Volos Guide to the Sword Coast In all our years of wandering, We never use up the splendid store. At each wonder and marvel pondering, As Faerûn proudly presents us with more. Revendar the Far-Traveled, Rhyme of the Road, Year of the Serpent Dedication To Mike and Roxy Griffith In hopes that your little one will join you in befriending Elminster and exploring corners of the Realms thus far hidden from us all. Credits Design: Ed Greenwood Editing: Julia Martin Cover Art: John and Laura Lakey Interior Art: Paul Jaquays and Valerie Valusek Cartography: Diesel Typesetting: Angelika Lokotz Production: Paul Hanchette Other Sourcebooks in This Series Volo’s Guide to Waterdeep Volo’s Guide to the North ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are registered trade- marks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ©1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English lan- guage products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unau- thorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. 9460 TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom 2 Contents Introduction ........................... 4 GuIIykin ............................102 Volos Ratings System................. 4 Qheldins Mask .................... 104 Scornubel ......................... 105 The Sword Coast ...................... 5 The Dusty Hoof ................. 109 Far Anchor ......................110 The Coast ............................. 6 The Jaded Unicorn .............. 112 Baldurs Gate ........................ 8 The Raging Lion ................. 113 Hall of Wonders .................. 14 Serpents Cowl ..................... 115 Elfsong Tavern ................... 17 Soubar ............................ 117 The Blade and Stars ............. 19 Tempuss Tears .................... 118 The Blushing Mermaid ............ 20 Triel ............................. 120 The Helm and Cloak .............. 23 Three Old Kegs ................... 25 The Backlands ....................... 122 Beregost.............................27 Drawn Swords .................... 126 Bowshot ........................... 31 Evereska ............................ 130 Candlekeep ...................... 32 Greycloak Hills ..................... 132 Daggerford ........................ 34 Halfway Inn ....................... 133 Lady Luck Tavern ................ 37 The Marsh of Chelimber ............ 136 The Friendly Arm .................... 39 The Well of Dragons ................ 137 Gillians Hill ........................ 40 Xonthals Tower .................... 139 Julkoun ........................... 43 Yarthrain ......................... 141 Kheldrivver ......................... 47 Lathtarls Lantern ................... 49 Sunset Vale . 146 Liams Hold ........................ 52 Asbravn .......................... 148 Roaringshore ....................... 53 Berdusk ........................ 153 The Broken Goblet ................ 54 Corm Orp ......................... 175 The Swordarm ................... 57 Darkhold .......................... 177 Trollclaw Ford ...................... 60 Fendarls Gate ...................... 180 Ulgoths Beard ...................... 61 Hardbuckler ....................... 182 Warlocks Crypt ..................... 63 Hills Edge .......................... 186 The Way Inn ........................ 65 The Tarnished Trumpet .......... 196 Zundbridge ......................... 68 The Happy Hippocampus ......... 198 Hluthvar ............................ 200 The High Moor ....................... 70 Iriaebor .......................... 202 Dragonspear Castle .................. 73 The Old Talking Ox .............. 207 Hammer Hall ....................... 76 The Wandering Wyvern ........... 209 Orogoth ............................. 7 8 Secomber ............................ 7 9 Appendix I: The Seven-Stringed Harp .......... 80 Folk of the Sword Coast ............ 211 The Singing Sprite ................ 83 Appendix II: The Fields of the Dead ................ 86 Wards of the Sword Coast . 228 Boareskyr Bridge .................... 89 Durlags Tower ...................... 90 Appendix III: Elturel ........................... 93 Magical Items . 233 The Bent Helm .................. 95 A Pair of Black Antlers ............. 96 Appendix IV: Gallowgars Inn .................. 99 Index . 236 Phontyrs Unicorn ................ 100 3 Introduction his guidebook is the Whereer you may wish to go upon next in my ongoing the face of known Faerûn, I have ven- tour of the RealmsI tured there before you. When this assure thee all, gentles, guidebook proves of aid, I pray you that youll find no look with favor upon the name of: more diligent guide than your humble servant, Volothamp Geddarm. These last few seasons Ive trudged, ridden, swum, sailed, and even flown from the icy wastes north of the Spine of the World to the hot, steaming jungles of the Shining Southand beyondall in thy service, gentle traveler. Ive been Volo? Aye (sigh). Hes getting, I to places I thought were but legends, suppose, better. Ye neednt tell folk I and seen sights stranger than magic said that. ever showed me. Ive seen fallen towers rise up into the sky again and had a solid road vanish under my feet when the moonlight shining on it failed. Volos Ratings System Pipes Tankards Coins Daggers (Inns) (Taverns) (Prices) (Alleyways, Courtyards, etc.) 4 The Sword Coast or years, the lands The Sword Coast is home to some between Waterdeep and important independent cities: Baldurs bustling Amn have been Gate, Berdusk, Elturel, Hills Edge, Iriae- thought of as the Empty bor, and Scornubel. Landsa vast, inconve- This guidebook directs the traveler to nient stretch of wilderness folk venture the things to see and good places to stay into only to get from one place to in the cities. I also mention craftfolk of another. Legends abound of grisly fates note, landmarks, and places it is best to that befell unfortunate travelers at the avoid, and discuss key landmarks in the hands of orcs, trolls, hobgoblins (and sparsely inhabited, lawless wildernesses worse!) said to infest the area in verita- between the cities. Readers should note ble armies. In recent times, dark evil that these wildernesses are studded with has arisen in ruined Dragonspear Cas- many independent holds, castles, and tle, and the snakemen who inhabit the self-styled baronies not discussed here. Serpent Hills are extending their patrols Those not traveling with a caravan in the to menace folk far afield. As the mer- Sword Coast are warned to hire escorts chant Falodel of Amn once put it, The of armed, trustworthy adventurers. only reason to set foot in the Coast lands For convenience, Ive divided this is to get down from a caravan wagon guide into five areas: the Coast, the High thats going to make you a lot of coins Moor, the Fields of the Dead, the Back- when it gets to someplace else. lands, and Sunset Vale. Isles off the The strategic, in-the-middle location Sword Coast, such as Mintarn and of the Coast lands forces most overland Orlumbor, are not covered in this work. travelers in western Faerûn to visit May my words prove useful, and thy them, ere long. The main caravan route journey safe. to the Inner Sea from Amn to the south, and Waterdeep to the north, runs through the Sword Coast. Thanks to both human and bestial predators, the trip has always been dangeroushence the name Sword Coast. Down through the ages, many folk have dreamed of founding a kingdom in the verdant val- ley hidden in the moors. A few have tried, notably around Daggerford and northeast of Beregostbut only tattered tales and well-hidden ruins remain of such glories today 5 6 The Coast ane Hellar of Amn, the gangers, and kobolds are an ever- famous senior cartogra- present danger. Many stay in roving pher of the Merchants encampments, living off stolen live- League, once called the stock, and from such bases raid trav- coast between Water- elers, warehouses, and weakened deep and Amn: [L]eagues upon settlements at willparticularly at leagues of lawless waste, home to night or in bad weather. Near the pirates and outlaws who feast on Troll Hills, in the broken tors known those who must go north or south as the Trollclaws, and in the vicinity while depending on the Sea of of the High Moor, trolls can be added Swords as their guide, keeping it in to this list of dangers. sight so as not to lose their way. Zane On the other hand, game is plenti- was not far wrong, but the Coast ful for travelers throughout this today is also home to one of the two region. Grouse, bustards, rock doves, largest and most powerful cities in and other seacoast birds can readily the region, Baldurs Gate. (Iriaebor, be shot, slung, or even brought down far inland, is the other.) From its gates with flung nets by those who can south to Amn, the Coast on either side move quickly and quietly. It is not of the Coast Way road is pleasant, ver- uncommon for a fat Calishite mer- dant farmland. North