Advanced Dungeon~ragons

ErnpiRes o-i:-cbe Sanos by Scott Haring

Tobie of Contents

Introduction ...... 2 Geography and Climate ...... 24 Arnn ...... 3 Money and Commerce ...... 25 General Description ...... 3 Cities ...... 26 Languages ...... 3 Places of Interest ...... 41 Social Customs ...... 3 Characters ...... 45 Monsters ...... 4 History ...... 4 Calimshan ...... 48 Government and Politics ...... 5 General Description ...... 48 Religion ...... 6 Languages ...... 48 Geography and Climate ...... 7 Social Customs ...... 49 Money and Commerce ...... 7 Monsters ...... 49 Cities ...... 8 History ...... 50 Places of Interest ...... 13 Government and Politics ...... 50 Characters ...... 18 Religion ...... 51 Geography and Climate ...... 52 Tuthyr ...... 21 Money and Commerce ...... 52 General Description ...... 21 Cities ...... 53 Languages ...... 21 Places of Interest ...... 58 Social Customs ...... 21 Characters ...... 62 Monsters ...... 22 History ...... 22 Index ...... 64 Government and Politics ...... 23 Religion ...... 23 Pull-out Section ...... 27-38

Credits:

Editing: Karen S. Martin Cartography: Dave LaForce Cover and Interior Art: Jeff Easley Typography: Betty Elmore Keylining: Stephanie Tubat

TSR, Inc. TSR UK Ltd.

POB 756 ~TM The Mill, Rathmore Road Lake Geneva, Cambridge CBl 4AD TSR, Inc. WI 53147 USA PftOOUCn Ofl' TOUR IMAQINATtOtf" United Kingdom

AOVA CED DUNGEONS &, DRAGONS, AO&,D, BATTLESYSTEM,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 distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd. This materialSample is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorizedfile use of the material or artwork presented herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. c,1988 TSR, Inc. ALIRights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A. ISBN 0-88038-539-1 $7.95 us 9224 9224XXX1501 INTRODUCTION

Introductions (particularly introduc­ Other sections cover the history, gov­ less sacrifice. tions to games and game supplements) ernment and politics, religion, geogra­ As part of the center pull-out section invariably fall into three categories. phy and climate, and money and we have included campaign-tailored They can be truly useful overviews of commerce of the different countries. character sheets, specific to the Forgot­ the product, with good advice on Together, they give a detailed back­ ten Realms. Seven of these are filled in, where to start and what to do. They can ground to each country, filled with the and one is left blank for your personal be self-congratulatory, indulgent tripe little details (names of coins, typical ex­ photocopying use. in which the author tries to convince pressions, etc.) that make roleplaying Please address any questions regard­ the reader what a tremendous amount more fun. ing this product to: FR3 Questions, c/o of work went into the project, and how Of course, the action-lovers out there Scott Haring, TSR, Inc., POB 756, Lake lucky he is to even have it in his hands. will have plenty to do, too. The remain­ Geneva, WI 53147. The last type is an obsequious, fawning ing sections list dozens of opportunities thank-you note in which the author for bands of hardy adventurers to right ln~cdgea~ TRipe tries to mention every friend he ever wrongs, bring criminals to justice, alter had by name, detailing the invaluable the course of history, or just make a lit­ When I think of this project, I don't contributions of third-grade teachers, tle profit and pick up a little treasure. think of it as a labor of love, or a labor of girlfriends, pets, and other people you The Cities section provides descrip­ duty, but just a labor. Deadlines fell vic­ couldn't care less about. This introduc­ tions of every city listed on the two-part tim to procrastination and self-doubt, tion has to fill an entire page; so I'll give map provided in this sourcebook. (The and soon even my friends began to you a little bit of all three. maps, by the way, are the same scale as shun me like a leper. Friendly (and not­ the detailed maps in the FORGOTTEN so-friendly) hints were dropped with Use~aJ OoeRoieco REALMS"' campaign set, and fit to­ the subtlety of a falling brick. Office gether with them. If you also add the supplies were destroyed. There was With a title like that, this had better be map in FR2-Moonshae--you are well much wailing and gnashing of teeth. good, huh? Anyway, Empires of the on your way to having a map of the For­ But finally, I finished. And I can't help Sands is a sourcebook for the gotten Realms that will completely but think that despite the delays, it's a FORGOTTEN REALMS"' world setting cover your wall! pretty good product. Normally, an in­ for the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & After the cities are described, all the troduction like this is written well be­ DRAGONS®game. It covers three major other places of interest are discussed fore the art and maps are finished. But areas in the southwest corner of the (in a section titled, appropriately this thing is so late that I've already seen main continent of the planet: Arnn, enough, "Places of Interest"). The the art and maps-I'm very pleased, and Tothyr, and Calimshan. They are called mountains, swamps, ruins, castles, is­ I hope you like them, too. And I promise the Empires of the Sands because of lands, and rivers-plus the dangers and to start earlier next time. their generally warm climate and large rewards which lurk there-are de­ areas of dry, inhospitable land. The scribed. Fawning Tbank-Yoas book is divided into three main sec­ Last, but not least, is a section called I want to thank my editor, Karen Mar­ tions, each dealing with one of these "Characters" which lists some of the im­ tin, for being so patient; my boss, Jim countries. portant people and groups of people in Ward, for destroying only selected por­ Opening each section is a General De­ the Empires of the Sands, along with tions of my office and not the entire scription, which includes a discussion the necessary statistics for play. The list thing; Warren Spector, for understand­ of the races (both human and non­ includes heroes and villains, potential ing; and the other TSR staffers, espe­ human) present, the languages spoken, enemies and possible allies, people who cially Mike Breault, Douglas Niles, and and the social customs of the land. The will have an impact on campaigns set in Jeff Grubb, for letting me bounce ideas social customs section will be particu­ this area. off them; and my mother, for letting me larly valuable to those wanting to un­ My goal was for a typical DM to take use her computer to write part of this derstand the personality of a resident any single city, place, or character de­ book. of one of these lands for better role­ scription, and be able to come up with And a big thank-you to Ed Green­ pla ying. For example, trying to bribe a an adventure stemming from the cir­ wood, whose 10-year-old AD&D® cam­ judge will have a totally different result cumstances described that would en­ paign is the basis of the Forgotten in Arnn than it will in Calimshan, and tertain his or her players. Token as a Realms, and whose extensive notes pro­ understandingSample the social customs and whole, there should be enough ideas vided thefile skeleton for this work. personality of the two countries will here for a campaign to run for a very help the DM know what to do. long time, with a mix of high drama, low humor, great enrichment, and self-

2 Arnn

GeneRaJ DescRipt:ion halfling population, it is also true that The display of wealth is the only way the halflings tend to live in their own to gain and retain status. It is not un­ sections of town and do business with common for a family to scrimp and save Of the three "nations" said to comprise their own kind. But a halfling with a tal­ for a year, then blow it all on a party for the Empires of the Sands, Arnn is the ent for business can rise quickly in Arnn the entire town that is completely be­ only one that is, truly, a nation. Ruled society, just as a human can. yond their means. Even the simplest for over 20 years by a "Council of Six" Gnomes are rarely seen in Arnn; the and most humble stores have trays of made up of the richest and most cun­ appearance of one in a town would be a expensive sweets and other delicacies ning merchants in the land, Arnn has cause of great interest. Half-ores are for their customers. And big-money enjoyed unprecedented years of peace also almost unheard of, with the excep­ merchants regularly give each other and prosperity. tion of the town of Purskul, which has a the most outrageous and ridiculous Aron's borders are the Cloud Peaks sizable half-ore population (see below). gifts as tokens of goodwill before em­ and the '!roll Mountains to the north; barking on delicate negotiations. the Snowflake Mountains to the east; Laogaages Dress, as you may imagine, is gaudy, the Sea of Swords to the west; and the bright, intricate, and all too expensive. northern edge of the Forest of Tothir to Arnn is a merchant nation. As such, a Elaborate headdresses are common the south. This includes the Tothir Road traveler could enter the country speak­ among the women, while the men are and all the towns along it, from Riatavin ing practically any known language, more fond of long capes of the finest to Murann. and somebody could be found fairly material. Elaborate embroidery, often quickly who could handle the transla­ using real gold and other precious Races AppeaRiog tion chores. metals, is also common. The only excep­ However, anyone who wishes to rise in tion is at the very top of the social Arnn is, first and foremost, a human soci­ Arnn society must know Thorass, the an­ ladder-the upper crust of Arnn society, ety. There are no known groups of elves cient language of trade and commerce refusing to become involved in the or dwarves living anywhere in the coun­ that is the ancestor of the "common" "petty status games" of those less pow­ try. There are the ever-present rumors of tongue spoken throughout the Realms. erful than themselves, dress in very a lost dwarven kingdom in the Snowflake All contracts and legal documents are simple clothes, with a minimum of or­ Mountains, filled with fantastic treasures written in Thorass, and all court proceed­ namentation. (Of course, this is in itself from a forgotten time, but this story is ings, government meetings and high-level a petty status game, but this is a com­ more of a favorite childhood fairy tale trade negotiations are done in that lan­ plex society.) However, these clothes than a legitimate legend. guage. Generally, the higher up in Arnn are always perfectly tailored, cleaned This is not to say that there are no society one is, the fewer other languages and pressed, and are always of the elves or dwarves to be found; Arnn is a one has to speak. highest quality fabric and construction. country where money talks, and as long Even the common slang expressions as there are non-humans willing to sell Social Cast:orns of everyday life in Arnn reflect a preoc­ their special talents to men and put up cupation with money and business. with being away from their own kind, a Arnn is a land where money talks, and Some examples: resident of Arnn can find an elf or wealth is the sole judge of social status. dwarf. Nearly every marketplace wor­ This leads to a number of interesting • Sold-Convinced. "I sold my wife we thy of the name has shops either run di­ facets to Arnn society that are different weren't at the tavern, but at your work­ rectly by elves or dwarves or by from practically anywhere else in the shop fixing that cabinet, so you've got to someone who claims to have been Forgotten Realms. sell your wife the same thing in case trained by one. These claims are some­ Knowledge and wisdom are not prized they get together:' times not very authentic, and travelers and revered traits in Arnn; neither are ex­ • Bought into-Understood. "I really will have to ask around: Not every ceptional talents in music, athletics, fight­ bought into that message today, Your "Dwarven Armory" is run by a dwarf­ ing, art, or any other pursuit. The only Holiness:' • Good Business--A standard greeting, some shop owners, in fact, wouldn't measure of success is material wealth. this can mean "Hello;' "Goodbye;' or recognize a dwarf if one walked The inspired artist who refuses to "sell through the door. out" and dies penniless is a reviled failure, even "Get lost:' There are, on the other hand, a con­ a freak; the mediocre artist who, through • Found The Pearl-Enjoyed good luck. siderable numberSample of halflings residing "So, Mikosfile has put 500 danters into this shrewd dealing and tireless self­ in Arnn. In fact, nearly 15% of the popu­ promotion, becomes fabulously wealthy, wagon, and he's got no takers. Then, he lation is made up of halflings. While is a role model for others. really finds the pearl. Some rich out-of­ there is no discrimination against the towner breaks down right in front of

3 his shop, and buys it right there, at full very good for the poor, who benefit northern end of the 'Troll Mountains. In markup:' from the better treatment. some cases, reports claim that troops of • Lost The Pearl-Suffered bad luck. Moving about in Arnn society is a ores and goblins actually are com­ "Then, Mikos' wife hears of the deal, tricky proposition, because there is a manded by trolls. and spends the entire purchase price very high degree of attention paid to As mentioned above, the cities of Arnn on a new headdress. Tulk about losing status, etiquette and protocol. Fortu­ are for the most part monster-free, ex­ the pearl!" nately, almost every rule of Arnn society cept for the occasional experiment gone • Foreclose-To kill. Can refer to practi• derives from one simple precept awry or other summoned or magical cally anything. "I finally caught that known in Arnn as "The Golden Rule": monster resulting from human interfer• stoat that had been rummaging He who has the gold makes the rules. ence: various undead, elementals, famiJ. through the trash out back. Foreclosed This means, in general: The poor de­ iars, demons, devils, daemons, and on him real good, too:' Or, "He was just fer to the rich; the rich defer to the golems, plus liches, aerial servants, be· asking too much and not giving me richer; and when in doubt, the person holders, and the like. enough security, so I just foreclosed the who is paying for it gets to decide. Last, but not least, there is something whole deal:' (or several somethings) at the bottom of • Outbid-Was more impressive or con­ Moasr:e~s Lake Esme!. Numerous sightings have vincing than. "Since the innkeeper's been reported, and several boat disap• crossbow outbid their beer mugs, the Arnn is a civilized country; as such, pearances have been blamed on the brawlers quieted down real fast:' monsters are rare, and practically non­ monster, or "Esmelda" as she (or he, or • Toke Delivery-Acquire. "Did you existent in the big cities. Of course, they) has been dubbed by the locals, but hear Deurthon and his wife took deliv­ there's also a good deal of open country no monster has ever been caught. (For ery on a new son?" in Arnn, and monsters are not uncom• more on Lake Esme], see "Places of In· • Red Ink-Bad News. "Red ink, friend. mon there. terest;' below.) The tavern's closed:' There are several tribes of ogres living • The Ink Couldn't Be Any Redder­ in the Cloud Peaks, as well as several His-CORY Things couldn't be any worse. groups of hill giants. The largest threat in • Finance-To get something you either the area, a family of cloud giants that Arnn has had the good fortune to be in an couldn't afford or didn't deserve. "You raided caravans in the Fang Pass, wa de­ area abundant in natural resources­ must have done some serious financing feated nearly 15 years ago. Mount Spear· some say Arnn is the richest land on the to get such a fine husband, Meg:• top is rumored to be the home of several immense sleeping dragons, but little continent. This has worked in Aron's fa. Arnn society has a very paradoxical stock is given the story. vor for generati6ns, because even when attitude toward the less fortunate. On The central agricultural region of the land was conquered, the new masters the one hand, mo t people believe that Arnn has been rid of intelligent mon­ were gentle, looking to gain wealth from "poverty is the ultimate sin" (to quote a sters long ago, but there are still inci­ the land, not put it to the torch. famous Arnn proverb). On the other dents of lone farmers, single families, Arnn has been a center of trade and hand, donating large amounts of money or the occasional small village being at­ commerce for as Jong as anyone can re­ to charity is one way of showing off just tacked by a hungry beast. Typical mon­ member. Oral traditions handed down how wealthy you are. The result is sig­ sters include jackals, bears, wolves, from father to son tend to support the nificant amounts of money given to the owlbears, and the like. More rare but theory that Arnn has been a trade center poor, none of it for the right reasons. still seen are such monsters as the pur­ for at least 800 years. Unfortunately, early all the charities operating in ple worm, anhkheg, bulette, gargoyle, written records are difficult to find and Arnn are run by various churches. gorgon, wer wolf, umber hulk, and incomplete. It seems the typicaJ Arnn citi• There are, however, a few private char­ will o' wisp. zen was too busy trying to make money ities that operate "for profit." The ulti­ Of course, the 'Troll Mountains and to write down what was going on. mate in free enterprise, these eharities 1l·ollford in the northeast part of Arnn Arnn has always been more interested solicit donations and actually do help aren't named that for nothing. A large in the present and the future than the the poor, sick, and disadvantaged, but military presence in Eshpurta has con­ past, and this makes an accurate history keep a large percentage of the take for vinced the remaining trolls to pick their difficult to nail down. The best records, themselves. In an area where more targets carefully, but they are still a the business papers of the oldest trading than one ofSample these" for profit" charities is danger. Recent reports indicate that companies, file are jealously guarded. It in competition, each tries to gain the large bands of goblins and ore have seems the fear of revealing "trade se­ most donations by doing thP, most for joined forces with the trolls in the crets" is stronger than the call of history; the unfortunates in the area; this is as a result, the average citizen knows

4 very little about Arnn history. Council raised an army (at great personal at a whim (and with no warning), and It appears that the Arnn of 100 years expense) to quell the few pockets of re­ will crush a person, family, or business ago was very much like the Calimshan of sistance that remained, and have been in simply for the fun of it. today. That is, each major city was basi­ total control of Arnn for the past 22 years. The other members of the Council cally an independent entity, banding to­ are not much better. Fortunately, one of gether for defense when necessary, GoveRnmer:rt ano the major tenets of the ouncil is, "The fighting for control of territory and prof­ business of Arnn is business:• Free to itable trade routes the re t of the time. A Policies make as much money as they can, the particularly brutal trade war began 24 merchants of Arnn do quite welJ, and years ago, with each city exacting prohib­ The Council of Six still has a firm grip on tl1e money they bring in provides even itive tariffs on goods imported from Amn, and their true identities are still un­ the lower classes with a reasonable other cities. Soon, the trade war esca­ known. What started as a deception nec­ standard of living. Whether the Coun­ lated, and city troops began to raid cara­ essary to gain the trust of the people has cil, or the merchants, or just good luck vans sponsored by other cities. In a become a sign of power backed up by the is responsible for al1 of this is not very matter of month , trade had been full force of Arnn Jaw. Speaking, writing, important. To quote another Arnn prov­ brought to a halt, a number of citie were or revealing the real name of any mem­ erb: "No matter who prays for the rain, under siege, and the war threatened to ber of the Council is a crime punishable everyone gets wet:' engulf the entire region. by slow torture and painful death. The Council of Six i responsible for Into the breach stepped a young mer­ The head of the Council is known as defending Arnn, both economically and chant with some magical training the Meisarch. The other five members militarily. To accomplish this, the Coun­ named Thayze Selemchant. Thayze are known (in order of rank) as the Tos­ cil has its own army (independent of the was very smart, very charismatic, and sarch, the Namarch, the Iltarch, the various town militias) and spy network. very well connected (the Selemchant Pommarch, and the Dahaunarch. It is Current troubles for Arnn include the trading house was one of the oldest and widely known that the members are constant pirate activity off the coast, richest in Athkatla.) Thayze secretly representatives of the most powerful and disquieting rumors of a goblin and contacted representatives of the five trading houses, but nobody (except the demon army in the lands to the north of other richest merchant houses in Arnn, council and their clo est advisers) the Cloud Peaks. and started to plan. knows which houses are represented, The Council also has the power to set The first part of the plan involved the and who the members of the Council tariffs, rates of exchange, and interest careful sprinkling of rumors about out­ really are. When a member of the rates for all businesses. This power has side threats. One rumor involved a pi­ Council dies, all members below him only been used once, to correct some rate invasion from the Nelanther, move up a notch on the Council, and a imbalances brought on by a kickback another was about a massing of ores new member (usually a powerful mer­ conspiracy between a Riatavin trading just on the other side of the Cloud chant) is chosen to become the new Da­ house and some Thay merchants. Peaks. Thayze even started a rumor haunarch. This has happened twice so The Council's love of free enterprise about an elf army in the Forest of far in the history of the Council. ends when it comes to activities that Tothir, ready to pounce on a divided The Meisarch, Thayze Selemchant, has could threaten the government. Free­ Arnn. None of the rumors were true, grown very powerful in the past 22 lance companies of adventurers are not but they began to turn people's years. He is now a 9th level magic-user of permitted; if a group of adventurers thoughts toward unity, not war. Chaotic Neutral alignment with a wishes to operate in Arnn as mercenaries Thayze knew that if he wa to take con­ SO'ength of 18/56 and an Intelligence of for hire, they must be registered and li­ trol of Arnn along with the other mem­ 18. He has hundreds of personal servants censed by the national government. bers of his council, he would need and bodyguards, all trained from birth to Small bands of adventurers have their broad-ha ed popular support. Rivalries be absolutely loyal to him. There are a uses-and the ouncil of Six demands a between cities and merchant houses minimum of 15 bodyguards with the modicum of control over those uses. were till high; to get that support, Selem­ Meisarch at all times, all of 6th level. By the same token, magic use (and chant and the others agreed to drop their The Meisarch is also living proof of magic-users) are also very closely family names and never use them again. the truth of another old Arnn proverb: watched. When a magic-user (of any So when news of a "Council of Six" "Decay follows power as night follows sort) reaches 5th level, he or she is spread throughout the land, a group that day:• The Meisarch is a petty, bitter, given three choices: register with the would uniteSample Arnn under one rule, gov­ jaded man, engaging in perversions and government file and do one month of serv­ erning for the benefit of all instead of one debaucheries that would make a harlot ice each year for the Council, but other­ city or trading company over another, blush. Politically, he changes po itions wise be free to do whatever he wants; many people accepted their rule. The banishment; or death. The first option

5 is the most popular, though a few prin­ ticed somewhere in Arnn. A few are gations. Also called "Our Lady of Silver;• cipled mages (notwithstanding the tra­ more common than the rest, however, she has been known to aid lost travelers ditional Arnn notion that there is no and they are listed below: in the dark of night by providing a little such thing as a principled mage) opt for magical moonlight by which to see. Al­ banishment. Waakeen most every merchant or caravan rider The average citizen of Arnn has little has, at one time or another, offered a to do with the Council of Six, anyway. prayer to Selune in the middle of a The decisions important to daily life are dark, forboding night. made locally, by a Town Council. Rural areas are usually under the jurisdiction Sane of the closest town large enough to have a council. Crin1inal matters are de­ Also called "Merchantsfriend" by her cided by a judge, who is appointed by a many worshipers in Arnn, Waukeen is Town Council. Each Town Council ap­ the NeutraUy aligned goddess of trade points as many judges as it thinks it and money. Many business negotiations needs. Judges are usually chosen from begin with a prayer and small cere­ the upper classes and serve for two mony in her honor, especially if both That Sune is worshipped by many peo­ years (although it is not unusual for a parties in the deal are believers. It is ple should not be a surprise-she is the judge to be reappointed after his two also common for a tradesman to donate goddess of love and beauty, and is the years are up if he wants to continue). a (small) percentage of particularly most beautiful of all gods and goddesses Appeals to a Council Judge (answerable profitable business deals to Waukeen's in the Forgotten Realms. What is sur­ directly to the Council of Six) are possi­ church. Most of Waukeen's believers, prising is how many otherwise­ ble, but rare. however, feel that appeasing the god­ mercenary citizens of Arnn are among Restitution and fines are the most dess is more for avoiding bad luck than her worshipers. In fact, Sune is the common punishment for petty crimes, attracting good fortune. As another second-most worshipped deity in Arnn, up to and including minor theft. More Arnn proverb goes, "The trader's skill behind only Waukeen (of course). serious crimes are also punished by finds the pearl; the fates lose it:• Sune's followers tend to be vain and a fines, but the fines are usually so high little overly fond of ostentatious display, that the offender has no choice but to LacbanoeR and her worshipers in Arnn have no become an indentured servant (that is, trouble living up to that reputation. a slave). If possible, the victim of a vio­ Sune's temples are among the most lent crime is often given possession of magnificent in aU the world; a new tem­ the offender as part of the restitution. ple to the Chaotic Good goddess that The death penalty is standard for mur­ may be the biggest ever built is cur­ rently nearing completion in Es­ der, treason, and other capital crimes. Lathander, the Morninglord, is the god meltaran. of (among other things) creativity and Religion new beginnings. He does not have an unusuaUy high number of worshipers Cbaant:ea in Arnn, but he is mentioned here be­ It might come as a surprise given Amn's cause it is common for devotees of preoccupation with money and wealth, other religions to make a special offer­ but Arnn has a very strong religious ing to this Neutral Good god when be­ streak. The Council of Six has a strict ginning a new venture or forming a "hands off" policy toward religion, with new company. Chauntea, also called the Earth Mother, the exception of those religions that is the goddess of agriculture. As such, criticize the Council-those are she has many worshipers in Arnn, quashed rather quickly. Accustomed as Sele.me ♦ ♦ ♦ among both the producers of food and they are to dealing with people of aU the traders. A bad harvest hurts the races and backgrounds, a good Arnn merchants, investors, and speculators businessman would never let a differ­ ~~ as well, and many of them have been ence of religion get in the way of a good Sample♦♦ known tofile make an offering to this eu­ deal. With no official sanction or deter­ tral Good goddess near harvest time. rence, therefore, nearly every religion This Chaotic Good goddess has domin­ known to the Forgotten Realms is prac- ion over the moon, the stars, and navi-

6