D&D 5E Finally getting a full size map Faerun

[Burnside]

Is it just me, but having pictures of Eberron, Krynn, Spelljammer, and Radiant Citadel kind of weird and confusing on the map? What purpose does that survive, it could confuse noobies into thinking those are part of FR, instead of distinct settings in their own right (though this once again confirms Radiant Citadel as a distinct setting).

To be fair, it’s hard to imagine a person who is casual/new enough to be confused in that way, and yet invested enough to purchase the deluxe boxed set version of this D&D history product. The map is meant to be a companion to the book it comes with, which is a 5E celebration book, not a Forgotten Realms book. The primary goal of this map is to be a visual representation of “look at all the places we went in 5E”. Most, but not all, of those places were in FR, so in that way it makes sense that most, but not all, of the map would be FR.

 

[Zeromaru X]

Some interesting things I notice, with difficulty, the Genasi nation of Akanul still exists, it seemed like it disappeared in the SCAG, because Airspur was part of Chessenta's entery and Akanul did not get mentioned EEPG Genasi or MotM so I was thinking they sent it back to Abeir, but thankfully not as it appears on the map. I liked the Genasi empire.

At the beginnings of 5e, they wanted to get rid of all 4e related, because (something something I'm not going to repeat here), with the exception of Tymanther, because it was being used in the novels of the time. But it seems they have been retracting from that in the late years. They also said to Ed Greenwood that they aren't sure if Returned Abeir is still on Toril, lol.

Talking about Tymanther, it's weird it's not mentioned in the map, but the two lakes are there (Unther is not mentioned, also).

 

[Henadic Theologian]

At the beginnings of 5e, they wanted to get rid of all 4e related, because (something something I'm not going to repeat here), with the exception of Tymanther, because it was being used in the novels of the time. But it seems they have been retracting from that in the late years. They also said to Ed Greenwood that they aren't sure if Returned Abeir is still on Toril, lol.

Talking about Tymanther, it's weird it's not mentioned in the map, but the two lakes are there (Unther is not mentioned, also).

The fact that this map is coming out, and stuff like Akanul is on it, shows a major change in direction for FR, like it's a sign they are paying attention to the rest of Faerun at least and deciding the fate of regions they previously put off and deciding what the rest of Faerun looks like.


They put off doing this for years, focusing on the Swordcoast North almost exclusively out side a visit to Chult, so the fact this comes out now, with more details on the rest of Faerun isn't likely to be an accident, I really think it's a sign a new Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide type book is coming, one with alot more details for the rest of Faerun then the SCAG had. Who knows maybe we will even visit new (to 5e) regions of Faerun in Vecna: Eve of Ruin too.

I think Unther/Tymanther is not on their because ots a contested nation in a state of civil war.

 

[pukunui]

They also said to Ed Greenwood that they aren't sure if Returned Abeir is still on Toril, lol.

Both the SCAG and Tomb of Annihilation mention Maztica, which implies that Returned Abeir went back.

 

[Zeromaru X]

Yeah, that is what it was assumed back in the day. However, Ed Greenwood is questioned about Abeir every two days or so, so he asked WotC and they said they weren't sure. So, then Ed decided that Laerakond (as he calls Returned Abeir) is still on Toril and never returned to Abeir (he also referenced that in his video about the world Abeir, as the spot where Laerakond once was is now empty sea). He has also said that Laerakond never "replaced" Maztica, and that its location is southwest of Chult.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, that is what it was assumed back in the day. However, Ed Greenwood is questioned about Abeir every two days or so, so he asked WotC and they said they weren't sure. So, then Ed decided that Laerakond (as he calls Returned Abeir) is still on Toril and never returned to Abeir (he also referenced that in his video about the world Abeir, as the spot where Laerakond once was is now empty sea). He has also said that Laerakond never "replaced" Maztica, and that its location is southwest of Chult.

I'd still love an actual Abeir setting book. A world ruled by primordials and dragons sounds cool.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, that is what it was assumed back in the day. However, Ed Greenwood is questioned about Abeir every two days or so, so he asked WotC and they said they weren't sure. So, then Ed decided that Laerakond (as he calls Returned Abeir) is still on Toril and never returned to Abeir (he also referenced that in his video about the world Abeir, as the spot where Laerakond once was is now empty sea). He has also said that Laerakond never "replaced" Maztica, and that its location is southwest of Chult.

I think that's a combo of not wanting to offend any generation of FR fans and Maztica being, first, terrible, second, politically incorrect on am astounding level, third, not part of Greenwood's kriginal FR anyways...

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yeah, that is what it was assumed back in the day. However, Ed Greenwood is questioned about Abeir every two days or so, so he asked WotC and they said they weren't sure. So, then Ed decided that Laerakond (as he calls Returned Abeir) is still on Toril and never returned to Abeir (he also referenced that in his video about the world Abeir, as the spot where Laerakond once was is now empty sea). He has also said that Laerakond never "replaced" Maztica, and that its location is southwest of Chult.

Makes sense to me. SCAG made it clear that Maztica was back, but allowed for Laerakond to be still there too potentially in how it was written about.

 

[Zeromaru X]

I think that's a combo of not wanting to offend any generation of FR fans and Maztica being, first, terrible, second, politically incorrect on am astounding level, third, not part of Greenwood's kriginal FR anyways...

I think it has something to do with it, yes. But there is also the fact that Returned Abeir/Laerakond is one of the original unused (and unamed) continents of Ed Greenwood's original Forgotten Realms from before he sold them to TSR. When WotC wanted to get rid of "problematic elements", such as Maztica, during the 4e planning period, they used one of said continents and updated it for 4e lore ("oh, this continent has dragon kingdoms. A good place to have the dragonborn originate from!"). Ed Greenwood later named it Laerakond (in an article in Dungeon 193) when some people in the Candlekeep forums complained that "Returned Abeir" was an unoriginal name.

So I think that Ed Greenwood wants something from his original Realms remain in the published products, especially taking into account that he is not fond of the Real World expies added by TSR.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I think it has something to do with it, yes. But there is also the fact that Returned Abeir/Laerakond is one of the original unused (and unamed) continents of Ed Greenwood's original Forgotten Realms from before he sold them to TSR. When WotC wanted to get rid of "problematic elements", such as Maztica, during the 4e planning period, they used one of said continents and updated it for 4e lore ("oh, this continent has dragon kingdoms. A good place to have the dragonborn originate from!"). Ed Greenwood later named it Laerakond (in an article in Dungeon 193) when some people in the Candlekeep forums complained that "Returned Abeir" was an unoriginal name.

So I think that Ed Greenwood wants something from his original Realms remain in the published products, especially taking into account that he is not fond of the Real World expies added by TSR.

And yet he helped do the Mulhorand book released on dmsguild!

Perhaps it's because he knows Mulhorand has it fans and wants to do something that will make it fit better within the broader themes of FR.

Or the other writers had a proposal that he thought, damn that's cool, okay I'm in.