Shining South

The Shining South is a region in the fictional fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms. The Shining South lies on the southern coast of the continent, out to the Great Sea, stretching from South Faerûn to Southeast Faerûn, and consists of many city-states and kingdoms.

Dambrath
Dambrath is a land at the very south of the Shining South. The majority of the population are human peasants, but the ruling class are half-drow. The half-drow call themselves the Crinti, and they maintain close ties and trade with their drow relatives in the Upper Underdark. Tasloi are commonly encountered in this region.

Economy: Ruled by the Crinti; economy largely supported by human peasants; heavy trading with nearby drow cities in the Upper Underdark.

Durpar
Durpar is, together with Var the Golden and Estagund, a part of the Shining Lands. It is hardly in a good location, as it is surrounded by mountains and a sea for which it doesn't have guaranteed free access on North, East and South and by the even more dangerous Veldorn on the West. Like Var the Golden, Durpar follow the teachings of Satama, Toril's Siddharta Gautama (Bouddha) and has an Indian flavour.

Estagund
Estagund is, alongside Durpar and Var the Golden, a part of the Shining Lands. It is modeled after an Indian culture mindset. As all Shining Lands, it is largely centered toward trading.

Great Rift
The Great Rift is the land of the Gold Dwarves, though there is also a human city nearby, called Khôltar. The land is inhabited by 1,300,000 dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and the country, called the Deep Realm, is ruled by a monarchy from the capital of Underhome.

Halruaa
Halruaa is a land of wizards, ruled by King Zalathorn. The fabled, quiet and wealthy magocracy of Halruua is justly depicted as a land of wonders.

They are constantly under the threat of the Cintri marauders from Dambrath and next to them (although separated by a mountain range) lies Rethild, the Great (and cursed) Swamp.

Luiren
Luiren is the land of the halflings, and may have been inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's Shire. It is a theocracy ruled by Faran Ferromar, who oversees 840,000 inhabitants, almost only made up of halflings, with a small number of humans, elves, and half-elves. Its capital is Beluir.

The city of Delzimmer is north of Luiren, close to the Eastern Shaar.

Rethild
Rethild, also known as the Great Swamp, is a swamp cursed by an ancient wizard, and the home of the magic-draining monsters called larakens. It is separated from Halruaa by the East Wall Mountains (Muaraghal).

Shaar
Shaar is a vast savannah-like landscape, which is populated by an endemic race of elephant-like humanoids known as loxos, as well as by the insectoid thri-kreens and the tauric wemics.

Var the Golden
Var the Golden is a peninsula at the far south-east of Faerûn. In front of it is Ulgarth. Its name comes from huge quantities of wheat fields.

Like Durpar, Var the Golden follows the teachings of Satama and therefore has an Indian flavour. Both constitute with Estagund the Shining Lands.

Official Material

 * Brief descriptions, by Ed Greenwood
 * Shining South
 * More on the Shining South
 * Dambrath
 * History of the Crinti
 * Great Rift
 * Dwarves Sneak Peek
 * Elminster Speaks Articles on Khôltar and surroundings from page 58 to 88
 * Luiren
 * Elminster Speaks Articles on Delzimmer and surroundings from page 42 to 61
 * Rethild
 * Valraxaxath (Black Dragon)

Portals

 * Great Rift
 * Great Rift Portals
 * Luiren
 * The Portals of the Gathering
 * Rethild
 * The Great Swamp portals

Specific prestige classes

 * Hand of the Adama (image) (Durpar, Var the Golden)
 * Dambrath
 * Crinti Shadow Marauder (image)
 * Scourge Maiden (image)
 * Estagund
 * Maquar crusader (image)
 * Great Rift
 * Great Rift Deep Defender Crypt (image)
 * Great Rift Skyguard (image)
 * Luiren
 * Hin Fist (image)
 * Luiren Marchwarden (image)