A Land Far Away

Ten Important Facts
The following points describe the biggest changes
to the world of Toril since the previous edition of
the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting. If you are
familiar with the setting, these will summarize the
major events in the world since 1374 DR, the Year of
Lightning Storms. If you are new to the setting, this
information will give you the basic background that
most inhabitants know.
1. Roughly a hundred years have passed in the world
since the previous edition of the campaign setting. The
current year is 1479 DR, the Year of the Ageless One.
2. The Spellplague has drastically altered the cosmos.
The Spellplague broke out in 1385 DR (the Year of
Blue Fire), the result of unfettered wild magic on the
death of the goddess Mystra. Whole countries are
gone, especially in regions south of the Sea of Fallen
Stars. Even familiar lands have become magical and
fantastic in appearance. Islands of rock called earth-
motes drift through the sky. Weird towers and spires
of stone jut from the landscape. Spectacular chasms
and waterfalls abound.
All things were sustenance for the Spellplague’s
insatiable hunger—it assailed and transformed f lesh,
stone, magic, space, and dimensional walls. Even
the cosmos beyond Toril was affected. Some ancient
realms returned that had been thought gone forever
(such as the Feywild), and entire planes (such as the
Abyss) shifted to a new cosmic structure.
3. Portions of Abeir have fused with Toril. The Spell-
plague raged even beyond planar boundaries, and
Toril’s long-lost twin world, cut off for tens of millen-
nia, was also caught up in the maelstrom. Large parts
of Faerûn exchanged places with equivalent land
masses on Abeir, bringing their populations with
them. Across the Trackless Sea, an entire continent
of the lost realm reappeared, now called Returned
Abeir.
4. The number of gods has dropped markedly. During
the last century, even deities succumbed to divine
and diabolical plots or to the chaos of the Spellplague.
Of those now absent, many died, some left, and a few
were revealed to be aspects of already extant gods.
Others lost so much power that they became exarchs,
lesser divinities who serve the other gods.
5. The Spellplague left its mark on creatures. Some
effects of the Spellplague persist to this day, espe-
cially in the so-called Plaguelands where wild magic
yet rages unrestrained. After exposure to the Plague-
lands, some creatures exhibit physical marks called
spell scars. These spellscarred individuals develop
unique abilities, but not without a price.
Victims of the original Spellplague were horribly
changed, not simply scarred, their f lesh warped in
unimaginable ways. The abilities of the spellscarred,
though unique, are never as monstrous and powerful
as those of plaguechanged creatures. Luckily, such
monsters are few, and of those, only a handful are
free-willed, mobile threats.
6. Huge Underdark collapses have changed the surface
of Faerûn. As the earth fell away, the level and position
of the Sea of Fallen Stars shifted drastically. An enor-
mous opening into the Underdark has formed south
of the Chondalwood. In addition to this country-sized
hole in the earth, underground shifting has made
the Underdark much more accessible to the surface
world.
7. Thay has become a terrible undead threat. The
former land of the Red Wizards is now under the
control of a single power-mad regent: Szass Tam. He
nearly succeeded in performing a ritual that would
have made him an immortal being. Szass Tam failed,
INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
but in so doing he transformed Thay into a nightmare
land of death. Now the regent is intent on expanding
Thay’s borders so that he can attempt the ritual again.
8. The ancient empire of Netheril has been restored.
The Twelve Princes of Shade rule from their capital
city, Shade Enclave, in a land newly reclaimed from
the Anauroch Desert. Netheril is once again a major
player and a threat to all the northern realms.
9. Ancient elven lineages have returned to Faerûn.
With the reappearance of the Feywild, its natives
have begun exploring the world again. These fey
folk collectively call themselves eladrin, and many
Faerûnian elves have also adopted this name for
their lineage, though they have not forgotten their
traditional cultural distinctions and names. In casual
speech, the world “elven” collectively refers to the two
branches of this fey people: elves and eladrin.
10. Most portals no longer work. The breaking of the
Weave destroyed most of the portals that crisscrossed
Toril, because it destroyed the hard-won knowledge
of arcane casters. Although arcanists have relearned
their craft since the Spellplague raged, most portals
remain nonfunctional or dangerously malfunction-
ing, broken relics of a legendary past.

Additionally, does anyone know if any of the upcoming Forgotten Realms novels will flash forward to the 4th Edition timeline or will they continue to chronicle events prior to the Spellplague for the near future?

4. The number of gods has dropped markedly. During
the last century, even deities succumbed to divine
and diabolical plots or to the chaos of the Spellplague.
Of those now absent, many died, some left, and a few
were revealed to be aspects of already extant gods.
Others lost so much power that they became exarchs,
lesser divinities who serve the other gods.

Lathander took on his actual form (let's see who remembers lore)

Grand Fromage wrote:Also Neverwinter is gone, so one wonders what NWN3 will end up being named.

NickD wrote:

Grand Fromage wrote:Also Neverwinter is gone, so one wonders what NWN3 will end up being named.

It'll probably still be called Neverwinter Nights 3, just because of the name recognition. None of the NWN1&2 expansions have been set in Neverwinter after all. Was BG2 set in Baldur's Gate at all?

• Amaunator: Sun
• Asmodeus: Sin
• Bane: Tyranny
• Chauntea: Life
• Corellon: Fey
• Cyric: Strife - He's imprisoned in his domain.
• Ghaunadaur: Abominations
• Gruumsh: Savagery
• Kelemvor: Death
• Lolth: Drow
• Moradin: Dwarves
• Ohgma: Knowledge
• Selune: Moon
• Shar: Shadows
• Silvanus: Nature
• Sune: Beauty
• Tempus: War
• Torm: Law

• Angharraadh: Wisdom
• Auril: Winter
• Bahamut: Justice
• Berronar Truesilver: Family
• Beshaba: Bad Luck
• Garl Glittergold: Protection
• Gond: Craft
• Ilmater: Suffering
• Loviatar: Pain
• Luthnic: Caves
• Meilikki: Forests
• Sheela Peryroyl: Beauty
• Sseth: Serpents
• Talona: Plague
• Tiamat: Greed
• Tymora: Good luck
• Umberlee: Sea
• Waukeen: Merchants
• Zehir: Poison

• Abbathor
• Arvoreen
• Baervan Wildwanderer
• Bahgtru
• Baravar Cloakshadow
• Berronar
• Brandobaris
• Callarduran Smoothhands
• Clangeddon Silverbeard
• Cyrrollalee
• Deep Seshalas
• Dugmaren Brightmantle
• Erevan Ilesere
• Fenmarel Mestarline
• Fzoul Chembryl: Sevice to Evil
• Garagos
• Hoar
• Hruggek
• Jergal: Fatalism
• Labelas Enoreth
• Lliira
• Maglubiyet
• Malar
• Marthammor Duin
• Milil
• Obould: Warriors
• The Red Knight: Tactics
• Sharess
• Shargaas
• Shevarash
• Shiallia
• Siamorphe
• Solonar Thelandrira
• Thard Harr
• Uthgar
• Valkur
• Vaprak
• Vergadain

• Akadi
• Bazim-Gorag
• Grumbar
• Istishia
• Kossuth

• Baalzebul
• Bel
• Belial
• Dispater
• Glasya
• Levistus
• Mammon
• Mephistopheles

McJoker wrote:Deities of 4e Realms:

• Asmodeus: Sin
  Isn't sin something from monotheistic systems, or at least from situations where the gods actually agree on what's wrong and what's right? What's a sin in the Realms?
• Corellon: Fey
  How'd he manage to get that portfolio, and loose Elf?
• Garl Glittergold: Protection
  Why? And how'd Garl keep some sort of status, while Yondalla didn't?
• Sheela Peryroyl: Beauty
  Didn't Sune already have that one?
• Fzoul Chembryl: Sevice to Evil
  All evil?
• Hruggek
• Maglubiyet
• Vaprak
  So Ogres, Trolls and Goblinoids get to keep their Gods as do Orcs, Drow and Abominations. Where does that leave all the other monster races?
• Akadi
• Bazim-Gorag
• Grumbar
• Istishia
• Kossuth
  The four elements... and Slaadi?

Seven Lost Gods. (Includes Dendar, Kezef, and Borem of the Boiling Mud)