Lost Empires of Faerûn

A guide to the Lost Empires of Faerûn, in the fictional fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms.

Athalantar
Athalantar, the Kingdom of the Stag (or the Stag Kingdom) is Elminster's birthplace.

Coramshan
Coramshan is the ancestor of Calimshan.

Eaerlan
Eaerlan was an ancient elven empire.

Eastern Shaar
Eastern Shaar was once the kingdom of titans, but is now nothing but an extension of the Shaar. Its major feature is the Council Hills.

Guge
Guge is an ancient kingdom that existed in the Endless Wastes. It is apparently inspired by the real ancient kingdom of Guge in Western Tibet.

Illefarn
What is now called the Fallen Kingdom used to be the grand elven kingdom of Illefarn (or Ilefarn), a forest stretching from the present-day Kryptgarden Forest to the Trollbark Forest, settled in approximately -22,900 DR.

The capital city, Aelinthaldaar, was located on the land where Waterdeep now stands. The city was founded in -8,500 DR and was razed in -1,100 DR. Few inhabitants of Waterdeep realize their city stands on the ruins of Aelinthaldaar, and very little of the elven city remains, most notably as part of ancient crypts.

Illefarn was known for its portal networks, created by poet-mages and called song-paths. Very few portals still remain, but at least one, Voices of the Lost is still active.

Constantly besieged by orcs and affected by the Crown Wars, the elves began abandoning Illefarn around -1,100 DR. In 342 DR, the last Council of Illefarn chose to retreat fully to Evermeet. A number of moon elves of Ardeep stayed behind, and proposed an alliance with the local shield dwarves of Dardath. This alliance, also called Illefarn, existed until 882 DR. This second Illefarn is sometimes confused with another kingdom, Phalorm, a human-elf-dwarf alliance that existed in the same general region from 523 to 616 DR.

Ilythiir
Ilythiir was the ancient elven empire of the ones who will become the drows.

Imaskar
Imaskar is the first overpowering human empire, predating even Netheril. It is responsible for the creation of the oldest empire still in existence, the old empires of Mulhorand, Unther and Chessenta. The empire had been destroyed in a cataclysmic event that leads to the creation of the Raurin Desert.

They have been the first astronomers and the first to give a name to the planets. Later, Southern elves and the Shou (at least, people from Kara-Tur) helped them to improve their knowledge.

Everyone thought Imaskari to be long dead, but they actually survive as the Deep Imaskari, down below.

Jhaamdath
Jhaamdath is the only psiocracy (government by psionicists) ever on Toril. This ancestor of present Chondath was founded circa –5800 DR and destroyed in –255 DR by elven high mages of Nikerymath.

Miyeritar
Miyeritar was an ancient elven empire.

Netheril
However powerful humanity can be, there is one opponent it can never face and win: hubris.

The magocracy of Netheril is one of the ancient human empires of Faerûn that lie in what is now the (magical) desert of Anauroch. Netheril was also the home of the most powerful wizard who ever walked on Faerun, Karsus, who could cast 12th level spells (although he cast such a spell only once, and it was his last spell ever). Another truly astounding wizard was Chronomancer, able to travel through time (a very difficult feat in the realms, contrary to other places). Netherese also created powerful artifacts known as mythallars, which allow mundane object to become magical, dramatically changing the face of the Empire (or better said the face of the upper side of the empire, as Netheril eventually became twofold: the "have", High Netheril, and the "have not", low Netheril).

People in Netheril used magic carelessly. Great wizards used spells to turn the mountains upside down, made them float on the air and built cities on them. Netheril had been destroyed by Karsus' Folly (an attempt to become an avatar of Mystryl (now known as Mystra). When this happened the magic weave surrounding Netheril ceased to exist and this led to its disaster. The remnant of Netheril had been destroyed by the phaerimm, who would have destroyed the rest of Faerûn had it not been for the intervention of the sharn. The only surviving city is Shade Enclave—a floating city which is home to the survivors of ancient Netheril who fled into the shadow plane before Karsus's folly. The citizens of Shade—the Shadovar—returned to Faerûn on 1 Hammer, the Year of Wild Magic (1372 DR), with the help of the Evereskan elf Galaeron Nihmedu.

Three Netherese cities (Asram, Anauria, and Hlondath) survived for a while, but all were eventually destroyed or abandoned.

Undrentide: Recently, a wizard tried to reawaken ancient magic by capturing one of these cities, called Undrentide. This is the scenario of the Neverwinter Night computer game expansion Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide.

Return of the Archwizards: Even more recently, a millennia-long exiled Netherese city called Shade came back from the demi-plane of Shadow. Its tremendous power is changing the fate of the Realms as it is already creating the Empire of Shadows.

Pelvuria
Pelvuria, also known as The Great Glacier, is a great, magical glacier created in -2550 DC that was once the kingdom of Giants (the city of Gharreil is a testimony of it). It is presently home to several kingdoms: Alpuk, Angalpuk, Nakvalicach and Novularond.

Raumathar
Raumathar is the great eastern empire that once included Rashemen and Thay. It is two millennia old and almost a thousand years dead, perishing in battle with its foe Narfell. Its people were known as powerful battle-wizards. and their art of fighting is still known by some.

Shantel Othreier
Shantel Othreier was an ancient elven empire.

Official Material

 * Lost Empires of Faerûn
 * Guge
 * The Horde (zip)
 * Illefarn
 * City of Splendors: Waterdeep
 * On Illefarn and its Portals
 * Voices of the Lost Portal Network
 * Imaskar
 * Underdark
 * Deep Imaskari
 * Netheril
 * Netheril, Empire of Magic] (zip)
 * How the Mighty Are Fallen (zip)
 * Netheril, the Archwizards, and the Return of Shade
 * Raumathar
 * Unapproachable East
 * Pelvuria
 * The Great Glacier (2E)
 * Frostburn

Specific prestige classes

 * Athalantar
 * Magelord
 * Imaskar
 * Imaskari Vengeance Taker (image)
 * Netheril
 * Netherese Arcanist (image)
 * Raumathar
 * Raumathari Battlemage

Regional feats

 * Netheril
 * Arcane Manipulation
 * Netherese Battle Curse

Novels and Modules

 * Illefarn
 * N5 - Under Illefarn.