adventur-er (cleric of Eldath of 12th level) cata-pulted into the position in the heat of ashooting war between merchant fami-lies. Bron feels Iriaebor has the resourc-es to become another Waterdeep instrength and power, if only he can keepthe feuding Merchant families fromengaging in economic sabotage, tower-building, and cut-throat dealings. Hehas to date failed in his attempts to evenslow down the feuds.

THE IRON HOUSEAT A GLANCE: The Iron House is theroyal court of the best-known dwarvishkingdom, the Mines of Tethyamir northof the Lost Vale. It is now in exile.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: The Iron Houseis the royal family of the dwarves whoonce ruled the rich mines of Tethyamir,and are now in hiding, driven out bydevil-led orcs and hobgoblins, aided bythe Zhentarim. The Iron House is head-ed by Ghel l in , the King- in-Exi le .Dwarves in the Inner Sea lands speakof, and work toward, the day when �theKing shall take his throne again.� Ghel-lin has corresponded with Doust of Sha-dowdale via the now-departed elves ofthe Elven Court, but his current where-abouts and the size of his present dwar-ven community is unknown. Forfurther information see DWARVES.

KARA-TUR (Kah-rah-TOUR)AT A GLANCE: Situated at the far end ofthe continent of Faerun, far beyondRashemen and legendary Semphar, liesa mystical and magical land known asKara-Tur. It is a region very differentfrom the Known Lands of the Realms,but only the hints of whispers of leg-ends have come across that land to this.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Many are thestories and few are the facts known ofthis land at the far side of the world,and many stories that cannot be fit else-where are said to come �from Kara-Turwhen the world was still new�. A hand-ful of the stories are similar to this:

It is a magical land where men canwalk through walls and uponwater, and where multi-headedwarriors contend to defend theirlords.It is a savage land where westernoutsiders, called Gaygin, are wor-shipped as gods and then sacrificedin cruel fashions.It is a calm land, and the great hubaround which the entire universerevolves around is planted at itsheart, in the Land of Sholung.It is an evil land, where men areslaves to immortal dragons thatbreathe steam, and spirits that arenot undead wander forests ofcarved jade.

Other tales are similar, but no hardinformation exists on the matter.

GAME INFORMATION: The landdescribed as Kara-Tur is located at thefar end of the continent of the landsdescribed here. For those interested inadventuring in Kara-Tur, the book Ori-ental Adventures and its modules arehighly recommended.

KNIGHTS OF THE NORTHAT A GLANCE: The Knights of theNorth are a band of adventurers with adeeply-held hatred of Zhentil Keep andthe Zhentarim. They range in theMoonsea area , but are somet imesfound as far east as Impiltur andDamara, and as far west as Cormyr.

54

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Citadel ofthe Raven (q .v . ) was or ig inal ly acommonly-held fortress that protectedall of the Moonsea cities from beast-men attacks, and was recently takenover by Zhentil Keep. Originally staffedby troops from all of the Moonsea citiesand bolstered by adventurers from allover the Realms, paid collectively bythe Moonsea cities, the Citadel of theRaven acquired a sense of communityand an aristocracy of sorts over itseighty-odd winters of independence.Then Zhentil Keep openly took controlof the Citadel, the banner of the watch-ful Raven of the North was torn down,and all persons of influence in the Cita-del were expelled.

Those outcasts who survived the nas-ty skirmishes that accompanied theirexpulsion wandered east and north,and escaped the immediate reach ofZhentil Keep. They took the name�Knights of the North,� and haveroamed the area ever since. Initially aband of forty-odd adventurers, theKnights have encountered both fear-some monsters and harsh weather intheir travels, as well as deadly encount-ers with the Zhentarim and otherinhabitants of the inner Sea northlands.

The Knights of the North remain animplacable foe of Zhentil Keep and theZhentarim. Ambushed caravans andmurdered Zhentil Keep envoys oragents sometimes sport one or more ofthe devices of the Knights, often withcomments such as �One for the Raven,��Keeping score? We are� or �Justice foranother.�

Waterdeep

GAME INFORMATION: The numbers ofthe original Knights have been reducedover the passing winters; they are cur-rently sixteen strong, as follows.l 7th level cavalier Esterelvel 12th level magic-user Ildill 10th level fighter Jhesentel Fyreta-

len, noted as having weapon spe-cialization in long bow and bastardsword

l 9th level cleric of Tymora HeldelThasstan

l 11th level magic-user �Zeldar�

(Zhuirente l Laughingwater , aMoon elven female)

l 9 male human fighters, levels 4 orless

This group realizes it can never gaincontrol of the Citadel, but it will nevermiss a chance to thwart or harm theZhentarim, either.

THE KNIGHTS OF THE SHIELDAT A GLANCE: A secretive group activein Amn, Tethyr, Baldur�s Gate andWaterdeep, the Knights of the Shieldare a group of nobility and merchantsworking to influence the politics of theSword Coast to their own advantage.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Lords ofWaterdeep are known to have foiledplans of this group on several occasionsin the past, and there is a persistentrumor that the Knights of the Shieldhave, or are trying to acquire, repre-sentatives among the ranks of the Lordsof Waterdeep. Another pers is tentrumor (especially among the elves,from whom it spread to some adventur-ers and sages in this North) is that somedisguised arch-devil (whose name var-ies according to the rumor-monger)heads or influences this group. Thefirst rumor is probably true, for theKnights of the Shield are trying to getmembers into the Lordship of Water-deep (although it is unknown anddoubtful that they have the allegianceof any of the present membership), thesecond is an open question.

The aims, real power, and preciseactivities of this group are unknown. Itis not known where this group cameinto being, who heads it, or what holdsit together. Investigations of such mat-ters are, of course, perilous.

The group�s members, agents, orallies include or have included the fol-lowing individuals.

Lord Bormul of AmnLord Hhune of Tethyrthe merchant Kestor of Baldur�s Gatet h e m e r c h a n t M o r n t e l o f A m n(deceased)the Lady and merchant Thione of

the caravan-master Piyrathur ofIriaeborthe adventurer Tuth of Baldur�s Gate

KULTA (KUHL-tah)AT A GLANCE: A small community inSembia, known for it horse-breedingranches. See SEMBIA.

LANTANAT A GLANCE: Lantan is a southernnation some thousand miles south ofthe Moonshae Isles, known for its mer-chant traders, which are found up anddown the Sword Coast.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The tradingkingdom of Lantan is widely known forits maroon-sailed, lateen-rigged ships,which ply the crystal and decks greenwaters of the southern seas of theRealms. It is a land of lush jungle androck pinnacles a top which perch theturretted aerial homes of the Lantanna.These homes are often joined to neigh-boring abodes by spidery, raillessbridgespans. The Lantanna carry onenergetic independent sea-trading inorder to make enough money to enrichtheir homes with splendid ornamenta-tion and new ideas or inventions, theexperimentation with and implementa-tion of which the Lantanna area con-stantly encouraging.

Lantan is peopled by contented folkwho worship Gond WondermakerPower of Artificers. The Lantanna pre-fer to avoid conflict, viewing combat aswasteful and expensive, but the isles ofLantan and Suj are rumored to be pro-tected by �secret weapons� developedb y L a n t a n e s e a r t i s a n s . F u r t h e r ,encounters with the trading vessels ofLantan have in the past revealed �fire-throwers� similar to those of Evermeet,floating explosive nets, and other sur-prises �consecrated to Gond.�

Both islands of the nation, Lantan andSuj, are ruled from the capital of Sam-bar by the Ayrorch, a Counci l ofTwelve, whose members serve for lifeand themselves select replacements to

5 5

their ranks. The head of the Ayrorch,the �Ayrar,� speaks for the council inLantan; another member of the Coun-cil, the �Lantar,� is its traveling envoy toother lands. Neither position is tradi-tionally given by seniority or as ar e w a r d f o r s e r v i c e o r m e r i t ; t h eAyrorch seems to sort out its duties on apragmatic basis, those with a talent orliking for certain tasks undertakingthem.

Lantanna as a race favor shades ofyellow in their clothing, and have largegreen or black eves, copper-coloredhair, and skin the color of parchment orold ivory. They wear loose robes andlarge sun-hats when at home on theirislands, and anything practical when onship or trading ashore elsewhere. Lan-tanna often barter, but among them-selves use coins, particularly electrumand platinum, as currency. The currentknown Ayrorch of Lantan is:

Ayrar: ThagrLantan: BloeninSantar (an ancient Lantan word

meaning �others�): Bhaemul, Thonn,Meskal, Ghundal, Ormthess, Kuthil,R a m a t a r , L o t h n a , U l m r e e n , a n dTheshna

Lantanna dislike traveling far inland,but they do have widely-roving agentswho keep tabs on inland events and oncaravan companies, mainly based inAmn and Waterdeep, authorized totrade for, and with the goods of, Lan-tan. These agents are believed responsi-ble for the slaying of the merchantArghul, who had a rather unscrupu-lous reputation for self-serving treach-ery. Arghul was a prominent merchantof Amn and of Westgate, and thought tobe a member of the Zhentarim, andLantanna are thought to be heartily dis-liked by that organization as a result.

GAMING INFORMATION: Unless anexpedition to Lantan is planned, theLantanna most likely to be encounteredare merchants or agents. The Lantannaabroad tend to use native help wher-ever possible, so that only the leadersare Lantanese.

The typical Lantanese merchant is

also a cleric of Gond of levels 5-10, andusually is accompanied by a group ofbodyguards (sometimes Lantanna,often local) that numbers 3-12. Suchmerchants prefer a light touch to theirdealings as opposed to brute force,though when such force is necessary,they will hire adventurers.

The Lantar is Bloenin, a 24th levelcleric of Gond who delights in the inter-action of systems, in particular humansystems such as governments, politics,a n d e c o n o m i c s . T h o s e f o r t u n a t eenough to encounter the man will findhim reserved and almost alien in hisdealings, as if wheels were physicallyturning behind his green eyes.

Lantar ships have the same basic abili-ties as small and large merchants, butstyle of rigging and blood-rust color sails.Their �fire throwers� have the effects of afireball of 4 HD and 5� in diameter, with arange of 120 yards. The exploding netsinflict 1-2 points of hull damage and 2-12points of damage to those in contactwhen they explode, and are usuallydropped behind when a Lantan mer-chant is fleeing from a raider.

Lantan merchants carry trade bars ofelectrum and platinum, usually in thes t a n d a r d t w e n t y - f i v e g o l d p i e c edenominatations, and marked with thesymbol of Gond. This money is consid-ered universal tender, but it has causeda number of fights when presentedbeneath the noses of individuals fromZhentil Keep.

Finally, the people of Lantan have amania for invention and devices. AnArtificer, alchemist, or inventor whocomes up with a new device will soonhave a very persuasive Lantanna (or hisagents) on his doorstep, making inqui-ries. It is known that Lantan gainedknowledge of the printing press fromthe magical southern nation of Halruaa,and it is hinted that this aquisition wasneither legal nor proper.

THE LAUGHING HOLLOWAT A GLANCE: The Laughing Hollow is aconstriction in the flow of the River Shin-ing, bordered by cliffs on either side.

56

Plant and animal life is plentiful on thevalley floor, and the walls bear traces ofhaving once been worked for stone.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Located upriverfrom Daggerford, the hollow is anancient dwarven quarry, now over-grown and green with the passage ofcenturies. The area is considered a feyand treacherous place by mortals, butis the home to tribes of wild (copper)elves, pixies, and other fairy creatures.The quarry was once the home to theDwarves of the Fallen Kingdom, andrumors persist as to the ancient trea-sure that may be found here.

THE LIVING CITYAT A GLANCE: Built over the ruins ofancient Sarbreen, The Living City isknown by many names. It is a large andprosperous trading center on the DragonReach, where the Fire River flowsbetween two large hills and into theReach.

THE LONELY MOORAT A GLANCE: This region on the bor-ders of Anauroch is not as great awasteland as the desert, but it is similarin its desolation. It is a dying, emptyland of scrub and dust.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Named for itsisolation from civilized areas, thisstretch of moorland is wilderness terri-tory, populated by leucrotta and worsemonsters. This region is yet traveledheavily by men, for the Zhentarim andothers seeking to avoid the normalchannels of traffic skirt this land enroute to the northern town of Llorkh.

The Lonely Moor was once the west-ern edge of a kingdom that stretchedroughly Evereska north to the NetherMountains. This kingdom was knownas Netheril, and was said to have beenruled by mages; little is known of theformer realm today save that manyitems of magic were fashioned there,and legends say that the Great Desertadvanced across its lands despite theeffort of its mages. The northern ruinsof Dekanter is the only known surviv-

ing ruin of the kingdom�s cities, and thatis little more than a set of tumbledstones and crumbling pillars. Some saythat Dekanter holds the entrance to avast land beneath Faerun, but nonehave admitted to finding such anentrance in recent years.

GAME INFORMATION: Zhentarim (andother) caravans found within theserealms will be light on the number ofwagons and heavy on the number ofguards, Only 1-6 wagons will be found insuch a caravan, but guards will number10 mounted guards per wagon. There is5% chance that some magical item will befound in such a wagon caravan.

THE LORDS� ALLIANCEAT A GLANCE: This group is also knownvariously as �The Council of Lords:� �theLords� Council,� and �the trade barons,�and was formed to oppose the Zhentarimand their agents. It is a lawful and essen-tially good alliance of the rulers of the cit-ies of Waterdeep, Mirabar, Neverwinter,Silverymoon, Baldur�s Gate, Elturel, Ber-dusk, Iriaebor, and Sundabar. It is not tobe confused with the Lords of Waterdeep(see WATERDEEP), though members ofthe latter belong to the former.

The Alliance communicates by offi-cial envoys, the trained pigeons of Pier-geiron the Golden of Waterdeep, andthe magical arts of Khelben �Blackstaff�Arunsun, and has co-ordinated militaryoperations against Zhentarim annexa-tion of an exclusive overland traderoute.

The coastal city of Luskan, north ofNeverwinter, is not a member of thisgroup, as it receives most of its goods bysea, and places a fierce value on its inde-pendence that precludes any alliances.The kingdoms of Amn and Calimshanare indifferent to the alliance, or sidesecretly with the Zhentarim for eco-nomic reasons�while there is trade-strife in the North, the overland routeswithin their own borders wi l l beenriched.

MAGIC-USERS (IncludingIllusionists)AT A GLANCE: In many races, and pre-dominantly in humanity, certain indi-viduals have the ability to channel theambient magical energies of the worldto produce a desired effect. This abilityis called magic, or �the art,� in the For-gotten Realms, and there are a largernumber of practitioners of it.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: There are allmanner of spell-casters in the ForgottenRealms, and though universities andmagical schools are on the rise, themajority of spell-casters learn theirskills in the time-honored fashion; byapprenticeship to a higher-level mage.After years of what seem to the studentto be arduous and unpleasant tasks, thetutoring mage will begin instructions inthe easiest cantrips, then later movingon to the first spell books. Upon learn-ing the basics, the young spell-casterusually journeys out to gain some real-life experience with his craft. Some gono further in their development, seek-ing other safer pursuits, and some per-ish in their adventures. Those thatsurvive return to their former masters,or to others of greater skill, to learngreater magics, and to share what theythemselves have discovered.

The universities and schools of magicare this simple procedure written large,with many such wizards and sages withvarious specialties. These are a novelthing in the North, becoming popularonly in the past ten winters, thoughthey are more common (and, it is add-ed, more expensive) in the South. Out-side the town of Beregost is an oldschool of magic, now ruined, whichpre-dates such activity in the North.

Universities, as they now stand, teachgeneral magical knowledge, and arefound in the larger cities, such asWaterdeep, or operating out of a stringof private homes, such as in Cormyr,and can produce a would-be mage can-didate in a few years. Schools of Magicare similar, save they tend to concen-trate on particular disciplines, such as

57

illusion, necromantic magic, or altera-tions. Today, the bulk of powerfulmages were trained by a single hand,but a growing percentage of the newmagic-users in the world are comingfrom such universities and schools ofmagic.

Practitioners of the Art of Magic arefound in most walks of life, and thereare former mages among the merchantclass and courtiers. Many make theirliving at magic, either as court wizards,adventurers, or sages (the last being theleast well-paid or recognized). Oftenthey devote long periods of time to pro-ducing magica l i tems. When theyadventure, they are looking both formoney to fund their researches, formagical items to understand and com-prehend, and for books to expand thescope of their learning.

Magic-users develop a �signaturerune� which they use to identify theirbelongings, sign as their name, andmark or warn others. As a mage gainsin power, more individuals recognizethe rune and connect it with a mightymage, not to be trifled with. Since somerunes are connected with magicalspells, this enforces the tendency ofordinary people to shy, away from suchmagically-marked items. A few of thewell-known mage-runes are found onthis page. There is no set penalty forviolating another mage�s signature runeor using it without their permission.Powerful magic-users tend to punishsuch activity themselves to discouragefurther use.

GAME INFORMATION: Magic-users andIllusionists in the Forgotten Realms areas delineated in the Player�s Handbookand Unearthed Arcana. Their originsa r e s i m i l a r w h e t h e r t h e y a r euniversity-schooled or the product of alone wizard�s tutoring. If the charactercomes from a background of a largecity, he may choose; otherwise it is 90%likely that the new magic-user wasinstructed by a lone wizard ( theremaining 10% means origin in a partic-ular location, such as the Moonshaes,and training at a magical academy).

A magic-user can gain additionalmagic-user spells from another mage ofsufficient level, as delineated in theDMG. Where a spell is learned does notusually determine its abilities.

Magic-users relearn their spells fromspell-books, and usually maintain twosets: a traveling set for use in the wil-derness, and a large, more complete setin the area of home base. Such booksare very important, and there are manyspecialized books which were oncemagic-user�s tomes that are highly val-ued for the original spells therein. Suchbooks, are handled in the DM�s Source-book to the Realms.

Finally, a mage�s signature rune maybe developed by a mage at any time,though it should not be altered oncecreated (to avoid confusion). This runeis used in all spells which require writ-ing (including symbol spells), and innon-magical terms to indicate propertyor for messages. In a world where themajority of the people speak, but do notread, a common language, such runesare important to instruct the unknow-ing and to warn the cautious.

MANKINDAT A GLANCE: The most populous andstrongest of the major races of the For-gotten Realms, Man is considered thedominant race in this region of Faerun.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The race of Manin Faerun comes in all shapes, sizes, andcolors, with individuals approachingthe height of the halflings, the stocki-ness of the dwarf, and the slendernessof the elf. Their skin color ranges fromthe pale, almost translucent Lantans tothe dusky dark-eyed natives of Unther,with all shades in between. The conceptof sub-races in mankind does not exist,as all nationalities can interbreed with-out difficulty, and their children, unlikethe elves, will have traits of either orboth parents, so that after a time anyremoved group of humans has its ownidentity which may change in a fewgenerations with the introduction ofnew settlers or invaders.

Mankind is also one of the most agres-sive of the major races, approaching thegoblins in ferocity and the dwarves int h e i r s i n g l e - m i n d e d d r i v e w h e naroused to battle. At any time in theNorth, some group of humans, oftenwith non-human allies, is fighting someother group. The dwarves think it isbecause human lives are so short it doesnot matter, while the elves tend to thinkit is because humanity has not yet fig-ured out how to communicate proper-ly.

Mankind has a spoken and writtenlanguage that is accepted as Realm-speak and Tradetongue even betweennon-humans. They have developed theidea of money from beyond the dwarv-ish conception of raw ore accumulatedinto a maze of different systems andcoinage. They have generated art andliterature and commentary by the ton-load, and raised the practice of slaugh-tering a foe to an art form and ascience.

Mankind�s attitudes range from thebeatific to the diabolic, and its numbersinclude clerics of good faiths, pirates,traders, kings, beggars, slaves (in thesouth), mages, heroes, cowards, fisher-men, and mercenaries. Their abilitiesare limitless, and the question arisesthat when this race finally gets all thequirks out of their systems and getsmoving, will there be any room left forthe other races of the Realms?

MARSEMBER (Mar-SEM-burr)AT A GLANCE: Marsember i s thesecond-largest city of Cormyr, and, likethe capital at Suzail, is a seaport on theDragonmere. Marsember is built on aseries of small islands, with each islandcrossed and recrossed by a number ofcanals.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Marsember isthe City of Spices, and is so namedbecause four rival trading familiesbased here have shipped spices to andfrom lands far across the inner Sea fordecades, drawing much of the trade incondiments for the region here.

Because of the large numbers of small

5 8

fishing boats that work out of its harbor(or anchor in the mouth of the Whe-loon, but bring their catches here forsale), Marsember is the kingdom�s busi-est port.

Marsember is infamous for its intri-cate network of sewer-like, narrow,winding canals, which run throughoutthe entire city. Spans of stone connectthe upper floors of close buildings, andlight skiff are poled through the streets.Flat, hard ground is at a premium inMarsember, so that only the courts ofthe wealthy and the places of govern-ment have large plazas laid out abovethe high water mark.

GAME INFORMATION: The light skiffsused in the canals of Marsember shouldbe treated as rafts, though their dimen-sions are 8-10� long and 2-4� feet wide.

Marsember is ruled in the name ofthe King by Ildool, a grasping politicalhack who retains his job is part bybemoaning how terrible it is, so that noothers covet his post. Rumors fly thatIldool skims his tithes to the crown, butall accounting to date has been proper.Ildool is a 7th level cavalier of neutralalignment.

MARSH OF CHELIMBER(Sheh-LIM-ber)AT A GLANCE: The marsh of Chelimberis 1000 square miles of low ground atthe headwaters of the Winding Water.It is a misty, overgrown bog broken bysmall hillocks. There are a large num-ber of ruins in the marsh.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This vast swampis known to be inhabited by lizard-menand other creatures hostile to men. Thelizard-men are said to be led by a giant-sized specimen named Kront, and theirforces patrol the marches, armed withwhat usable weapons they salvage fromtheir victims. How the marsh came tobe is recorded as follows:

�In the early days of Waterdeep,before the forests to the west of thisdomain had been stripped, their woodsent down the Winding Water to fash-ion the great ships of Orlumbar, the

land that is now marsh was ruled byChelimber the Proud. Chelimber wasboth rich and decadent, and spent hisdays in these western woods huntingwild boar and in drunken feasts in hisgreat hall. When it is said that Chelim-ber was rich, it is usually added that hewas rich beyond most kings in terms ofgold, in beautiful tapestries, and in gold.Yet he distained these things in favor ofthe thrills provided by the flask andblood of the dying boar.

�In those days the Winding Waterwelled up from the heart of a rockycrag to the south and east of Chelim-ber�s Keep. One spring towards the endof Chelimber�s reign, a mage built histower on that crag, using elementalhelp and taking but a few days. Chelim-her�s astonishment was matched by hisanger, and he took up arms to sweepthis intruder from his lands. The Wiz-ard of the Crag (for he gave no othername) turned Chelimber�s warriors tostone and sent balls of fire into thePrince�s keep. At a loss, Chelimber sum-moned an archmage from Iriaebor, oneTaskor �the Terrible� who specialized insolving magical problems for a fee (inother words, �wizard-killing�).

�Taskor and the Wizard of the Cragcontested on Midsummer�s Eve, eachraising mighty magics and counteringwith spells and elemental forces, andtheir battle wrecked great destruction.The crag was destroyed, and bothTaskor and the Wizard vanished in thefight (and have never been seen in theRealms since). The water elementalsthe Wizard kept in his tower ran amok,laying waste to a large section of thePrince�s land, flooding his keep, andslaying Chelimber himself.

Such is said to be the creation of theMarsh which bears the name of PrinceChelimber. The site of his keep, called inlocal tale the Keep of the DrownedPrince, can no longer be discerned, formany trees and overgrown hillocksnow rise from the marsh�s water, andChelimber�s time was long ago. It is saidthat Chelimber still lives by somearcane fashion, and guards the richesin his sunken keep from those who seek

59

to �despoil them.�

MASKYR�S (MAH-skeer�s)EYEAT A GLANCE: Maskyr�s Eye is a villageof 20 main buildings located at the footof the Giantspike mountains, beneaththe shadow of the Glacier of the WhiteWorm.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This small com-munity is known primarily for its farm-i n g a n d h o r s e - b r e e d i n g , a n d , a tpresent, has no extremely high-leveldenizens in residence. The vale thecommunity takes its name from theArchmage Maskyr.

MELVAUNT (MELL-vont)AT A GLANCE: Melvaunt is a large andmultiple-walled community north ofthe Moonsea, on the southern bordersof the lands of Thar.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Melvaunt is acold, austere place, and its populacetends to be both ruthless and unfriend-ly. It has lost much of its influence overthe years, culminating in its losing anaval war with Zhentil Keep. It is cur-rently in the grip of a civil war, withrival families battling for control of thetown.

MERCENARY COMPANIESAT A GLANCE: There are a large num-ber of private groups unaligned to kingor crown, who fight solely for gold andpossible loot. These groups, the Merce-nary Companies, are a common gather-ing point for exceptional individualswho may change the course of the his-tory of the Realms.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Many merce-nary companies, large and small, existin the Realms, and are constantlyappearing and disappearing with thepassage of the seasons, so that no com-plete roster is possible. Listed below aresome of the more prominent outfitsactive in the North, the Inner Sea lands,and the long trade route between them.

Mercenary companies are long-established and famous institutions inthe uneasy Forgotten Realms. Perhapsthe most famous companies, now dis-banded, were the �Moonlight Men� andthe later �Midnight Men,� which stillexists as a shadowy brotherhood ratherthan a fighting force. Both groups last-ed for but a generation, though theirexploits and battles are known fromWaterdeep to Thay. Some groups havemaintained a hereditary tradition, andin very rare cases (such as HouseObarskyr in Cormyr) formed the basisof nations and dynasties.

Humans are not the only group whichmaintains mercenary forces. There arefour ogre mercenary bands: the Shard,the Blue Sigil, the Shieldbreakers, andthe Teeth. There is also a company oftrolls mercenaries, The Claw, said to beunder the control of either powerfulspell-casters or illithids (mind-flayers).A few of the current human companiesare discussed below, with game noteson each company. General game infor-mation on hiring mercenaries followsthis entry.

B l a c k t a l o n s M e r c e n a r y C o m p a n yBased in Iriaebor, the Blacktalons domost of their business on the trade-routes east and west of that city, eitheras a large and well-armed guard for avaluable caravan, or as hired raiders ofcaravans guarded by someone else.There are those who whisper that theBlacktalons sometimes attack caravans�for free,� just to make those who didn�thire them as guards wish they had. TheBlackta lons are led by Taurgosz�Tenhammer� Khosann, and are head-quartered in a small citadel built againstthe inside southeast wall of the city. TheBlacktalons are generally on goodterms with the city; their occasionalhijinks are ignored due to their timelyaid as city defenders in times of trouble.

GAME INFORMATION: There are 110-120 men-at-arms in the Blacktalonsgroup, fairly typical for a small merce-nary operation. What sets the Blackta-lons apart is that 80 of these numberare fighters of levels 2-4. Their leader,

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�Tenhammer� Khosann, is a 9th levelfighter.

Bloodaxe Mercenary Company Basedin Sundabar, the Bloodaxes were found-ed some forty winters ago, originally asa Dwarvish organization. An outcastgroup of dwarves known as the �trans-gressors,� for their crimes or acts not inthe teaching of Moradin Soulforger,were cast out of Adbarrim (that area ofdwarven subterranean lands beneathcitadel Adbar, in the North) and beganhiring out as fighting-men to whoeverin the North would pay them. In the ful-f i l lment of such commissions theBloodaxes fought several bandit-bands,an army of orcs under Eldoul, father ofthe present King Graul, Lord of theNorthern Orcs, and overland raidersfrom Luskan. In these contests (most ofwhich they were not expected to win),many of the original dwarven warriorswere slain, and replacements wererecruited in Baldur�s Gate, Westgate,and the Vilhon Reach by the dwarvena d v e n t u r e r D e l d a g g H u l d g r y m .Deldagg led the Bloodaxe Companyuntil his death (of blacklung fever) in1306 DR.

The current leader of the Company,and Deldagg�s direct successor, is thehuman Velkor �of the Valiant Arm�Minairr. The Bloodaxes are mountedspearmen, slingers, and axe-men, butthey usually dismount to do battle.Their veterans presently number 60 (ofwhich half a dozen or less are dwarves);they can muster an additional 15 or 20if necessary.

GAME INFORMATION: The Bloodaxesnumber 80 individuals of level 2, ofwhich less than a dozen are nowdwarves. Their leader Velkor is an 11thlevel fighter.

The Flaming Fist One of the largest ofthe mercenary companies currentlyactive, the Flaming Fist is usually basedin Baldur�s Gate, where its commanderEltan is a Duke (see BALDUR�S GATE).The Fist has a good record of achieve-ments, particularly when operatingagainst other mercenary companies,

such as the non-human bands.T h e F i s t n u m b e r s s o m e 2 0 0 0 ( ! )

strong, and requires the resources of acity (the city of Baldur�s Gate) to keep itin supply when it is not actively on duty.It is the best organized of the compan-ies, including scouts, support, transpor-ta t ion, and other areas that mostcompanies leave to their employer. TheFist is expensive even by mercenarystandards, due to its numbers and dueto the fact that NONE of its front-linetroops are of less than 5th level. Thismakes The Fist a incredible weapon onthe battlefield, but only to be affordedby nations or the very, very wealthy(and very, very angry).

GAME INFORMATION: The FlamingFist, the most powerful mercenaryorganization in the Known Realms, isfully detailed in the DM�s Sourcebook tothe Realms. Players intending to takeover the world should be made awareof the existence of such organizations.

Mindulgulph Mercenary CompanyBased in Priapurl, the Mindulgulphs areperhaps the most unique hireswords inthe Realms; they are a band of seasonedwarriors of all races, including somenot normally thought of as intelligent,such as cave fishers and mimics. Theleader of this band of misfits is theextremely charismatic Gayrlana, �LadyBloodsword,� who in addition to herbeauty is a tactical genius, exploitingthe varied natural talents of her troopsto the full. Gayrlana is famous for slay-ing Thongh Mirr, a Red Wizard of Thay,in the streets of Teziirr in single com-bat. She explained this feat with thewords, �the blade is faster than the Art,�and those words have become a popu-lar saying in the Realms today.

The Mindulgulphs can f ie ld 70mounted, armored men-at-arms, buttheir total strength, �weird� monstersincluded, is thought to be around 180.Gayrlana�s stronghold is a pinnacle-topcastle called Mindulgulph, in the hillsabove Priapurl; it is reputed to beguarded constantly by many of theCompany �monsters.� The Companyoffices in Priapurl itself are next to the

Dark Arch Inn.

GAME INFORMATION: Gayrlana is alevel 10 fighter with 18 charisma and, ifthe DM chooses to use psionic abilities,the psionic discipline of telepathy. Shehas weapons specialization in both longsword and whipsting. The latter is avery slender sword from the southernlands beyond Unther, which inflicts 1-6points of damage (regardless of size),and may be used as a whip as well.

T h e e x a c t m a k e - u p o f L a d yBloodsword�s band is unknown, andreports change over time with old crea-tures leaving (or being eaten) and newcreatures joining.

The Order of the Blue Boar Based inCastel Spulzeer (in Amn), this Order is agroup restricted in membership toexperienced, veteran fighters of somew e a l t h , e a c h o f w h o m m u s t b eapproved by the �Boar�s Heads,� or gov-erning council of seven warriors. Thecouncil maintains a membership roll of�Swords� (approved members), each ofwhom they can expel at will for unpro-fessional conduct. Members can elect toparticipate or not to participate in anyOrder activities (if there are too manyapplicants for a small-fee job, member-ship seniority is used to decide who�lltake part). Each participating membertakes a share of the fee, and can takepart alone or involve any assistants/agents (other beings who are not mem-bers, including mages, fighting-men,and even trained beasts) they wish,although they are responsible for thedeeds, payment, and care of the hire-lings. Some members crippled by age,disease, or battle-wounds, can no long-er ride to battle, and are always repre-sented by their hirelings, who, if theirservice meets the council�s standards,may well themselves later becomemembers. The collective experience ofthe Order�s members has earned it thereputation of being wary, cunning, andalert in its endeavors-for-hire, eventhough its method of sharing fees gen-erally means that comparatively fewweapon-bearers take the field when theOrder is hired. The active membership

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of the Order is known only to theHeads, although most Order membersin any given area know each other, butits total is thought to be around 400 atfull muster. Many adventurers belongto the Order, however, and may beunavailable for particular tasks due totheir own ongoing activities (or recov-ery from such). The Order�s badge is ablue boar�s head with open mouth andtusks, facing the dexter (right), usuallydepicted on a red, russet, or silverymetal field.

GAME INFORMATION: The levels andabilities of the Order vary with its mem-bers, which range from 3rd to 10thlevel, but tend to average about 6th.The Council determines numbers, lead-ers, and levels to be assigned to a partic-ular mission, and those seeking theiraid must apply in person (or by servant)to their Amnish headquarters. These�Boar�s Heads� are all fighters, and alllawful-neutral. They are:

Thantan Rhyrdyl, 12th levelSinnom Thul, 9th levelGhont Tavvas, 10th levelGaurundur Thasz, 10th levelBromdurr Tathen, 11th levelDustar Klathor, 11th levelRistamar Rhaal, 10th level.

GAME INFORMATION: MercenaryBands in general are expensive, all themoreso if they are any good. A typicalman-at-arms in the prominent outfitsdescribed here earns 1 sp/day (plus 5 cpif the employer cannot supply food anddrink); a 5th level or higher fighterearns 1 gp/day plus, usually, bonusesfor specific achievements, and a shareof any treasure or loot gained. Smalleroperations, and those less known, maybe negotiated downwards, but givenlarge forces, most city-states can affordonly a small part of a large force.

In addition to the �standard� priceabove, several other points are usuallynegotiable.l Split of plunder, if any is to be

gained. Mercenaries involved insiegework, a long and painful task,will always bargain for a chunk ofthe besieged city or castle.

l Risk, Dangerous situations (overand above walking onto a battle-field in the middle of war) mayrequire additional incentives. Suchsituations include: fighting foes ledby powerful beings from otherplanes, fighting nations with setmagical schools (such as the warwizards of Cormyr), and attackingfactions noted for long memoriesand vengeance.

l Transportation. A mercenary com-pany is responsible for its owntransportation. If a hirer wishes tomake sure the mercenary compa-ny arrives at the set date at the settime, a �travel allowance� may beset aside. While such moneys arerefundable, usually that allotmentis always used in moving the orga-nization into place.

l Duration. Costs per day is takenfrom when the terms are settled orthe company leaves its quartersuntil either the battle, season, orterm of employment is over. Dura-tion should be initially set, andmercenaries have quit the fieldafter routing an enemy if that ene-my has taken up fortified positionsand a long (unnegotiated) siege isestablished.

l Codes of Honor. These vary fromgroup to group, and include suchmatters as sparing the innocentsand unarmed, the taking of pris-oners and whether the company orthe hirer has control of those pris-oners, and the sparing of otherdefeated/surrendered mercenarycompanies. Mercenary companieswill by and large prefer to surren-der to others of their breed thannations, for the former will onlydemand money or service, whilethe latter has a nasty tendency toimprison and slay those on the los-ing side.

l �Gifting��a practice more com-mon in the North than in the InnerSea area, it is regarded as an scamby the hirer. The employing nationor city may sweeten the pot byoffering the mercenary captains

titles, additional gold, or magicalitems, which may aid them in theirbattles. It is common throughoutthe Realms, but most used in ther e a c h e s n o r t h o f W a t e r d e e p ,where the proper gift to a merce-nary captain may lower the overallprice by 10%, while an improperone may drive the captain into thehands of another.

l Treachery�Mercenary Captainswho turn on their employers oftenfind themselves out of work andreduced to banditry, so the generalrule is to conduct oneself in a hon-orable fashion. S imi lar ly , anemployer who betrays a merce-nary group through action or fail-ure to live up to contract will notonly find it hard to hire more mer-cenaries, but will find agents ofthat mercenary group hunting forhim to make a lesson to other suchtreasonous lords.

MERCHANT COMPANIESAT A GLANCE: The life-blood of thekingdoms of the Realms is in trade, andit is through trade that many of thenations have come to be. The key to thistrade is the various merchant compan-ies, which carry, protect, and storegoods.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The merchantcompanies of the Realms are bothnumerous and everchanging in roster.Below are the six prominent concernspresently seen on the roads in the InnerSea lands (and on the overland traderoute to the Sword Coast). Other cara-van companies of note are described inthe entry on Scornubel, as that city is astopover-place for a large number oftrading concerns.

Most trade travels in caravans forsafety, throughout the Realms, and thegreat majority of caravans are run byindependent caravan masters, whooften display no badge or colors at all. Afew caravans are sponsored or directlymanned by a city or country, and usu-ally bear the sigils of that place. The car-avans of Amn are so marked, as are

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those of the Zhentarinl, using the sigilsof Zhentil Keep.

Large companies (such as the onesbelow) created by the permanent amal-gamation of smaller caravan compan-ies, usually in several geographicalareas, so that the new company con-trols a route or strategic area, areknown as �Priakos.� Alliances of small,independent companies into a caravantraveling group for safety are known as�Costers.�

These major non-national tradersare:

T h e S i x C o f f e r s M a r k e t P r i a k o sNamed for the six wealthy merchantswho sponsored it, this Priakos is runby Thelve Baruinheld of Berdusk, andhas �bases� in that city, in Waterdeep,in Silverymoon, in Priapurl, and inSelgaunt. It is large, efficient, andprosperous, but only four of the sixoriginal partners still live (the survi-vors are Ultramm of Selgaunt, Syntelof Iriaebor, Maftan of Waterdeep, andSzwentil of Marsember).

Trueshield Trading Priakos Based inTelpir, this professional organizationbuilds its own wagons and equips andtrains its own guards, and does bothof these things very well. Few banditstangle with its caravans; even orcsleave them alone on most trips. Itsrates are expensive, but it almostalways delivers, so money has beenpouring into its coffers for the eightseasons it has been in business. TheMaster Merchant of the Trueshields,Dzentraven Thiomtul, is creditedwith the idea of sealed �destinationwagons� into which the goods ofmany small shippers intended for acommon dest inat ion are packedtogether, rather than the traditionalpacked-by-weight and -bulk assorted�peddlar� wagonpacking method.

Dragoneye Dealing Coster Based inCimbar, with way-bases in Iriaeborand Elturel, this is the oldest of thecosters. It was begun by two mer-chant brothers who were tired ofshipping things overland to avoid theInner Sea pirates only to lose them to

bandits on the long land-routes westof Westgate, and reluctant to payincredibly stiff fees to the merchanthouses of Westgate to have their car-goes accompany the well-guardedcaravans of the latter. The brothers,Iltravan and Chethar, still run theCoster, but they have taken in twolesser partners: the Mhalogh of Mor-dulkin (a minor noble), and Bezenttarof Suzail.

The Seven Suns Trading Coster Thename of this group refers to thewidely-separated partners whoformed this group, converting theirown small merchant companies intoregional bases, providing horses,draft oxen, wagons, and hiring localguards. The seven partners are Jhas-so of Baldur�s Gate (formerly of Jhas-so�s Wagons, a famous fast-haulfreight outfit that operated up anddown the Sword Coast when wars,pirates, or weather hampered off-shore shipping); Shield of Everlund;Pomphur of Almraiven; Chond ofCalaunt; Alvund of Ormpetarr ;Dzunn of Sheirtalar; and Nammna ofMilvarune. This Coster usually pro-vides the leanest guards and theworst wagons, and is inclined to beslow and often bandit-struck as aresult; but it also undercuts its com-petitors on most routes.

Thousandheads Trading Coster Runby the former adventurer BharavanBhaerkantos from his stronghold eastof Riatavin, this Coster operates onlyon a single route: from Waterdeep toHillsfar, via Scornubel, Berdusk,Iriaebor, Priapurl, Arabel, and Essem-bra. Its name refers to the �thou-sands� of small one-to twelve-wagonoutfits that benefit from this Coster;Bharavan recruits �retired� adventur-ers to guard his caravans, and offerscut rates to small merchants. Hisguards are tough, hard-nosed, andtireless; they have instructions to goafter and kill any caravan raider, sofew casual ra iders tangle withThousandheads caravans twice .Bharavan is remembered for putting

his gold pieces where his tongue wagson his instructions to slay raiders: heonce spent two hot summer monthshunting down and butchering everysingle member of an orc band, thePoison Fang tribe, that was repeated-ly harrying his caravans east ofIriaebor, and impaling the bodies ofthe orcs on stakes along the trade-route , wi th the Thousandheadstrailglyph branded on each one. Someof the stakes can still be seen to thisday, although their grisly messagesare long gone, save for a skull and abone or two.

In addition to these �Major Lines,�there are a number of other tradingorganizations. The Merchants� League,based in Baldur�s Gate, is an organiza-tion that promotes merchant safetythrough good roads, road patrols anddefensible waytowers, and strong,well-run and well-guarded caravans.The League is a rival to both theMerchant-Kings of Amn and the newly-formed Iron Throne, and runs manycaravans under guard for small inde-pendent caravan masters, for very rea-sonable fees. Prominent members ofthe League are Irlentree, Zorl Miyar,and Aldeth Sashenstar. All are success-ful merchants themselves, who residein Baldur�s Gate. The League is an orga-nization in decline, however; the rise ofthe various costers is replacing its func-tions and sapping its traditional sup-port.

MINTARNAT A GLANCE: Mintarn is medium-sized island 400 miles south-west ofWaterdeep, and is known as a safehaven for those in flight from theauthorities.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This beautifultree-cloaked island is a free port on theSword Coast where no questions areasked and no folk are turned away. Theisland is a refuge for fugitives from jus-tice, pirates, war refugees, merce-naries, and others who want to transactbusiness (shady or otherwise), buy

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arms, or enjoy themselves, away fromthe watchful eyes of foreign rulers andmore proper authorities. The wine-taverns and fest-halls are legendary upand down the Sword Coast for boththeir services and their danger.

Mintarn has a large harbor and maincity (the capital, Mintarn, on its south-ern coast, and a smaller harbor andtown on the east coast.

GAME INFORMATION: Mintarn is ruledby a se l f - s ty led �Tyrant� namedTarnheel Embuirhan. Tyrant Tarnheelis a LN fighter of 15th level, and is aidedby two comrades of like alignment,Bharandas Zhan (12th level magic-user), and Szentarr Ravin (10th levelillusionist). His �Tyrancy,� despite histitle, is known to be open-minded,open-eyed, and open-handed, and letsMintarn tend to itself in most of its day-to-day dealings. Tarnheels does keeporder (brutally if the occasion calls forit), keeps individuals from using forceto gain their ends on his island, and actsto prevent pirates, other realms, or oth-er scalawags from gaining control ofMintarn.

MISTLEDALEAT A GLANCE: Mistledale is a wideclearing of farmland on the road fromTilver�s Gap to The Standing Stone. Itslargest community is Ashabenford,where that river crosses the Dale, andsave for that community, the region isdotted with small farms and stockades.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This quiet agri-cultural community was named for themist which rises at morn and eve fromthe river to fill it. It has no lord, butrather a Council of six, the High Coun-cilor bearing a black rod, and com-manding the �Riders,� mounted militiawho keep the peace in the dale andalong the trade road from the StandingStone in the east to the edge of Tilver�sGap in the west. The current HighCouncillor is Haresk Malorn, a quiet,middle-aged merchant of reputed greatwisdom.

GAME INFORMATION: The �Riders of

Misteldale� number twenty, and areknown for their lacquered black platearmor and black helms emblazonedWith the white horses that are theDale�s insignia. The membership of theRiders varies over the years, but itsmembers are always fighters, rangers,cavaliers (and on occasion a paladin) oflevels 3 to 6. They may be armed withmagical weaponry.

Heresk Malorn is High Councillor ofMistledale, and fights as a 0-level fight-er. His black rod of office is rumored tobe a rod of rulership, and is used in diresituations to protect the vale.

MOONSEAAT A GLANCE: The Moonsea is a largefresh-water sea , connected to theDragon Reach and the Inner Sea by theRiver Lis. It is dominated by the cities ofMulmaster, Melvaunt, Hillsfar, andZhentil Keep.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: A number of civ-ilizations have risen and fallen over theyears in the Moonsea region, and thecities of Mulmaster, Zhentil Keep, andothers are built on their ruins. The Seaitself is relatively shallow. In the centerof the Moonsea is a set of underwaterruins called Sunken Keep, or the Bell inthe Depths. The origin of these ruins isunknown.

MOONSHAE (MOON-shay)ISLANDS

The Moonshaes are blanketed withmany forests of oak, hickory, birch,yew, and pines. Much of the land ismountainous and rocky, or low, flat

AT A GLANCE: The Moonshae Islandsare a large collection of islands well tothe west of the Sword Coast, and ruledby a collection of more than a dozensmall kingdoms. Those kingdoms in thesouthern parts of the island are held bythe Ffolk; farmers and fishermen whowere the original human inhabitants ofthe islands. The kingdoms of the north-ern regions of the Moonshaes are heldby the descendents of Northmen raid-ers.

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bog. The coastlines are primarily rocky,and brutal winter storms sweep theislands during the winter months.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Northmeninvaders of the Moonshae Islands aredecendents of the same stock as themen of Luskan and Ruathym, furthernorth. Their depredations of the landare gradually taking more and morelands away from the more peacefulFfolk. Often, the raids will simply con-sist of attacks to capture livestock orslaves, though occasionally, the raiderswill land on a fertile coast and claim it astheir own.

The kingdoms of the Northmen arerun by warlords�strong and brutalmen who have won their posts througha combination of might and cunning.The k ingdoms wi l l generate foodthrough agriculture and farming onlyto a subsistence level for that particularkingdom. The Northmen feel that it isfar more honorable to pillage and plun-der for a living than to till the soil or fishthe sea.

No single king of the Northmen rulesthe others, though the larger an army

The sturdy trading vessels of the

or fleet that a king can muster, the moreinfluence he holds in the Northmen

Ffolk travel throughout the Moonshaes

councils. Thelgaar Ironhand, Grun-narch the Red, and Raag Hammerstaad

and along the Sword Coast, and are

are among the more powerful currentkings of the Northmen.

famous for their capacity to weather

The lands of the Ffolk are also brokeninto many small kingdoms. Unlike theNorthmen, however, all of the kings ofthe Ffolk owe fealty to the High King,who resides in his massive fortress atCaer Callidyrr, on the island of Allaron.

The Ffolk concentrate much moreheavily than the Northmen on peacefulpursuits, such as farming, fishing, hunt-ing, and trading. The lands they holdtend to be more hospitable than thedomains of the Northmen, and conse-quently provide a wealth of agriculturalproduce, but also serve as an ever-present invitation to the raiders� greed.

the roughest seas. They are slow,unmanueverable boats, however, andthus fall easily when attacked by thelongships of the Northmen.

The largest of the Moonshae Islands,Gwynneth, contains a small region stillinhabited by the islands� original resi-dents. This region is a broad valley,with a huge and cold lake in the centercalled Myrloch. The entire region isreferred to as Myrloch Vale , andrumors among both the Northmen andthe Ffolk speak of the enchanted natureof the place. Here dwell small bands ofreclusive dwarves and firbolg giants.

Myrloch Vale is a place of enchant-ment and beauty. Certain creatures,especially favored by the Earthmother,live there. These include a unicorn,faerie dragons, and a pack of wolfdogs,said to slumber for decades, only awak-ening when the goddess calls them forsome important task.

Also rumored to live somewherewithin Myrloch Vale is a small group ofdemi-humans known as the Llewyrr: anelvish people whose population hasshrunk dramatically with the coming ofthe humans to the Moonshaes. The Lle-wyrr have the physical appearance ofslender gold elves, but their ways areattitudes are more in line with the wildelves.

All of the dominant native races of theMoonshaes, including the Ffolk andexcluding the Northmen, worship agoddess that is visualized as the motherof all life, and indeed of the earth itself.S h e i s o f t e n r e f e r r e d t o a s t h e�Earthmother.� The words of the god-dess are spread through her druids,humans who dwell among her wildestand most sacred places, dealing moredirectly with the earth itself than thehumans who live upon it. These druidstend to consider themselves a breedapart from those on the mainland ofFaerun, and are polite, though distantand reserved, in dealing with such dru-idic circles.

The Northmen worship a stormyaspect of Tempus, god of war, throughtheir own shamans. These shamansencourage Tempus� teachings which

support their conception of the worldas a victim waiting for the raiders� plun-dering boots.

Over the past hundred winters, cler-ics teaching the faiths of some of theother religions of the Realms havearrived in the kingdoms of the Moon-shaes, and have attempted to spreadtheir own faiths. These clerics havegenerally met with death among theNorthmen, and an amused disbeliefamong the Ffolk. In the later case, theclerics of the new gods have made a fewconverts, but the Ffolk by and largeremain true to their ancient beliefs.

The central conflict in the MoonshaeIslands is the struggle between the raid-ers and the Ffolk. Although these twopeoples interact through commerce,trouble is never far away when bothgroups are in the same place. Withinthe Ffolk�s society, conflicts about thenew faiths versus the old religion arecommon. Also, tactics for dealing withthe Northmen are frequently debated,and alliances among the various king-doms of Ffolk can be made and broken.

GAME INFORMATION: More informa-tion on the Moonshae Islands is availa-b l e i n t h e n o v e l D a r k w a l k e r o nMoonshae, by Douglas Niles, and theForgotten Realms Sourcebook FR-2,MOONSHAE.

MULHESSEN (Muhl-HEH-sen)AT A GLANCE: Mulhessen is a smalltown in Sembia, north of Saelroon onthe main road between Selgaunt andDaerlun. See SEMBIA.

MULHORAND (Muhl-HOH-rand)AT A GLANCE: Mulhorand is one of thegreat and ancient nations of the South,of which little truth and much rumor isknown. It is situated at the far end ofthe Sea of Fallen Stars, in the regionknown as the Sahuagin Sea.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Mulhorand issaid to ruled by a dynasty of beautifuland undying kings and queens, whowield godlike powers. It is also home ofthe Statues That Walk, great jugger-

65

nauts which dot the landscape and onoccasion, for unknown purposes, ani-mate and wreak havoc. Mulhorand isthe oldest of the known nations ofFaerun.

MULMASTER (MUHL-mah-ster)AT A GLANCE: Mulmaster is a large citybuilt up the sides of mountains to thesouth. The Moonsea protects the north,and a large keep the southern road,making it a naturally-protected fort andone of the strongest such areas on theMoonsea, rivaling Zhentil Keep.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The highest spurof land in mountainous Mulmaster isthe site of the Towers of the Blade. Herethe ruling families of the city abide, ledby the High Blade of Mulmaster ,Selfaril. Selfaril is a wiley, cagey individ-ual seeking to upset the control thatZhentil Keep is exerting over the east-ern Moonsea, and seeks, by alliance andmilitary force, to become the dominantpower in the region. Despite a crushingdefeat at sea against Zhentil Keep, itremains a free city on the Moonsea.

GAME INFORMATION: The High Bladeof Mulmaster is an 18th level NE fighter.

MYTH DRANNOR (MythDRANN-or)AT A GLANCE: The ruins of Myth Dran-nor are among the most celebrated ofthe Realms. Once a great city, it is now asprawling ruin overgrown with treesand greenery, located in the heart ofthe Elven Woods.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Of old, menwere few in these lands; the vast forestsof what is now the Dalelands werehome to elves. These elves kept largecommunit ies a t Lake Sember , theTangletrees, and the Elven Court. Whenmen came first to what is now Sembia,seeking the mineral riches of the northshores of the Moonsea, the elves metand traded freely in the splendid city ofMyth Drannor, and lived together inharmony, amidst created beauty. MythDrannor was ancient then, and, sages

say, outshone the most splendid of thecities of today, even vast and imperialWaterdeep.

Now a lost, fabled ruin, Myth Dran-nor was the city of bards, storytellers,artificers and inventors, arcane know-ledge, magic users, researchers, andhistorians. Its jewelers were matchless,and its musical instruments (of elvenmake) unsurpassed. It earned the nameof �City of Love� among the elves, and�The Towers of Beauty� among bards. Itwas destroyed when the Army of Dark-ness captained by the dreaded nyca-daemons was raised in the northernmountains and swept down upon it,over a millennium ago.

Fflar, captain of Myth Drannor, slew anycadaemon with his bare hands, or sothe legends say Others tell of a magicalblade, Demonbane, wielded by him thatday. Yet despite such heroics, in the endthe city was lost, cast down, sacked andburned. Much of the noble genius andinfluence found graveless deaths thatday, and men were driven almost toextinction on the Sembian coast.

For hundreds of winters men haveremembered Myth Drannor as a leg-endary treasure house of lost gems andmagic, guarded by the elves, who letnone near and hold the place sacred.And then, early this year, the last of theelves of the Elven Court passed over thesea to Evermeet, leaving the woodsopen to men for the first time. Sincethen, several bands of adventures areknown to have entered the city. Not allhave come out.

Many of the powers surroundingCormanthor (Hillsfar, Zhentil Keep,Sembia, and the Dales), as well asadventuring companies, have sentexploring/plundering parties into theruins, which the elves held sacred andkept undisturbed since its fall. Fewhave found anything of value, and newshas begun to spread of devils in theruins. The Knights of Myth Drannor(see SHADOWDALE) have reportedfinding a newly-constructed altar tosome dark power in the center of theruins.

The altar is reported as being undam-

66

aged and undisturbed, and was appar-ently brought into being by renegadepriests of Bane. If this is so, it representsa growing threat to the entire Inner Seaarea.

GAME INFORMATION: Myth Drannorrepresents a great and dangerousopportunity for the adventuring partyin the Moonsea area; a large ruin that isonly now being plundered. Such trav-elers are warned that in addition tocreatures such as lesser devils found inthe ruins, the area will also hold forcesand expeditions from various nationsand adventuring groups, who have setup their own areas within the ruins,and may take unkindly to such intru-sions. For a brief time, the Knights ofMyth Drannor held the others in check,but that group has disappeared andthere is no knowledge of their fate.

NEVERWINTERAT A GLANCE: Neverwinter is a bus-tling city located farther north alongthe coast from Waterdeep, along the

High Road.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Neverwinter is afriendly city of craftsmen, who tradeextensively via the great merchants ofWaterdeep; their water-clocks andm u l t i - h u e d l a m p s c a n b e f o u n dthroughout the Realms. Neverwintergained its name from the skill of its gar-deners, who contrived to keep flowersblooming throughout the months ofsnow�a practice they continue withpride.

GAME INFORMATION: �By the clocks ofNeverwinter� is a watchword for accu-racy and delicate precision. The water-clocks produced here are accuratewithin five minutes over a year, provid-ed that sufficient water is available.These clocks sell for 150 gold pieceseach, can be carried by a single manusing both hands, and are quite in fash-ion in the town houses of the more �civ-ilized� regions.

The multi-hued lamps are the resultof carefully mixed and blown glass,designed to produce pleasing colors

against the walls at night. These lampssell everywhere, and are usually pricedat 5 gold pieces each.

ORDULIN (ORE-dyoo-lin)

AT A GLANCE: Ordulin is the capital ofSembia, though not its largest city. SeeSEMBIA.

NIMBRAL (Nim-BRALL)

AT A GLANCE: Nimbral the Sea-Havenis a fabled land that may in truth notexist, for it is south of the southernmostof the known Realms, as far south fromLantan as Lantan is from Moonshae. Itis a fabulous, rumored nation, suppos-edly home of great mages of power.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Far to the southof the Sword Coast lands, this loneisland is said to rise out of the vast sea.Nimbral is spoken of as The Realm ofthe Flying Hunt, and from this tinyrealm of forests and high meadows,warriors dressed in armor of glass aresaid to mount pegasi and take to the air,

raiding nearby shipping and the tradi-tional foes of the realm: the almost-mythical kingdoms of Samarach andThindol. Nimbral is home to an enclaveof extremely powerful, though studi-ous and introverted, archmages ,known as the Nimbral Lords.

There are said to be twenty-seven orso of these Lords with perhaps a dozenmore apprentices of some accomplish-ment, and they form a tightly-knit, loyalfamily. The Lords of Nimbral keep tothemselves and the maintenance of therealm. This introverted application totheir studies has, it is said, resulted instrong but unique magical develop-ments, in particular discoveries involv-ing illusion and �displacer��-type spellsand magics that duplicate the psionicdisciplines.

The above may be all fairy-story, formany such tales come out of the southinvolving great and powerful magicsthat exceed the powers of the North.Yet just as often a flying ship appears onthe horizon, carrying wonders fromsuch a land as this or Halruaa, and so it

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is included herein.

THE NORTHAT A GLANCE: The region to the eastand north of Sea of Fallen Stars, reach-ing the Sea of Swords and including theMoonshae Islands but not the elvenisland of Evermeet, is called The North.It is the best-known area of the civilizedand uncivilized world.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: As for the SwordCoast, the definition of this regiondepends on the location and attitudes ofthe speaker. In these tomes, the North isdefined as those realms to the North ofthe River Chionthar and the trade wayout of Iriaebor, and west of the DragonReach, the Rivier Lis, the Moonsea, andthe Galena Mountains. Inhabitants ofWaterdeep would be insulted by thisdefinition, and would consider theNorth (in particular �The Wild North�)to be those lands north of Waterdeep.

ORLUMBOR (Or-LUM-bore)AT A GLANCE: Orlumbor is a rockybare island just off the Sword Coast,300 miles south of the city of Water-deep. It is home to a few fishermen,some goat-herds, and the most skilledshipwrights in the Realms. The finestships of the North find their origins atthe docks of Orlumbor.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Of old the islandof Orlumbor was covered with trees,though these have long-since been cutdown. Most of the ships which ply theSword Coast have been built, or at leastrepaired, here.

Orlumbor has a good natural harboron its landward side. It is about thatharbor, cut into the living rock of theisland itself, that the docks and homesof the shipwrights of the island arefound. The homes are cave-like com-plexes connected by tunnels and stairs,and the construction docks are seldomempty or deserted.

Orlumbor is an independent nationthat has several times retained its inde-pendence solely by having Waterdeepas a strong ally. That city-state of the

Sword Coast has stepped in to aidOrlumbor in conflicts with Mintarn(before the advent of the Tyrant there),then Baldur�s Gate, and most recentlyAmn. The Lords of Waterdeep see it intheir best interests in keeping the mostimportant shipbuilding center of theSword Coast independent of any of itsstrong rivals.

Orlumbor is the home to the magessDelshara �Windhair,� also called �theWitch of the Waves,� whose magics arereported to have hurled back shipsattacking the isle from the PirateIslands and from Luskan.

GAME INFORMATION: The Ship-wrights of Orlumbor are the finest pur-veyors of ocean-going ships to be foundalong the sword coast. Their construc-tion techniques give these ships themaximum hull range value available forthese ships, at the standard costs. Theycan construct ships in the followingtimes.Merchant, Small 2 monthsMerchant, Large 6 monthsWarship 4 months (not

including any addi-tional weapons fit-ted to it).

The shipwrights of Orlumbor special-ize in salt-water craft, and as such donot normally deal in galleys and othercraft normally found on the Sea ofFallen Stars.

PIRATE ISLES OF THE INNERSEAAT A GLANCE: The Pirate Isles in theSea of Fallen Stars are a large collectionof rocky spurs jutting out of the watersome 100 miles off the coast of Sembia.The majority have no name, while thelarger islands are remembered aspirate-dens and havens to scavengers.Not all the inhabitants of these islandsmake their living directly or indirectlyfrom pirating, but the majority do.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Due east of thesouthernmost capes of the isle of Pre-sper lie the Pirate Isles; the western-most and largest of these is Earthspur,

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�the Dragonisle.� Since men first sailedthe Inner Sea there have been settle-ments in this labyrinth of islands androcks and men living here have alwaysfished and raided. Raiding, at its height,reached nearby islands such as Presperand the proud cities of the Sembiancoast, as well as Procampur and Tsurla-gol.

The Pirate Isles are strategicallyplaced to command all shipping movingto and from the Dragon Reach andWestgate from all other areas on theInner Sea. The isles are largely unchart-ed (except by pirates) and corsair ves-sels lurk among them.

The Pirates have not been strongenough to openly defy and s tandagainst, or even attack, the ports ofSembia for nearly two hundred win-ters. The Dragonisle itself is fortified,and has two secure harbors, defendedby castles that boast rare and won-drous bombards brought long ago fromThay and the utter South, and threesecure anchorages in addition to theseharbors. Nowhere else can raidersstand and fight, nor call their own.

The first great pirate leader wasImmurk, sometime called �the Invinci-ble,� for he was never defeated, anddied of heartburst in his sixty-seventhyear. No navies stood against him inthose days, and though he created thewant of war-vessels, he also preventedtheir being built, by means of daringraids and a wide-spread, secretive net-work of informers ashore. Immurk isremembered as a shrewd old fox, notabove fostering conflict in the coastallands betwixt rival kingdoms to emptyroyal coffers and cause more ships tosail, while giving their owner the less toprotect them with.

Immurk�s successors were less ablemen. The Pirates of these lands havenever had a formal ruler or succession,so that the strongest would brawl hisway into dominance, and hold his posi-tion by ruthless butchery, threats, andbribes. Immurk�s heirs were reckless,roaring fighters, cunning in their ways,but not the level-headed tacticianImmurk had been. And so, inevitably,

pirate atrocities grew and pirate pru-dence waned, and at last the risingInner Sea kingdoms�Cormyr, Sembia,Impiltur, and the Vilhon Reach, inparticular�united on the seas againstthe pirates, to form grand fleets of ves-sels.

The leader of the pirates at that timewas one Urdogen �the Red,� �he of theblood-colored tresses and beard,� a hot-headed bear of a man. Urdogen sailedforth to crush the fleets approachingthe Dragonisle, only to be caught in theclosing jaws of a trap, as ships swarmedout of every nearby port to assail hisraiders on all sides. Urdogen was neverfound after the week-long battle, andno man claimed to have slain him, buthis vessel, the Raging Tears, was neverseen again, and is believed by most tohave run on rocks while slipping awayduring the night and thereby sunk. Thebattle dragged on for a week becausemany pirate ships slipped into the heartof the maze of isles to escape after theinitial, disastrous battle, and had to beslowly, doggedly tracked down andslaughtered by the pursuing ships ofthe coastal lands.

The pirates were not eradicated, butit was many years before the Dragon-isle was again openly held against allsailing by, and men spoke again ofpirates in the same breath as badstorms of ill luck and misadventure. Itnow appears that one Methlas, a mer-chant of Marsember, quietly gatheredtogether a small corsair fleet of cau-tious, skulking sailors and around thembuilt up a web of false vessel names,fake cargoes, and �deck cargo losses,�and has used these small, steady theftsto provision and outfit war-vessels, andhid these vessels in the Dragonisle�sconcealed southern harbor.

Methlas was murdered by his lieuten-ant, Thevren, ere the fleet was com-plete. Thevren was impatient for booty,and promptly launched raids on Sel-gaunt and Saerloon. The raids were asurprise, and successful, for Thevrenwas astute enough to destroy or seizeany war-vessels in the two harbors. Inthe meantime, strife had flared up

ashore, and no fleet was mustered fromall the lands to strike down the piratesas Urdogen had been struck down. Sothe pirates survived and increased theirpower. Thevren could not enjoy his vic-tory, for he was poisoned by his currentlady-fair, Thilana.

Thilana was far more prudent thanh e r f o r m e r a m o u r . S h e r e v i v e dImmurk�s system of informers, usingher former female colleagues ashore,and paying well. The pirates again fad-ed from common view, striking onlywhen there was bloodier fare going onelsewhere, and no attention to bespared for a few lost vessels. Thilanaspent as much time ashore as on theseas, working intrigues. In turn she wasstrangled by another woman, Laersha-la of the Emerald Eyes, who was a bold-er raider than Thilana, but still wiseenough to keep the pirates low in pro-file.

Laershala�s reign was not as sturdy asher predecessor�s, and since her deathin battle with a Cormyrian Freesail, noone person has truly commanded thepirates. Instead, various captains allyinto factions behind an able leader;these factions war and intrigue muchlike the great courts of the South, unit-ing only against naval attacks againstEarthspur the Dragonisle.

In the Year of the Prince, some ofthese pirate leaders are known to be:

Teldar of the Kissing Maiden, whoflies a yellow pennant with three blackstars on it, and is an older, capable vet-eran supported by the majority of thepirates, but supported with little spiritor lasting loyalty.

Vurgrom, a fat, brawling giant of aman who styles himself �the Mighty�and commands a strong fellowshipamong the young.

Crammar, a soft-spoken, dispassion-ate master of intrigue in Immurk�s tra-dition, but widely thought a fop, and inany case not a fighter, hence having lit-tle popular support.

Azla, a very young woman, whoseage has already set many pirate cap-tains against her. Azla is a �witch of afighter� but has not yet had any oppor-

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tunity to demonstrate any ability atintrigue, administration of a fleet orcreation of an intricate plan.

There are at least two hundred activepirate vessels (and probably as manymore hulls, perhaps as many as six hun-dred), hidden in the Pirate Isles andaround the coasts of the Sea of FallenStars.

GAME INFORMATION: The ships of thepirate fleet vary with the ships found inthe Inner Sea, and include Sembianwarships, converted Impilturian mer-chants, and biremes and triremes fromChondath and Chessenta. The lattergalleys function quite well in the rela-tively calm waters of the Inner Sea,crewed by slaves taken from previousraids.

Armament of these ships depends onthe ship and owner, but generally runsas follows:

Small Galleys and Merchants:1-2 ballistae

Large Galleys and Merchants2-6 ballistae and a catapult

Warships4-8 ballistae, 1-2 catapults, andsometimes (25% chance) of a trebu-chet

Only galleys may engage in rammingtactics, and only galleys are equippedwith rams.

Pirate crews are double that for nor-mal ships, as pirates tend to carry lessbulk goods than merchant ships. Somepirates make use of companies ofarchers, aquatic beasts, and spell-casters, and it is a standard procedurethat any archers on a ship should makean apparent spell-caster their first tar-get. As a result, half-elven, elven, andother racial spellcasters that may weararmor are valued in the pirate fleets formaking less of an obvious, vulnerabletarget.

�The Dragonisle� proper can hold ahundred and sixty to a hundred andseventy vessels within its fortified har-bors; both harbors have chains, stoneunderwater �breakrocks,� and ram-ships to prevent unauthorized entry.Their entrances are further protected

by thick-walled forts. It northern har-bor�s fort is built into a cliff along thewestern side of the narrow harborentrance, while the southern harbor�sfort is set square at the mouth of theharbor. Each of these forts have a bat-tery of mystic Thayian bombards. Theeffects of these protections are:l The chains, when raised, prevent

all ships from passing across them.The links of these chains are asthick as a man across, and made ofcast iron and plated with lead.

l �Breakrocks� are artificial reefs setup in the harbor just below thewaterline. Ships striking a break-rock are treated as being rammedby their own type of ship. Regularvisitors of the ports are instructedhow to sail by the harbormaster toavoid running aground.

l Ramships are light galleys crewedby ten men (usually slaves or pris-oners) with 2 hull points, and madeof substandard materials. Theirpurpose is to engage and ram ene-my ships in the harbor. In desper-ate circumstance, they are loadedwith combustibles and set aflame.

l The Thayian bombards are mysti-cal devices which fire a screamingblue death upon enemy ships. Eachfortress has four of these cast-ironmonsters, which have a minimumrange of 120 yards and a maximumrange of 480 yards. They fire hugehollow stone balls filled with fluidsold by the Wizards of Thay that,placed in the bombard, ignites andcarries the flaming stone ball to itstarget, inflicting 5-30 points firedamage, 2-12 points hull damage,and setting all flammables stuckablaze. These bombards are won-ders of this age, but are hamperedby their size (each is larger than amanor-house in Waterdeep), theirrequired fluid (which the Thayianspart with at a dear price), and alack of accuracy, for while thebombard may fire once every twoturns, it only has a 1 in 10 chance ofhitting its target.

P irate s ignals and verbal codes

change constantly; here are a few oldpasswords g leaned from var ioussources: �Obold,� �Immurk Way,� and�Holt-Ho!� Failure to use the correctpassword when called upon will oftenresult in the death of the user.

PRIAPURL (Pry-ah-PEARL)AT A GLANCE: Priapurl is a small,sleepy way-town along the Trader�sRoad from Iriaebor and Westgate. It isnotable only for the large keep to thesouth of it, which is the home of theMindugulph Mercenary Company. Seeunder MERCENARY COMPANIES.

PROS (Prahss)AT A GLANCE: Pros is a small lake-townon the Lake of Dragons. Once a com-mon port in the region, its importancehas declined with the silting up of itsharbors, restricting it to all but thelightest of craft.

PROSKUR (PROSS-kurr)AT A GLANCE: Proskur is a tradingwaystop where the Overmoor Trailmeets the winding road from Irieaborto Cormyr. It is the last eastward stopbefore entering the Dragonjaw Moun-tains.

PROCAMPUR (Pro-CAHM-pur)AT A GLANCE: Procampur is a rich andindependent city-state located on theeastern shore of the Dragon Reach. It isa large, sprawling city divided into dis-tricts by high walls, and each districtmarked by slate roofs of a different col-or.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Procampur isthe richest of the independent cities ofthe Inner Sea�s northern coasts. Pro-campur was once known as Proeskam-palar, and was a booming city beforethe founding of the Standing Stone andthe creation of Dalesreckoning. Fromthose days until now it has been a citynoted for its skilled goldsmiths andgemcutters. Ruled by a hereditary over-lord with the title Thultyrl, Procampur

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has a strong army and navy to protectthe valuable substances it trades infrom Inner Sea pirates and from othernations. It has defeated Mulmaster andSembia decisively in past conflicts, andis now allied to the neighboring city ofTsurlagol.

GAME INFORMATION: The presentThultyrl is a young man, Rendath of theRoyal Blood (the royal family of Pro-campur has no last name other than itstitle). Rendath is an 11th level cavalier.

The multi-colored roofs of Procam-pur are dictated by royal order, and areset apart according to district:

District of the Poor: grey roofTemple District: shining black roofMerchant District: sea green roofAdventurer�s District: red roofSea District: blue roofServices District: yellow roofNobles District: silver roofHigh Court and Palace: gold roof

Districts are further restricted bywalls fifteen feet high that separate thedistrict. Guardposts, militias, and armybarracks have white-washed roofs fordifferentiation. Royal orders are strictin which activities may be performed inwhich district; for example, if an adven-turer who has attained noble title wish-es to settle in the Noble District, hemust foreswear all further adventuringbefore his king, and pledge to not aid orhouse any such individuals in his house.

RANGERSAT A GLANCE: Rangers are specializedtypes of fighters and warriors, suited toa wilderness existence while still retain-ing more of the trappings and station ofsociety. Individuals who become rang-ers are normally from the civilized agri-cultural areas of the Realms, as opposedto its wilderness areas.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Rangers area phenomenon primarily confined tothe North, in particular that regionnorth and west of the Sea of FallenStars. There are occasionally individ-uals of this type from Amn or Chon-dath, but a ranger further south is as

rare as pity in a beholder. This may bedue to fact that the Rangers functionbest in those regions which are stillbeing developed and explored by civi-lized man, and as such have little to doin those regions that have been settledand ruled (at least in name) for centu-ries.

Due to their low numbers, regionalrestrictions, and tendency to performalong the same lines of �good� morals,Rangers are both very individualisticand clannish. A ranger can often befound on his own, or in a company ofdruids or adventurers, where his wil-derness skills are useful. At the sametime, when Rangers meet, there is oftenan exchanging of names and gossip onthe latest doings of others of their type.While not a political or social force,Rangers are a finely wrought networkof information, and it is this networkthat makes them a natural part of thegroup known as the Harpers (q.v.). Notall Rangers are members of this group,but many are, and the Harpers recruitfurther from these ranks only on therecommendations of those Rangerswithin its group.

GAME INFORMATION: The Rangers ofthe Forgotten Realms are as presentedin the Players� Handbook, with furtherexpansions for tracking ability inUnearthed Arcana. Player-characterrangers are not limited to being specifi-cally from �the North,� but it should benoted in social situations that a CalishiteRanger will attract much commentwithin the community (and that finely-wrought layer of communications) ofRangers.

RASHEMEN (Rah-SHEH-men)AT A GLANCE: Rashemen lies north ofthe mysterious land of Thay, and is theeasternmost of the known Realms. Toits east lie uncounted leagues of rocky,grassy wastelands, and beyond thatseveral rumored kingdoms of men,unreached and unreachable in recentmemory. The land of Rashemen is thehome to a race of short, muscularhumans who are concerned primarily

with their herds, and who are adept atcarving bone and sculpting rock.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Merchants fromthe Sword Coast call Rashemen �the FarLand,� and trade is brisk with othernations in the Realms. Merchants cometo Rashemen from the west by threeroutes: via the Long Road to the norththrough Nathoud; through the GreatDale to Kront and thence across theLake of Many Tears; or across the�Golden Way� which skirts the borderwith Thay and enters Rashemen atMulsanter.

The trade-goods of Rashemen arewool, furs, and carved stone and bone,as well as much-prized casks of jhuild,or firewine. Rashemen imports cloth,woodwork, lumber, and foodstuffs.Rashemen is self-sufficient in war-metals, and has large herds of goats androthe. Rashemen is also the home ofsjorl, a heavy, smoky-flavored cheese.Sjorl is very nourishing, but it is anacquired taste, and little is exported.

Some ballads refer to Rashemen asthe �Land of Berserkers.� Such is thefearless savagery and stamina of itswarriors that at least sixteen invadingforces from Thay have been slaugh-tered or turned back from incursionsinto the land in the last seventy winters.To date the Far Land remains free.

Rashemen is ruled by a Huhrong(�Iron Lord,� or senior war leader),whose steel-shod palace towers abovethe roofs of the city of Immilmar. TheIron Lord commands Rashemen�sstanding army, called �The Fangs ofRashemen.� The Fangs are a contingentof warriors clad in heavy fur and leath-er tunics, armed with hand weapons,short bows, and light lances, andmounted on surefooted mountainponies. Most of Rashemen�s armedforce is involved with patrols on theland�s borders with Thay, along theshores of Lake Mulsantir, and the bro-ken lands east of the Gorge of Gauros.

The present Huhrong is HyarmonHuzzilthar, a grizzled veteran warriorwith a salt and pepper beard, who num-bers seventy-six winters, and has ruled

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as senior war leader for the pasttwenty-three of them. Huzzilthar waschosen, as all Iron Lords are chosen, bythe Witches of Rashemen, a group offemale spell-casters who hold greatpower in the land. Huzzilthar replaced�Old Wolf� Targuth Athkarr, who int u r n h a d h e l d t h e H i g h S e a t a tImmilmar for seventeen winters afterthe death of his predecessor, LethgarMimdusko. Athkarr had been plaguedby senility in the later years of his rule,and upon Huzzilthar�s selection as lead-er, Athkarr was taken in by the witches,and never seen again by mortal eyes. Itis believed that the senile �Old Wolf�was carefully tended until his death, forthe witches, as the common Rashemensay, �are like that� (usually accompa-nied by a knowing shrug).

Beneath the Huhrong there are manylesser, local lords, each with their ownfollowers and businesses. The succes-sion of rulership, however, and theposts of warleaders within the armies,are chosen by the true powers of theland, The Witches of Rashemen.

The continued existence of Rashe-men speaks greatly of the true power ofthe witches� magic. There are believedto be no less than sixty, and likely over ahundred, witches in the land. Withinthe nation of Rashemen the members ofthis order wear black robes and greymasks showing only passive faces.Should a witch leave Rashemen for anyreason, she abandons her black garband conceals her powers, for none haverevealed their abilities or identitiesbeyond the borders of their native land.The central haven for these witches isthe town of Urling.

It is this powerful order which pro-vides the pilotless boats known aswitch-ships, and which unleashes fellbeasts and poisonous gases on vesselsfrom rival Thay. These witch-shipsroam at will throughout the great lakeAshane, also called the Lake of ManyTears, from as far north as the Pool ofErech to as far south as Lake Mulsantirand the �harbor of chains� at Surthay.

The Witches of Rashemen also brewjhuild, the fire-wine, a potent amber

drink that warriors imbibe before bat-tle, which deadens pain and inflamesthe passions, whether for battle or oth-er activities. Through their control ofthe jhuild as well as their great and mys-terious magical powers, the witchescontrol the warriors of Rashemen, andthrough them the nation.

In their native land, the witches ofRashemen are venerated and respect-ed. The penalty under Rashemen lawfor harming or disobeying a witch isdeath. The witches are said to take malelovers for brief periods, though nonehave pierced the veil of secrecy thatsurrounds their group. It is believedthat these males are used for someform of planned breeding program, butthis is as yet undetermined.

The people of Rashemen are by nat-ure a hardy, brawling race. Both sexespractice the sports of snow-racing (awintertime cross-country foot race,clad only in the briefest skins) and thehunting of snowcats. Widespread hob-bies among those who can afford thetime include the collecting of rare andbeautiful stones (including gems), andexploring the old ruins in the north oftheir realm. That elder kingdom, nowonly collections of destroyed citadels,was known as Raumathar, and onceruled this land and contested with Nar-fell, another equally extinct kingdomthat lay to the west.

The key ritual for young men inRashemen is the dajemma, a �journey tomanhood� that every male Rashemenmakes in his youth. The dajemma oftenhas some far-flung goal, such as anexpedition around the Inner Sea itself,but if the youth returns home, he isaccorded great honors and consideredan adult and accorded the rights of awarrior of the people. The dajemma is aperilous undertaking, but has theadvantage of showing the young malesof Rashemen the nature of the worldoutside, so that the people have anunderstanding far beyond that of nor-mal rustic cowherds. These continualdajemmas have the additional advan-tage of strengthening trade contractswith the west, and picking up useful

information about the nations of theInner Sea, in particular military infor-mation. At the same age, young femalesare tested by the witches, and thosewho qualify are inducted into theirorganization.

Sages, merchants, and mercenarycaptains generally agree that Rashemenhas no designs upon the lands aroundit. As with most nations that borderThay, their primary concern is survivalin the face of expanding hostile neigh-bor, and with the aid of the witches,they accomplish that task quite well.Rashemen�s warriors are fearless andfeared, but they are rarely encounteredoutside their homeland, and do nothave the reputation or expertise of theMercenary companies of the SwordCoast. The most common encounter ofa Rashemen citizen is a youth (or bandof youths) on dajemma, usually takingin the sights and much of the liquor inthe area. For most of the inhabitants ofthe Inner sea and Sword Coast, the FarLand of Rashemen will remain a myste-rious land sung of in minstrel�s tales,the setting for feats of brawn, the start-ing point of epic travels, and the land ofthe mysterious witches who can thwartthe Red Wizards of Thay.

GAME INFORMATION: Jhuild, the Fire-wine, is an incredibly potent liquor andappears a honey-gold, but burns thetongue and mouth when first con-sumed. A draught of this materialeffects a state of moderate intoxication,and two mugfuls a state of great intoxi-cation.

Effects of intoxication from firewine:Moderate Severe

Morale + 10% + 15%Intelligence - 3 - 6Wisdom - 4 - 7Dexterity - 1 - 1Charisma - 1 - 1To hit and saves + 1 + 1Hit points + 1 + 3

Morale indicates the beneficial effecton the imbiber to morale, and appliesonly in combat situations.

Intelligence, Wisdom and Dexterity

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reductions are the temporary loweringof that character�s abilities while underthe effect of the wine. While Dexterityis lowered, its effects are less harmfulthan most other western drinks.

To Hits and Saves indicate the benefitto such throws while under the effectsof the wine. The nature of the firewineallows swift, if not particularly sound,actions.

Hit Points is the addition of the effectsof the drink to the imbiber, similar tothe effects of the aid spell. Any pointslost are taken from these �false brav-ery� hit points first.

The peril of firewine is that an hourafter drinking, the user falls into a com-atose sleep for 7-10 hours, though inthat hour great deeds may be per-formed. Other forces who have soughtto steal this idea (such as �The FirewineIncursion� from Thay 30 winters back),have found their drunken forces inslumber when they are needed else-where. The Rashemen seem immune tothis effect, though whether this is fromthe spell-lore of the witches or the natu-ral hardiness and resistance of theRashemen is unknown.

Firewine sells for 1 gp a pint in Rashe-men, 15 gp a pint elsewhere in theRealms.

The witches of Rashemen are a mys-terious cult of female spell-casterswhich control the fortunes of thenation. If encountered in Rashemen,they will appear as noted under Elmin-ster�s Notes, in numbers from 1-6.

While these spell-casters are very dif-ferent in nature from the other magic-users of the world, for game purposestreat them as magic-users of no lessthan 6th level, and no higher than 25th(1-20 +5). While this is not fully accu-rate, it will suffice until a full study ofthese individuals may be made. Eachwitch encountered will have a 5%chance per level of a useful magicalring, a useful magical wand, and a use-ful magical weapon. The latter will be awhip (UA page 78) with properties andabilities from the magical sword table(UA Page 89).

The witches of Rashemen are greatly

honored in their land, and the people ofthe area will risk their own lives to savea witch . In the remainder of theRealms, no witches have been sighted,and it is presumed that such witches, ifthey do wander the Realms, do so in dis-guise.

RAURIN (ROAR-en)AT A GLANCE: The near-mythical des-ert of Raurin is a massive, sandy wastewhich could swallow entire nations ofthe North. It is located in the furthestsoutheast, beyond the domains ofMulhorand.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Unlike Anauroch,our northern desert, Raurin is a greatsandy waste dotted by rare oases anddead kingdoms. It is also known as theDust Desert and the Stone Desert. Greatand magical kingdoms were said to rulethis land, and it may be their fall that firstdrove men into the lands of the Inner Seaand towards the Sword Coast. What liesthere is as yet unrecorded.

REDDANSYR (Reh-DAHN-seer)AT A GLANCE: A small town locatedbetween Teziir and Westgate, Reddan-syr is the �jumping-off� spot for cara-vans south.

SAERLOON (Say-er-LOON)AT A GLANCE: One of the two fourlarge coastal cities of Sembia. See SEM-BIA.

SCARDALEAT A GLANCE: This dale is a steep-sidedgorge known locally as �the Scar.� Thetown of Scardale lies at the mouth ofthe river Ashaba, and is an importantport on the Dragon Reach.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Scardale isrecovering from the rule of its youngaggressive lord, Lashan Aumersair. Theformer lord, Lashan�s father Uluf, diedseven winters ago, and Lashan wishedto build an empire from his small hold-ings. Having gathered troops, wealth,and artisans to build Scardale into a

great power and eventually take overall of the southern dales. Lashan wasless than diplomatic in hiding his aims.

Under Lashan�s guidance, the initialcampaigns against h is ne ighborsresulted in the overrunning of Harrow-dale, Featherdale, and Battledale. Thisstunning campaign was so swift andsuccessful that Cormyr, Sembia, ZhentilKeep, and Hillsfar all rose in armsagainst him, along with the other daleshe attacked. After overwhelming thecentral Dales, Lashan was turned backfrom Mistledale and Deepingdale by thecombined might of all the enemies hehad made. His �empire� collapsed over-night. Lashan vanished in the confu-sion, as his mercenary troops were cutup by the advancing armies.

Sembia briefly occupied Scardaleitself, with intentions of adding the Daleto their nation, but were threatenedand cajoled into withdrawal by the oth-er kingdoms. All of the dales Lashanbriefly conquered are now indepen-dent again; Scardale itself is in a some-what confused state at present, with�visiting� garrisons still in attendance.

GAME INFORMATION: Scardale is con-trolled by a force of garrisons fromHillsfar, Zhentil Keep, Cormyr, Sembia,and each of the Dales. Each garrisoncannot, by agreement, number morethan 12 men, though the general make-up is left to each nation or dale. This sit-uation is in theory to remain untilScardale resumes a normal form of gov-ernment. This matter is made more dif-ficult in that Scardale has been ruled bya hereditary lord, and Lashan, if he stilllives, is the rightful leader and cannotbe usurped. In the meantime, the vari-ous garrison factions test each other�snerve and strength of swords in con-flicts that rate above tavern brawls andbelow battles.

SCORNUBEL (SCOR-noo-bell)AT A GLANCE: Scornubel is a huge,open city set on the north shore at theconfluence of the Chionthar�s SouthFork and the River Reaching. It is anunwalled town buzzing with continual

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activity, and a large number of pack ani-mals, wagons, and symbols of Mer-chant Companies can be seen as thetraveler enters. Most of the buildingsare low, one or two stories, with a spat-tering of larger buildings and towers inthe center of town.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Scornubel is oneof the key cities on the Trade Way lead-ing from Waterdeep to the lands of theInner Sea. Like its rivals, Elturel andIriaebor, it is a town of merchants andthose things merchants are concernedwith; warehouses, transportation, andprotection (usually from the other mer-chants).

The �Caravan City� is ruled by theshrewd, elderly and regal Lady Rhessa-jan who in her time was a daringexplorer and wandering trader, and isstill famed in tavern-talk as �Rhessajanof the Tents.� The Lady Rhessajan is sup-ported by three Lord High Advisorsnamed Burdan, Deep, and Phantar, allmiddle-aged adventurers and retiredcaravan-masters themselves. The Ladyand her advisors make their judgmentson activities in the city based on one keyfactor: what is profitable for the cityand its merchants.

GAME NOTES: The Caravan City ofScornubel is an important port/ferry-link/warehouse storage caravan-com-pany headquarters. Here the major car-avan companies of the North all havelarge warehouse, stock pasture and sta-bles, and office facilities. Six of thosecompanies are noted here. For furtherinformation, see under MERCHANTCOMPANIES.

Highmoon Trading Coster: Headed byGuldeph Maremmon, a 9th level fight-er, this flourishing concern dominatesthe Sword Coast overland routes fromits bases here and in Waterdeep. It car-ries everything, but has exclusive sup-ply rights to kaorph (�blue wine�) andcertain spices (arispeg, marka, anddelph) which originate somewhere farto the south and east. Its colors are awhite crescent on a b lack, s tar -studded oval.

Surefeet Trademasters: Headed by aCouncil (the merchants Pheng The-lombur, Aramma Dulve, and PristThelmip), and based in Scornubel, theSurefeet specialize in providing expertguides/escorts/guards for all con-cerns; their own caravans and those ofany overland traveler. Their rates arehigh, the ir men good�and i t i srumored that the Surefeet havegained much wealth through severalrich tomb and temple-ruin finds madeby guide-members.

The Trail Lords: A mysterious, pom-pous outfit (whom some say are ruledby Thay, or other fell sorcerous east-ern lands), the Trail Lords have beenknown to hire half-orcs and worse asguards . but they appear to haveboundless money, and can mount asmall army or two to guard those spe-cially valuable clients and cargo in avery short time. The �Trail Lords� aresaid to be merchant kings (none haveever seen them); they rule through thefat, masked illusionist Mhereg Ssar(6th level).

The Red Shields: Formerly a merce-nary company (still available for suchhire, some say), the Red Shields are agroup of highly-skilled (1-3rd level)fighters, who are well-armed and bearred, featureless shields. They usuallyhire out in groups of 25, 50, or 75 tog u a r d r e g u l a r r o a d t r a v e l f r o mNeverwinter through to Amn, and runtheir own regular �run� from Scornu-bel to Waterdeep every few days, car-rying messages as well as cargo. Ledby Bronthar Helmbrind (a level 6 fight-er) and his lieutenants Miftat (a level 5fighter) and Vuldan (level 4 fighter),the Red Shields effectively (and loose-ly) police the streets of Scornubel,watching its perimeters to ward offbandit raids (and to keep themselveswell informed of events within thoseperimeters).

The Stags Caravan Company: An old-er, somewhat fallen-from-former-greatness outfit of rugged adven-turers (now mostly dead or gone to

other adventures elsewhere), it hasbeen taken over by merchants, whoare constantly dealing in large andsmall matters everywhere. Theirrobes are white or cream with a gold-braided border; important personagesof the Company have gold traceries ofantlers at each shoulder, as well. Theiraging �trail general,� Black TommBharhinn, has lost effective control ofday-to-day operations to the mer-chants Storm, Hlevell, and Dindar Pel,all young merchants of Amn whodespair of making their fortunes with-in that kingdom of mighty merchants,but are determined to make moneyhere.

The Windriders Trading Coster: TheWindriders are young, relatively inex-perienced merchants with a wild rep-utation for fierce competition, hardtraveling, and hi-jinks. All wear shieldsadorned with a white pegasus, wingsoutstretched, and are much used forswift, discreet carrier service aroundthe North. There are approximatelys ixty Windriders ; they prefer toremain anonymous, representedthrough their of f ice and leader ,Torshilm Firetel (a 6th level fighter,formerly of Westgate).

SEA OF SWORDSAT A GLANCE: The Sea of Swords is thearm of the Trackless Sea that is bound-ed by the Sword Coast on the east, theMoonshae islands on the west, and theNelanther Is les to the south. SeeSWORD COAST.

SELGAUNT (SELL-gont)AT A GLANCE: Selgaunt is one of thelarge mercantile coastal cities of Sem-bia. See SEMBIA.

SEMBIAAT A GLANCE: Sembia is a wealthy mer-chant kingdom situated east of Cormyron the western edge of the Sea of FallenStars. It is a land of rolling farms andrich plains, dominated by a handful of

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large, wealthy cities. It is a well-run,organized nation which may in timerival the old kingdoms of the south andeast.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The wealthymerchant-kingdom of Sembia is a landof good farms, busy ports, skilled textilemakers, and prosperity, with a vigilantarmy to keep it that way. The arms ofSembia are �the Raven and Silver.� TheRaven represents Rauthauvyr �the Rav-en,� long-ago founder of the realm, whonever ruled Sembia but instead com-manded its armies for a succession ofmerchant rulers. The silver coins rep-resent Sembia�s trading wealth.

Sembia was settled by men coming tothe Sea of Fallen Stars from the south,originally for its stands of huge, high-quality iliyr-wood timber which wasmuch prized in shipbuilding. As the for-ests were cleared, over the years, thetreecutters came into increasing con-flict with the elves, who feared the lossof their entire woods. This wouldundoubtedly have occurred if thehastily-gathered mercenary troops ofthe fledgling land had defeated theelves, but the Elven Nations defeatedthem soundly at Singing Arrows (884DR) and afterwards repeatedly slew orforced back men venturing north of theriver Ashaba and Lake Sember.

The Dragon Sea�s mineral wealth wasdiscovered by men at about this time,and pressure began to grow in Sembiafor a trade-road through the elvenwoods, to make Sembia the world�sgateway to all this wealth. The landgrew strong as farms prospered in itsnewly-cleared lands, and craftsmenarrived from the south to take advan-tage of this chance to acquire land andwealth, bringing their trades withthem. Rauthauvyr insisted on maintain-ing a standing army, which he kept inpractice by policing Sembia�s bordersand improving its roads.

Finally The Raven went alone as anenvoy to the Elven Court, and asked theelders of the Elven Council to approve aroad north from Ordulin to the shoresof the Dragon Sea, open to men. He pro-

SCORNUBEL KEY

1. Trail Lords (merchant company)headquarters: office and warehouse(A), warehouses (B-E)

2. Highmoon Trading Coster (merchantcompany) warehouse (C-J), office &stronghouse (A), and staff quarters(B, K, L)

3. Highmoon Trading Coster stablesand paddock

4. The Trail Lords stock pens andstables w/paddock

5. The Stags Caravan Company stablesand stock pens, w/paddock

6. Ferrydock and route of “SouthroadFerry”, a large barge; Burlin, a 6thLevel Fighter, and two 3rd-Levelbravos, crew

7. Arkaras the Shipwright8. The Red Shields stables and

paddock, office at (A)9. Tallahabur the Wagonmaker (sheds:

A-D; House: E)10. “The Walk” (public meeting-place

and market)11. The Windriders Trading Coster

(merchant company) stablesw/paddock, and stock pens

12. Surefeet Trademasters (merchantcompany) stables and paddocks

13. The Purple Sun Trading Coster(merchant company), stablew/paddock and stock pens

14. The Windriders Trading Coster(merchant company) headquarters;office (F), and warehouses (A-E)

15. Purple Sun Trading Costerwarehouse (A-D)

16. Surefeet Trademaster headquarters:office and stronghouse (D),warehouse (A-C)

17. Red Shields warehouses (A-C & D-F)18. The Stags Caravan Company

headquarters: A-H, warehouses19. The Jaded Unicorn (tavern & inn of

low quality (flophouse))20. The Thirsty Thunder Beast (tavern)21. The Dusty Hoof (tavern & inn)22. Traveler’s Rest (inn)23. The Fishym & Smoka Inn (The

“Fishsmoke”; tavern & inn of lowquality)

24. “The Nightshade” (festhall &nightclub)

25. Smithy: Kaerus Thambadar,blacksmith & ironmonger

26. Fish Market27. “The Green” (assembly area for

outbound caravans)28. “The North Green” (see 27)29. “East Green” (see 27)30. The Spice & Wine Shop (Ulder

Mooroo, 3rd Level M-U, proprietor)31. Malikhar the Outfitter (leather straps,

packs, tarpaulins, weathercloaks,harness, boots, etc.)

32. Purple Sun Trading Coster office33. Purple Sun Trading Coster hirelings’

barracks34. Angah Lalla (fence for stolen goods;

ostensibly a curio trader, in “itemsfrom exotic lands”)

35. The “Free Traders” Scornubeloffices (run by the city); a registry ofunemployed, casual, journeymandrovers, guards, animal trainers,etc., & stronghouse)

36. “Free Traders” public warehouse(rental storage space guarded by theWatch)

37. same as 3638. Headquarters of the Watch (D) with

barracks (A-C) and enclosed stables

(E)39. The Randy Wench tavern and gaming

rooms40. The Jester’s Bells (tavern, festhall,

and scented baths)41. Thruu’s Way Rooms and Dining

(“The Through-house”; inn)42. Scornubel Hall (meeting-chambers

available for rent, quarters for thelocal Council and visitors, the city’semergency granary & deep wells)

43. The Raging Lion (inn; tavern & roomsat A, stables at B)

44. Mother Minx’s (festhall)45. Thymdar’s Reliquary & Eremosckh

(general store for all goods; large andprosperous; Thymdar is a 7th Levelmagic-user who uses Wizard Eyeoften in business matters, etc.)

46. The Everfull Jug (winery and drinks

shop)47. Ehaevaera’s Beauty Rooms

(hairstyling, scented baths,massages, manicures, body paintingand tattoos, for women)

48. Ssimbar’s Fine Clothes49. Preszmyr the Herbalist (herbs, drugs,

phylacteries, perfumes & scentedpowders)

50. “Far Anchor” (inn)

posed that the elves choose its routeand retain control of it and their woodsaround, so that no woodcutting orhuman settlement occur, and that Sem-bia�s men build it with them.

Though the elves had earlier madesimilar arrangements with the Dales-men, and had no difficulties with themen of Velarsdale (now Harrowdale),refused, neither wanting or needingsuch a road. The Raven then threat-ened to exterminate the isolated elvesin Arnothoi, the last embattled remnantof the elves in Sembia if the Elven Courtdid not cooperate, and leave Arnothoiunmolested and its elves free to comeand go and trade or not as they wished,if the road was built.

The elves agreed, and Sembia�s finan-cial future was secured. The elves builtHillsfar on the shores of the Dragon Seaas their commercial �meeting ground�with men, and over the years the elvesof Arnothoi came north to join theirbrethren or slipped away to seek Ever-meet, and that wood gradually disap-peared. The route the elves chose ran atthe base of the Standing Stone, as areminder of earlier, less-hostile dealingsbetween men and elves.

Sembia grew rich, under merchant-leaders of increasing wisdom, such asSaer (for whom Saerb was named, andChondathan later renamed Saerloon)and Selgar (Chancelgaunt was renamedSelgaunt at his death, when he was bur-ied there). Rauthauvyr the Raven, erehis death, saw that these merchantshad a strong standing council of mer-chant elders to advise them, and toensure that no ruler could hold on topower by force of arms. Then this far-sighted man, creator of a nation, nowhalf-blind and infirm from old war-wounds, rode north into the elvenwoods and disappeared. None knewwhat happened to him or where hisbones lie, save perhaps some few elderelves.

Sembia today is a strong kingdom,quick to defend threats to its sover-eignty (such as the rise of Scardale), andfirst in financial wealth of all the west-ern Inner Sea Lands. Its ruler is called

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the Overmaster, and is elected to aseven-year term by a council of mer-chants.

This merchant-council is presentlybased in Ordulin, and is twenty-twostrong. The incumbent ruler, ElduthYarmmaster, has but two years left onhis first term, and although there arealways those ambitious for the Over-master�s chair, or dissatisfied with itspresent occupant, there is a goodchance Elduth, an elderly and wise manof kindness and humor, will be re-elected. Some in Sembia have urgedElduth to take advantage of the recentdisappearance of the elves to take overthe lands from Hillsfar to the DragonReach, to Misteldale and the ThunderPeaks, but so far Elduth has refused. Hequotes the old saying, �swords speak,but they do not listen.�

GAME INFORMATION: The details ofSembia, its armed forces, cities, andpersonalities are left for DM develop-ment for their own campaigns, as notedin the the DM�s Guide to the Realms.This includes the following cities ofSembia:

Daerlun (Dare-LOON)Huddagh (HUHD-agh)Kulta (KUHL-tab)Mulhessen (Muhl-HEH-sen)Ordulin (ORE-dyoo-linlSaerb (Sairb�See HIGH DALE)Saerloon (Sair-LOON)Selgaunt (SELL-gont)Surd (Serd)Tulbegh (Tull-beg)Urmlaspyr (Erm-LASS-peer)Yhaunn (Uh-HAWN)

and the lands around them.

THE SHAARAT A GLANCE: The Shaar is a region ofgreat plains and grassland located far tothe south, beyond the Vilhon Reach.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Shaar isdominated by miles upon miles of thickgrasslands, and peopled by nomads,herdsmen, and raiders, Even so, thesepeoples are said to wield great and mys-tical powers.

The region known as �Eastern Shaar�is sparser and less green, more of awasteland. Within the Eastern Shaar isa huge cleft or canyon, known as theGreat Rift, home to many southerndwarves.

SHADOWDALEAT A GLANCE: Shadowdale is a farmingcommunity straddling the road fromShadow Gap to Voonlar, its main town(of the same name) located where thatroad crosses the Abasha. The Dale isbroken by patches of light woods thatrun to the borders of the town, andinterupted by a large number of oldruins. These old haunts of treasure andmonsters makes the region very popu-lar with Adventuring Companies, andmore than a few have called this regiontheir home.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: This quiet butastonishingly hardy agricultural com-munity has recently rebuffed severalinvasions under the just and wise lord-ship of Doust Sulwood and his com-rades. These stalwarts in the past ledthe dale militia and mercenary troopsin key battles against Lashan�s Army ofScardale, have defeated powerfulmages from Zhentil Keep, bested draco-lich attacks of the Dragon Lords, andrepelled Drow caravans and raidingparties in the caverns beneath the Tow-er of Ashaba and the woods near theruins of Castle Grimstead.

Shadowdale has been famous for anumber of things, large and small, andits community of adventurers ensuringthat the fame of these things carriesfurther through the realms than thesize of the community first indicates. Itis noted for its inn (The Old Skull), agood smith and a good wagonmakingshop. The community was the home ofthe adventurers known as Mane�s Band(now missing and presumed dead) andthe witch Sylune (also deceased).Among its living natives the area claimsS y l u n e � s s i s t e r , t h e b a r d S t o r mSilverhand, and a wide variety of skilledadventurers. Shadowdale is also thechosen abode of Elminster the Sage,

reknowned for his wisdom, power, andconcise, informative histories of theRealms.

The previous Lord, Doust, and hisfriends, most notably the ranger FlorinFalconhand, have since their mostrecent battle renounced their titles andoffices in Shadowdale. Before depart-ing, they installed the cavalier Mourn-grym as Lord of the Dale. Mourngrymhas recently married Shaeril Rowan-mantle, a noble lady of Cormyr, andcontinues to rule with the assistanceand wise guidance of Elminster. Doustand his companions have titled them-selves �the Knights of Myth Drannor,�and are attempting to establish theirown stronghold in that ruined city.Their success has been hampered byexploratory parties from Zhentil Keep,Hillsfar, Sembia, other adventuringcompanies, and an increasing diabolicpresence in the ruins.

GAME INFORMATION: Shadowdale isthe best-recorded of the Dalelands, duein part to the first-hand knowledge ofElminster. Further information on thesites of Shadowdale follows, as opposedto separate entries, and are listed toagree with the map on page 78.

Elminster the Sage and his ScribeLhaeo are not for hire, and the peopleof Shadowdale will be quick to informpassers-by of that fact. The path behindTulba the Weaver�s house leading up toElminster�s Tower has warning runes ofdanger and a sign reading, in Commonand Thorass: �No Trespassing. Violatorsshould notify next of kin. Have a pleas-ant day.�

Old Skull: This huge, lichen-covered,gnar led, lava-mel ted and sheep-skeleton-littered height of land thatdominates Shadowdale is well known;the sheep farmers built a hut on thenorth side for shelter during the rainand for lambing in winter. The body ofJoadath, a former Lord of Shadowdale,was burned there, in a hollow at the SWend of the crest. Many people today usethe Old Skull as a lookout, sheep pas-ture, laundry-drying surface, andtrysting-ground. It has never, as far as

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can be ascertained, had any religiousand/or secretive political importance.The Old Skull Inn takes its name fromthis prominence.

The Tower of Ashaba: The Tower earnsits formal name from its location,guarding the northernmost bridgedcrossing of the river Ashaba. Its nick-name, �the Twisted Tower,� comes fromits off-center spire. This construction isdue to the inclusion of a �deck� or half-covered flight platform (and attachedstables) for the use of aerial steeds.However, often a Dalesman, fed up withthe latest lunacies of its inhabitants, willrefer to them as �the Twists.�

The Tower has many secrets and curi-osities and bears the stamp of manyowners . Many towers across theRealms have such character and mys-tery. Though the Tower is currently theseat of the Lord of Shadowdale and theforces of law, this stronghold was oncethe citadel of an evil power, whichreached up from the Depths Below.

Azmaer, as the last known drow lordwas called, held the Tower in its waningdays, as its wisely-built fortificationsdefended his peoples� retreat into thesubterranean realms. (This was 906Dalereckoning, when the land calledShadowdale was just beginning toundergo human settlement). The lastdays of the drow rule were made horri-ble by disease, caused by a cistern poi-soned by a human slave, and so thestorming of the Twisted Tower wascomparatively easy. The drow defeat-ed, the town of Shadowdale began togrow in earnest, until reaching itspresent size.

Once in human hands, the Tower ofAshaba passed through the hands of awide variety of owners, and bearstraces of their differing creeds and pur-poses. The last good and lawful lord ofthe Tower before the coming of Doustand his stalwart companions was oneJyordhan. Jyordhan reigned for a shorttime, then took ill mysteriously, trav-eled to the great city of Waterdeep, anddied there in the company of the MageKhelben. Rumor says that Jyordhan

was in truth an evil usurper whomKhelben enspelled to come to Water-deep and there slew. Despite the rela-tively short time since these events, it isdifficult to learn the truth. With thecoming of Doust three winters back,and his recent abdication to Mourn-grym, the Tower is now the haven for alarge variety of adventurers and theirparties, much to the financial profit andindividual headache of the people ofShadowdale.

GAME INFORMATION: The followingindividuals make up the Court of theLords of Shadowdale, who take theirresidence in the Tower of Ashaba.

MOURNGRYM, Lord of Shadowdale.TURNAL RHESTAYN (of Neverwinter),

Seneschal of the Tower of Ashabaand Steward of the Court.

Household Staff (reports to Turnal):SAMMETH, CellarerBRACEGAR, ButlerCORLA, ChambermaidLETTA, ChambermaidGEMUTH, ChambermaidDELUNE, ChambermaidRIIA, ChambermaidTANTNA, ChambermaidEPANEL, ChambermaidTALA, ChambermaidNESSEA, ChambermaidLINDUE, ChambermaidSANTHA, ChambermaidDOLBURR, FootmanMETH, FootmanRINDOL, Footman

THURBAL, Captain-of-Arms and War-den of Shadowdale

Household Guard25 archers led by Yeoman Helduth12 men-at-arms led by SerjeantYothgdim

ESSEN, Herald and Bailiff of the LordMourngrym

ASEEL, Chatelaine, Herbmistress, Heal-er, Keeper of the Purse, Head ofKitchens.

StaffLALYM, Master CookSEDROS, CookMASSIM, CookJHANYL, Serving-girl

MURA, Serving-girlDESSA, Serving-girlLILUR, Serving-girlSATHA, Serving-girlNEENA, Serving-girlPURK, Kitchen Boy

THORBOK, Master of the StablesStable Crew

DAVORR, HostlerBLINT, TacksmanHAVOR, TacksmanDURST, TacksboyBELDIN, Tacksboy

VODDAL, ConstableDEGETH, ConstableSAMAL, PageHETH, PageELMINSTER, SageLHAEO, Scribe to Elminster

The dale has also served as home toother groups under Mourngrym reign,including:

Mane�s Band: Mane (fighter), Boots�the Lucky� (magic-user), Ruldo(ranger), Kheldarr (fighter), Despar(cleric), Tamshan (bard).

The Circle: The Druids Mourntarn�the Master,� Eimair, Deltra, Veshar,Orben, and Feldel; and the RangersBriadorn, Rathagol, Temis, Reptar,and Selvan.

Watcher�s Knoll: The knoll opens into aclearing in which a great stone pillarslants to the north, high enough toafford a view over the forest around. Ithas been a watchpost since the days ofAeancar the Mantled King, who threehundred years ago ruled all of the landsbetween the Moonsea and the InnerSea and west to the Stonelands. TheKnoll has been occupied by successivebands, adventurers, and armies overthe years, particularly in the time sinceCastle Krag was built, for the Castleserves as a home and base for anyoneusing the Knoll or the Old Skull as alookout.

Sixty winters ago, when the Lord ofShadowdale was Joadath, the followersof Tyr in Shadowdale worshipped here.These worshipers were discovered andmassacred by Joadath�s men, and some

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villagers have reported haunts to stalkthe Knoll since that time.

L o r d A u m r y , w h o r u l e d a f t e rJoadath�s destruction, was buried in acavern here hewn out by dwarves,elves, and men. Out of respect forAumry and love for his lady Sylune,Aumry�s ashes were entombed in a cof-fin of stone, atop which Sylune laid hisstaff and cloak as per his orders, toawait the next lord. The staff and cloakwere later stolen by Lashan of Scardale,a n d t h o u g h t h e c l o a k w a s l a t e rdestroyed in battle, the staff is withLashan, wherever he may be at thepresent.

As far as it is known, only the elvesvisit the Knoll regularly now. Most vil-lagers alive in Shadowdale today havegone once to satisfy their curiosity,found it a small clearing requiring a lotof careful walking through the forest toreach, and have never returned. Itremains a meeting place for lovers, kidsplaying, and the occasional shady dealor murder.

Harper�s Hi l l : This peaceful , t ree-covered hill deep in the forest is namedfor its use by the long-dead bardAlsaerl, and more recently by StormSilverhand, as a place of harping prac-tice and spiritual renewal. It is a place ofgreat beauty, and has a secondary func-tion as a rallying point in the forest. Theelves often danced and played musicthere, and most villagers avoid it as aresult.

Fox Ridge: The ridge gets its name fromthe pests that the farmers of Shadow-dale often hunt with dogs. The foxes ofthe ridge live in many, many holes andburrows in and around the exposedrocks along the ridge, which falls awaysharply to the north in a man-heightbank. The ridge is pierced by severalclefts and two cave chambers largeenough for men to use; most have overthe years been used to conceal food,arms, gold, bodies, and messages. Notmuch is known of these caves and theirprecise location, but the rangers of theCircle are the people who best knowthe caves and other features of the

ridge.

The Realms Below: The land beneaththe land of Shadowdale is dominated bya subterranean river, which runs NW-SE under the River Ashaba, beneath theTower, and connects with Elminster�sPool on the surface. It comes to the sur-face again far to the southeast, in thedepths of the elven woods, and in thepast its phosphorescent waters werehome to troglodytes, the last known ofwhich was slain by a warrior of Sha-dowdale when Elminster was a boy. It isnot known where this river comesfrom, nor if it has any magical powersor strategic importance. The RealmsBelow may be accessed by a number ofother means, including caverns such asthose on Fox Ridge and the deeperlevels of ancient keeps and crypts.Exactly what lives in these realms is notrevealed in current texts, though itshould be noted that the drow onceruled this land before being drivenunderground, and while their shadowon the land has diminished, their powerbeneath may yet be strong.

THE SHADOW THIEVESAT A GLANCE: The Shadow Thieves area wide-ranging guild of thieves, spies,and assassins who perform particularlydangerous, evil-aligned, and lucrativeventures. Their activities, unlike thoseof most thieving guilds, are not limitedto a single city, and they range thelength of the Sword Coast.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: A group directlyopposed to the Lords of Waterdeep, theShadow Thieves are based in Athkatla,in Amn, where they have have a mas-sive training complex and a testing-ground for the assassins they sponsor.

These thieves were once the ThievesGuild of Waterdeep, until they weredriven out of that city, or slaughtered,b y t h e L o r d s o f W a t e r d e e p . T h eShadow Thieves have sponsored anAssassins� Guild in Athkatla with theeventual aim of slaying all of the Lordsof Waterdeep. In the meantime, thissecretive organization appears to have

reached some sort of agreement withthe merchant-kings of Amn, who wouldlike to see turmoil in their trade rival,Waterdeep, and who wish to avoidbeing on the assassins� hit list them-selves. Under this pact the Merchant-kings leave the Shadow Thieves alone,and are in turn left alone.

The Shadow Thieves operate up anddown the Sword Coast; their trade-mark is a black silk mask impaled upona stiletto blade (usually used in assassi-nations, or left behind at the scene if agarrotte or poison is employed instead).No names, levels, or even numbers ofShadow Thieves are known; high-leveloperators are thought to be few. Form-er members, slain by the Lords ofWaterdeep and the Company of CrazedVenturers (an adventuring company)include the thieves Quist and Mashtun.

SKULL GORGEAT A GLANCE: Skull Gorge is situatedon the upper reaches of the RiverReaching, and is a sharp cut throughthe surrounding terrain, its steep wallsrunning almost to the river�s edge. Thewalls of the vale are a pale-grey stone,and riddled with caverns.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: It was in thissteep-walled valley that the survivingorc and hobgoblin chieftains and sha-mans gathered following the Battle ofBones (q.v.) to stand off the Armies ofMen. The goblin races summonedextra-planar a id , for la ter forcesencountered many bone devils, spineddevils, and malebranche, and a greatdisembodied skull glowing with redflames was seen the air above thegorge. The gorge was cleared of theorcs and hobgoblins, and now thoughtto be deserted.

Much treasure is said to have beenhurriedly concealed in the caverns thatlace the white-stone walls of the gorge.Few who have come here seeking trea-sure have been seen again, and thoughtreasure has been found here, so havefell beasts that seem to appear fromnowhere to attack travelers in theGorge.

80

SOSSAL (SAW-sall)AT A GLANCE: Far to the North, on thefar side of the Great Glacier, is the leg-endary kingdom of Sossal. This remotenation is the home of Sossarhim, a verypale, very blond race that dresses inwhite, and can conceal themselvesamong the ice. It is not known whethergreat magics by their native shamansspared that region of the Great Ice, or ifthose magics caused it.

SOUBAR (SOO-bar)AT A GLANCE: Soubar is a small townalong the Trade Way north of Scornu-bel, and is often used as a way-stationfor traders traveling along that road.

THE SOUTHAT A GLANCE: The common referenceto �the South� (also �the grim and magi-cal South�) refers to the lands of Ches-senta, Unther, and Mulhorand, whichare among the first and eldest nationsin this land.

ELMNSTER�S NOTES: �The South� isoften invoked when explaining someunknown event, such as a freak wind-storm on the Inner Sea being �damnedSouthern magics.� The nations of theSouth are older than any other humandomains in the realms. It is viewed bythose of the north as an area of strange,exotic ways, age-old decadence, andcruelty and slavery, with strange gods,outrageous customs, and no law savethat of the sword.

The South is also known for strongmagic, and many wondrous devicesand artifacts find their origin there.Southern traders are sometimes foundin the seaports of the North, tradingspices, rich cloth, wine, and brass orna-ments to trade for trained war mounts,parchment, glass, worked steel, andwoodwork.

Men of the South commonly have upto three blue circles painted on theirforeheads. These circles generallymean the man is skilled and learned,and can write and knows magic, is con-

versant with religious history and rit-uals, or is aware of law and folklore ofhis native region. In general, mostsoutherners are treated as magic-usersor the spawn of magic-users, and givena wide berth.

THE STANDING STONEAT A GLANCE: The Standing Stone is ahuge plinth of glossy grey rock, incisedwith elvish runes which wind about itsbase in a series of bands. The stoneitself is about twenty feet in height, andmay be found where the road from Mis-tledale joins the Hillsfar Essembra road.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The StandingStone was erected 1357 years ago bymighty elvish mages to commemoratethe pact between the Elvish Court andthe newly-arriving Dalemen. The wind-ing script at the base of the Stone statesthe terms of that pact; that while thereare elves in the forest, the men of thedales may settle in those lands at theirborders, but not to reduce the wood orinvade elven territories.

The wood has been reduced severelysince the stone was erected, often byother human agents (in particular theSembians), who have had little love ofthe People. When the Sembians forcedthe road through to Hillsfar, the elvesresponded by laying that road to run atthe base of the stone, ironically pointingout that not all men need to deal at thepoint of a sword.

The Standing Stone has some enchant-ment upon it, and radiates magic. It can-not be defaced or marred, for stains orcuts heal on its surface.

SURD (Serd)AT A GLANCE: Surd is a small, agricul-tural town in Sembia (see SEMBIA).

SUZAIL (Soo-ZALE)AT A GLANCE: Suzail is the royal capitaland richest city of the kingdom of Cor-myr, and home to the most importantmerchant houses of Cormyr. The city isdominated by the fortified castle of

King Azoun IV, which is set apart fromthe lower city by its splendid gardens,and rumored to have r ich buria lgrounds beneath.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The city is justlyfamous for i t s bazaars , i t s ivory-sculptors and clothmakers. Of theformer, hundreds of winters of ivorygleaned from the �Utter East� and hotjungles of the South has found its wayacross the Inner Sea in great shiploadsof raw tusk and fragments, and herebeen fashioned into inlays and goodsfor Amn, the North, and the SwordCoast cities. Of the latter, wool is wovenas well in the Sembian city of Daerlun,but those who work looms in Suzailhold that their work is finer, and thecolors more true and more lasting.

A map of Suzail is provided on page82.

GAMING INFORMATION: Ivory is asemi-prec ious mater ia l , which isenhanced in beauty (and value) in itscarving. Raw ivory is purchased forSuzailian craftsmen by the pound, at 1gold piece per pound for large chunks,half that shattered scraps suitable forenlay. Elephant, mammoth, and walrusivory all command standard prices, butthat of rare or magical beasts can gath-er prices up to 10 times standard.

King Azoun IV is a Cavalier of 20thlevel and LG alignment. He is rarelyalone, for he has a personal bodyguardof six level 8 fighters, and in addition isoften in the company of his court whichincludes among its numbers some ofthe more powerful Cormyrians, such asthe wizard Vangerdahast.

His majesty carries a number of items(rings, bracers, and the like) that pro-vide immunity from various forms ofattack, and it is rumored that he is therecipient of a specialized spell which, ifgravely threatened, will teleport himelsewhere (the stories say the destina-tion of this teleport is the castle inSuzail, though others say the spellreaches the crypts beneath it, or to thecastle of High Horn).

Vangerdahast, Royal Magician to theRealm of King Azoun IV and Chairman

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Emperius of the College of War Wiz-ards, is a Wizard of 15th level. Vanger-dahast is of lawful-neutral alignment,and is quiet and unassuming, thoughhighly respected by his peers both forhis knowledge and courtly tact. He doesnot suffer fools and fops well, but hasan undying loyalty to the crown.

Sthavar, Lord Magister of the City, isthe local lord entrusted to the day-to-day governing of Cormyr�s largest city.Sthavar is a fighter of 15th level, lawfulgood alignment, who maintains a sepa-rate res idence outs ide the palacegrounds. He maintains a compliment ofsix guards of 5th level, and his herald,Xorn Hackhand, is a mage of 9th levelability.

SWORD COASTAT A GLANCE: The Sword Coast is thewestern shore of Faerun, running fromCandlekeep and the Cloak Wood in theSouth, to Luskan in the north.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The SwordCoast is a rough, brawling area domi-nated by the City of Splendors, Water-deep. The coast itself is treacherous,f i l led with undersea reefs , rock-outcroppings, and soft, mucky bottomsthat extend out for miles. True ports arefew and far between on the Coast,which is the reason that the best harborcapable of handling sea vessels, Water-deep, has grown into one of the mostimportant cities of the North.

Scholars and sources disagree on theeffective length of the Sword Coast, andsome extend it further south, into thelands of Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan, toCalimport. The southern kingdomsresent this categorization, for they con-sider the lands of the Sword Coast dan-gerous wilderlands, and its people littlebetter than barbarians.

TARKHALDALE (TARK-hal-dale)AT A GLANCE: Tarkhaldale, also calledthe Lost Vale, is situated hard on theborders of the Great Desert Anauroch,flanked by steeply-rising mountains.Conifers dot the sides of this vale, as do

SUZAIL KEY

1.2.3.

4.

5.6.7.8.9.10.

11.12.13.14.

15.16.17.18.19.

20.

21.22.

23.

24.

25.

26.27.28.

29.30.31.

32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.

48.49.50.51.

PalaceLake AzounThe Royal Gardens (or “FloralGardens”)“The Promenade” (the street, fromEastgate to Horngate.EastgateThe Nightgate InnThe Markey YardMarket HallThe Lock-up (city jail)Citadel of the Purple Dragons(garrison)Royal DocksHarbor Towerthe Field-Gatesthe Fields of the Dead (burialground); off the map to the west)the Marketthe BasinHorngateMonument: the Purple DragonHouse of Lord Magister of the CitySthavarthe “Royal Court” (interconnectedbuildings)Court StablesDragoneye Dealing Coster (merchantcompany) “yards”Thousandheads Trading Coster(merchant company) “yards”The Seven Suns Trading Coster(merchant company) “Yards”The Six Coffers Trading Coster(merchant company) “Yards”Rheuban’s StablesIravan’s Rental YardsTrueshield Trading Priakoss(merchant company) “Yards”Talahon’s Rental YardsShipyardsThe Towers of Good Fortune (templeof Tymora)The Silent Room (temple of Deneir)The Royal SmithyShrine to LliiraShrine to OghmaShirne to MalarThe Winking Eye (tavern)The Old Dwarf (tavern)The Dragon’s Jaws (tavern)The Weather Eye (tavern)The Golden Goblin (tavern)The Laughing Lass (tavern)Zhaelun’s StockyardThe Crying Witch (tavern)The Leaning Post (inn)The Six Candles (inn)“The Jaws” (culvert, taking streamto basin, #16)Thelmar’s InnSelavar’s InnZult’s (licensed moneychanger)The Black Rat (tavern)

52.53.54.55.56.57.58.59.60.61.62.63.64.

65.66.

67.68.69.70.71.

72.73.

74.75.76.77.

78.

The Mare’s Tail (tavern)The Courtyard of ZathchosTaneth’s (festhall)Sontravin’s InnSkatterhawk warehouses & dockShrine to TyrThe Wailing Wheel (inn)Sulchra’s (festhall)The Warm Bed (inn)Skatterhawk family househouse of Helve Dhasjarr, fighterhouse of Cormmor Lhestayl, fighterformer house of Tethos & AlmenBlood hawk (court clerk); now hometo a fighter, Lanneth MurgThe Tower of Argul (a wizard)former smithy-shop of AthamOne-Eye; now a festhall, The PurpleScarhouse of Dolchar DethantarDanain’s (hardware shop)Kriyeos Lathmil’s stablesTower of Laspeera (female mage)Wyvernspur House (see lmmerseamap for other holdings)shrine to Mililwarehouse of Jhassalan (oils &perfumes)tower of the mage Baskorwarehouse of Faeri (ivory)warehouse of Ossper (fine cloth)Vangerdahast’s Tower (RoyalMagician)Blackshield apartments (Courtresidence)

old ruins and the entrances to minesand caverns.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This small moun-tain valley now lies on the edge of thevast, hostile desert that divides much ofthe known Realms. Once this Dale wasallied with the rich kingdoms of Asramand Holondah, whose ruins have nowbeen long swallowed by the desert. At itsheight the community was a quiet min-ing and farming community, known forits carved mugs and pipes. The suddenarrival of the orcs and goblins, who slewthe dwarves of the mountains aroundTarkhaldale and drove away the elves ofthe nearby Border Forest, isolating thehuman settlement. Teshendale fell short-ly thereafter, and no man has attemptedto settle here since; only those of ZhentilKeep�s trading caravans are said to havesafe passage.

GAMING INFORMATION: There arereported to be several warring tribes oforcs and goblins in the Lost Vale, thestrongest of which the Korinkathar,The Orcs of Mourning.

TASSELDALEAT A GLANCE: Tasseldale is the most�civilized� of the dalelands, and dottedwith a wide variety of small communi-ties that, as a group, are considered Tas-seldale. These communities are set in adry river valley stretching from the endof Arch Wood to Featherdale on the Riv-er Ashaba.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Tasseldale is �thecrossroads� of the dales, a pleasant,tree-cloaked defile lined with the shopsand houses of artisans: toymakers, lace-makers, tinsmiths and potters, wood-workers and cabinetmakers, tailorsand builders, weavers and vintners andscribes. It has a force of mounted policeofficers, known as �mairshars� com-posed of four patrols of 12 men each,plus eleven trainees who fill in toreplace the sick or wounded.

GAME INFORMATION: The mairsharsare fighters of levels 2-5, armored inregulation chain mail, though some

may have additional magical items.Their leader, and representative on theDales Council, is the Grand Mairshar,Elizzaria. Elizzaria is a 9th level fighterwho has had previous training as a cler-ic, rising to 8th level before leaving thechurch in a dispute over her faith.

The Mairshars are Tasseldale�s onlyvisible fighting force, but every manand woman between the ages of 14 and64 are considered part of the Tasseldalemilitia, and these chubby, contented vil-lagers can often lash out and destroyinvading armies, a s t h e f o r c e s o fLashan of Sardale learned only a fewseasons ago.

TESHENDALEAT A GLANCE: Situated along the valleyof the River Tesh, the region that wasTeshendale is now piles of ruins over-grown by brambles and shrubs.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This dale was afull member of the Dales Council a gen-eration ago, now it has vanished. Itspeople were slain or enslaved in a seriesof raids by the orcs in the mountainsand the men of Zhentil Keep. Much ofthe walls of Zhentil Keep were built ofthe rocky sides of this dale, which havebeen entirely quarried away, leavingonly rolling, rocky areas and the rem-nants of Teshendale�s farmland. Theburned remnants of the TeshendaleArms still provide a meeting place fortravelers and shepherds, but most ofTeshendale�s other buildings have van-ished, its destruction being being com-pleted forty years ago. Its sign, stillfound on cairns and building stones,consists of two flying snakes, tails inter-twined and curving up to face each oth-er.

Teshendale was ruled by an Elder; thelast, Jaoth Hulnhurn, is believed longdead. A place is still reserved at the DaleCouncil for Teshendale, partially inmemory of Jaoth, and partially as areminder of the shame of not aiding afellow dale. The community of Dagger-dale not so far away feels that shameacutely, and may account for theirunfriendly attitude. That attitude may

84

also be accounted for by some veiledhints at the time that the Dalesmen ofDaggerdale were involved to somedegree in the demise of their neighbor.

TETHYR (TEH-theer)AT A GLANCE: Tethyr lies between theborders of the forest of Tethir and thegathered city-states of Calimshan. It is aland of large dominions and warringlords, and an ideal place for the merce-nary and the spy.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This rich buttroubled land is now a realm of chang-ing rulers and uncertain power. Itsformer ruling family has been huntedinto virtual extinction, and political cha-os reigns. Tethyr is still a wealthy andhistoried feudal kingdom of manynoble families, strong in arms and tradealike, yet until the situation stabilizes,travelers are warned of the dangers ofrival factions and border patrols.

GAME INFORMATION: The royal familyof Tethyr is believed destroyed, thoughon occasion a particular claimant orpretender arises to rally forces of onetype or another. If any direct-line heirhas survived the bloodbath of Tethyr,he must currently be far from thatland, using another name, and keepinghis lineage secret to avoid being hunteddown by the various factions.

TEZIIR (Teh-ZEER)AT A GLANCE: The largest free city onthe banks of the Dragonmere, Teziir isWestgate�s rival in the merchant trade.It is a sprawling, unwalled city, and hasbeen attacked, sacked, and burnedmore than a few times in its brief histo-ry.

THAR (The Great Grey Lands)AT A GLANCE: The Great Grey Lands ofThar s t re tch northward from theMoonsea in rising steppeland that endsat the Great Glacier Pelvuria.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Thar is a deso-late, uncivilized region untouched bythe hand of settlers and farms. Instead,

it is a land of nomad raiders and homeof the �beast-men� (ogres), and greatbands of orcs. These creatures are saidto be aided at times by devils summon-ed by evil magery. Such fell magic-workers are known to command thewar-strong city-state of Zhentil Keep,and its rival, the independent city-stateof Mulmaster, which lies at the otherend of the Moonsea. These, combinedwith the slumbering evil of Vaasa andthe great Dragons, make Thar the gate-way to �The Evil of the North.�

THAYAT A GLANCE: Thay is a powerful, exot-ic, magical and evil nation that lies inthe Eastern Reaches of the KnownRealms, bound by Aglarond and Theskin the west, Rashemen in the north, theInner Sea in the south, and SunriseMountains and Endless Waste in theeast. The realm is best known for itsrich prosperity, ancient heritage, byz-antine government, and magical-basedsociety.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Thay is con-trolled by a loose confederation of pow-erful spell-casters collectively called theRed Wizards of Thay, who are evil andparanoid to the extreme, seeking tomaintain their own power in theirnation while undercutting the power ofother realms, which they perceive asdangerous to their existence. Othermagic-users who are not of their cult(and in particular those mages who areinvolved in ruling rival nations) areviewed as threats to be eliminated. Thet o t a l n u m b e r o f R e d W i z a r d s i sunknown.

Thay has a noble class as well. Thar-chions and Tharchionesses govern itsprovinces, under the direction of theRed Wizards� chosen spokesmen, theZulkirs. There are at present believedto be eight Zulkirs, of whom the nameof only one is known in the Inner Sealands: the Zulkir Szass Tam.

The Red Wizards and their minionsuse several badges; that most oftenseen outside Thay is a leaping red flame

on a black or deep purple field.The col lec ted Red Wizards are

devoted to an expansionistic and imper-ialistic policy of swallowing neighborstates. This policy has been hamperedby internal strife among various fac-tions and personality cults among theRed Wizards, and by the fact the cultneither trusts mercenaries or high-leveladventurers that are not of their cult.Of the large number of invasions ofRashemen, 3 out of 4 have been bysome particular faction leader of thewizards seeking to expand his domina-tion at home by bringing victories fromthe field.

GAME INFORMATION: The Red Wiz-ards roam the lands seeking to increasetheir power . Any Red Wizard soencountered will not be of less than 9thlevel, and up to 15th level. There is a50% chance of the wizard having body-guards (usually ogres or other non-human creatures), and an equal chanceof having 1-4 low-level (1-8) magicalaspirants to the Red Cloth. The RedWizards do not go in for subtlety, andwill wear their crimson robes haughtilyin all but the most discreet situations.

THIEVES AND THEIRSUB-CLASSESAT A GLANCE: There are those whoseabilities lie not with sword or the art,but with quiet motion, dexterousaction, and stealth. Such talents oftenlead to thiefly endeavors, which plaguemost major cities, but are often placedto good use in dealing with dangerousmonsters and lost treasure.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: As more peoplegather in large cities, more individualswho prey on large collections of man-kind gather as well. Chief of those arehuman scavengers who seek their pro-fession by stealing from others. In thewilds, such behavior is oftimes usefuland beneficial to the group, but in thelarger cities, usually spells trouble, sothat most lawful towns have injunc-tions against such activities.

Despite such laws, thieves and thiev-ery are common. Most major cities havea number of �thieves� dens� competingin stealing and theft. A few cities (suchas Zhentil Keep) have an organizedgroup of rogues controlling all suchactivity, and can (in the Keep�s case)operate from a building in broad day-light. Most �thieves� dens� are secretgathering spots, often beneath the cityitself, and change as guards and lawfulgroups discover them.

The city of Waterdeep had once beenhome to the most powerful guild ofthieves in the North. The Lords ofWaterdeep smashed that guild, forcingits leaders to flee the city (those leadersare now the Shadow Thieves of Amn).There are still thieves, thief-acrobats,and even assassins in Waterdeep, butthey are broken into innumerable smallgroups, or operate alone.

The most common respite for suchrobbers is what they themselves call�The Honest Trade��adventuring,where such abilities may used andindeed lionized in song and legend,when what they are actually doing isfairly similar, the only difference beingthat instead of a lord�s manor they areburglarizing a lich�s tomb. Many thievestake to this life, adhering to a code thatkeeps them out of trouble in civilizedareas but keeps them in gold. Someleaders of important organizations areof this type�their fellow memberswould trust the cash-box with such anindividual in the city, but keep an onhim in the wild for pocketed gems andmagical items that had �found� theirway into his high-topped boots.GAME INFORMATION: Thieves andtheir sub-classes have the abilities asgiven them in Players Handbook andUnearthed Arcana. The would-be thiefis encouraged to practice his trade tothe benefit of others.

TILVER�S GAPAT A GLANCE: This is only of the threepasses through the Thunder Peaks, theothers being Shadow Gap and Thunder

8 5

Gap, and its location makes it a strategicstrongpoint in the area. A small, unfor-tified town, Tilverton, lies on the west-ern side of the gap.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The area ofTilver�s Gap was occupied by Cormyr ina conflict with Scardale a few wintersback, and most recently in a disputewith the forces of Zhentil Keep. Theseoccupations were with the tacit approv-al of the other Dales and Sembia, whowish to see the Purple Dragon�s com-mitment increased in the area.

This strategic location on the over-land trade-road east of Arabel and westof the Dalelands contains a small town,Tilverton, which boasts several goodhorse-breeders and livery stables, animportant temple to the god Gond, andThe Flagon Held High, an inn of excel-lent report.

GAME INFORMATION: The area of theGap are patrolled by mounted Cormyr-ian troops. A Cormyr patrol will num-ber 12 fighters of 1st level, led by a 4thlevel fighter, and with a 50% chance of a3-6th level war wizard as well. All aremounted on medium horses with leath-e r b a r d i n g , a n d t h e f i g h t e r s a r earmored in banded mail. Such patrolsare instructed not to interfere with nor-mal merchant traffic, to inform trav-elers of the customs of Cormyr, and toavoid engagements with super iorforces. If such a battle is inevitable, themajority of the troops are to hold theenemy while one gallops to make areport.

TRIELAT A GLANCE: Triel is a way-stationalong the Trade Way from Scornubel toWaterdeep, and it is here that lesser-used trails from Elturel and Hill�s Edgemeet up.

TROLLCLAW FORDAT A GLANCE: This ford across thewinding water is overhung by high,tree-cloaked banks and surrounded byhills on both sides.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The ample coverprovided by the surrounding vegeta-tion makes it easy to stage ambusheshere, and may hide a great number ofassailants with ease. Trollish bandsstriking at travelers so often over theyears have gained the ford its grislyname; piles of gnawed and burnedbones stand as grim warnings on bothsides of the river about a mile from theford. As a standard precaution, mostcaravans have a guard of 20 armed menwhen making this passage.

TSURLAGOL (Tsss-SIR-lah-gel)AT A GLANCE: Tsurlagol is a large, pro-perous city east of Procampur, and thelast such city before the borders ofImpiltur are reached.

TULBEGH (TULL-beg)AT A GLANCE: Tulbegh is a small villagein Sembia, birthplace of Elduth Yarm-master. See SEMBIA.

TURMISHAT A GLANCE: The land of Turmish liesdue south of the Pirate Isles, and is arich, fertile farming land of many smallvillages and a few larger city-states.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The Turmishpeople are said to be tall, mahogany-skinned, and beautiful, and those menof the trading classes have square, longbeards.

In addition to its farms, the land ofTurmish is known for its ornate andfinely-crafted armor. This armor is dot-ted with spires and fluted curves, mix-ing elvish and human styles.

TYRLUK (TEER-luke)AT A GLANCE: Tyrluk is a small cross-roads village in Cormyr, with a smithy,carter, and farmers� market.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Hardy poniesare bred locally, and many caravanspurchase remounts here.

GAME INFORMATION: Suldag �theBoar� is the appointed local lord, and is

86

a 6th level fighter of passible merit andincredible girth. His chosen name issaid to come from his hunting ability inthe King�s Woods, but Court Wits haveof late connected it with his waistlineand eating habits. Suldag is good-aligned.

UNTHERAT A GLANCE: One of the more myste-rious of the nations of the South, little isknown of this nation, save that its ruleris said to be immortal.

URMLASPYR (Erm-LASS-peer)AT A GLANCE: Urmlaspyr is a fair-sizedcity south of Daerlun in the nation ofSembia. See SEMBIA.

VAASA (VAH-sah)AT A GLANCE: Vaasa is a cold, northernempire similar in terrain and climate toThar , ruled by a se l f -procla imed�Witch-King.�

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Vaasa was foryears the name of the unclaimed wasteand wild-land beyond the northernbounds of Damaran patrols, in muchthe same way as the land of Thar beginswhere the swords of the Moonsea citiesend. It was (and for the most partremains) a cold, wintery, unpleasantland of rolling moors and tundra,which becomes an impenetrable bogduring the few weeks of High Summer.

Twenty years ago there arose on theshore of the Sea of Tears a huge edificeof dark stone bound in iron. From thisCastle Perilous its master, Zhengyi theWitch-King, declared mastery over allthe lands of Vaasa.

Zhengyi soon made good his claim,recruiting an impossibly large army ofmen, bandits, inhuman tribes, and mys-tical beasts, and swept through Vaasainto its neighboring land of Damara.Through strength of arms and treach-ery, Zhengyi defeated the Damaranarmies at the Ford of Goliad, and slewthe majority of its rulers, including theLast King of Damara, Virdin Blood-

feathers. Zhengyi is said to have accom-plished this task with the help of a pow-erful Grandfather of Assassins, whooperates from a secret base in theGalena Mountains.

Having effectively destroyed thenation of Damara, Zhengyi claimedonly its northern sections as his, grant-ing independence to (though takingtribute from) the southern petty lordsthat now controlled the wreckage thatwas once Damara. Zhengyi�s reason forthis is not known, and it may be that thesouthern domains do not interest him,or that fully controlling them would irestates like Impiltur and Thay, bringingthem into premature conflict withVaasa.

The people of Vaasa live in a few scat-tered primitive communities, dwarfedby the huge amount of armed merce-nary and other forces that now swellthe kingdom. Evil faiths flourish here,and Zhengyi�s own closest servants arepriests who wear goat-headed head-pieces, whose true faith is unrevealed.

Zhengyi himself is reclusive, almostparanoid, in his Castle Perilous. Hetakes no envoys from other nations ormajor faiths, and a contingent of RedWizards who sought to force an audi-ence with him were said to be swallow-ed whole by the earth on the steps ofCastle Perilous. What the Witch-kingplans is not known, even by the wise ofthe Realms.

GAME INFORMATION: Further infor-mation on Vaasa, Damara, and Zhengyimay be found in the �Bloodstone Pass�series of modules (H1-4).

VALE OF LOST VOICESAT A GLANCE: Hidden in the depths ofthe elven wood is a wooded defile thatlies across the traderoad between theStanding Stone and Essembra. This Valeof Lost Voices is a rich and fertile area,yet unsettled.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This vale is aplace sacred to the elves, for here theyplaced the bodies of their fallen, andhere their ghosts wander. The elves sel-

dom go there, preferring to visit it alonein search of spiritual guidance andpeace, or with family, to make a burialor come to a wake. But the Vale is said tobe guarded for the Elves by anotherunknown being, even in these laterdays.

The name �Lost Dale� is one given bymen, who, in cutting across it with theirroad, saw a natural valley or dale thatwas forbidden to men in the Pact madeat the Standing Stone, and forever lostto men. All the elves of the woodswould have to be dead before one treeof this Vale could be cut, it has been saidmore than once, and this is now com-mon knowledge around the dales. Nonehave seen fit to test this promise, evenwith the passage of the Elven Court.

VILHON REACHAT A GLANCE: A long southern spur ofthe Sea of Fallen Stars, the entrance tothe Vilhon Reach lies far to the south ofthe Pirate Isles, and its mouth is guard-ed by the island Ilighon. It is a fertile,rich land divided up into quarrelingcity-states and petty nations.

VOONLARAT A GLANCE: Voonlar is a large townnorth and east of Shadowdale, and isconsidered that Dale�s chief rival in thearea. Three main roads run to Shadow-dale, Yulash, and Teshwave, and meet inVoonlar in a �Y�, with most of theimportant buildings, including templesto Bane and Chauntea, at the joining ofthat Y.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Voonlar is pres-ently in a state of flux. Nominally inde-pendent, it is ruled by an elected �bron�or sheriff, who may have up to six full-time deputies plus a militia of villagersraised as needed. All villagers vote inthe annual election of the sheriff, in the-ory. In reality, the town is ruled byZhentil Keep, through Yulash. Thepresent bron�s name is Buorstag Hlam-mythyl, a burly fighter who worshipsBane and gained a formidable reputa-tion as a mercenary before his arrival in

Voonlar two years ago. He appears to bea direct agent of Zhentil Keep and partof their network.

GAME INFORMATION: Bron BourstagHlammythyl is an 8th level fighter oflawful evil alignment. His deputies arcfighters of levels 3-5 and neutral to neu-tral evil alignment.

The Temple of Bane has the followingpersonnel:

1 12th level patriarch (Gormstadd)2 6th level clerics4 3rd level clerics8 2nd level clerics16 Temple guards of levels 1-4

The Temple of Chauntea�s personnelare:

1 10th level matriarch (Lady Shrae)2 5th level clerics4 3rd level clerics8 2nd level clerics20 Temple fighters of level 2

WATERDEEPAT A GLANCE: Waterdeep is the mostimportant and influential city of theNorth, and perhaps of all Faerun.

Waterdeep is located on the SwordCoast, 150 miles north of Daggerfordand is reached by paved, well-patrolledroads. It is the hub of trading from themineral-rich lands to the north, theMerchant kingdoms of Amn and Calim-shan to the south, the kingdoms of theInner Sea to the west, and the sea king-doms and traders to the west.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Waterdeep isnamed for its outstanding natural deep-water harbor, and the city that grew upat this site has become the commercialcrossroads of the Northern Realms.More than 100,000 people make theirhome in Waterdeep, more than in allthe cities of Cormyr itself.

Men and other races come from allover the Realms to earn hard coin in theCity of Splendors, and over the yearssuccessful merchants have set upguilds, and themselves become nobility,supporting the secretive Lords ofWaterdeep, who police the city fairly

8 7

yet with a light hand by means of thesuperb City Guard (soldiers), CityWatch (police), and over twenty black-robed magistrates. As a result, Water-deep is a place tolerant of differentraces, religions, and lifestyles. This inturn has encouraged commerce, andWaterdeep has grown into a huge,eclectic city.

The banner of Waterdeep is rarelyused, save on the Watchtowers of thecity wall, on Waterdeep Castle, and onLord Piergeiron�s Palace. It is a rich,royal blue flat-topped shield borderedin silver; on the shield is a silver cres-cent moon, horns uppermost, andbelow it an area of purple hue (repre-senting the light of the city at night),which ends in a straight horizontal linerepresent ing the sea . Be low this ,reflected in the water, is a waveryupside-down crescent moon matchingthe one at the top of the shield, and in asemi-circle around it (from the waters-edge-line around towards the point ofthe shield and back up) are nine silvermany pointed stars. The Meisarch ofAmn once said nastily that these starsshould really be replaced by gold coins,as that�s all that�s held important in thatcity, though this seems more inspiredby jealousy than reason.

Waterdeep is ruled by a councilwhose membership is largely secret. Itis a known fact that Piergeiron �thePaladison,� Warden of Waterdeep andCommander of the Watch, whosegolden-spired palace dominates thecenter of the city, is a member of theLords. It is generally supposed that thearchmage Khelben �Blackstaff� Arun-sun is also of the Lords, and perhapschief among them. The identities of oth-er members have not been made publicknowledge. The subjects of who theLords are is a common subject of nobleconversation, and some consider it agame to discover whom the Lords are, agame made more confusing by the factthe Lords themselves set their ownrumors afloat. The names of Mirt theMerchant, the Courtesan Larissa, andTexter the Paladin have been connectedwith the Lords, though evidence exists

to both prove or disprove these claims,and beyond these four (including theBlackstaff) conjecture swings widely asto who belongs and does not belong.

The Lords appear in public only inthe Lords� Court, hearing all cases ofmurder, treason, misuse of magic, andappeals from lower courts. On suchoccasions there are always at least fourLords, but sometimes six or seven, andrarely as many as nine. Piergeironchairs the Court and asks all questions,for the Lords speak through him. Inchambers the Lords all appear similarlymasked and robed, their robes formlessand black with black capes, and theirmasks completely covering the headand face. These masks have featurelessfaces, with mirrored crystals over theeyes, save for Piergeiron, who has hadhis facemask separated from the helmand lets the condemned see his face.

GAME INFORMATION: The Helms ofthe Lords of Waterdeep have someundetectable magical enchantment,which prevents the use of divinationspells (including ESP and detect lie) onthe wearer while they are in use. Inaddition, many of the upper class of theCity of Splendors wear their own addi-tional protections to keep the curiousand indiscreet spell-casters at bay.

Further information on Waterdeepand its immediate vicinity may be foundin FR-1, the Waterdeep and the NorthSourcebook.

WAYMOOT (WAY-moot)AT A GLANCE: A large town within thebounds of the King�s Woods, Waymootis situated in a man-made clearing offive miles across. The center of thetown has a wide stone-walled keep, butthe majority of the buildings are unfor-tified.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Waymoot is atraders� town in the center of Cormyr,where horses are bred and trained, andwagons are made and fixed. There aremany inns (The Cup and Spoon, TheOld Man, The Moon and Stars, The Sil-ver Wink, and others).

88

GAME INFORMATION: Waymoot�s localLord is Filfar Woodbrand, also called�Trollkiller.� A 10th level fighter of greatpower (18/94 strength), Filfar is less-than-comfortable with the appellation,though it describes his skill in repellinga trollish attack on the town.

THE WAY INNAT A GLANCE: This village numbersless than twenty buildings, the largestof which is a sprawling manor-housethat has been used as an inn. A largecommons to the south of the town hasobviously been used as a parade groundfor military forces.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This is a verysmall village dominated by the inn ittakes its name from, and is used as abase for adventurers and hunters. TheWay Inn maintains a force of archersand spearmen who repel trolls and oth-er wandering creatures. The Way Innwas used as a temporary base by forcesfrom Waterdeep in its battle with Dra-gonspear Castle. The Inn is run byDauravyn Redbeard, a stout, middle-aged swashbuckler.

GAME INFORMATION: The Way Innarmed force numbers no less than 50men-at-arms, who are usually recruitedfrom traveling caravans, though intimes of crisis the number may be dou-ble or treble that, and, during the trou-bles with Dragonspear Castle, severalthousand troops passed through the vil-lage and the Inn became the center postof operation. The normal armed forcewears splint mail and carries spear,short bow, and firepots, the last to dealwith the marauding trolls.

Firepots are small clay jugs filled withflammable oil, carried in slings of leath-er. These weapons are lit, spun aroundthe head, and flung up to 30 yardsaway. Upon striking a hard surface, thejugs break, inflicting 1-6 points of dam-age to all within 5 feet of the impactpoint. The oil continues to burn for 1-4points of damage each round thereafterfor 1-10 rounds, or until extinguished.

Dauravyn Redbeard is an adventurer

retired from the trade, and a 5th levelfighter. He does not wear armor anyl o n g e r , b u t d o e s h a v e b r a c e r s o fdefense (AC 2) that he continuallywears. A two-handed broad sword,rumored to be magical, hangs over theback of his bar.

WESTGATEAT A GLANCE: Westgate is an impor-tant port/caravan-city transfer point onthe overland route that joins the InnerSea and its lands to the west (Amn,Tethyr, and North, the Sword Coast)and the Far South. It is a large, fortifiedcity with a smattering of trading com-panies and smaller buildings set upbeyond its walls.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Westgate has ful-filled the role of trading link betweenInner Sea (east) and Sword Coast (west)for as long as humankind have been inthe Inner Sea area. Once a simple stop-over and stockyard similar to Scornu-bel or Iriaebor today, Westgate hasgained in importance as the tradeincreased, diversifying into shipyards,wagonmakers, and sideline industries.

Its local industries include pottery (ofaverage to poor quality), scent-making(excellent fragrances) and wine-making(which varies wildly from superior tomerely good).

Westgate lies on the southern side ofthe long western arm of the Sea ofFallen Stars, across from Cormyr. It isindependent of all kingdoms and out-side authority, and considered an �opencity,� free to all manner of trade from allsides.

The local nobi l i ty , the Lords ofWestgate are the heads of rich mer-chant families. All such families usuallyhave long-standing traditions andfeuds, caravan companies and tradingfleets on the Inner Sea, as well as otherdiverse business interests. The familiesof Westgate and their lords and symbolsare:

Family: AthagdalLord Urlyvl

Family Trading Badge : Russet

weighing scalesFamily: Dhostar

Lord LuerFamily Trading Badge: Tawny wag-on wheel, topped by three stars

Family: GuldarLord Dathguld

Family Trading Badge: Black hawkFamily: Malavhan

Lord ThamdrosFamily Trading Badge: Red sun

Family: SsemmLord Orgule

Family Trading Badge: Ivory bird�sclaw

Family: ThalavarLady Nettel (matriarchal widow)

Family Trading Badge: Green feath-erFamily: Thorsar

Lord MaergrymFamily Trading Badge: Blue handholding corn

Family: UrdoLord Ssentar

Family Trading Badge: Yellow eyeFamily: Vhammos

Lord ThontalFamily Trading Badge: Steel-greyopen hand

Westgate has a secret set of rulers aswell. A band of professional assassins,extortionists, coercers, enforcers, andthieves known as the Night Masks haveset up shop in the city. They are for hireby all, and as such independent of thevarious noble-houses, switching alli-ances as their purse leads them. TheNight Masks control most of the illegaldoings in the town, and seek to expandtheir grasp to the north and west, intoother civilized lands.

Finally, though Westgate is patrolledby a leather-jerkined militia, reportsspeak of strife in the city by night.Whether this is one family warringagainst another, the activities of theNight Masks, or a new organization inthe city is as yet unknown.

GAME INFORMATION: The NightMasks make no secret of their exist-ence, and their symbol, marked onshops to indicate protection, or left in

89

some adventurer�s home as a warning,is a domino mask.

The Masks are primarily thieves, butinclude fighters, assassins, and magesas the job demands. Normally theyoperate in groups of five, with mem-bers only aware that the four others ofthe group know what the team is up to.In this fashion, if one is caught, onlythat group is endangered. Levels rangefrom 1-10, with higher level beingsavailable only for the most dangerousjobs. Leadership of the Night Masks isunrevealed.

WHELOON (way-LOON)AT A GLANCE: Wheloon is a mid-sizedtown of some two hundred-plus majorbuildings, situated at the outflow of theWyvernwater. Its buildings have roofsof vibrant green.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This river-towngrew up around the ferry here thatbears traffic on the Cormyr-Suzail roadacross the Wyvernflow. Its green-roofed houses are the result of use of anative slate for shingles, and have givrenrise to the phrase �the jade towers ofWheloon.� Many craftsmen work here;there are boatmakers, basketweavers,sailmakers, and clay-potters.

GAME INFORMATION: Wheloon isruled in the name of King Azoun IV bySarp Redbeard, the most headstrongand independent of the Local Lords.Sarp is known for disagreeing withcourt policy on a number of matters,and has earned few friends in court,but he is popular among the natives ofWaymoot, who see Sarp as keeping thePurple Dragon of Cormyr out of theirdaily lives. Sarp is Good-Neutral (withchaotic tendencies) and a 9th level fight-er.

THE WOOD OF SHARP TEETHAT A GLANCE: This forest is an maze ofundergrowth, tangled with nettles andthorn-bushes.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This vast forestis so named because it is completely

WESTGATE KEY:

1.2.3.4.5.

6.

7.8.9.

10.

11.12.13.

14.

15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.

31.32.

33.34.35.36.

37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.

47.48.

49.

Dhostar Vale (private park)Castle DhostarThe Leaning Man (inn)The Dhostar YardsThe Blind Eye (fence for stolengoods, ostensibly a tack, harness,and trail goods shop)Thessar the Warrior’s house (anadventurer’s abode)Lilda’s (festhall)The Water Gate“The Shore” (drovers/wanderers/journeymen’s slum)Dhostar Company sheds(warehouses)The Jolly Warrior (inn)West GateThorsar Company sheds(warehouses)Thalavar Company sheds(warehouse)Castle SeemmThalavar yardsThe Spitting Cockatrice (inn)The Empty Fish (tavern)The Westward Eye (inn)Gatereach (inn of good quality)“Ssemm sheds” (warehouse)The Purple Lady (tavern, festhall)Guldar Company sheds (warehouses)Temple to MaskThe South GateThe City Watch barracksPolol: “The Lords’ Water”Castle ThorsarCastle UrdoThe House of Silks (fine clothing;jewelry; very expensive shop)The Blue Banner (inn of good quality)The Tower (registry office forimports/exports/City Watch HQ/Jail,w/dungeons beneath)“The Market”Castle GuldarCastle VhammosVhammos Company sheds(warehouses)The River GateThe Black Boot (inn)The “River Bridge”Vhammos yardsThe Rising Raven (inn)Guldar yardsSsemm yardsEast GateThe Old Beard (tavern)“The Harbor Tower” (“TheWestlight”, as mariners call it);beacon and harbor defenseThe Gentle Moon (inn)Shalush Myrkeer’s Shop (the largestshop in Westgate; buys and sellseverything)The Black Eye (tavern & festhall)

50.51.52.53.54.55.56.57.

58.59.60.61.62.63.64.

65.66.67.68.69.70.71.72.73.74.

Urdo ShedMulsantir’s GateThorsar yardsCastle ArhagdalCastle ThalavarCastle MalavhanMalavhan yardsMalavhan Company sheds(warehouses)Dhostar docksThorsar docksMalavhan docksUrdo docksThalavar docksGuldar docks“The Watch dock” (seized goods,pirate ships, ship inspections, etc.held here)Athagdal docks & shipyardsVhammos docksSsemm docksSsemm docksTemple to UmberleeTemple to TycheTemple to GondTemple to LathanderCity Watch barracksCity Watch (meeting rooms,barracks)

wild, and abounds in forest creaturesdangerous to man. Satyrs are known todwell here in numbers, and there arethought to be dryads, but the wood isfeared more for its less intelligent deni-zens, who are numerous and savageenough to have discouraged woodcut-ting and hunting by the citizenry ofBaldur�s Gate. No elves of any type arebelieved to make this woodland theirhome, but travelers are warned thatvery little is known of this area. Manyvaluable duskwood trees can be seenby those passing by, but none havedared cut any for many years, for deathcomes swiftly to those who pass beyondthe trees. local legend in Baldur�s Gateholds that this is a lost, ruined city in theforest depths.

YELLOW SNAKE PASSAT A GLANCE: This pass through theSunset Mountains is one of the few usa-ble trails north of the Far Hills andsouth of Anauroch. It is a twisting mazewinding between the peaks, and mustswerve around large rock outcroppingsof reddish sandstone.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This remotemountain pass is a long, wide, naturalvalley that forms a strategic overlandpassage through the mountains northof Cormyr. It is named for a strange andfearsome draconian beast , whichresembled a winged serpent of ivory-yellow color, that made this region itshome several hundred years ago until itwas slain by the adventurer Tuirlagh�Foehammer� Nundass, of Silvery-moon.

The Pass is presently controlled bythe Zhentar im, who permit nonethrough who is not a member, ally, orapproved client of their network. TheZ h e n t a r i m h a v e r e s i s t e d s e v e r a lattempts by Cormyr, Iriaebor, Scornu-bel, and Hill�s Edge to oust them.

Forces within the pass are unknown,though are known to include severalnastinesses of gargoyles (a nastinessbeing one tribe of the creatures) and atleast one stone golem.

GAME INFORMATION: Zhentarimpatrols are at their strongest in the Yel-low Snake Pass area, and number atleast 40 2nd-level warriors to a patrol,plus a magic-user of levels 1-6 and acleric (of Bane) of similar levels.

YHAUNN (Uh-HAWN)AT A GLANCE: Yhuann is Sembia�s portof the Dragon Reach, and while not thatnation�s oldest city, is the oldest retain-ing its original (Chondathian) name. SeeSEMBIA.

YLRAPHON (Ee-ul-RAFF-on)AT A GLANCE: Ylraphon is a small, dale-like town on the northern end of theDragon Reach. Its people are similar innature to the Dalesmen, and may be anearly settlement of the same stock thatdid not cross the River Lis and settle atedges of the Trees of The Elven Court.

YULASH (Yoo-LASH)AT A GLANCE: Yulash was obviouslyonce much larger and fortified, but halfthe buildings have been reduced toscattered piles of stone. Those whichremain have been clustered behindhastily-contructed stockades or sealedover to produce fortified buildings. Thelargest of these stockades is set upabout the ruins of the main citadel,which flies the banner of Zhentil Keep.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This fortifiedmarket-town has recently become astrategic holding, changing handsbetween the troops of Zhentil Keep andHillsfar a number of times, and largelyreduced to rubble in the process. At theonset of the current winter, it is in thehands of Zhentil Keep, and is a small,hastily-rebuilt, tightly-controlled mili-tary camp.

Somewhere beneath Yulash, local leg-end has it, there is a gate to otherworlds that opens only to those whoknow its secrets.

GAME INFORMATION: Zhentil Keep�scurrent garrison consists of 144 fullyarmored mounted men-at-arms (full

92

plate and plate barding for the horses),372 lightly armored guards/skirmishers(banded armor, swords and staff slings,52 archers, three clerics of Bane (6thlevel), and three mages of Zhentil Keep.The foremost of these mages, andpresent commander of Yulash, is Sza-maeril, a 10th level Lawful-evil magic-user, and his assistants are levels 6 and8 in magic-use.

THE ZHENTARIM(Zz-HENT-ah-rim)

AT A GLANCE: The Zhentarim are anorganization of evil and lawful individ-uals, spanning all character professions(mages, warriors, thieves), and includ-ing several inhuman monsters. Thegroup is based in Zhentil Keep, but hasmajor outposts in the Citadel of the Rav-en, several cities on the Moonsea, andDarkhold in the Far Hills, and opera-tives in every major town and city in theregion between the Dragon Reach andthe Sword Coast.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: This powerfulgroup, dubbed �The Black Network� byfoes such as Doust of Shadowdale andhis companions, appears to be a wide-spread and quite powerful group of evilindividuals , commanded both bypriests of Bane and mages of no smallpower. To enrich themselves, the Zhen-tarim desire to control the most eco-nomical trade routes between theestablished lands of the Sword Coastand the rich young kingdoms about theMoonsea, eventually extending intopolitical control of these regions as well.Slaves are an important part of thetrade they already take part in, tradingwith evil or inhuman groups, or send-ing their �wares� south into the ancientl a n d s o f C o n d a t h , U t h e r , a n dMulhorand.

To accomplish their goals, the Net-work has tried to assume control oflands along the route; from their strongbase at Zhentil Keep, they have takencontrol of Voonlar and ruined Yulash,rule the Stonelands through banditsallied to their cause, and alone have the

power to mainta in a t rade routethrough the Goblin Marches. Darkhold,their great fortress, commands the onlypass north of High Horn, that passknown as the Yel low Snake , andDarkhold�s reach extends throughoutthe Far Hills. Dragonspear Castle maybe a network stronghold. The basis ofsuch an owned route exists, with gapsat Shadowdale and Daggerdale, localresistance in Daggerdale, the Tilver�sGap area the northern reaches of Cor-myr (which can readily raid the Stone-lands and a large , nebulous gapbetween Darkhold and DragonspearCastle). This makes these regions majortargets for Zhentarim interference. Inaddition, the Zhentarim are in excellentp o s i t i o n t o b r a v e t h e h e a r t o fAnauroch, the Great Desert, and to dis-cover either a safe trade route throughits depths, or to find the riches andmagic of its lost civilizations.

ZHENTIL KEEP (Zz-HENT-ill Keep)AT A GLANCE: Perched at the westernend of the Moon Sea, Zhentil Keep is alarge, walled city of the size and popula-tion of Suzail in Cormyr. It is one of themajor ports of the Moonsea, and domi-nated by a large temple complex dedi-cated to Bane.

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: Zhentil Keep isthe base of the Zhentarim (q.v.), thoughthe city and its populace is not com-

pletely under the thumb of the BlackNetwork. Other factions are abroad inthis city, the most powerful of whichare the rival clerics in the Temple ofBane. Friction between the factions isintense, and night-borne fighting com-mon among the shuttered shops andclosed businesses.

Zhentil Keep is ruled by Lord Chess, afoppish, vain, fat overlord with a tastefor gluttony. Chess is a gossipy blunder-er, and though the Zhentarim haveused him in the past as an ally, neitherthey (nor anyone else knowledgeable insuch matters) count him as a memberof their organization.

While the upper levels of the churchof Bane in Zhentil Keep are loyal to theZhentarim, the lower ranks, and thoseof other cities (such as Mulmaster)actively oppose the group. Those cler-ics of Bane allied with the Zhentarimassume that a number of their low-levelassistants are spies for the more ortho-dox sects of Bane, which frown on shar-ing Bane�s blessing with non-clerics.

GAME INFORMATION: The abilities ofthe Zhentarim are detailed in their ownsection. The Dark Shrine, Bane�s Tem-ple Complex in the Keep, is one of thelargest in the Moonsea area, outdone insize and personnel only by The BlackLord�s Altar in Mulmaster. Fzoul Chem-bryl is patriarch of the church in Zhen-til Keep, and is a 13th level Cleric ofBane. Fzoul is a member of the Zhen-tarim, as are some of his staff. The Tem-ple Complex includes:

Lord Chess is a 3rd level fighter whohad previously been a 3rd level magic-user and 3rd level cleric. A cowardlyfop, Chess is surrounded by a group offive bodyguards of 6th level. Both theZhentarim and those groups opposinghim seek to keep Chess in his position,the former to use the soft lord as a dip-lomatic cushion and catspaw, and thelatter to prevent someone truly effec-tive to come to the post, which maysolidify Zhentarim power in the city.

1 13th Level Patriarch (Fzoul)2 9th level clerics (one of which,Casildar, is a member of the Zhentarim)3 7th level clerics (one of which, Zhes-sae, is a member of the Zhentarim)5 5th level clerics7 3rd level clerics

Nightime in Zhentil Keep is danger-ous, in part because of press gangs,groups of local thugs employed by theZhentarim or other groups to get cheap(as in free) man-power. Such groups arearmed with clubs, metal staves, andbrass knuckles, and tend to be of levels1-4. Such gangs use brawling tactics toknock out the unaware. Those so cap-tured may find themselves on a slave-ship heading for Thay, at the oars of agalley on the Moonsea, or in a workcrew rebuilding sections of Yulash orthe Citadel of the Raven.

93

AppendixSHADOWDALE(being an accounting of thepeople of this DaleCommuni ty )

That which follows is an excerpt of acensus of the area known as Shadow-dale, listing its major inhabitants. Citi-zens of the Dale may have several notesfollowing their entries.l �Taking the Oath� means that the

individual has pledged loyalty toDoust, in all surviving cases swornagain to the new Lord Mourngrym.

l �Weapons Given� refers to weap-ons bestowed by the Lord inreturn for militia duty.

l �The Battle� refers to the heroicdefense against Zhentil Keep�sarmy. The army was led by LyranNanther of Melvaunt, a pretenderto the Lordship of the Dale.

Further notation has been made asappropriate, including description,occupation, temperament, and localgossip.

CENSUS OF SHADOWDALE, setdown by Florin Falconhand, Warden ofShadowdale, in the 1st year of Doust�slordship, the Year of the Harp, Mar-penoth 4-12*, and as later amended bydivers hands.

* Two years previous, in the first andsecond weeks of October�see CAL-ENDAR

Tulba, the weaverl Took Oathl Aged, balding with white hairl Lives in house near Inn

Lella, wife to Tulbal Younger than her husband, fat.

Tethgar, a retired merchantl Took Oath, given short swordl Lives in private house near Inn.

Senma, mistress of Tethgar.

Bronn Selgard, smith.l Took Oath.l Lives in house near Inn

Leath, wife of BronnAleena, daughter, apprentice smithTraith, daughter.

Maela, daughterSurd, son, apprentice smith.l Took Oathl Badly wounded in battle.

Doane, son, apprentice smith.l Took Oath

Silmur, son, apprentice smith.l Took Oathl Slain in battle.l Remembered as having a sharp

tongue.Helve, son, apprentice smith.l Took Oathl Slain in battle.

Berr, son, apprentice smith.l Took Oath

Janth, son & apprentice smithl Took Oath

Jamble �the Eye� Retired (thief?) mer-chantl Took Oath, Given daggerl A slick character, appears crafty

Leel, wife of Jamble.Serbon, son to Jamble.l Took Oath, Given dagger

Boorga, Jamble�s manl Took Oath, given dagger

Naithra, wife of Boorga.Lila, daughter of Boorga.Burr, son of Boorga.l Took Oath, Given dagger.

Meira Lulhannon. Potter, breadmaker.l Took oath, given shortsword.l Badly wounded in battle.

Sulatha, wife of Meira.Betra, daughter of Meira.Jassa, daughter of Meiral Took oath, given dagger.l Noted as being slim and beautiful

Jhaele Silvermane. Innkeeper, the OldSkull Inn.l Took oath, given spear.

Braun, youngest son to Jhaelel Took oath, given daggerl Jhaele had a number of sons, but

all have left homeDurman Hilesta. Carpenter, bouncer.l Took oath, given spear.

Bardag Shultu. Hostler, Stablemaster.l Took oath, given spear.

Dora Leen. Maid, chamber lady.Sasha Baddja. Maid, chamber lady.

94

Turko Breem. Cook, waiter.l Took Oath, given spear.

Erek. �Philters, Potions, Physics, Pur-veyor & Maker�l Took oath; did not fight in battlel Lives in house next to Beregon

Farm

Hoareb �Nimblefingers� Midwife/Surgeon/Healerl Took Oath

Latha Brannon. Boardinghouse ownerl Took oath, given short swordl Badly wounded in battle.l Wife, Leela, died Year of the Arch

Uda, aunt to Lathal Family Matriarch, very crusty.

Ester, daughter to Latha.Emra, daughter to LathaIlil, daughter to Lathal Ilil and Emra are noted as being

true beauties.

Hammerhand Bucko. Wagonmaker,Woodworkerl Took oath.l Sarcastic, intelligent, mulish, and

strong.Leeta Bucko. Wife to Hammerhand.l Took oath.l Known for her cooking

Apprentices to Hammerhand Bucko:Skulp, Fennir, Tulpas, Hlack, Orve,Naith, and Typyasl All Took Oathl Skulp badly wounded in battlel Hlack and Orve slain in battlel Handwritten scrawl by Typyas

entry indicates that �Tip� might bea woman working in disguise.

Mother Tara. Proprietor of the localFest-halll Took oath.l Noted as being good-humored and

wittyBriig. Bouncer.l Took oath.l Noted as not being very swift

Fest-Hall Employees:Lune Lyrohar, Astara Miliip, ReehtaLorn, Sabra Immerhund, Olma Dan-syra, Hela Marshoola, Estel Mornal None required to take oath

l Lune Lyrohair was revealed to be aweret iger and s la in by F lor inFalconhand this day Alturiak 15,Year of the Worm.

l Took Oath

Icehyill. Trader, retired merchant.l Swore oath very reluctantly.

Sulcar Reedo. Farmer:l Took Oath, given shortsword.

Astga Reedo. Wife to Sulcar:l Took Oath

Sulcar�s SonsPresper, Sullman, and Courrta Reedol All took Oathl Courrta slain in battle

Beregon Hillstar, Farmerl Took Oath, given spearl Badly Wounded in Battlel Brother of Urnan Hillstarl Influential in local areal Wife Bereet died in Year of Worml The most recent entry listed indi-

cates that Beregon has semi-retired, and is farming the TowerFarm for Lord Mourngrym to thenorth of Shadowdale. The land ofhis old farm has been used to erecta Temple of Lathandar.

Lhurt Hillstar, Son of Beregonl Took Oath, given daggerl Slain in Battle

Milda Hillstar. Sister to Beregon.l Took oath

Pelda Hillstar. Young Daughterl Took oath.

Elminster. Sage.l Took oath.l On 100 gp/month retainer to Lord

Doust (Now Lord Mourngrym)Lhaeo. Scribe/Cartographerl Elminster�s Assistant

Weregund �the Trader�. Trader, chiefmerchant in town. Deals in all goods,largely hardware for the dale.l Took oath.l Noted for greed and cowardice

Dabragund. Son to Weregundl Took oath.

Dletagund. Daugther to Weregundl Took oath.

Meershand. Wife.l Took oath.

l Noted as being large and beefy, andtending to tell Weregund what todo

Hamlin Zhul. Farmerl Took Oath, Given spearl Badly wounded in battle.

Belna Zhul. Wife.l Took Oath

Thurl. Hired man.l Took oath, given dagger.

Abor. Boy.l Took Oathl Slain in Battle

Kulnar Ohane. Farmer,l Took oath, given spear.l Noted as being influential and a no-

nonsense individualLest Ohane. Wife to Kulnar.Riita Ohane. Daughter.Han Ohane. Son.Chruce Ohane. Son,Arnblas Ohane. SonPurn Ohane. Son.l Lest and all Ohane children Took

Oathl Purn and Han were slain in battle

Blaesgerd. Ohane Hired hand. Retiredfighter.l Took oath, given shortsword.

Riist Huldane. Farmer,l Took Oath, given spear.

Liliphar Huldane. Wife.l Took Oath

Maxer. Huldane Hired hand.l Took oathl Slain in battle.

Buldor Ulphor. Farmer, influentiall Took oath, given spearl Brother of Ruldar Ulphor

Neena Ulphor. Wife to Buldor,April Ulphor. DaughterMarest Ulphor. SonKnulan Besmar, Ulphor Hired Handl Entire Ulphor household took Oathl Knulen Besmar was slain in Battle

Urnan Hillstar. Farmer,l Took Oath, Given Spearl Member of influential Hillstar fam-

ilyl Brother of Beregon Hillstar

Adlma Hillstar. Wife.

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Helmark Hillstar. Son.l Swore Oath, not given weaponl Note that Helmark is a rogue and

that he should be watched careful-ly in his duties with the Militia.

Selence Hillstar. Daughter.l Took Oathl Noted as beautiful and soft-spoken,

with interests in poetry and musicMara Hillstar. Daughter.l Took Oath, asked for weaponl Noted as tomboy, fought very well

in battle.l Candidate of militia

Korhun Lherar, Farmer.l Took oath, given spearl Slain in battle.l A sour cynical man, Korhun died

without family. His farm is current-ly unowned and considered prop-erty of the Dale itself

Besmil. Hired hand.l Took oath, given shortsword.

Turst Rhellogar. Hired handl Took oath, given shortsword.

Hunil Rhellogar. Turst�s son.l Took oath; given dagger.l Slain in battle.

Borst Bestil. Farmerl Took oath, given spearl Slain in battle.l Brother of Hyne Bestil

Elma Bestil. Wife.Kiiran Bestil. SonAxmar Bestil. Sonl All members of the Bestil house-

hold Took Oath.l Borst, Kirran, and Axmar all died in

b a t t l e . E l m a l i v i n g w i t h h e rBrother-in-law, Hyne

Storm Silverhand. �The harper of Sha-dowdale.� Farmer and retired adven-turer (bard)l Took Oathl Storm is recorded here and else-

where as being a beautiful andintelligent woman, fond of wearingsilver jewelry and having hair of asilver hue.

l It is noted here that at the time,Silverhand kept two fierce wolf-

hounds as pet.Maxam. A follower of Storm, probably

a henchman acquired in earlieradventures.l Swore oath, but said his first loyal-

ty was to Storm. Given shortsword.

Lular. Hired hand.l Took oath. given spear.

Sylune; Spell-caster and self-describedWitch.l Swore loyalty to Dale, but refused

Oath to Doust, saying she wouldnot serve any living lord

l Died in battle with an ancient RedDragon, Year of the Prince.

Durgo Silvermane. Farmerl Took Oath, given spearl Grown son of Jhaele Silvermane.

Farm is in her (Jhaele�s) name.Nelil Silvermane. Daughter to Jhaele.Purn Silvermane. Son to Jhaele.Belestar Silvermane.Raith Silvermane.l All of Silvermane household took

Oath.

Luth Mlennan. Farmer, semi-retired(grows herbs, cabbages and melons,potatoes and other tubers.)l Took Oathl Full of tall stories, and a glazier of

some skill.

Ruldar Ulphor. Farmer,l Took oath, given spearl Influential Landownerl Brother of Buldor Ulphor

Lana Ulphor. Wife.Bertil Ulphor. Oldest sonl Took Oath, not trusted with weap-

onl Handwritten notes beneath this

entry refer to Bertil as a callow idi-ot and and sanctimonious fool. Itmay be surmised he is not well-liked.

Ulman Ulphor. Son.l Took Oath, not trusted with weap-

onl Handwritten note beneath reads

�Schemer�watch this one�Jalnar Ulphor. Youngest sonl Took oath, given a dagger.

Hyne Bestil. Farmerl Took oath.l Noted as a weasel-like, whining

manl Brother to Borst Bestil

Merna Bestil. Wife to HyneSons

Britaria �Bit� BestilHuld BestilKrayan Bestill All given daggers at oath-taking.

Neldock Elventree. Farmerl Took Oath, given spearl Wife died seventeen winters agol Brother of Ilcurt Elventreel Considered good natured, intelli-

gentMeltan Elventree. Son.Neld Elventree. SonImura Elventree. Daughterl Entire Elventree clan took Oathl Imura Elventree is noted as a �real

spitfire.�

Ilcurt Elventree. Farmer, trader,l Took Oath, given spearl Brother of Neldock Elventreel Considered sharp but honest deal-

erl Also noted to be no friend of Were-

gund and his lot.Lasha Elventree, Wife to Ilcurtl Native of Thentia on the Moonsea

coastl Described as blonde and tired-

looking.Velarr Eleventree. Son. Took oath.l Took Oathl Slain in Battle

Brennan Elventree. SonDemeira Elventree. Daughter.Illistyl Elventree. Daughter.l Handwritten note beneath states:

�Obvious some magical abilities,deliberately concealed, in this one.Have her tutored?�

ELMINSTER�S NOTES: The aboveexcerpt shows several points in howlands such as the Dales change overtime.

First, this census concentrates pri-marily on the everyday folk, and, withthe exception of remarkable beings

96

such as the local sage, the late Sylune,and Storm Silverhand, does not men-tion those charismatic individuals andadventuring companies that have aidedthe area. Only certain individuals thathave resided for a long time in the areaare given the benefit of being consid-ered natives.

This definition of nativeness extendsto excluding from such a listing Folk ofthe Court, the new temple-clerics, andeven those other farmers living morethan a day�s walk away, though bothgroups have contributed to the variousbattles and struggles in the Dale. Thisinsular nature is typical in the Dale-lands, and though the people of Sha-dowdale are among the more open,they still tend to leave visitors (evenones they make their leaders) with theidea that the visitor is considered a tem-porary intrusion at best.

Third, there is a rise among womenwho took the Oath for defense, some-thing common among those women inadventuring companies, but less com-mon in �regular� society. Some of thevillage elders, confronted with daugh-ters intent on marching off to battle,were heard to mutter fell words aboutfemale adventurers setting bad exam-ples for the youth. Still, the situation ischanging and will continue to change.

Lastly, the large number of recordeddeaths stresses the great danger thatZhentil Keep posed to this area, for onlythe most dire emergency would call theentire community into a plan thatwould threaten the majority of theirblood. Other dales that have musteredin this fashion and lost their battles arenow abandoned and overgrown. Ingeneral, if a group of talented, well-trained individuals can forstall an ene-my, that is the better course to take.Death for a commoner is as final asdeath for a king. However, the relianceon individuals will sometimes fail aswell; witness the death of Sylune at thehands of a Red Dragon in service of theCult of the Dragon.

On my word as a sage nothing within these pagesis false, but not all of it may prove to be true.

�Elminster of Shadowdale

DM�s Sourcebook of the Realms

Table of Contents

Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Using the Forgotten Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Into the Forgotten Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Setting Up for AD&D® Game Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Using the Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Encounters in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Selected NPCs of the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7

Recent News and Rumors in the Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Year of the Worm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Year of the Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 0

Adventure Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

The Halls of the Beast-Tamers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Lashan�s Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Books of the Forgotten Realms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 5

Credits

Design: Ed GreenwoodDesign and Development: Jeff GrubbEditing: Karen S. MartinCover Art: Keith ParkinsonInterior Art: Jeff Easley, Keith Parkinson, Clyde Caldwell,

Tim Conrad

Cartography: Diesel, Dave SutherlandCalligraphy (Runes and Sigils): Paula M. HolzGraphic Design: Stephanie TabatTypography: Betty Elmore

Printed in the U.S.A.ISBN 0-88038-472-71031

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva, WI53147

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore Road

Cambridge CB1 4ADUnited Kingdom

A D V A N C E D D U N G E O N S & D R A G O N S , A D & D , F O R G O T T E N R E A L M S , R P G A , B A T T L E S Y S T E M , F I E N D F O L I O , P R O D U C T S O F Y O U R I M A G I N A T I O N

owned by TSR, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distribu-tors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork presented herein is prohibitedwithout the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

©1987 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

IntroductionsEd Greenwood

Well met! Welcome to my world; theForgotten Realms. A vast land, full ofstrange splendors�a living backgroundfor vivid adventure. Elminster took methere first.

Welcome to our world. Now the Realmsare yours, too; a world that has delightedme for almost twenty years in all its richvariety is presented herein�and in pagesyet to come�for you to enjoy and setAD&D® game campaign play in. Only asmall area of the Realms can be squeezedinto these pages, so there�s much to lookforward to if you come along for the ride.It�s been a long one for me thus far; theRealms began in 1968 as a setting for fan-tasy short stories, and later (1975) wasd e v e l o p e d a n d d e t a i l e d , a s t h eDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® systemappeared. Regular play in the Realmsbegan in 1978, and still continues; thepresent roster of regular players hasremained intact since early 1980. As theADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®system has appeared, book by book, theRealms have been modified to conformwith official rules, and these (with theunoff ic ia l addit ions publ ished inDRAGON® magazine from issue #30onward, such as monsters, magical items,spells and nonplayer character classes)can be assumed to hold sway in theRealms now. I have always treated theRealms as a �real place� which I am view-ing and reporting on rather than a delib-erate creation, and I believe that has beenthe key to making it live.

The �Forgotten Realms� derive theirname from the fictitious fact uponwhich play in my campaign is based:that a multiverse exists, of countlessparallel co-existing Prime MaterialPlanes (including the world presentedherein, our own modern �Earth,� andany other fantasy settings a DM maywish to incorporate in play), all relatedto the Known Planes of Existence pre-sented in the AD&D system. Travelbetwixt these planes was once far morecommon than is the case now (whenfew know the means of reaching otherworlds, or even believe in the existence

of such fanciful places); hence, theRealms have been �forgotten� by beingsof Earth. Our legends of dragons, vam-pires, and of other fearsome creaturesand magic are due to this formerlyw i d e s p r e a d c o n t a c t b e t w e e n t h eworlds; most have of course becomeconfused and distorted with the pas-sage of time and many retellings. Thatcorner of the Realms presented hereinis a strip of the heart of the westernpart of only one continent of Toril, thatregion known as Faerun (pronouncedFAY-er-OON; the name meant �home� ina now-lost early human tongue). Muchmore awaits the traveler, to be revealedin later works.

In any large-scale project many peo-ple become involved, and they deservethanks. In this case, Jeff Grubb is large-ly responsible for turning piles of typednotes�despite the gaps in lore they didnot cover fully or properly�into whatyou now hold in your hands. Jeff hastaken the personal world of one eccen-tric, roleplaying-over-rules DM, andtransformed it into an AD&D® gamesetting useful to others by dint of a lotof sweat; this work is as much his as it ismine�and Elminster still speaks to him,so he must have done it right.

Before the Realms ever reached TSR,however, others helped to give it life,color, and growth�first and foremost,my regular players; my lady JennyGlicksohn (the first Jhessail); the vet-eran of my players, Victor Selby (whohas portrayed many characters in theRealms, notably Malchor Harpell,Tolgar Anuvien, Jelde Asturien, andTorm of Westgate); the �First Lore-Lordof the Realms,� who remembers all of itsminute deta i ls as few others , IanHunter (Lanseril Snowmantle); JohnHunter, role-player extraordinaire(Florin Falconhand); Andrew Dewar,who encouraged us all to record all ofthe fun on paper, to inflict on others lat-er (Doust Sulwood and Rathan Then-traver); Jim Clarke (Merith Strongbow);and Anita Buttemer (the second Jhes-sail). These players have breathed lifeinto the Realms on a regular basis forover seven years�they are truly adven-

4

turers and heroes. From the early daysof play, Ken Woods and Tim Turnerdeserve mention�and recently CathyWiddowson has joined the ranks of theregulars (as Sharantyr the ranger).

Underlying adventures in the Realmsis the continuing inspiration for theworld, and in this I have been encour-a g e d b y K i m M o h a n , E d i t o r o fDRAGON® Magazine for much of thetime that the Realms has seen print, andby my parents, grandparents, andaunts, who have showered me withbooks and showed me what love andimagination can do. Thank you, all.

Thanks are also due to you who readthese pages, for coming along on theride. I hope that you will enjoy theRealms as much as I have.

Jeff Grubb

Ed Greenwood created the ForgottenRealms. Karen Martin edited, arranged,and presented it in the form you seehere. How did I get involved in this?

It�s a short story.About midsummer of 1986, TSR was

shopping for a new world. We hadexperience in world-building under ourbelt, with two versions of the WORLDOF GREYHAWK� campaign setting, andthe creation of Krynn, home of theDRAGONLANCE® Saga. This time, wewere after something different; a worldthat we could continue to develop overthe years that will follow, and set allfuture AD&D® game modules into. Aplace where a variety of talented indi-viduals could all contribute to its crea-tion and its development. Rather thanone view, a combination of views thatwould grow and develop throughadventures, sourcebooks, short stories,and books.

I was the bright individual whothought of Ed Greenwood and his �Pag-es from the Mages,� which used as theirsetting a parallel fantasy universeknown as the Forgotten Realms, wheremagic rules supreme in the spirit of theAD&D® game.

For making the suggestion, I wasbrought in on helping turn the hun-dreds of notes, articles, NPCs, adven-

tures, and manuscript pages into a finalproduct that would both be a completecampaign and a starting point for fur-ther adventures. You hold that finalproduct in your hands. My contribu-tion is primarily in the areas such as fit-ting everything to the AD&D® gamerules and offering aid and suggestion inrunning an AD&D® campaign.

The Forgotten Realms have changedin the short time we have been workingwith them. The Moonshae islandsenlarged to fit a novel, and the land thatis now Vaasa and Damara was onlyrecently (in game design terms) coveredby an unnatural glacier. I expect themto further change as more creative peo-ple, including the large number of DM�swho run the various FORGOTTENREALMS� Campaigns, get involved.

I�d like to thank (in addition to Ed andKaren) designers Doug Niles, Zeb Cook,and Michael Dobson for their input,arguments, and bull-headed opinions inthis matter. I�d also like to mention thatthe wonderful map-work through-outthese books are the product of DaveSutherland and Dave (Diesel) LaForce.

Karen S. Martin

I always wanted to edit an encyclopedia.Taking little bits and pieces of informa-

tion about thousands of different andunusual items, putting them in readableform, cross-indexing them for ease ofuse, alphabetizing them�believe it ornot, that was a fantasy of mine.

This was almost as good.As I read Ed�s material for the first

time, one question ran through mymind again and again: �How does thisman find time for everyday matters likesleeping and eating?� The knowledgethat this material has poured from hisfevered brain for nearly 20 yearsdoesn�t make answering that questionany easier.

This is brilliant.The Forgotten Realms is my first

experience with a complete world forAD&D® game playing. In my humbleopinion, it�s fantabulous stuff. I thinknow that I understand the excitementwhich must have surrounded the crea-tion of Krynn and the DRAGONLANCE®saga. And this world was already here,in the mind and campaign of Ed Green-

5

wood!When I took on the responsibility of

editing this set, I thought back to the lasttime Jeff and I collaborated on a boxedgame. There were times I thought he�dnever stop tweaking with it, never runout of material to add, never leave mealone to get on with the editing.

This was worse.Each time a packet came from Ed, I

got photocopies from Jef f for myperusal and comments. Rarely did I getthe chance to finish one before the nextthree showed up in my office, whichwas by now overflowing. And, themore I read, the more I loved it. Thiswas the kind of world I always wantedto live in as a child, a real world. Therewere harpers and spellcasters, fightersand thieves. There were real towns andfarmlands. There were ships and cara-vans. There was life.

This one is for my parents, who (I�mcertain) worried about their little girlwho lived in a dream world much of thetime, with wizards and dragons andbeautiful damsels.

These are my childhood dreamscome true.

Using the FORGOTTEN REALMS�Campaign Setting

T he FORGOTTEN REALMS� boxedset is an introduction to a fantasy

world, which may be used by itself orexpanded upon by other product for theAD&D® system, or generated by the DMhimself. The boxed set consists of:

A Cyclopedia of the RealmsA DM�s Sourcebook of the RealmsT w o m a p s p r e s e n t i n g t h e R e a l m sthemselvesTwo maps providing an enlarged viewof the initial campaign area, from theSword Coast to the Inner SeaTwo plastic grids printed with a hexgrid to help movement.

The Cyclopedia contains primarilyb a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h eRealms, its people, and its history, forgeneral use by the players and DM.There is some game information withinthis book when dealing with specificareas, such as the number of people in atypical patrol found in a certain loca-tion. The DM should feel free to let theplayers use this book while gaming, as itrepresents the information readilyknown or discovered about a particulararea. DMs wishing their players to digmore for information may, at theiroption, keep this information withheld,letting only the section marked �AT AGLANCE� be readily known; the playershave to discover the rest.

The DM�s Sourcebook contains infor-mation for the Dungeon Master run-ning a FORGOTTEN REALMS�Campaign, plus additional informationthat would not be readily available toplayer-characters in the Realms. Thisincludes notes on setting up campaigns,running adventures, using the grid forencounters and movement, and han-dling particular situations unique to theRealms such as dragons and treasure.Tables for encounters, cities, and trea-sure are included, as well as methods offor the DM to generate his or her owntables for use in the game. Also includ-ed in this book are a pair of small �typi-cal� dungeon adventures for use inFORGOTTEN REALMS campaigns, asw e l l a s s e c t i o n s o n s p e c i a l i z e dspellbooks (which originally appeared

in DRAGON® Magazine as �Pages fromthe Mages,� and are gathered togetherhere for the first time) and new spellsused primarily in the Forgotten Realms.

There are two sets of maps, the firstdepicting the Forgotten Realms at large,as if it were drawn by a cartographerfrom Cormyr or the Dales; preciselyaccurate nearby, yet less and less accu-rate farther away. The second set ofmaps expands the view of the regionbetween the Sword Coast and InnerSea, and it is in this area that the initialFORGOTTEN REALMS� Campaigntakes place.

This enlarged set of maps joinstogether at the right side of mapsheetone and the left side of mapsheet two.Future products will have additionalmapsheets which will further expandthe Realms in detail.

All of the major cities and many (butnot all) of the smaller towns and generalsites are represented on this map. TheDM should feel free to mark changesand additions to these maps as it fits hisor her campaign. These maps, and theinformation within these books, is notall-inclusive or all-exclusive. IndividualDMs, and future products from TSR,Inc., may add to the material here, andas a campaign continues, additionalinformation may be generated.A Note on Future Products: Certainareas of each of the enlarged maps ofthe Forgotten Realms will contain areasthat will not have future adventures,modules, or sourcebooks set in them,and are left solely for use by the DM fordevelopment without fear of some laterproduct invalidating that portion of hiscampaign. In the initial boxed set, thoseareas are:

The Serpent Hills (east of the HighMoor)The Wood of Sharp TeethThe Desertedge Mountains (outsidethe Dales), andThe Nation of Sembia.

The last mentioned, the nation ofSembia, is a large section of (partially)civilized land with the following bor-ders: starting with the west, the Vast

6

Swamp, the Daerlun, the path throughKulta, Saerb, and Archenbridge (includ-ing parts of Archendalel to Ordulin,east to the Dragon Reach, and borderedon the south by the Sea of Fallen Stars.This region, though discussed in theplayers� guide and in this book, will nothave further adventures set in it, norwill its cities be explored or detailed. ADM with a campaign city or nationalready designed may set that city inthe area of Sembia without great diffi-culty caused by future products settingsome epic adventures (or great disaster)in the same region.

Further, the region across the DragonReach, from the River Vesper South andto the edge of Map 2 has been set asidefor use by the RPGA� network as a basefor adventures and tournaments in theForgotten Realms, and is left for thefurther explanation by those areas, orby the DM.

Into the ForgottenRealmsSetting up a campaignEach FORGOTTEN REALMS� campaignshould be different, reflecting the per-sonality and gaming needs of the playersand the DM. Some campaigns comprisejust a group of adventurers fighting theirway through dungeon settings withoutmuch thought of the outside world, whileothers are filled with story telling and leg-ends, and still others are on the grandscale of high-level individuals challenginggreat powers, ruling huge empires, andengaging in political skullduggery. TheFORGOTTEN REALMS� setting is intend-ed as a base for all these types of adven-tures, allowing the DM to tailor it to hisdesires. There is no rule stating that eve-ry AD&D® campaign must be alike, nor isthere one stating that every FORGOTTENREALMS� campaign must be identical.

To give the DM an idea of the scope ofthe area of the Realms, a map of theUnited States has been superimposedover that of the �known� realms onpage 10.

The Realms is a VERY large place,

with more than enough room forplayer-characters and campaigns todevelop. Note also that this map onlyconsists of the western end of a singlecontinent�and at the other end of thishuge land are the realms of the OrientalAdventures world, Kara-tur.

A campaign may be set up in a num-ber of ways, depending on the level ofgaming experience of the DMs andplayers. A few of the options are dis-cussed below.

Campaigns for newplayersIn setting up a campaign for first-timeplayers, the key to remember is �thinksmall.� There are a large amount ofrules and ideas presented in theAD&D® hardback tomes, and that glutof information can be quite daunting atfirst.

The basic requirements for a first-time campaign are a home base and anarea the player-characters can exploreand adventure in (a �dungeon�).

The home base does not have to behuge or important, and in fact usingone of the many small towns in therealms as a base has several advantages.The DM does not have to worry abouttoo many non-player-characters at first,and the low-level adventurers are spe-cial, and may be consulted by (or some-times chosen to be) local rulers. Onesuch area is Shadowdale, which is asmall farming community with a fewhigh-level individuals (such as Elmin-ster the Sage), which has in the pastrecruited adventurers as protectors(such as Mane�s Band and the Knights ofMyth Drannor). Shadowdale is also cov-ered to fine degree in the Cyclopedia ofthe Realms, complete with local maps ofthe town and descriptions of the inhab-itants, giving the players a �sense ofplace� for their adventures.

The DM may choose to create his orher own small town for initial adven-tures. This takes more work, but willproduce a final product more in linewith the DM�s desires. Any of the Dalecommunities would be suitable for this,

including Mistledale, Archendale, andFeatherdale (Daggerdale tends to bereclusive and Scardale was just on thelosing end of a large war). The smallertowns of Cormyr such as Hilp andImmersea (which also has a map) in theCyclopedia) are also suitable, as are thesmall towns of Sembia, and the TradeWay towns of Soubar, Triel, or HillsEdge.

For initial campaigns, only a briefsketch of the town is needed, notingsuch things as local smithy, generalstore (where most items from the Play-ers� Handbook may be found), and localmage (if any). Leave some houses andareas blank for introduction of newNPCs or for growth of the characters(such as an abandoned farm that theparty may buy with their treasure anduse as the basis for their eventual pala-tial manor).

The second requirement of a low-level campaign with beginning playersis the �dungeon.� The Dalelands (andmany other areas) are rife with under-ground caverns and kingdoms, lostempires beneath the earth, ruined tow-ers of mad wizards, and crumblingremains of time-lost cities. Any of thesecan provide a basis for adventuring,and it is recommended that some typeof dungeon egress may be located in thenearby area (not close enough to threat-en the town overmuch, but sufficient tocause the disappearance of a few cattlein the middle of the night, or createintriguing rumors about the greatwealth to be found beneath the earth).

Of the two �typical� adventures pro-vided here, the first, �Halls of the Beast-Tamers,� is best suited for a startinggroup of players, though it has a num-ber of items that would make for inter-esting play by higher-level players aswell. Both this and the other adventureare set in the center of the ElvenWoods, in the Ruins of Myth Drannor, agreat decaying city.

A few notes on running a �first-timecampaign:�l Take it easy. First time DMs and

players WILL NOT remember allthe AD&D rules. If a rule is forgot-

ten and later recalled, just keepgoing, remembering for nest time.

l Do not overwhelm the players,either in detail or in challenge.Many of the monsters of theAD&D® system are suited forhigher- level individuals , ande n c o u n t e r i n g s o m e ( s u c h a sdragons) will spell disaster for thefirst level party. Show commonsense in random encounters, gen-erally not using more monstersthan the PCs� total hit dice. Even ifthe random encounter calls for 8trolls to descend on the party of 8low-level player-characters, onesuch creature will be more thanenough to challenge them.

l Give the Players an Even Break.Great stories have to begin some-where, and if the players� charac-t e r s b u y t h e f a r m e a r l y a n dregularly, they won�t develop per-sonality. Don�t reward foolish play,though. it may be useful to keep acleric of sufficient level in the areafor the first couple adventures inorder to bring back from the deadcharacters who are learning fromtheir mistakes.

l Set the Scene. In encounters, domore than give the bare-bonesdescription (�you see a ten by tenroom with a kobold in it�). Dress itup a little, get the players into themood of being in a dungeon. (�Youopen the door to reveal a smallstone-walled cubicle, in the centerof which is a short lizard-like crea-ture with horns. The creature hiss-es at you and draws its sword.�)

l Role-Playing. The best opportunityfor initial role-playing for first-timep l a y e r s i s i n t o w n . P l a y e r -characters need provisions, train-ing, and often information. Createa couple of personas with broadtendencies: a boisterous merchant,a shifty mercenary captain, a for-getful magician, etc. Use funnyvoices and accents. Have fun. Yourplayers will pick up on this andstart doing it themselves.

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Finally, for first-time players andDMs, the following products are recom-mended. N4� Treasure Hunt creates anexcellent background for creating first-level characters, set in the KorrinArchipelago north of the MoonshaeIslands. N5� Under Illefarn sets up aninitial campaign setting in Daggerford,as an adventure setting for first-timeplayers.

Starting campaign forexperienced playersThe second type of campaign using theF O R G O T T E N R E A L M S � s y s t e minvolves players and a DM who haveplayed the AD&D® game, either withtheir own campaigns or adventuremodules, and understand the rules sys-tems fairly well. These players arestarting with first-level characters, buthave the experience of running suchindividuals before.

Bringing characters fromother worlds

A starting campaign with experi-enced players can be set in any town orcity in the Realms, according to the thetastes of the DM. Many prefer a small,limited area to start in, similar to Sha-dowdale (see above), while others maywish to start with a grander stage, suchas a large city, as a base of operations.

There are a number of cities that areprovided with keys and descriptions inthe Cyclopedia of the Realms, includingArabel and Suzail in Cormyr andScornubel on the Trade Way. The DMmay use these as the players� initial�home base� or may create his own.Note again that the bulk of the nation ofSembia and its cities are left open forthe DM to develop as he or she sees fit.

More experienced players vary intheir needs in a campaign from groupto group. Some prefer dungeon adven-tures early on, while others will strikeout across the wilderness, looking forrandom encounters, and others take onmissions for more powerful individualsas bodyguards, mercenaries, or mer-chant troops.

l

l

l

The first case, dungeon adventures, issimilar to that presented for first-timeplayers, though the location of the

dungeon does not necessarily have tobe within easy reach of the home base.

The second case, random wandering,can be handled at its most basic level bythe random encounter tables. The DMmay want to mix these with his or herown dungeon settings or special eventsor encounters, providing a direction inthe travels. For example, charactersmay hear in Arabel of the disappear-ance of the Elves of the Elven Court andthe abandonment of Myth Drannor,causing them to head overland to thatruined city where they may discovereither of the two enclosed adventuresor one of the DM�s choosing.

I n t h e f i n a l c a s e , t h e p l a y e r -characters are given a mission of sometype by another, to be rewarded for thismission at its completion. This providesa firm background for the adventure,and the DM may move the charactersalong by means of an NPC advisor/employer. See the section on NPCsbeginning on page 17.

Here are a few hints for runningexperienced players.

Know the Rules. This is not to saymemorize the rules or be able toargue long and convincingly aboutthem, but have an idea where tofind things, both in the these textsand in other AD&D® products.Be ready to wing it. Even the mostcomplete set of rules and back-grounds will not cover every situa-tion, and players often want theircharacters to try things that arenot covered by any handy rule. Bewilling to make things up. If it doesnot work, try something else nexttime. If it does, keep it. Many cam-paigns, both for the ForgottenRealms and otherwise, have a num-ber of �house rules.�Role-play. The players have a han-dle on the mechanics of runningcharacters, so encourage them tothink like the character in thegame. A good experiment for this isto consider everything the playersays, unless addressed to the DMor another player by real name, tobe what the player-character says.

l Use the world. The various legends,news reports, and descriptions ofthe Forgotten Realms are intendedas a starting point for DM-createdadventures. A tale of a treasure loadof an ancient (and hopefully long-dead) dragon may spur the playersto check out an area. Create yourown local legends. The ModernKingdoms of the Dales, Cormyr, andeven mighty Waterdeep are onlyslightly more than a millennia old,and there were older kingdoms ofmen and elves and dwarves longbefore that.

The third and last �general category� ofcampaign types is where experiencedplayers bring characters from othercampaigns into the Forgotten Realms.These characters may come overbecause of the demise of their nativeworld, the discovery of a portal to theRealms, or the fact they have gotten tootough for their homeland. The last caseo c c u r s i n K r y n n , h o m e o f t h eDragonlances, where individuals ofincredible strength and power arepolitely asked to leave by the powers-that-be. Many end up in the ForgottenRealms.

The world of the Forgotten Realms,Abeir-Toril, has a huge number of por-tals and other gate- type devices whichlink that world with other areas of theRealms, with the Outer Planes, andwith alternative material planes con-taining other AD&D® campaigns.Player-characters from these cam-paigns may discover methods of travel-ing to the Realms (either through theAstra l Plane , by devices , or f ree-standing portals), and begin adventuresin the Realms.

Certain items are gained and lostwhen making the transition into theRealms.

� Characters making the transfer, bywhatever means, to the Realmsgain the ability to speak the Com-mon tongue of the Realms, as well

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as the Realms equivalents of elvish,Dwarvish, and other languages.Previously spoken tongues are lostu n l e s s t h e r e i s a � R e a l m s -equivalent.�

l The FORGOTTEN REALMS� set-t ing i s the AD&D® campaignworld, so that player-characterswho are not strictly AD&D® gameformat (such as a dwarvish cleric/thief/illusionist/paladin with a 24natural strength) cannot enter theRealms without modification to fitthe AD&D® game rules. Illegalclasses would be dropped, abilityscores would be reduced to raciallimitations (though they may beincreased later by magical or othermeans), and special abilities overand above those provided for char-acters are removed. The DM, at hisown judgment, may choose to letsuch individuals into his ForgottenRealms Campaign (such as letting akender f rom Krynn make thetransfer), but that decision restssolely on the DM.

l Similarly, magical items that are�special� to a particular world mayn o t m a k e t h e t r a n s f e r t o t h eRealms, either being destroyed,being returned to their originalplane, or being stripped of theplayer and placed somewhere inthe Realms. Which occurs is up toDM. In general, this is reserved forextremely powerful items-in par-ticular, Artifacts.

Setting up for AD&D®Game Adventures

l The physics of the Realms are slight-ly out of sync with the rest of theplanes, so that gunpowder andmany technological devices whichoperate on electronics do not func-tion. Equivalent devices may bedeveloped by player-characters.DM�s judgment is advised as to whatmay be allowed into the world.

l The gods of the Forgotten Realmsare a fairly open-minded group (assuch beings go). Clerics of faithsnot listed as the major religions ofthe Realms may still receive spellsas normal, though they may notreceive the benefits of belonging to

a organized hierarchy, and may becalled upon to explain the nature oftheir faith more often than those ofestablished churches.

l When making the transferbetween campaigns, large itemssuch as castles, libraries, laborato-ries, and hoards of treasure areusually left behind. Charactersmaking such a transfer should beable to bring with them what theymay normally bear which, giventhe existence of bags of holding, isa great deal right there.

Characters from other campaigns mayspan the range from low-level wander-ers to extremely high-level powers thathave challenged a god or two in theirtime. The style of the campaign is set bythe levels and powers of these individ-uals. For high-level characters, theBloodstone Pass series (H1-4), set in thelands of Vaasa and Damara, is highlyrecommended, combining adventuringwith the BATTLESYSTEM� game sys-tem. If the DM chooses to place his newarrivals in this area, it is recommendedto strip most of the newly arriving indi-viduals of the majority of their wealth.

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms arerun as standard AD&D® game adven-tures, using the rules and recommenda-tions of the DMG, in particular thosesections �The Adventure� (pages 47-58)and �The Campaign� (pages 86-100).What follows are aids to the DM to tailorhis FORGOTTEN REALMS� campaign tohis players.

The Adventuring CompanyThe first of these questions, who is goingon the adventure, is usually answeredlast when the players are at the game. Itusually helps the DM to have an idea whois in the adventuring party and what theyarea carrying. The sheet on the back cov-er of The Cyclopedia may be recopied foruse in adventuring.

Adventuring Company Name: Most, butnot all, of the bands of the adventurersoperating in the Realms have a compa-ny name and symbol; the Company ofthe Griffon, the Hunt, the Knights ofMyth Drannor and Halfling, Inc. aregood examples. Names and member-ships change continually, but often aidin retelling tales of one group of adven-turers or another.

Player Name� The person running thecharacter.

Character Name� The character beingrun by a given player.

Class and Level� The Character Classand current (at start of play) level of thecharacter.

Race and Sex� The race (dwarven, elven,human, halfling, gnome, or other) andsex (male or female) of the character.

Alignment� Alignment of the characteras of the start of the adventure.

Special Abilities� Under this headinglist those items or abilities that wouldset the character apart from his fel-lows, excluding such things as levelsand types of spells, but including magi-cal items, special equipment) andwhether the individual is under a curse.

Combat Adjustments� Note here whatplusses (or minuses) the character hasin combat as a result of exceptional abil-ities, armor class, or permanent magic.

Armor Class and Type� This includesboth the final AC of the character andthe type of armor being worn. Abbrevi-ations for the various armor typesinclude the following.FuPA Full Plate ArmorFiPA Field Plate ArmorPM Plate MailBM Banded Mail ailSpM Splint MailChM Chain MailEChM Elven Chain MailScM Scale Mail

Ring MailStudded LeatherLeather armor

RiMStLLA

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PAShN

Padded armorShield onlyNo Apparent armor (thoughmay be magical robes, rings,or bracers).

Hit points� Number of hit points at thestart of the adventure.

Using the MapsThe maps enclosed in this package, andthose in related sourcebooks and otherproducts, are provided without a nor-mal superimposed hex grid. Instead,two sheets of clear printed plastic areenclosed with this boxed set for usewith the Forgotten Realms Maps.

There are two sets of large maps inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS� Boxed Set.The first set is a general map of theknown realms, from the viewpoint ofthe Cormyr/Dalelands area; that is, themap the player-characters operating inthis area would know. As a result ofthis, the regions nearest Cormyr andWaterdeep are well-mapped, but areasfar ther away f rom those are lessdetailed and accurate. The scale on thismap is 1� = 90 miles.

The second set of maps cover the pri-mary regions detailed in the Cyclopediaof the Realms, dealing mainly with theregion from the Sword Coast to theDragon Reach areas, including thenations of Cormyr and Sembia andfrom the independent city of Westgatein the South to those of the Moonsea inthe North. The scale on this map is 1�= 30 miles.

Also included in the set are twosheets of clear plastic, overprinted witha hex grid and scale for both of thesemaps. Rather than print the grid on themaps themselves, these plastic gridsmay be used to determine distances andduration of travel. There are five hexesper inch, so that each hex is six miles onthe enlarged maps, and 18 miles on therough maps.

Using the hex gridsThe ungridded maps may be used inplay for general discussion and expla-

nation. The grids are used when mov-ing along the map.

When using the grids for determiningstraight distance, place the corner point(marked with the �x�) over the place thetraveler is starting from (usually, but notalways, a city). Use the straight row ofhexes directly above that �X-Hex� todetermine how many hexes it is fromthat starting point to the destinationpoint.

Unfortunately, roads, streams, and oth-er commonly used methods of travel donot move in straight lines, so that the�true� distance between points may belarger than presented. Again, set the �X-Hex� on the starting point, and center thefinal destination in one of the hexes. Thenfollow. the method of travel, counting eachhex as a hex to be moved through. Forshort distances of a few days travelbetween cities, such as within Cormyr orSembia, this method may be used witheach day�s move. For longer journeys,from Scornubel to Irieabor, for example, itmay. be worth lightly taping the plasticgrid to the map with masking tape. Adhe-sive tape is not recommended for this, as itdoes the job too well and may damage themap when removed. For extremely longjourneys, several way-stops may be deter-mined and measured en route from oneside of the map to the other. See the exam-ples below of using the grid and the map.

Each FORGOTTEN REALMS cam-paign should reflect the personality anddesires of the DM and his players. Tothat end, the DM should feel free tomake notes or otherwise mark-up hismap to reflect changes in his world. If agroup of players set up an adventuringheadquarters in an abandoned (andunmarked) tower in the Stonelands, theDM should feel confident in placingthat on the map as a starting point. Simi-larly, if an enterprising group sets outto build an empire around the Moon-sea, improving roads and pushingaround the other city states, that maybe recorded on the map as well.

With each map covering six milesfrom side to side, there remains a lot ofroom within each hex for the DM todevelop, set adventures in, or further

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detail. A blown-up 6-mile hex, withsmaller hexes within for greater detail,is provided on page 15 for reproductionand use in the campaign. Note that thecity maps of the Realms get by nicelywithout such a grid.

Movement using the mapsThe section above explains the mechan-ics of determining distance betweenspecific locations using the RealmsMaps. For parties moving across therealms, the DM uses the above proce-dure with the following notes.

There are two methods for determin-ing movement on the Realms maps. Thefirst in more accurate, and time con-suming as well. The second is less accu-rate, but moves faster.

The first method of movement con-siders the number of miles that the par-ty may move in a single day through thevarious types of terrain. That numberis divided by six for the number ofhexes that may be traveled in a day Theremainder is considered �change� andadded to the next days� travel.

Example: A party is moving 17 milesper day across normal terrain. Seven-teen divided by six is 2 5/6ths. The partymoves two hexes and 5/6th of another inthat day. The next day the party travelsanother 2 5/6th hexes, for a total of 5 2/3hexes, etc. Hex movement is taken fromthe center of the starting hex.

The second method is to round allsuch fractional movement to the near-est whole number, leaving halves alone,and figuring in standard hexes only. Forexample, our party above at 17 milesper day will move three hexes, period.

The �standard� movement rates fortypical speeds and encumbrances,according to the DMG and WSG, areprovided on the table below.According to the DMG:

Movement afoot in hexes per dayEncumbrance Terrain

N R VRLight (or None) 5 3 2Average 3 2 1Heavy 2 1 1 / 3

Movement mounted in hexes/dayEncumbrance Terrain

N R VRLight horse 10 4 1Medium horse 7 3 1Heavy horse 5 2½ 1Draft horse 5 2½ 1Cart 4 2½ -Wagon 4 2½ -

Terrain types andmovement

A c c o r d i n g t o W i l d e r n e s s S u r v i v a lGuide:Foot Movement in hexes/ half-day Num-ber after slash indicates acceleratedmovement . See WSG, page 31 foref fects of moving exhaust ion andfatigue.Encumbrance Terrain

N R VRNone 2.5/3 2/3 1/2Light 2/3 2/2.5 1/1.5Moderate 2/2 1.5/2 1/1Heavy 1/2 1/1 .5/1Severe 1/1 .5/1 .33/.5

Selected movement rates of creaturesCreature Terrain

N R VRDonkey 1/2 1/1.5 .5/1Draft Horse 1/2 .5/1 .5/.5Heavy Horse 1.5/2.5 1/1.5 .5/1Light Horse 2/4 1/2 .5/1Medium Horse 1.5/3 1/1.5 .5/lMule 1/2 1/1.5 .5/1

Selected movement rates of vehiclesVehicle Terrain

N R VRSmall Cart pulled bypony 2 1 -Medium Cart pulledby medium horse 1 1 -Small Wagon pulled byheavy horse 2 1.5 -Large Wagon pulledby heavy horse 3 2 -

When using either method, considerthe following rule of thumb. If the partyis in the same hex as their destinationcity, allow them to �press on throughthe night� and reach the city, ratherthan enforce any system which forbidsthe party to travel that extra few milesand instead camp in wilderness withinsight of their destination.

In the above tables, ground terrain isdefined as either normal, rugged, orvery rugged. The types of terrain are asfollows.

Normal Terrain in the Realmsl Any well-maintained road, regard-

less of surrounding terrainl Open, rolling ground, including

both the farmland of Sembia andthe Fields of the Dead

l Hard-backed, flat desert, such as adry lake

l Light forest laced with pathsl Terrain which does not fit into the

other categories

Rugged Terrainl Normal terrain in snow (assumed

about 5 inches or so deep)l Uneven ground (including all listed

Moors)l All listed Hills, including the Far

Hills and the Serpent Hillsl All Forests and Woods up to six

miles (one hex) from the edgel Most desert terrain, both in waste-

lands such as Anauroch and theDust Desert of Raurin

l Paths through Very Rugged Ter-rain

Very Rugged Terrainl Rugged terrain in Snow (assumed

about 5 inches or so deep)l Normal Terrain in Snow (assumed

about 10 inches or so deep)l All Mountainous terrainl All Swamp terrainl Glaciersl Deep Forests (the exception being

those forests inhabited by a civi-lized race which tends the trees,such as the recently-departed elvesof the Elven Court) Traveling through mixed

terrainThe table below covers the major ter-rain types on the enlarged maps, inregards to movement classification, cli-mate, and terrain type for encounters.

Movement ClassN NormalR RuggedV Very Rugged

ClimateA AllC ColdT TemperateS Sub-tropical/Tropical

Terrain Type for Encounters1 Swamp2 Forest3 Plains/Scrub4 Desert5 Hills/Rough6 Mountain

High MountainsMedium MountainsLow MountainsBroken HillsSteep/ Foot HillsRolling HillsForested HillsMoor/HillLight Snow FieldHeavy Snow FieldCoastSwampMarshSandy DesertRocky DesertPrimodial ForestHeavy ForestModerate ForestLight ForestHeavy JungleModerate JungleScrub BrushHeathTundraPlainsClear(Farmland)

V A 6V A 6V A 6V A 5R A 5N A 5R A 2R C/T 5R C AV C A* A *V A 1V A 1N A 4R A 4R C/T 2V C/T 2R C/T 2N C/T 2V S 2R S 2N A 3N C/T 3N C 3N A 3N A 3

* = As terrain for the adjoining area.

Often the DM is faced with the situationwhere the player-characters movefrom one type of terrain to another (forexample, leaving a mountainous road toavoid pursuers or plunging into a heartof a forest). Use the following rule of

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thumb for such movement on the dayswhen such a change is made.

Moving from Normal to Rugged:halve the remaining miles that couldbe covered that day had the travelersremained in normal terrain.

Moving from Rugged to Very Rugged:halve the remaining miles that couldbe covered that day had the travelersremained in rugged terrain.

Moving from Normal to Very Rugged:quarter the remaining miles thatcould be covered that day had thetravelers remained in normal terrain.

Moving from Rugged to Normal:Increase by hal f the number ofremaining miles that could be trav-eled that day, had the party remainedin rugged terrain.

Moving from Very Rugged to Rugged:increase by half the number of milesthat could be traveled that day, hadthe party remained in very ruggedterrain.

Moving from Very Rugged to NormalTerrain: double the remaining move-ment that may be traveled that day,had the party remained in very rug-ged terrain.

The above rules of thumb assume thatmovement is possible in the new terrain(for example, a cart cannot move in VeryRugged terrain and therefore, if takeninto that terrain, cannot move). Further, itis assumed that the travelers are makinga concentrated effort to move throughthat terrain over several miles, asopposed to �hiding in the woods until theorc patrol passes.�

A party may remain in the type of ter-rain they choose for purposes of move-ment (a group in a hex containing hillsand plains may remain in the plains).This applies up to the point that theymust obviously enter the type of otherterrain, at which point all penalties takeeffect. A group in a hex with plains andswamp may remain in plains, but iftheir travel would take them acrossswamp terrain, they would suffer thepenalties of the swamp. For other

effects of mixed terrain in a hex, seeEncounters below.

Water movement in theRealmsGeneral movement for waterborne tra-vel is covered in the DMG (pages 54-55)and WSG (pages 44-46). One importantpoint to discuss here is the �falls-line.�

Many of the rivers, such as the riverLis, which links the Moonsea with theSea of Fallen Stars, are navigable alongtheir entire length by galleys and ships.Others are navigable only to the lastcascades of that river. These cascadesare called the �falls-line,� and above thatpoint normal sea-going ships cannottravel. Small skiffs, rafts, and shallow-bottomed barges may still move upriv-er, subject to any further falls, cascades,or obstructions.

When players choose to have theircharacters move along a previouslyuncharted river or stream, include in theencounter table the chance of a cascade,section of white water, or falls, according

to the area the stream passes through.Mark these locations on the map (as they,unlike monsters, will not move awayfrom the area) for future travelers.

There are three exceptions to this rule.The River Lis from Moonsea to theDragon Reach is clear and unblocked, itsfalls reduced by magic-users from theMoonsea cities. The River Chiontharbetween the Sword Coast and Scornubelis similarly a major artery, and this wide,muddy flow has no sudden drops in itsregion. The South Fork of the Chiontharfrom Scornubel to Iriaebor has one majorblockage, a cascade at the town of Ber-dusk. It is here that barges from the twolarger cities stop and unload, their cargoreloaded onto other barges on the farside of the falls and continued up ordown the river.

Encounters in theRealmsIndividuals traveling across countrymay encounter a number of unplanned

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adventures en route from point A topoint B. These random encounters mayaid or hurt the player-characters intheir ultimate goals, or provide an eve-ning�s adventure in themselves. Thissection deals with determining whatcreatures are found where, and howthe DM may create his own tables forrandom encounters.

When player-characters are travelingthrough known or unknown lands,there is a chance for random encount-ers. Random encounters are deter-mined by the following method.l Determine the terrain the player-

characters are traveling through,both as to type and population.

l Determine if an encounter occursin this area.

Monster encounter tablesand building one�s own

l Determine the type of encounter.

T h e D M m a y d e t e r m i n e i f a nencounter takes place either by time orlocation.

In determining i f an encountero c c u r s b y t i m e , u s e t h e m e t h o ddescribed by the DMG, page 47, check-ing to see if an encounter occurs in thearea the player-characters are travelingthrough at the time of the encounter. Ifthe travelers pass through plains in themorning, a check should be made,regardless of whether they have passedthrough other terrain as well (thoughonly one check should be made pertime period).

Chance of Encounters per TimeIf determining encounters by loca-

tion, one roll is made each time a newhex is entered. Check the followingtable for whether an encounter occurs.

Terrain Civilized Border WildPlain 1 in 20 1 in 12 1 in 10Forest 1 in 12 1 in 10 1 in 8Swamp 1 in 12 1 in 8 1 in 8Mountains 1 in 10 1 in 8 1 in 6Desert 1 in 20 1 in 12 1 in 12Hills 1 in 20 1 in 12 1 in 10

The DM should choose the method heor she is most comfortable with, withthe note that the later system will pro-vide more encounters for a fast-movingparty in a day, and fewer encounters

with a slow-moving group.The type of terrain for an encounter

is determined by the terrain in the hex.Many different types of terrain may bein a hex at the same time, so use the ideaof terrain hierarchy. Certain types orterrain will take precedence over othertypes for purposes of encounters.

Precedence :SwampForestPlainsDesertHillsMountainA hex which contains multiple types

of terrain will be considered the terrainof the higher rank for purposes ofencounters. For example, if a hex con-tains Mountains and Hills, the terrain isHills for purposes of encounters. If aregion is both swamp and plains, it isconsidered Swamp. Roads and pathsare always considered to be the terrainsurrounding them for purposes ofencounters.

After determining the terrain, deter-mine the status: Civilized, Wilderness,or Borderland.

Civilized regions are those underhuman or allied-race control, andhave suitable patrols, population, anddefenses from most invading crea-tures Areas within 18 miles of majorcities, and six miles of towns are con-sidered Civilized.Wilderness regions are those notunder the control of any lawful-group, and usually are a breedingground of foul beasts, such as theTroll Hills and the High Moor.Borderlands are where these twoareas meet.If the hex under consideration lies

within a civilized area, any encountersthere are considered civilized, whilethose totally with the other reflect wil-derness encounters. If this line runsthrough the hex itself, then the area isborderlands, and the encounter caneither be wild or civilized.

Borderland encounters� status is total-ly up to the DM. Things to take into con-

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sideration in this decision include thenature, terrain, history, and currentstatus of the region. A �borderland�encounter in a kingdom that has longbeen at peace will likely be civilized,while one that has been recently over-un by invading armies will producemore wild encounters.

Having determined the terrain andstatus of an encounter, go to the appro-priate table to determine the type ofmonster encountered. The DM mayhave specific tables for certain locationsin the realms of his own creation (seebelow), or those in the back of the Mon-ster Manual II book.

Typical Monster Encounter tables areprovided here for the the major regionso f t h e F o r g o t t e n R e a l m s o n t h eenlarged maps. Additional tables maybe found in the back of the MonsterManual II book, as well as the full meth-od of creating one�s own monster tablesfor use in the Realms, which is summa-rized here.

The DM may use the following table,duplicated in multiple copies on theback cover for creating his own table.This method is based on the sum of oneB-sided die and one 12-sided die, pro-ducing a range of 2-20. Monsters arearranged according to their stated fre-quency in that terrain type.

Die Roll Type of Monster2 Very Rare or Unique monster3 Very Rare monster4 Very Rare or Rare Monster5 Rare Monster6 Rare Monster7 Uncommon Monster8 Uncommon Monster9 Common Monster

10 Common Monster11 Common Monster12 Common Monster13 Common Monster14 Uncommon Monster15 Uncommon Monster16 Rare Monster

17 Rare Monster18 Very Rare or Rare Monster19 Very Rare Monster20 Very Rare Monster

When a choice is provided, the DMmakes the choice between the twooptions at the time of creating the table.

Instead of a common monster, theDM may place in that slot two rare mon-sters, and have the choice of whichmonster the party encounters. Insteadof an uncommon monster, the DM mayplace in that slot two very rare mon-sters, and have the choice of whichmonster the players encounter. Thisdecision may be made by the DM at thetime of the encounter, or may insteadbe decided by a roll of the die (1-3 firstmonster listed, 4-6 second monster list-ed).

A word about dragonsThe dragons of the Forgotten Realmsare among the most dangerous, devi-ous, and powerful creatures of theRealms. The great majority of them live

in far-removed wastes to the north, buton occasion have swept down in recordnumbers to plague mankind.

The dragons of the Realms have thelisted stats and abilities of those listed inthe Monster Manual, with the followingadditional information.l Number of attacks per roundl Damage of Breath Weaponl Possibility of greater ages of

dragonsl Revised determination of Subdual

and purchases of dragons

N u m b e r o f a t t a c k s p e r r o u n d : T h edragons of the Forgotten Realms have afeline quickness that belies their reptil-ian origin. They may make up to twicethe normal biting and clawing attacksin a single round, and divide thoseattacks against figures within the same15 foot area. They will do so only if theyare pressed, or attacked by numbersgreater than three times their hit dice.

D a m a g e o f B r e a t h W e a p o n : T h edragons of the Forgotten Realms mayuse their breath weapon as many timesas they see fit within a 24 hour period,but may only inflict up to three timestheir hit points in damage, maximum,during that period. Commonly, in com-bat, a dragon will breathe thrice, witheach attack inflicting the amount ofdamage equal to the dragon�s initial hitpoints (see DRAGON in the MonsterManual). If pressed, however, a dragonmay release everything in one shot, ormay breathe more than three times atreduced effect at scattered targets.(Divide total damage per attack bythree.)

The Ages of Dragonkind: The eight list-ed ages of dragons provided in the Mon-ster Manual apply to those dragons thatmay be encountered randomly in theRealms. Dragons grow all their life, andthere are two ranks beyond for specialindividuals:

Venerable Dragons have 9 points/die.Great Wyrms have 10 points/die.

The huge monster that attacked Hills-far and was destroyed by that city�smages was a Great Red Wyrm, and

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there are said to be others of his breedabout. Such creatures will never beencountered as random monsters,unless the entire area is under theattack of a Flight of Dragons (which lastoccurred in the Year of the Worm).

Subdual: The fact that the dragon canbe potentially subdued while taking lessdamage than needed to slay it causesdragons to the underated as monsters.Dragons in the Forgotten Realms can besubdued, but only under particular cir-cumstances.

The dragon in question must be chal-lenged, clearly and openly, either in itsnative tongue, or, if it speaks it, com-mon. It must accept that challenge forsubdual combat to take place.

This means that a sleeping or sur-prised dragon cannot be subdued by asingle fighter rushing in with a luckyshot.

Whether a dragon accepts such achallenge or not is based on the intelli-gence of the dragon and whether it hasmore hit dice than the individualsattacking it. If the dragon can count onallies (other dragons, human servants,etc.) coming to its aid, count their hitdice as well to determine whether theoffer is accepted.

INTDRAGON�S HIT DICEIs Greater Is Equal

or LesserAverage 70% 40%Very 60% 30%Highly 50% 20%Exceptional 40% 10%Genius 30% 0%Supra-Genius 20% 0%

Individual dragons such as Tiamatand Bahumat will never accept subdualchallenges.

Second, once a challenge is accepted,certain rules apply. Attacks that inflictreal damage (such as spells like fireball)are not permitted, and their use willnegate the challenge and enrage thedragon involved. Weapons inflict one-quarter real damage when used to sub-due. The dragon may, of course, use hisbreath weapon, but will do so only if a 7

or better is rolled with two six-sideddice.

Thirdly, there is a chance that oncethe dragon is officially subdued (as list-ed in Monster Manual II), it will renegeon its offer, either escaping or (if theattackers are sufficiently banged up)attacking in earnest. The chances ofthis depend on the dragon�s alignment.

Lawful Dragons are 90% likely tohonor the terms of the subdual chal-lenge.

Neutral Dragons are 70% likely tohonor the terms of the subdual chal-lenge, and if they do not do so, will seekto escape as opposed to turn on theirattackers.

Chaotic Dragons are only 50% likelyto honor the terms of their contract.Black, brass, white, red, and copperdragons are all Chaotic in nature.

If a dragon is subdued (and honorsthat subdual), the adventurers may lootthe dragon�s lair and wrest from thecreature a promise to leave the areaand not return. The characters mayalso try to take the dragon in for sale, as

listed in the Monster Manual. Such salescan only be held at cities, where a suf-ficient number of buyers are interestedin that sort of thing. Such sales are nev-er held in cities, as the town fatherstake a dim view of such creatures with-in the city walls (check the damagedone by the most recent Dragonflightunder Dragons in the Cyclopedia.) Suchwould-be salesmen should be warnedthat among the buyers would includethose looking for a guardian-beast,alchemists looking for a trove of compo-nents, and members of such organiza-tions as the Cult of the Dragon, whichwould enlist the creature into theircause, and set it free again to wreakhavoc on the area in general and theadventurers in particular.

Dragons found in lair may foundasleep, but those of higher than Aver-age intelligence will be likely to set upsome form of trap or trip-wire to alertthem to prowlers in their domains.

Finally, when dealing with dragons,keep in mind the following items.l Adult (and older) dragons can radi-

a te a dragon- fear , which maycause low-level creatures to panic.T h e y m a y d o t h i s o n c e p e rencounter with the same individ-uals.

l Saving throw hit dice for dragonsof 5 or more hit points are deter-mined by dividing their hit pointsby 4. An ancient, huge, red dragonsaves as a 22nd level creature, notan 11th.

l Dragons with spell-casting abilitieswill use them, and do so in a fash-ion to most confound and harmany interlopers.

The word �dragons� strikes fear intothe heart of many in the Realms, eventhose tried and true adventurers whohave crossed blades with them. Usingthe above guidelines, and not using thecreatures as just-another-encounter,should make them among the mostdeadly creatures of the ForgottenRealms.

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Selected NPCs Of the RealmsT he Realms are a living, growing

world, home to literally thousandsof beings with names and deeds, nat-ures and histories, of which the playercharacters are a small but importantpart. More than anything else, theseindividuals are the Realms. The greaterbulk of such a population would makefor a huge tome and dreadful reading,even in the reduced fashion presentedhere. The brief summaries mentionedhere are included to give a DM a hand-ful of possible PC tutors and �bigwheels� for the PCs to brush up against,and that the little career outlinesincluded spark ideas for PC adventures(for example, see �The Sleeping Sword�under Emperel).

Many NPCs are mentioned briefly inthe Cyclopedia of the Realms, but donot appear there in full stats, ratherbeing summarized as to class and level.In order to prevent players from gain-ing too much of an advantage over thisknowledge (�Hey, let�s go over toBugtown, the mayor there is only a 5thlevel fighter!�), feel free to use the fol-lowing table to modify the listed level ofthe NPC from the Cyclopedia.

Humans of Note

NPC Level Modification Table:Die Roll Modification01-10 Rumors overstate the impor-

tance of the individual; is actu-ally one level less than listed.

11-60 Stories are correct; individualis of listed level.

61-80 Stories are slightly dated; indi-vidual is of one level higherthan listed.

81-95 Stories are badly dated; indi-vidual is of two levels higherthan listed.

96-00 S t o r i e s a r e j u s t o u t r i g h twrong; individual is of 1-4levels higher than listed.

Multi-classed individuals may roll once,with results applied to all levels. Raciallimitations apply. Individuals listed at�name� level (Wizard, High Priest, Lord,etc.) will always be of that minimumlevel.

Appendix P in the DMG provides an

excellent background for providingsuch NPCs with magical armor, weap-ons , and devices for use in br iefencounters. Such individuals may havefurther treasures in their homes andcastles.

Beings in this fragmentary list arearranged by their first names. Datesgive are in Dalereckoning (current year1356) and concentrate on that region ofthe Inner Sea.

All entries are arranged thus:NAME (Pronunciation)Nickname(s), if applicableDates of birth and death, if applicableTitle, if applicableBase of operationsLevel and class, group affiliation if

applicableAlignment, power(s) worshiped (if any)Race, sexBackground

AILOTH (EYE-loth)Hillsfar and Sembia6th level magic-user, Red Wizard ofThayLE, KossuthHuman Male

Ailoth is a short, white-haired magewho gathers information in Sembia andHillsfar for the Red Wizards of Thay,while acting as a moneylender and �dis-tress goods/damaged goods� buyer. Hiscontacts with the Red Wizards are well-known in both Hillsfar and Sembia.

ALDOLPHUS (al-DOL-Fuss)Sage (0-level fighter)Arabel, in CormyrLN, OghmaHuman Male

Aldolphus is a sage of unusual joviality,free of much of the pomposity that isexhibited by his fellow sages across theRealms. Of troubled times, Aldolphusonce said, �Curious happenstancesabound�and all burning Hell breaksloose!� This phrase has caught on andcan now be heard in talk from Mirabarto the Great Desert of Raurin. This fat,lumbering little man lives in Arabel,

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and now spends much time in astro-nomical studies. His primary field ofknowledge, however, is of the physicalsciences; the identification and proper-ties of metals and baser minerals, ofwoods and lesser plants, and how thisknowledge may be applied in usefulprocesses by men. Aldolphus com-mands high fees, but is a regular guestof Azoun whenever the king is in Ara-bel, for the two are firm friends, andthe ruler of Cormyr delights in thesage�s entertaining company; Aldolphusmust enjoy their meals together too, forhe will drop everything he is doing forhire, regardless of its urgency of theamount of the fee, until the king leavesthe city again.

ALOK SILVERSPEARElven Court5th level fighterCG, Solonor ThelandiraElven Female

Alok has remained behind as com-mander of the 20 elven longbowmenassigned to protect Luvon Greencloakand the last of the stragglers. As battle-leader, she carries a silver spear +3,wears elven chain mail +2, and wieldsa two-handed sword in battle. Alokwould rather quit this world of menand retire with the majority of her raceto Evermeet, but is loyal to her duty toLuvon.

ALZEGUND (Ahl-zeh-GUND)Wanders (Cormyr, Sembia , andDragon Reach)10th level magic-user, Red Wizard ofThayLE, KossuthHuman Male

An old, bald, war-scarred necromancer,Alzegund openly wears robes markedon the breast and back with a red flamebadge, and travels the trade routes withsix grim men-at-arms, guarding thosecaravans the Red Wizards want keptsafe. Alzegund also spies on the militarystrength of Cormyr and of ZhentilKeep. He is said to possess a magical bagof tricks and a wand of lightning.

ARTHAGUS (Are-THAY-gus)�Arthagus of the Miracles�Yhuann in Sembia7th level illusionistCN, LeiraHuman Male

This white-bearded, green-eyed oldman is kindly until crossed, but he hasbeen crossed often enough that hebelieves concealment of the truth isnecessary in this world. He lives quietlyin Yhaunn in Sembia, training illusion-ists of lesser power occasionally, andstudying his arts tirelessly, refining thisor that illusory effect. Arthagus alsooccasionally aids those who governSembia. His understanding of the artsof misdirection extends to �misinforma-tion� spread by rumors, and his exper-tise in this regard is useful in certainmatters of manipulating popular feel-ing and the tactics of outside powers.Arthagus owns many minor items ofmagic, particularly protective in nat-ure; perhaps the most unusual of theseis an onyx dog.

ASBRAS HLUMIN(AZZ-brazz Huh-LOO-min)

Wanders (Moonsea/Dragon Reach)6th level magic-userNE, Dragon Cult AND MystraHuman Male

This mage uses magical means to con-ceal his alignment, and purports to beneutral good. He will willingly train,cast magic for, and even join (for shortperiods) bands of adventurers operat-ing in the area, trying to learn all he canoff their doings and then betray them insome dangerous spot, hoping they willbe killed, whereupon Asbras will robthe adventurers of all their treasure,keeping a measure for himself, and giv-ing the rest to the Cult.

AUBAERUS (AWE-bare-us)The RavenmasterThunder Peaks area16th level hierophant druidN, SilvanusHuman Male

This gruff, private man dwells alone ina remote cave on the eastern side of the

northern side of the Thunder Peaks, farabove Lake Sember. He dislikes humancompany and never jo ins or a idshumans when in his human form,although he will consort with elves andother druids. If approached by druidsfor training, he will drive a hard bar-gain for payment, hoping to discouragethem. Aubaerus spends much of histime as a large black raven, flying allabout the Dragon Reach area (thus, heis aware of most movements of groupsof creatures in the area), and seems toenjoy the company of ravens. Aubaerusi s n o t a m e m b e r o f t h e H a r p e r s(although their interests often coin-cide), or of any other organization orinterest group. Aubaerus must be veryrich, as he never has any cause to spendor pay anything, and has taken in muchgold and magic over the years as pay-ment for druidic training.

AZALA (Ah-ZALE-ah)Azala Fire-eyesTeziir, on south coast of Lake ofDragons11th level magic-userNG, MystraHuman Female

Closely connected with the governmentof Teziir, Azala has often aided itsguardsmen with her magic. Her youthwas spent in a long and colorful adven-turing career, including a part in theslaying of the Great Worm of Telflamm.She now resides in a tower in Teziir,devoting most of her time to researchand the crafting of small, useful, andbeautiful items of magic.

AZARGATHA NIMUNE(Ahz-zar-GAH-thaNih-MOON-nee)

Deepingdale10th level magic-userCG, Mystra AND MeilikkiHuman Female

Either a member or ally of the Harpers,Azargatha is often in the company ofrangers thought to be Harpers. A tall,flame-red-haired woman of imposingstrength of character and of body,Azargatha loves wrestling, and once

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defeated Randal Morn of Daggerdale twofalls out of three at a Shieldmeet feast.She currently resides in Highmoon(Deepingdale), and bears a magic staff ofsome power (likely a staff of wizardry).Azargatha runs a toy-shop in Highmoon,where she sells elaborately-carved wood-en toys made by herself and by the elvesof the Elven Court.

AZOUN IV (Azz-OO-un)�The Purple Dragon,� King of CormyrSuzail20th level cavalierLG, Tyr and TempusHuman male, born 1282 (has reignedfrom 1311 to present)

Azoun is a stocky, bearded man of aver-age height, brown hair shot throughwith silver, and the possessor of a col-lection of magical swords. Azoun ispractical, good-natured, careful, andprudent. He is devoted to his wife Fil-faeril Selzair (�the Dragon Queen�), andthe great sorrow of their lives has beenthe early death of their son and first-born, Foril (1307-1309). They have twodaughters, Tanalesta (1309-????), andAlusair Nacacia (1310-????), the latter ofwhom recently went missing, and iscurrent ly sought a l l over Faerun.Azoun�s father was Rhigaerd II, hismother Tanalusta Truesilver, and his sis-ter Sulesta; all are now dead.

Azoun�s reign has been largely peace-ful. There have been threats from Gon-degal and Lashan of Scardale, andongoing skirmishes in the Stonelands,but no major wars. Cormyr has recent-ly annexed Tilverton, but Azoun doesnot seem to plan any other expansions,preferring to keep his kingdom strongwithin its traditional borders. He is ajust king, commanding the love as wellas the loyalty of his people.

BORUSTINE (BORE-uh-stine)Hillsfar, on Moonsea7th level magic-userNG, MystraHuman Male

A close-mouthed, tolerant and respect-ed mage of Hillsfar, Borustine avoidedpolitics in that city for most of his

career, but his very presence andpower lent to the city some social stabil-ity amongst travelers and merchantsleery of elves and of the warlike men ofthe Moonsea area alike. Borustine oftenaided adventurers for reasonable fees,but hewed to an oft-stated policy of notundertaking offensive magics to aid oneman or group against another. Boru-stine preferred to spend his time uponhis magical studies, being most inter-ested in guards, wards, and protectivefields, despite an adventurous and mer-cenary past ; in his youth, Boru-stine rode with armies in Tethyr andthe South, and cast his glamours onmany a battlefield. More recently, hestood on the rooftops of Hillsfar dock-houses and battled a great attackingdragon with his magic, in concert withother mages of the city; together theyslew it over the harbor, and brought itd o w n . B o r u s t i n e h a s s u p p o r t e dMaalthiir�s overthrow of the corruptCouncil and seizure of power; he hasgiven Maalthiir�s reign much of its legiti-macy and lasting power, and continuesto serve Maalthiir as advisor, and (occa-sionally) a magical aide, when spells areneeded. Borustine lives in a tower onthe southern edge of Hillsfar, just insidethe city wall, near its easternmost cor-ner, within sight of the woods.

BRANDON (BRAHN-don)�Battlemaster�Wanders, based in Priapurl6th level fighterCN, TempusHuman Male

This jovial, brawling tactical master is awar-leader-for-hire of long and colorfulreputation in the Inner Sea lands. Basedin Priapurl (�a place small enough tostand me,� as he puts it), Brandon hatesseafaring and sea combat, but is likelyto be found anywhere around the InnerSea (and along the trade routes westtoward the Sword Coast) where there isdry land, fighting for this or that hire-master. Brandon�s exploits include theslaying of the lich Tharuighagh, in thehills near Saerb; the storming of Jhas-silm Onespear�s citadel; and the forcible

removal of the imprisoned mage Rhon-dethar Windrider from dungeons inWestgate, a task which involved slayingmany of the guards of that city whowere in the way of his aim. Brandonwill undertake almost any task, foralmost any master, as long as the pay isgood (twenty pieces of gold daily, halfrefunded if the task is unsuccessful,plus 4 gp/day per man-at arms Brandonis asked to bring with him, if any). Bran-don has his own code of honor, and isvery shrewd behind his hearty front;he will do nothing sustained to upsetthe general peace of the region, whichwould if large-scale warfare broke out,make his job far more dangerous, thecompetition far greater, and men gen-erally less able to pay for his services.He has served alongside Gayrlana in herMindulgulph Mercenary company (seeMercenary Companies), but whilerespecting the Lady Bloodsword great-ly, does not get along well with herinhuman troops.

DEIOR RASTHAVIN(DAY-ore RAST-hah-vin)

SelgauntSage (4th level magic-user)LN, Oghma AND MystraHuman Male

This quiet, soft-spoken sage dwells inSelgaunt, where he maintains a lowprofile, but is much consulted by peo-ple from all over the Realms. Deior iswealthy enough to indulge in occasion-al sponsorship of adventuring bands toexplore this or research that, in peril-ous places beyond the reach of a man ofhis years. Deior�s fields of study are allconcerned with humankind: history,lengends, and folklore of the Inner Searegion, genealogy and politics, and (as asideline) heraldry, signs, and sigils.Deior�s fees are high, and he is verybusy. His bodyguards, a pair of 5th levelfighters named Hillur and Rheeokk, willensure that he is not disturbed exceptwhen he wishes to be. Deior is clean-shaven, bowed with his years (and hewas never strong), but has intelligenceand wisdom of 18, and customarilywears bracers of defense AC2.

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DELBOSSAN (Del-BOSS-an)Esper3rd level fighter/2nd level thiefCN, Tempus AND MaskHuman male

Stablemaster to Hezom, Lord of Espar,Delbossan is a middle-aged, taciturnman of quiet competence in the train-ing and care of horses; he is also a form-er adventurer who quietly made a pileof gold pieces in his early years as athief on the overland trade route link-ing the Inner Sea lands with the SwordCoast. During that time he stole somany horses and posed as a horse-tender on so many caravans that helearned much of the care and tendingof horseflesh. In more recent days hehid for a time as assistant stablemasterto old Heuran in Espar, liked the work,and succeeded Heuran upon the latter�sdeath of the shaking cough, servingfaithfully (including Cormyrean mili-tary training and duty) ever since. He isnow a loyal and accomplished men-ofarms.

DOUST SULWOOD(Dowst SULL-wood)

Arabel8th level cleric of TymoraCG, TymoraHuman male

Born in Espar to a retired soldier andhis wife (who died in childbirth), Doustgrew up lonely and afraid of his drunk-en father. When old enough to leave, heset out to seek his fortune with othersof his age (including Florin Falconhandand Semoor Wolftooth), and within twoyears found himself Lord of Shadow-dale, chosen by his companions afterKhelben �Blackstaff� Arunsun offeredthe Lordship to one of the party.

Doust married Islif Lurelake shortlythereafter, and has a son by her, Jhaok(see: Islif Lurelake). Doust instituted a�Lord�s Court� or weekly meetingwhere folk of the dale could speakopenly, and where matters internal tothe dale could be decided by vote of aCouncil of dale elders, and was wellliked by the people despite the tumultof his short reign (in which Shadowdale

was attached several times by forces ofZhentil Keep, and many dalefolk died).Doust found the responsibilities of rul-ing hard to reconcile with the philoso-phy of Tymora, and at length resignedhis title (although he remains a �Lord ofShadowdale,� as do his companions) infavor of a younger companion, the cav-alier Mourngrym Amcathra. Doust�scompanions became the �Knights ofMyth Drannor,� and plunged anew intoadventures, but Doust himself took Islifto Arabel, where he could worship atthe temple there with more diligencethan had been possible when he was aharried Lord needing to be diplomaticand far-seeing, or an adventurer under-taking all adventures with an eye tohow this would strengthen his dale.Doust knew that freedom from theduties of rule would also allow him thetime and relative safety in which toraise his son and enjoy some leisurewith his wife, and he is still in Arabel,engaged in such pursuits.

DOVE FALCONHANDWanders (The Dalelands, Esper)11th level rangerCG, MielikkiHuman female

One of the youngest of a famous familyof sisters (the others include Alustriel ofSilverymoon, The Simbul of Aglarond,the bard Storm Silverhand, and thenow-deceased �witch� Sylune), Dove isan agent of the Harpers, and has formany years been a foe of the Zhentarimand the evil creatures of the Inner Sealands. Several times her adventuresbrought her into contact with a certainband of adventurers from Espar in Cor-myr; she served as a tutor to theirbattle-leader, the young ranger FlorinFalconhand, and was most impressedby him. Later she encountered him inThe Whistling Wizard inn in Voonlar,where she became a prisoner of Orvar�The Unseen� of the Zhentarium, andhe rescued her (Orvar remains anunseen foe to this day). Dove joined theband of adventurers based in Shadow-dale, and later married Florin. Shortlyafter the party left Shadowdale and

20

became the Knights of Myth Drannor,Dove became pregnant, and retired toEspar (and briefly to Evermeet, one ofthe few humans to be allowed to visitthat tree-cloaked realm) to bear theirchild, where she yet remains. Dove istall and shapely, calm and firm ofspeech, kind, and fearless in battle.

DURKIN (DER-kin)Wanders (Elven Wood)14th level fighterLG, ClanggedinDwarven male

This ancient, crochety dwarf of gro-tesquely broad shoulders and thews is abattler of awesome ferocity, and hisyears of solitude and battle have lefthim somewhat less than sane. He lovesto kill evil things, and will roar and gib-ber constantly as he hacks and hewswith a great battleaxe +2, in doing so.For years he has dwelt in an old,tumbling-down castle across a rockytor in the depths of the elven woods, hisonly company bats and bones of theelven mages who built the place over athousand years ago. Durkin has guard-ed the Vale of Lost Voices, where hiskeep rises, for the elves; in return, theyhave left him alone regardless of wherehe has wandered in the forest. Unlessone is an elf or dwarf (Durkin respectsall such and their things, exceptingdrow and duergar), it is dangerous toapproach this old warrior, for if hethinks you evil in any way, he will barkand growl like a dog, and attack, snarl-ing, to kill. Durkin has wild, stragglingwhite hair and a similar beard, andwears bat tered and bent o ld i ronarmor. He has not washed (save for con-tact with rain and snow) for some fiftyyears.

ELMINSTER (El-MIN-ster)Shadowdale and the Known Planes26th level magic-userCG, NoneHuman Male

The exact age of the sage Elminster isunknown and his year of birth unre-corded. It is suspected he learned hismagical arts at the feet of Arkhon the

Old, who died in Waterdeep over 500years ago, and was in Myth Drannornear that magical realm�s final days.The Sage currently makes his abode inthe tiny farm community of Shadow-dale, living in a two-story house over-looking a fishpond with his aide andscribe, Lhaeo. Elminster may be themost knowledgable and well-informedindividual in the realms, though thismay be only his own opinion, it is oftenvoiced in his discussions. His areas ofspecialization are the Realms and itspeople, ecology of various creatures,magical items and their histories, andthe known planes of existence. Elmin-ster no longer tutors nor works forhire, save in the most pressing cases.Many of his former students and alliesinclude some of the most powerfulgood individuals in the realms, includ-ing the Lords of Waterdeep, the Simbul,ruler of Aglarond, the group known asthe Harpers, and many powerful wiz-ards and sorceresses.

EMPEREL (Emp-er-EL)Wanders (Mistledale and Cormyr)CG, MielikkiHuman Male

This noble, always polite man of strik-ing good looks and calm reasoning (17IN, 17 W, 18 CHA, 18 COM) lives inAshabenford (Mistledale). He is seldomto be found there, however, becausemost of his time is spent traveling aboutthe Stonelands alone, fighting thegoblinkin and trolls that seem to swarmthere in great numbers. Emperel issworn to guard the tomb of the LordsWho Sleep. Emperel is concerned withthe evil humanoids of the area findingthis tomb by accident or making its caveso perilous to get to or emerge from, bytheir very presence, that the LordsWho Sleep will be unable to bring anystrength to the defense of the ForestKingdom.

A word of explanation: The LordsWho Sleep are great warriors placed inmagical temporal stasis long ago, andhidden somewhere in the Stonelands,to await the hour when �armies of thedead, and legions of devils� foretold by

the long-dead seer Alaundo, will cometo Cormyr �and sweep it away in ruin,unless those who should have beendead are there to stand against them.�The phrase �those who should havebeen dead� was taken at the time tomean people magically preserved pasttheir normal lifespans, rather thanundead or the recipients of unreliablelongevity magics, so some youngernoble sons and bored or disgraced war-riors agreed to be put into stasis toawait a possible hour of need in Cor-myr�s future. A few sages, and the royalfamily of Cormyr, and Emperel and hisancestors (the �Guardians�) know of theLords Who Sleep; to confuse those whomay wish to slay them or plunder theirarms and equipage (for there are overthirty fighters of levels 4-12 in stasis,and many have healing potions andmagical arms and armor, and all havewings of flying). The Lords Who Sleepare concealed in a cave with many trapson the entrance. As a matter of policy,the royal court of Cormyr refer to thesestalwarts by the code-name of �theSleeping Sword,� so that most who over-hear believe that an actual, magicalsword is being spoken of, perhaps onekept in the palace treasure vaults, inSuzail.

EREGUL (ERE-eh-gull)Wanders (Cormyr/Sembia)11th level magic-userLE, BaneHuman Male

Eregul is a tall, black-bearded mage ofsardonic, drawling speech, hard blackeyes, and strong personal ambitions. Heworks for the Zhentarim as a �free-stave,� serving their interests and hisown. He wanders the civilized lands ofCormyr, Sembia, and the Dalelands,seeking what information and usefulmagic or manpower he can pick up.

ERESSEA AMBERGYLES(Ere-ess-SEE-ah AHM-ber-giles)

Wanders (Shadowdale)4th level Cleric of TymoraCG, TymoraHuman Female

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Sent by priests of Tymora in Arrabar(located on the Vilhon Reach) to foundnew temples and shrines to the Lady inthe Dragonreach area. At the presentEressea is in Shadowdale, where such atemple is under construction, awaitingthe arrival of one Erluidan, High Priestof the Lady, who will take over the run-ning of the faith in the area.

FLAMESelgaunt7th level thiefNE, MaskHuman Male

This dark-haired, nondescript youngman now lives quietly in Selgaunt,where he arranges for certain people tobe (willingly) hidden or transported tosafety or (less willingly) kidnapped andheld for ransom. Flame works with asmall band of trusted aides, including atleast magical powers (3rd-5th level).Flame can be contacted through theGreen Gauntlet inn on Selgaunt�s east-ern docks. Flame originally operated asan arsonist in Selgaunt, until a com-bined force of leading mages and clericsin the city convinced him of the error ofhis ways (via a series of flame strikesand similar mishaps). After a brief peri-od of self-exile while this �heat� dieddown, Flame does a quieter business intown, and stays wary of both magic-users and clerics.

FLORIN (FLOOR-in)FALCONHAND

Wanders (The Dalelands)9th level rangerCG, MielikkiHuman male

F l o r i n w a s b o r n t o H e t h c a n t e rFalconhand (a retired captain in thearmies of Comyr) and his wife, the half-elven magic user Skydusk (Florin him-self is human in all respects) in the townof Espar. From his youth, Florin wasinterested elves, flowers, and woodlandcreatures; his mother encouraged himin gardening. His father thought heshould learn a useful t rade , andapprenticed him to a famous armorer,Hawkstone. Florin preferred the woods

to the forge, however, and walked milesin them whenever he could, earninghim the nickname �Silent� and a smat-tering of elvish, dryadic, and treant lan-guages. Skilled with the long sword andtwo-handed sword, Florin set out tofind his fortune when of age, with sev-eral companions, and quickly emergedas the leader of the band, in battle andin matters of diplomacy, a role he stillholds today, as one of the seniorKnights of Myth Drannor. In the inter-vening years, however, Florin gained(through a wish) a telepathic warhorse,Firefoam. Florin was personally offeredthe Lordship o f S h a d o w d a l e b yKhelben �Blackstaff� Arunsun, thoughhe declined it and directed that the titlebe bestowed on one of his companionsby a vote of all the band, who choseDoust. Florin served Doust faithfullyfor a few winters as Warden of Shadow-dale and its chief diplomat, and finallymarried the ranger Dove. Gaining mag-ic user and druid spells through train-i n g b y h i s c o m p a n i o n s J h e s s a i lSilvertree and Lanseril Snowmantle, herecently acquired a familiar, a hawk henamed Minstrel. Florin is tall, curly-haired, direct of voice and manner, adecent, polite �straight shooter� whob e a r s a m a g i c a l s h i e l d + 1 c a l l e dReptar�s Wall, and a magical teleportgem that will take him, without error,to Evermeet to visit his wife and child.Ere his marrage to Dove, Florin�s com-panion for a time was the sometimethief �Pennae� Alura Durshavin, and hefound time before and after Alura�spresence to acquaint himself withmany ladies in his travels. The godMielkki has appeared directly to Florinon several occasions; on one such, shecommanded him to marry Dove andhave children, because it was �neces-sary.�

Fzoul is second-in-command of theZhentarim, but his influence within theorganization is greater than Lord Man-shoon�s due to his command of the cler-g y o f B a n e w h o a r e p a r t o f t h eorganization (clerics of Bane who thinkthe Zhentarim a force unworthy ofBane�s support, the majority, are com-manded by The High Imperceptor ofBane, a 19th level High Priest). Fzoulseeks to enhance his personal powerthrough diligent service to the God ofTyranny, and he sees the best way to dothis to be supporting and working withthe man he judges best able to succeedas a tyrant: Manshoon. Fzoul is carefulto remain necessary to and friends withManshoon, while keeping as muchpower as possible in his own hands, sothat Manshoon will never consider himexpendable; or a threat so powerfulthat it must be destroyed.

Fzoul is wily, glib-tongued, burly, red-haired, and handsome. He wears brac-ers of defense AC2 at all times, and fullplate when expecting battle. He bears amace +4, a silver flail, and a morningstar +1, and wears a ring of free actionand a ring of spell storing (contentsunknown). His most treasured magicalitem is a rod of cancellation, which hecarries in a sheath inside his left boot.

In his temple, Fzoul has hidden threeblocks of incense of meditation and astaff of the serpent (adder) for his per-sonal use in emergencies; he also has ahidey-hole somewhere in the wastes ofThar that a word of recall will take himto, in extreme peril (Manshoon does notknow of this item).

GARTHGarth the Gimble, Snake of SelgauntSelgaunt, Marsember, and Suzail4th level thiefNE, MaskHuman Male

FZOUL CHEMBRYL Garth is a blond-haired, frail-looking(Fzz-OOL CHEMM-bril) rogue of nimble dexterity and quick

Zhentil Keep wits, who operates in the three listedHigh Priest of the Dark Shrine cities in Sembia and Cormyr, drifting13th level cleric from one to another to dodge angry vic-LE, Bane tims, pursuers, and creditors. Garth isHuman male reputed to have an excellent �intelli-

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gence service� between these towns,and has been consulted by respectableand honest individuals to unearth perti-nent facts (for a fee, of course). Garthhas also been connected with variousrecurring swindles in the area, in par-ticular those dealing with warehousefires and the resale of slighty fire-damaged goods. Garth is elusive, andhas many �hidey-holes.� He has contactsat The Black Stag in Selgaunt, the Roar-ing Griffon in Marsember, and anydock-side tavern in Suzail, so that thoseseeking his services may inquire there.

GHARRI (JAR-ee)Gharri of Gond, Gharri Wonderma-ker(1302-1356)

Wandered (Tilverton)15th level ClericNG, GondHuman Male

This diplomatic, urbane man of some-times barbed wit (18 Intelligence, and18 Wisdom) was born in Sembia ,orphaned there in a fire in the city ofYhaunn, spent his youth with travelingpriests of Gond, and rose in their orderas the years passed to eventuallybecome High Priest of the foremosttemple of Gond in all the Inner Sealands�the temple he founded in Tilver-ton. For over a score of winters Gharriruled Tilverton in fact, if not in title,making it a center of innovation and themanufacture of small but useful items,toothed gears, for example, and intri-cate locks and hinges.

Cormyr occupied the Tilver�s Gaparea recently, a move not openlyopposed by Gharri, who considered itnecessary to prevent Tilverton beingoverrun by orcs, the troops of ZhentilKeep, or the expanding empire ofLashan of Scardale, all of whom wantedthe strategic location and wealth ofTilver�s Gap. Gharri was made LordRegent, an empty title considering thatthe Cormyrean military commanderwould and did make all decisions ofconsequence . After some months ,Gharri quietly vanished, coming to thetiny, ostensibly-ruined fortress of Cas-

tle Krag. Krag was a former bandit-holdin the woods of Shadowdale, long aban-doned, but recently used secretly bythe Zhentarim and subsequently by theLord of Shadowdale . From there ,Gharri quietly got on with the businessof running the local priesthood of Gond(which included a very good group ofspies reporting all news to him), until hemade a trip to Daggerdale to aid theLord of that Place, Randal Morn, andwas destroyed in a titanic magical battlenear Serpentsbridge by a dozen magesof the Zhentarim. Gharri�s reputedcaches of magical and mechanical won-ders, and vast personal wealth in barand coin, have not yet been recovered,nor is his passing known to most of theRealms.

GUNTHOR (GUN-thor)Shadowdale12th level FighterLG, MoradinDwarven male

For many years this master of the smith�strade has worked in Hillsfar. Many war-riors in the Dragon Reach area haveworn his work. Gunthor and his assist-ants (who include several slow-witted,massive men and crippled young boysrescued by Gunthor from the streets)deal extensively with Shadowdale, equip-ping its forces, in recent years. WhenMaalthiir came to power in Hillsfar, thenew ruler imprisoned the dwarf, whowas hurriedly packing his tools andgoods to leave the city and avoidMaalthiir�s rule. Florin Falconhand of Sha-dowdale purchased Gunthor�s freedomfrom Maalthiir. Gunthor now dwells inthe Tower Ashaba in Shadowdale, andserves the Lord Mourngruym.

GUTHBERT GOLTHAMMERZhentil Keep and its armed forces4th level fighterCN, TempusHuman male

Physically huge, this 300-pound, 6�5�,broad-shouldered man is muscled likean ox, and �has brains not much better,�as his father, Elzund Golthammer, hasbeen known to say. Elzund, a noble of

Wanders (Dragon Reach area)6th level RangerNG, MielikkiHuman male

This famous swordsmith left his chosentrade abruptly some years ago, despitea natural brilliance at smithy-work, tojoin the ranger Lhoraie, whom heloved. The two wandered the SwordCoast lands, the North, and the InnerSea lands as allies of the Harpers and ofthe Lords� Alliance, doing good, untilLhoraie died in childbirth. The child, adaughter, also perished, and a grievingHawkstone buried them both on a hillnorth of Silverymoon and came southand east to the Dragon Reach, where hewanders, grim and melancholy, butzealous in his assistance to travelersand in his battling of evil. He has saidthat Mielikki appeared to him deep inthe woods and told him not to return toforge or throw his life after Lhoraie�s,but to serve her cause instead.

HAWKSTONE

Zhentil Keep, was one of that city�s war-captains until crippled in battle, and outof respect for him, his son took hisplace in the field, although the Zhen-tarim have taken care that he leadexpendable units, or forces not in aposition to go far wrong by a little well-meant blundering. Currently Guthbertheads a mercenary force of nearly4,000 men based in ruined Teshwave,who are battling the forces of Cormyrand Daggerdale in the Daggerdale area.Guthbert�s abilities in hand-to-hand bat-tle are respected (18/36 ST, 18 CON), butas a tactician or quartermaster, he islargely hopeless and is therefore aidedby a largely veteran staff installed bythe Zhentarim, including the seniorcaptain of the Zhentil Keep armies,Ulgrym, and Asdag, a High Priest ofBane under the control of Fzoul Chem-bryl. Guthbert is also assisted by a vet-eran mercenary leader, the fourth levelfighter Natchim, of Westgate. Guthbertis said to be amiable but fearless, and tohave his eye on the overlordship ofZhentil Keep some day, oblivious to hisown shortcomings.

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ILLISTYL ELVENTREE(IL-iss-til EL-ven-tree)

Wanders (the Dalelands)4th level magic-userCG, MystraHuman female

Illistyl was born in Shadowdale, whereshe was discovered to have psionicpowers by the Lord Doust and his com-panions. Seeking to safeguard controlthis dangerous asset of the dale, Dousttook Illistyl to live in the Tower of Ashaba,where she proved to be calm in a fightand have an aptitude for the magical arts.She became Jhessail Silvertree�s appren-tice, and a full member of the band, andthe lover of Torm (q.v.). Now a Knight ofMyth Drannor, she has become more of aleader in magical battle since Jhessailbecame a mother. Illistyl is young, lithe,impish of humor (a former tomboy, veryfew years ago), and her psionics are 121/121; A, C/F,G; animal telepathy, body equi-librium, and empathy.

ISLIF LURELAKE(ISS-liff LUR-lake)

Arabel8th level fighterNG, TempusHuman female

Wife to Doust Sulwood, and formerlyCaptain of Shadowdale�s militia, Islif hasretired (at least temporarily) fromactive adventuring to raise her son,Jhaok Sulwood (born Marpenoth 22nd,Year of the Worm). Islif was a stalwartin adventures with her companions,her blade ever-ready, and she emergedas an able leader and savage warrior inthe battles with Zhentil Keep and Scar-dale. Islif is tall, broad-shouldered, ofstrong, muscular build, and was born inEspar (Comyr) to the traders Buckmanand Tesha Lurelake.

JELDE ASTURIEN(JEL-deh ASS-tur-ee-en)

Alias Semoor WolftoothEveningstar8th level clericNG, LathanderHuman male

Born Semoor Wolftooth in Espar, Jelde

spent much of his early years fishing inthe local streams, where his hunched-over, patient posture earned him thenickname �Stoop.� He was fascinated byelves from an early age, and learned tospeak elvish as best he could from trav-elers. He joined his companions Florin,Islif, Doust, and the other landlessyounglings of Espar in a journey east-wards to seek his fortune when hecame of age, and over years of adven-tures found his calling as a follower ofthe God of the Morning. Upon gainingthe rank of Priest, he took a name (JeldeAsturien) revealed to him by his god, asis traditional for that faith, and rose tobecome a noble of Shadowdale. Findingthat constant adventuring was at oddswith diligent service to Lathander, Jelderetired from active adventuring andtook up residence at the temple toLathander in Eveningstar to betterserve his god. He has risen rapidly inthe ranks of the clergy since then. Jelderetains a ring of spell storing from hisadventuring days, and sometimes donsarmor to defend Lathander�s worksfrom the dangers of the Stonelands.

JHESSAIL SILVERTREE(Jes-SAIL SIL-ver-tree)

Jhessail FlamehairWanders (the Dalelands)8th level magic-userCG, MystraHuman female

Jhessail was born to �elfriends� and for-esters, Craig and Lhanna Silvertree, inEspar. She displayed an early fascina-tion with magic, and a talent for it whenthe elves tested her gently, and wasforthwith trained by Hezom of Espar.Known as �Twoteeth� to childhoodfriends, she matured into a strikingbeauty, of slim build, green-gray eyes,and fiery orange-brown hair, whichpromtly earned her her nickname. Herparents urged her to see the worldbeyond Espar, and she accompaniedFlorin, Doust, and others of her age in asearch for adventure. A fellow femalemagic user, Martess, was soon killed,but Jhessail acquired a black cat famil-iar, �Jet,� read a Libram of Silver Magic,

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and grew rapidly in magical powers.Careful tutoring brought out naturalabilities of healing, animal training, andendurance and made her an expertrider, and she grew powerful andrespected by her companions, takingfirst Jelde as her lover and then marry-ing Merith Strongbow (on Alturiak 15,Year of the Worm), giving birth to theirdaughter Veluthil Silverbow (cf. MerithStrongbow entry) on Mirtul 1, Year ofthe Prince. Illistyl has tended Veluthilmore than Jhessail has, however; onecrisis after another has demanded theattention of the most magically power-ful Knight of Myth Drannor, and Jhes-sail is not one to stay at home or missadventures. In addition to an impres-sive array of spells gained from manydungeon, ruin, and crypt hoards, Jhes-sail has a pearl of power (which doublesfifth level spells, and is not yet usable byher), bracers of defense AC2, and a ringof shooting stars. Jhessail is a strong-willed, passionate lady who has under-taken to train Illistyl as her successor,and to develop Florin�s newly-acquiredmagical powers. She is carefully nudg-ing her infant daughter into familiaritywith magic, too.

KHELBEN �Blackstaff�ARUNSUN(KEL-ben AIR-un-sun)

Waterdeep, though travels widely(including extraplanar)(Probable Lord of Waterdeep)26 +th level magic-userLN, strong Good tendencies, MystraHuman male

Khelben is the most powerful and influ-ential archmage of the Sword Coast,and is one of the rulers of Waterdeep(although he does not admit this openly,most in the North suspect him of beingso). Allied to the Harpers, and instru-mental in keeping the Lords� Alliance(of Silverymoon, Sundabar, Neverwin-ter, and other �good� cities of the North,with Waterdeep) intact, Khelben isalways working to influence this or thatoccurrence or t rend, see ing yearsahead. He is a forester and painter, andhas tutored many mages of note and is

more fully detailed in FR1, Waterdeepand the North. Khelben appears as a tall(6�), well-muscled, bearded man with areceding hairline, black hair shotthrough with white hairs, and a distin-guished manner. He is gravely wise, notpompous, and is fully learned in the his-tory, lore, and traditions of magic aspracticed by humans in the North sincethe rise from barbarism.

KORTH (rhymes with NORTH)Ordulin, in Sembia5th level fighterCN, TempusHuman male

Korth is a brawling, love-to-fight, just-lead-me-to-it man. A bearded, rollickingdrinker and womanizer who was bornin Hilp, he now lives in Ordulin, wherehe can be hired to guard people. Heespecially likes this task when the peo-ple he is guarding go on �tavern crawls.�He will also undertake the guarding ofcaravans or valuables, or the findingand capture of rivals or wanted crimi-nals. Korth has been badly wounded inhis adventures several times, but loveshis chosen life and carries on as before,whatever happens. If not activelyengaged for hire (he usually charges 5gp/day), Korth can usually be founddrinking, arm-wrestling, or pickingfights at The Cap Askew tavern inOrdulin.

LANSERIL (LAN-sair-il)SNOWMANTLE

Wanders (the Dalelands)8th level druidN, SilvanusHalf-elven male

Lanseril was born in the tiny village ofSnowmantle (whose name he has taken)on the edge of the of the Border Forest,north of Daggerdale. Lanseril�s father,Raunaeril �the Rose,� was an elf, one of�The Lost� the elves who inhabit (orinhabited) the Border Forest and whohave not been heard from for over thir-ty years.

Lanseril�s mother was a beautifulhuman maiden of the village, who per-ished at her husband�s side on the tram-

pled banks of the river Tesh in a bloodyskirmish with raiders from the Citadelof the Raven, leaving behind six-year-old Lanseril. Lanseril loved to play inthe forest with the elves, and hatedwhat little he saw of cities. A druid,Haemfaest �Holloweye� Sarthun (hehad lost his left eye in a long-ago battle,but disdained to wear an eye-patch)who lived in the forest near Snowman-tle took a fancy to Lanseril and schooledhim in the worship of Silvanus�a godLanseril found more believable thanthe elven god Rillifane. Haemfaest andthe elves believed that Lanseril had metRillifane on the forest paths once,unknowingly, and played tag with himaround the trees�until, in full view ofRaunaeril, who was angrily approach-ing, the green-clad elf with the bowwhom Lanseril was chasing turned intoa great oak tree which vanished onenight over a week later.

When Lanser i l los t h is parents ,Haemfaest looked after the half-mad,disconsolate boy for a year, until thedruid himself fell one winter night to apack of hungry wolves. Pursued by thewolves (Lanseril hates wolves bitterlyto this day), the young Lanseril fledsouthwards , and came evenual lythrough the wilds to Highmoon inDeepingdale. There he found employ asa runner, errand-boy, and animal keep-er (even then, Lanseril could train ani-mals, and identify the noises eachmakes) for a local merchant, Braun (O�the Beard). Lanseril served him faith-fully for twelve years, seeing much ofthe local roads and businesses, but inthe end was made miserable by the jeal-ous younger cousin of Braun. A ranger,Briadorn of the druidic Circle of Sha-dowdale , saw Lansei l tending aninjured hare with herbs and gentlehands, and offered to take him to thedale. Lanseril accepted and joined theadventurers there, becoming a stalwartof the Knights of Myth Drannor, andproving a Machiavellian strategist anddiplomat, with a phenomenal memoryfor faces and names, and conversationsoverheard long ago.

Lanseril has gained (and always

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wears) an unusual magical treasure; theFirecrown, a circlet whose gems canemit two rays of fire (one M-sized targetonly, 18 hp damage�half if save made�usuable twice every 200 turns) gainedfrom giants in The Flaming Tower, a for-tress that his companions subsequentlydestroyed with the aid of treants. Aninsect plague cast by Lanseril wasinstrumental in defeat ing Zhent i lKeep�s reinforcements in the Battle ofShadowdale.

LHARAVE (Lah-rah-VAY)Wanders (wilderness west of Dagger-dale)7th level rangerCG, MielikkiHuman (?) Female

Lharave is a swanmay and ally of theHarpers, who lives in the wilds of Dag-gerdale�s western reaches, and the east-ern slopes of the Thunder Peaks to thesouth of Daggerdale. She rarely associ-ates with humans, although she will aidthose of good alignment who are imper-iled nearby. She has a short bow +1and many silver-tipped arrows, and aluck blade +1 hidden somewhere inthe peaks. Her feather swan token�slocation and precise nature are notknown, save to Lharave herself.

LUVON (LOO-vahn)GREENCLOAK

Elven Court11th level magic-userCG, Azuth AND Aerdrie FaenyaElven male

Luvon is a former emissary and diplo-mat of the Elven Court before the Elvesof Cormesta retreated to Evermeet. Hehas remained behind to aid any strag-glers who wish to head for that elvishisle. Luvon wears bracers of defenseAC 6, and is protected by Alok Silver-spear and and company of elvishlongbowmen.

MANSHOON (Man-SHOON)Zhentil Keep16th level magic userLE, Mystra (with lip service to Bane)Human male

This cruel, calculating man heads the

Zhentarim; its power and success arelargely clue to his efforts, and its collec-tive control of Zhentil Keep, the Citadelof the Raven (and through it, domi-nance over Thar and the cities of theMoonsea�s northern coast), Darkhold(and through it, maintenance of theshortest overland trade route betweenthe Inner Sea and Waterdeep) havemade him very rich. Manshoon, a nobleof Zhentil Keep, slew his older brotherAsmuth and seized control of the city�sgoverning councils by skillful intrigue,staunch allies (such as Lord Chess, alifelong friend), and the aid of that fac-tion of the priesthood of Bane con-trolled by Fzoul Chembryl and of thebeholder Xantriph. Manshoon�s ownalliances with Dark Nagas, and hismanipulat ions of the Cult of theDragon, increased his influence andbought him the time necessary to buildhis personal mastery of the magical artswithout allowing stronger rivals toassume control of the city until he wasready to take it. Take it he has, and hasflourished; his spell library is thoughtto be the equal of Khelben Arunsun�s,and his arsenal of magical devices andweapons the largest held by a singlem a g e a n y w h e r e i n t h e R e a l m s(although it is scattered, hidden, andguarded by spells and monsters). He isknown to possess a staff of the magi andwear black robes of the archmagi, towear a ring of spell storing and a ring ofwizardry (that doubles fourth and fifthlevel spells), and is quite content to fleedanger. Many have tried to kill him, andnone have succeeded; he is careful, nev-er lets his temper master his reason,and is always alert. He seems an unbeat-able foe; others face danger to do hisbidding, but he�s �never there.�

MANXAM (MANK-zam)Ruins of TeshwaveBeholderLE, Bane

Possibly the most powerful eye tyrantin the lands of the northwest Inner Sealands, including the Moonsea cities,Sembia, Cormyr, and the Dales sincethe death of Xantriph (see Zhentarim),

Manxam does deal in the politics of menas Xantriph did, but with a far lowerprofile and fewer servant creatures.Manxam is usually to be found in orabout the ruins of Teshwave. He isthought to view the Zhentarim�s boldexpansionist policies with increasingalarm, thinking that they will lead to aninevitable battle-union of all of ZhentilKeep�s foes, and the resulting defeatand destruction of Zhentil Keep. Manx-am, like most of the eye tyrants whohad cooperated with humankind inZhentil Keep prior to the rise of theZhentarim, resents and despises the�upstart mages,� vastly preferring thepriests of Bane, who accorded behold-ers the respect they see as their due.Manxam�s own strength and wealth areunknown.

MASYR (MAW-zeer)Zhentil Keep6th level illusionistCN, LeiraHuman male

Masyr lives in Zhentil Keep, and is own-er of The Green Sash Tavern and Fes-thall on Northlook Street, and of TheGreen Rings Trading Company. A cau-tious, private man, Masyr travels little,and rarely appears in public. His son,Elrain, runs The Green Sash, and theTrading Company is largely �paper�business, consisting of a stables and sev-eral warehouses. Masyr buys old wag-ons, exhausted mounts, and �found,�damaged, or leftover goods, stores andtends such, and resells them at keytimes and situations, for much higherprices. Masyr is always short of moneyand is always willing to train illusionistsof lesser powers; his wife Tezra is expe-rienced at handling the company with-out him.

MAXER (MAYK-ser)Suzail in Cormyr11th level magic-userSG, MystraHuman male

This respected mage is a resident ofSuzail. After a spectacular youth ofmighty feats of magic and great adven-

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tures in many planes, including battlesagainst dark naga, the �Loosed Devil�Gargoth, who walks the Realms in per-son, and the Cult of the Dragon (whichset that organization back about twentyyears in their conquests), Maxer settleddown to magical studies. However,Maxer is now neither an aggressive noradventurous man. He spends most ofhis time tutoring mages of lesser power,and in h is researches ; Maxer hasdevised many minor items of magic inthe last decade. Maser�s abode is a hid-den cellar. He prefers to be contactedthrough the Royal Court in Suzail.

MERITH (MAIR-irh)STRONGBOW

Wanders (the Dalelands)6th level fighter/6th level magic-userCG, Rillifane RallathilElven male

Merith, son of Laerune and LianthornStrongbow, was born on the banks ofthe river Duathamper in the �GreatWood� (the Elven Court) 184 years ago.Tutored in the ways of fighting by hisfather (battling men cutting into theforest, as the Dalelands and the Moon-sea cities developed) and in the arts ofmagic by the �Gray Ladies� of Sem-berholme (an elven retreat on theshores of Lake Sember), Merith was bidby the Elven court to join a hand ofadventurers in Shadowdale and influ-ence them to protect the elven woodsand ways, upon the death of his par-ents. Merith did so, armed with a letterfrom Luvon, an elven ally of Doust�sband, and was accepted, and remains amember of the Knights of Myth Dran-nor today. Merith took to wife JhessailSilvertree of the Knights; their half-elven daughter Veluthil Silverbow (herfirst name means �beautiful of the eve-ning�; her last name is derived fromboth her parents� surnames) was bornMirtul 1st, the Year of the Prince. Sincethe elves left the Elven Court, Merithhas become increasingly reckless in bat-tle, and his hatred of the Drow and theZhentarim has grown. Merith is psionic(76/76; A,B/F,G; detection of good/evil,object reading) has one blue eye and

MHZENTUL (Mah-ZEN-tull)( 1 2 5 0 - 1 3 4 0 )Wandered

one green eye, and has a black cat famil-iar named Shadowclaw. Merith wearselven chain +2, and bears a magicalblade, �Sylabra,� a CG INT 14, EGO 6 +3silver long sword, which can detectinvisible objects (1� radius), and glowswith a silvery-blue radiance at the bear-er�s will. Merith is an expert swimmer,animal trader, bowyer and fletcher(and archer), and has well-developeddirection sense. His preferred weaponis the long sword; he has a black temperwhen angered.

20th level magic-userN, KossuthHuman male

Mhzentul was a powerful, respectedmage who perished at the battle of theRiver Rising. There he became a pillarof living flame, and burned his wayacross the battlefield, taking many ene-mies with him. This was some twentywinters ago, and Mhzentul is nowremembered amongst magic users forhis works: �the Seven Lost Rings ofMhzentul,� and a book called �Mhzen-tul�s Runes� which contained the proc-ess for making a ring of spell storing,the construction of rings that wouldbecome guardian creatures upon com-mand, and much research into firemagic. The Zhentarim mage Whisper isknown to have found the rings, and issuspected to have had the book as well,but the whereabouts of those sinceWhisper�s death are not known.

NAGLATHA (Nahg-LATH-ah)Selgaunt5th level magic-user, Red Wizard ofThayNE, AzuthHuman female

This young, black-eyed, black-haired,and grim-faced woman has risen quick-ly in the ranks of the Red Wizards dueto her fanatical zeal for all Red Wizardcauses, and her ruthless, reckless fur-thering of those causes. Naglatha�s alle-giance and identity are not known to

A young noble of Waterdeep, Mourn-grym was an ally of the Harpers whorespected and admired Khelben �Black-staff� Arunsun, who sent him to joinDoust Sulwood, Lord of Shadowdale, tobe one of the latter�s adventuring com-panions to further the causes of good inthe Dragonreach area and to make hisown fortune. Mourngrym served ablyin many small skirmishes and adven-tures with Doust and companions, andthe latter subsequently offered him thelordship of the dale so that they couldreturn to the adventuring life, as �TheKnights of Myth Drannor.� Mourngrymaccepted, and has proven a cautious,shrewd, diplomatic lord of authorityand foresight, aiding Randal Morn ofDaggerdale in resisting Zhentil Keep,

Lord of Shadowdale6th level cavalierNG, TymoraHuman male

MOURNGRYM AMCATHRA(MORN-grim Am-CATH-rah)

Miraun is a young, sneering man ofhandsome features, fond of richlyappointed clothing. Miraun is of awealthy Zhentil Keep family, the Dan-nacasters, though Maraun is illegiti-mate and not entitled to the familyname. Miraun has a sly, diplomaticmanner, hoping to gain by merit withinthe Zhentarim what he has lost bybirth. Miraun is known to carry a wandof negation.

Wanders (Sembia and the Dales)9th level magic-userCE, Bane AND LolthHuman male

MIRAUN (Mih-RAWN)

any authorities in the Dragon Reach area.Recently arrived in Selgaunt, she is pos-ing as a merchant dealing in curios andrarities of the South, while in realityrecruiting merchants and men-at-armsfor the Red Wizards� cause. It islikely that the Red Wizards areplanning disruptive raids to set onepower against another, if it seemslikely that any of them would aid orreinforce any lands Thay is at war with.

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and battling drow exploratory salliesfrom the depths below.

NEIRON (NEAR-on)Neiron the SchemerWanders (Inner Sea)9th level rangerNG, MielikkiHuman male

Neiron is one of the most powerfulrangers in the Dragon Reach area whois not part of the Harpers. This loner isa man of mysterious aims and activities.He has several hidden residences bothnorth and south of the Lake of Dragons,and travels quietly about the westernend of the Inner Sea, always alone.Neiron has many contacts among thosedruids and foresters of little power orinfluence. He is a friend to many whomhe has unexpectedly aided in deepwoods or bandit-haunted hills over theyears. Neiron�s achievements includethe singlehanded slaying of the hobgob-lin chieftain Gothag and his forty-two-strong bodyguard, and the similarlyastonishing killing of the frost giantsGurrl and Kutharr in the Stonelands.Seiron is though to be planning to settledown somewhere in the area, andfound a stronghold. He is said to havemuch magic, including a necklace ofmissiles, a magical blade, and a ring thatunleashes various spells.

NETHMURTA (Neth-MER-tah)Ashabenford, in MistledaleMerchant (0-level fighter)CG, TymoraHalf-elven female

Nethmurta is an influential traderesswho lives in Ashabenford, where sheruns a good tavern, The Blinking Owl,and maintains four close-guardedwarehouses. Most of Nethmurta�s busi-ness comes from storing goods broughtby local merchants to her, for sale tocaravan-masters bound east to theMoonsea, or (more often) west via Cor-myr to the Sword Coast or the South.Nethmurta�s word is trusted in theDalelands as that of few others, andtavern-talk credits her with mysteriousmagical safeguards (as well as human

and half-elven ones) about her ware-houses and person.

NURLAR (NURR-larr)Ordulin and ScardaleMerchant (0-level fighter)CN, LeiraHuman male

This black-bearded, sophisticated manof shrewd wits, little natural strengthor dexterity, and no love for sport orstrenuous activities, is a powerful trad-er in the Inner Sea lands. From a citadelin Ordulin and a newly-purchased,palatial residence in Scardale, Nurlarcontrols a network of merchant ships,wagon-masters, and swift riders, spe-cializing in the fast, fairly reliable deliv-ery of valuable things from person toperson in the Inner Sea lands. �Nurlarcan get it there for you� is his motto,and the performance of it over the lastdozen years (from his beginnings as theowner of two small, worn ships, inher-ited from his father) has earned himthousands upon thousands of goldenlions, and made him one of the mostrespected of merchants in the Inner Sealands. Nurlar himself stays indoors (hehas an almost pathological fear of beinglost, outdoors, in harsh weather), trav-eling from Ordulin to Scardale and viceversa in a closed carriage, and nevergoing anywhere else. Nurlar is said tofear thieves greatly, hiding his treasureand paying for elaborate magical andbestial guardians. He is also said to beconsidering marriage to a mysteriouselven maiden whom he keeps impris-oned in a tower in his house in Scardale.

ORGAUTH (ORE-goth)Zhentil Keep7th level fighterNE, Tempus AND BaneHuman male

One of the Lords of Zhentil Keep, thisseasoned, ruthless veteran of theMoonsea-area wars is a wealthy mer-chant in his own right, building ore-refining and caravan-running concernsinto much coinage, and maintaining, inthe guise of his normal work-force, astrong bodyguard of around sixty or

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seventy men-at-arms. This last shrewdmeasure that has undoubtedly ensuredhis own personal survival in the noblehierarchy of Zhentil Keep throughoutthe rise of the Zhentarim. Outwardly,these days, Orgauth supports the Zhen-tarim (and indeed, often their aims andprojects coincide with his own), but hewill support activities that will workagainst the Zhentarim, or betray theirmore reckless or ill-founded projects.For example, Orgauth has fed severalkey items of information, such as garri-son s trengths and re inforcementstimes for Yulash, and later, plans for theretaking of that place, via his carvans toMaalthiir in Hillsfar, whose rule hewants to maintain, as a check againstthe expansionist desires of the Zhen-tarim. Orgauth believes that an empirebased in Zhentil Keep would overreachand weaken the city�s military strength,and earn it the enmity of those con-quered, which would among otherthings hurt Orgauth�s trade prospects.Orgauth�s livery is russet and scarlet;his arms are a russet raven striking, tal-ons out, on a scarlet field. He can becontacted through his offices in his cita-del in the northeastern area of ZhentilKeep.

OSPER LINTHALAM(AWE-spur Lin-THAY-lamm)

Ordulin, in Sembia9th level magic-userNG, MystraHuman male

This weal thy and powerful magedevotes little time to his arts these days,preferring to spend his days in politicalintrigue and merchant dealings. Anurbane and witty man who loves finewine and good feasts, Osper wieldsmuch power in Sembia from his man-sion in Ordulin. Osper is known to haveno less than three guardian golems, andmuch treasure, in this abode. Osperpossesses a staff of power, and is wellremembered in Selgaunt for his use ofit to blast and burn the ship of a piratewho attempted a daring evening raidon a warehouse leased by Osper, at thesame time as the mage happened to be

inspecting goods there. Osper is bald-ing, and his beard and bushy eyebrowshave gone white; he wears many rings,some of which may be magical.

PERENDRA (Per-EN-drah)Voonlar6th-level magic-userCG, Mystra AND TymoraHuman female

This mysterious lady is of high birthand breeding, of a noble family ofTethyr that was scattered in the strifethere many years ago. Perendra�s par-ents, the Lord Seldoon Raslemtar andhis lady, Saylayne, came to Waterdeep,and Perendra grew up in that city. Shewas orphaned at fourteen when Sel-doon and Saylayne were assassinatedby agents continuing the blood-strife ofTethyr, and was raised by Alustriel ofSilverymoon, whom Mirt �the Money-lender� of Waterdeep took her to insecret. Perendra grew to womanhoodand a mastery of the magic arts (forwhich she has a natural gift) in the con-fines of Alustriel�s palace. Perendracame to admire the Harpers and theiraims, so that, a few winters ago, Peren-dra joined the Harpers, and took herleave of Alustriel in love and honor.Unbeknownst to most in the Dalelands,Perendra came to Voonlar, where shehas settled, to further her studies andto act as an agent for the Harpers, hold-ing a safe refuge for them and gather-ing what news she can. Perendra has anowl for a familiar. She befriended a ki-rin, Harnoster, while at Silverymoon,and he often visits her with word ofHarper activities and general happen-ings in the North. Perendra is known tohave a necklace of missiles and a ring ofinvisibility some sort of magical staff,and is said to be working on the devel-opment of a type of magical wand.Perendra�s full background is known toonly a handful of beings in the InnerSea area.

PIERGEIRON (Peer-GEER-on)�the Paladinson,� Lord of WaterdeepWaterdeep14th level paladinLG, TyrHuman male

Piergeiron is the only Lord of Water-deep whose identity is known to all. Hegoverns the great port city ably andwith even-tempered justice that hasearned him the respect of most whodwell or visit there. Further details of�the Paladinson� (his father was thefamous Athar, �The Shining Knight,�The Arm of Tyr) are given in FR1,Waterdeep and the North.

RAIRUN (RARE-unn)Rairun BlackbrowWanders (Inner Sea region)7th level druidN, SilvanusHuman male

The wry, far-traveled Rairun wandersthe Inner Sea lands, homeless and poor,seeking to preserve forested land fromthe worst depredations of men. Heworks often with the elves about theDalelands, the priests of Chauntea inVoonlar and in Sembia, and otherdruids of the region. Rairun has tutoredmost of the druids now living in thewestern Inner Sea region. He uses whatinfluence over them this gives him toachieve some concerted effort in partic-ular matters, and Rairun is the chiefchampion of the idea of tending andplanting trees as well and as diligentlyas one does grain and vegetable crops,so that the woods are not simply cutback and back until they disappear.This idea has caught on in some dalesand in the north of Sembia (which hasalready exhausted most of its own sup-plies of timber). Rairun has above-average Strength and Constitution (17in both), and a Charisma of 16. His widetravels and work have given him a widecommand of woodland languages: com-mon, druidic, his alignment tongue,dryad, treantish, pixie, centaur, andfaun. He has something of a feud withthe few satyrs in the area.

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RANDAL MORNDaggerdale6th level bard (7th level fighter, 6thlevel thief)NG, Tymora, Oghma, AND SeluneHuman male

Ruler of a troubled land, beset by theforces of orcs and worse to the north-west, Zhentil Keep�s armies to thenortheast, and the expanding might ofCormyr to the southwest, Randal Mornis a moody, lonely man. He trusts onlyhis younger sister, Silver Morn, Florinand Mourngrym of Shadowdale, andMirt, Durnan, and Khelben of Water-deep. His people are a suspicious, wea-ry, hardened lot; warfare seems aconstant in their lives, and they areever-vigilant (�hasty,� outsiders oftenthink; quick to draw blade or takeoffense). Randal Morn was once anuntroubled adventurer; he still longs toride out in search of new lands, and heis desperate for aid against his dale�senemies. He is of medium build, haslong brown hair, and handsome fea-tures, and is an accomplished singerand musician.

RATHAN THENTRAVER(Rath-ANN Then-TRAH-vur)

Wanders (the Dalelands)5th level clericCG, TymoraHuman male

Born in Arabel to Rathur and Ulla Then-traver, a merchant family of shoemak-ers, Rathan inherited his father�s jovial,bluntly honest manner, and his moth-er�s fat, homely features. When his par-ents died of cholera, Rathan�s greedyuncles had him inducted into the priest-hood of Tymora in a day, in their hasteto lay hands on all the family wealth.

Sent out of Arabel�s temple to Tymoraby his superior, Segril, to �spread theLady�s favor (and influence) amongadventurers, those active in strife,change, and perilous deeds in the multi-verse� (more probably just to be rid ofhim), Rathan wandered east to the Dale-lands, where he joined the Knights ofMyth Drannor. Apt to be drunken andforgetful, Rathan has proven fearless

and even truculent in combat with foesfar more powerful than himsel f ,e m p l o y i n g a r i n g o f t h e r a m h eacquired in a fierce battle with evilmages of the Zhentarim, and more usu-al clerical weapons. Rathan is skilled inslow respiration, endurance, and fun-gus identification, and has risen rapidlyin the service of the Lady since becom-ing an adventurer.

RHAUNTIDES (RAWN-tee-dees)DeepingdaleSage (12th level magic-user)CG, MystraHuman male

This quiet, cultured, kindly man lives inDeepingdale, in a small, ornate, stonetower that he designed and erected(with magical aid) some thirty wintersago. Here he studies all he can of magic,and the history of its practice: themages of long ages past, with theirdeeds, feuds, thoughts, spells, achieve-ments, and writings. Rhauntides is atall, thin man of handsome features,piercing blue eyes and a small, pointedwhite beard. He seldom ventures out ofthe dale now, preferring to spend histime in the study of newly-acquiredwritings and in the training of his suc-cessor, his lady-love Shaunil Tharm.Rhauntides was once a far traveler, anadventurer who explored abandonedcities, old tombs, and ruins with almostfeverish haste and hunger, looking fornew spells, and he rose rapidly in mas-tery of the magic arts in the process.Now adventurers bring spell booksthey have found to him, for they knowhe will pay well for any books of magic.Rhauntides�s wealth (and its guarding)is unknown, but is is certainly consider-able, and he is known to possess manypowerful items of magic. The acquisi-tive are warned that he is also known tohave destroyed at least sixteen (andprobably far more) powerful magesand parties of adventurers who havecome to his tower to relieve him of suchburdensome belongings.

SEMEMMON (SEH-mem-on)Darkhold12th level magic userLE, Mystra AND BaneHuman male

This able member of the Zhentarim is aruthless, haughty mage. He has trainedmany evil magic users of the Zhentarimover the years, and has been slain sev-eral times. The Sememmon of today is aclone of the original. He is trusted byManshoon as fully as Manshoon evertrusts anyone, and alone is the secondrank of power in the Zhentarim net-work, in the inner ring of power withManshoon and Fzoul Chembryl, butsubordinate to both. Sememmon hasmany items of magic, and many safe-guards and strategies. He is alwaysplanning and plotting, and is a formida-ble foe. Under his command, Darkholdhas been made almost impregnable, fullof traps and magical defenses. Semem-mon leaves it only rarely, in disguise, tolearn something for himself (i.e. to spyon Manshoon�s doings) that he dare notor will not entrust to his underlings.Sememmon�s personal sigil is a blackequilateral triangle, point uppermost,with its base encircled by an oval.

SHAERL AMCATHRA(SHAY-earl Am-CATH-rah)

Lady of Shadowdale6th level thiefLN, MaskHuman female

A young lady of Cormyrean noble birthborn and bred in Suzail, and where,utterly bored, she turned to thieveryfor amusement. Her doings in Cormyrwere detected and observed by guards-captains of the city, who reported toLord Thomdor. Thomdor had a privatemeeting with Shaerl Lhairhavenn,without informing her noble parents,and offered something worthwhile andentertaining for her to do with her life:go to Shadowdale as an emissary of Cor-myr, and attempt to ally herself withMourngrym, Lord of the Dale; learn allshe could of him and of the dale, spreadsomething of Cormyr�s views and inter-ests in the area, and report back. The

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alternative was, of course, public dis-grace and imprisonment for her thiev-ery. Shaerl accepted, but came to loveMourngrym, and stayed with him. Shedied for him at the hands of devilsfought by Mourngrym and his compan-ions in the woods near Myth Drannor,was raised by Mourngrym�s funds, andmarried him. Shaerl lost one child ofher lord�s when she was killed; now shecarries another, the future heir of Sha-dowdale. Thomdor is well pleased withShaerl, and she is welcome in Cormyr.Her parents know little of her accom-plishments, but are glad that she is ofthe ruling class somewhere, and thatshe played some important part in theservice of Azoun; it enhances the familyname.

SHARANTYR (SHAR-ann-TEER)Wanders (the Dalelands)2nd level rangerCG, MielikkiHuman female

Born in Baldur�s Gate to merchant par-ents, Zunzyr Thalomm (textiles) and hiswife Nathla (embroidery, fine needle-work), Sharantyr traveled all over theNorth as a babe. One night her parentswere slain by trolls in an ambush northof Scornubel, and their caravan scat-tered. Sharantyr, barely two years ofage, fled unnoticed in the confusion,many miles northwards into the forest.There she collapsed, exhausted, andwas found and tended by the rangerThauntyr, a kind and noble man whotreated her as his own daughter as shegrew up with him in the wilds. Hetaught her woodlore and weapon-handling, and trained her as best hecould for twenty years, until he per-ished of a fever. Alone, Sharantyr wan-dered south and east to the Dalelands,to find her fortune, and stumbled onDrow raiders, who captured her andtook her far beneath the earth, whereshe was rescued by the Knights of MythDrannor. Impressed by her fightingability in destroying a beholder and lur-ing drow patrols to their doom, theKnights offered her a place in theirranks, where she is today, happy to

have found such stalwart companions.Sharantyr is a skilled rider and swim-mer, has above-average endurance, andfights with a long sword or two-handedsword for choice.

SHAUNIL THARM(SHAW-nil Tharm)

Deepingdale7th level magic-userCG, MystraHuman female

This beautiful, soft-spoken and gentlelady of Deepingdale was born to a car-penter and wood-carver and his wife,who were killed in a bandit raid whenShaunil was sixteen. Hysterical, Shaunilfled into the woods, and lived wild forsome months, before an elven patrolfound her, and brought her to Rhaun-tides of Deepingdale, who raised her,trained her in the magical arts, andtreated her as a lady of high birth(although he knew her parentage).They are now very much in love.Shaunil is devoted to the older man, andsecretly plans to acquire potions of lon-gevity at any cost and slip them into hisfood so that he does not die in a fewshort years and leave her alone. Shaunilhas a natural talent for magic, and agreat respect for i t s use , gainedthrough Rhauntides� teachings and herperusal of the lore of mages down thecenturies.

THE SIMBULRuler of AglarondAglarond (wanders widely, in dis-guise)27th level magic-userCN (Good tendencies), MystraHuman female

The Simbul is the ruler of Aglarond, a tall,silver-haired lady of awesome magicalpowers (and an impressive array of magi-cal items, which she rarely uses) whosepersonal power has kept the forces ofThay from overwhelming her kingdom.She is a mysterious, lonely archmagewhose proper name is known only to hersisters (Sylune of Shadowdale, nowdeceased; Alustriel of Silverymoon; thebard Storm Silverhand; and the ranger

Dove), and whose truename is secreteven from them. The Simbul travelswidely in many planes, shapeshifting con-stantly, to work mysterious ends under-standable only to herself. She bears somesort of magic that provides immunity tofear, charm, hold, suggestion, and similarmagics, such as Serten�s Spell Immunity.

STORM SILVERHANDShadowdale7th level bard (7th level fighter, 5thlevel thief)NG, MililHuman female

Long a resident of Shadowdale, StormSilverhand has used her home as a basefor long, far-traveling adventures forher own gain (particularly when shewas young, and acquiring the skills of athief) and to further the ends of theHarpers. Storm is sometimes referredto as �the harper of Shadowdale,� andhas hair of a silvery hue, and blue-greyeyes. She wears a silver ring and tiara,and a silver bracer on her right wristbearing her badge: a silver moon and asilver harp on a black field. Storm is sis-ter to the ranger Dove, to Alustriel ofSilverymoon, and to the now-deceasedwitch Sylune. Storm bears a luck blade+1 (one wish left), but is now largely

retired. Her longtime companion Max-an was recently destroyed by demons,and Storm has turned away from thebold and wild adventures she enjoyedwith him.

SUNDETH GOSSYL(SUN-deth GAW-sill)

(1339�1356)Citadel of the Raven9th level clericCG, TymoraHalf-elven female

A devout servant of the Goddess, Sun-deth dwelt in Sembia, and when oldenough to govern her own will, trav-eled north to serve Lady Luck in theMoonsea area, where she gained a rep-utation as a �fighting-priestess,� roam-ing the lands in search of adventure,healing those she encountered in need.Sundeth perished on the battlements of

the Citadel of the Raven, battling arogue wyvern that had attacked thecity, and thereby saved many lives.When the battlements were rebuilt, shewas entombed there, in �Sundeth�sTower.� Travelers in the Moonsea areasometimes speak of those giving aid tostrangers on the road as having �Sun-deth�s Spirit.�

SYLUNE (Sill-OO-nay)deceased; formerly of Shadowdalethe Witch of Shadowdale22nd level magic-userNG, MystraHuman female, born in the Year of theDancing Maiden (1202 DR).Killed in the year of the Worm (1356DR)

Sylune, Witch and Lady of Shadowdale,was slain by a huge ancient red dragonunder the influence of the Cult of theDragon. She slew the dragon as she her-self perished, breaking her staff of themagi for a retributive strike. Sylunewas once Lady of Shadowdale, the wifeof Aumry, Lord of the Dale. Upon thedeath of her husband, she foughtagainst a number of evil usurpers, over-came them, and then kept peace in thedale, working to achieve this withElminster, the bard Storm Silverhand,and Mane�s Band until a rightful Lord(Doust Sulwood) came again. Sylunewas a friend and ally to Doust and hiscompanions, and by their accounts wasgracious, gentle, polite, and strikinglybeautiful, with long silver hair. Shedressed in nondescript brown robes,and lived in a hut in the woods southand west of most homes in the dale,where she served all dalefolk as mid-wife, comforter, and physician. Sylunewas the elder sister of The Simbul ofAglarond, Alustriel of Silverymoon, andthe ranger Dove.

TEMMI DHARIMM(TEHM-ee DARR-imm)

Elven Woods5th level fighterNE, TempusHuman male

Temmi is a native of Tsurlagol, who has

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spent long and hard years as a bandit inthe Moonsea area, and during them some-how acquired a small band of trainedmonsters that work with him; three direwolves, two disenchanters, and sixbloodhawks. Temmi has quietly movedinto the Elven woods near Hillsfar, wherehe is operating as a slaver, selling his cap-tures to agents of Zhentil Keep, who takethem north in covered wagons. Temmi isvery discreet in his operations; capturedhumans and demi-humans are manacled,gagged, blindfolded, and then chained bythroat-collars to a coffle-bar, or long wood-en tree-trunk which a group of slavesmust carry.

THAGDAL (THAHG-dahJ)Wanders (Myth Drannor)9th level magic-userNE, BaneHuman male

Thagdal is a haughty, paunchy mage, anda former apprentice of Sememmon of theZhentarim. Thagdal is known to possess anecklace of missiles, with the aid of whichhe narrowly escaped death at the hands ofFlorin Falconhand of Shadowdale, in anattack upon that place. Thagdal is believedto be presently involved in an explorationof Myth Drannor, with many men-at-arms, that includes slaying all non-Zhentarim encountered in the woods.

THENTIAS (Then-TIE-ass)Suzail in SembiaMerchant (2nd level fighter)CN, TymoraHuman male

Well-known in Cormyr, Sembia, and theDalelands as a wealthy merchant of thehighest ethics and standards for the careof goods, Thentias is wealthy, and over theyears has been quietly buying up houseafter house in the streets of Suzail and ofYhaunn, trying to control large blocks (orfailing that, connected strips of bands) ofbuildings in strategic areas of the cities. Ifhe were crippled tomorrow and never ledanother caravan or made another over-land trade deal, Thentias could probablyretire in comfort for the rest of his days onhis takings as a landlord. Over the years,the patrician, white-bearded Thentias,

always courteous, and always tolerant ofthe different customs and etiquette of oth-ers, has built a large loyal group of mer-chants who prefer to trade with him overanyone else, and a group of extremely loy-al servants, who will simply not betrayhim short of magical or psionic compul-sion to the contrary. Thentias owns a largemansion in Suzail, for himself.

THURBRAND (THURR-brand)Arabel in Cormyr8th level FighterCN, TempusHuman male

A resident of Arabel, Thurbrand is a fight-er born and bred there, who has been aman of arms since he was old enough tolift a blade. In his teens he was known as�Thurbrand of the Stonelands� as he ledband after band of young layabouts intothe wilds. Few returned, each time, asThurbrand battled trolls, and orcs, andkobolds, and bandits, and worse. Once, hiscompany battled a dark naga, and onlyThurbrand escaped, of a company of six-teen well-armed fighters, and on anotheroccasion, fought that evil mage known asWhisper, from whom Thurbrand andthree companions escaped, having left themage slightly injured and seven of theircomrades dead. Thurbrand was stub-born, if aught else, and has ventured intothe Stonelands many times, eventuallyamassing quite a fortune, and becoming aseasoned and experienced warrior.Thurbrand keeps in training, and evenhires out to guard the occasional caravan,these days, but he is waiting for the Zhen-tarim�s power to be broken so that he canestablish his own stronghold in the wastes.It is said that he knows every valley andtomb of the Stonelands, including half-a-dozen abandoned subterranean cities andholds, but Thurbrand knows he cannotmatch the Zhentarim�s power in the Stone-lands at this time, so he waits.

THURLOCK (THURR-lock)Thurlock the AnagogueHillsfar10th level magic-userN, DeneirHuman female

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Thurlock makes her home in the noblesdistrict of Hillsfar, maintaining a largetownhouse with reportedly extensiveunderground vaults and passages. Shebills herself as a Diviner, willing (for a fee)to pierce mysteries and reveal the hidden.To aid her in this business she is constantlyon the look-out for magical items that aidin divination magic, and will often tradeinformation for such items. She is aided inher tasks by Thondar Glimmershield, ahalf-elven Cleric of Denier of 8th level. Thevaults beneath her mansion are rumoredto contain many great magics and scrollsladen with old legends and modern gossip,but are protected by all manner of fellmagical beasts, pitfall traps, and falsevaults.

TORMWanders (the Dalelands)6th level thiefCN, Mask and TymoraHuman male

Torm is a young, ruthless thief, born inWestgate of the dancer Nethra. His proba-ble father was Dathguild, one of the Lordsof Westgate. Netha was recently assassi-nated by Night Masks (mercenary killers)who have come seeking Torm�s life severaltimes. The Night Masks have probablybeen hired by a rival Lord, Orgule.Westgate is therefore too dangerous aplace for Torm to stay, but he has found adaring career as a procurer of illegal serv-ices and substances in Hillsfar and ZhentilKeep, staying a single jump ahead of theauthorities and often employing the alias�Rathgar.� Torm recently joined theKnights of Myth Drannor adventuringband, and became the lover of IllistylElventree. Torn values money and person-al style above all else. He is slim, with greeneyes, dark hair, and fine moustache, and isan accomplished swimmer, blind-fighter,rider, and is able in the use of ropes. Tormprefers to fight with long sword and dag-ger, but can also use a club.

VANGERDAHAST(VAN-jer-dah-hast)

Suzail15th level magic-userLN, Mystra

Human maleVangerdahast is the Royal Magician ofCormyr, Court Wizard of the PurpleDragon, head of Suzail�s Council ofMages. A middle-aged, paunchy, white-bearded man of kindly but stern mannerand lifelong loyalty to Azoun (one ofAzoun�s childhood tutors, in the historyand lineages of Cormyr, and in matters ofmagic), Vangerdahast aided the King inhis youth and supported Azoun�s rulethroughout his reign. Respected by hisfellow mages and the people of Cormyralike, Vangerdahast is quiet and unassum-ing, although during court ceremonies hecan be very dignified, solemn, andimpressive. Vangerdahast is known topossess many magical wands, and to haveequipped the King with magical rings (nodoubt some of the rings Vangerdahasthimself wears are magical, too).

WHISPER1331 - 1355formerly of Eveningstar2nd level magic-userCE, MystraHuman male

This ambitious, scheming mage was slainby Doust Sulwood and his companions inthe evoker�s subterranean home (�Whis-per�s Crypt�) beneath the Haunted Halls,an abandoned bandit hold just north ofEveningstar. The Zhentarim agent innorthern Cormyr, Whisper arrangedambushes and sent news of troop move-ments and trade to Darkhold. He hadplans to become far more than a minormage in the large network of the Zhen-tarim, and planned to head a secret societyof his own. At the time of his death he wasorganizing agents and strongholdsanswerable only to him in the area whenhis attacks on the potentially dangerousvisiting adventurers provoked them tohunt him down overcome his guardianenchantments and creatures, and destroyhim. Whisper held two of the Seven LostRings of Mhzentul (passed on by Doust�scompanions to temples in the area), wascruel and coldly calculating, and used thepersonal rune of a stylized, clutchinghuman hand, black and clawlike.

YOREL (YORE-el)Wanders in service of Zhentil Keep3rd level fighterNE, Tempus AND BaneHuman male

A burly, battered man of ruthless courageand a hearty, jovial (though false) manner,Yorel is a veteran warrior in the service ofZhentil Keep, who has served as a ser-geant of the garrison at Voonlar and atYulash several times for differing guards-captains and lords, as Zhentil Keep hastaken and re-taken those places over theyears. If Zhentil Keep�s war-leaders plan aguard-in-force for a valuable caravan, or araiding or reconnoitering patrol in thearea, and want a cautious veteran warriorrather than a reckless adventurer, Yorel iscalled upon to lead. He secretly dreams offounding his own hold, taking a wife andhaving many daughters and at least oneson to be proud of, and bear a coat-of-arms proudly as he founds a line of lordsto stretch down long years, and to beloved by his subjects, not feared. Yorel iswise enough (16 Wisdom) to know thatthis will probably never happen, althoughhe�s now on the lookout for a chance tomake off with a lot of money somewherefar away and a little warmer (such asTethyr, say, or the lands west of Vilhon),but he�s not yet bitter. Yorel is an expert inthe art of warfare with relatively smallbands of men, especially at reading an ene-my�s movements and correctly anticipat-ing future actions from them, and knowsthe Inner Sea�s northern terrain as fewmen alive do, as well as the druids andrangers active in the area, perhaps. Yorel ispresently captaining various patrols andspecial raids for Zhentil Keep in the south-ern Moonsea/northern Dalelands area.

ZANDESS DANTHIIR(ZAHN-des DAN-theer)

Wanders (Dragon Reach area)2nd level paladinLG, TyrHuman female

Born of noble parents in Tethyr, Zandessbroke with them and their feuding, deca-dent ways in her childhood, fleeing topriests of Tyr in Amn, who raised andtrained her to be �an arm of justice,� and

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sent her east to the �lawless� Inner Sealands, to work Tyr�s will and aid Tyr�spriests there. Zandess has arrived in theDragon Reach area only recently, and is alady of the highest zeal and principles,who travels alone, but for her warhorseand pack horses, and a spare mount, fullyarmored and equipped as befits her class.She uses the symbol of Tyr as her symbol,a balanced set of scales, resting on a war-hammer.

MerchantsAdditional Merchants may be found in

the Dragon Reach area, including thelands of Sembia, Cormyr, and the south-ern cities around Westgate. They are list-ed by name, city of origin, usual place ofwintering, and common business.

ARULF of BattledaleEssembra�The Swordmerchant��weapons of alltypes, fine forged steel

BLASKIN of ArabelEngineering firm: �Bridges Built, Barns

Raised, Fences &, Stockades Erected; WeBring Our Whole Crew To You�

FARENE of Westgate�Cosmetics, Make-up, and Disguises:

Scents Most Rare and Fine, CarefullySelected for you by a Lady of Taste andDistinction, Farene the Far-Traveled�

HARMEST LHELMAR of HillsfarHillsfarAnimal Trainer (40 gp/month retain-er, 3 gp/beast otherwise)

LARIS of HillsfarHillsfar�Arts, gems, magic, curiosities of allsorts bought, bartered and sold�

MAERIM STOUTBOLD of SuzailMarsember�Boats Bought , Sold, Outf i t ted,Rented, & Repaired�No Job Too Big,No Job Too Small�

PERAPHON of House Thond (in Arabel)Hillsfar�Gems Purchased� (for later resale onthe Sword Coast)

STONG of SarbreenSelgauntFine cloth, clothing & accessories,leather working

ULTRAM of PhlanSaerloonCattle, Horses, & Other Livestock

A MercenaryCompany: TheFlaming FistOne of the most powerful such companiescurrently active, the Flaming Fist is usuallybased in Baldur�s Gate, where its com-mander Eltan, is a Duke (See BALDUR�SGATE). The Fists have a good record ofachievements, particularly when operat-ing against other mercenary companies,such as the nonhuman bands.

The Flaming Fist is the most powerful,most magical, and most expensive fight-ing forces in the Realms, and is the resultof decades of work and effort, both intraining and in accumulating magicalitems for use on the battlefield. The Fistnormally hires out at a base rate of10,000 g.p. Per Day plus its share of theplunder, but will pay its own transporta-tion costs and agree not to begin chargingtheir rates until directly entering theemployer�s service.

The Fist consists of:1000 4th level fighters (AC4)chain mail and shield500 5th level fighters (AC3)banded and shield200 6th level fighters (AC2)plate and shield; 46 have rings ofspell turning of which 10 have +1weapons25 6th level thieves (AC7)leather and shield10 8th level assassins (AC7)leather and shield10 7th level monks (AC5)LN, worship Helm200 4th level clerics (AC3)plate mail, of Tempus, Tymora, andHelm(all carry extra curative spell scrolls)5 7th level magic-users (AC 2 bracersof defense, and all have rings of spell

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storing, replenished by Moruend(see below) between battles, andholding one haste, two dispel magic,one web, and two 6-die fireballs(each ring). All wear greenstoneamulets.20 4 to 6th level rangers (AC 8 =leather, serving as scouts)10 (SEE BELOW) Leaders and aides

All men in the Company are mounted onheavy horses, and each has a spare horse,tethered behind the first when on thetrail (total: 4,000 horses). In addition,there are 3,150 pack mules for the carry-ing of equipment and plunder, and 14 ofthe 6th level fighters ride as drovers tokeep them together, armed with whips(the mules are bridled in long lines, orfiles). The Company also has nine wag-ons, drawn by teams of eight draft horseseach (four spare horses are bridled to therear of each of the wagons). The wagonscarry food, and even more importantly,drink, medical supplies (including manycurative spell scrolls) and siege equip-ment. All wagons have roofs that are plat-forms with sidewalls for use by archers,and the wagon walls are armored andtrimmed with dragonhide to resist fire.One of the wagons is a council wagon,furnished with a table (which can doubleas an operating table), a hole in the floorfor a fire (which is built in a sand bucket),rugs, ets. It serves as a temple for the cler-ics of the Company when not otherwisein use. The device of the Company, flownon its banners and depicted on its tentsand wagons, is the Flaming Fist. In battle,warriors of the Company wear white tab-ards blazoned with this device.

ELTAN (EL-tan)Baldur�s Gate/Flaming Fist20th level fighter (179 hp)LN, TempusHuman male

The leader and founder of the FlamingFist, Eltan is a tactical genius who loves tofight. He is respected among the rulers ofthe Forgotten Realms because he is a manof principles and of his word, andbecause as a ruler himself, Eltan is seen asknowing and sympathizing with a ruler�sconcerns and troubles. Eltan sees a con-

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tinual balance of power amongst manysmall kingdoms to be a Good and ProperThing, and so hires out his company so asto prevent any large empire-forming. Heis friendly with the other mercenary gen-erals based nearby, but often battlesthem (never let emotions interfere withbusiness, he believes).

Eltan is a tall, handsome man with greyeyes and jet-black hair, who wears a green-stone amulet, plate mail +2, a displacercloak +2 (this plus his Dex makes him AC-3), and disdains to use a shield. Hisbreastplate is polished mirror-bright sothat his men can distinguish him easily onthe field, as well as for the splendid effect.He wears a ring of absorption (750 spelllevels left), a ring of anti-venom (absorbspoisons; 22 charges left), a girdle of stormgiant strength, and gauntlets of ogrepower: These latter two allow him to wieldhis most precious treasure, a rarely usedhammer of thunderbolts. He also carries asilver dagger +2 his boot, a silver longsword +2, and a neutral, telepathic shortsword +1 named �Roan,� his longtimefriend. Roan can detect magic, detect invis-ible, detect illusion, detect traps, and knowalignment once each per day, and will�automatic return� if it leaves him and heis conscious to so will it (maximum range9�), if necessary dragging anyone holdingit along with it (a combined strength totalof 30 will stop it). A bracelet on his leftwrist allows Eltan to communicate tele-pathically with Scar and Moruene.

Eltan is probably the most heavily load-ed of the magical characters in the Realms.Normal high level types, such as successfulPCs, shouldn�t be wandering around withquite so much stuff. Eltan has it becausehis mercenary company presents the �ulti-mate� in equipage, as a DM�s design exam-ple, and because Eltan is a careful andvery rich man who has tried to preparefor every eventuality such as powerfuladventurers trying to knock him off withease. Eltan is often the target of assassina-tion attempts, because his Company�s tar-gets believe that the Flaming Fist wouldfall apart without him.

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Baldur�s Gate, Flaming Fist14th level fighterLN, HelmHuman male

SCAR

Eltan�s right-hand man and faithful friend,Scar is a bald giant with a scarred cheek(hence his name) who swings a scimitar+2 and has a belt of six throwing axes. Hewears bracers of defense (AC2) and athroat gorget, leather breeches, otherwisedisdaining armor. Scar has a telepathicbracelet on his left wrist, allowing com-munication with Eltan and Moruene,which is clamped to a bronze wristlet thatalso supports a sheathed dagger. He, too, isa military genius, and at his belt carriestwo stainless steel vials; a potion of flyingand a potion of speed. Scar often makesmanic leaps or charges in battle to breakmasses of men defending in a strong posi-tion. He talks little, and never checksmorale. Scar wears a greenstone amulet.Scar�s real name is Hurbold Duethkatha(HER-bold Dooth-KATH-ah); a secret to allsave his surviving youthful acquaintancesin Waterdeep, Eltan, and Moruene.

Baldur�s Gate, Flaming Fist19th level magic-userLN, AzuthHuman female

MORUENE (More-yoo-EEN)

Moruene is Eltan�s lifelong friend, contin-ual comrade, and occasional lover. Shewears black robes (cut so that she canride and fight unhampered), a green-stone amulet, bracers of defense (AC 2), ahelm, a ring of flight (which allows thewearer to fly as in the magic user spell, asthough cast by 10th level magic user,thrice in any 24 hour/144 turn period oftime), two ivory scroll tubes at her beltcontaining one limited wish scroll andone teleport scroll, a dagger +2 at theback of her neck, on a throatband sheath,a rod of cancellation (only four chargesleft) at her belt, and a captured wand ofviscid globs of 14 charges. Moruene alsowears a bracelet which allows her tocommunicate telepathically with Eltanand Scar. One of her earrings is a 9-hit-dieFireball from a necklace of missiles, andthe other is a polymorphed black pud-

ding of 68 hp, which she will toss and fol-low with a dispel magic if in peril.

Moruene wears a belt of iron plates,into which is locked a portable hole,which contains her working set of spellbooks. The other set will be found inher friendly mimic 7 HD, 41 hp storagechest, along with her Pegasus steed.Moruene is currently looking for anapprentice. Also in her portable hole isa spare teleport scroll; she will use thisto escape (with Eltan and Scar, if possi-ble) if necessary, to a cave retreat,walled in, inside the Nether Mountains,a retreat which includes her treasures:40,212 gp; a spiritwrack scroll withDemogorgon�s true name, should heever appear; Eltan�s money (160,000 gp,in various currencies); a jug of alchemyand 2 week�s dry rations (for 2 people),a prismatic sphere scroll, a protectionfrom devils scroll, and a ring of spellstoring containing one cure blindness,one cure disease, one dispel magic, andtwo cure critical wounds clerical spells.

The senior officers of the Flaming Fistserve as section commanders in battle,bodyguards in negotiating situations, andif Eltan and Moruene stand together inbattle, often form a protective �hedgehog�or wedge around them (Scar prefers notto be guarded; it gets in his way). All aredevoted to Eltan and Moruene, and willfight to the death for them; all areequipped with field plate armor, green-stone amulets, rings of spell turning, onepotion of extra-healing each (in a stainlesssteel belt vial), and their preferred (andspecialized) weapon, usually a broad-sword. They habitually wear their visorsdown so as to better intimidate. These sev-en are:

Beluarion (LN, 10th Level Fighter)Kulurauk (CN, 9th Level Fighter)Bellan (LN, 9th Level Fighter)Nenon (NG, 9th Level Fighter)Koruelve (CN, 9th Level Fighter)Desedrak (LN, 10th Level Fighter)Yulimtul (LN, 9th Level Fighter)

Again, it must be stressed that this mer-cenary company is far more powerfulthan most; everyone else save a Horderaised by combining several mercenary

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companies is going to be less powerfulthan this, and carry a lot less magicalloot; all of the Fist�s senior officers listedabove are the equivalent of most of theother mercenary company leaders.

Recent News and Rumors in the RealmsT his section contains some of the gos-

sip that came to the ears of theinhabitants of the Northern Realms inpast two years; the Year of the Worm andthe Year of the Prince. These incompleteand sometimes slightly inaccurate snip-pets of news are given as they might havebeen gleaned by an attractive gossip inthe Dalelands, and in Waterdeep and theNorth, and are included here not as anysort of record or strict chronology ofevents, but rather to impart some of theflavor of the Realms, to give you the �feel�of the Realms as an active, living, andchanging world. The news events areroughly divided by the months in whichthey were �heard� and made well-known.Note that some items are updates of earli-er news, and that there are sometimesconsiderable delays between events andthe news of them �getting around.�

The DM may use this information intwo ways. First, it may be consideredbackground information for campaignsbeginning in the Year of Shadows (DR1358). This is the recent past which theplayer characters may know of. Alter-nately, the DM may choose to begin his orher campaign at the start of the Year ofthe Prince, and, as the characters movethrough the year, present the newrumors as opportunities for adventuring.Be warned that in the latter case, PCaction may negate future entries, and theplayer characters may add their ownnewsworthy notes to be carried by bardsand heralds across the realms. The DMmay take these entries as he or she seesfit, using them as a basis for organizingadventures of his own creation, either byextrapolating the events presented with-in, or slipping their own news in amongthe lists. News reports that will NOT everhave follow-up in the published Realmsmaterial are marked with a (*).

Year of the WormDale Reckoning 1356

Hammer (January)

l There is fierce fighting in theSword Coast lands just south of Water-deep. Dragonspear Castle has been

besieged and set afire by the troop ofWaterdeep, but devils are loose in theOpen Marches and there is no safe tra-vel thereabouts . T h e m e r c h a n t -kingdom of Amn is said to be massingarmies along its northern borders.

l A fighting-band from Tilver�s Gap,battling with orcs in the south of Dagger-dale, was pursued into the mountains,and there in a hidden valley found aruined fortress tower where they tookshelter. The orcs set watch on the tower,but did not enter. The band found goldand a magical, glowing sword in the ruin,but were chased out by a horrible eye-covered monster. Upon the band�s returnto Tilver�s Gap the sword bearer, a templeservant named Barach Hilthone, refusedto give the blade to the temple of Gond,proclaiming it his own booty. Severalmembers of the fighting-band have disap-peared in Tilverton since their return,and tensions in that town are said to haveincreased over the incident. (*)

Alturiak (February)

l The wizards of Zhentil Keep arerumored to have discovered or devisedstrange new magic, for in Lord Man-shoon�s court this winter have been dis-played effects and demonstrations of alike not seen before in the known Realms.Powerful illusions, the summoning andcontrol of elemental creatures such aswind walkers and xorn, and weird necro-mantic experiments are some of thethings that have been reported.

Ches (March)

l Selfaril, High Blade of Mulmaster, issaid to be seeking a wife: Tharchioness,First Princess of Thay. The young, bald-headed Tharchioness has sent a goldenearring soaked in her perfume toSelfaril, and he has sent her in return acloak of snow-white yeti fur. Havingthus exchanged gifts, they may now vis-it together with no gossip or scandal,instead of only through envoys, and yetpart honorably, if they do not wish mar-riage, according to Thayian custom.Selfaril wants Thay as an ally, and daresnot spite its ancient customs.(*)

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l To the south of old, vast Thay, thee v e n m o r e a n c i e n t k i n g d o m o fMulhorand has been jolted in the pastyear: the Statues That Walk have begunto move once more. Over a thousandstone statues of time-lost origin standall about this dusky-hilled country. Atodd but long separated intervals thesestone men animate and walk about,apparently towards specific (now-vanished?) destinations. They stop attimes and then move on again, fight anywho bar their way or attack them, andat times hew at rocks or clear pathwaysthrough cer ta in areas . This la t terbehavior is a frightening thing whenthese areas are many-towered cities, ortanglewood forests. The stone men aremute and apparently non-intelligent,and no one has yet found a way to con-trol them. Some have crossed throughthe border walls into Thay as well asinto Unther, a desert land that lies southand west of Mulhorand. Tholaunt,Divine Precept of Mulhorand (one ofthe �god-kings� of Mulhorand) says thecoming of the Statues to life is not hisdoing nor that of any of his family, asfar as he can tell, and adds that thepower of control the Status is notknown to his family. Some have whis-pered of s t r i fe within his family ,though, and say that the Statues may beunder the control of another.

l The Red Wizards of Thay have sentlegions of elementals against rebelliousneighboring satraps, and destroyedfour of them utterly, taking those landsunder Thay�s banner. It is thought thatsuch vast numbers of elementals couldnot be summoned by spell, but rather agate or portal was opened directly tothe plane of elemental fire.

l Marchayn of Archendale, thefeared �Mad Witch� of the ThunderPeaks, has been found in her citadel,mindless and drooling, amidst chaos.All about her tower lay the dead bodiesof the orcs (and worse) that served her,and much of her tower is now a fire-blackened shell. The herdsman whofound her reported to merchants ofArabel that Marchayn (who soon died

and whose body was burned by theherdsman) repeated endlessly, �Dove!Dove! Smashed the black star . . .Dove!� (*)

Tarsakh (April)

l Savage fighting continues in theOpen Marches about the blazing ruin ofDragonspear Castle. A sorcerous misthas arisen and cloaked the land for atenday now, but within it small com-panies of men and goblins and devilsstill clash. Caravan travel in the vicinityhas turned aside, south to Baldur�s Gate.Amn�s armies have gathered on itsnorthern border but have not yetmoved into a fray. It is rumored inWaterdeep that all of the master mageKhelben�s magic cannot dispel thestrange mist. The fearsome carcasses ofslain devils have been carried in tri-umph through the streets of the city.Some fear a way has been openedbetween the Nine Hells themselves andour world, as more or more reports ofdevils seen in greater numbers thanever before come to the city.

l With the spring thaws Cormyr hassent a small army east from High Horntowards Tilver�s Gap. It is known thatthe army is to use Tilver�s Gap as a basefor fighting the increasingly numerousgoblins and orcs who have overrunDaggerdale and now threaten Tilver�sGap, Mistledale, and Shadowdale. It isnot known whether the army comes atthe initiative of Azoun IV, or whetherTilver�s Gap has sought aid by diplo-matic means, by an offer of gold fromthe rich temple of Gond located there,or if Tilver�s Gap is being annexed byCormyr voluntarily or against its will.

l Shadowdale has repulsed an attackfrom Zhentil Keep. A tiny army ofadventurers, villagers, and elves inflict-ed very heavy losses on an attackingarmy that outnumbered them by morethan four to one. It is rumored that aninsect plague raged over the battlefield,and it is known that woods near thedale were set afire. No formal declara-tion of war or comment on the battlehas been made by either side in the con-

flict. Shadowdale�s new Lord, DoustSulwood, who came from the west(some say Cormyr, others Waterdeep oreven Moonshae Isles) last year with thePendant of Ashaba to claim the highseat, is as yet largely a mystery. Most ofthe dales and clergy have dispatchedenvoys to him.

l The adventurers� band led by thefighter Mane, formerly resident in Sha-dowdale, have disappeared in thesouth. There is talk of their defeat anddeath in the Yuirwood, but others saythey have fallen in battle with the RedWizards in Thay, or even that Mane hasbecome chieftain and war leaders ofthe nomads of the Shaar. Nothing is cer-tain, however; all is speculation.

l The city of Melvaunt is the scene ofunprecedented shipbuilding activity.Over sixty vessels of all sizes are beingconstructed along the shoreline, havingspilled both east and west out of theworkshops for lack of space. It is notknown who is paying for the vessels orfor what purposes they are intended,but observers say at least four of thelarge vessels have ram-spire hulls.

l A new merchant alliance callingitself the Iron Throne has sent letters tothe rulers of Cormyr, Sembia, and stra-tegic cities such as Hillsfar, announcingits formation and its intent to controloverland trade in all weapons andequipment used in transport and com-merce within its area of operations,bowing to no monarch, but not intend-ed to wage war or become unto a mon-arch itself. No reply has come from therecipients of said missives, but it isthought they are not pleased.

Mirtul (May)

l The Simbul, the infamousdweomercrafter who rules Aglarond,appears to have left her court shape-changed (possibly as a cat or falcon) andvanished. Upon her high seat she left asigned letter directing her Council to gov-ern Aglarond wisely, and dispose of sev-eral specific matters (no details areknown) thus and so. It is thought she may

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have headed north to speak with theelves (with whom she has an uneasy alli-ance), and/or to observe events in thestrategic Dalelands, where there arerumors of war both between ZhentilKeep and the northern dales andbetween Scardale and its neighbors, aswell as the sudden announcement of theformation of the mysterious Iron Throne.The Simbul is known for her unpredicta-ble behavior and mastery of magic, andthe tale most often told of her is herunaided destruction of The Red Swordmercenary company at Mistbridge.

l Drow have been seen in the hillsaround Kulta and Daerlun, in Sembia,and again in the High Dale. The HighConstable�s patrols out of High Dalereport a confused night encounter onthe slopes of Hooknose Crag. A Sem-bian merchant reports that a band ofmonkey-faced, black-haired creatureswith glossy mail armor and glowingswords fell upon a caravan he was partof on the East Way, just east of ThunderGap, and �like swarming cats� slew allwho offered resistance, in less than aminute�s fighting. (*)

l Huge balls of fire, four or five innumber, appeared in the sky above theTowers of the Blade in Mulmaster onenight a tenday ago. There was a battleinvolving magic within, and rumor hasit the Simbul, ruler of Aglarond and amage of great power, was involved. TheSimbul disappeared from her own kingdom a short time ago.

l The Iron Throne has announcedthat it will not oppose the sale andtransport of weapons and other goodsintended for use against the goblinsraiding out of the Desertsedge. Itwarns, however, that use of such weap-onry within the dalelands will result insanctions against the aggressor(s). Themerchant Thond of Wyvernwater hasmade himself known as a spokesmanfor the group. Thond is a middle-aged,respectable dealer in wood and the boatbuilding trade, and is said to have magi-cal powers. He owns large reaches ofthe woods around Wyvernwater. The

rulers of Shadowdale, Mistledale, andTilver�s Gap have all publicly refused tosupport the Iron Throne alliance.

l The armies of Amn have turnedback wandering devils at their borders,and have pursued them north, charg-ing into the fray. Devils of all sortsappear to be growing even morenumerous in the disputed field. Reportsfrom Waterdeep indicate that the Woodof the Moon Elves is a blazing ruin. It isnot known if the elves are fled, all slain,or fighting on. The mist over the regionstill holds. Overland travel north ofAmn�s borders has almost ceased;Baldur�s Gate is virtually under seige,and bands of orcs, trolls, bugbears andhobgoblins, accompanied by devils andpowerful mages, have been reported inthe Troll Moors. The village of Triboar,north of Waterdeep, was ransackedalmost a month previous, and the popu-lation of such small northern towns hasfled north to Mirabar, Silverymoon, andcoastal ports.

Kythorn (June)

l Prices of all luxury items in Water-deep have risen rapidly with the war,and shortages are beginning to affect allof the cities of the North. The �wild har-vests� of hay and brushwood customar-ily brought in to Waterdeep from theHigh Moors are of course destroyed,and are missing. The wild grains grownin the open close by Triboar are alsogone, and much food that is usuallyavailable is reserved for the armies inthe field. Shiploads of mercenariesfrom the south and east are arriving inWaterdeep daily, headed for the mist-shrouded field. Caravans are tendingsouth through Calimshan, avoidingAmn and the lands west of Cormyr.

l Rumors have been heard of abloody skirmish around the fortress ofHigh Horn, in which orcs and hobgob-lins out of the mountains and the Stone-lands were beaten off by a large forceof horse-archers and lancers, Cormyrregulars who issued forth to protect acaravan. Seventy-six men died, and ahundred and twelve orcs were slain.Tessaril Winter, Lord of Eveningstar,

has called on Azoun IV for reinforce-ments to keep the village and roadsnearby safe from orcs and trolls raidingout of the Stonelands.

l A small army of Cormyr now holdsTilver�s Gap, having slaughtered �manythousands� of orcs. Tilverton has beenrel ieved, but i t s government le f tuntouched. Merchants leaving the now-safe town after over a month of virtualsiege report that Cormyr has offered toannex Tilverton, but not demanded orenforced a takeover, and that the HighPriest Gharri of Ghond, Elder of thetown, has not yet decided to accept orreject the offer.

l The temple of Bane in Voonlar wassacked and burned by a small forcefrom Shadowdale, led by the Lord ofShadowdale and his adventuring com-panions. No fighting or pillagingoccurred in Voonlar itself. The attackwas specifically on the temple, andenvoys of Shadowdale have since apolo-gized to priests of the nearby temple ofChauntea (and, through them, to �thegood people of Voonlar�) for any upsetand inconvenience. The troops fromShadowdale engaged in magical combatwith the priests of Bane, and althoughsome of the most powerful clerics aresaid to have escaped to Zhentil Keep bymeans of magic, others are known tohave perished, and the men of Shadow-dale seized much gold, and took almost500 prisoners (minor priests, adher-ents, lay worshippers, and guards ofthe temple). Far more people than thefolk of Voonlar ever suspected were inthe temple complex. The Lord DoustSulwood says that the attack is in retali-ation for a recent attack on Shadowdaleby Lyran of Melvaunt, who led troopsof Zhentil Keep supported by priests ofBane.

l Dragons have attacked dales andcities in the Moonsea and Dalelands asthey once did of old, leaving much ruinand devastation. Many dragons flewsouth and west f rom the g lac iersbeyond Thar, landing at many of the cit-

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ies of men in fearless daylight attacks.Phlan is now a smoking ruin, home too n e G r e a t W o r m . M e l v a u n t w a sattacked by a smaller drake that �tum-bled the towers� of the walls, and nowholds sway over much of the city. Onedragon flew to the Citadel of the Raven;no word has come back of subsequentevents there. In the wreckage of thecity streets of Zhentil Keep a monstrousworm is presently embattled by thearmies and arts of Lords Manshoon andChess, while fires rage unchecked.Yulash is completely ruined, reduced totumbled stone, scarred and lifeless by adragon that later came to Shadowdale.A great fire in the elven woods wasdoused by the elves after they slew adragon landing there, with heavy loss-es. The awesome body of the largestWorm of all lies half-submerged in thewaters of the harbor at Hillsfar, whereit fell, slain by the mages of the city. InShadowdale, the witch Sylune perishedin combat with the dragon, and it is saidshe broke a magic staff to destroy thegreat worm. At least three dragons areknown to have survived the attack. Thereasons for this flight of dragons is amystery, and cannot with certainty yetbe deemed the work of some �DragonCult,� the secretive cult that holds thatundead dragons should and will rulethe world.

l A corpse washed up on the beachjust west of Hillsfar has been pro-nounced by the eminent sage Auvi-darus to be definitely that of one of thelegendary githyanki, a race said to visitthe Realms only seldom, from anotherplane.(*)

l Raithspur, Captain of the Guard ofOrdulin, has issued a decree banningelvenkind, including golden and moonelves, and the half-elven, from Sembiansoil. No formal reason has been givenfor the ban, but it is said that the Coun-cillors of Ordulin fear elves of othersorts are aiding and concealing a Drowinvasion of Sembia�s remoter areas.

l Hlethl of Battledale and merchantsof Essembra have separately reported

that they have encountered no elves inrecent days. Upon investigation, thenearby elven woods seem deserted.Nothing more is yet known.

Flamerule (July)

l Forces of Scardale have attackedMistledale, and been rebuffed by thedale militia, aided and led by troops ofShadowdale. Scardale briefly took theeastern half of the dale, but could notpass the ford, and was thrown backafter two days of heavy fighting by thearrival of two hundred mounted spear-men of Cormyr. Lashan of Scardale hasproclaimed himself King of the Dales,and his armies have been reinforced inEssembra: six thousand hopefuls fromImpiltur and the Vilhon Reach havejoined Lashan�s forces, arriving on thedozen ships now owned by Scardale,seeking lands and wealth in the newkingdom of the Dales in return for mili-tary service. Lashan has announcedplans to occupy the Lost Vale, and settlemany of his new citizens in the newly-conquered southern dales (Battledale,Featherdale, and vicinity). Doubtlessthis last move is to strengthen his fledg-ling kingdom against possible attacksfrom Sembia to the south.

l Fey magic has destroyed a force oftwo hundred troops of Scardale whowere exploring the fabled ruins of MythDrannor. A later patrol found no traces ofa struggle, or any signs of monsters, butonly their horses and camp-gear. None ofthe surrounding settlements report see-ing any strangers; the missing warriorsappear to have vanished without trace,not deserted.

l Scardale has sent an army alongthe Halfaxe Trail, attacking Mistledaleagain (where they were driven off bythe Cormyrean garrison), and sentexploratory patrols westward toDeepingdale and Lake Sember. War-riors from all of the conquered dales,led by the Battledale Seven (an adven-turing company) and some adventurersof Mane�s Band, have gathered inHighmoon to halt Scardale�s advance.These anti-Scardale forces are being

aided with money, provisions, andweaponry by Sembia.

l Gharri, the high priest of Gond inTilverton, has announced the formalannexation by Cormyr of Tilver�s Gap.Gharri will remain at the temple as �LordRegent of Tilverton,� and Cormyr willmaintain a standing garrison in the town.

Eleasias (August)

l Alusair Nacacia, youngest daugh-ter of Azoun IV, king of Cormyr, has runaway, vanishing from the royal palacein Suzail in early spring. Her reasonsand destination are unknown, but sheis said to have been recognized inTilverton, and that the army sent therewas intended primarily to bring abouther safe return, rather than to aidTilverton�s besieged inhabitants.

l Forces of Scardale have taken thefields of Battledale, and now hold Har-rowdale, Featherdale and much of Bat-tledale. The trade-road from Sembia tothe Standing Stone has not yet beenblocked, and Essembra is still nominallyindependent. Travelers on the roadincluding caravans out of Hillsfar, Zhen-til Keep, Cormyr, and Sembia, havebeen stopped and searched by thelargely mercenary forces of LordLashan. Public statements have beenmade by the ruler of Zhentil Keep,Archendale, and Sembia that if the roadis blocked, and the taking of Essembra,Archendale warns, is synonymous withblocking the road, Scardale will finditself, economically and eventually onthe battlefields, at war with all three.l The Citadel of the Raven has been

revealed to have been largely destroyedin the attack by three dragons and isnow being rebuilt by Zhentil Keep�swork parties. The great armory of theCitadel contained many great siegeengines, and with those two of thedrakes were ultimately slain (one of theyounger dragons escaped, flying westtowards the Border Forest). The Citadelwas largely gutted in the battle, andover nine thousand warriors perished.It is feared that if the defenses at theCitadel are not very strong by winter,

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the ogres of Thar will come south fromthe glaciers to attack the cities on thenorth coast of the Moonsea.l Almontier, a mage of the High Dale,

has announced the formation of theCompany of the Hippogriff. The adven-turing company will operate in theInner Sea Lands on a mercenary basis,out of a fortified keep in Thunder Gapthat was once a �waystop� strongholdof the merchant lords of Amn. (*)

l Scardale sent an emissary to Sha-dowdale, offering an alliance. The offerwas refused, and Lord Lashan hasannounced that his forces are now atwar with Shadowdale. Any persons orproperty of the dale that fall into theirhands will be treated accordingly.

Eleint (September)

l The northern city of Melvaunt isstill largely in ruins, but its elders areconcentrating on rebuilding its docksand navy. Seven large ships have beenkeeled already, and shipyard talk has itthat a dozen more will be laid downbefore winter.

l Lord Manshoon of Zhentil Keep hasordered a proclamation read in Sembia,Scardale, Cormyr, and Archendale. Theproclamation sums up the combined mili-tary power of the devastated cities on thenorth coast of the Moonsea, and informsthe world (and in particular the rulersand adventurers of the places in which itwas read) that any attack upon any of thecities will be considered an act of warand will be crushed by the massed mightthat Lord Manshoon now commands.Manshoon�s host will then carry the bat-tle back to the attacking country and con-quer it in the name of the northcoastcities. It is known that some attempt wasmade to arrest the crier of this message inScardale. The crier disappeared into thinair, after hurling a meteor swarm at hisattackers with deadly effect.

Marpenoth (October)

l A group of adventurers known asthe Company of the Dragon is travelingsouth from Hillsfar, bent on meetingwith the Elven High Court. All elves

have disappeared from Hillsfar, includ-ing members of the city�s ruling Coun-cil. Reports from Sembia to the northcoast of the Moonsea indicate thatmany elves everywhere have vanished.It is said in Hillsfar that the Company ofthe Dragon is hurrying to be the firstexplorers of the fabled ruins of MythDrannor, that splendid city of time-shrouded legend once regarded as thecenter of all culture, including music,magic, and the arts of invention, in theknown world.

l The forces of �King� Lashan ofScardale have been destroyed in a swiftseries of battles with forces from Cor-myr, Sembia, the united Dales, and theMoonsea cities (including Zhentil Keep).The capital of Scardale has fallen andLashan himself has disappeared. Thearea has been placed under joint occu-pancy by the combined forces until astable government in formed (no lessthan a year from now at best).

Uktar (November)l In the Hall of Sparkling Stones in

Mirabar, the elders of the city sit inCouncil, planning where and when tosell their metal, mindful of who is weakand who is strong, and who will use thetrade-metal to make swords to wagewar on whom. As it does each winter,Mirabar has closed its gates and turnedinwards, to the mountains, whereteams of miners dig throughout thecold months. Much silver has beenfound, it is said, and Mirabar is seekingsheep-breeders to establish for it hugeflocks of the animals to provide winterfood and wool. (*)

Hammer (January)

l In a letter from Luvon Greencloakto the rulers of the Dalelands (includingLord Doust of Shadowdale), the ElvenCourt have announced their retreatfrom their native woods to �a furtherland from Man� (presumably Ever-meet). The great majority of the elveshave departed, though certain individ-uals remain (including those with closeties with humans or elvish adventur-ers). Luvon notes that elves who wish tofollow the Elven Court should contact

him as soon as possible, and goes on tothank the Dalesmen for their good rela-tionships in the days �since I have seenthe planting of the Standing Stone.� Oth-er nations and city-states, The MoonseaCities, Sembia, and Cormyr, havereceived no such messages. Dispositionof the Elven territories and Myth Dran-nor were not mentioned in the letter.

Nightal (December)

l Barroch�s Hold has been found.The fabled citadel of the first great ban-dit lord of the Inner Sea lies south andeast of the cities of the Moonsea, in theGlacier of the White Worm. The adven-turers who found it encountered anumber of strange creatures and werescat tered or s la in . Two survivorsreached Orm to tell the tale: Feenochthe Five-Fingered, a rogue of some infa-my, and Yostur Ulhmond, a young fight-er from the villages of the Snow Peoplein Thar, blond-haired and strong as anox. The two evaded queries about trea-sure, but there is talk in Hillsfar thatthey have been trying to gather togeth-er a large adventuring band withsledges. (*)

Year of the PrinceDale Reckoning 1357

l Liantha, priestess of Tymora inSilverymoon, has set off east with asmall band of adventurers, seeking ar o u t e a c r o s s t h e G r e a t D e s e r t ,Anauroch, to Cormyr and the Dales. (*)

l A dragon is believed to be nestingin the mountains near Archendale.Whole herds of cattle have vanishedfrom secure fields at night, and manysmall fires have been seen in the remoteforests of the mountains slopes. (*)

Alturiak (February)l A man known as Haljack is hiring

fighting-men in Scornubel for 7 gp permonth plus board and outfitting. He issaid to have a shrewd eye for trainedand experienced fighters and has turn-ed many knaves away. He has accepted

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at least sixteen well-known merce-naries (most estimate he has hiredupwards of three score men thus far, alltold), and these have vanished fromsight.(*)

l Mellomir, sage of Arabel, claims tohave discoverd a great treasure in an old,abandoned dwarf-hold north of the vil-lage of Eveningstar. The treasure isancient and magical in nature, Mellomirattests (he has refused to say what pre-cisely it is), and helps to explain twothings: why the �Haunted Halls� havebeen the center of so much activity overthe years (many strange creatures and small bands of armed outlanders of allbreeds have been seen entering, oremerging from, its tunnels) and how thedwarves, once so numerous in theselands, disappeared so quickly and trace-lessly in only a few winters. A small troopof guardsmen from High Horn arrived inArabel after Mellomir�s announcement,and the sage has not been seen since. Heis thought to have been taken to HighHorn for questioning, but no word hascome to confirm this.(*)

l A retired merchant who keeps af e r r y a t T h u n d e r s t o n e o n t h eWyvernwater reports that a corpsefound in the thawing ice of the harboris probably only a few months old, andis unmistakably that of a Drow. It diedof a slit throat, and was clad in armor ofblack leather. The High Constable of theHigh Dale has doubled the strength ofhis armed patrols indefinitely. (*)

l The coastal cities of Cormyr andSembia report ice thin enough to breakand clear harbors, and expect strong-hulled ships to begin sailing in a ride(ten-day week), or perhaps less time,but the Dragon Reach is still frozen insolid, and the merchants of Scardaleand Harrowdale are preparing cara-vans for the first trade of the new sea-son.

Ches (March)l Three ships that have sailed the

Inner Sea in the past week have failedto make port again; the ice, the pirates,

or something else is very bad this year.The ships were:

The Ratclaw, an independent caravelout of Selgaunt captained by StrauphOmerehellin, carrying dates, nutsand olive oil from the cities of thesouth to the cities about the Moonsea.The Ratclaw left Selgaunt fourteendays ago, and was due in Hillsfar sixdays ago.

The Umbolden, a full-rigged cog thatleft Telpir with a cargo of dried fishand cheese twelve days ago. It alsowas bound for the Moonsea, to dockat Melvaunt two days ago, but it wasto call in at Scardale or one of the cit-ies south of Scardale on the coast ofthe Dragon Reach, and did not. Noword has yet come from it.

The Bloody Umber, a �sailrig� (largewooden raft fitted with a trisail andsweeps), a coaster working its way upfrom the Neck to Harrowdale andback with pottery, fine clothing, iron-ware and rugs, live swine and poul-t ry , axeheads and twenty scorecrossbows bolts for the army of Scar-dale.

All three ships have vanished without atrace. They are among the first vesselsto venture out of harbor this season.Such a large number of boats lost with-out a trace in the first two tendays ofsailing is very alarming.

l The Leader of the Red Cloaks ofAsbravn has reported by carr ier -pigeon to Peirgieron of Waterdeep thata horrible monster �with many heads,all like snakes� has slaughtered theinhabitants of two farms to the north ofthe town, and no one in the villageseems able to face and slay it. Its lair,and the sites of possible future depre-dations, are unknown. The Red Cloaksare seeking aid in dispatching this crea-ture. (*)

l In Secomber, east of Waterdeep, aWaterdeep patrol reports the inhabit-ants have found the corpses of sixillithids (mind-flayers) and thirteenDrow, washed down the Unicorn Run

from the woods upstream. All wereslain by fire and sword. The purposethat brought these creatures to thewoods, and the identities of their slay-ers, are unknown. (*)

l All is quiet around DragonspearCastle. The armies encamped therereport that no devils or other foes havebeen seen since The Feast of the Moon(previous Uktar). But at least one cara-van from Calimshan, heading north-wards from the borders of Amn at thebeginning of Ches, has vanished with-out a trace in the lands between Amnand the Way Inn, where Waterdeep�sforces have a guard on the road.Knights of the Waterdeep Watch arereadying griffons for aerial patrolsalong the caravan-ways as soon asspring comes. Young griffons andintact, warm griffon eggs are sought,and Piergeiron will pay top prices forany brought to him in Waterdeep.

l Rumors are rampant in the Norththat there is a new Beast Lord. Thisterm, drawn from the folklore of thenorthern lands, is applied to evil menwho by magic, artifice, and the serviceof others seek to unleash horrific bes-tial servants upon the world, breedingrare creatures like the bulette, gorgi-mera, owlbear, peryton, and evenbeholders, and raising armies of bestialundead. Such monsters have suddenlybecome far more numerous in the for-ests and wastes northeast, east, andsoutheast of Waterdeep, and misfitssuch as mongrelmen and leucrottaseem to have gathered into organizedbands or groups, co-operating for thegood of all. Some whisper that the BeastLord is a powerful evil mage, othersthat he is a mind flayer or worse.

l Gauntlgrym, a �Lost City,� built int h e n o r t h e r n m o u n t a i n s b y t h edwarves centuries ago for a warrior-king and his followers, has been locatedby someone in Waterdeep. A large (thir-ty or so strong) party of mercenaries,called the Company of the Gryphon hadbeen organized to explore it for him.Only three of that company have

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returned to the city, these three havingfled shortly after the party located thec r u m b l i n g e n t r a n c e t o t h i s l o s tmountain-hold, in a high hidden valley.Several adventurers in Waterdeep aretrying to find out the whereabouts ofthis city of Gauntlgrym, said to holdriches and magic, but if they have evenfound survivors of the ill-fated band orthe one who sent them forth, no oneelse yet knows of it in Waterdeep.(*)

l Orcs are reported to be on themove in large bands near Baldur�s Gateand along the northern borders ofAmn, and even remote villages havereported the passage of secretive,stealthy orc patrols, who avoid menrather than slaughter them, and makeno raids on livestock or stored crops.Some believe that these are forces fromDragonspear Castle sneaking away ereWaterdeep�s forces attack again in thespring, but others fear the orcs� unusu-al behavior denotes something worse,such as the gathering of many orc-bands into a Horde, for instance, some-thing not seen for nearly two hundredyears in the North, or perhaps somenew plot of the mysterious wizards forthe Inner Lands who command manyof the orcs in the area, or their allies thedrow and perhaps the illithids. Otherssay the orc King Graul is gathering allloyal to him to drive men out of theNorth, now that the elves have left, andestablish great orc kingdom.

Tarsakh (April)l The fabled Tome of the Unicorn,

the long-lost grimoire of Shoon, Mage-King of vanished Iltkazar (who is saidby some to survive today as a lich), hasbeen reported found by a merchantcaptain, Roald of Baldur�s Gate . . . orlost, rather. It seems the ruling house ofRuathyn has held the Tome in the GreenRooms, their great library in the palace,for hundreds of years, and when Roalddocked there, all was in uproar: some-one had stolen the grimoire, and thesecrets that none outside of the royalhouse of Ruathyn had seen for a greatwhile were out. Roald could get no hint

of who is suspected of the theft, or anydetails of it, but he and his crew andship were most thoroughly searched byboth magical and physical means. Somehe talked to on the island did believethat in the Tome of the Unicorn are themeans to create a permanent gatebetween the planes of existence, themeans to create golem armies, andmany spells found nowhere else. Roaldreported his news to an open meetingof merchants in Baldur�s Gate, warningall to beware a sudden rise in power,anywhere in the Realms, in the nearfuture.

l The famous explorer DabronSashenstar has returned in triumph toBaldur�s Gate, having mapped a routeacross the great glaciers of the north tothe near-legendary country of theSossrim (Sossal). Irlentree of the Mer-chant�s league will mount an expeditioncarrying the maroon trading bannersof his house when spring has settled in,and Sashenstar says that he will over-see the bui lding of waytowers inDamara. The Merchant�s League, nowover twenty years old, has long plannedto build a series of waytowers, but warsand the growth of may small kingdomshas made this largely unnecessary, andin some places impossible. The leaguehas not yet reacted to the news that anew, rival merchants� alliance, the IronThrone, has been formed, but the lat-ter�s apparent area of operation sug-gests that conflict between the twoorganizations is almost certain. (*)

l A Ruathyn war vessel searchingfor the stolen Tome of the Unicorn hasdestroyed a merchant caravel ofLuskan. The caravel Telgontan Hornwas boarded two days� sail south andeast of Luskan, searched, and then setafire. The crew sailed the blazing hulklandwards until they could no longercontrol its course, and then took toboats. The Horn was seen to burn to thewaterline and sink. The boats were lat-er picked up by a cog out of Neverwin-ter. Two of the High Captains of Luskanhave put to sea with six large rakers(low warships), and it is rumored that

they are bound for Ruathyn. It is cer-tain that a Ruathyn vessel in the harborat Waterdeep was seized by Luskanforces who entered the c i ty andreached the quays by means of stealthand disguise. This craft was sailed outof the harbor but was not found whenpursued an hour or so later, and isbelieved to have been scuttled in coastalwaters.

l Strange creatures have beenreported in the Yuirwood south ofAglarond, and a r e t h o u g h t t o b espreading. Throughout the fall trollsseemed to be growing more numerous,and then owlbears were reported. Asthe weather grew colder, a bulette wasseen, and it was rapidly followed byother nameless or unique creatures,things which seem to be expanding out-ward from the depths of the wood. Theadventurer Sparleye was last seen inthis area with his adventuring compa-ny the Men of the Purple Arrow. Oth-ers who have gone into the woods havenot returned, and traders are avoidingthe area.

Mirtul (May)l No news has come to light regard-

ing the ships missing on the Inner Sea.No wreckage has been found. It isrumored that Selgaunt will soon send afleet to search the Pirate Isles.

l Archendale is building a large,armed, mounted force; its officers havebeen recruiting in Waterdeep and theVilhon Reach, and fears are growing inthe southern dales that Archendalemay be planning conquests of its own.Sembia has tripled the guards on all car-avans leaving its borders.

l A fierce naval battle has beenfought on the Moonsea. Zhentil Keepnow rules its waters, having defeatedand destroyed all warships of the rebel-lious cities of Melvaunt and Mulmaster.Hostilities between Zhentil Keep and itsformer allies show no sign of ending.

l Lashan, recently Lord of Scardaleand briefly of an empire that includedmost of the Dalelands, has been seen in

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Tilverton and Arabel, and is believed tobe gathering followers for another tryat an empire, possibly striking at Dag-gerdale, Voonlar, or Yulash.

l A temple to Gond has been openedin Essembra; the High Priest, Lord HighSmith and Artificer, one GulmarinReldacap, is introducing many newdevices for sale, and much gold is nowflowing into Battledale.(*)

l Gharri, Patriarch of Gond has van-ished from Tilver�s Gap. The Cormy-rean garrison is looking for him.

Kythorn (June)l While Calimshan has long domi-

nated sea trade in the South, this vastand decadent realm has never boasteda navy. Recently, however relentlesspiracy and escalating wars betweenrival merchant houses have driven thesatraps to lay down a fleet. Reports saythat huge floating cities are planned,laden with many catapults and fire-hurlers, and the satrapies are sendingspies to invest igate many coasta lrealms, particularly the harbors. Calim-shan has been training archers in close-quarters naval work for some timenow. Both Amn and Baldur�s Gate aretaking on mercenaries in this past trioof �rides� and for the foreseeablefuture.(*)

l Armies of �walking dead� are saidto be advancing steadily northwardsfrom Thay, led by armored skeletalwarriors of great power and fell aspect.Impiltur fears that Thay will over-whelm all of the Eastern lands, andthen turn west to crush the coastal cit-ies, Impiltur; and Aglarond.

l A band of adventurers, a dozenstrong, has arrived in Tilverton, appar-ently with the permission of Cormyr.The adventurers are human, of bothsexes and include some workers ofmagic, but no known priests are amongthem. No one has ever seen thembefore or learned their present inten-tions, and they are called only TheHunt.

l Luskan has attacked Ruathyn�sharbor. Fourteen Ruathyn vessels wererammed or burned in a fierce engage-ment about the island, for the loss ofone Luskan raker. Ruathyn�s navalp o w e r h a s b e e n a l m o s t t o t a l l ydestroyed. A bare, half-dozen Ruathynships survive in ports all along theSword Coast. Ulphron, First Axe ofRuathyn, is said to be missing. The twoHigh Captains commanding the attackt o o k t h e i r m e n a s h o r e a f t e r t h edestruction of the Ruathyn navy, andpresently wage war on the island. Nonews of events has since come out ofRuathyn, but it is expected that Luskanwill conquer the island.

Flamerule (July)l The Fair Venture, a caravel out of

Sembia, has gone missing in the vicinityof the Pirate Isles. Her owner, the mer-chant Golthond of Thesk, is talking ofhiring mercenary companies to stormthe isles and clear them of outlaws.

l Many reports and rumors arespreading in Cormyr and Sembia con-cerning some sort of internal, all outmerchant�s or nobles� war that haserupted in Westgate. Nothing definite isknown, beyond residents� reports ofarmed skirmishes in the streets atnight, and many bloodstains on the cob-bles, and floating corpses in the harbor,by day.

l Cormyr has sent envoys to Sha-dowdale, Mistledale, the High Dale, andDeepingdale; to (in the words of KingAzoun IV) �strengthen the ties offriendship, good open-handed trade,and common defense that we all share.�Sembia and Archendale are said not tobe amused by this latest political manip-ulation.

l A caravan out of Zhentil Keep wasapparently destroyed in the ruinedtown of Teshwave by allies and war-riors of Cormyr. Cormyr and ZhentilKeep have already clashed over thetroubled land around Daggerdale.(*)

l Merchants have been asked inSembia and Westgate if any adventur-

ers know the whereabouts of the fabledWarrior�s Crypt, said to lie somewherenorth of Cormyr in mountainous, law-less country. These merchants are notmen known locally, and offer four piec-es of gold a day as pay, plus �a substan-tial bonus if the venture is successful�(they decline to give more details unlesstheir offer is accepted). Only threefreeswords are known to have signedon with these merchants.(*)

l That mysterous mage known onlyas �The Firemaster� has been seen inSuzail and in Westgate, hiring merce-nary adventurers. He usually gatherssuch forces to aid him in reachingsources of old magic he has located byhis arts and research; tavern-talk has itthat there are several ancient tombshidden in the depths of the woodsnorth of Waymoot.(*)

l A new trading coster, the Fire-hands Group, i s be ing formed inDaerlun, and is interested in hiringexperienced caravan-guards, swords-men, and travelers to staff its caravanson the overland routes from Watergateto Hillsfar, ranging over Cormyr, Sem-bia, the Dalelands, and the southernMoonsea settlements. Paymaster forthe new group is the old warrior Dhe-larr �the Night Blade.� Rates aredescribed as �competitive.�(*)

l Mourngrym and Randal Morn,with their own men and a few merce-nary additions and loaned troops fromCormyr�s garrison in Tilverton havebeen fighting steadily to hold the over-land road from Shadowdale and Mistle-dale through Tilver�s Gap to Cormyrclear for safe passage by caravan. Tolose this route means eventual eco-nomic ruin for both dales, and theacceptance of Daggerdale�s extinction.They have largely succeeded: the devilsseem to be fewer these days, and trollsand hobgoblins seem to have movednorthwards, leaving only orcs andnorkers in the Daggerdale area.

l Zhentil Keep�s caravans (and thoseof a few of the other cities of the Moon-sea) have been s l ipping through

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Teshwave and down across the easternStonelands to Arabel, in steady num-bers, and Zhentil Keep�s strategy vis-a-vis the dales now seems to be ignorethem, using the orcs to keep them busy,while rebuilding Yulash�a move, thislast, that Mourngrym sees as ultimatelyserving to divert all Moonsea-area tradeaway from Shadowdale and Dagger-dale. This is inevitable unless a safe,easy route through the elven woods canbe created, and controlled by Shadow-dale.

Eleasias (August)l The Nentyarch, ruler of vast lands

east and north of Impiltur, has sentagents into the Realms, seeking blackgems for some unknown magical orreligious use.(*)

l A noted dancer and entertainer,the Grey Veil, has vanished from Zhen-til Keep, and is being hunted by therulers of that city. It is said that they aretrying to regain from her a preciousthing of magic, �Yuthla, the Eye of theBeholder,� which she won from adrunken Zhentian noble.(*)

l Azoun IV of Cormyr has givenorders for his warriors to search alltravelers in his realm: someone is smug-gling out fistfuls of gemstones from theroyal mines near High Horn. Thesegemstones have surfaced in Mulmaster,Hillsfar, Westgate, and Selgaunt, sofar.(*)

l The Sceptanar, reputed ruler ofChessenta, has sent an envoy to Sembia,Cormyr, and the Daleland, seekingword of those who unleashed themagic-eater in Scornubel two wintersago. The Sceptanar has a similar crea-ture imprisoned in an ancient globe inthe Crypt Royal beneath his palace inSoornar, and offers gold, magical train-ing, griffins, or noble maidens of hisrealm to anyone who can safely unleashthe magic-eater without harming thepeople and treasures of Chessenta, andsuccessfully return it to its home plane,or control it to do the Sceptanar�s bid-ding in a certain task.

l Forces of Cormyr under Duke Bhe-reu have advanced from Tilverton toShadowdale, where they have joinedforces with Mourngrym, the Lord ofthat place, in an attack on a dark-elvencaravan, and also aided Randal Morn inhis fight to regain Daggerdale from theorcs of the Desertsedge Mountains. Thegarrison at the fortress of Castle Craghas been doubled in size, to repulse anyattacks from the north, or from banditstaking advantage of the strife. Soldiersof Cormyr have met and battled thearmies of Zhent i l Keep in ruinedTeshwave and in Daggerdale.

Eleint (September)l An entire caravan was slaughtered

on the trade-road just west of Shadow-dale. The origin and cargo of the cara-v a n a r e u n k n o w n ; t h e L o r d o fShadowdale is said to be investigatingthe matter.

l Lurkan the Reaver, a mercenary�Lord� of the Sword Coast, is movingeastward to the Inner Sea lands. It issaid that he intends to take up resi-dence there, and expects to earn a liv-ing by selling his skills in the comingconflict between Zhentil Keep, Cormyr,Hillsfar, and Mulmaster; four combat-ants all with designs on the landsaround them.(*)

l Shairksah, an evil merchant oper-ating out of Beregost, has threatenedseveral rival merchants with death atthe hands of magically-created killingcreatures; strange crab-like menacesthat he has in the past unleashed inAmn against such rivals (leading to hisb a n i s h m e n t f r o m t h a t n a t i o n ) .Shairksah has mentioned casually inseveral noble courts that he has previ-ously had a few of these creaturesreleased in Cormyr, Ordulin, andIriaebor to �add to the amusement.� Noreports of such things have surfaced inthe said three cities�but then, few whohave seen such things in the past havelived to tell the tale.(*)

l In Westgate, fresh trouble haserupted between rival Houses. It is not

known which ones yet, but no less thansix hired assassins have been foundfloating dead in the harbor in the spaceof two days (this news is two tendaysold), and more are expected.

l A new company of adventurers,the Company of the Cloak, has beenformed in Scornubel, and has headedeast to the Inner Sea lands to seek for-tune. Its leader, a little known magecalled Mhair Gulzrabban (thought to befrom one of the coastal cities of Calim-shan), has spoken of the treasures ofMyth Drannor, the lost wealth of TheKingdoms Under the Sand (those landsnorth of Cormyr and west of Dagger-dale, long swallowed by the desertAnauroch), and the hidden riches of theDalelands. The Company has over adozen members, none well-known, andhas no known headquarters. Its symbolis a swirling cloak (in the shape of abreaking wave, with its point curling tothe right) of dark green hue.(*)

l Reports continue to flow into theRoyal Court in Suzail of sightings of themiss ing pr incess , a l though thesereports are suspect because they comefrom al l d irect ions in the knownRealms, some from lands known only aslegends in Cormyr. Alusair Nacacia,youngest daughter of King Azoun IV,vanished from the royal palace in Suzaila year ago, and is said to have run away.Her reasons and dest inat ion areunknown, but she is said to have beenseen in Tilver�s Gap, with the formerlord of Tilverton, the High Priest ofGond, Gharri, who has himself sincevanished. It is also said that the armysent to Tilverton was intended primari-ly to bring about her safe return, ratherthan to aid Tilverton�s inhabitantsagainst beseiging orcs. Obviously, thatarmy did not find her, for a royalreward is still offered for her safereturn to Azoun.

Marpenoth (October)l A new leader, Thaalim Torchtower,

is rising amongst the lawless men wholive in the wastes west of the mountainsthat lie on the western edge of Cormyr;

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those same men that are known as�bandits� for their frequent raids upont r a v e l e r s i n t h e F o r e s t - C o u n t r y .Thaalim is said to have spies in all of thecities, towns, and villages of the realm,and to be waiting for the richest cara-vans.(*)

l Lothchas, bandit-lord of the landsnortheast of the Moonsea, is said tohave his eyes on the rich Dalelands. andplans to found his own kingdom there.The rulers of Hillsfar, Sembia, Cormyr,and Zhentil Keep are said to be uni-formly unamused.(*)

l A vicious battle between forces ofMaalthir, ruler of Hillsfar, and soldiersof Zhentil Keep has been found in theravaged town of Yulash. Over ninetyslain, and the town is now in the handsof Hillsfar. Forces of Zhentil Keep areknown to be massing in Voonlar for acounter-strike. In Zhentil Keep itself,the militia is said to be whelming forbattle.

l There is civil war in Melvaunt, asrival senior families of that city strugglefor control of the throne. Further strifein all of the Moonsea cities is expectedas the grip of Zhentil Keep�s rule is loos-ened by the struggles to the south.

l Strange, fey beasts have been seenin the Hullack Forest and in the hillsa r o u n d T h u n d e r s t o n e , a n d s u c hreports have always come down intoCormyr steadily from travelers in theStonelands and Gnoll Pass; the landbeyond the spearpoints of the King�ssoldiers seem truly wild.(*)

l A tavern in Ordulin, The StrandedFish, has been set afire and destroyed ina brawl between local bravos and abearded, robed mage of great powerthought to be one of the Red Wizards ofThay. The mage escaped the blaze, andhis present whereabouts are unknown.It is certain that agents of the city�sCouncil, and the City Guards, are look-ing for him.(*)

Uktar (November)l The forces of Zhentil Keep have

retaken ruined and dragon-deprivatedYulash from the Hillsfar armies. At firstglance, the success of the numericallyinfer ior Zhent i l Keep forces wasascribed to surprise, but reports havedeveloped of high sorcery being used,including the ground itself growingarms and attacking the sleeping Hillsfarforces. The Hillsfar contingent hasretreated in disarray and Zhentil Keepwill likely retain control of the city untilspring. Work parties from the Citadel ofthe Raven are said to be being shippedto Yulash to aid in the building of adefensive position.

l The Blue Diamond, a magical shipthat sails the skies, created somewherein the Utter East, far south of Thay onthe southern coast of all Faerun, hasbeen seen in the Vilhon region, travel-ing north. The ship always carries richcargoes such as spices and items ofminor magic, gems and perfumes, andis said to have fearsome magical guard-ians and mages among its crew.

l The war between Luskan and theisland realm of Ruathym was halted forthe winter, whose howling storms yetrule the northern waves. AumarkLithyl, First Axe of Ruathym has set hiscourt in Ruathym upon the death of hisfather, Ulphron, who perished in thelast great battle in and about the tow-ered palace of Ruathym. Aumark wonthis decisive engagement with a sur-prise attack, at the head of the merce-naries and adventurers, slaughteringmuch of the landed force of Luskan anddriving the men of that city back totheir boats. The High Captains ofLuskan are said to have escaped injuryin the fray. Aumark�s last decree, car-ried to Waterdeep ere winter closed in,is that anyone who brings the traitressMaerkla, noblewoman of Ruathym, tohim alive or dead will receive two newships and his or her own weight in plati-num pieces.

Nightal (December)

l Piergeiron of Waterdeep has pub-licly declared his support for the new

ruler, and invited both Aumark andTaerl of the High Captains to his palaceat Waterdeep on the f i rs t day ofKythorn, to meet for truce-talks. Thepenalty for either refusing to attendbeing the alignment of Waterdeepagainst the absent ruler, and either way,a quick end to the war.

l Agents of the Red Wizards of Thayhave openly slain merchants in Westga-te and Scardale-port, and it is whis-pered that the fell Red Magic Cult isstirring again. Perhaps the Red Wizardswill resume their quest for world domi-nation soon, in the Inner Sea lands.

l Merchants and caravan-mastersrecently on the road in the Elven Courtarea report (from safe destinations inHillsfar, Ordulin, and Selgaunt) seeingmanacled humans in the trees as theypassed by Myth Drannor in the deepestwoods. One merchant , Saszesk ofSuzail, left the road to investigate, andwas met by hail of arrows, which hesurvived, but which deterred him fromfurther investigation. Slavers havebeen active in the Moonsea area before,and now are apparently on the riseagain.

l The first heavy snowfall has sweptthe North, blanketing Cormyr and theDales with up to a foot of snow. Most ofthe general population have long-sincesettled in for the long winter, thoughthere still are reported to be last-minutemerchants seeking to make a final salebefore heading for their winteringgrounds, and there are (as always) oneor two ships caught in the ice on theRiver Lis. Most activity for adventurersconsists of reassessing their situationsand planning for the next year.

l The adventuress Shaless, of Tsurla-gol, has returned in triumph to herfavorite tavern, The Drunken Dragon,in that city, displaying strange harpsand blades of arcane, beautiful makewhich she claims to be her booty fromthe lost city of Myth Drannor, wrested,she claims �from the very claws of dev-

45

ils who walk there!� The bard Maerhulthas pronounced two of the harpsshown to him in the tavern, to beunmistakably the work of the lost, long-ago artisans of Myth Drannor, and to berare things of magic besides.(*)

l Across the Dragon Reach, in Sel-gaunt, a mercenary band is gathering toinvestigate the ruins of Myth Drannorfor themselves; a group, thus far twen-ty strong, under the leadership of thef i g h t e r o f g r e a t r e n o w n N a r v eDwarfkin and the mage Ryhinn Black-cloak, Hurler of Thunderbolts.

l Rumors abound in Suzail (as theyhave periodically on this subject for thelast winter) that someone in the city hasa map revealing the location of the lostg e m - h o a r d o f t h e G r e a t W o r mDraughthothnor, and is hiring merce-nary adventurers to form a party thatwill undertake an extended expeditionto seek out the hoard. Draughthothnorwas slain by the Five Wizards two hun-dred and sixty winters ago, and hisfabled hoard is said to contain gemsn o w f o u n d n o w h e r e e l s e i n t h eRealms.(*)

l Haspur, a seer who dwells inBaldur�s Gate, has foretold that a magicof great power, called �The Ring of Win-ter,� will be rediscovered within theyear. In trance, he seemed very upset,but gave no further details, and couldrecall nothing upon reawakening.

Adventure Background

T he two small adventures providedhere are for use by characters of

low to intermediate levels, and suitablefor an evening�s play or a set ofencounters.

Both adventures are set in the ruinsof Myth Drannor (see Myth Drannor inthe Player�s Guide to the Realms), anancient city destroyed long ago anduntil recently protected by the moonelves of the forest. With the retreat ofthese elves, Myth Drannor is now avail-able for exploration (and less charita-bly, plunder).

The locations of the two �dungeons�are noted on the maps on pages 47 and55. The entire system of Myth Drannoris laced with areas such as this, for fur-ther expansion by the DM. These ruinsmay also have a large number of otheradventuring companies and predatorsthat may make the player�s overgroundlife difficult.

Key

The Halls of theBeast-TamersDM�s background:Some six hundred years ago, whenMyth Drannor was a city of life andsplendor , cer ta in of i ts c i t izens�human, half-elven, and elven�whowere interested in learning more of thenatural habits and pursuits of wildcreatures styled themselves �The Guildof Naturalists.� Their studies resulted inmuch of what is now ranger lore; theytraveled far in the Realms to observecreatures in all lands, and when thosecreatures easily studied had been dealtwith, they turned to more fearsomebeasts: the monsters of the Realms.

As the Naturalists were already dis-paragingly termed �The Beast-Tamers�by those elves and humans of MythDrannor opposed to any interferencewith wild creatures, the group decidedto conceal much of the extent of theirresearches by enlarging the cellarsbeneath their offices and workingthere, underground, moving creaturesin and out by means of magical gatesconstructed by one of the foremost

members of the group, the mage Phe-zult. This they did, maintaining relativepeace in their underground halls bymeans of a special stasis spell developedby Phezult. Those of the guild who hadno other homes or pursuits lived there,died there, and were buried there. Thefate of those Naturalists alive whenMyth Drannor was ruined is unknown,but the halls today are all that remain ofthe Guild�s achievements (the officesabove are a perilous ruin located on thewest side of a rubble-choked north-south street in the eastern reaches ofovergrown Myth Drannor), and are adangerous place�the stasis created somany years ago by Phezult is breakingdown, and beasts magically imprisonedin the halls down the long years arebeing freed again.

1. The halls are entered by means of adust-choked, high-ceilinged buildingwith great cracks in its arched stoneceiling, and scatterings of fallen rockhere and there where the walls or ceil-ing have given way. It is strangelydevoid of animal life, and contains alarge stone seat or throne of massiveconstruction, unadorned by inscriptionor ornament. Behind the throne is a ten-foot-diameter shaft (without lid, lip orother protection) opening in the floor.This shaft has carved stone hand- andfoot-holds running down its southernside, and drops two hundred feet intothe lightless, damp solid rock beneathMyth Drannor. The holds in the shaftare themselves secure, but climbers inthe shaft will be attacked from above(i.e. from the building on the surfacewithout warning when halfway down,)by a volt (see FIEND FOLIO® Tome, p.94) of 12 hp, which will seek to slay allintruders, and will attack tirelesslyuntil itself slain.

The shaft ends in an eighty-foot-long,arched-ceilinged hallway; the ornamentalarched ribs of its thirty-foot-high vaultedceiling are supported by two rows ofsmooth-cut granite pillars (carved of thenatural rock; the rest of the subterranean

46

Halls are also cut smoothly from this mot-tled grey stone). The hallway opens into ajunction with another large hallway; thissecond hallway has massive iron torchbrackets (now crumbling into rust) sethigh up on its walls down both sides, butthe torches themselves are long gone. Allis dark and damp; patches of harmlessmold grow here and there in the longhallway, and the place seems deserted.Only very careful examination will reveala faint circular brown stain on the floorwhere the two hallways meet (see #19).

2. A featureless, lockless stone doorwith a green-corroded brass pull-ringhandle opens (by turning in two stonesockets, with a deep grinding noise)into a 10�x10� stone cubicle, which con-tains three massive wooden casks, onend, of oak blackened with age, andequipped with green brass spigots.Above the casks a wooden shelf runsfrom wall to wall, bearing lots of glassflasks and a pile of sticks, all shroudedin a thick grey web of cobwebs anddust. The spigots can be turned withdifficulty. The casks all contain odd-tasting, but safe, drinking water, andthe 16 flasks are all stoppered jars oflamp oil which of course can be hurledas incendiary weapons, accompaniedby the sticks�twenty wooden torches,all wrapped in cloth rags soaked inpitch. The torches are not rotten (thisroom is less damp than the hall), but thecasks will collapse into wreckage if any-one tries to roll or lift them.

3. Stone doors identical to that leadinginto #2 open here into three identicalbunkrooms�all dusty, deserted living-quarters, equipped with triple-tieredbunks for up to 40 sleepers, and a stonetable with two wooden benches and awrought-iron-with-glass-oil-bowl tablelamp. The lamps in each room willbreak if used, for the iron is crumblinginto rust. The wood of the bare bunks isspongy with dry rot, but will burn. Ifused as clubs, pieces of this wood willdisintegrate at the first blow, doingonly 1-3 points of damage to any crea-ture struck.

4. A narrow opening at the end of thecorridor here leads down a rough-walled stone passage to a toilet: asmooth stone slab (with hole) set intoledges cut in the surrounding rock,above a pit. This privy has been disusedfor so long that the smell from its opencesspit is almost gone�but there is arecently-freed and very hungry otyugh(MONSTER MANUAL book p.77) justbeneath the slab, and it will shoot out itsarms to attack immediately (flinging thestone shelf aside). The otyugh has notreasure. It has 6HD, and 26 hp.

5. A stone door (identical to that open-ing into #2) at the end of the long hall-way here leads into a damp,moss-and-mold encrusted room con-taining a huge pool of still , black,opaque water. There is a faint fishysmell. The door opens onto a three-foot-wide carved stone ledge that runs alongone side of the room and along one endof the room to another door (identicalto the entry door). The ledge is two feetabove the water, and has no railing.

The water is twelve feet deep, and ishome to a recently-released vampiricguardian ixitxachitl (MONSTER MAN-UAL book p. 55) of 21 hp, 6+6 HD and6th level clerical ability, having 16 Wis-dom, which will attack the PCs (withspells) in this first room only if theyturn back (seeking to knock or drag atleast one character into the water,where it will try to hold the unfortu-nate under the water until drowned),otherwise patiently biding its time untilthe party reaches the third water-chamber, whereupon it will attack andthen harry anyone. fleeing by using theconnecting tunnels beneath the waterto move from chamber to chamber. It isquite smart enough to visually recog-nize spellcasting, and to slip into anadjoining chamber to escape much ofthe spell effects. The ixitxachitl�s ownspells are: (5,5,2) cause fear, cause lightwounds, (damage added to physicalattack damage; the ray will leap to soattack) x2, darkness x2 /hold person x3, silence 15� radius x2 /cause blindness,and dispel magic. It has no treasure.

The second chamber is similar to thefirst, save that the pool is twenty feetdeep. The third room has forty feet ofwater.

All three rooms are fed by pipedunderground springs that offset waterseeping away through the granite, tokeep the water levels constant; saltblocks keep the water saline, as theincoming water rushes of them in thepipes). The doors between the roomshave no locks, and spiking them shutwill take 4-7 rounds of hard poundingwith a hammer or club; the rock of theledges is very hard. Sturdy, massivebrass portcullis arrangements can belowered in the tunnels between therooms to prevent the ixitxachitl frommoving from room to room, althoughwater and small living things (up to afoot long and half that wide) can passthrough.

The two control wheels to raise andlower these devices are concealed (treatas a secret portal) behind a drop-hingedblock of stone beside the entry door, tothe left in the first, outermost room.Two stiff, green-corroded, unlabeledbrass wheels turn clockwise to lowerthe portcullises (they are raised whenthe PCs arrive), the process taking atleast two rounds per wheel. The right-hand wheel controls the gate in theopening between the second and thirdrooms, the left-hand one governs thegate that bisects the tunnel between thefirst and second rooms. Note: Brightlights shone down into the water willilluminate objects a foot or less from thesurface, but penetrate no further;l i g h t s i n t h e w a t e r ( s u c h a s a nimmersed object on which light hasbeen cast, or a glowing blade) will illu-minate a 1-½�-radius sphere of water.

6. Specimen Closets: These five roomsare all identical 10�x10� stone cubicles,with stone shelves laid on cut ledges,and rotten wooden step-stools (whichwill collapse into dust and splinters ifused). Each has a door that appears sim-ilar to the door into #2 (see above), but asmall key-hole can be seen in the circu-lar boss of the pull ring; the doors are

48

locked, and must be picked or forcedwith two successful lift gates attemptsper door. They are stone set in stone,with solid stone sills, and will resist sim-ple battering, ramming, and kicking.The keys have vanished, and arenowhere to be found in the halls. DMsshoulds consider what each door-opening attempt does to the itemsstored in the room.

In 6A there are six large glass jarsstoppered with cork completely sealedwith melted wax; each contains agreenish fluid, and a wrinkled, circularmass that looks something l ike ashelled, intact walnut�pickled behold-er brains, in fact, one to a jar.

6B contains two empty jars, and astoppered, sealed jar of yellowish,cloudy fluid in which rests a mass ofwhite, short, worm-like things ratherlike overgrown maggots�a jar of 63 rotgrubs (see the MONSTER MANUALbook pg 83) which will be released fromstasis as the jar is opened or broken,and will be (as always) fast and hungry!

6C is home to two fat jars of coiled,green segmented tentacles, waxy yel-low at their segmentations and at thesevered ends. They are preserved infaint brownish pickling fluid, and willno longer paralyze anyone touchingthem; each jar contains a single coiledtentacle.

6D contains twelve jars, all sealed andstoppered. Two contain greenish pick-ling fluid and grey, leathery, oval sack-like organs with bumpy, misshapensurfaces. These are troglodyte scentglands�if such a jar is opened or bro-ken, the reek will have its normal effect(see �Troglodyte� in the MONSTERMANUAL). If a being carries around agland�there are nine in one jar and sixin the other�continuously, the stenchwil l grow stronger (1-6 points ofStrength loss in one round, the loss last-ing as long as affected victims are with-in 2� of the gland, and 10 additionalrounds after leaving the 2� area) forhalf a day, and then dwindle slowly(shorten length of Strength disabilityeffect) until after two days of continu-ous exposure to a ir , the gland is

exhausted. Four other jars containlarge, creamy-white feathers with aslight silvery sheen, and brown quills�griffon feathers (a preferred ingredientin the spell ink formulae for writing flyspells). Another jar contains long, thickspiderwebs from a giant spider; theyhave several magical uses, but fewimmediate, practical ones. Two morejars contain brittle, sharp, foot-longmanticore tail-spikes, 20 to a jar. Thelast three jars all contain pickled eye-balls (no magical properties) of variouscreatures, sorted roughly by size: tiny,human-size, and BIG.

6E contains only one jar. It holds a sin-gle larva (q.v., MONSTER MANUAL) of7 hp, which has just awakened fromstasis, and wants out of its sealed jar (atask it cannot accomplish without aid).The jar has special tiny breathing holespierced through the cork. This larvacan speak and understand common,although he rarely tells the truth; hewill beg and cajole the PCs constantly torelease him, offering to lead them tonearby treasure and so on. He will beentertained by any suffering theyendure.

7. This 20�x30� room is lit with a pale,pearly radiance emanating from aglowing globe (see col. 2) which hangsabove a stained and scarred slate-topgranite table (its top 5�x12�, and litteredwith dissecting knives and pins, all cov-ered with dust). The globe can bemoved, of course, by a PC using theproper method. In the NE corner of theroom is an obsidian plinth (itself worth900 gp or so, if brought to a large trad-ing city intact) on which sits a ratherdusty but well-preserved stuffed dra-gonne (q.v., MONSTER MANUAL)which will radiate its protective magicsfaintly if a detect magic spell is cast onit. The dragonne is stuffed with straw-like reeds, and may (at the DM�s option)contain a map, note, or minor item lead-ing to further adventures in MythDrannor. Both doors to this room areidentical to the one leading into #2.

The glowing globe is a luminous magi-cal sphere which radiates light. It will

follow the first person who touches it,remaining just over his right shoulder.These globes do not radiate any heat,and cannot be rendered invis ib leexcept by a wish. The globe will remainwith its original owner until a wish orremove curse is cast on it, whereuponthe next person to touch the globe willinherit it. This globe has a set light level(equivalent to a continual light), but ingeneral 70% of the globes may havetheir brightness controlled at the own-er�s mental command, from dark to ablinding flash (effects of this flash lastfor 1-6 rounds).

8. A pair of broken, splintered woodendouble doors, eaten to almost nothingby wood-worms, lies or hangs precari-ously here, gaping open to reveal thestill-magnificent council chamber of theGuild of Naturalists. A sandalwoodtable, its top jet black and glossy, pol-ished smooth under a layer of thickgrey dust is surrounded by 33 ratherrickety wooden chairs, filling the cham-ber. Behind it, facing the entry door, is agigantic, ten-foot-tall mosaic sigil (thatof the Guild), thus: with a match-ing sigil of like size worked out in anoval of mosaic tiles on the floor withinthe arms of the council table. Nothingelse of interest is visible in this room; ithas two lockable doors like those of thespecimen closets (see #6, above); theone on the E wall (leading to #10-14) islocked and must be picked or forced;the door in the W wall (leading to #20-24) is unlocked and ajar.

Under the council table, in such aplace that it is near the feet of someonesitting at the central chair of the fiveseats on the northernmost section ofthe table but out of the way of inadver-tent feet, is a four-inch square block ofstone raised slightly from the surround-ing stone. If depressed, it will sinkbelow the surrounding floor, and a faintmetallic squeaking and rattling will beheard, as a long-disused winch causesthe floor mosaic to sink downwards inthe manner of an elevator, to conveycreatures upon it to the Undercells (see#9 below). A second firm step on the

49

depressed stone will cause a loud clickand then the mosaic, which drops onfour chains, will begin to rise again intoplace. The stone will not move whenthe elevator is part way up or down,nor can the elevator be made to stop orhesitate, except when fully up flushwith the floor, or fully down. The mosa-ic is solid; it will not quiver, shift, orsound hollow when walked upon, so asto betray its function.

Under the table, at the E end, is naileda pair of copper straps, holding an ivorytube. In the ivory tube lies a foot long,tapering wand of wood, with the word�Eltzamm� engraved in Common at thelarge end. It is a wand of paralyzation(see the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE,page 136) of three charges, and theengraving is its command word.

9. The Undercells, enterable only viathe elevator described in #8 above(note: the elevator can only be operatedfrom above; if no one is left up in #8 tooperate it, the four chains can easily beclimbed). The elevator can carry up tofourteen persons, or their equivalentweight (at approximately 200 poundseach) of treasure or accoutrements; ifthis weight limit is exceeded, the stonewill simply lock in place and the eleva-tor will cease to work until the weight isreduced to within the limit.

This lowest level of the halls is verydamp; the walls are stained by a recentinflux of at least four inches of standingwater here, although it has all gonenow, leaving only wet sand in patcheson the floor. A large central chamber islined on its southern walls with 18 smallcell-like rusty iron cages. The bones of arat lie in one, but the doors of all areajar; the locks have no keys and arerusted solidly anyway.

At either end of the room the edges ofdoors can clearly be seen; these areclosed, very solid stone blocks that willdefy all forcing or lifting attempts;when down, they drop below the levelof the chamber floor, so their bottomedges are unreachable, and they weighclose to a ton each. Two raised-stone-

block controls (see #8, above) are visibleupon the careful examination, near theN wall beside each door; they will causet h e s t o n e d o o r s t o g r i n d s l o w l yupwards into the ceiling (they will notfall again until the control is activated).

The door in the E wall leads into achamber once used to confine fear-some beasts; it is now empty save for afew, very old bones in the corners.Examinations will show that these havebeen gnawed and split by a very large-toothed animal or animals.

The western door leads into a cham-ber containing sixteen stone coffins:massive rectangular blocks of granite,each holding a skeleton wrapped in adis integrat ing shroud, a l id in ahollowed-out area, covered by a simpleslab lid (none are undead, and nonehave treasure). In the center of the Swall of the L-shaped room is an inscrip-tion cut into the wall in Common. Itreads, �Here lie the �Beast-Tamers, Natu-ralists Most Noble, Resting From TheirLabors.�

10. This large chamber contains a poolof dark, still water, its surface two feetbelow the unguarded edge of the floor,which runs around three sides of thepool, meeting the E wall of the chamberin an apparently blank wall (actuallycontaining a secret door) on the northside of the pool, and ending in a 7� high,dark oval mirror (actually a permanentmagical gate; see below) on the southside of the pool.

The pool is home to two fresh-waterscrags (see MONSTER MANUAL II, page121) of 41 and 36 hp, which will remainconcealed as much as possible untilthey can reach up to snatch someoneon the edge of the pool into the waterwith them. Treat all such attempts asattacks, at +2 to hit; if successful, nodamage is done but the v ic t im isgrasped securely. If not directly aidedby another character at the time of theattack�not as an immediate reaction�the grasped character must successful-l y m a k e a S t r e n g t h C h e c k a n d aDexterity Check to avoid ending up inthe pool. If both checks are failed, one

or more held weapons or items aredropped or let go in the process.

11. The �mirror� will reflect approach-ing characters, and the room (#10), as anormal mirror, but anyone touching orstriking the mirror with hand, weapon,or any item will instantly be teleportedinto (as a suggestion) the center of theCourt of Waterdeep, hundreds of milesaway. (The DM is free to choose his ownlocation in advance, even anotherdungeon complex.) The mirror cannotbe damaged, and beings directly hold-ing the person touching the gate willalso be teleported instantaneously;physical restraints or aid cannot pre-vent this effect. (DMs may elect to havethe gate reach other destinations, per-haps different ones in rotation or atrandom, each time the gate is used:note that this could well scatter a partyacross a continent or even a score ofdifferent planes, if desired.)

The gate, or teleport node, was builtwhen Myth Drannor flourished to givethe Naturalists�and those few elveswho aided them in the manufacture ofthe gate� a secret connection to Water-deep. The gate is apparently a one-wayaffair, having no corresponding visibleportal at the other end, although it mayonce have been linked to magical items,now lost or hidden, that permitted two-way operation. Elves, at the time MythDrannor flourished, used Waterdeep asthe major port connection betweenEvermeet and Faerun. The mirror- gatecannot be destroyed; it will defy anyattempts to physically move it by tele-porting those attempting, regardless ofthe length or nature of the tools used,and will reflect all spells cast at orthrough it back, 100%, upon the caster.If this is impossible due to the nature ofthe spell, it will merely be lost. Full wishspells will cause the gate to vanish (mov-ing elsewhere at random), even if thewish is that the gate be destroyed ormoved to a specific location.

12. On the N wall of this 20�x30� chamber,on shelves, are stored empty jars of vary-ing sizes with cork seals, dried, shrunkenthings that were once blocks of wax

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(identical to those found in the specimenclosets, #6), and rolled-up weightedcapture-nets, coils of rope (both nets andropes are rotting, and will be easilyruined by any vigorous use), and catch-poles: wooden poles with metal, mechani-c a l g r a s p i n g a r m s o n o n e e n d ,constructed so that pressure on a disc atthe end of the pole will cause springs toclose a quartet of surrounding large,metal fingers. The poles are ten feet longand have at their other ends metal sleevesthat allow a second pole to be slipped inand then turn-locked into place, to extendthe whole apparatus to 20�. These catch-poles have survived the long years of dis-use well, and are still sturdy. As weapons,however, they are quite unwieldy unlessone is especially skilled in their use bytraining and long practice.

A secret door at the E end of the Nwall can be readily detected by theseams in the shelves which run acrossit, but as everything in the room isthickly coated with dust, it will have tobe looked for to be found.

13. The unlocked secret door opensi n t o t h i s h i d d e n , musty-smelling20�x20� chamber. On the N wall is a dis-colored and mold-damaged map of theRealms, painted on a wooden board (itcannot be removed in an intact condi-tion), depicting the lost kingdoms swal-lowed by Anauroch as flourishing, farfewer Dales than there are now, asmaller Sembia, more Elven woods andfewer northern c i t ies everywhereacross Faerun. Amn is not named, hav-ing not yet been founded as a kingdomwhen the map was made. In front of themap is a stout, iron-bound oak chest,containing 1200 gp (in 12 cloth bags).The chest is locked, and well-preserved;the key is missing.

Facing the map and chest obliquely inthe SE corner of the room is a woodendesk, and seated at it, the collapsed skel-eton of a man (not undead), Neziiral ofthe Naturalists by name if spoken tomagically; he knows little of the halls.Neziiral has no treasure, but in thedrawers of the rickety desk are a potion

of healing (q.v., DMG) in a glass vialcorked and sealed with wax, and apotion of speed (q.v., DMG), similarlycontained. There is also a small lockedcoffer of silver, tarnished black andlacking its key. Within is a cloth-wrapped item that will survive any acci-dental battering or deliberate attacks: ablack obsidian talisman that looks likethis: picture. It is an inch thick withrounded edges, is polished smooth, andhas a white ivory inlay for the eye. Onthe reverse is a word in Common,�NAELOTH.� If spoken aloud, it willsummon the creature whose name itis�a hellcat (see FIEND FOLIO® Tome,p. 50) of 50hp, who can be made toserve the holder of its talisman for ninedays. The hellcat will seek to subvertcommands given to it, and lead thetalisman-holder into misfortune anddeath, unless the holder is Lawful Evilin alignment.

In the W wall of the room, a secretdoor of greater-than-average width piv-ots outward, to allow access to #14.

14. This 20�x20� room contains only axorn (see MONSTER MANUAL, p. 102)of 48 hp, surrounded by a flickeringwhite aura. This is fading rapidly as thePCs observe it, for it was a separate sta-sis field maintained by a unique spellthat was broken by the opening of thedoor. The xorn was not pleased by itscapture and imprisonment, and willattack any living things it sees whenable to do so (on the second round afterthe PCs open the secret door the xornwill be free to move). The xorn willphase into the floor to escape if broughtto ¼ of its hit points of less. Closing thedoor of this room will not renew thestasis; it is gone forevrer.

15. Here a side passage leads off the longmain hallway of the complex. This pas-sage is separated from the main hall byan iron gate and arch that stretch fromfloor to ceiling. Although this barrier isornamented by floral scrollwork, and isof iron dark with rust, its bars are thickand solidly embedded in the walls; it willstop most beasts if closed and locked. It ispresently ajar, having been picked open

(there is no key). The side passage itopens into leads to stone stairs climbingsteeply (a rise of 30� in a run of 30�). At thetop, the stairs open without a door or bar-rier into a gallery (see #16)�but sprawledface-down on the stairs near the top is themouldering corpse of a dead male half-ling, his skull crushed.

If speak with the dead is employed, thisis Dahvro, a 3rd level thief and adventur-er, out of Westgate who was born in Sem-bias hills long ago, and came here to findtreasure with a group of adventurerswho formed casually in Hillsfar, and camehere to seek treasure. The group saw nolife on the way down turning left downthe main hallway and straight to the irongate, which Dahvro picked open. He doesnot know how he met his end, whichoccurred almost two years ago. The half-ling is clad in black�gloves, pants, andshirt, all of leather. He is barefoot. At hisbelt is an empty dagger-sheath�theweapon is gone�a black silk mask, and abag containing a small purse of 12 gp anda set of thieves� picks and tools. A 40-footcoil of waxed cord is wound around hiswaist at belt-level. His corpse is infestedwith 34 rot grubs (cf. MONSTER MAN-UAL, p.83) which will swarm to attackimmediately upon the body being touch-ed.

16. This large room is entered by mas-sive, iron-barred wooden doors, eachtwelve feet high, the one from the hall-way being two sets of double doorsopening inward. All of these doors pres-ently have their bars thrown aside, andhang ajar. This room was a viewing andtraining arena where the Naturalistswatched creatures stalk prey, reactsocially to others of their own kind, flyif aerial in nature, and build nests ordens if the materials were provided. Itis presently simply an open, emptychamber. The floor is covered with twofeet of damp, mold-splotched sand; theceiling is 40 feet above that and hascrumbled and fallen in some places, butis stable and will not fall unless a fireballor similar explosion occurs in the cham-ber. The room ends on the south with a4-tier viewing gallery of bare stone

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seats stepped downward to a raillessfront row fifteen feet above the sand.

In this area is a gorgon (see theMONSTER MANUAL Pg 49) of 64 hpwho has emerged from stasis and leftits cell (#17D), and is bewildered andangry, It will attack immediately if thePCs come here first; if not, it willobserve them in silence, keeping out ofsight and staying silent, until they leavethe main hallway�wherupon it willmove to the junction area where theentry hall joins the main hall and awaitthe PCs alertly, ready to use its poison-ous breath. It will refuse to be luredaway from this spot, and will not fleefrom any foe.

17. Holding Cells: In these small com-partments creatures were held prior tointroduction into the arena (#16), orafter study in the arena. All are stone-walled cubicles, with stone floors cov-ered with sand (and in some places,rotten straw, too); all have an iron-barred front wall with lockable doors.All except D, J, and K are locked.

A is empty.B contains three shriekers (see MON-STER MANUAL p. 87) of 22, 16, and 9hp. They will shriek the instant PCsintroduce any light into the area. Thiswill alert all living creatures in thisend of the Halls, and all creaturesimmersed in water anywhere in theHalls, by the vibrations.C is empty.D is open and empty; the gorgon (see#16) came from here.E contains the nearly skeletal, shriv-eled corpse of an owlbear.F is empty.G is empty.H contains the feathers and bones of ahippogriff, and a faint smell of death.I is empty.J is empty.K is empty.L contains the bones of a humanoid,with two skulls (an ettin).M is empty.N is the Keeper�s Room; a corrodedring of brass keys hangs on the S wallof this area�keys to all of the cells

and all doors of the arena. Peepholesin the N, W, and S walls allow viewsinto the surrounding areas (the Wwall is stone, not bars, in which is alocked secret door into the corridorof the cells).

18. This 20�x40� chamber was once arobing room for Naturalists preparingto leave by one of the gates in the Halls,and its South and East walls are stud-ded with pegs, on which hang the rot-t ing wisps of garments . There i snothing of value here, and the gar-ments will disintegrate if handled. Onits eastern side, this room is separatedfrom the hallway by rotting curtainswhich will also disintegrate into dust ifdisturbed. A narrow secret door on theN wall of this room leads to an office(#19) by means of a steep flight of stairs.

19. This 20�x20� office has no door, butopens directly out from the stairs. Itcontains two unsafe wooden chairsdrawn up at a circular table. On thetable is a crystal ball. On the floor nearthe N wall of the room is a copper-sheathed wooden chest (the sheathsnow green due to the damp), which islocked and missing its key.

A round after the first PC enters thisroom a tiny light will appear in thedepths of the crystal globe which willbegin to grow. Two rounds later theball, blinding in its brightness, willexplode, showering the PCs in the roomwith fragments (anyone in the roommust save vs. spells or take 1 hp damagefrom the flying glass). Released fromthis shattered prison, a xeg-yi (seeMONSTER MANUAL II, p. 128) of 5 HDand 33 hp will attack any living thing itsees in the halls, and pursue until slainor until it has slain all such quarry. Ifthe crystal ball is attacked before itexplodes, such attacks will have noeffect upon it, or upon the xeg-yi with-in.

In the chest is a ring of warmth (q.v.,DMG), a ring of water walking (q.v.,DMG), and a bone tube corked at bothends and sealed with wax. Within thetube is a scroll with a single unique spellon it; the same spell that has preserved

the many beasts in the halls over thecenturies.

Phezult�s Sleep of Ages(Alteration) ReversibleLevel: 9Components: V,S,MRange: l�/level of casterCasting Time: 3 roundsDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: NegatesArea of Effect: All living creatures inrangeExplanation/Description: By means ofthis spell, a stasis field is createdabout the spell focus, radiating out-w a r d i n a n e x p a n d i n g s p h e r ethrough solid rock and other physicalor magical barriers. (Only an anti-m a g i c s h e l l , p r i s m a t i c s p h e r e , o rclosed cube- or spherically-shapedwall of force will stop its effects.) Itexpands 2�/round until it reaches amaximum spherical volume of 1�radius/level of the caster. All livingcreatures within this field, except thecaster and any protected as notedabove, must save vs. spells or beplaced in suspended animat ion(whether they wish to be or not).Creatures of level or hit dice equal to,greater than, or up to three levels ordice less than the spellcaster save nor-mally. Creatures of 4 to 7 hit dice orlevels save at an additional -1 penal-ty for every level less than sevenbelow the casters. The body func-tions of affected creatures virtuallycease, but they do not die as a resultof this state�nor will they grow olderas the years pass. If the creature instasis is slain by another means (phys-ical attack, crushing or burial ordrowning due to environmentalchanges around their body, and thelike), stasis ends instantly, and thebody will decay normally, for theassaulted creature only, not all otherscaught in the stasis.

The spell requires at least nine dropsof the caster�s own blood smearedinto an unbroken ring of a radius notmore than the overall length of thecaster�s hand (wrist to fingertips), into

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which are placed at least six gems(any type) of 500 gp value. This is thespell-focus referred to above. Whenthe spellcasting is complete, four ofthese gems vanish, consumed in theact of releasing the spell�s power. Therest fuel the stasis field and thusdwindle slowly as time passes. Rough-ly one year of stasis is yielded per 10gp of gem value. Removal of any gem-stone from the circle, or the breakingof the ring itself, will instantly end thestasis effect as will using up all of thegems. However, any number of gemscan be added to the inside of the ringto increase the period of efficacy, by�refueling� it.

The stasis can be lifted from individ-ual creatures without harm (andwithout releasing other creaturesunder the same stasis) by casting tem-poral reinstatment (cf. temporal sta-sis in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK�) orPhezult�s Awakening (the reverse ofthis spel l ) upon the creature(s)desired. If Phezult�s Awakening is castupon the spell focus, rather than onindividual creatures, the stasis fieldshrinks gradually to not at the samerate at which it originally expanded,freeing any creatures as it does so,and no further gemstone material islost. (The awakening does not requireany gems or blood, but merely dropsof pure or holy water.)

Creatures entering the field after ithas reached its full extent (even dec-ades or centuries after the spell wascast) must save vs. spells to avoid fall-ing into stasis. The penalties for theirlevel or hit dice apply as describedabove, but so does a +3 bonus to thesave for any creature arriving in thefield after it has stabilized at fullextent. Such a save must be madeeach time a creature enters the stasisfield, even if it has entered and beenunaffected before, but each creatureneed save only once per exposure to aparticular Sleep of Ages stasis field(i.e. not per each round of a singleexposure).

Phezult�s circle, which places a stasisover the entire hall complex (considerwhat Phezult�s level must have been!),was drawn on the floor where the twolarge corridors of the Halls meet; itsgems were only recently exhausted,breaking the stasis.

20. This chamber contains yet anothermosaic sigil of the Naturalists set intothe floor, and another mirror- gate. (Fordetails of the gate refer to #11). Thismirror- gate may lead to any location inthe Realms at the DM�s choice. Alterna-tives include the dust desert of Raurin(I3-5), the Moonshaes (FR-2), the edge ofthe desert of Anauroch, or any otherlocation as the DM sees fit. This mirrormay also be used as an arrival point forhigh-level characters from other cam-paigns. (In either case, the mirror- gateis one-way.)

The mosaic, like that in the councilchamber (#8), is actually affixed to a sin-gle oval stone which, if stepped on, will

glow with a faint white radiance, andbegin to levitate upward very slowly(1� /round). It will halt when stepped offof, but will continue to rise whenevertouched, unless willed to go down.(This requires constant and firm con-centration which precludes spellcast-ing , intr icate handiwork or othermental activity, or heavy fighting.) Themosaic can levitate any weight or num-ber of things that can be placed upon it,and will easily fit up the entry shaft as asort of elevator. It has a permanent levi-tation placed on it, and could well beinadvertently lost skyward if someonefalls asleep on it or carries a woundedor unconscious person onto it, since itwill rise as long as a living being istouching it and cannot be willed down-ward by someone asleep or uncon-scious. If several living persons try towill it in different directions, it will riseinstead. If all persons aboard unite towill it in one direction, or one persondirects and none oppose, it can be made

to move horizontally, as well as down-wards, with ease.

Four doors in this chamber (identicalto those of #6) are all locked and thekeys missing.

21. This 20�x20� room is empty.

22. This 20�x20� room is empty.

23. This 20�x30� room contains a gorgi-mera (see MONSTER MANUAL II, p 70)of 61 hp. Before charging PCs can reachit, it can breathe down the corridorleading into its dark prison, which it dowithout hesitation the moment thedoor into its prison is opened.

24. This 20�x30� chamber is home to afemale tabaxi (see the FIEND FOLIO®Tome, p. 86) of 14 hp; it is naked andweaponless, and will attack if menaced,but will cooperate with the party ifoffered food and freedom. It does notspeak common, but its name soundslike �Miiyeriial� if voiced or announcedtelepathically.

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Lashan�s Fall(first appeared as �Into the ForgottenRealms� in DRAGON® Magazine #95)

Players� informationThe following text should be read to theplayers.

The Dalelands of the ForgottenRealms have been your homes, as wellas your adventuring grounds, formany years. The following events arecommon knowledge among you andhave weighed heavily upon yourthoughts for months. Lord Lashan,recently made ruler of the tiny coastalland of Scardale (so named because itlies within a long river gorge, or�scar�), raised armies to conquer thesurrounding Dales, and he nearly suc-ceeded. It has been a long, bloody yearof battles up and down the Dales, andmost of them � Harrowdale, Battle-dale, Deepingdale, Tasseldale, andFeatherdale � have felt Lashan�s ruleduring it, while the remainder havehad to fight off warriors in their verystreets.

In the end, Lashan�s mi l i tarypower was broken by the combinedmight of the kingdoms of Sembia tothe south and Cormyr to the west(both of whom preferred a cluster ofpeaceful , independent Dales asneighbors to a tyrant�s warrior king-dom), the remaining Dales and themagical powers they could muster,and by Lashan�s heavy reliance uponmercenary troops. The tide turnedat the battle of Mistledale, where theLord of Shadowdale, Doust Sul-wood, and his companions held offLashan�s forces until the other arm-ies attacked his holdings in thesouth, and thereby prevented all theDales from being swept by Lashan�stroops. Relentlessly have Lashan�sfoes pressed him these last twomonths, and the empire he carvedhas melted away to nothing. Lashanhimself has not been captured.

In all the hurly-burly of war, theelves, who for centuries barred menfrom entering their vast woods, sud-denly vanished. The Elven Court for-merly adjoined the Dales on thenorth and east. Rumor has it that allof the elves have traveled west over-seas to Evermeet, the island kingdomof the elves, to be quit of men for-ever. Their disappearance leaves theElven Court open to exploration�and deep within it lies the lost, fabledcity of Myth Drannor, once a centerof magical knowledge where menand elves worked together. It isthought to still contain much mightymagic in the surviving, undergroundhalls of the School of Wizardrythere. Lashan was known to havesent two expeditions (their fatesunknown) into the woods during thepast year to reach it. The Dalesfolkfear he is hurrying to Myth Drannornow with the last of his warriors,seeking magic to defeat his foes andconquer the Dales once again.

You are a diverse band of adventur-ers hastily assembled from taverns,temples, and gaming houses of Sha-dowdale and Mistledale. Shadowdalelies nearest to the lost city, and its lord,Mourngrym (for Doust Sulwood andhis friends have left Shadowdale toseek adventure), has gathered you toget to Myth Drannor before Lashandoes, and destroy, bear away, or buryforever any magic there, to keep itfrom the conqueror. You will be wellrewarded by all the Dales, Mourngrympromises (and you know him for a manof his word, a cavalier of courtly man-ners and true honor)�but he warnsyou not to covet much magic for your-selves, for some of it is fey and danger-ous. He would hate to have to battleyou, instead of Lashan, come spring.

You set out hurriedly and travelthrough that vast wood for two dayswithout meeting or seeing a livingcreature. Frost is in the air; winter isalmost come�a winter in whichLashan, if successful, will try to build

his power again. An ancient mapsupplied to you by the sage Elmin-ster leads you through the ruined,overgrown city, of Myth Drannor toan empty, high-ceilinged hall whosedoors are fallen and whose spiredtowers are no more. Within lies astair leading down to the School ofWizardry. Time is running out, andyou need to gather all of the magicyou can and destroy the rest, to pre-vent Lashan�s return to power. Theadventure has begun.

DM�s InformationUnknown to the party, Lashan hasalready beaten them to Myth Drannor�sSchool of Wizardry�and he has paid ahigh price for it, too. Lashan and ahand-picked group of bodyguardsentered the underground school anddiscovered that it was inhabited by theformer head of the School of Wizardryuntil it was abandoned three hundredyears ago when the city above it wastaken in a war. The archmage was leftin the school at his own request, to pur-sue his own increasingly evil experi-ments and summonings.

At long last the archmage, named Azi-mer, became a lich. He has also becomegradually more and more insane, andeven now as a lich he has but a tenuousgrasp on reality. Azimer believes he isstill a living human being and has con-tinuous hallucinations and delusionsthat the school is active, that he is itsleader, and that the world is his to com-mand. He also believes there are unseen�enemies� constantly trying to get intothe school, though he has done little tofortify the school over the years.

When Lashan discovered Azimer, thelich at first believed that the warriorwas one of his sorcerous pupils andasked Lashan to perform some errands.Though Lashan�s terrified bodyguardsfled, attempting to escape the dreadfulapparition of the lich, the hot-temperedand foolhardy Lashan elected to attack,and he easily wounded Azimer with his

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magical sword. Azimer became instant-ly convinced that Lashan was one of the�enemies� who wanted to slay him, andhe quickly destroyed the ex-tyrant andall of his followers.

Azimer has calmed down since thenand will, if carefully treated, prove rela-tively harmless to an adventuring partyunless provoked. He will not automati-c a l l y a t t a c k a n y o n e u n l e s s h e i sattacked first. See area 28 for moredetails on his current personality.

The School of Wizardry1. In the center of the high-ceilinged,dusty hall is a spiral stairway with norail, the stone steps corkscrewing downinto darkness. The stairs are litteredwith dust, cobwebs, tiny skeletons ofrats that crunch underfoot, and frag-ments of stone fallen from the ceilingfar above. The stairs are dry, cold, andsmooth, sculpted of single blocks ofstone. They descend for 60 feet. As thecharacters descend the stairs, the firstcharacter carrying a light source willnotice that someone else has comedown these steps within the last day,probably a group of several men judg-ing by the number of boot prints visibleon the dusty stone steps.

Unless otherwise stated, all doors inthis dungeon complex require a normaldoor-opening roll. (Azimer routinelybypasses all doors with his dimensiondoor, knock, and wizard lock spells.)

2. The stairs end in an octagonal room,apparently carved out of solid rock.Four closed, featureless stone doorswith brass pull-rings are visible, one ineach of the diagonal walls of the room.In the center of the room is a circular,moated pool that looks as if it was oncea fountain, now dry and choked withstony rubble. All is dark, silent, and still.Against the wall between the doorsleading to areas 3 and 16 stands a 9-foot-tall stone humanoid statue, facingthe center of the room. The statue ismotionless, its eyes closed and its handsat its sides. In the rubble in the fountainis a brass key (which fits no lock in thiscomplex) and a tarnished, green silver

piece. The �statue� is a stone guardian(AC 2, MV 10�, 4+4 HD, 36 hp, 2 attacksfor 2-9/2-9, size M). It can detect invisi-bility it is immune to poison, cold,charms, holds, normal missiles, andfear; it takes one-quarter damage fromedged weapons, half damage from cold,fire, and electricity. The guardian canbe slain instantly by dig, stone to flesh,transmute rock to mud, or stone shape.The stone guardian will attack anyoneforcing open the door to area 16. (Alldoors open outward, into this room.)

If the door to area 16 is touched, amagic mouth will appear on it and say,�You dare disturb the one who rulesMyth Drannor? Give his name, or youshall not pass.� The answer is �Azimer�(see area 28). Anyone calling out thisword will find the door easily opened; itwill be locked (non-magically). Forcingthe door open (requiring a bend barsroll, as the lock cannot be picked) willwake the stone guardian. If the doorleading to area 16 is not molested, thestone guardian will remain motionlessunless attacked.

Lashan and several soldiers from hisfallen army entered the Myth Drannorcomplex less than a day ago. Havingheard that the last known ruler of themages� school was an archmage namedAzimer , Lashan gave the correctresponse and was allowed to passthrough, unaware that Azimer was stillaround (see area 28). Lashan stationedtwo guards here (see area 5). Anyonecan tell from looking at the floor that an u m b e r o f m e n r e c e n t l y w a l k e dthrough this area, some going to area16 and some to area 5.

3. This door opens to reveal a solid wallof stone rubble, which will spill into theroom with a roar and a cloud of dust.The more rubble dug away by the par-ty, the more rubble will fall into thespace cleared. This formerly led to thel iv ing quarters of the mages andapprentices. (This area may be clearedand expanded for non-tournamentcampaign play if the Dungeon Masterdesires.)

4. This door opens into a smaller room

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with garments hanging on the walls.Stone benches are placed in the centerof the room and run all around thewalls of the room beneath the clothing.Small cracks are visible in the walls, andsomething may be seen moving under abench in the far corner. The movingbeing is a small, gray, harmless lizard(AC 6, MV 12�, 1 hp). If disturbed, it willblunder straight out at the party andthen run for the safety of a wide crackin the wall. The room is a former ward-robe; the benches are rotten, with rot-ten boots beneath them, and hangingfrom wooden pegs are rotting cloaksand hats. A small brass ring (non-magical) can be found sewn into thehem of one cloak.

5. The door from area 2 is already open,leading into a featureless 30-foot-longstone passage which leads to anotheropen stone door. This last door opensinto a 30� x 70� room with a 50� ceilingthat was once a feasting hall. Rotting,long, wooden tables march in two linesdown the room, with fifteen woodenchairs on either side and a high-backedseat at the far end. Archways open inthe middle of the walls on the right andleft, blocked by cobweb-shrouded cur-tains. At the far end of the room hangs arusty iron bar high up on wall brackets;from the bar hang long tatters of mil-dewed, black fabric�once some sort ofvast tapestry covering most of the wall.Not enough is left to tell what it depict-ed.

Two bodies (slain within the last day)will be discovered in this room. Both ofthe bodies are human males, wearingchain mail armor and carrying broadswords. Their military dress identifiesthem as followers of Lashan, from Scar-dale. One of the men has a dagger +2on his belt in a plain sheath; the otherhas no extra equipment. Each of themwas apparently struck by something onthe face, arms, and chest that producedfrostbite and killed them; they bearscars that resemble bony hand marks.They were apparently trying to fleefrom something coming from area 2(see areas 2 and 15).

What struck each of these formerly2nd-level fighters was, of course, Azi-mer, who was in a killing frenzy due toLashan�s successful attack upon him(see area 28). If speak with dead is usedon either of the two men, he will shriekin terror, crying out about �The cold!The cold!� If asked who slew him, theman will answer, �The bones! The walk-ing, cold bones!� The DM should playthis up for the maximum horrific effecton the party.

6. The archway on the left opens into asmaller (20� x 30�) room, with a singlelong table and five chairs drawn uparound it. This was once an exclusivedining area for the teaching wizards,the Masters. A passage leads off to thesouth. If the furniture is examined care-fully, a 1-foot-long, tapering wand ofwood (stained to match the table) mightbe found slipped into ring-like holderson the underside of the table. It is awand of wonder, with its commandword (�Zamper�) engraved on the butt.The wand will only be noticed by adetect magic spell, or if anyone search-ing the table rolls a 1 on 1d6.

7. Garderobe (toilet). This room con-tains only a wooden seat with a hole init, a torch bracket above and a shelfbeside it, and a peg in the wall for coats.The hole leads down into a stream farbelow; if one lifts the seat from its ledg-es, one can get down into the streamusing a rope. Trying to climb down thenarrow tunnel to the stream without arope leaves a 40% chance for anyone(except a thief) to slip and fall, doing 2-12 hp damage to himself. If any charac-ters drop into the stream below, whichflows to the south, see area 24 for fur-ther information.

8. Garderobe, identical to area 7 exceptthat anyone trying to climb down intothe stream below will become stuck. Athief has a chance equal to his climbwalls roll (one attempt only allowed) toget free and continue on down theshaft.

9. This was a kitchen, with a chopping-block table and a beam ceiling with iron

hooks overhead. All utensils are gone. Alarge, sooty stone hearth and chimneyare also present. In the end wall on thecharacters� left is a low, arched openingthat begins two feet up the wall. Twoheavy wooden doors (with diagonalframing) face the characters on the wallahead. If anyone inspects the chimneyclosely, a shrieking, yellow-eyed bat willfly out of the chimney right at the char-acters. It�s an ordinary bat (AC 8, MV1�/24�, ¼ HD, 2 hp, bites for 1 hp dam-age plus disease, as per cause disease, ifa save vs. poison is not made). A charac-ter may climb up the chimney if he pos-sesses any climbing ability; otherwise, acharacter has a 40% chance of success-fully climbing the chimney passage.The chimney exits into the ruins ofMyth Drannor overhead, serving as anemergency escape route (though it is afilthy one, too). If the chopping-blocktable is closely inspected, it will befound to be covered with a peculiar,gummy ichor. A large meat cleaver islying on the tabletop, its blade also cov-ered with the ichor. This is the placewhere Azimer has been killing larvaebrought to him by summoned demonsand night hags, which helps him tomaintain his lichhood (though he nolonger sees himself as a lich at all).

10. This 10-foot-wide, 20-foot-deep rootcellar has a low, arched stone-blockceiling and a fairly level solid stonefloor. In it are bunches of old, moulder-ing onions, a spongy, pungent-smellingkeg of beer (now spoiled), a large pile ofstraw, and a row of six empty earthen-ware jugs. A seventh jug has rolled intoa corner and still has its stopper inplace. It is heavy, and sloshing noisescome from inside when it is picked up.The jug once contained potent rootwine; however, it and the beer haveboth spoiled and are now poisonous(loss of 2 hp, plus wracking pains andnausea for one turn if any amount ofthese is consumed; no spellcasting,attacks, or defense possible during thistime), though neither tastes bad.

Hiding under the straw in the cellar isa larva (AC 7, MV 6�, 1 HD, 8 hp, bites

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for 2-5 hp damage). The larva escapedfrom Azimer a week ago when broughtover to the kitchen (area 9), and Azimer,in his addled state, never thought tolook for it again. If discovered, the larvawill plead for mercy, spewing forth anynumber of lies and false promises tohelp the party. It only wishes to escapethe dungeon. It will claim to be a pala-din cursed by Azimer to look like aworm, but will not say anything moreabout Azimer except that the mage iscrazy. The larva will make no referenceto Azimer�s lichhood.

11. The door to this room is latched butnot locked. It creaks loudly whenopened to reveal a long, bare room thatsmells faintly of herbs, apples, onions,and the like. The floor is strewn withdamp, rotting rushes, from amongwhich comes a phosphorescent glow atthe far end of the room. The glow isfrom a small (one foot long), harmlessglowworm. Nothing of value is here.

12. A room identical to 11 (another pan-try), but without the glowworm. If thechamber is searched thoroughly, a nar-row gap may be found in the walls atthe back (leading to area 13). The gapwill be found by a character on a roll of1-3 on a d6 if the room is searched for atleast 5 rounds.

13. A dark, rough-walled, natural stonepassage with uneven footing, slick withdamp and harmless molds and lichens,leads to a natural cavern. The cavernsmells of wine and some unidentifiablerotting substance. The floor has asecret door in it (detected on a 1 on 1d6by any character searching for it: rollonce per turn of searching). If the dooris opened, a small pit will be discoveredin which the mouldering remains ofseveral larvae and some minor treasurea r e s t o r e d . A p o t i o n o f f i r e g i a n tstrength, 120 gp, and a wand of magicmissiles (with 3 charges) are here.

14. The door to this room is made ofstone and locked (it must be picked orforced open with a bend bars roll to getin). Within is a 20� x 20� empty room,once a storeroom.

15. Another storeroom with a stonedoor, but this door�s lock has beenpicked. Opening this door will stillrequire a bend bars roll, since materialhas been shoved against the other sideof the door to jam it shut. Inside theroom is the body of another of Lashan�smen, an elf fighter/thief in leatherarmor who was probably the last ofLashan�s men to die inside the mages�school. The elf escaped from Azimer asthe lich chased and killed the rest of them e n i n t h e n o r t h e r n e n d o f t h edungeon across the chasm (area 16);having made it across the chasm, the elfdiscovered that Azimer had useddimension door to arr ive in area 2(judging from the screams of the guardsthere). The elf took refuge in area 15after picking the lock, but Azimerfound him anyway with another dimen-sion door. Azimer, still enraged fromLashan�s successful attack on him (seearea 28), immediately slew the elf withhis freezing touch. Frostbitten scars inthe shape of skeletal hands appear overthe elf�s face, arms, and chest.

If searched, the elf will be found tohave a set of thieves� tools, a pouchinside his armor with two gems (bothworth 100 gp), a pass identifying thebearer as an agent of Lashan�s army,and a ring of water breathing (as perthe druid spell, with indefinite dura-tion). A speak with dead spell will revealthe elf�s spirit to be rational, but verycalculating and angry that he has beenslain. He knows it was a lich that killedhim, but will not tell this to the partyout of sheer maliciousness (he was aneutral evil elf). If he can mislead theparty, he will do so.

16. The corridor ends on the lip of avast, dark chasm: a natural under-ground rift lit here and there by glow-ing patches of yellow fungi. Some 70feet away, on the other side of thecavern and slightly lower, the corridoropens out again. The rough, stalactite-studded ceiling of the cavern is visibleoverhead; the bottom is shrouded indarkness. (A pebble or other itemdropped will take two seconds to hit,

indicating a depth of about 60 feet.) Thechasm is crossed by a row of sevenglowing, pearly-white squares, appar-ently made up only of light, each 7� x 7�and separated from the next square bya 3-foot gap (or 1 ½ feet from the tunnelfloors on either side). All is silent. Far tothe left, 90 feet away, some sort ofarched bridge or viaduct can be seenparalleling the squares of light (see area24); the sound of rushing water comesfrom the bridge.

The chasm is 60 feet deep, measuringfrom the level of the squares; any char-acter falling into it takes 6d6 points ofdamage and must make a system shockroll in order to escape becoming lame(move at 3� speed permanently). Rollpercentile dice whenever a charactermoves from one square to the next,with a result of 00 indicating that thecharacter has slipped on a square�sslightly slick surface and fallen. Do notroll when a character crosses from atunnel to a square, or from a square to atunnel mouth. A running character hasa 10% chance of slipping off whenjumping from square to square. A char-acter will normally cross the chasm in 3rounds, taking half a round (5 seg-ments) to cross from one square toanother; crossing from a tunnel to asquare or vice versa is considered to beautomatic. Running across the chasmsuccessfully takes only half a round.

If struck solidly by a monster (seebelow) while on one of the squares, acharacter has a 5% chance of falling offper hit point of damage inflicted onhim. The light squares will solidly sup-port characters without dipping ormoving, regardless of how muchweight is put on them. A dispel magiccast on a square will cause it to wink outof existence instantly, dropping what-ever is on it to the chasm floor.

When the foremost member of theparty reaches the center square overthe chasm, a doombat (kept as a guard-ian by Azimer; AC 4, MV 18�, 6 + 3 HD,33 hp, bites for 1-6 hp and lashes for 1-4hp, shriek ruins all spellcastingattempts and causes all hit attempts tohave a - 1 penalty; light spells will keep

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it from attacking) will attack by swoop-ing past the party, biting and tail-lashingas it shrieks for five rounds. The doom-bat, after it finishes the 5-round shriek-ing attack, will then start attackingcharacters by snatching at them withits feet (roll to hit as a 6 HD monster tograb victim) and dropping them intothe chasm. Once someone has falleninto the chasm, the doombat will flydown and attack him there continu-ously until the victim is slain andanother victim can be caught anddropped.

The doombat cannot enter the tun-nels leading out of the chasm. It is fam-ished from lack of food and will neverretreat once its attacks have started.Anyone hearing the doombat�s cries hasa 5% greater chance of falling whenmoving from square to square.

When the foremost member of theparty reaches the square closest to thenorthern tunnel entrance, a piercer(AC 3, MV 1�, 4 HD, 20 hp, 4-24 hp dam-age from drop, 95% likely to surprise)will fall on him or her (normal hit rollrequired).

17. The chasm is dark, with a rockyfloor strewn with sand (there was oncean underground lake here), bones fromthe doombat�s and piercer�s victims,and some minor treasure. Glowingmolds and fungi can be found here, andharmless crickets and cave snakes nestin the shadows. The shell of a long-deadgiant scorpion rises ship-like at the east-ern end of the chasm floor, and theremains of several humans litter theground under the light squares. (All fellfrom the walkway above.) Only themost recently dead human may be con-tacted using a speak with dead spell; hewill prove cooperative, but only if hisbody is given a proper burial (his reli-gion requires his body to be immolat-ed). He knows about Azimer�s lichhood,having been in area 28 when Lashanattacked the former archmage, but heran before he knew of Lashan�s fate.

One skeleton wears rotten leatherarmor, with a short sword +1, +2 vs.magic-using and enchanted creatures,

and two normal silvered daggers (oneat belt, one in left boot). It wears a goldring (worth 10 gp) and has 60 feet ofwaxed cable looped around its waist asa belt. Beside this one is a skeleton inrusty but usable chain mail, with acrumpled metal shield under it, a longsword belted to it, and a handaxe fallennearby. It has a tinder box, two largeempty sacks, and a broken lantern.

A skeleton in tattered robes is closeby, wearing a brass ring (a ring of pro-tection +3) and clutching a brokenstaff. In its backpack are a stopperedstainless steel vial (a potion of healing,restores 2d4 + 2 hp), three broken can-dles, two quills, a bottle of ink, and aspellbook with 16 pages in it. The lastthree are blank; the others containburning hands, enlarge, identify, jump,read magic, shield, spider climb, write,cont inual l ight , invis ib i l i ty , knock ,locate object, and dispel magic. Materialcomponents packaged in cloth bags, forthe castings of all of these spells, can befound in the pockets of the robes.

Near the northern end of the chasm isa skeleton in red robes, with studdedleather armor underneath and an ironhelm. A shattered wooden pendant,probably once a holy symbol, hangsfrom its neck, and a smashed lantern isgripped in one hand. Two shatteredglass flasks are in a pack on its back,and a hammer hangs from its left wristby a looped strap. A mace +1 is in awrapped sheath at its belt; this glows asa crimson faerie fire when grasped.

A freshly dead human in plate mail,with intact metal shield, helm, andarmored boots, lies on top of the cleric�sremains. A dagger is at its feet, a broadsword in its hand, and a (broken) javelinslung across its back. The human�sshield has the insignia of Lashan�s armyupon it. His belt purse contains 15 gp, 2ep, and 5 cp.

18. Two featureless stone doors (toareas 19 and 27) and a corridor openout from this chamber, which containsan empty torch bracket set into the wallin one corner and a sigil in red mosaictiles inlaid in the center of the pale gray

floor. The mosaic pattern is that of thewizard�s school that once flourishedhere. A roll of 1 on 1d6 indicates thatanyone searching this area for one turnwill successfully detect the trap on thesigil. The two doors are wizard locked(19th level). If the sigil is stepped on ordisturbed in any way, a hole will slentlyopen in the ceiling above it and an ironcobra (AC 0, MV 12�, 1 HD, 8 hp, bitesfor 1-3 plus poison (sleep for 1-2 hours),saves as 12th-level magic-user, immuneto all will-force spells and webs, takeshalf damage from normal weapons,49% chance to hide in shadows, movessilently) will strike down out of it at any-one and everyone in area 18. The actuallair of the iron cobra is a 5� squarealcove above area 18.

19. This 20� x 30� room is lined withdeep, floor-to-ceiling shelves coveringall four walls (except for the door). Inthe center of the room is a sturdy tres-tle table and two high stools. Theshelves are crammed with stored mate-rial components for spells and equip-ment, including 16 brass braziers, a potof pitch, eight intact turtle shells, and awide assortment of jars containing eve-rything from coal to crystals to humaneyelashes. If the shelves are examinedclosely, a doorway-wide section in thesouth-east corner will be found to havejoints in it (breaks or seams in all theshelves). If pulled, this section willswing out to reveal a dark passagewaybehind it.

20. This 30� x 30� room has an unlocked,open stone door; it contains only awooden armchair and circular table,with a ring of eight stools around it. Allare rotting and somewhat rickety.

21. This area is similar to area 20,except that the door is closed and wiz-ard locked (19th level). The walls of thisroom are covered in illegible scrawl,written with a charcoal stick. Azimer, inhis madness, believes he is creating anew potion formula that will give himimmortality and godlike powers; intruth, as any magic-user of 8th level orhigher will be able to tell, it is meaning-

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less.

22. This large (60� high x 170� long x 40�wide at its widest) irregular, naturalcavern has a sandy floor, and a clear-watered, cold, swift-flowing stream atits west end. The water falls down therock face from clefts high up, collects ina tiny pool, and flows swiftly to thesouthwest where the cavern narrows.It is large enough for characters toswim across. The room is lit by a faintfaerie fire radiance cast on the ceilingabove the stream. Two of Lashan�s menescaped as far as this cavern when Azi-mer became enraged, but their bodieslie in the northeast end of the cavern,slain by magic missiles. Each man isdressed in chain mail and carries abroad sword; neither possesses anyequipment of consequence. If contact-ed by a speak with dead spell, eitherman will prove talkative, but neitherknows of Lashan�s fate.

23. The stream rushes rapidly along anatural passage, a rough-walled chutewith 4-6 inches of dank a irspacebetween the stone ceiling and thewater. Characters swimming the icystream will become numb almost imme-diately; they will find it hard to holdthings, their coordination becomingslow, imprecise, and weak (reduce dex-terity by half, dropping fractions). Thiseffect will last for 5-10 rounds after acharacter leaves the stream. Betweenthe cavern (area 22) and the viaduct(area 24), the swimmers will be sweptinto a skeleton lodged against an oldiron grating (which is twisted to oneside, allowing easy passage). Examina-tion of the skeleton, which is that of amagic-user, will reveal a brass ring offeather falling and a silvered dagger in abelt sheath. The skeleton has a singlepearl on a chain about its neck, a pearlof power which recalls a 3rd-level spellif worn by a magic-user,

24. The stream is carried across thechasm here by a 4-foot-high walled via-duct, before it plunges once more into arocky tunnel. If the stream is followedfurther, the party will find it passes

underneath two shafts or holes�thegarderobes of areas 7 and 8�beforesweeping on for miles under the earthto join the River Ashaba just north ofMistledale. The cold water will quicklyparalyze any unprotected characterwho is even partially immersed in it,with this effect beginning as soon as acharacter passes the shaft leading up toarea 8. Any paralyzed character whodoes not have some means of breathingunderwater will drown; those who sur-vive will be swept along in the streamuntil they are deposited in the riverafter some five hours of travel. It is pos-sible for a character to walk against thecurrent, but only if some sort of protec-tion from cold is employed (such as ac u b e o f f r o s t r e s i s t a n c e , a r i n g o fwarmth, or a resist cold spell).

25. The door to this room is made ofstone and is wizard locked (19th level).Within lies a 50� x 65� chamber carvedfrom solid rock, containing a hugecrescent-shaped table fashioned ofblack wood, with thirty-three straight-backed chairs of the same materialdrawn up around it. Three globes ofglowing, immaterial light hang in mid-air on the far (east) side of the room,and each has an item hanging suspend-ed in it: a staff, a large egg-shapedspheroid, and a crown. Three freshlyslain human bodies lie on the flooraround the table, each badly mauledand partially eaten. Overhead floats ahuge brainlike monster with a parrot-like beak and ten tentacles, each as longas a man is tall. Four gemlike stones cir-cle about its head, out of reach of thecharacters. It floats toward the charac-ters, writhing its tentacles. The mon-ster is a grell (AC 4, MV 12�, HD 5, 35hp, 10 tentacle attacks for 1-4 (plus savevs. paralyzation at +4) and bite for 1-6,flies by levitation, immune to lightning)that will attack anyone entering theroom. It did not kill the three humanswho lie about, having been fed theminstead by Azimer (who keeps the mon-ster as a �pet�). The condition of thebodies indicates that they were slainonly within the last few days, in the

same manner as the dead in areas 5 and15. They were former warriors ofLashan.

Treasure is scattered about the room,and consists of a short sword, threedaggers, four iron spikes, a woodenmallet, a 60� rope, a bullseye lantern, awand of enemy detection (four chargesleft), a purse with 6 gp, a broad sword+2, a hammer, a spear, three sets of

chain mail, two blankets, two darts, ascroll of two magic missile spells (at 6thlevel of ability), and five flasks of flam-mable oil. Azimer had no use for suchitems (or so he believed).

Floating just above the grell are fourioun stones. The first is a pale greenprism (adds one level of experience),the second a pearly white spindle(regenerates 1 hp of damage per turn),the third a pale lavender ellipsoid(absorbs spells of up to 4th level, burnsout to dull gray after absorbing 10 spelllevels), and finally a dull gray ellipsoid(burned out). The second and thirdstones function normally when whirl-ing around the grell.

The three floating items in the globesof light are trophies. The glowingglobes of air are merely permanent sta-sis fields; they hold any object placed inthem motionless, levitated, and protect-ed from decay. Characters reachinginto the globes of light will not beharmed. The items are a staff of curing(four charges left), a red dragon�s egg(fertile and hatchable within twoweeks, value 1500 gp), and a crown ofsilver (worth 550 gp) set with six blacksapphires (value 5000 gp each) and a5000-gp-value clear red ruby, set in aspire in the center front of the crown.This ruby is actually a gem of seeing.

26. This hallway is lined on both sideswith a total of fifteen life-sized stonestatues, standing on 1-foot-tall blocks ofstone. They are all extremely lifelikeand all radiate a faint dweomer, but aremerely well-sculpted statues of famousmagic-users, nothing more. (DMs mayconsider having a few of these statuesbe petrified, powerful mages whotaught at the school and elected to wait

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them in times of need.)in this way for apprentices to �wake�

Two closed, wizard locked (19th level)stone doors are set in the walls of thishallway, one at the east end, and one atthe south wall (leading to areas 27 and28, respectively).27. This 20� x 60� room was once thelibrary of the School of Wizardry; nowit is a fire-scarred ruin. Ashes andcrumbling, charred shelves line thewalls and litter the floor in the center ofthe room, where remnants show thatthree tables, with four chairs at each,stood here. Dust lies thick on the ashes;the fire was not a recent thing, and sur-prisingly few ashes are on the shelves.Close examination will reveal that thebooks and scrolls of the library werealmost all gone or removed before thefire occurred. Walls, floor, and ceilingare all blackened by smoke, and if theseare looked at, the outlines of a narrowdoor can be seen on the south wall, inthe corner where it meets the westwall. If this area is pushed, it will slidenoiselessly away to reveal a dark, silentpassage.

28. This room is 30� x 30�, and furnishedwith a massive carved wooden arm-chair, an oval side-table with a largebook on it, and a purple tapestry on thesouth wall adorned with a golden sigilidentical to the one on the floor of thecentral hallway (area 18). The room isilluminated by a brightly glowing ball ofgreen fungus that sits in a bowl full ofwhat looks like water and old, blackblood. A skeletal hand, still blotchedwith scraps of rotting flesh, is visible,projecting half out of the bowl; the fun-gus is growing on the carrion. The bowlis under the table. Sitting in the chair isa skeleton with shriveled skin stilladhering to it; it is wearing rottingrobes, and its eyes are two cold, twin-kling white points of light. It gestures atthe characters to approach.

This is Azimer (AC 0, MV 6�, HD 19,76 hp, attacks for 1-10 (plus save vs.paralyzation), causes fear in all crea-tures below 5th level or 5 HD, struckonly by magical weapons or attacks,

immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement,polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity(see below), or death spells/symbols).Though as a lich he is immune to fur-ther attacks causing insanity, Azimer�smental illness predated his conversionto a lich, and his insanity cannot now becured by any means.

Azimer is still well equipped withspells, and his condition still allows himto cast them (though he has a 1%chance per level of a spell attempted ofblowing the spell so that it does not �gooff�). His current spells are as follows:magic missile (x3), read magic, shield,continual light, ESP levitate, magicmouth, wizard lock, dispel magic, gustof wind, hold person (x2), suggestion,dimension door (x2), fire trap, wall offire, wall of ice, cloudkill, feeblemind,hold monster (x2), wall of force, anti-magic shell, death spell, repulsion, caco-d a e m o n , p o w e r w o r d s t u n , r e v e r s egravity, Otto�s irresistible dance, powerword blind (x2), and imprisonment.

Note that Azimer�s magic missilespells teach firing ten missiles that do 2-5 hp damage apiece) may be directed atseparate targets if the lich so wishes.Azimer will employ these first, inter-spersing them with any defensive spellshe deems necessary (e.g., feeblemindon spellcasters, hold person or holdmonster on charging at tackers , orreverse gravity on a group of attackers,anti-magic shell if he faces many spell-casters, and so forth). Azimer will usedimension door to get into area 29 ifseriously threatened.

All of Azimer�s spells are written inthe book on the table. (This is his finalspellbook, which he no longer needsbut which he keeps for sentimental rea-sons.) The book has a fire trap cast on it(5� radius explosion doing 19 + 1d4damage when opened, unless theproper saving throw is made).

Azimer will at first greet the charac-ters in a brusque manner, demanding(in a ghastly whisper) to know wherethe characters have been, why theyhaven�t been studying their spellbooks,and scolding them for not seeming tocare about how important their work

at the school is. He will then get up andbecome more friendly and patronizing,continuing to treat the characters asfavored pupils in his �magic school� andcalling them by the names of magic-users long dead who lived at the school.He will avoid touching the charactersunless one of them appears to be bellig-erent or talks back to him; then hemight gently rap the character once(doing normal damage from his coldtouch) and continue with his business.

Azimer believes he is a living humanbeing, and cannot be convinced that heis really a lich. He will treat any com-ments to the contrary as some sort ofjoke or insult, depending on how suchcomments are framed. If attacked, hewill defend himself as described above.Though he still summons night hagsand demons to collect larvae, enablinghim to maintain his existence as a lich,he now believes he is doing this in orderto achieve godhood (which will neveroccur).

No sign of Lashan will be seen in theroom, and there are no signs of a scuf-fle. If Lashan�s description is given tothe lich (he was 6� tall, dark haired witha heavy beard, very muscular, and hadgreen eyes), or if he is named, Azimerwill become agitated and curse Lashanas a traitor, backstabber, thief, liar, andcheat. The lich will heap abuse uponLashan, eventually stopping to give outa horrifying giggle and admit thatLashan now �sleeps at the center of theworld.� After stunning (with a powerword stun) and paralyzing Lashan withhis touch, Azimer used an ESP on theunfortunate tyrant, learned about hislife, and then cast an imprisonmentspell on him.

The Dungeon Master may have Azi-mer perform any number of bizarrebehaviors and say nonsensical and �cra-zy� things when interacting with theparty. Azimer has no desire to leave hisunderground home, and if left alone hewill eventually waste away and his spir-it will perish within a few hundredmore years. Though he is evil and maycertainly be dangerous, he is for themost part harmless�unless angered.

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29. Here all the secret passages meet. A1-inch-diameter hole is in the ceiling ofthis chamber, and within it is a slightlysmaller keyhole. A 2-inch-diameterround hole is in the floor, extendingdown three feet. At the bottom of thehole in the floor can be seen a long, goldkey, if a light is directed into the hole.

If the party figures out a way to getthe key up out of the hole (various spellswill work, or some sticky substance�p i t c h f r o m a b u r n i n g t o r c h , f o rexample�can be applied to the end of astaff, a stick of wood, or a rope) andinserts it into the keyhole in the ceiling,the door leading into area 30 will open.The lich will flee here if pressed, using areverse gravity spell to get at the key,which is the only unfixed object here.

30. The passage here is guarded by apiercer (1 HD, 7 hp, does 1-6 hp dam-age) that hangs directly over the secretdoor entrance. This last irregular, natu-ral passage apparently leads to a deadend; but shortly before its end, on theeast wall, is a secret door (see area 29)leading into a natural rock cavern, oncethe quarters of the Master of theSchool. This cavern room is lined withbooks; most are light reading in ratherarchaic common and elven tongues, butspellbooks (one book per spell level)may be found, containing all knownmagic-user spells except for thosenamed spells (like the Bigby�s handspells).

Also present are two wooden arm-chairs, a wide cot with cotton sheetsand a wool blanket, a rug, a table, achamber pot, two (empty) woodenkegs, two pewter tankards, an oil lampand sixteen flasks of oil (on a bottombookshelf to one side), a silver horn ofValhalla, an alchemy jug, a wand ofnegation (six charges left, commandword �Arbraer� engraved on the butt),a he lm o f comprehending languagesand reading magic, four potions of heal-ing (each restores 2d4 +2 hp), and anecklace of adaptation. None of theseitems is labeled or in any way identified,and all are usable by any characterclass.

Books of theForgotten RealmsHereafter follow descriptions of someof the major magical tomes of theRealms. They are defined in terms ofappearance, history, and contents. Incases wherein the tome contains newor unique spells, those are also listed instandard Players Handbook format.

Nchaser�s EiyromanciaAppearance : This tome is th in ,

bound in black leather, and bears thetitle Eiyromancia on the cover, stampedand inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Theedges of the tome have all about beenprotected with beaten copper strips,and these are fitted with two clasps.The clasps are unlatched by twisting asilver knob on each; if the bottom knobis twisted without first twisting andremoving the top one, a poisoned nee-dle springs up the side of the knob. Theassassin Nathode says it is coated withType D (or equivalent intensity) insinu-ative poison, apparently renewed froma reservoir under the binding. Nathodedid not handle the tome himself, butobserved its effect upon another. Histestimony verifies a folk legend whichsays that all who try to open Nchaser�sEiyromancia die.

Nathode�s recollection dates back sev-en winters, when the book was broughtto the court of Lord Nasher by a mer-chant, one Furjur the Flippant, whotold the Lord that the tome was sold tohim by a band of adventuring dwarveshe encountered in a clearing deep inthe northern forests. One of the mem-bers of Nasher�s court attempted toopen the book, with fatal results (this iswhat Nathode observed), and it wasplaced unopened in the Lord�s library(Furjur had gifted it to the Lord inreturn for a charter). It was subse-quently stolen during the riots of theFive Fires Rising, and its present where-abouts are unknown.

History and Description: The mageNchaser has not been seen for nearlytwenty winters. Before his disappear-

ance Nchaser wandered the Realms,working and seeking after magic, andupon two occasions served as an advi-sor to a local ruler. On the second ofthese occasions, while serving the HighCaptains of the city of Luskan, Nchaserwrote the Eiyromancia and gave it tothe High Captain Taerl. Some time afterNchaser�s departure, the tome wasstolen, and like its author it has wander-ed the Realms ever since. Alustriel, theHigh Lady of Silverymoon, had it brief-ly, gifting it to a dwarf of the CitadelAdbar. The dwarf never returnedhome, and the book was lost again�andso it has gone through the years.

Contents: The wizard Arbane, whosaw the book briefly while it was atLuskan (he was friend to the High Cap-tain Suljack), reports that it containsfour magic-user spells: Nulathoe�s Nine-men (pronounced Nin -em-en), a uniquespell of the fifth level used to protectand preserve a dead body; Nchaser�sglowing globe, a unique spell of thefourth level which is used in the crea-tion of luminous globes, and the rarespells part water and statue.

A unique spell is a spell not commonlyavailable, found only in the text in ques-tion or else believed to have been firstset down therein. In some cases itmeans only that the text in question isthe earliest surviving source of thespell. The first of the unique spells wasdevised by Nchaser�s tutor Nulathoe,and the second is of Nchaser�s inven-tion. By the kindness of Arbane theMighty, both are reproduced below.

Nulathoe�s NinemenLevel: 5Range: TouchDuration: PermanentArea of Effect: One corpseComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 5 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This spellserves to protect dead creatures of allsorts against normal decay, magicallystrengthening the joints of corpses orcorpse limbs to keep them supple andusable. Its most prevalent practical use

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is to preserve dead comrades for plac-ing atop a bier in a sepulcher, or inhopes that they may be raised. Themagic-user requires fresh blood from acreature of the same race/species as thespell subject, and the dust or powderresulting from the crushing of a moon-stone of not less than 7 gp value. As thewords of the spell are spoken, the mostvital areas of the body (chest cavity,head and neck, joints of extremities) aresprinkled with a small amount of blood,and the whole body is then sprinkledwith the moonstone dust. The closinggesture of the spell is the touching ofthe corpse, whereupon the spell willtake immediate effect. Note that thisspell does not heal wounds or stanchbleeding.

Nchaser�s Glowing GlobeLevel: 4Range: TouchDuration: PermanentArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time:Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This spellrequires a globe of blown glass of thefinest quality, and a spark. By the use ofthis spell the caster creates an effectidentical to a continual light spell cen-tered within a transparent object, butwith the brightness of the light underthe caster�s mental control. Continuouscontrol need not be maintained; thecaster can merely exert concentrationto change the current luminosity of theglobe, and it will continue to emit thedesired amount of light until a newmental command is received (unless, ofcourse, it should be destroyed). Mentalcontrol may be maintained over a globefrom a distance of 9� per level of thecaster (plus 4� per point of intelligenceover 15). Control of a globe cannot bewrested from another except by meansof a wish or limited wish �or upon thedeath of the owner, whereupon theexpectant owner must touch the globeto take mastery over it.

The Book of the Silver Talon ic Steeleye. book: read magic, burning hands, com-

Appearance: This book comprises The adventurer Steeleye confirms p r e h e n d l a n g u a g e s , d e t e c t m a g i c ,

26 papyrus leaves sewn into a leather this incident, and adds that the gar- erase, write, identify, message, shock-

binding. The leather has been dyed goyles were slain with a shower of sil- ing grasp, shield, darkness 15� radius,

black with some thick, durable dye that ver arrows by the elves of the High detect invisibility, knock, ray of enfee-

remains supple and covers the hide Forest as the creatures swooped low blement, web, wizard lock, blink, dispel

deeply, preserving the tome somewhat. over the treetops, looking for a place to magic, gust of wind, infravision, phan-

Into the front cover is inset a silver claw rest. tasmal force, and protection from nor-

or talon (held by means of its nails, The gargoyles were flying east at the mal missiles.

which pass through the hide and have time, and Asmiak is rumored to live in Peculiar to the work are slight varia-

been folded under shrewdly with a that direction, far across deserts and tions in the spells that appear to be

hammer so as to close the grip), from mountains. The book fell into the forest Asmiak�s own. The magician Phandal,

which the book has gained its name. and was not recovered by the elves, but who copied from the work spells he

The edges of the leaves have been paint- somehow found its way to a bazaar needed and noted the changes in those

ed red, rather unevenly, mottling the some winters later where it was pur- he already knew, notes that the burn-

border of each page. chased by the astonished magician ing hands spell developed by Asmiak (orPhandal. He in turn exchanged it for taught to him by the wizard Thurl) took

History and Description: This book other spells with the theurgist Alphon, four segments to cast because of itsis believed to have been the workbook who fled with the book into a forest to longer verbal component, and took theof the famous and much-feared arch- escape repeated goblin raids against his form of a thin beam of flame like a rodmage Asmiak, the �One Without Fear,� property. It is not known how Alphon or staff extending from the caster�swhen he was but an apprentice to the fared after that, but the druid Rairun forefinger. This beam can be varied inwizard Thurl. The strongest proof for �Blackbrow� was the next known to length from two feet to eight feet bythis belief comes from the talon device have possessed the book. He tried to force of will, but is stopped (and deflect-set in the cover (the book is untitled and send it overland to a colleague, but the ed, at possible hazard to the casterl byunsigned), which Asmiak used at the caravan vanished in the moorlands en stone, thick wood, earth, and the like.time. This does not mean the book was route to its destination. Casimur, who retains this spell in hisnecessarily his, but a study of Asmiak�s Although no trace of the caravan books, notes that it can be fanned backdeeds reveals his recurring attempts to itself was ever found, an adventurer and forth rapidly by merely wavingobtain the book (or re-obtain it, assum- named Shoon later came across the one�s finger, and is therefore far moreing he once possessed it). This indicates book in the dungeons of a deserted cas- than a parlor trick for cutting ropes orhe knows the book exists, but its con- tle and brought it to the city of Water- lighting candles.tents would be so superfluous to him deep. There he sold it to the merchant The twenty-third page of the book,now, at the height of his power, that his Deragus, who never had a chance to which was beyond Casimur�s masteryattempts seem to be evidence of an sell it, since his shop was robbed later when he possessed it, contains notes onemotional attachment to the tome. the same night. The master thief Dunas how to strengthen the spell�s flame intoAsmiak�s attempts to possess the book is known to have had the book one win- a more potent weapon. This improvedhave never been carried out personally, ter la ter , and he t raded i t to an version is of the second level of spells,always by agents. At least eight former unknown magic-user for three magical and the theurgist Alphon is thought toowners of the book, all of them magic weapons. The books whereabouts at have employed it when battling trollsusers of low level, have met death present are unknown. Dunas has been on the Evermoors. It takes six segmentsbecause of Asmiak�s servants, and other heard to say he�s glad to be rid of the to cast, lasts for two rounds, and con-owners of relatively higher levels have Book of The Silver Talon, and any who sists of a cone of flame extending 20narrowly escaped the same fate. Their find it would do well to conceal it, or feet from the forefinger, six feet inreports indicate that Asmiak employs a risk attack from the servants of Asmiak. diameter at its farthest extent. The into-varied complement of servants, many Contents : The f i rs t twenty- two nation of the verbal component dictatesof them not human. One survivor by leaves of the book contain spells, all how hot the flames will be; they may bethe name of Casimur, an ex-magic user written in magical inks upon the papy- so hot as to create a breeze and causewho now runs the Whistling Wizard target creatures to fall back from theInn, relates that he was slain by three

rus in a slanted, beautiful hand, includ-heat. The flame does +1 damage (cast-

gargoyles, who fled with nothing buting the necessary runes, glyphs, andsymbols and notes on necessary condi- er�s level + 1, expressed in hit points) in

that one book from among those in histions and components. The spells are,

the first round after being cast, andlibrary, and that he found this out when damage equal to one-half the caster�she was subsequently raised by the cler-

in order of their appearance in thelevel (rounded up) in the second round.

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Thus, a 7th-level caster does 8 points ofdamage to those struck in the firstround, and 4 points to each victim inthe second round. Phandal dubbed thisspell the flame ray.

Other spell variations are minor.Asmiak�s darkness 15� radius uses a tinyvial of ink smashed to the ground, serv-ing as the center of the spell effect, aswell as bat fur. Thus, the spell cannot bemoved once cast, and the ink seems lesseffective than pitch or coal, because thespell lasts only eight rounds, plus oneper level of the caster. Asmiak specifiesgiant octopus ink, but Casimur has sub-sequently experimented with giantsquid sepia, and reports that it also pro-duces darkness, although of but sixrounds (plus one per level of the caster)duration. Asmiak�s version of the ray ofenfeeblement has a different verbalcomponent than the accepted norm,and takes three segments to cast. It hasa fixed range of 6�, and a fixed durationof eight rounds. Similiarly, Asmiak�sblink spell has a fixed duration of fourrounds, caused by the differences inboth verbal and somatic somponents(the level and casting time remain thesame).

Asmiak�s gust of wind spell is animproved version; it emanates from aself-chosen extremity of the caster, andis thus directional�and the caster canrapidly change this direction. Its somat-ic component differs from the norm,and its material component is a syca-more seed cluster or milkweed seed (orsimilar seed, of the type having hairlikefibers that enable it to be borne aloft ona breeze).

The last three pages of the book arecareful notes on the preparation ofmagical inks for all the first-level spellsin the book. Users of the art will noticethat these are not the only known inkformulas for these spells.

The Chambeeleon

Appearance : This tome is t rulyresplendent. Its covers are sheets ofpolished, iridescent abalone edged andcornered with beaten gold; its pages areof burnished electrum, into which

script has been etched and runes,glyphs, symbols and characters areembossed or raised from the surface.The Chambeeleon (pronounced Kam-BEE-lee-on) is probably worth 4,000 gpin materials alone. It is worth far moreto a magic-user, however, because of itscontents.

History and Description: The ori-gin of this tome is unknown, but it iscertainly of great antiquity. Many leg-ends exist ascribing its authorship tovarious sea gods and powerful beings,but nothing of the book�s whereaboutsis verifiable until Alaer, holder of theDolphin Throne an age ago, mentions itin an inventory of the sea elves� court atThunderfoam. It was borne away fromthat city at some later time, and reap-pears in the memoirs of the hero Gala-daunt, who found it on the deck of anabandoned, drifting �ghost ship� whichhe boarded off the Emerald Isles. Hesold it to a magic-user whose name wasnot recorded, who we know to havebeen the tutor of one called �The MadMage,� who in turn was master to thewizard Arbane. It is likely that theChambeeleon came into the Mad Mage�spossession, but it did not pass into thehands of Arbane, so we have onlyArbane�s recollections to rely on for itscontents. The present location of theChambeeleon, or even if it still exists, isunknown.

Contents: Arbane said that he oftenread from the Chambeeleon as he wastrained, but was only allowed to perusecertain pages. Many he glimpsed werebeyond his understanding, but heremembers that the demon who guard-ed the book told him it had 66 pages inall and none but Arbane�s master hadever mastered them all.

(Arbane�s rather brief description ofthe demon suggests that it was a succu-bus. There is no mention of a guardiandemon in the legends concerned withthe book, so it is likely that the MadMage bound the demon to guard it, per-haps only for as long as Arbane wasallowed access to its pages.)

All of the pages Arbane studied con-

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tained spells. From his notes, he givesus this list: water breathing, fly, light-ning bolt, fire shield (cold flame versiononly), ice storm, airy water, cone ofcold, conjure elemental (see below), dis-i n t e g r a t e , g l a s s e e , p a r t w a t e r ,spir i twrack , cacodemon, Drawmij �sinstant summons, reverse gravity, andvanish. �From the Mad mage�s casualcomments,� writes Arbane, he believesthe book also contains the spells impris-onment and prismatic sphere, but atthe time lacked any means to verifythis. If the book is entirely full of spells,and each stands alone on one page (asdid those Arbane studied), then theremay be as many as fifty spells in thework not on Arbane�s list. One suspects,however, that there are far fewer, andmost of the unknown pages containrecords or other writing. Only the pos-sessor of the work knows for sure.

Arbane mentions one important dif-ference from the norm in the spellscontained in the book: the conjure ele-mental spell as it is written therein willsummon only water elementals, butthese will be friendly to the caster andwill never attack him or her.

Such an elemental may (5% chancelreturn to its own plane before the spellhas expired, rather than attacking, andalthough friendly, it will act only uponthe commands of the spellcaster, nothelping independently.

If one may trust the more doubtfulsource of religious teachings, it must benoted that the priesthoods of at leastseven aquatic gods worshipped by vari-ous creatures claim the Chambeeleonas their own, and assert that the bulk ofits pages contain �the� record of theCreation associated with their deity. Ifthis is so, none have proved it.

The sage Elminster has recorded dozensof powerful spell books and magical docu-ments of all descriptions; the precedingare but a sample. He writes teasingly ofscores of new spells, hitherto unknown tomagic users �at large,� and now-lostpowers cryptically held within the lost vol-umes. Adventurers may bring word ofmore any day, he says, puffing con-tendedly on his clay pipe...

Seven Fingers (The Life of Thorstag)

Appearance: This memoir is a thickbundle of vellum sheets bound aboutwith two leather straps and enclosed ina leather bag. A recent owner, the mer-chant Zephrum Nelagul, noted in hisledgers that �Seven Fingers� had 278sheets, but also noted that it ended pre-cipitously and seemed to have gaps inthe narrative, which suggests that somepages have been lost or deliberatelyremoved.

History and Description: The bookwas written by (or at least under thesupervision of) the adventurer Thor-stag �Seven Fingers� Amareh, a fightingman who rose to take the lordship of atiny northern dale, where he died someseventy winters ago. Thorstag�s nick-name and the main title of this volumecome from his habit of severing the fin-gers of important enemies whom heslew, and storing these in an iron box.There were seven such enemies, andThorstag evidently put the fingers tosome sort of magical use, but theirpresent location is unknown.

Contents : The volume recountsThorstag�s reportedly boring and triviallife (�wearisome pages of dreams,underhanded schemes, and maliciousviolence,� Zephrum records), but con-tains three passages of special note.

The first is a detailed and exactingdescription of the selection of a card,

Void, from a deck of many things, socomplete that anyone who reads thissection could immediately recognizethe same effects if they occurred in hisor her presence.

The second is a recipe or descriptionof the making of Keoghtom�s ointment,which may or may not be correct. Curi-ously, no owner of the memoir hasmade any mention of the accuracy ofthe recipe, but only of its inclusion; thishints that they have not attempted theprocess because it is obviously incom-plete, or too difficult in execution or theprocurement of the ingredients, or thewriting itself contains some magicaltrap or guardian they would prefer notto disturb.

The third is a detailed inventory ofthe dowries of the princesses Elmyraand Hlassela of Cormyr, which Thor-stag took part in guarding on an over-land journey from Suzail, the capital ofCormyr, to Arabel, a city some distanceto the north and east. The journey wassafe, the princesses married, and setout forthwith eastward with their royal(but not identified by Thorstag) hus-bands. Neither Thorstag nor this writer(the sage Elminster) has heard of theirfate, but in some eastern tomb or trea-sury the greater part of these dowriesmust now lie. Thorstag�s list includesweights and identifying marks of jew-elry (since he had to guard against for-gery and substitution of the pieces), and

65

adventurers or historians will surelyfind it a source of inspiration, if not apath to wealth.

The present whereabouts of thememoir is unknown. It was last seen inthe hands of an unidentified man �withthe clothes and manner of a southernmerchant,� according to Zephrum Nela-gul, who sold it to said merchant at abazaar in Waterdeep for nine hundredpieces of gold. Zephrum attests that heobtained the book from an ignorant bai-liff in Longsaddle, who sold it as part ofthe contents of a dead man�s house. Thedead man, one Borwyn, was a trader inhides and leather goods who coveredmuch of the north in his trade, and hadacquired, in Zephrum�s words, �an oddassortment of keepsakes and valu-ables.� One can only conjecture thatsomehow Borwyn the trader visited thedale where Thorstag had ruled and wasburied, or got the book from anotherperson who was given it by Thorstagfor safekeeping, or who took it afterThorstag�s death. If any reports come tolight of the possible missing pages,more might be said of how Borwyn gotthe memoir, and of its original, com-plete contents.

The Nathlum

Appearance: A nondescript volumeof brown, curling parchment leavessewn to a grey canvas cover.

H i s t o r y a n d D e s c r i p t i o n : T h eNathlum is wholly and strongly evil; itsprotective magics cannot be dispelled(at least, not by the spell commonlyknown as dispel magic), and these pro-tections cause all creatures of align-ment and instinct deemed �good� tosuffer blinding, burning pain in theeyes and head. (Elminster offers a con-fusing description of the symptomswhich need not be detailed here butcan be interpreted thus: Anyone ofgood alignment will suffer 2-4 points ofdamage per round that the book is heldor perused.) Its origin and the reasonfor its name are unknown; its first defi-nite identification is in the catalog ofTymor Threeshields, the inventory ofthe booty he brought back from theOrcfastings war, but hints of it can betraced through the scanty writtenrecords of the orcs under the leader-ship of Wund, and Orfidel writes almostfour hundred years ago of his meetingwith the evil mage Lethchauntos theBlack, who went to dwell among theorcs, and describes what could well bethe Nathlum in Lethchauntos�s posses-sion. From Tymor�s hall, the volumewent to Neverwinter as part of thedowry of Tymor�s daughter Nulauznee(Elminster suspects that Tymor wishedto be rid of it), and nothing more isheard of it until the Nathlum passesunexpectedly into the hands of Phrand-jas of Port Llast (a northern town), athaumaturge whose careful and exact-ing studies enabled him to subsequent-ly rise quickly in the ranks of the Art.

Contents: Phrandjas takes character-istic pains over his notes regarding theNathlum; we learn that it appeared tobe complete when he received it, andheld sixteen recipes for poisons, fourglyphs of warding set down nowhereelse, and the formula of the spell maze.Phrandjas, despite the pain caused himby perusing the book (because he wasgood), copied certain of the recipes forlater sale to the alchemists of the town,and all of the glyphs, and Elminster haspassed on some of this information.

The poison recipes have not been

made known by Elminster; in hiswords, �They are largely simple tomake, and recipes will undoubtedly fallinto the wrong hands, given your some-times too efficient communications.�For adventurers, however, he has pro-vided the means of identifying the sub-stances.

Lhurdas (also known as �the yellowdeath� and �Beltyn�s Last Drink�) is awine-based poison. It has a sharp, drywhite-grape wine taste, and will readilymix with such wine. It reacts with thedigestive acids in the stomach (and iseffective in human, orc, and elvish bodychemistry) to eat away internal organtissues. Ingestion produces rapid (with-in two rounds) nausea, convulsions,and terrific internal cramps and burn-ing pain, doing 1-6 points of damage inits first effective round, 2-12 in the sec-ond, and 1-4 in the third. Thereafter itwill do no more damage, regardless ofdose, and further exposure to lhurdaswill cause discomfort and inhibit heal-ing, but cause no greater damage to thebody for a period of 3-24 days. It is inef-fective if applied externally. (Save forhalf damage.)

Varrakas is a black, thick syrup. Toavoid detection, single drops are usu-ally added to gravy or dark sauces, butthe effects increase with the doseingested. Varrakas has a slightly oilytaste, but no strong flavor. Every dropof varrakas does 1-4 points of damagewhen it enters the bloodstream (itpasses the digestive system masquerad-ing as a nutrient), and does not act for aperiod of 18-24 turns after ingestion.Varrakas is harmless if applied exter-nally, and is effective in all mammals.(Save for half damage.)

Prespra (also known as �Mother�sBane�) is an odorless, colorless liquidthat mixes readily with all drinkablesexcept milks and products made fromthem, from which it separates. Effec-tive only in humans and only wheningested, it causes sudden dizzy spellsand visual distortion, beginning 1-3rounds after contact and lasting for 1-12 rounds. During this time the victimmoves unsteadily and fights at -2 to

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hit, +2 (worse) on AC if having onlynormal (distorted) vision, or - 1 to hit and + 2 on AC if endowed with infravis-ion or heightened visual senses. At thesame time the victim endures 1-2 pointsof damage per round as surface bloodvessels burst all over the body (giving ablotched, reddened appearance to theskin). Each round a successful savingthrow will avoid such damage, but ifthe victim suffers an injury throughcombat or misadventure during theround, no saving throw is allowed (thecause and shock of the injury aggra-vates the sudden fluctuations in bloodflow and pressure prespra causes; itworks by alternately and erraticallyconstricting and expanding blood ves-sels throughout the victim�s body).

Belpren is a luminescent blue, acidicsubstance that does 1-12 points of dam-age instantly upon contact with skin orinternal tissues. (No save.) Furtherapplications of belpren to affectedareas will not cause any further harm,but the damage given above is for aroughly hand-sized area of body expo-sure; for each additional such area ofskin affected, an additional 1-12 pointsof damage will be suffered. However,no additional damage from ingestion ispossible; immediate and involuntaryvomiting will be induced by any furtherbelpren applied to affected internalareas. Belpren will not corrode metal,nor will it harm cloth or cured leather.It dries and becomes ineffective in justover one round when exposed to air,and so cannot be used on weapons.Belpren can be neutralized by the appli-cation of lamp oil. It is effective on allcreatures.

Orvas is a translucent liquid with agreen cast and a bittersweet taste. Itdoes 1-6 points of damage upon enter-ing the bloodstream (immediately if byinsinuation, which must be through ascrape or wound, or in 18-24 turns if byingestion), and 1-4 points of damageeach round for the following tworounds. A successful saving throwmeans that orvas is ineffective againstthe target creature. Orvas is an antidoteto varrakas (see above) if introduced

into the bloodstream before varrakashas run its course. Orvas works in allmammals.

Huld (also called �Leap� or �Death-dance�) is an odorless oil that is effectiveon non-humanoid creatures�except fordemi-humans and humans�and worksonly by insinuation. Its effects are thesame regardless of dosage, and appear 1-4 rounds after the application. (Save forno damage.) Huld causes severe musclespasms involving nausea and the loss ofmotor control, balance, and speech, last-ing for 1-6 rounds. During this time a vic-tim is helpless but by no means an easytarget for physical attack, since he or sheis usually thrashing and moving aboutrapidly and wildly. Mental processes areentirely unaffected (i.e., psionic or othercommunication can be initiated or willcontinue, and in some cases can be usedby the victim, as well as others, to controlthe poison�s effects). A particular individ-ual will be 95% resistant to huld for a per-iod of 10-21 days after an exposure to it,and thus repeated dosages in a singleencounter will almost always not beeffective. Huld is generally thought toaffect all individuals, but some apparentimmunities are reported and conjec-tured.

Jeteye is a glossy (i.e., reflective) blackliquid that affects all mammals uponingestion. (Ineffective if insinuative con-tact only; save for half damage.) Itcauses the pupils of the eyes to go black(although this does not affect vision)and causes 1-8 points of neural damageimmediately. No pain is felt by the vic-tim, however, for Jeteye kills all painand tactile sensation for a period of 9-16rounds (the �black eyes� sign will be ofthe same duration as this anestheticeffect). Jeteye is sometimes voluntarilyused before torture or immediatelyafter battle injuries (preventing a sys-tem shock survival roll). It has a bitter,black walnut-like taste and is hard toconceal in food or drink.

Ulcrun is a milky-white, viscous liquidthat is effective on all warm-bloodedcreatures, by insinuation only. (No sav-ing throw.) Two rounds after contact, itcauses 1-4 points of muscular damage,

weakening and softening tendons, liga-ments, bones, and cartilage. On the fol-lowing round it causes 1-12 points ofdamage, and 1-4 points on the roundthereafter, whereupon its effects pass.Until healing processes (natural or mag-ical) counter its effects, the creatureaffected will have lost 1-4 points ofStrength and one point of Dexterity.

Dwarfbane is a rare, gummy oil thatis poisonous only to dwarves. Insinua-tive, it is commonly smeared on weap-ons. It does not dry out, but prolongedexposure to air lessens its potency; it iseffective only for 26-31 days. Upon con-tact, dwarfbane does 1-8 points of dam-age with a pain �like blazing skewers,�and a further 1-6 points on each of thefollowing three rounds. (A successfulsaving throw will halve all damage suf-fered.)

The glyphs of warding found in TheNathlum reflect its evil nature. All maybe used only by those of evil align-ments, and will harm only those of goodalignments. Anyone of good alignmentmay pass a glyph�s location unharmedby speaking its name or by destroyingthe glyph. The passage of neutral or evilcharacters will not trigger any of theseglyphs. They are as follows.

Zuth can be cast only by a cleric of6th or higher level. It is cast upon a dooror the frame of an opening; anyone ofgood alignment passing through orunder the portal will suffer 2-12 pointsof electrical damage arcing from side toside of the frame at many points aroundit, across the opening.

Yammas can be cast only by a cleric of8th or higher level. When activated,f rom 11-18 screaming, chi t ter ingmouths will appear all about the glyph,and shoot forth on long (up to twentyfeet) snakelike necks to bite at the crea-ture activating the glyph. The victimmust save against each manifestation orbe struck by it, suffering 1-4 points ofdamage. The fangs dig in, much as alamprey attacks, and the mouths drain1 hit point of blood each per roundthereafter until they or the victim aredestroyed. Each can be severed by

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inflicting 7 points of damage on it (aslong as at least the seventh point iscaused by an edged weapon), or by thevictim pulling free of its grasp. All areAC7. Any character with a Strength of16 or more is allowed to attempt savingthrows against three of the mouthseach round�if a particular save is suc-cessful, the mouth�s grip breaks, it doesnot drain blood on that round, and itshrinks back into the wall or hangs life-less. This glyph does not vanish afterone activation; it will retract its surviv-ing mouths and wait for the next victim,u n t i l a l l t h e m o u t h s h a v e b e e ndestroyed.

Hlack can be cast only by a cleric of9th or higher level. This functions as amagical barrier preventing those ofgood alignment from passing. This bar-rier of force will stand until the actualarea on which the glyph was cast isdestroyed, thus breaking the glyph oruntil a knock, erase, or similar spell isemployed. Anyone of good alignmentwill strike an invisible wall and suffer 1-6 points of electrical damage. Furthercontact with the barrier will cause 1-6points of electrical damage per round(no save).

Curtal can be cast only by a cleric of10th or higher level. Attempts to passthis glyph will cause arms of fire toburst from its three pointed ends ands t r i k e t h e c r e a t u r e o r c r e a t u r e sattempting to pass, each arm doing 4-16points of damage. Each arm of fire willstrike a different target if there arethree or more targets available; other-wise two will strike the nearest targetand one another, or all three will strikeat a solitary target. (Save for half dam-age.) Activation of this glyph alwaysalerts a guardian, sometimes summon-ing a demon or devil to the spot instant-ly, but more often warning spellcastersor beast-keepers to ready their charges.The glyph remains until erased, strik-ing out with its arms of flame everytime it is activated. Dispel magic willcause one of the arms of fire to shrinkback and not strike for that activation.In each round that creatures standbefore the glyph but do not speak its

name (i.e., not having passed it, butwithin 15 feet), curtal will activate- soslow-moving creatures could be struckseveral times.

The WorkbookAppearance: Details of the appear-

ance of the Workbook are unknown,but it is said to be a bound volume withno inscriptions on the covers.

History and Description: Once inthe elven city of Myth Drannor therewas a school of magic. Its teachers wereknown as the Seven Wizards, andincluded the one known only as Men-tor. Its founding and objectives are for-gotten, for Myth Drannor has long beena ruin, and the Seven Wizards disap-peared even before Myth Drannor�sdestruction.

Many of the mages whose names arenow known all across the Realms weretutored at the Wizards� school, and it isc o m m o n k n o w l e d g e t h a t M e n t o rcaused spells of his pupils� devising tobe collected in a book, once he had test-ed and approved their dweomercraft.Accounts of the Workbook�s contentsvary; it is quite possible that more thanone such book was collected, althoughthe existence of only this one book iscertain.

The sage Flamsterd, of the MoonshaeIsles, purchased the tome known asThe Wizards� Workbook from a band ofadventurers, and carefully copied itscontents. He later sold the secrets ofseveral of the Workbook�s spells forvery great sums of wealth, and pur-chased the entire island that now bearshis name. His enjoyment of the isle wasshort. It is thought that one of his cli-ents guessed what the sage possessed,for one night the sage and his entireTower, on the seaward end of the isle,simply vanished. Others believe thesage came to grief while practicing hismagic. Still others hold that he left thisplane of existence.

No sudden rise in power was notedamong those of the Art, however, and itis thought that the Workbook may havebeen lost or destroyed. Installments of

Flamsterd�s personal diaries, the Moon-shae Chronicles, were sent regularlyfrom the sage�s isle to his friend Elmin-ster, and in one was set down the entiretext of the Workbook. The purchasedrecords of individual spells still exist, ofcourse , scat tered throughout theRealms. It is from Elminster�s librarythat we learn the spells below; thepresent contents of the Workbook maywell vary slightly. Dismind is thought bysome to be the work of Khelben �Black-staff� Arunsun, and by others to be thework of Mentor himself. The otherspells bear the names of their creators.

Contents:Spendelard�s Chaser(Necromantic)Level: 4Range: TouchDuration: 1 turn/level of casterArea of Effect: (One creatureComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 8 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This spellnegates the adverse effects of all drugs(including alcohol) in the recipient crea-ture. Dexterity and mental impair-ments are instantly �cured,� leaving therecipient clear-headed and free of pain,able to undertake complex tasks requir-ing intense concentration, such asspellcasting. The pain of even mortalwounds will be removed, although thechaser in no way heals any damageextant in mind or body. If the conditionhas not righted itself by the time thespell wears off, its effects will return.But natural body processes continuewhile a creature is under the influenceof the chaser; so that a hangover or oth-er temporary discomfort may well van-ish before the spell expires. The chaserwill have no effect on insanity or magi-cal conditions (such as feeblemind), butdoes give a + 4 saving throw versus anypoisons present in the recipient at anytime while the spell is in effect. (If a sav-ing throw versus the poison has alreadybeen failed, application of the chaserwill permit a second, unmodified savingthrow; it will not be at a +4 bonus, but

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will not have any subtractions either.)The material component of this spell isa drop of holy water, touched to thetongue or skin of the recipient (the spellmay be cast on oneself).

Caligarde�s Claw(Conjuration/Summoning)Level: 4Range: 6�Duration: 1 round/level of casterArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: Use ofthis spell requires the claw or foot of acreature, which is consumed in thecasting, and brings into existence aninvisible claw of force. The spellcasterindicates (by pointing toward a loca-tion; sight is not necessary) a targetwithin 6�. If the target saves, the clawwill not come into existence. If the tar-get does not save, the claw must locatethe target (with a hit roll as if it were aweapon wielded by the caster). If itdoes so successfully, it will immediatelydo 1-4 points of damage. Thereafter,until the spell expires, the claw isdestroyed, or the target escapes pursuitby becoming ethereal or otherwisephysically leaving the plane of the cast-er, it will strike infallibly once perround for 1d4 damage.

Although the claw never misses, thedamage done by its strike can benegated by an anti-magic shell, shield,Bigby�s interposing hand, or similarmagical barrier. It can be destroyed bydispel magic, but cannot be controlledor physically harmed. It is not a livingthing, is not intelligent, and cannot per-form any task other than its slashing,tearing attack. It can be dispelled at willby the caster, but does not require con-tinued concentration for its mainte-nance, and will not vanish of the casteris killed or rendered unconscious. (Thespellcaster can engage, of course, infurther spellcasting while the clawoperates.) Its attacks do not necessarilyphysically interfere with the actionsand movements of the target, who may

well cast spells or engage in physicalcombat.

The claw will remain with its targetunshakably, regardless of distance trav-eled, physical barriers, or aerial orunderwater travel. It will never changetargets, but will vanish at the death ordisappearance (see below) of its target.If it fails to initially locate its target, itwill remain within a 1� distance fromthe intended target�s initial location, aninvisible presence (use Grenade-LikeMissiles: Misses Location Table, DMG p.64, for the claw�s precise location), untilthe spel l expires . I f any creatureapproaches within 1� of its locationafter the missed target withdraws, theclaw will automatically strike (hit rollrequired) without any attention or actof will on the part of the caster. Theclaw can thus be cast at a door to pre-vent unharried future entrance oregress. Note also that a careless or for-getful spellcaster could well be attackedby his or her own claw if it isapproached too closely after missing itsintended target. A spellcaster does ntoknow if a claw is active, once cast,except by observing the behavior of thetarget�or, in the case described above,by suffering a surprise attack. The clawcan then of course be immediately dis-pelled by the caster. If unsuccessful in asecond attack against a different targetthan the initial one, the claw will con-tinue to attack any target within a 1�radius of it until the spell expires, andmay attack the target it originallymissed if said target leaves and then re-enters the claw�s area. The claw canonly locate and affect targets having atangible existence on the plane in whichit is cast.

Tulrun�s Tracer (Divination, Alteration)Level: 4Range: 1�Duration: 4 rounds/level of casterArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 8 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: Whenthis spell is cast, the tracer �a continu-

ous, luminescent pathway akin to alight spell-comes into being within a1� radius of the caster. It shows themost recent path of any single creaturewhose path the caster wishes to trace,described verbally by the caster overthe material component (a pinch ofphosphorus or a glowing life-form suchas a fungus or glowworm). The crea-ture must have been present in the 1�radius area about the caster within aperiod of 1 day per level of the casterfor the tracer to appear. The tracer willshow the route of the creature withinthe 1� area, and then expand (at a rateof 60�/round) along the route taken bythe creature, moving in that directionfor the duration of the spell. Oncebeyond the 1� initial radius, it will onlyshow the path of the creature�whoneed not have been seen by, or beknown to, the spellcaster�as long as itremains in physical contact with theground. Pass without trace and similarmagics will not confuse the tracer, andit will follow the creature�s routethrough physical barriers (i.e., doors)and across gaps (i.e., the results of ajump or dimension door , to purelyphysical acrobatics) of up to 14�. It willnot otherwise show aerial travel, butwill shine in and under water.

The path will end when the targetcreature is reached, when the spellexpires, or at any place to which thetarget creature te leported , le f t theplane of the caster, or embarked upon amount or conveyance such as a cart,ship, or carpet of flying. In the lattercase, an individual reaching the path�send will receive a clear mental pictureof the destination traveled to, even if onanother plane. If the target creaturetook a mount or conveyance, the men-tal picture will be of the destinationreached. Portions of the tracer can benegated by dispe l magic , cont inualdarkness, and the like, but it cannot bephysically disturbed (i.e., a gust of windwould not shift it). When the spellexpires, the tracer will have slowly fad-ed into nothingness; no one not havingreached its end will receive any mentalpicture of the target�s destination. The

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tracer is intangible and cannot bewalked upon. It may be passed throughor traveled within without harm anddoes not activate magic upon contact ordistort magic or physical phenomenapassing through it.

Tasirin�s Haunted Sleep (Enchantment/Charm)Level: 3Range: TouchDuration: SpecialArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,SCasting Time: 1 roundSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: This spellcan only be cast successfully upon asleeping creature. The slumber must benormal� unconsciousness, coma, orsimilar states of mental injury, such asconcussion, drugs, astral or psionicactivity, and charm-related spells will allcause the spel l to be inef fect ive .Tasirin�s haunted sleep puts the recipi-ent into a deep sleep for one turn perlevel of the caster, and early awakeningfrom this state can only be accom-plished by a (limited) wish, dispel magic,the infliction of acute pain (i.e., wound-ing) upon the recipient, or at the cast-er�s will. The target creature is alloweda saving throw, which if successful willnegate the effects of the spell.

The caster is never directly aware ofthe target�s thoughts or mental state, orof the success of the spell. While in sucha deep sleep, the creature is open to theinfluence of subconscious visions ordreams. The spellcaster can project onespecific scene or vision into naturalmental activity, and this will come intothe victim�s consciousness soon afterawakening. The vision�s clarity, detail,and accuracy depend upon the caster�sconcentration, for the scene must beheld in mind during the casting. Suchvisions can masquerade as divine com-munications or memories, and can beused to influence decisions, goad therecipient into a certain course of action,trouble the recipient, or, conversely, tocalm and rest the recipient at a time ofmental anguish or troubles. A spellcast-

er skilled in the use of this spell canboost morale, joy, or enthusiasm�orcrush it.

During the �haunted sleep,� the recip-ient is especially susceptible to any onesuggestion spell, which can be cast bythe caster of the haunted s l eep oranother spellcaster, and is saved againstat -3 by the creature in �hauntedsleep.� Such a suggestion will be �heard�by the recipient as an inner mentalvoice, and must of course be in a lan-guage which the recipient understandsto be successful. This spell cannot becast on oneself.

Laeral�s Dancing DweomerLevel: 3Range: 2� + 1�/level of casterDuration: 1 turn/level of casterArea of Effect: 4� diameter sphereComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: This spellrequires a pinch of dust thrown intothe air about the caster and any object(which will not be changed in any wayby the spell] radiating a dweomer at thetime. When cast, the spell causes manymagical auras to flicker and danceabout from object to object (includingcreatures and areas with large surfac-es, such as wells]. The auras are not visi-ble to the unaided eye (i.e., detect magicor similar means must be used), andwill not be seen by a creature savingagainst the spell or having true sight). Ifthe spell is not saved against, the auraswill totally confuse a detect magic orthe like for the spell duration. Theauras will not disappear when touched,but dispel magic will destroy all auraswithin its area of effect.

Archveult�s Skybolt (Alteration]Level: 4Range: 1� /levelDuration: 2 roundsArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: ½

Explanation/Description: This spellrequires a crystal�a faceted gem,

quartz, or cut glass � of at least an inchin length. The spellcaster throws thecrystal at a target creature or areawhile speaking the final words of thespell, and its path creates a glowing�bolt� in the air similar in appearance toTulrun�s tracer (q.v.). The bolt is fourfeet in diameter, begins 1� from thecaster, and extends onward to a maxi-mum length of 1� per level of the caster.The bolt will not materialize underwa-ter, and ends where the crystal strikeswater, strikes any barrier, or passesbeyond the caster�s range. (The crystalis consumed instantly, in a burst, if itpasses beyond the caster�s maximumrange, and is otherwise consumed atthe expiration of the spell.] Any livingthing coming into contact with the boltwill suffer 1-4 hit points of shock dam-age per level or hit dice it possesses(ignoring additions; a 5 + 5 hit dice mon-ster would take 5-20 just as one of 5 hitdice would). A hit roll, with any modifi-cations for missile-weapon ranges, ismade when the spell is cast; refer toGrenade-Like Missiles: Misses LocationTable, DMG p. 64, if a miss is indicated acreature struck by the crystal suffers 1-6 points of damage per level or hit diceit possesses. The creature may graspthe crystal and hurl it back at the caster,and the bolt will continue to form to thelimit of the caster�s range (so that a cast-er may be struck by his or her ownbolt], but when directly grasping thecrystal, any creature will suffer a fur-ther 1-6 hit points of damage per levelor hit dice it possesses and must make asystem shock survival roll.

A skybolt lasts for two rounds afterits casting. It can be destroyed in wholeor in part by contact with an anti-magicshell, wall of force, shield, or similarspells, dispel magic, or gust of wind. Itcannot be deflected, grounded, or insu-lated against . I t wi l l not conductthrough metallic substances, but notethat armor that is not airtight will notnegate the effects of a skybolt. Crea-tures and nonmagical objects enteringthe skybolt will not deflect, negate, orsever it. A crystal entering an area ofmagical protection which does not

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allow formation of the bolt is instantlyrendered harmless.

Dismind (Enchantment/Charm) Revers-ibleLevel: 9Range: TouchDuration: SpecialArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: VCasting Time: 2 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: This spellconsists of a phrase spoken while thecaster touches the recipient (the spellmay be cast on oneself, serving as a �lastresort� escape from certain death, tor-ture, or mental damage), causing therecipient�s mind to fly from his body.The body instantly undergoes a curioustransformation: it remains in the posi-tion it was when the spell was cast, sur-rounded by a glowing aura of force thatallows nothing to touch the body, stop-ping all physical attacks, crushing, orprobes. The limbs of the body can beshifted by pushing on the invisiblearmor of force, but when released willslowly drift back to the original posi-tion. Magical attacks, fire, poisons, andcorrosive and disease-producing sub-stances (including ochre jelly, greenslime, rot grubs, and the like) cannotreach the body to do it harm. Thebodily processes of a disminded personare totally suspended, so that the bodydoes not age or breathe. Dismindedpersons have a vacant stare. They can-not use any of the senses of the bodythey have abandoned, nor can theyreturn to it without aid.

The freed mind wanders behindmental defenses of its own making,immune to all forms of magical, psionic,and other mental contact or attack. Awandering mind is not detectable byany known means, and never leaves thePrime Material Plane. It cannot controlwhere it goes and what it observes, andtypically retains little memory of itsvisions and speculations. (A DM shoulddescr ibe 1-6 scenes or phrases ofthought without giving any explana-tions.] A wandering mind cannot delib-

erately pray, study, or research spells,or choose to observe any particularevent, locale, or individual.

A wander ing mind can be ful lyrestored to its body by an alter reality(limited) wish, or restore mind, thereverse of this spell. The reverse canalso be used to cure insanity and allmental disorders, feeblemindedness,and physical brain damage. It will endany mental controls (including quest,geas, and magical charms cast by spellor by creatures such as nixies or vam-pires) of any form upon a recipientmind, totally freeing the mind from theinfluence(s) without causing the indi-vidual any harm�but it cannot restorelost psionic powers. A delirious, drunk-en, exhausted, or drugged creature canbecome clearheaded and mentally alertby means of this spell. A saving throwapplies to both spells, and if successfulagainst a restore mind (regardless ofthe wishes of the disminded recipientcreature), the spell will have no effect.Such a failure does not mean the mindcannot be restored, but only that theparticular spell cast at that time did notwork.

Bowgentle�s Book

Appearance: This slim, black vol-ume is most expertly bound in glossy,tooled, black leather�the best yox-enhide, from the yoke-oxen, or �yoxen,�of the plains of Amn�which has beenstitched into a full-fitted cover encasingtwo slabs of slate, and worked on theoutside into a repeating pattern of ahuman and a dragon confronting eachother, each spouting flame at the other.Within are fifty-three sheets of the fin-est white vellum, all sewn to a spine-cord strip of black leather with spunsilk thread, the whole being of the mostdelicate workmanship. (Several addi-tional pages seem to have been tornout.) The pattern of the covers extendswithout a break over front, back, andspine, leaving only a lip or border allabout the edges of the tome, and an ovalplate or raised area in the center of thefront cover, which bears the character

known as �Bowgentle�s Rune,� thus:

History and Description: Bowgen-tle of Silverymoon was a mage of gentlespeech and manners, loved and reveredin the North and the Sword Coast citiesin his day, for he believed that magicbelonged to all, and all should benefitf r o m i t . M a n y g o o d w o r k s w e r eascribed to his name over the years hewandered the Realms, and legend hasrounded out his deeds. Always Bowgen-t l e s o u g h t n e w s p e l l s � a n d h eembarked on reckless ventures to gainthem, such as the plundering ofRaurgoch the black dragon�s hoard(slaying that monster with the verymagic found in the treasure) and thebreaking open of the Wizard-King�stomb, where that legendary mage, nowl i v i n g i n l i c h d o m , g u a r d e d h i sspellbooks as fervently as the crum-bling bones of his mistresses and hisdogs.

And ever Bowgentle gave of hisknowledge to all who had the ability,and wrote out spells tirelessly for thosewho were too young, too sick, or yetunborn. He paid for the hospitalitygiven him on his travels with spells, castfor good ends, and his name is yetremembered with affection and awe. Itis often said of a gentle, shy, and well-favored babe that it �has Bowgentle�seyes,� and an act of selfless kindness isoftentimes agreed to be properly �ofBowgentle�s way.�

When he grew old, Bowgentle cameto the School of Wonder, founded someyears earlier by the mages Myrdon andSalasker, and wrote down his spells forthe apprentices there. He passed on hisway, and when word came shortlythereafter of his death in a snowstormin the high forests, the Masters com-manded that Bowgentle�s written spellsbe collected from the apprentices andclose-guarded in the library there, forall to see and use. This was done, thebook being constructed by elven crafts-men, and the cover depicting a famousscene of Bowgentle�s youth: his fierybattle with a red dragon, whom he

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teased (and enraged) by gouting flameback at it, before he vanquished thebeast.

The book did not remain at the Schoolfor long, however�demons slew itsMasters and most of the apprentices,and set the towers ablaze one crisp win-ter night (demons, some whispered,summoned by careless or jealous andvengeful novices who lost control oftheir servitors). The School was nomore. Thieves were the first boldenough to venture into the smokingruin, and one must have found andsafely borne away Bowgentle�s Book,for it surfaced some years later inScornubel, identified by the sage Laerti-l u s a s a m o n g s t t h e t r e a s u r e s h eappraised for Vaerum, the MasterThief. Vaerum, head of a local thieves�guild, soon fell victim to a �grey war�(one of the oft-occurring skirmishesbetween rival guilds), and the book van-ished. Its present fate and whereaboutsare unknown, but it is thought by mostsages to still exist.

Contents: The book�s contents are allspells and cantrips in �standard� form(as per the rules in the PLAYERSHANDBOOK and in UNEARTHEDARCANA) set down one to a page, savefor the two unique spells describedherein. They appear in the followingorder: the cantrips clean, dry, andbluelight, and the spells affect normalfires, hold portal, identify, mending,push, read magic, sleep, continual light,darkness 15� radius, detect evil, detectinvisibility, dispel silence (unique spell),E S P f o r g e t , k n o c k , l e v i t a t e , l o c a t eo b j e c t , m a g i c m o u t h , r o p e t r i c k ,s trength , wizard lock , b l ink , d ispe lmagic, fireball, fly, hold person, infra-vision, Leomund�s tiny hut, lightningbolt, protection from evil 10� radius,protection from normal missiles, slow,tongues, water breathing, Bowgentle�sfleeting journey (unique spell), charmmonster , confusion, d imension door ,enchanted weapon, f i re sh ie ld (bothversions), minor globe of invulnerabili-ty po lymorph other , po lymorph se l f ,remove curse, wizard eye, Bigby�s inter-

posing hand, cone of cold, hold mon-ster, passwall, and wall of force.

The two unique spells in Bowgentle�sBook are these:

Dispel silence (Abjuration, Alteration)Level: 2Range: 0Duration: SpecialArea of Effect: Sphere of 1� radius perlevel of casterComponents: S,MCasting Time: 2 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By meansof a hand gesture and the casting intothe air of a pinch of powdered diamond(at least 50 gp worth of the crushedgemstone), the spell caster creates apowerful dweomer that negates exist-ing magical silence within the area ofeffect, and dispels any silence createdby spell casting or magical-item powerwithin the area of effect for one roundper level of the spell caster after theround of casting. Thus, a dispel silencecast by a 12th-level wizard wouldnegate (no saving throws allowed) andsilence cast on him or about his person,and prevent such silence from occur-ring or returning for twelve consecu-tive rounds after casting. Dispel magicwill in turn destroy a dispel silencedweomer, but silence will not returnunless cast anew, or if of a permanent(i.e., magical-item function) sort. Thedweomer created by this spell is alwaysa sphere centered upon the spell caster,extending through walls and doors,around intervening objects, and soforth.

Bowgentle�s Fleeting Journey (Altera-tion)Level: 4Range: 0Duration: SpecialArea of Effect: One beingComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: By theuse of this spell, the caster or anothercreature touched by the caster (anunwilling creature gains a saving throw

to negate the spell) is enabled to tele-port to a specific destination � viewedand pointed at during spell casting. Thelocation may be up to 1� per level of thecaster vertically and 2� per level of thecaster horizontally away from the cast-er�s or spell recipient�s initial position.The shift in position takes one segment,and the caster or spell recipient mayremain at the new location for a round(or less, if the spell caster wills) beforebeing teleported back to his or her ini-tial location.

During the time spent in the locationjourneyed to, the caster or recipientcan make physical attacks, move about,pick up or leave behind objects, manip-ulate items, or cast any spell for whichcomponents are at hand and whichrequires a round or less to cast. Notethat it is possible for a spell to takeeffect after the caster journeys back tohis or her initial position; this, however,cannot happen if the spell cast has aninstantaneous duration (such as a fire-ball). If not made earlier, the returnjourney always occurs at the end of theround regardless of the caster�s orrecipient�s wishes or state of conscious-ness (even if dead).

No possibility of error exists in tele-portation. If the journey is made into anarea already occupied by a solid body(unlikely, as the destination must bewithin the caster�s view), or if the areaof return is similarly blocked, the jour-neyer is stunned (unable to cast spells)and displaced into the astral plane. Notethat the journey is a form of teleporta-tion; neither physical nor magical barri-ers can stop it or the return trip, and ajourneyer who is pinned down, con-s tr ic ted, or otherwise physica l lyencumbered will simply vanish fromsuch constraints on the return trip. Allthat the journeyer carries (save otherliving creatures, who will simply be leftbehind) will be teleported with him orher, up to a maximum weight equal to5,000 gold pieces. The material compo-nent of this spell is a small ball of rub-ber (which may be uncured, just as itcomes from the tree). Note that if thedestination chosen is beyond the cast-

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er�s range, the spell will not work; onesegment is wasted, and a second desti-nation may be pointed at. If it, too, is outof range, nothing occurs, and the spellis wasted.

The Spellbook of Daimos

Appearance: This tome bears notitle or inscription, and is fashioned offine, heavy parchment pages sewn to awaxed cord binding, which is stretchedand nailed to an oaken spine, to whichin turn are bolted covers of fine bronze,the whole covered with stretched silver�dragonscale.� The Spellbook weighsheavily and is three hand-lengths broadby four in height. It is as thick as twofingers, bearing within thirty-six pages.A permanent magic mouth has beencast upon it; whenever the tome is firsttouched by any (and every) creature,the mouth will appear on the front cov-er, and a cold, level male voice willspeak in Common: �Put me down, ordie.� There are presently no magicalsafeguards on the volume to back upthis threat, however. The book showsno signs of age or ill use.

History and Description: This vol-ume first comes to light in Realmsloresome three hundred winters ago, whenthe caravan-master Muirhar �Duskbrow,�an Easterner, crossed Anauroch (TheGreat Desert) at the head of a caravansixty-seven wagons long. The perilouscrossing was made safely, but gnoll bandsraided the caravan in Bleached BonesPass. Many were slain before Muirhar�sguards overcame the attackers. The gnollcorpses were stripped of weapons andgoods before the caravan moved on, andstrapped to one such corpse was found abattered leather satchel, obviously lootedfrom an earlier victim. Within it was anote written in Common that said simply,�I have no further use for this or otherthings of this world. You are my most ableapprentice, so it is yours. Use the Shoutonly in last resort. Daimos.�

Muirhar took book and note to themage Ulthorn of Waterdeep, who keptthe tome secret for many years andapparently never used its powers until

the night of his death. His apprentice,Rendergallis, who studied the tomeunder Ulthorn�s tutelage, reports thatUlthorn died in a sorcerous duel with avastly more powerful foe, the Arch-mage Ahrabose, but, in defeat, slew hisenemy by bringing the Tower of Yintrosdown upon them both with a greatshout. Rendergallis and many otheryoung apprentices and prestidigitatorsof Waterdeep searched the wreckage ofthe Tower that night, seeking items ofpower and written spells. The blastedcorpse of Ulthorn was found, with hisshattered staff and emerald sigil ring,but the Spellbook was gone. In theashes that had been Ulthorn, somebeing had scratched in Common:�Daimos reclaims his own.�

The whereabouts of the tome there-after are uncertain, but confused taleshave come to the northern Realms fromAnkhapur far to the south, and fromTwostars, a trailsmeet and well-stop onthe Golden Way trade road east of theInner Sea, of two separate skirmishes inwhich magic-users have employedgreat shouts. One of these two is knownto a sage, Thantos of Selgaunt, whostates that she is too young to haveknown the spell before, or immediatelyafter, the death of Ulthorn in Water-deep and, thus, must have learned itsince. Perhaps she gleaned it fromanother source, but Thantos, the agedRendergallis, and Elminster all agreethat the Spellbook of Daimos is the onlyknown source. Who or what �Daimos�is and the present location, aims, andpowers (or even existence) of such abeing are presently unknown.

C o n t e n t s : T h e l a s t t w o o f t h eSpellbook�s thirty-six pages are blank,but all others bear magic-user spells, asfollows (in order of appearance): iden-tify, magic missile, invisibility, levitate,web, fireball, monster summoning I,slow, suggestion, confusion, fear, firetrap , po lymorph se l f , animate dead,c l o u d k i l l , f e e b l e m i n d , f l a m e s h r o u d(unique spell), watch ware (uniquespell), anti-magic shell, disintegrate,geas, globe of invulnerability, reincar-

nat ion, repuls ion, Bigby�s graspingh a n d , d u o - d i m e n s i o n , p o w e r w o r dstun, vanish, great shout (unique spell),incendiary cloud, mind blank, astralspell, gate, and imprisonment. All com-monly known spells are in the �stand-ard� form (as noted above), save formonster summoning I, which Daimos(or another being) developed so that thecaster can, by effort of well, determinethe type of monsters summoned (75%chance of success at this). Casting timeis increased to a full round (as the crea-tures desired must be mentally pic-tured and this image concentrated on),and the number of creatures thatappear is still 2-8, random.

T h e t h r e e u n i q u e s p e l l s i n t h eSpellbook of Daimos are as follows:

Flame shroud (Alteration)Level: 5Range: 1�Duration: SpecialArea of Effect: Aura about one creatureComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 5 segmentsSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: By meansof this spell, a magic-user causes anaura of crackling flame to come intobeing about an unwilling target. Unlessadequately protected against fire, thetarget takes fiery damage, all flamma-ble objects upon his or her person (e.g.,clothing or papers such as scrolls orspell books) must save vs. magical fireor be destroyed, and other creatureswithin 1� of the target may also sufferdamage. The flame shroud envelops thevictim and rages, throwing off smallgouts of flame up to 1� distant onto eve-ry creature within range. Each goutdoes 1-4 hp of damage to any creature itstrikes, and may possibly endanger oth-er flammable objects carried by suchcreatures. T h e t a r g e t c r e a t u r e i sallowed a saving throw each roundagainst the flame shroud. The first saveis vs. spells at -4; if successful, theshroud will not form, the target isunharmed, and the spell is lost. The sec-ond save (on the second round) is at - 3,and so on, the save for the 5th round

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being as normal, that for the 6th at + 1,and continuing until a successful savingthrow is made, whereupon the shroudinstantly vanishes, and the spell is done.For each round enveloped by a flameshroud, the target suffers 2-12 hitpoints of fire damage. If flammable oil iscarried by the creature, its damage isadded to this if the container of oil failsits own saving throw. The materialcomponents for this spell are a pinch ofsaltpeter (powdered or in a natural sub-stance such as dung), a small piece ofphosphorus, and a tiny scrap of lace,cloth, or thick spiderweb.

Watchware (Evocation)Level: 5Range: TouchDuration: SpecialArea of EffectComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 roundSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: When awatchware is cast upon an item, thecaster is warned thereafter at themoment that the item moves or ismoved from the place or position it wasin at the time of spell casting, or when-ever the item is touched by any livingcreature. A watchware may be cast onany non-living item of any size, but isusually cast upon a spell book, lock,door, wand, staff, or item of treasure.On the first occasion after completionof casting a watchware the the item isdisturbed, the caster-even if asleep,charmed, or unconscious, and even ifyears have passed or the caster is agreat distance or even several planesdistant�will receive mental images ofthe item and its surroundings. If livingcreatures are within 1� of the item orhave touched it, the caster will receiveclear images of them and of their doingsfor 1 round per level of the caster whenhe or she cast the watchware after theydisturb the item. This is not an ESP or awizard eye spell; the caster hears noth-ing, knows nothing of what such crea-ture say or think, and cannot see theirsurroundings or gain any hint of direc-tion of travel after they leave the imme-

diate vicinity of the disturbed item. Thecaster may touch or move an item uponwhich he or she has cast a watchwarewithout setting off the spell. Note thatearth tremors and the like will set offthe spell, even if no creature or deliber-ate intent to take or move the item isinvolved. Items upon which a wat-chware has been cast radiate a faintdweomer; if a dispel magic is cast uponan item under watchware, the wat-chware will immediately be activated,not dispelled. Note that a watchwareworks once only and is not a permanentor continual protection. Death of thespellcaster ends the magic, even if thewatchware was not activated or thespellcaster is subsequently raised fromthe dead. The material components ofthis spell are a strand of spiderweb, atiny brass or silver bell, and an eyeglassor speculum of glass or crystal.

Great shout (Evocation)Level: 8Range: SelfDuration: InstantaneousArea of Effect: 2� by 9� coneComponents: V,MCasting Time: 1 segmentSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: Theunleashing of a great shout instantlydrains the caster of 2-8 (2d4) hit points,which can be regained by rest and cura-tive magic; a system shock survival rollmust also be made. The caster releasesa wave of sound of stunning force akinto a horn of blasting; 18 structuralpoints of damage dealt in a 1�-wide, 8�-long path�sufficient to smash a draw-bridge, split a boulder, or flatten anormal cottage. All creatures in thecone of sound must save vs. magic;those saving are stunned into inactivityfor 1 round and deafened for 2 rounds.Those failing the save are deafened for4 rounds, stunned for 2, and suffer 1-10hit points of physical damage. All magi-cal and non-magical items in the �nar-row path� described above must savevs. crushing blow or be destroyed.Creatures in the �narrow path� takedouble (2-20) damage if they fail to save,

and 1-10 (plus 2 rounds of stunning and4 of deafness) if they successfully save.The material component for this spell iss o m e m i n o r i t e m u p o n w h i c h adweomer has been cast (or failing that,a scroll or magical item), which is heldby the caster and consumed by the spellin the casting. Artifacts cannot be usedto power a great shout.

Book of Num ��the Mad�Appearance: This tome is a slim vol-

ume of rough slabs of ironwood, tiedtogether by leathern thongs in a �sand-wich� around twenty-four loose ,unbound sheets of fine parchment.

History and Description: Num �theMad� (no relation to �Lum the Mad�)was crippled from birth and grew up,ridiculed and teased all the while, in thealleys of Selgaunt port. His only place ofrefuge was the splendid Hunting Gar-den of the Hulorn of Selgaunt, a vast,high-walled preserve within the cityforbidden to all save the Hulorn�s guests(Num found an old sewer that led intoits grounds). Able only to crawl, Numwas seen one day and easily chaseddown by one of the Hulorn�s huntsmen,who rode over him and unrested alance to slay the intruder�and washimself slain by the fall of a dead tree.Num hastily left the Garden and madefor the inland forests.

Although hitherto cynical and god-derisive, he saw the tree�s fall not aschance but as the direct work ofSilvanus, and he began to worship theFather with devotion. Seeking out adruid of the Circle nigh Shadowdale, helearned the basics of woodlore andworship, and soon became a hermit,holding himself apart from men andworking tirelessly to improve the for-est. At length he was healed of his dis-abilities by grateful sylvan elves, and helived long in solitude and serenity,d e v e l o p i n g s p e c i a l p r a y e r s t oSilvanus�for which, and for his works,he was rewarded with special powersfrom the Father. Upon his death, theelves kept his grove and cave-homefrom fortune hunters and searching

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druids alike, and it was many yearsbefore raiding orcs under Gorth gainedNum�s prayer book, stealing it away tounknown hands. Num was not mad,but had strange manners of speech andthought, and was popularly believedamong men to be so, hence his nick-name. His prayers are finely written ina flowing hand, and are well thought ofby elves and druids alike.

Contents: It is from the writings ofthe elf Ruven Mithalvarin that we havea record of the Book contents. Eachpage contains a single prayer. The firstis a general giving of thanks (a non-magical ritual) to Silvanus. The othertwenty-three are specific instructionsand litanies on how to pray to theFather for specific spells, as follows:faerie fire, invisibility to animals, passwithout trace, purify water, fire trap,obscurement, hold animal, snare, tree,water breathing, briartangle (uniqueprayer, described below), call woodlandbeings, plant door, thorn spray (uniqueprayer, described below), communewith nature, control winds, pass plant,turn wood, weather summoning, ani-mate rock , confusion, death char iot(unique prayer, described below), andtransmute metal to wood.

The special prayers devised by Num(or inspired in him by Silvanus) are asfollows:

Briartangle (Alteration)Level: 4Range: 1� /level (distance from caster tochosen spell focus)Duration: 1 round/levelArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: ½

Explanation/Description: A briar-tangle spell causes living shrubbery orundergrowth of any type to be instant-ly changed to densely tangled briars ofthe thorniest sort, growing to 6� inheight and increasing in horizontal vol-ume to a 1� circular radius, plus 1�additional radius for every 2 levels ofexperience of the caster (thus, a 2nd-level druid would cause a briartangle of

2� radius). The briars can be readilyforced through, but will snag and haltmissiles, thrown objects, or flying crea-tures within their confines; all crea-tures t rapped within a briartanglewhen it forms, or those that enter itthereafter, will suffer 3-6 points ofpiercing and scratching damage perround, or portion thereof, that theyremain in contact with the spell. Beingsclad in banded, scale, or plate mail haveall damage thus done lessened to 1-3points per round. This also applies tocreatures made of rock or with skin ofcomparable hardness, but creatureswith lesser armor, such as chain, takefull damage, with or without a shield. Inall cases, a successful save vs. spellsequals half damage. Spell castingrequiring a somatic component isimpossible within a briartangle, andcloth raiment and items must save vs.acid once per round (or portion there-of) that they are within the briartangle�sconfines or be rent and torn. A briar-tangle will vanish instantly if the casterso wills, but otherwise exists for 1round per experience level of the cast-er, the plants afterwards reverting totheir former state.

The material components of the spellare living plants of any type (which aretransformed into the briartangle), mis-tletoe, a thorn from any plant, and abud, petal, or leaf from a briar (wildrose). Fire will destroy a briartangle in around, but creatures within it take 2-12hit points of fiery damage (no savingthrow). The area where a briartanglewas cast radiates a faint dweomer for 2-6 turns after the spell has expired, andcan be used to confuse creatures fol-lowing a pass without trace trail bydetecting a dweomer.

Thorn spray (Alteration)Level: 4Range: 1�Duration: 1 roundArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 3 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By means

of this spell, a druid can cause barbs,spikes, thorns, or spines, either natu-rally growing or magically created (i.e.,by use of a spike growth, wall of thorns,or briartangle spell), to spring withforce from his or her hand, or frombushes or resting places (which must bewithin 1� of the druid), and serve asmissiles. The thorns will do 1 hit pointof damage each, and can fly up to 12�away, within the round of casting, strik-ing as many targets as the druid wishesand the spell allows for (see below). Thedruid may direct the thorns in any com-bination at any living or non-living (i.e.,a scroll, lantern, or wineskin) target(s)that he or she can see. The thorns strikeonly if a successful �to hit� roll is made(at +4) for each, as though they weredirectly wielded by the druid (i.e., norange penalties apply).

Sleep-venomed wooden darts aresometimes carried by druids who usethis spell often. The missiles of a thornspray twist and turn in flight to followmoving targets and avoid obstructions,and are fast enough to catch most birdson the wing (moving approximately 120yards/segment). A maximum of fourthorns per experience level of the druidcan be animated by means of this spell.This spell will work underwater, butthe thorns roll to hit at normal odds tohit, and the range is lessened to 3�.

Death chariot (Evocation, Conjuration/Summoning)Level: 7Range: 1�Duration: SpecialArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 turnSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: Whenthis spell is cast, a clap of thundersounds and a billowing cloud of smokeerupts from the caster. Within thiscloud appears a flaming chariot pulledby two fiery horses. This vehicle moves24� on the ground, 48� flying and cancarry up to nine man-sized creatures(the caster need not be among them).The chariot will feel uncomfortably hot

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to approach, and merely touching oneof the horses will do 3-24 points of fierydamage, but boarding or touching thechariot will do no damage. Anyone inthe chariot may control the path of thechariot by verbal command, causingthe flaming steeds to stop or go, walk,trot, run or fly, turn left or right, rise,or descend. The vehicle and steeds canbe harmed by water (one quart willcause 1 hit point of damage) or by magi-cal weapons. The steeds are AC2, andcan be dispelled by inflicting 30 hitpoints of damage each upon them. Thesteeds and chariot can be forciblyreturned to the Elemental Plane of Fireby use of such spells as dispel magic,holy/unholy word, etc. Fire or electrici-ty will not harm the chariot or steeds,but cold-, ice-, or water-based magicwill do them double damage.

A death chariot closely resembles aC h a r i o t o f S u s t a r r e , s a v e t h a t i t senchantments are less stable and moretemporary; at the end of 1 turn aftercasting (or at any time previous to that,if the caster wishes), the death chariotwill suddenly explode in a gigantic ballof fire and vanish (along with its steeds).All in the chariot or within 3� will take10-40 points of fiery, damage (saveequals half damage); passengers willsuffer a further 2 hp of blast shock (asoxygen is consumed in the blast, and airrushes back in to fill the void), and�ifthe chariot vanishes in midair � fallingdamage applies unless magical items orspells afford escape. Readily combusti-ble materials such as cloth, wood,paper, and oil will be consumed in theblast (add flaming oil damage to anychariot passenger carrying it upontheir person). All other items (includingscrolls and spell books) gain a savingthrow vs. fireball. If items also suffer afall (i.e., from a midair death chariotblast), they must also save against itseffects. The bringing of an alchemy jugor decanter of endless water into oronto the chariot will cause it to immedi-ately explode. The material compo-nents of the spell are a small piece ofwood, bark, or handful of shavings, twoholly berries, and a fire source at least

equal to a torch. Note that a druid couldwell deceive others into thinking thedeath chariot is a Chariot of Sustarre bytouching them before they enter thechariot and accompanying them. Thedruid causes the chariot to explode byact of will, not verbal command, so heor she could �bail out� before ignitingthe trap-or, alternatively, ride thechariot in safety for a short trip (i.e.,across a chasm, down from a cliff, tow-er, battlement, etc.) and then leave it asa fiery trap, or even send it back at apursuing enemy before causing it toexplode. Attempts to charm, sleep, orhold the fiery steeds will be unsuccess-ful. The maximum duration of exist-ence of a death chariot (if not explodedearlier) is 1 round per level of the cast-er; if kept until maximum duration, thechariot will fade away harmlessly, andnot explode.

Briel�s Book of ShadowsAppearance: This untitled volume is

a large , leather-bound fol io withtwenty-one wrinkled, dogeared sheetsof parchment sewn in place. It hasreceived heavy (though careful) han-dling, and is obviously a workbook, fullof scribbled notes and thoughts, ratherthan a formal compendium of spells.

History and Description: This unti-tled, ancient volume has traditionallybeen known as Briel�s Book of Shadows,as it is thought to be the work of theArchmage Briel when he was but anapprentice under the tutelage of thegreat Aumvor the Undying (nowbelieved to be a lich whose lair is some-where in the vast mountain ranges ofthe North). The sage Ubergast of Amnpoints out that the informal handwrit-ing found in the Book closely resemblesthat preserved in a letter in the archivesof Baldur�s Gate, wherein Briel wrote ofhis intention to found a school of wiz-ardry there. Certainly no other claim-ant to authorship has declared himself,nor has been advanced as more thanspeculation by sages.

Contents: The book�s inscriptions

are rambling, and the pages are muchstained with various liquids and pow-ders used as ingredients in spells, spellinks, and in the making of a homoncu-lous. Its useful contents are as follows:

� Complete descriptions and instruc-tions for the cantrips exterminate, tie,wilt, and smokepuff (all in �standard�form, as described above).

� The complete spells affect normalfires, scatterspray (a unique spell),shield, and write.

� The magical and medicinal uses ofunicorn horns.

� A recipe, copied from anothersource, for the making of a homoncu-lous (cf. Monster Manual).

Specifics of some of these contentsfollow:

Scatterspray (Alteration)Level: 1Range: Spell focus 1� distant per levelof casterDuration: 1 roundArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 segment

Explanation/Description: By meansof this spell, the magic-user causes anyunconfined or untethered objects ofchicken-egg size or less within a 1� radi-us spherical area of effect to spray vio-lently outward in all directions, asthough thrown by an explosion. Themissiles are not created by the spell; themagic-user must employ objects athand or on his own person. Typicallycoins, marbles, gems, dice, sling bullets,and the like are employed. The scatter-spray plucks all such objects (exceptthose actually within the robes, pock-ets, pouches, and pack of the caster)within the 1� radius area of effect upand hurls them 1� outward in all direc-tions. Upon reaching the limits of thisthrust , the objects rebound backinwards and ricochet about within the2� radius total area for the entire roundfollowing the round of casting. All man-sized creatures within this greater (2�)area take 1-4 points of shrapnel damage

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(save equals hal f damage, roundupwards); small-sized creatures take 1-6 points (successful saves halving dam-age); and large-sized creatures areunharmed. The material componentsfor the scatterspray are the missiles (atleast six egg-sized or nine coin-sizedobjects are required, but the spell willaffect up to four dozen of either), and aflint and steel or tinder-box (not con-sumed in spell casting), with which aspark must be stuck. The caster canchoose the spell focus (center of the 1�radius area of effect, and 2� radiusblast area) by act of will, determiningdirection and distance (the intendedfocal area need not be seen). It can bedistant from the caster by 1� per expe-rience level of the caster. The spell cast-er is never harmed by the missiles of hisor her own scatterspray Other crea-tures protected by forcecubes and thelike will be unaffected; shield spells andsimilar one-sided defenses will reducedamage suffered by 1 hit point. If a scat-terspray is cast with insufficient mis-siles (see above) present, nothing willoccur, and the magic will be lost.Sprites, insects of all types, and otherflying creatures with delicate wingsmust save vs. spell when caught in ascatterspray, or be unable to fly (wingspierced and bruised, or torn, andnumb) for 1-4 turns; large-sized crea-tures and those with powerful wings(such as perytons and pseudodragons)of sturdy construction are immune tothis effect.

The uses of unicorn hornsThe horns of unicorns are rare and

precious things, seldom gained by auser of magic, so it behooves one not towaste or misuse any such gained. Oftenthe horns of other creatures will besold or offered as those of unicorns; thepowers and propert ies below areunique to the true items, and testingwill avoid successful deceptions.

When a unicorn lives, its intact hornhas strong magical powers, notably theability to call upon Silverymoon (the� d i v i n e u n i c o r n , � m e n t i o n e d i n

DRAGON® Magazine issue #54 in theForgotten Realms pantheon, under�Cults of the Beast�) for one clericalspell of any sort per day, something sel-dom done (some say Silvanus grantssuch magics) . Unicorns cannot becoerced into such use of their horns�nor do the horns retain this power ifremoved from the host, or if the uni-corn is slain.

Other powers do continue after theseparation from the living beast, andthese should be carefully noted; mostimportantly, they are sovereign reme-dies against poison.

U p o n d i r e c t c o n t a c t w i t h a n ypoison�liquid, solid, or vapor�a uni-corn�s horn turns from its usual ivoryhue to purple, the intensity of the color(mauve through black) deepeningaccording to the efficacy of the poison.(This effect fades in 1-4 rounds after thecessation of contact.) Some very rarehorns are naturally of a hue other thanivory, but they are never purple, andturn to such hues only when poison ispresent. Powdered unicorn horn, takeninternally (washed down with water orwine) is an antidote to all ingested poi-sons, neutralizing such immediately, toprevent any further damage. Rubbingan envenomed blade, spearhead orarrow-tip with powdered or wholehorn will remove and negate the poison(so effectively that the process ofremoval itself is not dangerous). A uni-corn horn carried next to the skin ofany creature confers upon that crea-ture a + 7 bonus in all saving throws ofany sort.

Druids have found that a faerie firespell cast upon a whole horn or piece ofone will last for 44 rounds. The efficacyof a mending spell is increased bytouching a part of the item to be mend-ed with a unicorn horn during casting;magical items can be made whole�a l t h o u g h t h e i r d w e o m e r i s n o trestored�and shattered items withmany fractures (such as broken earth-enware pots or crystal flasks) can becompletely restored. If the cantripbluelight is cast with a unicorn horn inhand, the glow centers upon the horn,

not the caster�s palm, and the horn canbe released by the caster and the casterand horn separated by any distancewithout the light failing�until the cast-er ceases to concentrate on it.

Other powers of unicorn horns arerumored, but no more as yet have beenverified. Powdered horn is known to bea possible ingredient (there are herbalalternatives) in the making of a sweetwater potion.

Homonculous creationBeing A Recipe, Most Complete And

Correct, Prepared By The Willing AndAllied Hands Of The Grand AlchemistOf Neverwinter, Askrim �the Bold,� AndT h e W i z a r d D a u n t u s , S e n e s c h a l o fSilverymoon: The Making Of A Homon-culous.

Firstly, an acidic base of water intowhich is crushed a thousand thousandants, and out of which is strained theinsect remains, is prepared in a blackiron cauldron.

Secondly, the following herbs mustbe crushed and powdered together in aseparate vessel: an acorn, and a wholeplant or large leaf each of balmony,birthwort, fennel, and ginseng.

Thirdly, a brass brazier must be lit,stoked with charcoal, and over the flamesmust be cast a handful of rose petals,incense, and a pinch of fine sand.

The cauldron of acid must now beplaced on the brazier and heated.Straightaway, ere it comes to the boil,the powdered herbs must be stirredinto it (mind that a dipper or ladle ofwood and not metal is used), and thefollowing ingredients must also beintroduced into it, in the order given:the whole skin of any reptile (size isunimportant, so long as the skin iswhole), a human eye, the brain of amind flayer, the wings of a bat, and themouthparts or whole head of a vampir-ic bat. These may be agitated andstirred as necessary�they must bewholly dissolved ere the mixture comesto a boil.

As the mixture begins to bubble inearnest, the magic-user shall let fresh

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blood from his own body into a vesselby means of an incision, and one pintexactly must be added to the pot.

The alchemist then must tend themixture constantly, allowing the bra-zier to burn out and the mixture slowlycool. When the side of the cauldron isno warmer than the room, the mixturemay be covered (tightly, with stretchedand tarred hide sealed with wax, tokeep the air out) and left undisturbedfor 1-4 weeks. When it is adjudgedready (by the smell of the seal, whichshould be sharply spicy) by the alche-mist, the mixture shall be uncoveredand put once more over a brazier withcharcoal and incense. As it heats, themagic-user must cast a mending spellupon the fluid, then a mirror image,and then a wizard eye. He must thenremain within the presence of the caul-dron, or at least within the future radi-us of control of the creature (48�), asthe mixture is heated to a boil. Thealchemist shall then stoke the fires hot-ter, and when much of the fluid isboiled away, the completed homoncu-lous will be revealed in the cauldron.When it has cooled (the vapors from thecauldron passing away), the magic-usermust touch it. It will then be animate,and will survive (barring physicalattack or misfortune) until the death ofthe magic-user, whereupon it will dis-solve into boiling vapor and pass intonothingness. If it should die first andthe magic-user survive its death, hemust guard and hide its corpse well, forwhatever is done to the carcass shallhappen also to the spell caster�theremains should not be burned save thecaster has magics to protect againstfire. Remember too, that it can see inthe darkness where one cannot, andcan guard while one sleeps, waking oneat the approach of any creature.

Sabirine�s Specular

Appearance: A large, heavy tome( f i v e h a n d w i d t h s a c r o s s b y t e nhandwidths high, two fingers thick) oftwenty-eight fine vellum pages withstamped brass corner-pieces, and cov-

ers of thin black marble affixed to thethinnest of suth-wood sheets by largebrass corner caps.

History and Description: Sabirinewas a mage of long ago, instrumental inthe exploration of the North; her adven-tures are a part of the fireside lore oftraders and travelers there yet. Shecompiled and concealed spellbooks invarious caches and favorite hauntsabout the wilderlands, and the oneknown as The Specular has survived,for it is known to have been in thelibrary of the sage Eiron the Old inNeverwinter until his death�and thesubsequent pillaging of his house bythieves of the Red Hand guild�onlyfour winters ago.

Sabirine learned the secrets of lich-dom but chose to die a natural deathinstead. She was a mage with an espe-cial interest in cantrips, and was anenthusiastic advocate of the continueduse and refinement of cantrips bymagic-users of long career and highlevel. The Specular, for instance, con-tains three unique cantrips developedby Sabirine: catfeet, snatch, and spark.

Contents: Each cantrip and spell inthe Specular is set forth alone on apage, and there are two additional pag-es at either end of the book; that at thebeginning being an inscription identify-ing the tome as belonging to Sabirine,with her rune (an �S� depicted as aswan), and that at the end bearing acurious piece of black felt in the shapeof a vial. The frontispiece page is actu-ally a unique spell, spell engine (detailedhereafter) of unknown authorship,which has been concealed by use of asecret page spell. The command wordof the secret page is not known. Thelast page is thought to be an unusedmagical useful item (see robe of usefulitems description in the Dungeon Mas-ters Guide) � a potion of extra healing,Elminster believes.

The pages between bear six cantrips:cat feet (deta i led hereaf ter ) , c lean,freshen, snatch (detailed hereafter),spark (detailed hereafter), and unlock,and spells as follows: comprehend lan-

guages, enlarge, light, Nystul�s magicaura, sleep, bladethirst (a unique spell,detailed hereafter), detect evil, ESPclairaudience, gust of wind, tongues,c h a r m m o n s t e r , d i g , f i r e c h a r m ,Merald�s murderous mist (a uniquespell taught to Sabirine by her tutor, themighty archmage Merald; the spell isdetailed hereafter), polymorph other,Bigby�s interposing hand, disintegrate,geas, and phase door.

Spell Engine (Abjuration/Alteration)Level: 8Range: 0Duration: SpecialA of Effect: Sphere about caster, of 1�radius per levelComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 turnSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This rareand powerful magic does not come intooperation until another spell is castwithin its area of effect. When thatoccurs, a huge, shining wheel or verti-cal disc of glowing white light willinstantly appear (some inches aboveany ground or floor that was there atthe time of casting, or is there at thetime of activation) where the casterstood while casting the engine (even ifthat spellcasting occurred centuriesbefore). It will begin to turn, with a gen-tle rushing noise, and will absorb theenergy of all spells cast within its areaof effect�so that they are wasted anddo not work, but serve instead topower the turning wheel. The wheeldoes nothing except turn, light up anarea, and benefit magic-user and illu-sionists with a curious side-effect: Itssound and energies and magical con-centration, and spell memorizing timesfor spellcasters who study within itsarea of effect are halved. Once acti-vated, an engine will not disappear untildispelled; if starved for magical energy,it will merely turn more and more slow-ly, and gradually grow dim, until ithangs motionless, translucent andghostly.

A spell engine cannot be dispelled bydispel magic (which it will absorb), nor

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affected by normal weapons (whichpass through it as though it does notexist). A wish, limited wish, or alterreality spell, properly worded, willdestroy it, as will contact with any mag-ical item or artifact�which causes amagical explosion doing 1-20 points ofdamage to all within 1� (1-8 to thosefrom 1� + to 2� away), and destroys amagical item; an artifact must make asaving throw. If such an artifact is notdestroyed, there is a 75% chance that itwill be shifted (with or without anycreature wielding it) into another planeof existence.

Magic mouths, glyphs, symbols, andprotective circles or other runic magicswill not be affected by a spell engine;thus, a doorway can be guarded by asymbol, and a spell engine cast in frontof the doorway will prevent the symbolfrom being dispelled. Detect magic willreveal the presence and shape of anunactivated spell engine; the wheel istypically 12� in diameter and 2� thick,standing upright on edge, although itwill grow marginally larger if chargedby many spells and the surroundingspermit such growth (its area of effectremaining unchanged). It is often castin a narrow passageway before a door.Until activated, the wheel of a spellengine has no physical existence andcannot be touched. A disintegrate spellwill have no effect on an unactivatedspell engine, but it will destroy an acti-vated spell engine, with an explosionidentical in effect to that caused by con-tact between a spell engine and a magi-cal item or artifact. Note that a spellengine�s area of effect extends throughrock and void alike in a perfect sphere;it cannot be easily avoided by use of apasswall, dig, or phase door. Livingcreatures not possessing magical itemscan pass through the area of effect ofan active spell engine without effect; itdoes not �drain� spells from minds.Inactive spell engines cannot be con-tacted by a living creature, magicalitem, or artifact, and thus cannot be soactivated; nor will the presence of afunctioning spell, psionic effect, ormagical item function activate a spell

engine� it is only the actual casting of aspell that activates the engine.

The material components for thisspell are a small disc of fine, polishedivory, bone, shell, or marble; a drop ofwater or one of the caster�s tears; and agem (any type) of at least 1,000 gp value.

Catfeet (Alteration)A of E: 1 pair of feet (self)CT 1/6 segment

Explanation/Description: This per-sonal cantrip, enacted by making astroking motion with the fingers of onehand, acts upon the caster (and cannotbe made to affect another person) forone round (plus one additional roundper experience level of the caster, abovethe first level). Movements or theweight (tread) of the caster�s feet,regardless of the surface being walkedupon or climbed, are rendered silent.This does not cloak any other soundsmade by the caster, such as breathing,the swish of clothing, sounds madewith the hands grasping or moving, etc.Anything dislodged or broken by thecaster�s feet will make whatever noise itnormally would, and traps or otherdevices triggered by a footstep will alsofunction normally. In addition, the cast-er will land, balanced and unwinded,on his or her feet, from a fall of anyheight suffered while the cantrip is ineffect (and a modifier of - 1 from eachdie of falling damage suffered applies).

The dweomer also lends some suretyof traction and movement; a - 15%chance of slipping or falling in damp,greasy, or otherwise slightly slipperyconditions underfoot. Note that thisdoes not enable the caster to climb orwalk upon walls or ceilings unless othermagic is employed (such as a spiderclimb spell), but will reinforce all suchmagics to lend increased safety in haz-ardous conditions.

Snatch (Evocation)A of E: 1 personCT: 1/6 segment

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h i sperson-affecting cantrip causes a brief,violent jerking force to act upon a bodyportion or limb of a subject creature.

This force has little strength, but mayserve to cause a running being to stum-ble or turn about, or cause someone tofumble or drop small objects such askeys, material components, gems,coins, and the like. A saving throw (ofthe subject , vs . spel l ) determineswhether such objects are actuallydropped, or a fall or mishap actuallyoccurs�or whether the snatch merelydelays the subject for 1-3 segments. Inno case can successful ly snatchedobjects be animated or conveyed magi-cally by the caster; the snatch is a brieftug, not an unseen servant. The casterhisses softly at the subject being (whomust be within 4� of the caster�within1� if the caster is a 0-level apprentice),and simultaneously makes a jerkingmotion with a hooked finger, visualiz-ing the location and precise direction ofthe desired snatching, to enact the can-trip.

Spark (Evocation)A of E: SpecialCT ½ segment

Explanation/Description: This per-sonal cantrip is enacted by the castersnapping his or her fingers and makinga popping verbal noise simultaneously;this causes a large, powerful blue sparkto come into being at any precise loca-tion (familiar, or unseen and merelychosen by direction and distance) with-in a range of 1� per level of the caster.The energy of the spark will be trans-mitted by any conducting materials itcontacts, but the spark does not requirethe presence of electrical (or any other)energy, and is not affected by. dampnessor other atmospheric conditions. If thecaster is of 6th level or higher, the can-trip will produce 2-5 (1d4 + 1) sparks inthe same spot, in rapid (successive seg-ments) succession.

Bladethirst (Alteration)Level: 2Range: TouchDuration: 1 roundArea of Effect: Blade(s) of one weaponComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 roundSaving Throw: None

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Explanation/Description: By meansof a pinch of powdered silver, adaman-tite, or mithral, and at least a drop of(human) blood, the caster endows theblade (or blades) of an edged weaponwith a + 3 bonus to hit on the followinground only. This temporary magic isvisible as a blue-white glow about theweapon, and fades when the bladestrikes a creature or the spell expires,whichever first occurs. The weaponmust be touched by the caster, and canbe wielded by the caster or any crea-ture � but if it is thrown, cast, orlaunched (i.e., a fired missile weaponsuch as an arrow), the + 3 bonus willnot apply. (Note that an arrow held tostab like a dagger would gain thebonus.) The weapon does not gain a + 3bonus on damage, but is consideredmagical for hit purposes on the roundfollowing spellcasting, and if it mustmake a saving throw dur ing thatround, it gains a + 3 bonus on the save.(Polearms such as spears and halberdsare edged weapons, but spiked weap-ons such as a flail or a morning star arenot.)

Merald�s Murderous Mist (Evocation)Level: 4Range: 0Duration: 2 roundsArea of Effect: 2� radius sphereComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: A billow-ing cloud of misty vapors is created bythe use of this spell; it radiates out-wards from the caster to fill a 2� radiusspherical area above and below thecaster�s ground level, penetrating allobstructions in only two segments; atthe end of the round of casting the mag-ic takes effect, and the mist changes inhue from blue-gray to green, becomingpoisonous. All breathing creatureswithin the area of effect not possessinga (magical) separate air supply � exceptthe caster, who is immune to the effectsof his or her own murderous mist�must immediately save vs. spell. Thosewho save are unharmed. Those who do

not take 2-8 points of damage from thevapor, which is corrosive to flesh butdoes not affect clothing or items. Crea-tures which can�t move out of the areaof effect within the round take a fur-ther 1-4 points of damage on the follow-ing round, as the vapors begin tocombine with the air and disappear.The globe of murderous mist is a magi-cally bound, precise area unaffected bynatural or magical winds. Dispel magicor part water will cause it to disappearbefore expiration of the spell, and vari-ous magics or items (such as rope trickor a portable hole) will protect an indi-vidual by providing escape from themist, but it is otherwise unaffected bynatural or magical forces.

Glanvyl�s Workbook

Appearance: A small (one handspanin height, seven fingers wide, and twothick) volume constructed from twoleather-covered boards held togetherby brass triangular-head nails, througha central spine of heavy hide to whichare sewn a dozen parchment sheets.The outside front cover bears a person-al rune, thus:

Beneath it, an inscription in Common:�Glanvyl�his Workbook.� Both rune andinscription are burned into the leather,and the grooves filled with molten cop-per, which has hardened into rainbow-scarred, predominantly orange metaltraceries.

History and Description: Glanvyl isan unknown magic-user who assem-bled this Workbook�probably underthe tutelage of one or more magic usersof greater power�in the caravan-crossroads city of Scornubel somethree hundred years ago. It was hiddenin a chest of silk gowns, behind a loosestone, in a cellar wall of a house ownedby the merchant Pentle, and before himby the illusionist and adventurer Alkun-da Gar . After Pent le �s house wasdestroyed by a fire, one of the rebuild-ers found it, and took it with stealth tothe sage Bendulphin, who gave him fivehundred pieces of gold for it.

Bendulphin died of natural causes,

shortly thereafter, and his son Tresktook the Workbook to Waterdeep,where he sold it to a conjurer, oneBraszetor. This new owner disappearedshortly thereafter, and his rooms wererifled by the Master Thief Nighteye�orsomeone else who dared to use hismark. The whereabouts of the Work-book at present are unknown; Nighteyehas probably traded or sold it, but hecould have done either of these thingswith almost anyone, anywhere.

Contents: From Bendulphin�s notes,we learn that the Workbook�s twelvepages bear the following spells andwritings: the unique cantrips horn, lis-ten, and scorch (all described hereaf-ter), set forth one to a page, and thespells write, detect magic, Leomund�strap, and Nystul�s magic aura, one to apage, in the order given. These are fol-lowed by a page of notes on the intensi-ties and hues of various dweomersviewed by detect magic (confused andsubjective�of little practical use), andthen a unique druid spell, smoke ghost(presumably copied by Glanvyl throughuse of a write spell, and then found tobe an untranslatable druidic prayer �or perhaps never identified by him atall). Particulars of this spell are givenbelow. The last two pages of the work-book contain spell-ink formulae forwriting the spells haste and lightningbolt, respectively.

Horn (Evocation)A of E: SpecialCT: Special

Explanation/Description: A horncantrip causes the haunting sound of anon-existent horn or trumpet beingwinded to be heard within 2� (6� ifloud). The pitch, volume, apparent dis-tance (echo and muffling), and length ofnote (only a single call is permitted) areall controllable by the caster. The casterfaintly or inaudibly hums a tone to setthe pitch, and then opens his or hermouth into an O-shape while cuppingthe fingers of one hand over it. Thetrumpet call will last as long as themouth is open in an O. The volume andsteadiness of the note are controlled by

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t h e f i n g e r s ( w h i c h f l a r e o p e n t oincrease volume, and pinch shut tomute it) and can be shaken to give atremulous note. A caster practiced inthe use of this cantrip can imitate hornblasts perfectly.

Listen (Alteration)A of E: 1 creatureCT: 1/10 segment

Explanation/Description: Aperson-affecting listen cantrip enablesthe caster to attract the attention of atarget creature within 6�. The cantripis activated by the caster�s pointing atthe target and then at himself, whilesimultaneously saying, �Ahem.� The tar-get will then be alerted to the messagesubsequently (beginning within onesegment of the casting) spoken by thecaster�i.e., across a wide street orcrowded room, etc. The cantrip doesnot act as a message spell; there must beno barriers to sound between casterand target, and the cantrip does notimprove the target�s hearing or the vol-ume of the caster�s voice�nor does itcapture the target�s full concentration,so it will not ruin or delay spellcasting.If the message is spoken in a languagenot understood by the target, the can-trip does not translate it. The cantrip isideal for alerting a friend to the pres-ence of the caster. A listen cantrip willnever be cast upon the wrong targetdue to movement during the caster�spointing; the caster�s view of the targetdetermines the target.

Scorch (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/3 segment

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h i sreversed cantrip, despite its name, cre-ates neither flame nor heat. Instead, bymagically exciting the molecules of anynon-living object (of up to 100 gpweight), it causes the object to charwithout noise, smell, or smoke. Thecaster must touch the object (hit rollrequired if another creature is attempt-ing to protect the object or keep thecaster from it), and the object is alloweda saving throw vs. magical fire. If thesave fails, the object is consumed. This

cantrip will readily destroy magicalwritings such as spellbooks and scrolls.The verbal component is a hissingnoise; the somatic component is merelytouching the object to be affected.

Smoke Ghost (Alteration)Level: 4Range: 1� /levelDuration: 1 round/levelArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: ½

Explanation/Description: By meansof a pinch of dust and mistletoe, castinto an existing fire or cloud of smoke(of magical or natural origin), a druidcan affect smoke, drawing it into awraith-like cowled form which will flyor glide, drifting up to 14� per round inthe direction he or she wishes. Thesmoke ghost is not a living creature orsentient force, and cannot wear cloth-ing, carry things, or be made to speak.It is merely an apparition with oneattack ability: it can envelop an oppo-nent and suffocate it with thick, chok-ing smoke and ash. This causes 1 hp ofdamage per round the victim is withinthe ghost (the druid can cause thesmoke ghost to move with an opponent)and blinds the victim so that all attacksare at -2 to hit, spellcasting and evennormal speech are impossible for thevictim (violent retching and coughingwill occur when these are tried). Thevictim will be rendered unconsciousthrough suffocation in 4-9 (1d6 + 3) suc-cessive rounds of envelopment.

A successful saving throw vs. theghost (one, against breath weapon,must be made each time a creature isenveloped, even if the same creaturehas escaped from within the ghost onceor several times before) causes the vic-tim�s attacks to be only at - 1, damageto be - 1 hp only at the end of each twosuccessive rounds of envelopment (nodamage for lesser time periods, or frac-tions) and means suffocation will occuronly at the end of nine successiverounds of envelopment. Beings whohave thus saved vs. a ghost can manage

to utter item command words, powerwords, or cast some other spells andcantrips that require only a single spo-ken word; doing so usually wracksthem with uncontrollable coughing fitsfor the following round. A smoke ghostis a cloud of thick, billowing grey smokeapproximately 9� high by 2� in diameter,and cannot achieve a greater stable vol-ume, but its precise form is variable, inaccordance with the caster�s wishes. Asmoke ghost can rise up into the air 1�per level of the druid, or be made tosink to the ground, flowing along theearth like some sort of living blanket,and can swoop and maneuver throughcracks and crevices precisely as thedruid wills. It can shift into a globe-form or wall-form in 1-4 segments. Adruid who cannot see his or her smokeghost cannot direct it, nor can a druidwhose concentration is turned else-where (i.e., in casting another spell) doso. In both cases, the smoke ghost willhang motionless until it is dispelled orthe spell expires (a ghost that reachesthe caster�s maximum range will alsostop and remain in place until disap-pearing, or until directed elsewhere bythe caster. The caster can will the ghostto disappear into nothingness at anytime (which will take 1-6 segments). Itcan also be destroyed by a gust of wind,dispel magic, or strong natural winds.

The Red Rook of WarAppearance: A massive two-volume,

two cubits wide by three high (a cubitbeing the length from the elbow to theend of the middle finger). Its covers aremade of armor plates beaten flat, care-fully shaped, and hinged at the spine ofthe book to form a very strong binding,containing fifty-one thin pages of bur-nished copper, carefully stamped withletters and sigils, each page containingone prayer or clerical spell on one sideonly. No sigil or title is visible on the out-er covers. A permanent, pale-red flick-ering faerie fire emanates from thebook�s pages.

History and Description: Worshipof the war-god Tempus is well estab-

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lished in the more lawless and troubledlands of the Realms, and a numerous,well-organized priesthood has comeinto being over the years. The Red Bookof War is one of half a dozen or so simi-lar volumes, temple tomes containingprayers for use by the priests of Tem-pus. However, the Red Book, unlike itsfellows, has gone missing�lost tothieves in Telflamm when the greatTower of Tempus there was robbed onenight three winters ago by representa-tives of the local thieves� guild. It seemsthat Taeron, High Priest and ChampionRampant of Tempus in Telflamm,refused to render unto Volludan, Guild-m a s t e r o f t h e S h a d o w m a s t e r s o fTelflamm, certain protective monies�and so the Shadowmasters relieved thetemple of several of its greatest trea-sures, including two great magicalblades, a helm of brilliance, and the RedBook.

The Shadowmasters promptly quar-reled over their booty (aided by venge-ful priests and worshipers of Tempus �i.e., most of the mercenaries in the city),and Volludan and several of his lieuten-ants perished. All of the temple trea-sures were recovered except the RedBook, which is still actively sought by allpriests of Tempus; a reward of 25,000pieces of gold (plus, if the finder is afaithful of Tempus, a promotion of onerank in the priesthood) can be claimedat any temple of the Wargod in returnfor the complete Red Book of War: TheRed Book will be recognized on sight byall canons and higher-ranking priests ofTempus, and they will do anything�including mounting an ambush orpitched battle with all the armed menthey can muster � necessary to regaini t . I t s p r e s e n t w h e r e a b o u t s a r eunknown, but it is thought that thievesconveyed it far from Telflamm, and thatit may have changed hands severaltimes since its theft.

Contents: The Red Book contains thefollowing clerical spells, one to a page,appearing in the order mentioned (allare in standard Players Handbook formexcept for some unique spells, which

are described hereafter�these uniqueprayers being special to the priests ofTempus; they may or may not be heard,and answered identically, by other dei-t i e s ) : b l e s s , c o m m a n d , c u r e l i g h twounds , detect magic , remove f ear ,augury, chant, hold person, know align-ment, resist fire, slow poison, spiritualhammer, animate dead, continual light,cure b l indness , cure d isease , d ispe lmagic, feign death, holy flail (specialprayer, see below), locate object, pray-er, remove curse, speak with dead, cureserious wounds, detect lie, divination,exorcise, neutralize poison, protectionfrom evil 10� radius, reveal (specialprayer, see below), tongues, atonement,commune, d ispe l evi l , f lame str ike ,quest , ra ise dead, true see ing, b ladeb a r r i e r , h e a l , s p e a k w i t h m o n s t e r s ,stone te l l , word o f recal l , b ladebless(special prayer; see below), gate, regen-erate, restoration, resurrection, sacredlink (special prayer; see below), symbol,and wind walk. The special prayers toTempus contained in the Red Rook areas follows:

Holy Flail (Invocation/Alteration)Level: 3Range: TouchDuration: 1 round/levelArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By call-ing upon his or her deity, the cleric cast-ing a holy f la i l spel l temporar i lytransforms his or her own holy symbol,or any non-bladed weapon which thecleric touches wielded by anotherbeing, into a magical holy flail. For oneround per experience level of the cleric,the holy symbol or transformed weap-on becomes a snakelike, flexible field offorce attached to a rigid hand-hold; aninvisible, crackling spectral flail that is+ 2 to hit when wielded in battle, and isconsidered a magical weapon for hit-ting purposes. A strike from a holy flaildoes 2-7 points of damage and, if wield-ed by a cleric, an additional 1 hit pointper experience level of the cleric dam-

age per strike to all undead, and to anycreature of a greatly different align-ment than that of the cleric (see below).

If a holy flail spell is cast upon a blad-ed weapon, nothing will happen andthe spell will be lost. If it is cast upon aweapon held by a creature of a greatlydifferent alignment than that of thecasting cleric (i.e., good vs. evil; lawful,chaotic, and neutral considerations donot matter in this case), the flail will notform. A holy flail will always vanish if itis transferred from one creature toanother, unless the being receiving it isthe spellcaster or another cleric of thesame deity. A holy flail does not needcontinued concentration on the part ofthe cleric to maintain it, and can bedropped to enable spellcasting (orthrown as a weapon) without vanish-ing. A holy flail created from a holysymbol can only be wielded by a clericof the same deity as the symbol, or itwill vanish. The material componentsof this spell are the holy symbol orweapon (which is not consumed ordamaged in any way by the spell) and apinch of powdered gemstone (of anytype).

Reveal (Divination) ReversibleLevel: 4Range: TouchDuration: 4 roundsArea of Effect: 12� sight rangeComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 7 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This spellis cast upon the cleric or another (will-ing) creature into whose eyes the clericinduces the material component of thespell. It allows the affected being to seeclearly the location and outline of sym-bols, glyphs of warding, magically con-cealed inscriptions, and dweomersexisting upon surfaces viewed, even ifthese are not yet activated (such as mag-i c m o u t h , M o r d e n k a i n e n � s f a i t h f u lhound, Leomund�s trap, Nystul�s magicaura , hal lucinatory terra in, wal l o fforce). No clue as to the precise natureof the magic is given by the spell, butprotective circles, symbols, and glyphs

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can all be scrutinized in detail andmight well be identified by someonefamiliar with them, or recorded for lat-er study.

Reveal will show the presence ofgates (or other links between planes,including the presence of an astral sil-very cord), inactive or not, but will notreveal astral, ethereal, or invisible crea-tures or things. Unlike true seeing, theauras of creatures are not shown; norare polymorphed or magically changedthings shown for what they truly are(although the dweomer of an illusion,for example, would be seen) or former-ly were.

The spell requires an ointment com-posed of four drops of the cleric�s (orspell recipient�s) blood; two drops ofwater; two drops of giant squid sepia; apinch of the powdered herb eyebright;and two powdered gemstones, a largeblue sapphire and a carbuncle of atleast medium size. The cleric mixesthese in a bowl or depression of stone,china, or earthenware (not wood ormetal) with his or her finger, speaks thewords of the spell while holding his orher holy symbol over the paste, andthen applies it to the eyes.

The reverse of the spell, conceal, willmask all the above things from anycreature to whom the ointment (com-posed in this case of a pinch of pow-dered monkshood (aconite); six dropsof onion juice; a pinch of dust; and sev-en drops of water, mixed and enspelledas above) is applied for one turn perlevel of the cleric casting the conceal,and if during this time the affectedbeing employs true seeing or detectmagic or equivalent magics, these spellswill appear to work, but the phenom-ena listed above will simply not be seenby the af fected creature . Awake,mobile creatures unwilling to have theointment for either version of the spellapplied to their eyes must be contactedby the cleric twice (two successful hitrolls required), but washing or anymeans short of dispel magic, exorcise,or a limited wish will not prevent theointment from working.

Bladebless (Necromantic)Level: 7Range: SpecialDuration: PermanentArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 roundSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: By use ofthis spell, a cleric heals a specific woundby bestowing a blessing on the weaponthat caused it. This magic works onlyupon a non-magic bladed weapon,which the cleric must touch and hold ashe or she intones the blessing. Immedi-ately upon this being done, the lastwound caused by that blade (if anywound has been so caused, to any livingthing, within one turn per experiencelevel of the cleric) will instantly be fullyand completely healed, even if the bladewas poisoned, a disease conferred, or alimb or head was severed. Such healingoccurs even if the affected creature isseveral planes distant at the casting ofthe bladebless � and if death occurreddue to a failed system shock roll or poi-son saving throw, then life is restored.(If death was due to cumulative hitpoint loss, life is not restored; nor willthis magic heal other wounds upon thevictim�s body.) The healed creatureneed not ever be seen, touched, or evenknown to the cleric. If such a woundhas already healed or been magicallyhealed, it is unaffected, and the bladeb-less magic is lost. The material compo-nents for this spell are the weapon inquestion, the cleric�s holy symbol, and adrop of the cleric�s own blood.

Sacred Link (Evocation/Alteration)Level: 7Range: TouchDuration: SpecialArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 2 roundsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: To bringabout a sacred link, a cleric must hold inhis or her hands the two objects to belinked, and then cast the spell. The twoitems must be fashioned of the same

material(s) and be roughly the samesize; they cannot be living creatures;and ideally they will be nearly identical(i.e., matching swords, scrolls, statu-ettes, etc.) The sacred link spell causesan invisible magical bond to be createdbetween the two items; both will radi-ate a very faint dweomer, and althoughthe link is not a tangible pathway orthread that one can follow, what hap-pens to one item will also happen to theother, even if they are separated bymyriad planes or any distance.

The link lasts until one of the items isdestroyed (or until a dispel magic is castupon one of the items, which negatesthe link). For instance, if a map or scrollis sold to an enemy and the match for itis retained by the cleric, his or her tem-ple, or even another being, several daysafter the sale this being could burn hisor her copy�and the enemy�s copywould also be consumed, regardless ofits location or situation. (If the map wasburied or underwater, no flames wouldoccur, but the map or scroll would stillturn to ashes and be destroyed, in uni-son with its burning twin; on the otherhand, if the enemy�s copy is in a back-pack or on a desk with other papers, itsimmolation could well ignite other, adja-cent flammable materials.)

By means of this spell a weapon canbe damaged or destroyed by affectingits twin�or conversely, any item couldbe improved by plating with gold,adorning with gems, or careful carving.This spell can be used to link magicitems, and thus, re-charging or activat-ing one would identically affect theother�but there is a 3% cumulativechance per use of the link (which isinvoluntary and not under the controlof the cleric or another being; one can-not choose to have one action dupli-cated in the twin item, and another not)that one of the items will shatter orexplode, discharging all of its functionsor charges and ending the link. Thematerial components for this spell arethe two items, the cleric�s holy symbol,and a strand of fine wire, human hair,or spiderweb.

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The AlcaisterAppearance: A large, russet-colored

volume constructed of metal plates cov-ered with burlap or hess ian, t iedtogether with a spine of waxed, intri-cately interwoven leather thongs (�likethe lacings on a lady�s high leather rid-ing boots,� according to the sage Norna-grym). To the weavings are sewnforty-six pages of the finest thick parch-ment, each containing a simple magicalspell or cantrip�except the last, whichbears a curious rune, thus:

and in Common, the word �Kuhoralmin-thannas� written in a circle around it. Theouter covers bear only the inscription�The Alcaister� burned in small, fine flow-ing letters in Common, picked out inpaints of silver. The book shows only lightweathering, but its appearance gives theimpression of some age.

H i s t o r y a n d D e s c r i p t i o n : T h eAlcaister i s of great ant iqui ty butunknown origin; it was written some-where in the North by a mage of goodpenmanship and some powers at leastsix hundred years ago, when it appearsin a merchant�s catalogue-of-cargo asdeclared before the plague-masters(quarantine officers) of the time, ofWaterdeep. It was passed into the city,and presumably sold, but does not sur-face again until brought to the sageArdagundus in Baldur�s Gate by anadventurer, named Wilund, in paymentfor information as to the whereaboutsand uses of the Magical Chessmen ofUltham-Urre. Argandus gave the bookto his apprentice Nornagrym for cata-loguing and study, and it is from Norna-grym�s exacting catalogue that precisedetails of The Alcaister come.

Nornagrym i s b e l i e v e d t o h a v ebrought the book with him to Water-deep upon his master�s death, where itreposed in his library until his owndeath, whereupon it vanished again. Itwas observed by the sorcerer Zemlothof Amn to be in the library of his one-time tutor, Orgoth the Tainted (the samewho was later destroyed by three

demons he had summoned), but wasnot found when the party of the adven-turer Malahuke searched the hidden,untouched tunnels of Orgoth�s ruinedfortress. Its present whereabouts are acomplete mystery, but Zemloth assertsthat it must still exist, because heencountered a prestidigitator in a tav-ern in Zazesspur who employed a stingcantrip (set forth only, as far as Zemlothknows, in The Alcaister). The prestidigi-tator, one Mavrhune, was involved in atavern brawl at the time and did notsurvive it, so Zemloth was unable to

inquire where and from whom the can-trip had been learned.

The Alcaister has a tradition of slay-ing those who read it; as more andmore of the book is perused, the readergrows weaker and weaker, and finallyslips into slumber from which he or shedoes not wake. Nornagrym found thecause of this regrettable side-effect; theedges of The Alcaister�s metal pages arecoated with a colorless, transparentgummy substance of unknown origin�a contact poison as yet unidentified andseemingly unique. This substanceworks through skin (a cut is not neces-sary) and it numbs the senses subtly, sothat the victim is not likely to notice itseffects. Each contact with (or turningof) a page drains 1 hp; the body recov-ers from such damage at normal heal-ing rate. There is also a temporary (2-5turns) loss of one point of strength (18/percentage to 18, 18 to 17, and so on)for every 5 hp of damage so suffered.This substance retains its efficacy aftermany years and resists attempts toremove it, but Nornagrym found thatits efforts can be simply avoided bywearing gloves or by turning the pageswith a knife or other aid.

Contents: The Alcaister�s forty-sixpages contain the following inscrip-tions, one to a page: the unique cantripscut, gallop, and sting (all describedbelow), and the spells affect normalf i res , charm person, dancing l ights ,erase, hold portal, identify, magic mis-sile, protection from evil, read magic,spider climb, audible glamer, ESP, fools

gold, locate object, magic mouth, mir-ror image, rope trick, wizard lock, clair-audience, dispel magic, flame arrow,gust of wind, haste, hold person, infra-vision, slow, water breathing, charmmonster , d imension door , i ce s torm,remove curse, wizard eye, Bigby�s inter-posing hand, cone of cold, feeblemind,ant i -magic she l l , death spe l l , geas ,reconstruction (unique spell, describedbelow), reverse gravity, simulacrum,and body sympathy (unique spel l ,described below).

Cut (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/10 segment

Explanation/Description: By meansof this useful cantrip, thin objects suchas rope, cord, delicate chain, wire,cloth, wax candles, sausages, and thelike, up to one inch thick per level of thecaster, can be instantly severed. Thecaster must be able to see the object tobe cut, and it must be within 2�. Theverbal component is a soft �snikt�sound, and the somatic component is ascissoring motion made with twoadjoining fingers. Magical (even tempo-rarily enspelled) objects are unaffectedby this cantrip.

Gallop (Alteration)A of E: One quadruped creatureCT: ½ segment

Explanation/Description: Whenthis useful cantrip is used, the castermay cause one four-legged creature (ifintelligent, it gains a saving throw vs.spell�which, if successful, negates thecantrip) to move at its maximum move-ment rate for one round, plus one addi-tional round per level of the caster. Thebeast may be ridden or not; directiontraveled is arrow-straight (regardless ofmount�s, rider�s, or caster�s wishes) inthe direction pointed at by the caster (ifthis leads into a snare, pit, or precipiceknown to the beast or any rider on it, asaving throw vs. spell at + 3 is allowed;if successful, the beast will turn aside atthe last moment and continue in a newcourse, detouring freely as terraindemands, until the cantrip expires). Gal-lop has the same effect on unfamiliar,

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unwilling, lame, or exhausted creaturesalike. The enspelled beast cannot pull aladen cart or wagon without incurringa half-movement-rate penalty, andalthough this cantrip can be used onexhausted creatures, they can be per-manently damaged or even slain by theeffort (system shock roll applies inmany cases). The caster can ride theenspelled creature, and in any case canhalt a gallop before its expiration by actof will, whenever he or she wishes, ifthe gallop is of his or her own casting.The cantrip is cast by touching the tar-get creature, making a soft kissing orclucking noise with the lips as contact ismade, and continuing this noise as thecaster points in the desired direction oftravel (impossibilities, such as straightup into the air or straight down into theground, will have no effect and willmerely waste the magic); effects areimmediate.

Sting (Alteration)A of E: One creatureCT: ½ segment

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h i sperson-affecting cantrip enables thecaster to harm a single creature up to4� distant in a minor way: by making abuzzing noise and pointing an extendedfinger at an area of his or her own anat-omy, the caster causes a brief (2 seg-m e n t ) b u t i n t e n s e p a i n i n t h ecorresponding area of the target crea-ture (unless the latter saves vs. spell).This pain causes no permanent damage(i.e., loss of hit points), but if applied tothe eyes it can blind for 1 round, or itcan silence coherent speech by afflict-ing the tongue, or cause delicate manip-ulation of tiny objects (jewelry, ormaterial components in spellcasting) tobe ruined, and the handled item(s)dropped or fumbled. Thus, spellcastingcan be ruined by successful use of asting. The cantrip is a once-only magic,causing but one pain if successful. It isoften used to warn or cow ignorantcreatures who threaten the spellcaster.

Reconstruction (Alteration/Phantasm)Level: 6Range: Touch

Duration: 1 round + 1 round/levelArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 1 roundSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By meansof this spell, the caster temporarilyrestores or makes whole a broken item,even if it is badly shattered and/or por-tions are missing. The object is restoredt o i t s a p p e a r a n c e b e f o r e b e i n gbroken�even to smell, weight, solidity,sound when struck, and texture, andwill appear whole and unbroken to nor-mal scrutiny. Detect magic will showthe spell�s dweomer, and a gem of see-ing or true seeing spell will reveal theillusion for what it is, but the item canbe touched and used�i.e., a rope or barto hold things or support weight, aweapon to strike with, etc. � normally,without dispelling the illusion, and withresults as though the item were whole.Thus, the hilt of a rusted long swordfound in a tomb could be temporarilytransformed into a brand-new longsword, doing the same damage in battleas the original did. Magical weaponscan be temporarily mended by thisspell, and due to the spell, will be magi-cal for hitting purposes, but will notregain any bonuses or special proper-ties; a silver or gold coin can be tempo-rarily remade into a whole coin bymeans of this spell; and crushed gem-stones restored to their previous,whole, form. If a reconstructed item issubjected to prolonged heat andimpacts, however (e.g., a blade beingr e f o r g e d ) , o r i f a p e r m a n e n c y o renchanted weapon spell is cast uponone, the magic will be ended, and theitem will revert instantly to its real,damaged form. A reconstructed itemwill not revert to its true form if its illu-sion is merely revealed, and it cannot be�disbelieved� out of existence by anonlooker.

Living things cannot be affected by areconstruction spell, nor can unbrokenitems be altered to the prior forms oftheir component materials; thus, astone statue cannot be made to look likethe boulder or mountain it was carved

from. The caster need not know theoriginal appearance of the whole itemto duplicate it. A maximum volume ofone-cubic foot of actual item per level oft h e c a s t e r c a n b e r e c o n s t r u c t e d(although the reconstructed whole maybe far larger than this maximum, andwill still appear in its entirety). Thematerial components of this spell arethe item (or fragment) to be recon-structed, a pinch of fine sand, and apinch (of at least thumbnail size) ofsticky sap or gum.

Body Sympathy (Necromantic)Level: 8Range: SpecialDuration: 1 turn/levelArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,SCasting Time: 8 segmentsSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: This is a�description� spell cast by a magic-userat an enemy who must be within sightof the magic-user and concentratedupon, or if not within view, visualizedby the caster, who must speak the tar-get being�s true name (see truenamespell, Unearthed Arcana) during thecasting. It links the magic-user and hischosen victim (who must save vs. spellat - 4 to avoid the spell�s effects), so thatwhatever happens to the magic-user�sbody (i.e., drowning, burning, whip-ping, wounding, strangulation, charm-ing , or f eeb lemindedness , insani ty ,unconsciousness, etc.) happens to thevictim; if the caster dies, so too does thevictim. This is not similar to the ESPspell (neither being gains any hint of theother�s thoughts), nor does it make thevic t im mimic the movements andspeech of the caster. It is a two-way link;damage occurring separately to the vic-tim (or curative spells applied to the vic-tim!) will also occur to the body of thecaster. Once cast, the spell operatesregardless of the caster�s wishes or lackof concentration�he or she cannotwillingly break the link before expira-tion of the spell, and can engage in oth-er spell casting or activities withoutending the body sympathy. The link will

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work across any distance and despitemagical protections such as anti-magicshell, prismatic sphere or lesser barri-ers, but will not work from one plane toanother (so if either caster or victimplane shift, become astral, or employ oilof etherealness or another such item,the link is instantly broken). Movementof target or spellcaster within a givenplane will not affect the link, regardlessof distances moved, speed of travel, orhow often movement occurs. This spellis sometimes called �Death Link� bysages in the Realms.

The �gate page�This last page of The Alcaister (that

which bears the rune shown earlier) isa gate that will shift any creature stand-ing on the rune (or at least touching it),with the book open, while the wordwritten around the rune is spokenaloud by the creature touching therune or another. This plane shiftingoccurs regardless of the wishes of thecreature touching the rune, and willtransport only one living creature (plusall items worn or carried by that crea-ture) at a time to one of the followingdestinations:

01-48 Prime Material Plane (if usedwhile on the Prime Material,the destination will be an alter-nate Prime Material Plane)

49-66 Avernus (uppermost layer ofthe Nine Hells)

67-76 Concordant Opposition77-88 Nirvana89-92 The demi-plane of Shadow93-98 Any one of the five planes of

Limbo99-00 Other (DM�s choice)

The creature being gated must beholding The Alcaister with his or herbare hand as the word of activation isintoned to bring the tome along; other-wise it remains behind on the PrimeMaterial Plane. (If the gate is used on aplane other than the Prime Material,the book will always accompany thecreature back.)

Aubayreer�s WorkbookAppearance: This book is fashioned

of a long strip of green hiexel bark, fold-ed and refolded upon itself accordion-fashion. It is bound, protected, betweentwo rectangular pieces of oiled woodheld together with hempen cord. Uponone of the boards is carved a rune, thus:

and by this rune the work can be identi-fied as that of the mage Aubayreer.

History and Description: Aubay-reer was a mage of the Dalelands in thefirst days of settlement, and later sailedeast to what is now Aglarond, where hefounded a sorcerous ruling dynastythat continues to this day. The manyworks Aubayreer made while HighMage of Aglarond, and later Mage-King,are kept securely in the libraries of thepalace there, but the original workbookAubayreer developed as an apprenticeto the mages of the Covenant (seebelow) has been lost.

Early in the reign of Lurskas, grandsonof Aubayreer, thieves broke into the royallibraries. Several were slain by the guard-ians and protective magics of the place,and these indeed kept the more powerfultomes safe, but the workbook was stolen.It vanished into the debatable lands eastand south of Aglarond, and no definitetrace of it has been found since, althoughreports of the activities of several mages(notably Nuzar of the Seven Curses) havehinted that they have perused Aubay-reer�s Workbook, or at least copies of thetwo spells Aubayreer developed whichend the work.

That the book still exists is attested toby the unceasing efforts of the royalhouse of Aglarond to recover it. Thepresent ruler, the shapeshifting Mage-Queen known as �The Simbul,� isknown to have slain the wizard Thana-tus and to have ransacked the librariesof the school of magic at Mirrorstar inher attempts to seize the workbook.

Aubayreer�s lone apprentice, the now-dead mage Nytholops, set down in hisChronicles the contents of the workbook,for it was from this book (and no other)

that Aubayreer taught him the Art.

Contents: There are (or were) 18faces of folded bark in Aubayreer�sWorkbook. The foremost is usuallyblank; it served as a surface for variousprotective magics (explosive runes,symbols, and the like) when desired.The next 14 surfaces contain the spellsread magic , burning hands , danc inglights, enlarge, identify, light, message,write, ESP wizard lock, dispel magic,explosive runes, fireball, and extensionI. Then follow three special spells �hailcone (Aubayreer�s version of icestorm), and two unique spells, Aubay-reer�s phase trap and thunderlance.

Hailcone (Evocation)Level: 4Range: 1� /level of casterDuration: 1 roundArea of Effect: 3� diameter coneComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: None

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h espellcaster, by use of a pinch of dust (agrain or two of sand will suffice) and afew drops of water, causes large (two-inch and greater diameter) hailstones torain down in a conical area, from afocus 3� above a surface or desired tar-get downward in a cone opening to 3�base diameter. Creatures within thearea of effect suffer 3-30 hit points ofdamage, and exposed items must saveversus a crushing b low to remainundamaged. If the spell is cast in midair,creatures that fly as close as 6� belowthe focus and within the 3� -diameterarea of effect will take 1-10 points ofdamage. Only fragile items within thisarea (from 3� + to 6� beneath), such asglass or parchment, must make a savingthrow. Creatures that fly more than 6�beneath the focus in the area of effectmay be struck by hailstones and there-by made aware of the spell effect, butthese stones will have no appreciableforce and will do no damage.

Phase Trap (Alteration)Level: 4Range: 2�

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Duration: 1 round/level of casterArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 3 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: With aword, a gesture, and the casting of asmall transparent colorless gem of notless than 50 gp value into the air (whereit is consumed), the spellcaster affectsany one target creature possessing theability to phase-shift�become astral orethereal, that is�within a 2� radius. (Ifno such creature is present, nothingwill happen and the spell and gem arelost.) If the creature fails to save vs.spells, it is forced into its opposite phaseand magically held there for the dura-tion of the spell. An encountered phasespider, for example, that was �in phase,�physically attacking, at the instant ofthe caster�s completing the casting of aphase trap, would be forced �out ofphase ,� and thereby be renderedunable to attack, until the expiration ofthe spell. If it were out of phase (ethere-al) when affected, it would be forcedback into phase, and be vulnerable tophysical attack at normal hit odds, untilthe spell was exhausted.

This spell will affect creatures employ-ing spells or natural powers, and is effec-tive against blink and dimension door;halting creatures employing either com-pletely and forcing them �into phase� onthe Prime Material Plane. Creatures whocan adjust the molecules of their bodieslose all such powers while phase trapped.These powers include the xorn�s andxaren�s pass through stone ability, plusthe psionic powers of body weaponryetherealness, and dimension door �butnot dimension walk or abilities that affectthe molecules of other things, such asmolecular agitation and molecular rear-rangement. After the expiration of aphase trap spell, such powers will return,unless their own duration had elapsedwhile the phase trap was in effect.

A target creature that is plane shift-ing, teleporting, or using transport viaplants, phase door; or pass plant spellsis unaffected, but a creature in anextra-dimensional space of lesser, lim-

ited extent (such as someone embodiedin a rope trick spell or a portable hole),will be forced to appear and remain onthe caster�s plane for the duration ofthe spell.

Xorn and xaren, and any such crea-tures that can �phase� the ir waythrough solid matter, save versus thisspell at -2. Note that the spellcasterneed not know or have seen the preciselocation of a creature, or even be cer-tain of its presence, to affect it. If morethan one eligible target is within 2�, thephase trap will affect one of them atrandom�unless the caster perceivesonly one such creature before or whilecasting, in which case that creature willbe affected.

A creature possessing the potential tobecome astral or ethereal can be affect-ed by a phase trap if in range when it iscast. The affected creature will beunable to effectively exercise suchpowers until the spell wears off�regardless of how far the creaturemight move away from the caster. If theaffected creature is a spellcaster withan astral spell, for instance, the spellcannot be used while the victim is phasetrapped �and any attempt to do so willruin and waste the spell. If the affectedcreature tries to use oil of etherealnessor any other phase-shifting magicalitem, the magic will have no effect untilthe duration of the phase trap expires.

A creature on the Astral Plane whenthe phase trap is cast saves versus thisspell at + 1; a creature on the EtherealPlane or the Prime Material Plane savesat normal odds.

Thunderlance (Evocation)Level: 4Range: TouchDuration: See belowArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,SCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: Castingthis spell brings into being a thin shaftof faint grey, shimmering force extend-ing 2� from the caster�s pointing finger.This �lance� is weightless and intangi-

ble, but if any creature touches orpasses through any part of it, the lancevanishes with a loud clap of thunder,and the creature struck is dealt 4-24 hitpoints of damage. The lance may bewilled out of existence by its caster atany time without any discharge orharm to the caster (although the spell islost), and disappears in any event if thecaster dies, loses consciousness, orbegins to cast another spell.

The caster can employ the thunder-lance in many ways�held steady, as abarrier against some creature�s passageor as a tripwire, at ankle height, to stopa pursuer. It is also highly effectivewhen wielded as a weapon; the castercan move his arm and finger about tostrike with the lance. In any combat sit-uation against a thunderlance, potentialvictims are regarded as having a basearmor class of 10 (before any Dexterityadjustments); the blow of the lance istransmitted through armor and shields,and the presence of such protectiondoes not benefit the target of a thun-derlance attack. However, the bonusesof magical armor and shields are notnegated, and will improve a target�seffective AC by the amount of thebonus.

The damage of the lance is a physicalblow, as opposed to (for instance) a dis-charge of electricity. It is fully effectiveagainst creatures that are resistant orimmune to either blunt weapons oredged weapons (since the lance is actu-ally neither of those).

The touch of a thunderlance destroysa shield spell, wall of force, or minorglobe of invulnerability, but the lanceitself discharges (vanishes, withoutdamaging anyone) upon such contact.Stronger protective spells (such as anti-magic shell) will also cause the lance todischarge, but will themselves with-stand the shock of its strike and remainin existence. A lance penetrates fire,water (including ice and snow), andelectrical discharges of natural or magi-cal (e.g. wall of fire, wall of ice) originwithout discharging, and thus the cast-er may strike through such phenomenaat an enemy.

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Anyone wielding a thunderlance (i.e.spellcasting is complete, but the lancehas not yet discharged) cannot beharmed by magic missile spells, regard-less of what direction these strikefrom� their force passes harmlesslyt h r o u g h t h e l a n c e w i e l d e r t o b eabsorbed by the lance, increasing thedamage it does (by 2-5 hp per missile)when it discharges. This will not occurif the lance wielder has some othermagical protection against magic mis-siles. A lance does not confer any pro-tection against other forms of magicalattack, nor can it be passed to any othercreature without discharging it�an allyof the caster cannot wield the lance onthe caster�s behalf.

Orjalun�s Arbatel

Appearance: This volume consistsof nine plates of beaten and polishedmithril, stamped by the elvish smiths ofSilverymoon with letters of the HighTongue, graven on small dies that arepositioned on the page and then strucksharply with a hammer so as to leavetheir distinct impressions. The platesare pierced at the top and bottoms oftheir left sides (as they are read), andfastened together with bronze rings.The work once had an ornate case ofs t a i n e d w o o d , a n d w a s c a r r i e dwrapped in canvas, but these may wellhave perished.

History and Description: Orjalun,the white-haired High Mage of Silvery-moon in the early days of the North(now believed dead), oversaw and tooka large part in the construction of thiswork, designed to be a permanentrepository for the most useful defen-sive spells he could provide for the con-t inued safety and secur i ty of h isbeloved city in the years to come. But itnever served so, for when Orjalun gavehis staff of office to his chosen succes-sor, Sepur, and left the city, Sepurrevealed his true nature�taking theArbatel and staff as his own, he also leftthat fair city.

Sepur�s fate is unknown, although thesage Alphontras recounts the finding of

a broken staff atop a lonely, scorchedtor in the Trollmoors. The Arbatel isfirst identified in the village of Longsad-dle by Alphontras�s colleague Eelomburthe Learned, who observed it in thepossession of the sorcerer Arathur Har-pell. Arathur was later slain in a magicalduel by the necromancer Marune, whoheld the Arbatel only briefly. Marunelost it somewhere in the winter snowswhen fleeing from the Lords of Water-deep, and it must have changed handsseveral times in the following decade,for many hints of it are found in variousrecords of the North.

It is mentioned once in this period bythe sage Maerlus, who is represented inthe Letters to the Court of Elfrin (�Col-lected by the King�s Own Hand, being arecord and discourse most fascinatingupon our lands and times�) by a letterhe penned to the monarch, King Elfrin,wherein the sorcerer-sage described anumber of items of power known to bewithin Elfrin�s realm. In the letter,Maerlus describes several works andspeculates on their locations; the Arba-tel, he says, is in the hands of the reclu-sive wizard Lios�unless Marune hasovercome him and regained it.

Elminster believes that Marune didslay Lios, but says that the activities ofMarune from that time to the presentreveal that he has not recovered theArbatel, despite his repeated attemptsto do so. Its recent and present where-abouts are unknown.

Contents: Orjalun was tutored byThe Masked, most mysterious of theSeven Wizards of Myth Drannor, andtwo of the spel ls in the book arebelieved to be of his tutor�s personalc r a f t i n g : e n c r y p t a n d s e c u r e ( a nimproved version of wizard lock).

The first and last plates of the Arbatelare featureless, so as to reveal nothingof the contents within, but the seveninterior plates bear one spell each (themethod of scripting allows only oneside of a plate to be used). These are, inorder of appearance, mending, charmperson, encrypt, dispel magic, identify,guards and wards, and secure. All of

the commonly known spells in theArbatel appear in the standard (PlayersHandbook) form, and the two uniquespells therein are reproduced below,from the books of Vauth, anotherapprentice of The Masked.

Encrypt (Illusion/Phantasm)Level: 4Range: 1� plus 1� /level of casterDuration: PermanentArea of Effect: See belowComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segments (plus writingtime)Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By meansof this spell, a normal message contain-ing up to 66 characters or letters (aboutfifteen words) written on parchment,stone, or the like can be made unreada-ble (even to magics such as compre-hend languages, read magic, and trueseeing) to all but the spellcaster, anybeing or beings named in the message(regardless of the caster�s wishes in thisregard) and a specific recipient being,who must be named aloud and picturedmentally by the caster at the time ofcasting. Such a message will appear toall others as an illegible, smudged arearadiating a dweomer.

A cryptic message will remain untilerased magically, willed to disappear bythe caster (who may be at any distance,but must be on the same plane to do sol,or a dispel magic is cast so that the mes-sage is within its area of effect. Weath-ering and other physical effects such asburning, scrubbing, or defacing thesmudged area will not destroy the mes-sage as long as the actual surface it waswritten on survives (encrypt can besafely cast on any reasonably stable sur-face, such as stone, wood, or paper, butnot usually with success on messagesscrawled in soot, dust, or snow); it willstill be clearly legible to those identifiedabove.

The message does not glow or in anyway attract attention to itself�anintended recipient may well not see it ifnot looking for a message or not chanc-ing to look in the right place. A message

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encrypted in a language not known tothe intended recipient is not madeunderstandable by means of this magic;nor will it magnify script too small forthe recipient to read. The text of a spellmay not be encryptically concealed, butwriting related to magic such as spellink formulae, magic-item commandwords, and directions for magical proc-esses such as enchanting a certain itemor constructing a golem may be so con-cealed.

No part of any message longer thanthe first 66 characters will be obscuredor protected by this magic�attemptingto encrypt such an overlong messagewould result in wastage of the spell; theent ire message could be read (ordestroyed) normally. Additional writingin the same area after the spell is castwill not affect an encrypted message,thus, a second message can be writtenon top of an encrypted one to furtherconceal the former, without renderingthe original message unreadable bythose for whom it is intended. Morever,adding words or characters to a mes-sage known to be encrypted will notcause it to appear; the additions willremain clearly visible and the originalwill remain concealed. Multiple encryptspells cast on the same or adjacentareas will not allow messages longerthan 66 characters to be concealed �rather, when a second encrypt spell iscast, the concealed message of the firstencrypt spel l wi l l vanish forever ,replaced by the second message. �Adja-cent� in this case extends to areas ofeffect that are up to 10 feet distant, sothat different walls in a small room can-not be used to encrypt multiple mes-sages. Different sides of a wall or objectcannot be used, either, unless the dis-tance separating them is more than 10feet. Writing used in encrypted mes-sages can be very large or very small,written on walls, mountainsides, oreven small bones or slivers of wood,and still be concealed so long as themaximum of 66 characters i s notexceeded.

Encrypt may be used to conceal mes-sages written by others, regardless of

time elapsed since the writing, and willbe effective in obscuring even runesdeeply graven in stone, or lettersformed by patterns of colored mosaictiles. In such a case, the surface willappear faded, stained, and/or discol-ored, or even covered with a smoky,sooty deposit so that the message is con-cealed. As aforementioned, no amountof physical cleaning will reveal the con-cealed message. The figure given forrange in the above text is the distance atwhich the caster can obscure a messagewith the encrypt spell.

A true seeing spell will reveal clearlythe out l ines of an encrypt spel l � sdweomer, but will not allow the mes-sage to be read, unless the viewer candeduce by the shape of the dweomerwhat is concealed. Written or gravensymbols can be encrypted, but magicalsymbols or glyphs will be unaffected.And encrypt will conceal, but not harm,the efficacy of protective pentagrams,thaumaturgic triangles, and the like.

If the caster of encrypt writes themessage to be concealed himself or her-self, this writing must be done directly;the spell cannot cause it to be magicallywritten from afar. The material compo-nents for this spell are a pinch of dustor grey lint �fluff,� and a feather, andare consumed in the casting.

Secure (Alteration)Level: 4Range: TouchDuration: See belowArea of Effect: 30 sq. ft. per levelof casterComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: By meansof this spell, and a small piece of iron (orfilings) and a tiny gem (or a like amountof gem fragments or powdered rem-nants), the spellcaster can make a door,chest, or portal secure. An object orarea that is secured cannot be openedor passed through by any means exceptphysical destruction of the object orarea, or by dispel magic (or a limitedwish, alter reality etc., so worded as to

achieve the same effect). Unlike oneaffected by a wizard lock, a portal thatis secured cannot be passed through bymagic-users of any level (including thespellcaster), and can be passed other-wise only by avoiding it through astral,ethereal, or dimension-altering meanssuch as blink and dimension door. Thedweomer will resist fire, cold, and elec-trical attacks of natural or magical ori-gin without allowing any damage to thesecured item or area. Thus, a closedand secured door will deflect a magicallightning bolt back upon its caster, andwill escape unscathed from a fireballblast. Physical attacks upon a secureda r e a w i l l b e i n e f f e c t i v e � t o t a l l ynegated� for one round per level of thecaster (beginning with the round aftercasting). At the end of this time, thesecure spell remains, but no longeraffords any protection from physicalattack.

When a secured area is touched, test-ed, or attacked in any way, it will flashwith a white radiance on all sides andsurfaces of the area. A knock spell isineffective against a secured portal.Any spell, spell-like natural power, ormagical item effect that attempts toalter the shape and nature of a securedarea will be reflected back upon thecaster/user with full effects. If thepower affects an area rather than anindividual, the user of the power willimmediately become the central pointof the area of effect. Magical powersthat are �reversed� in this fashioninclude, but are not limited to: enlarge,reduce, levitate, shatter, dig, passwall,stone shape, transmute rock to mud,move earth, stone to flesh, vanish, turnwood, and animate rock. If the magicdoes not affect living creatures (such asanimate rock or move earth), the usageof that magic is simply wasted. Powersthat are directly under the control ofthe user (such as psionics or spell-likenatural powers, but not spell casting)will have no effect on a secured area orobject, but the power is counted as hav-ing been used. In all cases where magiccan be �reversed� back upon the user,all those who could be affected are enti-

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tled to saving throws if a save is normal-ly allowed against the type of magic inquestion.

Light magics, magic mouth, Nystul�smagic aura, and Leomund�s trap cannotsuccessfully be cast within, or upon anysurface of, a secured area. Any glyph(of warding), explosive runes, or sym-bol written upon any surface within asecured area will discharge immedi-ately upon completion, possibly harm-ing the writer and/or companions orother nearby creatures. A disintegratespell that destroys a secured area willhave the effect of negating the securespell. A glassee spell will have its normaleffect on a secured area. Find traps willnot reveal the presence of a securespell, but detect magic will reveal theextent of its dweomer. Illusions and oth-er spells of concealment can be success-fully cast upon a secured area.

The ScalamagdrionAppearance: A large volume fash-

ioned of parchment bound betweenslabs of wood and sewn to the blackhide of an unknown creature, whichhas been stretched over the boards toform a cover. It bears no external leg-end or markings of any kind. Its coversare edged with beaten copper, now dis-colored to a vivid green by the ele-ments. There are 26 yellowed andcurling pages within, and some ownersreport a binding strip or tie of blackhide which the book now apparentlylacks.

The size and weight of the tome pre-cludes its easy transportation by hand,under arm, or in satchel, and indeed itdoes not show the wear (scratched cov-er or corners, blotched or warpedparchment due to wetness) typical ofbooks that have seen much travelingout-of-doors.

History and Description: The trueorigin of The Scalamagdrion is notknown. It is first mentioned in the writ-ings of the mage Hethcanter, whoowned the book in his youth. He doesnot mention how he acquired it, butdoes record that he gave the book to

Hym Kraaven (one of the Seven Wiz-ards of Myth Drannor) in payment formagical training. Shortly thereafter hiswritings end; Hethcanter is remem-bered today chiefly for his spectacularsuicide, hurling himself to his deathfrom the highest pinnacle of the cragnow known as Hethcanter�s Leap. Hedid this when chased by almost a scoreof illithids; the sage Orfidel believes thatthese hated creatures sought The Scala-magdrion itself�an opinion sharedwith the sage Elminster.

Hym Kraaven never revealed or usedthe work in his teachings at the schoolin Myth Drannor (see �The Workbook,�)possibly because of the contents of oneof its pages. Of Hym Kraaven�s fate orthe means by which the book passedinto the hands of its next known owner,nothing is recorded, but the sages Orfi-del and Maerlus of the North were bothpresent on Watcher�s Tor when a hith-er to unknown magic-user namedValathond used its spells to destroy themage Gaerlammon in a formal duel.

Valathond was later slain by the Com-pany of the Raven, but they did not findThe Scalamagdrion amidst the treasurein his keep, nor does an examination oftheir tales of encounters and skirmish-es with the mage over an entire seasonere his fall suggest that he still pos-sessed it. Auvidarus, sage of Hillsfar,and Laeral, wizardess and leader of theadventurers known as The Nine�twoobservers almost a world apart�haveboth recorded rumors ascribing own-ership of the book to this or that mage.One of Laeral�s collected rumors, inter-estingly, again mentions a group ofillithids. But the veracity of theserumors is untested; the present where-abouts of the work are a matter of con-jecture.

Contents: Elminster described thetome�s contents, drawing upon hisstudy of Hethcanter�s careful notes, asfollows:

The Scalamagdrion�s first and lastpages are blank. The remainder bear 23spells, one to a page and with each pagehaving a blank (rear) face, and one page

contains only a curious illustration. Thecontents of the pages are as follows, inorder of appearance from the front ofthe book: (blank), write, erase, tongues,message, unseen servant, wizard lock,identify, enchant an item, permanency,blink, disintegration, (illustration),f e e b l e m i n d , f l y , d e a t h s p e l l , f l a m earrow, delayed blast fireball, invisibili-ty, levitate, conjure elemental, minorglobe of invulnerability, wall of force,r e m o v e c u r s e , d i s p e l m a g i c , a n d(blank). All spells appear in the stand-ard (Players Handbook) form. Theirregular order of the spells suggeststhat the book was created with its spellsarranged according to the creator�swishes, and thus was not the workbookof a magic-user progressing slowly inmagical ability under tutelage.

The unique feature of the work is theillustration found on the page betweendisintegration and feeblemind. It is of�warm, velvety texture,� according toHethcanter�s notes, and is a strikinglyrealistic painting of some unknown,seemingly endless caverns (perhaps onsome other plane), in which crouches adimly visible, winged, reptilian monsteron a bed of whitened bones. A word orname has been spelled out clearly inCommon across the bottom of the page,b y t h e a r r a n g e m e n t o f b o n e s :�Nungulfim.� Hethcanter notes that ifthis word is spoken over the open page,or the illustration is stared at for toolong, the monster depicted therein willmove.

F r o m o t h e r s o u r c e s h e h a s n o tdivulged, Elminster states with certain-ty that the page is a gate or portal tosome unidentified plane or extra-dimensional space of endless caverns,and can be passed through both ways.Once the gate is activated, the monsterwill emerge from the page into thePrime Material Plane and attack allcreatures nearby, seeking to slay andcarry its prey back into the caverns todevour. Its true nature is a mystery, butwhat is known of it can be summarizedas follows:

S c a l m a g d r i o n ( � G u a r d i a n o f t h eTome,� �Nungulfim�)FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 13�/8�HIT DICE: 6 + 6% IN LAIR: 100%TREASURE TYPE: S,Q,Vx3 (in lair)NO. OF ATTACKS: 4DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12/1-6/1-6/3-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowINTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT. NeutralSIZE: L (20� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VI/525 + 8/HP

The scalamagdrion resembles a grey-scaled, green-eyed dragon with stubbywings and a long, bone-spiked prehen-sile tail. If it pounces upon a victim fromabove, it can rake with all four of itsclaws (each do 1-6 damage), or pin thevictim with its great bulk and use itsf o r e c l a w s t o a t t a c k . T h e s c a l a -magdrion�s tail does 3-12 points of dam-age. It is fearless, enjoys human flesh,and is cunning enough to take a victim�sbody, fallen items and all, back to its lairto avoid being caught eating.

The scalamagdrion radiates silence,15� radius about itself, and has a naturalspell turning ability (as in a ring of spellturning, including gaining a savingthrow for spells for which there is nor-mally none). This makes it a deadly foefor magic-users; and indeed, none haveyet prevailed against it.

Several wands and rings can be seenamid the bones upon which the scala-magdrion crouches. The monster andthe gate to and from its abode cannot bedestroyed or harmed by tearing out ordestroying the page on which i tappears, although any attempt at suchactivities will certainly cause it to issueforth.

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The Tome of the CovenantAppearance: This book is large,

square, and (judging from Elminster�sdescription) approximately two feet ona side. It is fashioned of cured whiteelkhide stretched over finger-thickboards of black wood, and both outsidecovers bear a rune in the center, depict-ing four arrows meeting in a circle,thus:

Four white vellum pages are sewn tothe hide �spine� within.

History and Description: The Tomeis the creation of the four most power-ful (of their time) mages of the North,who formed the Covenant, an alliance(basically neutral good) founded toenforce a peace between warring tribalkingdoms, and to build the collectivepower and prosperity of the North-lands against the coming confrontationwith the orcs and their kin. The Cove-nant has long been inactive: Grimwaldand Presper disappeared on a journeyof exploration into other worlds thanthis; Agannazar is believed to have per-ished in the destruction of the School ofWizardry at Neverwinter by the RedWizards of Thay; and Ilyykur is knownto have sacrificed himself in the GreenTower of Thulnath to destroy the arch-lich Ruelve.

The Tome was made to commemo-rate the founding of the Covenant, andas a source of power and a worshipsymbol for the apprentices who wereintended to follow in the Four Found-ers� footsteps and become new mem-bers of the pact (none did). Each of theFour Founders contributed one uniquespell to the work, and each of thesespells appears alone on its own page.The spells appear with no names; theyh a v e a c q u i r e d c o l l o q u i a l n a m e sthrough description of the book by var-ious writers in the North, and by use ofthe spells by the original apprentices ofthe Four (and subsequently, in turn, bytheir apprentices). These apprentices,now themselves powerful workers ofmagic, are not identified by Elminster.

The sage does say that they did notcooperate as their masters had, butsplit in dissension, one of them presum-ably bearing the Tome. Its present own-er, and whereabouts, are uncertain.

Elminster knows the precise spells setdown on its pages from perusing theworkbooks of the Four and certain oftheir apprentices, and has consented toreproduce them, below.

Grimwald�s Greymantle (Necromantic)Level: 5Range: TouchDuration: 1 round/level of casterArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 6 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

Explanation/Description: When amagic-user casts this spell, a silvery-grey radiance is produced about thematerial component. If the component(a bone or small animal skeleton) istouched to a target creature�success-ful hit roll required, as though wieldinga dagger or club�the radiance leavesthe component (which vanishes harm-lessly) and expands to envelop the tar-g e t i n a n a u r a , o r m a n t l e . T h i sshimmering radiance takes effect onthe round following the touch, and lastsfor 1 round per experience level of thecaster. While it is in effect, curativespells, healing, and regeneration of nat-ural or magical nature will not be effec-tive within the confines of the mantle;thus, a troll could not regenerate, a ringof regeneration would not operate, ap o t i o n o f h e a l i n g o r e x t r a - h e a l i n gwould have no effect, and so forth.The mantle may be magically dispelled,and will fade away without effect ifmagic resistance or a saving throw(only one allowed) triumphs over it. Atthe expiration of the spell, curativeforces s t i l l act ive wi l l take ef fectimmediately�but any such powers thatwere expended upon the victim whilethe mantle was in effect are foreverlost. A cure wounds or heal spell, forinstance, will take effect upon the recip-ient if the mantle expires before the vic-tim does; similarly, a ring of

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regeneration will resume functioningproperly when the mantle disappears,and a creature that regenerates willretain the ability to do so. However, thevictim of the mantle will get no benefitfrom a potion of healing drunk whilethe spell is in effect, and any usage of astaff of curing on the victim is fruitless,since those types of magic must takeeffect upon their application or not takeeffect at all. In such a case, the applica-tion of the magic (dose, charge, etc.) iswasted.

If the caster does not successfullytouch a target creature in the round ofcasting or the round immediately fol-lowing, the mantle spreads from thecomponent into (and onto) the spellcast-er, and remains in effect upon the cast-er for the full duration. There is nosaving throw against this �backfire,� buta dispel magic spell may be successfullyemployed by the caster or a companionto bring the bad effect to a halt.Once the spell is cast and the mantle

has covered a target, the duration andeffects of the mantle are not under thecaster�s control. Creatures of any sizemay be affected. Note that use of themantle is not basically a good act, andthe spell must be used with due consid-eration of the circumstances and nat-ure of the target by magic-users of goodalignment.

Agannazar�s Scorcher (Evocation)Level: 2Range: 7�Duration: 2 roundsArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,SCasting Time: 3 segmentsSaving Throw: See below

Explanation/Description: With thisspell a magic-user calls into existence ajet of flame which bursts from his fin-gertips toward a specific creature. Ifthe target creature is within 7� of thecaster, it suffers 3-18 (3d6) points ofdamage, with no saving throw (assum-ing it is not immune to the effects ofheat and flame). The flame-jet assumesthe form of a 2-foot diameter cylinderof fire, up to 7� long, with the caster at

one end and the target at the other. Thisjet remains in existence for two roundsfollowing casting, moving as the targetor caster move, shifting so as to alwayspoint at the target, even if the targetcreature remains, or passes beyond, 7�distant from the caster. Any creaturestouched by the jet as it leaps toward thetarget or moves sideways following amoving target will suffer 2-16 (2d8)points of damage (save vs. spells for halfdamage). The touch of the scorcher willset alight all readily flammable materi-als (such as parchment and dry cloth-ing). It may well even damage sturdierobjects.

Ilyykur�s Mantle (Abjuration)Level: 4Range: 0�Duration: 1 round/level of casterArea of Effect: Aura about casterComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 4 segmentsSaving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: WhenIllykur�s Mantle is called into being, thecaster is surrounded by a faintly lumi-nescent aura following the contours(and conforming to the movements) ofthe caster�s body. Spells can be cast outof this field without it having any effect,but spells impinging upon the mantlefrom without are affected as follows:the protected caster gains + 3 on savingthrows versus all Enchantment/Charmspells, + 1 on saving throws versus allother spells for which there is normallya saving throw, and suffers only halfdamage when an electricity-relatedspell (e.g. shocking grasp, lightning bolt)does affect him. The mantle flares to avivid (not blinding) white glow whenthe caster�s mind is contacted by thepsionic powers of another being, butdoes not protect against any psionicattacks or effects.

The material component for the spellis a natural (not cut) crystal of gem-stone. Note that a small familiar or petclinging to the spellcaster�there mustbe physical contact�can be protectedby the mantle, but no creature the cast-er does not wish protected will be

shielded by the mantle, and in no casewill it protect any such creature (famil-iar or otherwise) larger than a pseudo-dragon.

Presper�s Moonbow (Evocation)Level: 4Range: SpecialDuration: SpecialArea of Effect: SpecialComponents: V,S,MCasting Time: 9 segmentsSaving Throw: None

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h i smagic is usable only under a night skyin which a moon is present and cloudconditions allow moonlight to reach theground. Presper�s moonbow allows thecaster to cause from one to four glow-ing motes, a form of ball lightning, togather above the caster�s outstretchedhand. These grow in size and intensity,spinning slowly, during the round inwhich casting takes place. At this timethey resemble dancing lights.

On the following round, the castercan elect one or more of the moonmotes at a target, which must be withinhis view. Such direction is by concen-tration of will, requiring no speech orgesture. Moon motes directed at a tar-get will shoot off after it, flying up to26� per round, and will pursue the tar-get around corners, through obstacles(but not closed portals or the like), anddespite confusion spells like invisibility,mirror image, illusion, etc., striking at+ 3 to hit upon reaching the target.

Each striking moon-mote does 2-8points of electrical damage (if cast asone of four), 2-12 damage (if cast as oneof three), 3-18 damage (if cast as one oftwo), or 4-24 damage (if cast as a soli-tary missile), and is considered to bemagical for hit purposes. Moon-moteswhich miss an intended target or areblocked by barriers dwindle harmlesslyaway to nothingness.

The spellcaster can direct the motesproduced by a moonbow at differenttargets in a round, and must �shoot� atleast one per round (but may shoot asmany as desired, time permitting) untilall the motes are gone. Unused motes

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hang spinning in the air in front of thecaster, within 1�, and if struck by alightning bolt or similar electrical dis-charge while thus waiting, will explode-doing full damage to all within 1�,including the caster.

On the round after the first mote hasbeen fired, the caster can cast anotherspell and direct any motes still left, andcontinue doing both so long as motesare left and spell casting times permit(directing a mote requires one segmenteach round, so spells that take oneround or longer to cast cannot be used).Using this tactic, a caster with multiplemoonbow spells could gather a waitingarsenal of many motes. If a roundpasses without the caster firing a moteat a target, all motes will dissipate. Notethat a caster under the influence of ahold spell could shoot a mote at a targetin his present field of vision; that act is afunction of vision and intellect, not ofmovement.

A mote that is deliberately struck by acreature or object will discharge, doingfull damage to all within 1�. The motehas AC -6 for hit purposes. Metal, itmust be noted, will conduct the fulleffects of a mote to anyone in contactwith it, regardless of distance.

Although no saving throw is allowed,note that creatures immune to electri-cal damage or without tangible exist-ence on the plane of casting (e.g.ethereal) will suffer no damage from amote.

The material components for thisspell are a wisp of cobweb, an amber,glass, or crystal rod, and a scrap of fur.

The Tome of the Unicorn

Appearance: The Tome of the Uni-corn is a large book, two feet broad bythree feet in height, and over four inch-es thick. Its covers and pages are pol-i s h e d p l a t e s o f e l e c t r u m , e a c happearing blank to causal observation.If any page is concentrated upon, how-ever (precludes other study, spellcast-ing, reading, or similar reasoningtasks), its contents, written in Thorass,will begin to appear on the �blank� pag-

es in 3-8 (2 + 1D6) rounds, and remainfor at least three rounds after studyceases. The book bears no title or iden-tifying marks.

History and Description: Sages andbards of the Realms know that TheTome of the Unicorn is the long-lost gri-moire of the Mage-King of vanishedIltkazar (a vanished realm that lay ineastern Calimshan some nine hundredyears ago) , the Lord-most -mightyShoon. Shoon is said by some to survivetoday as a lich; the Tome is said to con-tain many spells found nowhere else,including means of creating a perma-nent gate between the planes of exist-ence, and the means to create golemarmies.

The Tome was said to either be stolenby adventurers who slayed Shoon, or tohave been taken by the lich-mage whenhe retreated to the bowels of the earthto flee the retribution of the elvenn a t i o n s ( s e e b e l o w ) . I t h a s b e e nrevealed to have found its way intoRuathyn, where it was held in theirmost hidden library until recently.Within the ast year, person or personsunknown have broken into the vaultand stolen the book, which precipitatedthe most recent war between Ruathynand Luskan. The book is still missing atthis time.

Contents: The contents are 23 spells,one to a page, in the following order:charm person, darkness 15� radius, ESP,scare , d ispe l magic , charm monster ,fear, fire trap, polymorph other; wizardeye, animate dead, death spells, duo-dimension, phase door, statue, clone,g lasstee l , permanency power word�blind, trap the soul , gate , imprison-m e n t , a n d p o w e r w o r d � k i l l . T h eremaining six pages function as amagic-user�s Manual of Golems (q.v.Dungeon Masters Guide), for the mak-ing of stone and iron golems only: nor-mal costs and study times apply.

The inside front cover contains nospell; a protective spell turning magichas been cast upon it. If the book savesagainst any magical or physical attack,its damage is reflected 100% onto the

attacker.The gate spell on page 21 includes

instructions on how to make such agate permanent, involving permanen-cy, a dust compounded of several rareingredients including certain rarecrushed gemstones and oil of ethereal-ness, and the blood of at least six crea-tures: three native to each plane thegate reaches.

T h e i m p r i s o n m e n t a n d p o w e rword� kill spells on pages 22 and 23are part of the book�s curse. Every timeeither of these pages is perused, there isa 7% non-cumulative chance that thereader will suffer imprisonment as perthe spell.

The back cover contains an extra-dimensional space: the lair of the demi-lich himself. Each time the book isopened, there is a 9% non-cumulativechance that the demi-lich�s skull willemerge (e.g., rise up) and attack asdetailed in the Monster Manual II). Ifthe back cover, inside or out, is deliber-ately concentrated upon, this chance is100%. Shoon wil appear as a skull (not awraith or ghost); stolen spells haveserved as energy factors sufficient tokeep him in this state. Shoon will nothowl; instead, he will hover, levitatingin midair, and drain a soul on the thirdround of his appearance, using hisspells to attack and defend until then.Shoon is interested in draining souls,not slaying. He will try to drain a soulevery three rounds until successful.Upon draining a soul, Shoon vanishesback into the book. He will emergeagain to steal souls only if the back cov-er is concentrated upon, or if the booksuffers over 13 points of damage in anysingle round or is destroyed. It shouldbe noted that destruction of the Tomewill free Shoon, not destroy him.

Enchantments placed by the evilundead mage allow him to Stealspell(see below) one spell from the mind ofany one person who touches the Tomein any round. If a target has no spells, orsuccessfully saves (at - 1) versus spell,the attempt fails and the round is wast-ed for Shoon. Such spell theft is notblocked by unconsciousness, insanity,

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anti-magic shell, mind bar, or similarmagical or psionic protections. Transfertakes one segment. The stolen spell ischosen randomly, not by Shoon.

Like a powerful incantatrix (which hemay have been in life, for all others know)Shoon can use the energy of such spellsto replace lost hit points (2-8 hp per spelllevel) or cast them, with the effects theywould have had if cast by the originalcaster, by effort of will alone, one at atime and once per round. Shoon pres-ently retains the following stolen spells(he can �hold� only an equal number ofspells to those he could carry upon attain-ing lichdom, although these may be ofany class and level; Shoon is at least a 26thlevel magic user): hold person x2, dispelmagic (clerical) x3, lightning bolt (8D6),cone of cold, Bigby�s forceful hand, andvolley.

Stealspell (Enchantment/Charm)Level: 7Range: 1�/Level of casterDuration: SpecialArea of Effect: One creatureComponents: V,SCasting Time: 7 segmentsSaving Throw: Neg.

E x p l a n a t i o n / D e s c r i p t i o n : T h i spowerful magical spell is rarely knownbeyond the circles of the Witches ofRashernan, and how it came into thehands of Shoon is unknown. By meansof this incantation, any single beingindicated by the caster (within range)must save versus spells at - 1 or sufferthe theft of any one memorized spell orspell-like ability from his or her mind(creatures from planes other than thePrime Material save at no penalty, and ifthere are no spells available, then thespell has no effect.) The stolen spell isdetermined randomly. The magic of thestealspell works even against a victimwho is unconscious or insane; psionicprotections, anti-magic shell, and allsimiliar shielding spells, and mind barand the like, are not effective protec-tion against this spell.

A stolen spell may be �cast� immedi-ately by the user of this spell, or held inmind for later use. This casting may be

made without material components oreven understanding or sufficient levelto cast the spell. The identity of thestolen spell is not revealed by its cap-ture. Any spell cast in this fashion iscast as if by the level of being the spellwas stolen from. Psionic powers cannotbe stolen in the fashion.

A stolen spell is transferred at the endof a round. If a spell is begin cast by thetarget, that spell will not be stolen.

The stolen spell may be retained asopposed to immediately expelled, and lat-er recorded by a write spell, which willerase the spell from the stealer�s mindwithout discharging its power. Such awritten spell is useless to the caster if of adifferent class or higher level.

The stolen spell may be retained forup to 24 hours before discharged orfades from view. The being Shoon

derives his sustenance from stolenspells.

The Tome gains its name from its con-struction; the enchantments Shoonplaced on it to preserve it and maintainthe extra-dimensional space that pro-tects himself involved the blood (andnecessary slaughter) of no less thantwelve unicorns. This act alone earnedShoon the revolt of the elves in his ownrealm, which he crushed only by slay-ing them all. Druids of Faerun stillspeak in derision with the phrase, �spillthe blood of the unicorn, would you?�,referring to this evil deed. For his part,Shoon is unrepentant; long ago whenconfronted about slaying the unicornsthe then-lich shrugged his shouldersand said hollowly, �I still exist. They donot.�

Shoon will not speak, but if communi-

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cated with by speak with the dead, psio-nics, or magical ESP or telepathy, willprove dryly cynical, cold-blooded,uncaring, but quite knowledgeable oflong-ago doings and of magical lore�and is lonely; he will converse calmlyand willingly even as he attacks thosehe�s speaking to. Note that Shoon can-not study and memorize spells as heonce used to (although he could steal aspell from the mind of one who hadmemorized that spell from the Tome, iffortune favored him), and cannot tutorothers in the arts of magic save byimparting brief advice; he cannot raiseanother�s powers by a level throughteaching. (Note to DMs: this is anextremely powerful item, linked to apowerful monster; much considerationshould be given its potential effectsbefore any use of it in a campaign.)

IndexThis is a combined index for the Cyclopeida of the Realms and the DM's Sourcebook of the Realms. Entries and/or page numbers printed in bold type refer to theDM's Sourcebook of the Realms. Entries in bold italics refer to new spells.

Abe i r -Tor i l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9Adventuring Companies. . . . . . . . 1 0 , 19Aganazzar’s Scorcher. . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 - 9 2Aglarond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Akadi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 18The A lca is te r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3A lusar Nacac ia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 , 4 4Alustriel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Amn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 37, 38, 42Anauroch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Arabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 32, 38Archendale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Archveult’s Skybolt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

26, 36, 40, 427 0

Asbravn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 6 , 4 1Ascore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Assassins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85A u b a y r e e r ’ s W o r k b o o k . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Auril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 18Azoun IV . . . . . . . 18, 26, 32, 37, 38, 43, 81Azuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18Baldur’s Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 38, 41, 42Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18, 87, 93Barbarians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Bar roch ’ s Ho ld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 0Battle of the Bones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Batt ledale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 36BATTLESYSTEM™ rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Beast Cults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16B e a s t L o r d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Beregost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Beshaba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18Bhaal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18Blacktalons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60B l a d e b l e s s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 3B l a d e t h i r s t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 9Bloodaxe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Boareskyr Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28B o d y S y m p a t h y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5Book of Num “The Mad” . . . . . . . . . . . 74Book of the Si lver Talon . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3B o w g e n t l e ’ s B o o k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71B o w g e n t l e ’ s F l e e t i n g J o u r n e y. . . . . . . 7 2B r i a r t a n g l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 4Br ie l ’ s Book o f Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6Calantir’s Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Calaunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6C a l i g a r d e ’ s C l a w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 8Calimshan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29, 38, 42C a m p a i g n i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 -10Candlekeep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29C a t f e e t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 9Cavaliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30T h e C h a m b e e l e o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4Chauntea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 18, 39, 87C h e s s e n t a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Circle, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Citadel of the Raven. . . . . . 30, 38, 39, 45, 55Clerics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 31Cloak Wood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Company o f t he C loak . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4Company o f t he Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9Company of the Wolf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Corellon Larethian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18C o r m O r p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Cormyr . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 37-40, 42-44Cult of the Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Daerlun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 76Daggerdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 36, 37D a g g e r f o r d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Dalelands, Dales. . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 37, 38, 40Damara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 86Darkhold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 7 , 5 2D e a t h C h a r i o t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 5Deepingdale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36, 37Deneir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 18D e s e r t s e d g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 7Dethek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Dhedluk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 38D i s m i n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 0D i s p e l S i l e n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 2Doust Sulwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 37, 77Dove Falconhand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 49, 77Dragoneye Dealing Coster. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2Dragon Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 5Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16, 38Dragonspear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 39, 41D r o w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 7 , 4 0 , 4 1D r u i d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 79Durlag’s Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Dwarves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 16, 40Easting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Eldath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18, 39Elemental Lords . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18, 39Elminster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 77, 95Elturel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Elven Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 39, 40, 42, 45Elversult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 16, 41, 43, 44Encounter determination . . . . . . . . 13-14E n c r y p t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 8 - 8 9Espar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 , 4 3Espruar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8E s s e m b r a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 9 , 4 2Eveningstar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33, 38, 43Evereska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 43Evermeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 44Faerun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9Featherdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 44Fields of the Dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45F i rehands Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3F i r e m a s t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3F l a m e s h r o u d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 3Flaming Fist . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 34-35, 60Five Wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5Florin Falconhand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 49, 77Forgotten Forest, the. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5Four, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Fzoul Chembryl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93G a l l o p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84The ga te page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5G a u n t l g r y m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1Ghar r i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4Glacier of the White Worm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5Glanvy l ’ s Workbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0Glister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Glyphs o f Ward ing

Cur ta l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7H lack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7Y a m m a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7Z u t h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7

Gnomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 17, 46Goblin Races. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Goblins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6

Gond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18, 42, 55, 86Gondegal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Great Shout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23, 3274

Green R ings T rad ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6GreycloakGreyc loak H i l l s

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Grey Vei l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43G r i m w a l d ’ s G r e y m a n t l e . . . . . . . . . . . 91Grumbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18, 39H a i l c o n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 6Half-elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Halfaxe Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39, 47Halfling, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Halflings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 17, 31, 48Hammer Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 48Harpers . . . . . . . . . . 25, 27-29, 31, 29, 49, 71H a r r o w d a l e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36, 49Haunted Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18, 43Hex g r i ds , us ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11H i g h D a l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36, 37, 39High Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 38, 50High Moor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Highmoon Trading. . . . . . . . . . . . 73Hill of Lost Souls . . . . . . . . . . . 50Hill’s Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Hillsfar . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 38, 44, 51Hilp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 52Hlintar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Hluthvar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Hobgoblins . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Holy Fla i l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 2H o m o n c u l o u s C r e a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7H o o k n o s e C r a g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7H o r n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0Huddagh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 76Hu l lack Fo res t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Hunt, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 42I l l y k u r ’ s M a n t l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Ilmater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18Immersea . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 52Impi l tur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2I nner Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 , 42Ir iaebor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Iron House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54I r o n T h r o n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Istishia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 18Jhessail Silvertree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Kara-Tur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Khelben Arunsun. . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 49, 88Knights of Myth Drannor. . . . . . 20, 20,

22, 24-27, 29, 30, 66, 77Knights of the North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Knights of the Shield . . . . . . . . . . . 55Kobolds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Kossuth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 18, 39Kulta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55, 76L a e r a l ’ s D a n c i n g D w e o m e r . . . . . . . . . 7 0Languages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8L a n t a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53L a s h a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 , 4 0 , 4 2Lathander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18, 28Laughing Hollow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Leira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18Lhaeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95L i s t e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 0Living City, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Llira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 18Lonely Moor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

95

Lord’s Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Lords Who S leep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1L o t h c h a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4Loviatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 18Lurkan the Reaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4L u s k a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 2 , 4 3 , 4 5Magic-Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 57Malar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 18Mane’s Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 37, 77, 79Mankind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 8Maps , us i ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11M a r s e m b e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 , 5 8Marsh of Chelimber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 18Maskyr’s Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Melvaunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 38, 39, 44, 60Men of the Basilisk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20M e r a l d ’ s M u r d e r o u s M i s t . . . . . . . . 7 9 - 8 0Mercenary Companies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Merchant Companies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 73Merchan ts ’ League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2Merith Strongbow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0Mielikki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 18Milil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18Mindulgulph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 61Mintarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Mirabar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Mistledale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 37, 39, 64Moonsea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 64Moonshae Islands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Moradin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 18Mourngrym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 49, 77Mulhessen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 76Mulhorand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Mulmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 65Myrkul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18Mystra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18Myth Drannor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 45, 65Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7T h e N a t h l u m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5N c h a s e r ’ s E i y r o m a n c i a. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2N c h a s e r ’ s G l o w i n g G l o b e. . . . . . . . . . 6 2N e n t y a r c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3Neverwinter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Night Masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Nimbral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Nine, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Nobles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7North, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8NPC leve l mod i f i ca t i on t ab le . . . . . . . . 1 7N u l a t h o e ’ s N i n e m e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2Oghma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 18Orcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 46Order of the Blue Boar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Ordulin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 67, 76Orjalun’s Arbatel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7 - 8 8Or lumbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Paladins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0P h a s e T r a p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6 - 8 7Pheszeltan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 , 51Phlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8Piergeiron Paladinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Pirate Isles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 68P o i s o n s

B e l p r e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6D w a r f b a n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7H u l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7J e t e y e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7L h u r d a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66O r v a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6P r e s p r a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6V a r r a k a s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6

Presper’s MoonbowP r i a p u r l

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Procampur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70P r o s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Proskur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Purple Flame, the. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Randa l Morn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3Rangers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 0Rashemen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1R a u r i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3R e c o n s t r u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 4 - 8 5The Red Book o f War . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 - 8 2Red C loaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 lRed Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74R e d W i z a r d s . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 , 3 7 , 4 4 , 4 5Reddansyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 31R e v e a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2Ring o f W in te r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5Ruathlek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8R u a t h y n a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 2 , 4 3 , 4 5Sab i r i ne ’ s Specu la r . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 7 - 7 8S a c r e d L i n k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3S a e r b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6Saerloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73, 76Savage Seven, the. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1The Sca lamagdr ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9 - 9 0Scardale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 39, 40, 73S c a t t e r s p r a y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6S c e p t a n a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3S c o r c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0 - 8 1Scornubel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 , 7 3Sea of Swords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74S e c o m b e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41S e c u r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9Selgaunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 45, 74, 76Selune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18Sembia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 , 4 0 , 74Seven Suns Trading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Shaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Shadow Thieves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Shadowdale . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 37, 38, 39, 44, 77S h a i r k s a h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Shar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 18Sharanalee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 9Sharantyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0Sheela Peryroyal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 32Silvanus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 18Simbul, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 37, 49Six Coffers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62S k u l l G o r g e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80S m o k e G h o s t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Sossal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0Soubar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80The Spe l lbook o f Da imos . . . . . . . . . . 7 2S p e l l E n g i n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 8S p e n d e l a r d ’ s C h a s e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8S n a t c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 9S p a r k. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 9Stags Caravan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Standing Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 81S t e a l s p e l l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3S t i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4Storm Silverhand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 77, 95Sune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 18Surd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6 , 8 1Surefeet Trademasters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4Suzail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 38, 45, 81Sword Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 81Swords of Leilon, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Sylune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 49, 77, 96Talona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 18Talos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 18Tarkhaldale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tasirin’s Haunted Sleep

81. . . . . . . . . . . . 6 9

96

Tasseldale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 84Tempus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 18Ter ra in and movement . . . . . . . . . . 12-13Teshendale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 84T e s h w a v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Tethyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Teziir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4T h a a l i m T o r c h t o w e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44T h a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 84Thay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 42, 85Thieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5T h o n d o f W y v e r n w a t e r . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7Thorass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8T h o r n S p r a y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5Thousandheads Trading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3T h u n d e r l a n c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7Tilver’s Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 , 3 8 , 85Toril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The Tome o f t he Covenan t . . . . . . . . . 91Tome o f t he Un ico rn . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 42Torm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 18, 32Torn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0Tower of Ashaba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Trail Lords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74T r i b o a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Triel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Tro l l Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8Trollclaw Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Trueshield Trading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Tsurlagol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Tu lbegh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 6 , 8 6Tu l run ’ s T race r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 9Turmish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Tymora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 18, 21T y r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15, 18Tyrluk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 86Umberlee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18Un ico rn ho rns , t he uses o f . . . . . . 7 6 - 7 7Unther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Urmlaspyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 86Utter East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Vaasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 86Vale of Lost Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Valiant Warriors, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1Vangerdahast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 38, 81Vilhon Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7Voonlar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7Warrior’s Crypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43W a t c h w a r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 3Waterdeep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 57, 80, 85, 87Waukeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 18Way Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 , 8 8Waymoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 43, 88Westgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 44, 89Wheloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 89Windriders Trading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Witches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Wood of Sharp Teeth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89W y v e r n w a t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Yellow Snake Pass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Yhaunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 92Ylraphon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Y u i r w o o d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2Yulash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38, 92Zhentarim . . . . . . 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 37, 55, 92Zhentil Keep . . . . . . . 28, 32, 33, 30, 37, 38, 39

42-45, 55, 84, 93