Is Dark Sun an alternate future Forgotten Realms?

[Mercurius]

Just a thought that crossed my mind while browsing Google images for campaign world maps. The Tyr region and Tablelands looks somewhat like the Dalelands-Cormyr-Sembia region, and the main continent of Athas looks vaguely like Faerun.

I now, I'm stretching it. And I have't checked scale to see if there's any correlation, but I thought it was an idea worth sharing, or at least seeing if anyone has heard or had similar speculation.

 

[Meatboy]

Growing up I always thought so but I vaguely remember reading something or being told that no they weren't. Though don't quote me on my ramblings or musings.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Interesting... but no. I know a lot of Dark Sun prehistory, and it just wouldn't fit. Old Athas was a giant ocean with a sentient seafaring halfling civilization who used organic technology. And then things got weird. Halflings are the ancestors of all humanoids on Athas.

The Chained God series of novels also establishes Athas and Toril as separate.

Of course, feel free to make your Athas the "new" FR. What's one more (well, a few more) Realms Shaking Events?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Back when TSR had an AOL site there were rumors that this was the case

I also remember someone "in the know" being quoted (maybe misqouted) that
It was a joke

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

That's an interesting idea but I don't think it's likely.

The first hints of the world that would become Dark Sun can be found in the Mayfair Games product Beneath Two Suns by Troy Denning. The cover notes that, "The authorised and approved module based on Dray Prescot, created by Alan Burt Akers." You can read more about that here.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Back when TSR had an AOL site there were rumors that this was the case

Heh, reminds me of the long-ago rumor that Oerth and Abeir-Toril were in fact just one world.

 

[Yora]

Some people who are more familiar with the settings than me have mentioned that it would make a lot of sense if Dark Sun is the far future of Dragonlance. Not so much the geographic landscape, but the way that magic and gods originally worked in both settings, got upset in Dragonlance, and broke down in Dark Sun.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Heh, reminds me of the long-ago rumor that Oerth and Abeir-Toril were in fact just one world.

At one point, that made some sense. The original Oriental Adventures placed Kara-Tur west of Oriek, while later supplements placed it east of Faerûn...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Interesting... but no. I know a lot of Dark Sun prehistory, and it just wouldn't fit. Old Athas was a giant ocean with a sentient seafaring halfling civilization who used organic technology. And then things got weird. Halflings are the ancestors of all humanoids on Athas.

... no wonder they're so bitter....

 

[Brock Landers]

This was definitely a fun rumour back in the day, but, Athas and Toril are separate worlds, each in their own crystal sphere (Athas in a closed one) floating in the phlogiston.

And yeah, originally Athas had a blue sun and was ruled by psionic halflings, all the other races and magic came later (and yellow, then red sun).