TravDoc42
I just think monsters are Neat! (he/him)
I am a big fan of the most recent Forgotten Realms books! They do an excellent job of exploring the various realms of Faerûn, and I'm thrilled to see places like Turmish and Unther back in 5e! However, even such a broad examination of Faerûn will inevitably have to leave some places out, as my research on various wikis and old source books has shown. Here are some of the places I would love to see WoTC or 3rd parties expand upon, if anyone is listening.
Vaasa - Home of the Warlock Knights, Vaasa is mentioned in Heroes in Faerûn in a passing manner, in relation to neighbouring Damara, and nowhere else. I think that's a shame, as everything about the Warlock Knights of Vaasa is SO COOL! I love the way they receive their warlock powers from Telos, an unconscious primordial entity locked within a meteorite, and the entire concept of a nation ruled by an evil, arcane-obsessed, war-hungry twisted chivalric order is just so cool to me!! I see little reason why the Warlock Knights aren't as feared as the Red Wizards of Thay.
Murghôm - I think the main reason Murghôm wasn't explored more is because it is east of Thay and Mulhorand, and thus off the map. Understandably, they have to cut the map off somewhere, but I feel that leaving a land ruled by a council of dragon princes out is a bit of a mistake. These dragons use adventurers as pawns in their complex, ages old schemes, which provides perfect opportunities for adventure seeds, and I love their rivalry with Thay and the Red Wizards! It feels that, besides Najara, there's few territories and nations ruled by non-humanoids detailed in the books. A land ruled by dragons would totally fix that!
Halruaa - Skyships from Halruua have appeared in 5e before, most notably in Chult in Tomb of Annihilation, but this land of wizards hasn't been fleshed out much otherwise. An arrow points in its direction on Heroes of Faerûn's poster map, but it doesn't appear in the text at all, other than a passing mention of their skyships in the Calimshan section of Adventures in Faerûn! I think that this neutral, isolationist land ruled by a council of wizards would be awesome to see detailed more. I am planning on using a modified version of the Eberron airship rules for the skyships in my current Faerûn campaign, actually!
Luiren - Luiren is mentioned as the homeland of the hin, the halflings of Faerûn. The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide says that Luiren was flooded during the Spellplague, but I feel there's still lots that can be done with this place! I love the way they are "governed" in a sort of benevolent anarchy, with no overarching governmental body, which fits with halflings. There's some cool concepts to play around with, like the way that most settlements are built halfling sized, and the dangers of the Luirwood.
The Blade Kingdoms - By far the longest longshot on my list, the Blade Kingdoms are detailed in one (1) poorly received novel, and pretty much nowhere else. However, they are named on the Map of Faerûn, which gives me some hope! A mosaic of city-states inspired by Renaissance Italy, the Blade Kingdoms are known for their complex codes of military honour, their technological advancements, and the fact that it is the only Faerûnian locale to be governed by a council including a giant snail (as far as I am aware). While I doubt anyone is clamoring for this, I would love to learn more about the current state of these city-states! After all, they appear to have swapped with Akanûl during the Spellplague, and returned from Abeir during the Second Sundering... what happened to these chivalrous, techy pseudo-Italians during that time?
The Shining Lands - Composed of Estagund, Durpar, and Var the Golden, this trio of nations have common cultural bonds, sharing the same language, culture, and faith, following the religious code of conduct known as the Adama. Wealth is an important part of Durpari culture, reflected in all three countries' governance systems, which all include some oligarchical elements. While the semi-South Asian cultural influences would need proper handling, I can see these lands detailed further!
Any other ideas? Anything I missed? Feel free to let me know!
Vaasa - Home of the Warlock Knights, Vaasa is mentioned in Heroes in Faerûn in a passing manner, in relation to neighbouring Damara, and nowhere else. I think that's a shame, as everything about the Warlock Knights of Vaasa is SO COOL! I love the way they receive their warlock powers from Telos, an unconscious primordial entity locked within a meteorite, and the entire concept of a nation ruled by an evil, arcane-obsessed, war-hungry twisted chivalric order is just so cool to me!! I see little reason why the Warlock Knights aren't as feared as the Red Wizards of Thay.
Murghôm - I think the main reason Murghôm wasn't explored more is because it is east of Thay and Mulhorand, and thus off the map. Understandably, they have to cut the map off somewhere, but I feel that leaving a land ruled by a council of dragon princes out is a bit of a mistake. These dragons use adventurers as pawns in their complex, ages old schemes, which provides perfect opportunities for adventure seeds, and I love their rivalry with Thay and the Red Wizards! It feels that, besides Najara, there's few territories and nations ruled by non-humanoids detailed in the books. A land ruled by dragons would totally fix that!
Halruaa - Skyships from Halruua have appeared in 5e before, most notably in Chult in Tomb of Annihilation, but this land of wizards hasn't been fleshed out much otherwise. An arrow points in its direction on Heroes of Faerûn's poster map, but it doesn't appear in the text at all, other than a passing mention of their skyships in the Calimshan section of Adventures in Faerûn! I think that this neutral, isolationist land ruled by a council of wizards would be awesome to see detailed more. I am planning on using a modified version of the Eberron airship rules for the skyships in my current Faerûn campaign, actually!
Luiren - Luiren is mentioned as the homeland of the hin, the halflings of Faerûn. The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide says that Luiren was flooded during the Spellplague, but I feel there's still lots that can be done with this place! I love the way they are "governed" in a sort of benevolent anarchy, with no overarching governmental body, which fits with halflings. There's some cool concepts to play around with, like the way that most settlements are built halfling sized, and the dangers of the Luirwood.
The Blade Kingdoms - By far the longest longshot on my list, the Blade Kingdoms are detailed in one (1) poorly received novel, and pretty much nowhere else. However, they are named on the Map of Faerûn, which gives me some hope! A mosaic of city-states inspired by Renaissance Italy, the Blade Kingdoms are known for their complex codes of military honour, their technological advancements, and the fact that it is the only Faerûnian locale to be governed by a council including a giant snail (as far as I am aware). While I doubt anyone is clamoring for this, I would love to learn more about the current state of these city-states! After all, they appear to have swapped with Akanûl during the Spellplague, and returned from Abeir during the Second Sundering... what happened to these chivalrous, techy pseudo-Italians during that time?
The Shining Lands - Composed of Estagund, Durpar, and Var the Golden, this trio of nations have common cultural bonds, sharing the same language, culture, and faith, following the religious code of conduct known as the Adama. Wealth is an important part of Durpari culture, reflected in all three countries' governance systems, which all include some oligarchical elements. While the semi-South Asian cultural influences would need proper handling, I can see these lands detailed further!
Any other ideas? Anything I missed? Feel free to let me know!
