What makes the Realms "Forgotten"?

[Stormborn]

Honest quesiton. Why are they called Forgotten Realms? Who or what Forgot them? They seem pretty well inhabited to me.

What other game realted names dont make a lot of sense to you?

 

[Umbran]

It might be that it is us, in the real world, who had forgotten the realms...

 

[Rhun]

Maybe all the ancient and forgotten realms that made up the Realms before the current populated realms?

 

[JoeGKushner]

It might be that it is us, in the real world, who had forgotten the realms...

Bingo.

 

[Psion]

What Realms would those be, again?

 

[ruleslawyer]

It might be that it is us, in the real world, who had forgotten the realms...

That's the explanation given by the Realms' creator, Ed Greenwood. The idea is that in the past, the Realms and Earth had a good deal of interaction, but that has faded with time (a convenient way to explain a bunch of the parallel elements...)

 

[EricNoah]

Pretty sure it's refering to the various ancient civilizations/kingdoms that existed before the "modern day" of the realms. Netheril, the Fallen Kingdom, stuff like that. The ruins on which the modern day is built, and the ruins full of adventure.

Or if not, it's a good "second meaning."

 

[Mark Hope]

It might be that it is us, in the real world, who had forgotten the realms...

Yeah, that was Ed's original idea for the name:

In my own “Forgotten Realms” campaign, similarities between the world we all live in and the AD&D fantasy world (such as chronology, fighting tactics, and legends of beasts such as dragons and vampires) are all accounted for by the existence of connections between the two worlds. These connections were once well and often used, but are now largely forgotten (hence, “Forgotten Realms”) by those on our side (uh, that is, this side, the modern one, with the progress and pollution and such...). But some few quietly walk our earth who know the Realms well. . . .

Edit: Beaten to it on account of wasting time looking for an actual quote, lol...

 

[Shade]

I always took it for something akin to "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

 

[Stormborn]

Yeah, that was Ed's original idea for the name:



Edit: Beaten to it on account of wasting time looking for an actual quote, lol...

Wow. That was fast for an answer. Glad I asked. And I appretiate the quote Mark.