The Toril

WHAT IS THE SAME, WHAT IS DIFFERENT:

Parallel Cultures:

Faerun is by far the most detailed area of the Forgotten Realms, in the form of numerous rpg gaming modules, anthologies, accessories, and novels... even video games (Baldurs Gate Series & Pools of Radiance). With the passage of each year, it becomes ever more detailed, and evolving land that seems to be taking on a life of its own.

It is definitely the most diverse of continents, with cultures that parallel those of historical Earth. You will find nations and regions that have definite ethnic ambiance, that include cultural reflections of Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Prussia, Scandinavia, Siberia, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, France, Italy, Moorish North Africa, Arabia, Africa, Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt... etc...

Religions/Gods:

Religiously it draws upon a menagerie of pagan (non-monotheistic) gods and goddesses from Earth legend and lore, as well as some purely fictional entities unique to FR, to form a unique and loosely nit family of deities. Throughout most of Faerun this polytheistic assembly is held in common, though certain members of the assembly of deities are more popular than others from land to land. However, Unther and Mulhorand (Mesopotamia and Egypt) have their own totally unique and pantheonistic families of gods. In the distant reaches of the Shining South, the people are said to worship "The One", who is also considered every god and goddess.

See "Godlist" For Correspondences

Technological Advancement:

Scientifically, it is the western half of Faerun that is the most technologically advanced--due in greater part to the priests of the Wonder Bringer "Gond" (god of invention and progress, artifice and craftsmanship). This includes the invention of pumps, bicycles, printing presses, and most significantly--"Smoke Powder (gun powder)." In this Erea differs, for gun powder does not function in Erea or Aeon, nor does it have a parallel. (Each invention is carefully controlled by the gods, and some are permitted while others simply do not function or are wiped from existence and memory by catastrophes).

Significant Historical Events & Differences:

From western Faerun ships have explored as far as Maztica, and have conflicted with the native inhabitants of the "New World", in a parallel of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America. In Erea this has not happened yet.

In the TSR/WoC FR World Setting, there occurred a great war among the gods and nations--as the supreme over-god (AO/Alpha Omega) threw the deities out of their spiritual kingdoms in the outer planes (See Planes of Existence ). This was done, because the gods above saw their mortal followers as servants and pawns in their own struggles for greater divine rank and power. For a time the gods above became avatars, who could be slain. This caused great upheaval in the world of mortals, as avatar warred with avatar, nation against nation for the Tablets of Fate. In the end, many gods were slain, and replaced by the mortals or immortals who slew them. The gods were returned to the heavens (or hells), and life started to get back to normal (as much as that is possible in a world of magick and monsters).

In Erea this event has not taken place. In Erea the gods above cannot enter the central plane of existence (7th plane), or physical universe; but must work their will and strive for their agendas via their Immortal Avatars (who do not age but can be slain, if with great difficulty), and through their faithful clergy and worshippers. Avatars are powerful meta-physical beings, supernatural incarnations of their gods, who are most powerful in the areas/ worlds/ realms/ nations where they are most popular--and less powerful where they are less popular.

The first or truest family of gods, most ancient, was the Aeonic Lords--who correspond to the 1st and most ancient family of gods and goddesses on Earth... The Mesopotamian Deities. But since the creation of Aeon all of the ancient Earth gods have crossed over from one universe to another, and war with one another for supremacy... this includes the fantasy fiction gods of AD&D and the other source settings. However, in Erea and Aeon Greater, gods and goddesses are conquered and slain (e.g. absorbed by other gods). The pantheons and assemblies struggle among themselves in the outer and inner planes, while the avatars of the gods struggle and plot within the physical universe (as well as in the astral plane, ethereal plane, demi-planes, and inner planes). Only one God and one Avatar are above them all, and act as referee and judge among their ranks. This one is known by many names: Ao, Anu, Amun, Saturn/Uranus, Zurvan, Yahweh, etc... The First & The Last Power over every world and plane in Aeon (See: God-list ).

Greater Universe:

The AD&D universe is not the Aeonic Universe in total. In the AD&D universe their is a space-faring aspect and setting called "Spell-Jammer." Heroes and Villains, races hostile and benign, sail through the universe in ships that often resemble the sailing vessels of the Old World. Para-Science is the norm, rather than Science. In AD&D each Game World Setting has its own solar system, is its own planet, with its own gods, its own spacefarers, and its own crystal sphere. In Aeon the majority of settings have been merged into one. There fore, there are countless other worlds beyond the Tebu Solar System to be explored and experienced. Spell-Jamming exists, but it is for The One & The Many to fill in the details of the entire multiverse of Aeon. I trust to It/her/his judgment and vision in such matters.

Moreover, local space has 13% planets, and four elemental moons. Each moon is a world and setting unto itself, that may be said to resemble the elemental inner planes of AD&D in some respects. The moons are in fact gateways to those inner planes and physical manifestations thereof.

I have provided you with all the relevant links I could find, that will help you to get started exploring the Forgotten Realms, if this is where you wish to concentrate your dreams and/or R.P.G.s. Indeed, I myself shall be found in the Old Empires, as the son of Tiamat & Assuran, who have overthrown Gilgeam and now rule crumbling Unther (such is the history of it in Erea's Unther). See My Story