D&D General Ed Greenwood's Original Forgotten Realms Map

Alex Kammer, the director of Gamehole Con, has shared some photos of the original map of the Forgotten Realms as drawn by Ed Greenwood himself, with Sage Advice D&D. More images at the link!

 

[R_J_K75]

Was Volothamp a city in Calimshan before be an explorer?

Dont think there is any relation between the two

 

[Atomoctba]

Dont think there is any relation between the two

Except, perhaps, recycling names

 

[R_J_K75]

Except, perhaps, recycling names

Coincidence?...or dismissed as chance?

 

[eckythumpus]

I'm pretty sure this is the photocopied map that Ed Greenwood sent to TSR.
The labels "To Halruaa" and "To Semphar" are redundant on this map, but Halruaa and Semphar were left off the original published maps and those labels pointed off the edge of the map.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's good for a hand drawn map.

 

[Aaron L]

Holy Hell. Wow, that's beautiful.

 

[Mercurius]

Very cool. Aesthetically, I don't love the colors he used--and it looks like magic marker--but it is a lot of fun to look at, quite a bit of history.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, there are a ton of details not included on any published map. I haven't looked closely at FR maps in awhile, so can't say for sure.

 

[Mirtek]

Do you mean like this? Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms - Wikipedia

Not quite. That's basically Ed commenting on the published realms and still includes all the stuff that he has repeatedly said is not part of his personal FR (e.g. Cyric).

 

[pukunui]

Not quite. That's basically Ed commenting on the published realms and still includes all the stuff that he has repeatedly said is not part of his personal FR (e.g. Cyric).

Have you read it? I’ll admit I haven’t. But this makes it sound like it’s what Arnwolf wants:

“Mearls told the crowd that Wizards of the Coast staff approached Greenwood to ask 'why don't you take all your campaign notes, all the information you've been putting together for your campaign and lets compile it into a book? Show us the realms as you've developed it in your campaign setting and lets get that to everybody.' It's not often that fans get such an inside look at the creation of one of their favorite settings, but 'Elminster's Forgotten Realms' completely pulls back the curtain on Greenwood's design.”

 

[Matt James]

Too cool.