Welcome to Faerûn, a place of great heroes and stark evil, encompassing lands of magic, mystery and high peril. Faerûn is only one continent in the world known as Toril. Other lands lie in distant corners of the world but Faerûn is the center of it all. The continent measures more than thirty-five hundred miles from east to west and twenty-five hundred from north to south. Dozens of nations, hundreds of city-states, countless tribes, villages and settlements dot its expanse. It includes sun-blasted deserts, vast forest deeps, forbidding mountains and gleaming inland seas. Known roads may be well traveled but that doesn't necessarily mean they are safe. Fell magic, deadly monsters and cruel local rulers are all perils that a traveler may face when abroad in Faerûn.

The People

It is home to hundreds of intelligent creatures which range from teeming kingdoms of humankind to the secret fastnesses of terrible creatures whose entire species numbers a score or less. Like humans, these people can look anywhere from grotesque to beautiful, from murderous to beatific. The story of Faerûn is in many ways, that of the rise of humankind and the fading of ancient empires of those who came before. Over the passing of thousands of years, humans have brought an end to the old ways. Human pride and folly have brought untold disaster down upon the lands more than once and the ever-growing human lands encroach on the territories of older races both benign and fierce.

Civilized Folks

There are many races of Toril but only a dozen or so account for nine-tenths of all folk who live in the world. Humans are the most numerous and also young and vigorous in comparison to the other races. Two older races, the elves and dwarves raised mighty realms in the mountains and forests. The zenith of both races is now over but the lands are filled with many of their wonders that they wrought at the height of their power. Though they never commanded the power of dwarves and elves, gnomes and halflings seem to have adapted better to the rise of humankind. Halflings prosper, taking advantage of situations created by cultural conflicts between humans and elder races. Halflings will hold lands exclusively for their people in just a handful of places but their settlements can be found throughout human lands. Gnomes are more reclusive but they too, have homes and settlements scattered throughout human lands. There are other races considered to be civil folk but their numbers are smaller.

Savage People and Monsters

A great number of enemies stand against the human lands and the ancient refuges of the older races. Foremost among these are the savage peoples - goblins, orcs, ogres and all their kin. Fierce warriors are bred in deep and dark mountain fortresses and cavern dens, regularly bursting forth from their strongholds to pillage and slaughter villages and towns who have the misfortune of being in their path. Yet, there are far more malevolent, cruel and calculating creatures. The deeps of the Underdark house sinister and powerful beings such as drow, beholders and mind flayers. They seek nothing more than to enslave the surface and feast on human cattle while ruling as the overlords of all Toril. Neither the hordes of goblinkind nor the dark powers that lie beneath the surface are the most dangerous threat. That honor must be reserved for the most terrible and awesome creatures of Faerûn, the dragons. No one knows just how many dragons there are but even a single dragon can spell doom for a city.

Heroes, Villains and those In-between

Faerûn is a land of heroes both light and dark. Regardless of race or station, the most notable creatures to roam the lands are the heroes and their enemies. In the courts of kings, dens of thieves, citadels of dark powers, companies of adventurers, treasure seekers, monster slayers and freebooters struggle to preserve things that they hold dear and will vanquish enemies who would destroy them. The most dangerous creature is a person with the ruthlessness to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals. A dim witted ogre who spots a dragon along the horizon can guess what it wants but trying to fathom the intent of a scheming wizard or an unscrupulous merchant lord is far more difficult.

A World of Magic

The world of Toril is steeped in magic. It permeates the entire world. Fallen empires thousands of years old left portals and wrecked towers scattered across the landscapes that are still filled with potent enchantments. Wizards whose spells can lay low entire armies plot against each other as they pursue their studies into ever more powerful and dangerous fields of arcane lore. Deities channel divine energy through their mortal agents to advance their interest. Adventurers of all types, evil as well as good, have the capability to wield mighty spells seemingly at will. Though many people may never learn to speak a spell, magic touches their lives in ways they do not always see. A skilled wizard or sorcerer may serve the monarch of a land and use their spells to defend their realms against attack and watch the movements of an enemy. A cleric will intercede with a deity to invoke their blessings as real and tangible benefits to the endeavors of the community.

Ancient Wonders

Faerûn's history is dominated by the cyclic rise and destruction of empires founded on knowledge of the intricacies of magic. The Imaskari wrought magical portals in order to bridge the gap between worlds, only to be destroyed by the god-kings of the slave races they imported to Faerûn. Their lost realm now lies beneath the desert of Raurin. The mighty Empire of Netheril dominated the center of the continent, its skies graced by floating cities and its wizards commanded unimagined might. They reached too far and were destroyed in a magical catastrophe of world shaking proportions, forever changing the workings of magic itself. Realms such as Narfell and Raumathar, Athalantar and Cormanthyr, Illefarn and Hlondath have left their ruins throughout the world. Magic both old strong still slumbers in the wreckages of ancient realms. Every year some new marvel is rediscovered in an old ruin: a spell never before seen or some wondrous item of great power. More often though, blights and perils long forgotten, or magical abominations that should never see the light of day emerge to trouble the world, unearthed by those ignorant or unscrupulous enough to seek them out.