Draft Desert Walker

Credits & Bibliography Background Options 18
Bedine Outcast 18
Desert Walker 20
Designer - Alec Fisher Zhentarim Operative 22
Editor - Darren Kenny
Original Art - Jessica A. Luer
Layout - Darren Kenny Chapter 3 - The Geography of
Anauroch
Bibliography The Sword
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Anauroch - AD&D 2nd Edition Natural Wonders 28
Anauroch: Empire of Shade - D&D 3.5 Settlements 30
Elminster's Ecologies - AD&D 2nd Edition The Black Road 32
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Giantcraft - AD&D 2nd Edition Oases 35
Lost Empires of Faerûn - D&D 3.5
Ruins 39
Monster Manual - D&D 5th Edition
Netheril: Empire of Magic - AD&D 2nd Edition
Serpent Kingdoms - D&D 3.5 The Plain of Standing Stones 41
Underdark - D&D 3.5 e Kar'i'nus' Redoubt 41
Volo's Guide To Monsters - D&D 5th Edition Kongerike Vaprakun 41
Oreme 42
Table of Contents The River of Gems 42
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The Scattered Host 44
Chapter 1 - Brief History of
Anauroch The High Ice 45
Netheril 7 The Frozen Sea 45
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The Phaerimm 7 Hlaungadath 46

The Lifedrain 8 Llashloch, The Lake of Ice 47
The Sharnwall 8 The Maelstrom 48
The City of Shade 9 The Rift of Stars 48
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The Smokeholes 49
Chapter 2 - The People of
Anauroch The Buried Realms: The Underdark of
Asabi 11 Anauroch 50
Bedine 14 Araumycos 49
D'tarig 15 Ooltul 50
Tethyamar 49
Zhentarim 18
Tomb Tapper Tomb 51
The Vats 51
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Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Genies and Elementals 85
Sword Hobgoblins 86
Coinage 54
Ice Toad 92
Armor 55
Illithids 93
Weapons 56
Lamia 94
Apparel 56
Naga 97
Travel 57
Ogres 98
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Phaerimm 99
Chapter 5 - Making Anauroch
your Own Snow Cloaker 103
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Oases 61 Tomb Tappers (Thaalud) 104
Green Caves and Dens 65 White Pudding 106
Hobgoblin Banners 69
Non-Player Characters
Optional Rules: The Sword 74 Bedine 107
D’tarig 111
Chapter 6 - Monsters, NPC’s &
Locations
Asabi
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Biradoon 112
Dragons 83
El Rahalat 116
Dragonnes 84
Verdigris Gorge 119
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Preface: Something Old, Something New
Deserts have always been places that inspire On the topic of the writings which inspired
wonder, fear, and bravery in minds young and and were cited frequently during the creation
old. Tales of genies trapped in magic lamps that of this work, it would be improper not to
bring great fortune - good or ill - to their acknowledge that the era of writing which
liberators; of walking for days in search of spawned some of those writings has recently,
water, only to be met with mirages; of ancient and rightfully, drawn heavy scrutiny from the
RPG community. The original book for
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ruins buried deep beneath the sand, finally
revealed by the shifting of the dunes. Perhaps AD&D 2nd Edition, Anauroch, contains many
it is the sense of timelessness; perhaps it is the of the same flaws which plagued other
brutality and sense of overwhelming hostility. prominent works of the time. In particular,
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Whatever the reason, it is hard to deny the the Bedine and D'tarig cultures in the original
appeal of the desert when crafting an adventure. text bore obvious stereotypes of real Middle
In this supplement, the reader will find all of Eastern cultures. Such content did little to add
the information needed to run an adventure in depth and value to the setting, forgoing an
Anauroch, Faerûn’s largest desert. Situated opportunity to develop multidimensional,
between the Moonsea and the Sword Coast, it unique cultures in favor of presenting
can be easily worked into adventures in either.
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Further, it has a rich history of its own - a that the setting as a whole is interesting and
history forgotten to the common folk of engaging enough to make the creation of this
Faerûn, surviving only in the libraries of sages supplement worthwhile, he recognizes that
and in tales passed down for generations by many aspects of its predecessor contained
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those who live there. problematic language and themes, and has
endeavored to preserve the aspects of the
The contents of this supplement are a original which added value to the setting while
mixture of original content and content adapted altering, or omitting, aspects which did not. It
from publications for previous editions of is his earnest hope that this endeavor was
successful, and he encourages readers to reach
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Dungeons & Dragons, updated for fifth edition.

The author originally found the motivation to out if they are troubled by the contents of this
write this supplement in response to the book.
difficulty he found when trying to craft
Anaurian adventures. In the course of writing In the same vein, the author fully
this supplement, many previous publications, acknowledges the importance to a game master
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mostly from AD&D second-edition, were of making a setting their own. As much as
consulted (noted in the bibliography) to paint as Dungeons and Dragons is about rolling dice and
complete a picture of Anauroch as possible. slaying fantastic monsters, the game is about
The intention of this publication is not to collaborative storytelling and improvisation. If
replace these previous works; on the contrary, the contents of a campaign setting get in the
the author highly encourages interested readers way of the story a GM or party is trying to craft,
to seek out the original sources for topics of it is well within the rights of the GM to change
interest. Rather, the aim is to produce a volume the setting. The enjoyment of the players is
sufficiently comprehensive that it can be relied important above all else; everything else is
upon as a stand-alone setting book with regards secondary.
to geography, history, citizenry, and bestiary.
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Chapter 1 - Brief History of Anauroch
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Chapter 1 - History of Anauroch
Despite its current state, many of the lands The Phaerimm
of what is today called Anauroch were once
fertile farmland and countryside - a description In the subterranean caverns far below Netheril
that would surprise most common folk today. live an ancient race of evil, aberrant creatures
In fact, Anauroch previously referred only to known as the phaerimm. They resemble
the glacial wastes far to the north, now known upright cones with great mouths of sharp teeth
as the High Ice. The countryside’s at the broad end and have four arms with claw-
transformation into the desert it has become fingered hands, but their mental faculties are of
was the result of conflict between two societies much greater importance than their physical
of powerful practitioners of magic: the ones; they have a natural mastery of magic
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Netherese and phaerimm. which grows with age. They use their magical
powers to defend against the myriad threats of
life in the Underdark and to enslave creatures as
Netheril guards and food - sometimes both, in that
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order.
Netheril was once a powerful empire ruled by For eons, the phaerimm dwelt in the
archmages. At the beginning of their history, Underdark, oblivious and uncaring to the world
estimated to be in the year -3859 DR, it was above. They took little interest in the surface
merely a coalition of seven fishing villages that world until the rapid growth of the Netherese
called itself Seventon. It was not until the reign empire led to extensive mining and excavation
of the tyrannical King Nether that the name e of the subterranean caverns beneath Netheril.
"Netheril" was adopted. Several hundred years Regarding the caverns as their territory, the
after its founding, an adventurer discovered phaerimm clashed violently with Netherese
what would become known as the Nether miners and prospectors. Over time, many
Scrolls while exploring ancient ruins. A font of
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phaerimm and Netherese arcanists were
arcane knowledge crafted by sarrukh, known to consumed by the ongoing conflict between the
them as the Golden Skins of the World Serpent, two races. As time went on and no end to the
the Nether Scrolls codified the sarrukh's entire conflict was in sight, the most powerful
understanding of arcane magic before the phaerimm crafted a ritual that would alter the
collapse of their empire. Such was their power face of Faerûn forever: the Lifedrain.
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that Netheril soon became home to the most

talented wizards of the age.
Their most impressive achievement was the
construction of the mythallars, so-called due to
their similarity to elven mythals in their magical
abilities. These masterworks of arcane
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craftsmanship allowed powerful spellcasters to

tap directly into the Weave of Magic to imbue
mundane items with powerful enchantments,
making them indistinguishable from permanent
magic items while within some radius of the
mythallar (typically a mile or so). The most
powerful Netherese mages used the mythallars
to construct floating cities, soaring above the
countryside below and ruling as lords of their
exclusive domains. Unburdened by the
concerns of the common people, these mages
used their mythallars to master wizardry to a
degree thereto unseen in Faerûn.
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Chapter 1 - History of Anauroch Netheril & The phaerimm
The Lifedrain The Sharnwall
In an immensely complicated arcane ritual, Little is known of the sharn, even among
scores of powerful phaerimm came together to learned sages and students of the planes. Their
perform one of the most powerful spells ever origin is unclear, but they are found almost
cast: the Lifedrain. Beginning near the point of exclusively in the Underdark. Seemingly made
casting, near the center of what is now called of an amorphous black ooze whose surface is
Anauroch, the land on the surface became dotted with hundreds of tiny eyes, their bodies
inhospitable as the water seemingly vanished. are utterly alien in nature. They have three
Plant life withered as the the soil dried up and heads and six claw-tipped arms, though the
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and was blown away in great dust storms. In definitions of their features are as fluid as their
spite of their mastery of magic, the Netherese viscous bodies. While at rest, it may be
were unable to reverse the effects of the impossible to distinguish a sharn from a puddle
Lifedrain; as their homeland slowly of fouled oil or even a black pudding, but a
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transformed into a barren wasteland, they were sharn in motion is something an explorer will
forced either to flee or to adapt to life in this never forget. Even less likely is one to forget a
altered world. Within a matter of years, what sharn engaged in combat; forming portals with
was once fertile countryside was reduced to arid their innate arcane abilities, they use their claws
desert. to slash at their foes from a seemingly
Though the decay was extreme, it was impossible distance. With a few rare
gradual. The creatures and cultures that hade exceptions, their general disinterest in other
once thrived there had time to make a choice races and societies has limited their influence on
about their own fate. Most scholars believe that the history of Faerûn.
the Bedine, the nomads who roam the Sword One of the few known exceptions to this
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on camelback today, are descendants of the trend was when the sharn took action against
ancient Netherese that refused to or were the phaerimm in the wake of the Lifedrain.
unable to leave their homeland. The asabi, a Clans from the Buried Realms and the
race of reptilian humanoids created by the surrounding cavern complexes, coordinating
sarrukh whose skin could not abide the heat of via psionic telepathy over vast distances, proved
the desert, were forced to flee into the caverns their worthiness as foes of the phaerimm by
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below or into the shadows of the mountains. conjuring a magical barrier that stopped the
On the other hand, the desertification of spread of the Lifedrain known as the Sharnwall.
Anauroch attracted new life which preferred or Circling the entirety of Anauroch, it prevented
thrived in the new desert. Blue and brass the desertification of the surrounding lands and
dragons call Anauroch home today, and the also prevented phaerimm from passing through
appearance of genies in the Sword postdates the it in either direction. In spite of many failed
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onset of the Lifedrain by at least a century. attempts, the phaerimm were unable to break
through the Sharnwall; nearly one-thousand
years of phaerimm history were dedicated to
trying to escape their subterranean prison. As
vast as Anauroch was, the confinement of the
Lifedrain made it feel nonetheless
claustrophobic to the phaerimm, who were
determined to find a way out. It was only after
centuries that they found allies of sorts - the
Shadovar - that the Sharnwall was finally
breached, and even then not for long.
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Chapter 1 - History of Anauroch The Lifedrain & Sharnwall
The City of Shade In an attempt by Shar to usurp Mystra's
dominion over arcane magic on the Prime
After Karsus’ Folly, the cataclysmic event when Material Plane, she sent the City of Shade, as
the foremost arcanist of Netheril attempted to Thultanthar came to be known, out of the
usurp Mystryl, nearly the entirety of the Shadowfell and back to Anauroch, armed with
Netherese empire came crashing to the ground rituals to rupture The Weave and replace it
as The Weave - and the Netherese mythallars it with extensions of the Shadow Weave. Much
powered - faltered. One of the few enclaves to of Anauroch and some surrounding territories
escape ruin did so perhaps out of good fortune became enveloped in a dead magic zone, useless
rather than foresight; after previously shifting to anyone who could not wield shadow magic.
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to the Plane of Shadow, part of what is now the In spite of the devastation they wrought upon
Shadowfell, and learning to tap into the Shadow the desert, the plot ultimately ended in failure
Weave, the enclave of Thultanthar did not lose when the Shadovar laid siege to Myth Drannor.
all of its magical potency like the others. The
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At the climax of that final battle, the City of
Plane of Shadow took its toll, however; over the Shade came crashing down onto the ancient
course of two-thousand years, its inhabitants elven city, annihilating both in the great
were warped by its darkness and the goddess conflagration. Catalyzed by the catastrophic
Shar, who protected and empowered them in explosion of the City of Shade's mythallar, this
exchange for their worship and reverence. massive eruption of both arcane and shadow
These warped descendants of the Netherese magic caused a rupture in the Sharnwall.
became known as the Shadovar. e Fortunately for the rest of Faerûn, the
Chosen of Mystra were able to mend the breach
before many phaerimm escaped, and most of
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those who succeeded in navigating the rupture
were killed before long. The legacy of the
Thultanthar is still present today; while the
destruction of its mythallar allowed the dead
magic zones to slowly begin to heal, small
pockets of dead magic remain scattered
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throughout the desert: the last vestiges of the

Empire of Shade.
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Chapter 1 - History of Anauroch The City of Shade
Chapter 2 - The People of Anauroch
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Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch
No history of a region would be complete Reptilian Warriors
without an introduction to the various cultures
that call it home. As harsh as the environs of Asabi come in three distinct varieties:
Anauroch are, some peoples have thrived there common, stingtails and skulks. Common asabi
for millennia, long enough that their exact typically have brown or grey scales, while
origins have been lost to the ages. The land has stingtails tend to have scales the color of rust.
become inextricably linked to its inhabitants; to Skulks are easily distinguished by their
understand one is to understand the other. reflective scales which can change color.
Common asabi are similar in many ways to the
lizardfolk of the Cormyrean swamps and the
Asabi
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jungles of Chult. Standing seven feet high on
average, they are an imposing presence,
especially to the diminutive D'tarig. When
"You want to understand the Asabi? Just imagine uncorrupted by the phaerimm or illithids, asabi
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that brigands ransacked your home and live there society resembles a traditional tribal structure
now, and they force your brothers and sisters to ruled by common asabi. A council of several
work as their slaves. Oh, and the only place you can chieftains, advised by one or more seers,
go to escape the brigands is so hot, it'll kill you if you governs conduct for the rest of the tribe. The
don't bury yourself in a hole all day. Not the status of chieftain is typically claimed purely by
cheeriest bunch, and I can't say I blame them." force of imposition; an ambitious asabi may
- Tordek Keeneye, D'tarig Desert Walker e attempt to elevate its status by directly
challenging a chieftain to single combat or by
In the heyday of their empire, the sarrukh, attempting to gain enough influence that the
known informally as the reptilian creator race, council of chieftains is forced to accept another
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ruled a vast region of Faerûn and created a member.
number of species of reptilian creatures to serve Asabi stingtails are considerably bulkier than
them. Members of one such race call their common counterparts. Their namesake
themselves asabi, though outsiders know them tails are tipped with venomous barbs which
as laerti, the Netherese term for them. In the they use to subdue enemies in combat. Some
the days of the sarrukh empire, the asabi acted tribes have taught their stingtails safe ways to
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as loyal servants of their reptilian overlords. extract their poison, such as by stinging pieces
When the empire fell, some asabi stayed loyal of zhurkwood, allowing asabi warriors to coat
to the sarrukh and served the lich kings of their blades with the venom prior to an
Oreme; others fled far into the Buried Realms, ambush. For all of their brawn, however,
forming their own bands of fighters or hiring stingtails tend to be less intelligent than their
themselves to existing forces. Most of them weaker brethren.
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have since fallen under the control of the Asabi skulks are leaner and have adapted a
phaerimm, who secretly govern the conduct of subtle yet effective natural camouflage which
asabi tribes by enthralling their chieftains. Such allows the pigments in their skin to gradually
tribes usually tend towards raiding and sowing adjust to its surroundings. Additionally, their
chaos in other communities, which has given claws are longer, and their limber build makes
them a reputation of being untrustworthy them very well-suited to climb. They make
among other intelligent races of Anauroch, but exceptional ambushers, as their camouflage
truly free bands of asabi are capable of the allows them to remain concealed in plain sight
discretion required to parlay, negotiate, and while clinging to walls and overhead surfaces.
trade. There is some speculation among naturalists
that this evolution was not natural, but perhaps
the result of illithid or phaerimm experiments.
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Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch Asabi
Nothing Goes To Waste Raiders From Below
Like their lizardfolk cousins, asabi tend to make When the asabi leave the comfort of their
much of their own equipment from found subterranean camps, it is almost exclusively to
materials - often the bones and tanned skins of hunt, and they are not especially particular with
their slain enemies. String for crude bows is their prey. In most cases, the asabi find
fashioned from the dried and wound intestines themselves tracking and attempting to ambush
of hunted game. Zurkhwood, a type of large a nearby Bedine tribe or wild beast. Tribes free
mushroom found in the Underdark, is used as a of the phaerimm's thrall are sometimes willing
substitute for wood where it is available. All to trade if they come across a caravan.
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asabi settlements, generally built from similar
materials, are underground, as the bodies of However, their inability to endure the
asabi are incapable of surviving the blazing scorching heat during daylight hours restricts
desert sun for more than a few hours at a time. their above-ground traveling to locations only a
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Being omnivorous, they cultivate fungi and few hours’ walk from their subterranean lairs.
other subterranean flora to eat when meat is in An asabi caught in the the desert sun without
short supply. This is especially important in access to proper shelter can bury itself a few feet
winter, when neither wild game nor Bedine beneath the sand where it may be fortunate
roam the desert sands with any frequency. enough to survive the day, but few asabi
willingly exercise this tactic unless an
emergency demands it.
Faithful To The Old Ways
Among the free asabi, there is a prevailing
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tendency to cling to the traditions of an empire
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long-since collapsed. Their clerics usually
worship gods associated with the sarrukh, such
as Sseth and Merrshaulk. Such tribes, passing
down stories from ancient times through oral
traditions, inspire their children to help restore
the sarrukh to power, or at least to preserve
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the memory of their accomplishments.

Some even continue to serve the lich
kings of Oreme, gathering
intelligence and fighting off attempted
incursions. Other tribes, descendents
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of those who sought refuge with

Underdark lizardfolk, revere
Semuanya. Most tribes are not free,
however, and have been at least
partially enthralled by the phaerimm.
Such tribes rarely have seers; when a
chieftain is discovered to be in the
thrall of the phaerimm, seers are
typically compelled by their
faith to leave or turn against
them. In most cases, this results in
death or exile.
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Asabi Characters Common Asabi
At the discretion of the GM, players may create Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution
asabi characters. All asabi characters have the score increases by 1 and you gain +1 to any
following traits. ability score of your choosing.
Age. Asabi reach maturity around age 12 and Speed. You gain a burrowing speed of 10 feet.
can live up to 100. Practical Learning. You gain proficiency in
Alignment. The majority of asabi alive today one skill and one tool of your choice.
who have not been enslaved by the phaerimm
live in tribes which follow the old ways, trying
Asabi Skulk
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to bring honor to King Oreme and the sarrukh;
these asabi tend towards lawful evil. Some Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score
others, who fell in with Underdark lizardfolk increases by 2.
tribes after the fall of the sarrukh, revere Speed. You gain a climbing speed of 30 feet.
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Semuanya and tend toward neutrality. Chameleon Skin. Given time, your skin can
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution alter its pigmentation to blend in with its
score increases by 1. surroundings. If you remain stationary for one
Bite. You can deal piercing damage equal to minute after taking the hide action while
1d6 + your Strength modifier instead of the adjacent to a surface at least one size larger than
normal damage for an unarmed strike. you, such as against a cavern wall or lying prone
Cunning Artisan. As part of a short rest, youe on a bed of sand, add 5 to the total you rolled
can harvest bone and hide from a slain creature for your Stealth check to hide.
to create a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 Sneaky. You gain proficiency in the Stealth
blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need skill.
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appropriate artisan's tools.
Darkvision. Long accustomed to life Asabi Stingtail
underground, you have superior vision in dark
and dim conditions. You can see in dim light Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution
within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, score increases by 1, your Strength score
and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't increases by 2, andan ability score of
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discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. your choosing decreases by 2.

Hunter's Lore. You gain proficiency with two Size. Most asabi stingtails are about 9 feet tall
of the following skills of your choice: Animal with a tail 11 feet in length. Your size is Large.
Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Speed. Your walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Survival. Hulk. Your monstrous stature makes your
Languages. You can speak, read, and write blows hit harder. When you hit a creature with
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Common and Asabi. an attack with a melee weapon, it deals an

Natural Armor. Your scaly skin is more additional 1d4 of the weapon's damage type.
durable than the flesh of other humanoids. Tail. When you make an unarmed strike, you
When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 12 can choose to attack with your tail, in which
+ your Dexterity modifier. You maintain this case you have a reach of 10 feet and can deal
benefit while wielding a shield. piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength
Subrace. Asabi can be found in Common, modifier. Additionally, you can choose in inject
Skulk and Stingtail varieties. Choose one of poison into your foes, dealing poison damage
these subraces for your character. equal to one of your available hit dice, which is
consumed by the attack.
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Bedine Traditional Roles
Aside from sheikh, there are two classes in
"The Bedine embody the very essence of the desert: traditional Bedine society: warrior and mate.
ruthless and unforgiving to outsiders, always in Warriors-to-be are trained from the point they
motion but ever present. Even the blades they wield can wield a dagger, while mates take a
mimic the shape of the sandy wastes; why do you subservient, non-combative role in society.
think it's called "the Sword?"" Each tribe chooses who becomes warriors and
-Sylvirus Vanthrop, Avowed monk of mates differently. The mate of the sheikh
Candlekeep typically commands a special respect in Bedine
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culture, so some tribes delegate selection of
Perhaps the most famous inhabitants of warriors- and mates-to-be to them. In many
Anauroch, the Bedine are the human desert tribes, life is patriarchal, in which cases both
warriors who trace their ancestry to those who sheikh and warriors are almost always male.
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chose not to abandon Netheril in the onset of However, there are at least one or two known
the Lifedrain. The Bedine are more nomadic tribes where both sheikh and warriors are all
and reclusive than their D'tarig neighbors, women, only taking men as mates. Almost
roving across the desert on camelback in small universally, however, personal experience
tribes. These fierce fighters spend their entire trumps class when it comes to strategy and
lives on the move, only stopping to enjoy oases advice; a sheikh will rarely take the advice of a
in the warm seasons and to seek shelter in the e novice warrior over that of a well-traveled
harsh winters. This is a life of extreme mate. In the great desert, there is little room for
hardship; every day is a struggle for survival in ignoring experience.
the sandy wastes of the Sword. The only
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outsiders they tolerate with any regularity are
the D’tarig desert walkers, who travel into the Magic is Dangerous
desert to exchange metal goods for exotic spices One of the defining characteristics of Bedine
and herbs found only in the Sword, and the culture is their abhorrence of virtually all magic,
Zhentarim, who make calculated offers and both divine and arcane. With the exception of
trades to gain influence with them for their minor magical healing, which they dismiss as a
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dastardly schemes. divine favor of sorts, and the blessings of the

oases' guardian spirits, magic is considered
intrinsically dangerous and dishonorable in all
Self-Sufficient Tribes contexts. In their eyes, one would need to be
The Bedine live in tribes ranging in size from tremendously foolish to come near a magical
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about a dozen to a hundred. At the head of each item or cast a spell. If by some unusual
is a sheikh, whose word is the undisputed law of circumstance a Bedine becomes curious about
the tribe. The Bedine have some customs that magic, or even accidentally triggers an effect
are universal dating back longer than any other from a looted magical item, they would be
living tribe. For example, it is a custom of all unusually fortunate if they were spared exile. In
tribes that water must not be refused to anyone most cases, the punishment is being cast out of
who needs it if any can be spared. All other the tribe.
matters fall to the discretion of the sheikh; in
matters where one calls the Sheikh’s will into
question, the punishment is typically exile. A
lone Bedine is rarely encountered who is not an
outcast for some grave offense, or at least
perceived offense, against the tribe.
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Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch Bedine
D'tarig Justifiably Suspicious
The D'tarig's reputation for being shrewd
"The D'tarig can size up a sucker like no one I've merchants who will wring every last copper
ever met; as natural as breathing, they'll greet 'em, from a client's pockets is only partly true; their
sweet talk 'em up, and make 'em feel like they're acumen for business is the consequence of
getting a deal when they're being robbed blind. I generations of dealing with each other and with
respect that." outsiders trying to strike it rich. While they
- Abdul Alhazred, Calishite merchant. usually live close enough to the edge of the
desert, or at least to an oasis or pasture, that
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The D’tarig are a diminutive people believed to their goats and sheep can graze within a day's
be the descendents of humans and dwarves walk, they are no strangers to the hardships of
from the days of Tethyamar’s glory. Typically the Sword. The importance of community to
standing about four feet tall, they live in small their survival as a culture, a notion deeply
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tribes on the eastern and southeastern fringes of ingrained in their minds since childhood, is
the Sword. To the D'tarig, life is all about reinforced each time a flash flood or sandstorm
savoring the moments that make life worth forces a village to come together. Such
living; whether that means sipping ale while experiences tend to make them highly
watching the sun set behind the Scimitar Spires, empathetic; when somebody is experiencing
celebrating a lucrative business deal, or simply great hardship, a D'tarig needs little more than
stopping to smell a flower, the D'tarig cherish e an exchange of names to notice.
these moments for as long as possible. Finding
a D'tarig in a hurry to finish dessert is a rare At the same time, nearly all outsiders who
thing indeed. pass through their larger cities are adventurers,
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merchants or Zhentarim, and the same insight
that grants the D'tarig intuition among their
own kind informs them when others are ill-
intentioned. They see most outsiders, especially
the Zhentarim, as opportunists who hope to
exploit the land for personal gain and who care
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nothing for the D'tarig people: an opinion

which, though perhaps overly general, has
historically been accurate. This low opinion of
foreigners fuels the D'tarig's tendencies to
charge them as high of prices as they think they
can get away with and to establish multiple
Sa
backup or escape plans in case negotiations go

south. These practices have earned the D'tarig
a reputation as a greedy, suspicious people
among those foreign to the Sword.
14
Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch D’Tarig
Rustic Villagers Hardy Caravanners and City
Though better known for their larger cities of Folk
Tel Badir and Addas Babar, the majority of the Of course, not all D'tarig reside in humble caves
D'tarig live in smaller villages in the mountains, on the edges of the desert. Some D'tarig,
organized by tribe and relatively isolated from usually those still in their first century, have a
other peoples. Living on the fringes of the zest for life that the village cannot satiate.
desert, they lead simple lives of herding goats These more adventurous folk often join one of
and sheep and farming hardy vegetables and their caravans for a time, relishing the chance to
bushes. Most tribes seldom venture far from experience new places, new foods, and new
e
their villages; when travel is necessary, they people. Those who come to love the bustling
prefer to travel in large numbers to help marketplaces of Tel Badir and Addas Babar
mitigate the hazards of the desert. Due to the sometimes stay, learning a trade and becoming
inhospitable nature of the lands they call home,
fil
part of the D'tarig business community. Even
they attract little attention from outsiders; they these D'tarig seldom live in the city, however;
have little to offer adventurers, and most more often, they save up enough money to buy
raiders from the south prefer to raid areas in or build a dwelling nearby where things are
more pleasant terrain. Raids are not unheard quieter and more peaceful. Those who have
of, however, so many tribes regularly patrol the children seldom raise them in the city, instead
outskirts of their villages and set traps to foil taking leave from their work and returning to
brigands. The only outside interaction most e their home village for a time. In most cases, the
villages experience is the passing through of child is left in the care of the affectionate
D'tarig and Zhentarim caravans, both of which villagers, and the parents send home supplies
periodically make their ways up and down the with the caravans to support them. Though
pl
southeastern border of the Sword to trade. parents individually visit home on their own
schedule, the D'tarig celebrate Highharvestide
These villagers have little interest in by calling all parents working abroad to visit
questions of academia or religion. While most and hold a great feast featuring exotic food and
are taught to read and write their own drink from all across Faerûn, acquired from
language, many do not learn the common traders from the Moonsea and the Sword Coast.
m
tongue. Arcane magic is virtually absent in Known as the Homecoming, this event is the
D'tarig villages; priests are not uncommon, most heavily anticipated holiday of the D'tarig
however, and often serve as spiritual leaders calendar.
and healers. Most D'tarig clerics worship gods
of nature, such as Chauntea or Sylvanus, or
gods who promote trade, such as Waukeen.
Sa
The only artisinal skill with which the D'tarig

are renowned for their expertise is the
manufacture of poison, which they implement
frequently to help overcome their lack of raw
strength when hunting. Each D'tarig is taught
to dabble in poisoncraft at a young age; by
adulthood, each D'tarig has a distinct poison
which is uniquely their own creation. The
quality of a D'tarig's poison is seen as a
reflection of their ingenuity and experience; as
such, those who craft the best poison are often
given seats of honor in their villages.
15
D'tarig Characters Poisoncraft. You have dabbled in the art of
crafting poisons enough that you are capable of
At the discretion of the GM, players may create producing simple poisons on the go. You gain
D'tarig characters. D'tarig characters have the proficiency with the poisoner's kit, and when
following traits. you finish a long rest, you can spend one hour
and 5 gp worth of materials to create poison as
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score long as you have a poisoner's kit with you. In
increases by 2, and your Charisma score doing so, you craft a number of doses equal to
increases by 1. your proficiency bonus plus your Intelligence
Age. D'tarig mature at the same rate as humans, modifier (minimum 1). Poison created in this
e
but are considered young until they reach the way loses its potency after 24 hours. When a
age of 30. On average, they live about 200 target is hit with an attack by a weapon coated
years. in this poison, it suffers 1d4 poison damage.
Alignment. Since most of their suspicious or
fil
This damage increases to 1d6 at level 6, 1d8 at
unfair treatment towards outsiders is motivated level 11, and 1d10 at level 16. Additionally,
by a history of mistreatment rather than malice, creatures affected by this poison must succeed
most D'tarig tend toward neutrality. on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned
Size. Most D'tarig grow to be about 4 feet tall for 1 minute. The DC for the saving throw is
and weigh about 120 pounds. Your size is equal to 10 plus your proficiency bonus, and the
Small. duration increases to 10 minutes at level 6, 1
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. e hour at level 11, and 24 hours at level 16. A
Languages. You can speak, read, and write creature who succeeds on the saving throw is
Common and D'tarig. immune to this effect from your poison for 24
D'tarig Hunter's Training. You gain hours. Orcs and goblinoids have disadvantage
pl
proficiency in hand crossbows and light on the saving throw.
crossbows. Additionally, you can use a bonus Rustic Wisdom. You gain proficiency with the
action on your turn to apply any poison you Insight skill, and you have advantage on all
have to a single piece of ammunition or a melee ability checks made to negotiate prices or
weapon with the light property. exchanges of favors.
m
Sa
16
Zhentarim depending on exactly what they observed which
exposed the Zhentarim's true colors, they will
either attack the black robes or flee on sight. If
The Zhentarim are a constant source of discord
the sheikh never catches on, however, their fate
and conflict for the native peoples of Anauroch.
depends on how useful they are to Zhentarim.
In their quest to create a reliable trade route
Useful tribes might thrive under the will and
across the desert, they actively manipulate
good graces of the black robes; those that are
Bedine tribes in areas they deem strategically
seen as a drain on resources with little payout
valuable, bribe or intimidate D’tarig traders into
usually fall victim to an ambush, either by the
acquiescence, and employ asabi mercenaries to
Zhentarim themselves or by mercenaries, using
e
act as dispensable troops. To the leaders of the
intelligence gathered from previous meetings
Zhentarim, the Sword is the backdrop for an
and magical spying to gain tactical advantage.
endless game of dragonchess in which its
inhabitants - and their foot soldiers - are merely
fil
pieces to be traded away in pursuit of total Economic Warfare
economic dominion over the desert.
Contrary to the meddling and manipulation the
Zhentarim can get away with when dealing
The Black Robes with the Bedine, the D’tarig require a different
approach. The D’tarig have little to offer in the
The Zhentarim know that dealing with the
way of troop support to either aid or hinder
Bedine is an inevitable step in their mission; as
e Zhentarim forces; their edge is having exclusive
such, they have researched Bedine customs and
access to certain trade goods and knowledge of
language extensively. Second only to the desert
nearly all foreign travelers in the Sword -
walkers of the D'tarig, the Zhentarim have
especially the Zhentarim. They know that,
pl
become experts at approaching and parlaying
unless the Zhentarim are thwarted, their people
with the Sword's iconic residents. As such,
will eventually be forced out of the desert. Since
most Bedine tribes who have not previously
they lack the power to categorically oppose the
been exposed to the Zhentarim see them as
Zhentarim, the war between the two factions is
respectful and capable outsiders (“berrani”) and
one that rarely happens in the open and rarely
useful merchants, and thusly treat them with
m
comes to blows. Each side, either in deals with

courtesy. Not knowing the word "Zhentarim,"
each other or via intermediaries, is constantly
the Bedine commonly refer to them as "black
scheming to sabotage the other. The Zhentarim
robes" in their language. The black robes
might rob an incoming caravan to prevent a
always seem to have what the Bedine need and
D’tarig merchant from filling an order; the
are always willing to trade, even in tough times;
merchant might respond by calling in a favor,
Sa
many tribes view them as the closest thing

causing the Zhentarim's camels to mysteriously
berrani can be to allies.
disappear overnight. The Zhentarim might
From the moment of first contact, the
bribe a caravanner to act as an intermediary,
Zhentarim try their best to gain influence,
buying goods at a cheaper rate than is offered to
being very careful not to openly practice magic.
the Zhentarim, while another caravanner might
However, they may make “gifts” of cursed
be escorting a Harper spy. While some D’tarig
magical items, items that Zhentarim wizards
have properly sold out to the Zhentarim, the
can use as scrying focuses, and other tools
majority are part of an unorganized economic
setting the tribe up for sabotage. In the long
resistance to Zhentarim domination.
run, one of two things typically happens: the
Bedine tribe’s sheikh either sees through the
facade, or they do not. In the former case, ties
with the Zhentarim are immediately severed;
17
Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch Zhentarim
Backgrounds
Nurture is as important as nature; in the proper environment, creatures assumed to be selfish can be
raised to be good, while a good creature may be spoiled by neglect or betrayal. With the approval of
the GM, the following backgrounds may be used for characters associated with Anauroch.
Bedine Outcast Moment of Separation

Something happened that caused your path in
Prerequisite: Bedine life to diverge from that of your former tribe.
Once a proud member of a Bedine tribe, you This was not necessarily something that was
spent much of your life wandering the sandy your fault, though perhaps it was. In any case,
wastes of the Sword. To you, the desert is your
e
you can no longer return to your tribe, barring
birthright and the spirits of the oases are your some heroic act on your part; restoration of
guardian angels. By some twist of fate, you have your status in your tribe may encompass an
been separated from your tribe, destined to live entire adventure. In any case, the event which
fil
a life of adventure. Such occurrences are only led to your lonely status should significantly
common among those Bedine who cross their affect how you roleplay your character and
sheikhs, perhaps by airing grievances, coveting what their aspirations in life are. Choose or
another's mate, or being caught practicing randomly determine the event which caused the
magic. Then, there are the sole survivors who fates of you and your tribe to become
have no tribe to return to after some calamity unraveled.
has befallen their people. e WHY YOU WERE CAST OUT
Skill Proficiencies. Survival
D10 Defining Moment
Bedine Tradition. In Bedine society, your
I was caught prac�cing magic; now, I can never go back to my
tribal role was either a mate or a warrior. If you 1
pl
tribe.
were a mate, you gain proficiency with the A�er a disagreement with the sheikh erupted into a shou�ng
2 match, I have been exiled.
herbalism kit and the Medicine skill. If you
were a warrior, you gain proficiency with When my hun�ng party was ambushed by a fierce monster,
all I could do was seek refuge in a nearby cave for several
scimitars and the Athletics skill. 3 days while I healed. I survived, but I never found my tribe
again.
Equipment. One set of traveller's clothes
My tribe was decimated in a surprise a�ack by the black
m
(cloak, and keffiyeh, sandals), and an explorer's 4 robes; I have no tribe to return to.
pack. If you were a mate, you also gain a My tribe's sheikh angered a powerful guardian spirit and
5
healer's kit and an herbalism kit. If you were a refused to atone. When my tribe moved on, I stayed behind.
warrior, you instead gain two scimitars. When our camp was plagued by bursts of flames at night, it
was decided that a powerful witch was trying to destroy us.
6 When I went to hunt her down, I found myself impossibly
lost and never found my way back.
Feature: Bedine Oral

Sa
Our raid on an asabi camp was quashed when enemy forces
Tradition
7 snuck up behind us. I escaped, but nothing is le� of my
former life.
I was severely wounded in ba�le. Unable to wait for my
When you make any Wisdom ability check 8 recovery, my tribe abandoned me at an oasis in hopes that it
would eventually heal my wounds.
related to life in the Sword, such as making a
Wisdom (Survival) check while attempting to I found a magic trinket on the body of a dead black robe.
9 When I unwi�ngly demonstrated its power in front of the
track a dragonne or a Wisdom (Animal tribe, I was banished for witchery.
Handling) check to try to tame a panicking In a mighty sandstorm that lasted for several days straight, I
10 became separated from my tribe and have not seen them
camel, you may make the check with advantage, since.
relying on your ancestors' knowledge for
guidance. Once you use this feature, you
cannot do so again until you finish a short rest.
18
Chapter 2 - People of Anauroch Backgrounds
Suggested Characteristics IDEALS
D6 Ideals
The Bedine are a reclusive, traditional, and
Nature. Nothing is more important than the oases and the
xenophobic people; if the D'tarig are suspicious 1 li�le gods who protect them. I would defend them to the
of outsiders, the Bedine are outright hostile to death. (Good)
Combat. Life is conflict, decided ul�mately by contests of
those unfamiliar with their customs. The 2 blades. By becoming a superior swordsman, I shall bring my
degree to which your attitudes differ from most enemies to heel. (Evil)
Tradi�on. I conduct myself by the same laws as my ancestors.
Bedine should reflect the reason for your 3 The survival of my culture is more important than the survival
separation; a Bedine character who merely got of any of us. (Lawful)
separated from their tribe probably shares most 4 Suffer No Witch. Witchery is an abomina�on. Those who
e
prac�ce magic are evil, and I will destroy them. (Evil)
of their opinions towards outsiders, though
Rebellion. The ways of my ancestors are foolish and I reject
these may change as the outcast is forced to rely 5 them. I insist on learning the truth about the outside world
on outside help to survive, while one who was through experience. (Chao�c)
outcast for feuding with the tribe or practicing
fil
6 Honor. Without honor, there cannot be true victory. I would
rather die bathed in glory than live in shame. (Lawful)
magic probably has a few aspects of Bedine
culture with which they strongly disagree.
Work with your GM to come up with a BONDS
backstory that ensures you can roleplay your D6 Bonds
character well without being a constant source
1 The oasis where I was born holds a special place in my heart.
of conflict; while a Bedine with typical
prejudices towards outsiders may be accurate to e 2 My partner is more precious to me than anything else in life.
When I fight, I fight for them.
the lore, such a character may not be fun to
have as a party member. 3 My tribe was always there for me, and never led me astray.
Nothing an outsider could offer could replace them.
pl
The desert is my birthright. Nobody but my people have
4 righ�ul claim to the sandy dunes of the Sword.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
D8 Personality Trait I love my camel dearly; I would sooner abandon my
5 companions than abandon my steed.
1 I want nothing more than to be reunited with my tribe. One I knew my sheikh since childhood, and their honor was
day, I hope to find them again. 6 beyond reproach. They led with integrity, and I will defend
their honor un�l the end.
Like it or not, I cannot return to my old life. While I know I
2 must learn to fit in among strangers, it is a difficult process
m
for me.
For what my tribe did to me, I cannot forgive them. I hope to FLAWS
3 never see them again.
D6 Flaws
I have brought shame upon my tribe. I must become stronger
4 so that, when I return, I can reclaim my honor. My mistrust of outsiders makes it hard for me to bond with
1 people.
A�er outsiders ravaged my tribe, there is nothing le� of my
5
Sa
old life; I must avenge my people or die trying. I don't trust those who wield magic, even if they would use it
2 to help me.
My sheikh was foolish to trust the black robes; someday, I
6 hope to get the chance to prove it. 3 I have an inflated sense of my skill as a swordsman.
Magic is for those too feeble to fight with a blade; all who
7 prefer a spell to a sword are cowards. I refuse to share my name with strangers for fear that they
4 could use it to beguile me with enchantments.
I suffer from amnesia and have no recollec�on of my former
8 tribe. My earliest memory is waking up at an oasis grievously I am not accustomed to civiliza�on, and find sleeping where I
wounded and alone. 5 cannot see the stars unnerving.
I am not used to making my own decisions; as someone used
6 to following the Sheikh's orders, I find the no�on of personal
freedom strange.
19
Desert Walker Suggested Characteristics
Desert walkers are solitary people by nature;
Prerequisite: D'tarig most of their days are spent trekking alone
The most adventurous of all the D'tarig are the across the Sword with only their camels to keep
desert walkers, the fierce traders who venture them company. At the same time, contact with
out into the Sword alone to do business with the Bedine and with the marketplaces of Tel
the Bedine. It is a perilous profession; only the Badir and Addas Babar have made you more
bravest and wiliest dare attempt it. For those worldly than most D'tarig. As such, your
who succeed, however, the payoff is well worth prejudices towards outsiders are likely more
e
the effort; no profession is exalted in D'tarig nuanced than those of a typical D'tarig villager.
society as highly as that of the desert walker, You also probably have a close bond with your
and the exotic goods and stories they carry out camel; many desert walkers pay more for their
of the desert make for very good business. camel's food and boarding than their own when
fil
they stop in town, believing that nothing is
Skill Proficiencies. Animal Handling, Survival more important in their trade than the health of
Tool Proficiencies. One type of musical their beloved pack animals.
instrument.
Languages. Bedine PERSONALITY TRAITS
Equipment. One musical instrument of your D8 Personality Trait
choice, a set of traveller's clothes (burnoose,
e I always trade with others at fair rates unless they have
turban, and sandals), a staff, a camel, an 1 wronged me.
explorer's pack, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
I became a desert walker because I enjoy the solitude of the
2 open desert.
pl
Feature: Starlight Navigator 3 I never deny assistance to a person in need.
For centuries, the D'tarig were entirely The Bedine are a very different people than mine, but I
ignorant of the lodestone, and thus the 4 respect them for their will to survive. I feel honored to help
them by trade.
existence of compasses; navigating the desert I think the Bedine are savages and try to rip them off when I
5
was done by tracking the stars in their eternal can get away with it.
m
dance across the heavens. While trade hubs like The oases of the Sword are truly wonderful; guiding pilgrims
6
Addas Babar have since made compasses and travelers to them brings me sa�sfac�on.
available, most desert walkers practice the I keep my favorite oases a secret from strangers, even at the
7
traditional methods regardless. As long as you expense of their safety.
can see the stars upon taking a long rest, you
8 I make up stories about my travels to impress others.
Sa
know which way is north and cannot become

lost in natural terrain for the following day.
You also know the locations of two oases, and
always know the most direct route to them and
how many days it will take to reach them while
you are in the Sword. If you discover other
oases in your travels, this feature applies to
them as well.
20
IDEALS FLAWS
D6 Ideals D6 Flaws
I believe that being a desert walker makes me superior to

1 Hardiness. A person is measured by his ability to survive. 1 both the Bedine and other D'tarig. I need nobody's help to
(Any) survive in the desert.
Community. Nobody is immune to the wrath of nature. I I spend so much �me alone that I have developed an
2 must help others when I can, or else I will not deserve it 2 aversion to crowded spaces.
when they help me. (Good)
Trade. New experiences are what life is all about, and nothing I was once caught trying to swindle a Bedine witch and have
3 embodies that spirit like bringing exo�c goods to common 3 had bad luck ever since.
folk (Neutral).
e
Suspicion. Outsiders care nothing for my people; I must stay I once saved a tribe of Bedine from falling for a Zhentarim
4 vigilant, lest they scheme to annihilate us in their selfish 4 trap. Now, the black robes have it out for me.
quests for power and glory. (Any)
Cleverness. I pride myself on my ability to get my way by I believe my people should have le� the desert ages ago and
whatever means necessary. Obfusca�on, misdirec�on, and 5
5 do not trust the counsel of my elders.
raw wit are only seen as underhanded by those not skilled
fil
enough to exercise them. (Chao�c)
I do not believe that my people will prevail against the
Tradi�on. The D'tarig have survived for many genera�ons 6 Zhentarim in the long run, and hedge my bets by not
6 living how we do now; I see no reason to change that. opposing the black robes.
(Lawful)
BONDS
D6 Bonds
My child, s�ll young and in the care of my home village, is my

1
2
pride and joy.
My camel is my dearest friend, and I never go anywhere

without them.
e
pl
I owe everything to the village where I grew up. Everything I
3 do, I do for them.
I am sweet on a merchant who does business at a trade hub.

4 One day, I hope to convince them to re�re to the country
with me.
My life was saved once by the guidance of an oasis' guardian

m
5 spirit; that oasis is sacred to me, and I would protect it with

my life.
I met an outcast Bedine witch in my travels. Now, my favorite

6 part of my journeys into the desert is the �me we spend
together.
Sa
21
Zhentarim Operative Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to convince
them to help you with more dangerous or
strategic situations. A minor favor might be
Whether a black robe yourself or merely acting
providing an escort to a nearby oasis, while a
on their behalf, your business in Anauroch is at
major favor might be agreeing not to help a
the behest of the Zhentarim, the sinister Black
third party or joining you in an attack on a
Network. For more than a century, they have
caravan. Bringing a more valuable gift can
endeavoured to establish the so-called Black
further help your chances of success; the
Road, an exclusive trade route stretching across
following table provides a rough guide to such
Anauroch between the Sword Coast and the
negotiations.
e
Moonsea. This is dangerous business, and the
Failing this check does not reduce your
Zhentarim know it; among their ranks are
legions of sellswords, priests to gods of power GIFTS
and influence, mages of the dark arts, and
fil
Gi�
Minor Favor DC Major Favor DC
cunning spies. Among the black robes, anyone Value
with enough ambition and determination can
make a name for themselves. This background 50 gp 12 18
is not meant to replace backgrounds from the
Player's Handbook which are already well-suited 100 gp 11 17
for some Zhentarim characters; rather, this is
for characters operating in circumstances e 150 gp 10 16
unique to Anauroch.
200 gp 9 15
Skill Proficiencies. Deception, Persuasion
standing among them, but they do not perform
pl
Language. You learn to speak, read and write
the favor you requested. If at any point you
D’tarig,
betray them or are perceived as doing as much,
Equipment. A pouch containing 40 gp.
they may refuse to help you in the future or
pursue vengeance. Such behavior is at the
Feature: Knowledge Is Power discretion of the GM.
m
You have been trained well in the ways of the

local cultures with regard to their common
struggles and needs. You gain the ability to
speak, read and write Asabi or Bedine, and
know just what kind of gift to bring when you
need to extract a favor. When preparing for a
Sa
journey into the Sword, or before doing

business with the D'tarig, you can spend 50 gp
at any suitable market to procure a gift that you
know will be well-received. You know how to
safely approach the intended recipient and how
to present your gift to achieve maximum effect.
Upon receiving the gift the recipient will help
you in any way possible which can be resolved
quickly and does not put their community at
risk (e.g. providing you directions, a day's
rations, or information about local geography).
Additionally, you have advantage on

22
Variant Feature: Zhentarim IDEALS
Cartographer D8 Ideals
Power. Nothing is more important to me than having the

The Zhentarim have committed a vast amount 1
influence to bring my foes to heel. (Evil)
of resources to mapping the Sword in the Determina�on. Once I set on a goal, I cannot allow anyone to
2
development of the Black Road. When you take stand in my way un�l I have achieved it. (Any)
this background, you are given cartographers Wealth. Life is short; I have every inten�on of enjoying it in
3
tools which you gain proficiency in and a map style, whatever the cost. (Evil)
of Anauroch which identifies well known 4 Ba�le. A man is merely the sum of his feats in combat. I will
die like I lived: in a flash of the blade.
geographic features and settlements. In addition
e
to the public knowledge, there are marks 5 Trickery. Honesty is for suckers; only a chump lets it prevent
him from pulling a fast one to succeed. (Chao�c)
identifying two specific locations, such as oases Fame. Nobody will remember me unless I do something
or Zhentarim outposts, with which you are 6 incredible. By my amazing deeds, my name shall live forever.
(Any)
fil
familiar. As long as you have this map and a
compass, you can adequately prepare an BONDS
expedition between any two locations on the D6 Bonds
map in terms of necessary supplies and the My brothers in arms have stood by me through thick and
1
expected length of the journey. Determine with thin, and I will do the same for them.
the GM what these two locations are. An outcast Bedine saved my life when I got separated from
2 my caravan. I wish to leave the Zhentarim to be with them,
Additionally, you can add to your map in the but I fear doing so will put them in danger.
course of your adventures. Each night you
spend in the Sword, you can spend 1 hour as
part of a long rest to catalog your day's travel in
your cartographer's journal. As long as you do
e 3
4
My master has taught me well; as their appren�ce, I owe it to
them to try my hardest.
I have come to respect the asabi tribe I frequently trade with.

Joining them to hunt is a rare pleasure.
pl
The D'tarig merchant I have been assigned to undermine is a
this each night during a journey in the Sword, 5 shrewd opponent. I take pleasure in our dance of mutual
subterfuge.
you can add the locations of any new sites of Though they lack any personality whatsoever, I have become
interest to your map. If you go more than 24 6 a�ached to some of the animated corpses that guard our
camp. Ro�y and Skully are my favorites.
hours without recording your travel in your
cartographer's journal, you cannot use this FLAWS
feature until you reach a location already
m
D6 Flaws
recorded on your map.
My high opinion of myself some�mes makes me pass up
1 opportuni�es for growth or improvement.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
D8 Personality Trait Being in the Zhentarim for so long has made it difficult to
2 trust anybody.
I care li�le for poli�cs; I just want to pursue my studies free
1 from interrup�on by outsiders. I know that what I do hurts people, but the wealth and status
3
Sa
it brings are too much for me to discard.

2 A person in need is a person I can exploit. While I believe in conquering the weak by force, I s�ll find
4 myself taking pity on my enemies. I fear I am too so� to live
I took my posi�on because I enjoy the �meless beauty of the up to my aspira�ons.
3 desert and am deeply curious what wonders lay hidden
beneath the sands. For someone working with sensi�ve informa�on, I am not
5 good at keeping my mouth shut.
I hate the desert; my assignment here cannot be over soon
4 Much of my advancement in the Zhentarim has been through
enough.
6 luck, and I am afraid that my mediocrity will eventually be
The Bedine's abhorrence of magic makes it easy to exposed.
5 manipulate them; I love it.
Vying with the D'tarig for economic dominance is like a game
of dragonchess between grandmasters. They are a worthy
6 opponent; I hope they concede defeat before we are forced
to destroy them.
Some Zhentarim prac�ces leave a bad taste in my mouth, but
7 the unique opportuni�es they afford me make up for it.
I dislike games of chance; I enjoy scheming in all things, be it

8 work or pleasure.
23
Chapter 3 - The Geography of Anauroch
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Chapter 3 - Geography of Anauroch
The region called Anauroch today is divided dot the region, however, the Plain of Standing
into three distinct regions: the Sword, the Plain Stones is mostly uncivilized due to the harsh
of Standing Stones, and the High Ice. Often environments and fearsome creatures that
conflated with Anauroch as a whole, the Sword dwell there, and the High Ice is entirely
refers to the hot, sandy desert in its southern uncivilized. An adventurer considering a
reaches; the Plain of Standing Stones refers to journey into Anauroch would do well to
the barren, rocky wasteland north of the Sword; research precisely where they plan on going, for
and the High Ice refers to the glacial region of each region presents distinct natural and
the far north whose southern boundary is monstrous dangers.
defined by the Ice Wall, the edge of the glacier.
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The Sword sports enough oases, mountains,
and caves that generations of Bedine - the
nomadic descendents of the Netherese who did
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not leave in the wake of the Lifedrain - as well
as creatures such as the asabi, reptilian
humanoids who spend much of their time
underground, continue to thrive there today.
Save for the hobgoblin camps that sporadically
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The Sword
The Sword is the crescent-shaped sandy desert Natural Wonders
that makes up most of southern Anauroch. Its
northern border envelopes the entirety of the
While much of the Sword is comprised of arid
southern, eastern, and western borders of the
sand dunes, there are a number of distinct
Plain of Standing Stones, and of the High Ice at
features worthy of individual description. The
the extreme northern tips. It consists of great
Bedine know these well, and plan many of their
sand dunes, constantly reforming and shifting
journeys based on them - either as safe places to
with the strong desert winds. In the eyes of the
rest, or as hazardous places to avoid at all costs.
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Bedine, it only has two seasons: the summer,
D'tarig storytellers and musicians use these
when the days are hot under the blazing sun
places as inspiration for their works, and
and the nights are chilly under the starry skies;
Zhentarim agents scheme to use common
and the winter, when the short days do not
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conceptions of certain locations, be it irrational
warm the sand enough to support life between
fear or emotional attachment, to further their
the frigid nights. In winter, nearly all life is
agenda.
forced to retreat underground, make camp in
mountainous caves, or otherwise seek shelter
from the elements. For all of its desolation, At’ar’s Looking Glass
however, the Sword is teeming with life if one
knows where to look. The nomadic Bedine e This vast swath of desert, just north of the
roam the dunes in small tribes during the Scimitar Spires, is nothing but mile upon
summer; the mercantile D’tarig have settled the endless mile of featureless, stone-covered
southeastern fringes and regularly send ground. There are few hills and valleys here;
without mighty sand dunes to guide or break
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caravans across the dunes between their towns;
and in the Buried Realms, the Underdark below the wind, brutal gales are a ceaseless presence.
Anauroch, there are a great many settlements, The ground is composed entirely of small,
camps, and even some cities full of its strange, smooth stones - some valuable, no doubt, but
subterranean inhabitants. mostly worthless - polished to a mirror finish
by centuries of erosion by the hot desert winds.
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The reflective appearance of the stones

themselves, combined by the prevalent mirage
effects, give rise to the area’s namesake; the
region is so flat and reflective that At’ar, the
Bedine name for Amaunator, can supposedly
see his reflection in it from his realm in the sky.
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Chapter 3 - Geography of Anauroch The Sword
Deep Rumblings The Flashing Blade
On the northwestern base of the Wall of Fallen In the northern mountains of the Scimitar
Djinn, minor quaking can frequently be felt in Spires, like some other areas of the Sword and
the ground above this network of subterranean the Plain of Standing Stones, there is a strong
tunnels and caverns. This area is a longstanding connection to the Elemental Plane of Earth.
mating ground for purple worms which This has led to the appearance of creatures from
converge upon the region yearly in the that plane to make appearances and, if they can
beginning of the hot season. This yearly event thrive, make their homes there. The name of
renders this location one of the most dynamic this part of the mountain range comes from the
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terrain features in the sands. New tunnels are flail snails that live there, spending their days
carved out of the mountainside, leading deep roving across the cliffs and ridges and leaving
underground, while others collapse or fill with behind a shimmering trail of glass. Over time,
sand. On occasion, the ground beneath the this has caused the mountaintops to glimmer in
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sand becomes weakened by these tunnels to the the sun, especially when the sun goes down
point of collapse, leaving massive, conical over the mountains. From Addas Babar, this
sinkholes behind. stretch of the Scimitar Spires glistens in stark
Only a few days’ travel from an oasis on the contrast to the silhouetted slopes below, giving
Black Road, this area is a favored adventuring the appearance of a crescent-shaped blade with
site for aspiring Zhentarim worm riders and a diamond edge.
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enough to navigate the tunnels - and lucky
enough not to run across a worm in the process The Saiyaddar
- are often rewarded by the discovery of In the center of The Sword is a broad region of
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precious ore and metal veins. More valuable relative lushness, sporting more wildlife than
still, however, are purple worm larvae and eggs. any other in the desert. By mutual agreement,
In recent years, the Zhentarim have developed these grounds belong to no particular Bedine
techniques for training the great beasts and tribe and all Bedine are free to hunt game there,
bestowing curses to keep them from becoming especially the wild gazelles that can be found in
too powerful to control. They are the abundance. To the Bedine, it is seen as a gift
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backbone of the Way of the Worm, the from the gods and nature spirits they worship.
Zhentarim's subterranean network of tunnels It is seen as an assurance that there may always
that constitutes its latest attempt to expand and be somewhere that can be counted upon by the
secure the Black Road. Bedine for sustenance, something that no
Bedine can rightly claim ownership of.
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Outsiders, however, would be well-advised

not to be caught poaching - while Bedine are an
honorable people who normally do not attack
outsiders without provocation or necessity,
they carry a special prejudice towards those they
perceive as stealing from their sacred pastures.
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The Shoal of Thirst Addas Babar
Formerly a shining sea, the Shoal of Thirst is a Boasting a working population of several
massive salt flat bordered on the east by the thousand, Addas Babar is the closest thing the
Scimitar Spires and on the west by the Wall of D’tarig have to a metropolitan city. It sports
Fallen Djinn. Its surface grows so hot by day buildings up to three-stories high, primarily
that it sears flesh, and the salinity prevents any constructed from bricks of baked mud and
plant life from flourishing. In the rare occasions wooden supports, though most of its D’tarig
of precipitation in the area, rain turns to vapor residents actually live in private homes in the
from the heat before it can reach the ground. surrounding hills, typically built out of natural
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Bedine rarely have reason to set foot into the caves and shelters. It is the largest permanent
area, knowing that taking a path around the D’tarig settlement, serving as a trading hub for
mountains on either side is much safer. Only merchants traveling from the western reaches
those who are desperate to avoid the mountains of the Moonsea region, Zhentarim caravanners
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chance the Shoal. There are, however, those traveling to or from Zhentil Keep (often
who enter and live to tell the tale. In a natural heading to or from the Black Road),
cave beneath the Shoal of Thirst, what was once caravanners heading to and from other D’tarig
an air pocket beneath the sea is now the lair of a settlements such as Tel Badir, and D’tarig desert
brass dragon. Those who wander into the Shoal walkers who make their living by setting out
will sometimes see trails of footsteps appear into the desert to trade with Bedine nomads for
before them as if guiding the way to safety. e fine resins and coffee beans.
Those who see them usually believe themselves Its status as a major trade hub makes it a
to be succumbing to the heat of the desert, but uniquely important location regarding the
those who follow usually find it to have been ongoing, though frequently invisible, conflict
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worth the effort. Many waylaid Bedine witches between the Zhentarim and the D'tarig. The
have followed these paths - the "spirit tracks," Zhentarim would love nothing more than to
translated from the Bedine tongue - to find the seize the city for themselves, or at least run it
Sister of Rains. Others find themselves at the from the shadows by bribing or blackmailing
entrance to the dragon’s lair, where it happily enough people in high places. However, the
greets strangers and allows them to recover D'tarig are shrewd enough to know that Addas
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their strength in the cool caverns below. Babar is the closest thing their people have to
an economic stronghold, and its current
Settlements leadership share the conviction that nothing the
Zhentarim could offer would be worth the price
of their independence. Moreover, being the
Most settlements in the Sword are on its
largest city in the Sword, it also sees the greatest
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southeastern fringes where it borders on the

influx of adventurers, which the Harpers and
Dales and Cormyr. They tend to have a more
the D'tarig frequently employ to quietly thwart
metropolitan feel to them than any other
the Zhentarim's schemes. However, its
locations in Anauroch, though they pale in
proximity to Zhentil Keep provides a constant
comparison to commercial titans like Baldur's
reminder that, no matter how many plots are
Gate or Waterdeep. These are the places a party
foiled and spies discovered, the Zhentarim are
of adventurers is able to procure supplies,
never far away.
advice, and rumors about recent events. The
supplies available obviously depend on both the
size of the settlement and its disposition
towards the adventurers, but the D'tarig
regularly trade in mundane supplies and exotic
spices procured from desert walkers.
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Lundeth Tel Badir
Lundeth is a village on the southwestern Somewhat smaller than Addas Babar, this
outskirts of the Sword in the middle of a salt D’tarig village rests on the hilltops along the
flat. With water from its own well, its founders southeastern outskirts of the Sword at the foot
built homes out of sun-baked mud bricks. of the Desertsmouth mountains. In contrast to
These basic facts aside, however, little is known Addas Babar, which is constructed as one might
about its precise history; many years, perhaps picture a proper city with regular blocks of tall,
centuries ago, it is said that a raiding Bedine uniform buildings, Tel Badir has a bit over half
tribe killed or enslaved its original inhabitants of the population of Addas Babar and more
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and regularly took advantage of the fresh water. closely resembles a sprawling village with well-
After a time, however, word of the Bedine trodden footpaths winding up and down
occupation of Lundeth made its way to the ravines and ridges. The primary exports from
Zhentarim, who took it upon themselves to the village are well-trained, well-fed camels,
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“liberate” the village from the "marauding which they sell to caravanners and other desert
Bedine warriors." Ever since, it has served as a travelers. There are also several businesses
waystation for Zhentarim traders and boasts a dedicated to outfitting travelers of the Sword.
standing force of about thirty Zhentarim In contrast to Addas Babar and its bustling
fighters and mages. In addition, the animated business district, life in Tel Badir is a slower,
corpses of its former Bedine occupants serve calmer affair. Several hilltop cafes can be found
several Zhentarim necromancers in undeath ase where locals sip coffee or ale while watching the
guards. While many rumors have circulated magnificent desert sunsets in the west. Though
about past and present affairs in Lundeth, only they have no illusions about the fact that Addas
the Zhentarim know which are true and which Babar offers more opportunities and more
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were disseminated to mask their plots. business, the inhabitants of Tel Badir enjoy a
tranquility and peace that, to them, far
outweigh any disparity in available business.
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The Black Road The Black Road is far from a finished
highway across the desert, but the Zhentarim
have traveled it for so long that, in very broad
For nearly a century, the Zhentarim have been
terms, they have achieved their first goal - a
attempting to establish a profitable trade route
somewhat reliable path for a properly equipped
across the Sword. The result is a network of
caravan. Now, they work tirelessly to secure it
oases, camps, and guarded passes collectively
mile by mile, stamping out opposition,
referred to as the Black Road. Beginning in the
magically binding powerful beings to provide
east in Addas Babar, it cuts north of the
protection, breaking up alliances that might
Scimitar Spires, then heads west-southwest,
work to hinder them, and, where possible,
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exiting the desert just north of the Greycloak
transmuting the sand into solid rock roads.
Mountains. This route is nearly five-hundred-
The slow, but steady growth of the Black
miles long as the crow flies; even after nearly a
Road has both helped and hindered their cause.
century of efforts to secure it, it is not without
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Word of a viable route across Anauroch has
its perils. The ever-shifting sands make
attracted business, which means larger and
navigation by local geography difficult, and a
more frequent caravans. More business means
wrong bearing can make the difference between
more gold, significantly accelerating the rate at
finding the next oasis and going another day
which the Black Road is reinforced and
without water.
improved. However, the more business they
There are some stretches, mostly spreading
get, the more attention they attract, and the
out like spiderwebs from Zhentarim-controllede more turmoil they have to stir up in the Sword
oases and encampments, where powerful
Coast and the Moonsea to distract outsiders
wizards have transmuted sand into solid stone
from their success in the Sword. The Harpers
paths, but there is little to stop these from
have more agents in the desert than ever, and
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becoming overblown with sand or sinking into
the increased volume of business has made it
the dunes. Others of their ilk have come up
much more difficult for the Zhentarim to sniff
with some creative methods for securing the
out D’tarig schemers and collaborators. It has
Black Road in spite of this, however. Mighty
also attracted the attention of the Lords’
Fortress spells have been used in important
Alliance, who have begun to crack down on
places, where they can afford to keep an
Zhentarim infiltration in their cities and
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archmage for a year and pay for the valuable

sponsor opposition by intermediaries.
components on top of that, to create robust
Furthermore, their practice of being
fortifications in strategic locations where
indiscriminate in their cargo - notably, their
ordinary construction would be impossible.
willingness to transport slaves - has drawn the
Decanters of endless water are used, both in
ire of the Order of the Gauntlet. From below,
fortresses and at other strategic locations, to
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the phaerimm have more motivation than ever

construct artificial oases which the Zhentarim
to secretly enthrall Zhentarim of any rank,
protect with traps, natural barriers, and even
gaining valuable intelligence about the surface
poisons (as long as they have the antidote). If a
and, when they are lucky, the opportunity to
caravan has sufficiently valuable cargo, a
lead a caravan into a trap. The Zhentarim have
powerful wizard might lead the caravan into the
certainly advanced their agenda, but total
open sands away from oases, confident that
dominance over the great sand sea is as elusive
they will go unmolested by Bedine tribes, and
as ever.
create an oasis, shelter, and defenses out of
nowhere from a Mirage Arcane spell, or retreat
into a demiplane with a surplus of preserved
food and water to rest.
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Bhaerlith the breeding pits, where eggs are kept warm
during incubation using magically heated metal
Bhaerlith is an oasis constructed by the rods. To prevent the worms from growing to
Zhentarim on a rocky outcropping due north of their full size, at which point the Zhentarim
the mountain range called the Wall of Fallen would have no hope of properly controlling
Djinn by the Bedine. Using water from the them, the larva are cursed with stunted growth
oasis, they have built a number of buildings immediately upon hatching. Until they grow
from bricks of baked mud and sand from nearby large enough to begin training, they are
dunes. There are several bunkhouses where confined to pits too deep for them to climb out
Zhents can wait out the heat of the scorching of and fed a diet of whatever meat is available,
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sunlight, typically using the time for some sort which can be anything from surplus camels to
of self-improvement, training, or maintenance. Bedine slaves. These pits are reinforced with
Aspiring sages spend this time studying and iron bars to prevent wormlings from tunneling
practicing their art or poring over old tomes out. Once they are old enough to train, an
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while warriors practice and tend to their gear. aspiring worm rider takes them to the tunnels
The oasis is guarded by a field of pressure-plate to begin training the beast as a steed.
traps concealed beneath the sand surrounding
the rock; a single false step by an unwary
traveler may cost them their life as crescent- Evergreen
shaped blades arc upward with blinding speed.
The corpses of those who fall prey to the traps This artificial oasis is actually only the topmost
or Zhentarim patrols are hung up on pikes and
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propped up around the perimeter of the advanced ventilation shafts along the Way of
encampment as a warning to others to stay the Worm. Like most ventilation shafts in the
away. This barbaric display of hostility has led tunnel network, the shaft itself was bored by a
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some D'tarig to spread rumors that they must tamed purple worm, penetrating into the earth
be guarding something of tremendous value. as a steeply-graded helix as opposed to a vertical
shaft. In this case, the shaft penetrates through
The rumors about Bhaerlith are warranted, several hundred feet of sand and rock to get to
though none aside from the Zhentarim have the tunnel. At the very bottom, the Zhentarim
have constructed what they call a vapor engine,
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learned the true secret guarded at Bhaerlith:

that below this oasis is a sprawling network of an apparatus crafted from a decanter of endless
caverns that they use for raising purple water and a confined fire elemental which
wormlings. The inherent risk of such activities perpetually outputs a jet of superheated steam.
requires a larger-than-normal garrison of The hot steam is accelerated upwards through
guards and wizards in case of an accident. the shaft due to its low density relative to the
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Bounded by a helical tunnel spiraling deep surrounding air; considering that the vapor is
underground, small chambers have been cleared accelerated along the entirety of the path it
out to create living quarters, workspaces, and travels to the surface, it leaves at ground level
storage areas. This corkscrew-shaped path, with considerable speed. At equilibrium, a
simply called the Helix by the Zhentarim continuous natural draft forms due to the heat
stationed there, is reinforced with support of both the steam and the air nearby (also
pillars at regular intervals and is connected to heated by the steam), causing air from the
adjacent chambers by narrow tunnels. Most nearby tunnels to be continuously exhausted via
chambers in the complex are fairly small (no the ventilation shaft. Consequently, fresh air is
more than fifteen feet on a side) to reduce the drawn through other entrances to the tunnel
risk of collapse, and natural fires any larger than network to replace it, ensuring that the air in
candles are not permitted due to the lack of the tunnels does not go stale.
chimneys. Near the very bottom of the Helix are
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On the surface level - that is, at the oasis that Vuerthyl
most people see from afar, suspecting nothing
about the subterranean complex below - a small Vuerthyl is an artificial oasis created by the
keep has been constructed around the vent to Zhentarim in the western desert where the
keep it secure and to prevent it from being filled Sword begins to reach northward around the
with sand. Transmutation spells were used to Plain of Standing Stones. The Zhentarim chose
create mud, which was baked into bricks and this location partly to serve as a stop on the
formed into a tower about twenty-feet high. Black Road and partly because of evidence
Above the top of the tower, from which erupts indicating that there were Netherese ruins
a constant jet of steam and condensed water buried beneath it. While they failed to find
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vapor, an array of thin, metal panels act as much of value in terms of items or structures,
condensers which collect liquid water from the they did unearth a skull, which began to float
exhaust and drain it into a moat outside the and thank them profusely in ancient Netherese.
The skull was happy to indulge the Zhentarim
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tower walls. This moat is continuously
replenished and thus serves as an oasis, leading with stories of the Netherese empire at its
to flourishing plant life nearby. Outside the height and share some ancient arcane secrets
moat is a permanent Zhentarim camp that with them that might otherwise have been
primarily serves to protect the keep. Its forgotten. The Zhentarim took precautions
strategic value both as a surface oasis and as a with the skull, having a powerful wizard
ventilation shaft for the Way of the Worm brought to Vuerthyl in order to study it and see
makes it too important for the Zhentarim to
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underequip defensively. By design, this location from it.
is in a region of generally low traffic; with the
exception of scheduled Zhentarim arrivals and In spite of hours of interrogation and
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departures, the site only sees an occasional discussion, the Zhentarim have yet to learn the
Bedine tribe pass nearby, and those Bedine have true story of the skull. Ages ago, a battle took
learned that it is a site worth avoiding. place there between Netherese arcanists and a
lich (a powerful Netherese arcanist trying to
achieve immortality): a battle which ended
abruptly when the lich fell victim to an
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imprisonment spell, causing it to become buried

deep beneath the soil. Though its phylactery
was never found, the lich was nonetheless
unable to replenish it with souls, gradually
decaying into a demilich. After the fall of the
Netherese empire and the Lifedrain of the
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phaerimm, all memory of the battle was lost.

However, when the City of Shade returned
from the Shadowfell and Anauroch was covered
with a dead magic zone, its magical prison was
dispelled. Even so, it had decayed to such a state
that it was helpless to force its way above
ground; it was only when the Zhentarim
excavated the region that it finally had a chance
at freedom. Attempting to masquerade as a
simple flameskull, it wants nothing more than
to secure its phylactery and return to lichdom.
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The Way of the Worm Oases
This network of subterranean tunnels is among
the most important developments of the Black Oases, springs of fresh water that form in
Road in recent decades. Zhentarim worm natural desert basins, are the backbone of life in
riders - those who have spent years attempting the Sword. Without them, even the hardiest of
to domesticate purple worms (and frequently desert creatures would not survive long. The
dying in the process) - have recruited full desert is host to hundreds of them - perhaps
construction and support teams to create usable thousands - but without knowing where to find
tunnels as efficiently as possible. Few successful one in advance, even a day or two of travel can
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worm riders exist - there are rumored to be spell doom for an expedition. Knowing the
only five or fewer among those in the know, location of any oasis, however, is not enough;
and most have no idea they exist at all - so the where there is water, there is life, and any
Zhentarim can afford to outfit those few with particular oasis is likely already inhabited
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well-equipped companies to ensure their safety (loosely, perhaps) by wildlife, Bedine tribesmen,
and maximize productivity. The fruit of their or more insidious creatures. Often, the true
labor is a large network of tunnels under their value of a private guide is his knowledge of a
control and out of the desert sun. It is a long safe series of oases. Professional guides
way away from traversing the entirety of the sometimes have oases they keep secret from
Sword, but it significantly reduces the risk of other guides and travelers, at least as long as
travel where it has been fully developed. e they can profit off of them. To such guides, an
Worm riders only have a limited degree of oasis is appreciated more for its tactical and
control of their steeds; riding in sleds a distance financial benefit than for the life it helps
behind the worm itself with a system of ropes maintain. By no means are they typically
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connected to them, they can effectively steer the willing to befoul an oasis, but news of one
direction of the worm’s path, but little else. To drying up will sooner hurt a guide's pocketbook
reduce the intrinsic hazard here, Zhentarim than break their heart.
mages have developed a curse that stunts the The Bedine, however, heap praise upon the
growth of the worm when it is about six-feet in oases that sustain them. They appreciate that
diameter and fifty-feet long, about half the size their culture could not exist without these
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of a normal adult. The support team rapidly natural springs and share a conviction that
builds a minimalist, but sound, structural these springs belong to no mortal creature.
support system out of collapsible rods to Even as they fight amongst each other, it is a
support the tunnel until more permanent universal more among the Bedine that it is
support beams can be installed. Additionally, wrong to deny another creature fresh water if it
there are always several mages and warriors on- can be spared; poisoning or befouling an oasis
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hand in the unlikely, but possible, event that the or well is among the gravest offenses a creature
worm breaks into a natural cavern with hostile can commit in their eyes. They worship the
inhabitants. Air quality is another constant guardian spirits that inhabit most oases in the
hazard when tunneling in this manner; though Sword with greater fervor and frequency than
areas near the surface are likely to be well- they worship any god of the traditional
ventilated, deeper passages frequently have Faerûnian pantheon. The “little gods” which
pockets of stale air or worse: toxic or explosive inhabit the oases and other prominent desert
gases. Ventilation shafts of varying complexity features play a much bigger role in the lives of
are installed periodically to ensure the the Bedine and most other creatures that
breathability of the tunnels. Even considering wander the desert than the greater gods. These
all of these dangers, the reward has been well spirits are said to bestow blessings upon those
worth the effort. who are in need and to resist the ill will of those
who would trespass with evil intentions.
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While skeptics might dismiss stories of these One example of this is the oasis El Rahalat,
spirits as myths, these guardian spirits are, so named after an outcast Bedine witch who
indeed, real. Though only a handful of Bedine died protecting it from another Bedine tribe.
seers are likely to appreciate the true nature of The natural magic of the oasis had previously
their relationship with the oases, the reality of not been exceptionally powerful, but her
the situation is that these nature spirits are of devotion to it heightened its spiritual potency,
the Bedine’s own creation. Much as the power allowing her soul to ascend and become its
of deities comes from the volume and intensity guardian spirit upon her death. Possessed of
of their worship, the Bedine’s continued vivid memories of the cruelty of the Bedine
appreciation and reverence for the oases dating who cast her out and the Bedine who killed her
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back to the early days of the Lifedrain imbued to get the oasis’ water, her wrath turned the
oases in the Sword with a spark of divine spring water to blood for ten days, and when
potency. With time, and the heightened the blood was flushed out with spring water
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importance of oases in the lives of the Bedine, once again, it remained poisonous to Bedine for
the power of these spirits grew. Virtually all ten years. Even today, a sacrifice of a camel
natural oases in the Sword have enough must be made by any Bedine tribe that rests
followers, to adopt the term from worship of there to appease Rahalat, the guardian spirit.
traditional deities, that the site has a guardian The descendents of the goats she herded in life
spirit. Those which experience little traffic still live upon the mountain nearby, and
possess little magical potential; guardian spirits
e approaching Bedine can always hear haunting
of such oases might make the land more fertile sounds of the bells Rahalat's goats wore when
and have the ability to guide followers to find it, she lived.
but are unlikely to be properly sentient or have
the ability to exercise spell-like abilities. Many Most spirits are less vengeful, however. It is
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oases, mostly those which experience traffic almost unheard of for a guardian spirit lacking
from many tribes at different times of year, sentience to bear ill will towards anyone who
have enough followers that the site will does not attempt to harm the oasis or otherwise
manifest a sentient spirit. In some cases, the befoul it. Most sentient guardian spirits were
sentient manifestation of this spirit was once manifested from the souls of travelers or Bedine
the soul of a particularly fervent follower who who passed their final days near what would
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passed their last day near the site, possibly in its become their oases, perhaps even in the shade
defense. In such cases, the new guardian spirits of the desert palms that grew there. In general,
sometimes maintain aspects of their mortal these guardian spirits attempt to be hospitable
personalities and dispositions. to those whose fate has drawn them into the
relentless heat of the Sword. In some cases,
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they can even guide travelers to find them;

many Bedine warriors waylaid by sandstorms
have found themselves safely on the shores of
an oasis in spite of being nearly blinded by the
desert winds.
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Colored Waters Sêlune (known as Elah by the Bedine), similar
to the ancient Moonwells in the Moonshae
Near the eastern edge of the Sword is an oasis isles. While within thirty feet of the well, the
formed in the caldera of a dormant volcano. following effects can be observed:
Mostly buried in sand, it appears to an • Good-aligned creatures capable of casting
approaching traveler as a plateau ten miles Resurrection spells (e.g. Raise Dead, Revivify,
across protruding from the dunes below. True Resurrection) can use a splash of water
Beyond the ridge, however, is a precipitous from the well as a substitute for the standard
drop nearly one-thousand feet deep to the basin material components.
below, where five lakes in the shapes of crescent • Lycanthropes have total control over their
e
moons circle a conical island of cinder. forms. Furthermore, while their lawfulness
Warmed by subterranean magma chambers is unchanged from what is typical for the
deep underground, these lakes are natural hot creature, they become good. For instance, a
springs; even at night, the ground and water
fil
wererat, which is typically lawful evil, would
here are always warm. When the sun is high, be treated as lawful good. If their alignment
the lakes shine brilliantly in different colors: changes, they are aware of the change and
emerald-green, turquoise, silver, sapphire blue, that, if they leave the influence of the well,
and ruby-red. D'tarig merchants and gossipers they will revert to their former alignment
love to spread rumors about what causes this and state of control.
magnificent display, attributing it to an • While moonlight bathes the area, a DC 20
abundance of gems or strange magic. The e Turn Undead effect (akin to the cleric
Bedine attach religious significance to this oasis, Channel Divinity feature) targets any
believing that an ancient battle between divine undead creature that enters the vicinity or
forces of good and evil took place there. Due to the lake surrounding it. Undead creatures of
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the unique, relatively isolated environment, the CR 5 and lower which fail the saving throw
wildlife here is different from the rest of the are instantly destroyed. An undead creature
Sword; in place of the common sand-dwelling which succeeds on the saving throw must
creatures are those that live inside the tunnels repeat it every minute (ten rounds). This
beneath the volcano, carved out long ago by area extends in a cylinder ninety feet in the
great worms, elemental creatures, and volcanic air and ninety feet below the surface of the
m
eruptions. water. Additionally, it affects any creature

in the central well, however far it penetrates
Elah’zad underground
• The area is comfortable. Creatures do not
Off of the beaten path and behind a series of suffer any of the normal penalties or effects
Sa
barren salt flats, this sacred site of the Bedine is from traveling in the desert here.
called Elah'zad, meaning “House of the Moon”
in the native tongue. Notably, it is one of the In the event of an attack, the standing stones
few obviously divine (per the standard can animate to defend the well or visiting
Faerûnian pantheon) phenomena which they creatures at the whim of Sêlune. Use the Galeb-
accept without question, rightfully seeing it as duhr stat block from the Monster Manual to
both divine in origin and highly practical. Fed represent them. Their quantity and disposition
by several natural springs, this oasis has a is up to the discretion of the GM.
seemingly impossible bounty of fresh water. In
the center of a perfectly round lake is a small
island of sand with a circle of standing stones
which, in turn, circle a well so deep that the
bottom cannot be seen. This is a sacred site of
36
The Lion's Eye The Oasis of Vipers
Located in the southwest, this oasis is the most Far in the north of the Sword is an oasis
fertile valley in the western Sword. presenting a false air of safety from a distance.
Unfortunately for those who would hope to Though its spring-fed pond is of pure, fresh
take advantage of this, it is also host to a water, it is home to hundreds of venomous
population of several hundred lamia led by a snakes. Bedine and other wildlife avoid this
lamia noble. Known as The Glaendra, she is oasis; an unprepared creature making a rush for
obsessed with capitalizing on the ruins of the the water will likely be dead before reaching it.
Netherese and possesses a massive collection of Even with mercy of the guardian spirit, which
e
recovered Netherese artifacts. However, few attempts to magically protect those in need of
adventurers have seen the Lion’s Eye and lived water from harm, it is difficult for a stranger to
to tell the tale; most who find it, deliberately or the snakes to navigate the oasis without
accidentally, end up either food or slaves to the prompting at least a single bite - and a single
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lamia. Knowledge of the Lion’s Eye is further bite can be fatal. There are more snakes than
muddied by the lamias' penchant for casting the smaller creatures they normally prey on;
persistent illusion spells to alter the area's they are perpetually hungry, resorting
appearance. Some survivors recall a hidden cannibalism in times of extreme scarcity. Still,
valley miles on a side with a great freshwater there are guides who purport to know how to
lake at its center, while others recall a great safely take refuge here, and command high
grassy plain littered with acacia trees. e prices for their ability to do so.
If the lamia have their way, however, they
will not stay at the Lion's Eye forever. When
leading her ancesters across the desert, The The Sister of Rains
pl
Glaendra was not leading blindly. She had Deep within the Shoal of Thirst with its back to
heard enough about the Netherese culture to the Wall of Fallen Djinn is the ruin of an
realize that some of the mythallars from their ancient Bedine settlement. Its name comes
fallen cities must have survived. Using a from the dozen freshwater springs that spill
recovered quasimagical item (an item which down from the mountains, making gentle
only functions as intended within the influence waterfalls and a small pool below. Stone walls
m
of a mythallar) as a sort of dowsing rod, they still provide some protection from any potential
wandered the desert until they found one. invasion across the salt flats, and the foundation
Once they found it, they wasted no time in of a fallen tower provides shelter from the
attempting to channel its power. The oasis that wind. This oasis has become a sanctuary to
they now enjoy is not natural, but a creation of exiled Bedine, especially those who were exiled
the lamia nobles using the mythallar's magic;
Sa
for showing an aptitude for or interest in magic.

underneath all of the illusion spells is genuinely This community has abandoned the standard
fertile grassland maintained by magically- structure of a Bedine tribe and is led by the
controlled weather. For a time, they had to rely Bedine witch Vayess. They are loathe to
on the fruits of their newfound pastures, but cooperate or share water with other Bedine,
natural wildlife eventually found its way there. and despise the Zhentarim on principal, but
Today, the lamia mostly feed on the wild gazelle welcome fellow exiles into their fold as long as
that live there, but prefer the flesh of intelligent they are willing to contribute to the community
creatures if an opportunity presents itself. The and respect the established order of things.
nobles continue to study the mythallar's magic Depending on how they present themselves,
in hopes that, some day, they might raise their adventurers may also be provided shelter for a
paradise into the sky and leave the Sword few days to rest, but will likely be asked for
behind for good. some sort of favor in return.
37
Ruins Cirrhunia, The Fallen Palace
About halfway between the Wall of Fallen
Buried in the sandy dunes of the Sword are Djinn and Evereska lie the ruins of a once-
rumored to be the remnants of forgotten magnificent cloud palace, the demesnes of the
kingdoms, ruins of ancient fortresses and keeps, cloud giants. To the people of Anauroch, it is
and magnificent treasures lost to history. Such unknown precisely who it belonged to or how
rumors are what draw nearly all outsiders to long ago it fell from the sky, but D’tarig
Anauroch who are not traders or caravanners. caravanners love to share rumors about what
D'tarig traders, outfitters, and innkeepers each riches it may hold with their foreign customers.
e
have a favorite story of an adventurer they've They tell tales of golden harps the size of
met who made their fortune setting out into the carriages, melons as large as casks of ale, and
Sword with little more than a camel and a helms large enough that one could make a
treasure map. Some of these stories are even comfortable apartment if furnished. Some even
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true, though likely exaggerated to give the claim that giants still live there. Most such
storyteller a role of outsized importance. stories are purely conjecture, however; an
Regardless of precisely what rumors are spread adventurer returning from the palace with their
about, one thing is for certain: beneath the life is a rare sight indeed. Few Bedine tribes
sandy dunes of the Sword, thousands of years of have encountered it, but it is common wisdom
history lay buried, and for every ruin unearthed to fear the Kebir Abduzes, or “giant eagles”, of
by intrepid explorers, there are likely a dozen
e the west. The Zhentarim covet the treasure
more waiting to be discovered. they believe to be there, but their scouts have
In general, the ruins found in the Sword fall yet to return with as much as an Ostorian coin.
into two broad categories: those that existed
pl
before the onset of the Lifedrain, and those that
came afterward. The ruins falling into the Oreme
former category are likely to be the most Once the pride of the sarrukh nation of
numerous; after all, Faerûn is at least 35,000 Isstosseffifil, little of this city is known by sages
years old. In that time, the land that is now of today. Most of it has been buried by massive
Anauroch has been governed by a number of dunes; those few adventurers who find it
m
different civilizations including, at a minimum, usually do so by finding its telltale white towers,
the sarrukh, the Netherese, and other smaller a fraction of which sometimes protrude from
kingdoms of humans and elves, and each of the sand. The sarrukh were one of the fabled
these civilizations has left something behind for creator races, responsible for most known
adventurers to find. The ruins of that latter reptilian humanoid species in Faerûn. When
category, those which postdate the onset of the
Sa
their war with the phaerimm eventually led to

Lifedrain, are most likely of foreign origin, the downfall of their civilization, its most
things that are not necessarily ancient or old, advanced wizards resorted to lichdom to
but simply fell victim to some anomaly that preserve the final vestiges of their culture to be
landed them there. In these cases, it is entirely passed on to worthy successors. Arcane wards
possible that the original inhabitants of the were cast to keep the phaerimm out using
ruins, or their descendents, are still alive. similar techniques as the Sharn, though on a
While this poses a different set of problems to much smaller scale.
solve for adventurers, making contact with
powerful beings foreign to Anauroch - possibly
even to the Material Plane - is potentially even
more valuable than finding a hidden vault of
forgotten treasure.
38
In total, there are sixty liches, each of Orofin
which spends four years at a time scrying,
plotting, and otherwise gathering This was once the ancient city of Orolin in the
information while the rest exist in a state of lost kingdom of Asram. In the millennia since
suspended animation. Contingency spells are its fall, it has largely been consumed by the
in place to awaken them, however, if grave desert, but a mighty palace on an elevated plaza
harm should befall King Oreme, the title still stands above the dunes. For a time, its
bestowed upon the active lich at anytime. grand canals, fed by underground springs,
Furthermore, the sarrukh had the foresight provided fresh water to Bedine tribes, but no
not to connect their chamber of hibernation, Bedine visit this place anymore. While
e
the Cryptof Dreaming Lizards, to any other everyone has their own version of events, the
chamber by physical passages; only story goes that the Zhentarim attacked a
precisely-performed teleportation spells can Bedine tribe that was seeking shelter here
nearly a century ago. In the heat of the battle
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gain one entrance. Considering that, today,
only the liches know the exact location of when the Zhentarim were losing, their leader
the Crypt, unauthorized access to the poisoned the well, ruining it for Zhentarim and
chamber is nighimpossible. Bedine alike. To add to the rumors of the
poisoned well, others say that ghouls, ghosts,
Rasilith and other undead abominations roam the
canals at night, as if the ruin were possessed by
Rumored to predate the Netherese empire, e a vengeful spirit.
Rasilith was once a grand, walled city of some
forgotten human realm. It is surrounded by a
great stretch of sand dunes utterly devoid of
water and life known as the Quarter of
pl
Emptiness. It is perhaps for this reason that
tales of Rasilith seem so fantastic; D’tarig desert
walkers have relayed tales from Bedine nomads
that, in the heart of that wasteland, ruins of a
mighty city stand above vast, subterranean
m
caverns where water flows in steady streams.

This lost city would have been settled many
years ago were it not for whatever evil lurks
within this ancient metropolis. At least one
Bedine tribe is known to have attempted to
claim it which never returned. Some Bedine
Sa
say that asabi lair below Rasilith; others, that

some powerful sorcerer has riddled the ruins
with enchantments, intending to beguile and
enslave those who trespass. Whatever the truth
may be, the Bedine do not go there today, and
its location is too far from the Black Road for
the Zhentarim to have prioritized it as a target
for settlement.
39
The Plain of Standing Stones
Bordered on the east, south, and west by the fundamentals of martial weaponry, gradually
Sword's crescent-shaped boundary, and on the improving their skills as they participate in
north by the Ice Wall, the Plain of Standing hunting parties. As they mature, they study
Stones is a rocky, wind-swept region renowned more esoteric forms of combat and begin to
for its rocky outcroppings, roaring gales, and develop their own individual fighting styles.
the dread monsters that call it home. It is The most prodigious pupils are afforded the
largely unsuitable for civilization or any sort of highest honor their company can provide: the
travel; the closest thing to civilized society is the privelige of training to hunt from the back of
e
loose network of hobgoblin camps that dots the their dragon.
region. Though it is said that, concealed within
the endless sea of stone, unfathomable volumes Kongerike Vaprakun
of precious minerals and metals lie waiting for a
fil
prospector brave and daring enough to claim
Concealed by steep ridges of jagged stone, this
them, the vast majority of those who have
valley is home to the largest tribe of ogres in the
sought their fortunes here found their doom
Plain of Standing Stones. Numbering about
instead. Occasional hidden valleys and tunnels
sixty, Kongerike Vaprakun ("Kingdom of
may be found that adequately support life, but
Vaprak") is led by a mighty ogre shaman named
the irregular terrain often obscures them to
Globnar. The spiritual leader of the tribe, she
travelers on foot. Travel by air is hardly moree preaches the superiority of the ogre race,
reliable, for flying mounts attract the attention
justifying her belief with the assertion that
of the wyverns, manticores, and other beasts of
Vaprak's affair with Othea, the offspring of
the skies that lair in the landscape's craggy
which were the first ogres, is proof enough that
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mountain peaks. The treachery of the land
she preffered Vaprak's company to Annam's,
does, however, attract a certain clientele for its
and that Vaprak was the rightful head of the
own sake; to outlaws and others fleeing pursuit,
Ordning. In times of famine or poor hunting,
only someone extremely foolish would pursue
she summons powerful demons from Vaprak's
them into the Plain unless it was absolutely
realm in the Abyss to be defeated in combat by
necessary.
her mightiest warriors and consumed in a
m
ritualistic feast, typically followed by an

Kar'i'nus' Redoubt animalistic orgy. The mass consumption of the
foul substance of demons has caused many of
the tribe to become corrupted in the flesh,
Because time does not pass in the astral plane,
making them fierce to behold in battle.
the githyanki form secret communities in
Sa
isolated reaches of the Material Plane such that

their children can grow to adulthood. These
crèches are overseen by a rotating roster of
adult githyanki who endeavor to teach the
merits of hard work, overcoming adversity, and
the thrill of the hunt. It should be no surprise,
then, that the githyanki knight Kar'i'nus built
one such redoubt on a craggy mountain peak in
the Plain of Standing Stones. Attended by the
young red dragon Ferrithrixus, the young gith
grow to adolescence in the security of their
overlook at which point they begin combat
training. The children begin with the
40
Chapter 3 - Geography of Anauroch The Plain of Standing Stones
The River of Gems This river is perhaps the geological feature most
responsible for greedy or ambitious adventurers
to seek their fortunes in the Plain. It is also the
Perhaps the most famous feature of the Plain is
largest body of water in all of Anauroch; in
the fabled River of Gems. Supposedly due to an
addition to its impressive length above ground,
ancient quake, volcanic eruption, or other
the flow of the river has caused the formation
cataclysm capable of creating a fissure hundreds
of submerged caverns where its distributaries
of miles in length, this canyon is not merely a
flow all the way to the Buried Realms.
path carved out by a flowing river over time,
Consequently, it is here where an adventurer
but a gorge with walls of sheer rock that cuts its
will most consistently find life flourishing and
e
way through the mountains and hills all the way
predators preying. Wyverns, manticores, and
from the High Ice to the Sword, where it
other aerial ambushers lurk in rocky overlooks,
empties into a great basin called the Throat.
watching for creatures who drink at the river
Over time, erosion and collapse have caused
fil
on its rocky shores; cave fishers ensnare
parts of the river to be accessible from the
creatures with their adhesive filaments, reeling
ground, typically in the form of rocky beaches,
them up only to drop them onto the jagged
but much of it remains bounded by the nearly
rocks below; in caves along the river, leucrotta,
vertical cliffs. For reasons unknown, the walls
death dogs, and basilisks lie in wait for their
of this fissure are encrusted with precious gems,
next meal to come floating along. The natural
and the riverbed is littered with all manner of
predators are perhaps not the worst the River
valuable stones and crystals which have e of Gems has to offer, however. The phaerimm
seemingly fallen out of the cliff faces over
have been known to station their thralls in
millennia.
caves that lead to the Buried Realms, and using
slaves as bait has led many adventurers to their
pl
doom.
m
Sa
41
Flaying Rapids The Hive
At a number of points along the river's course, Near the southern border of the Plain is a
the River of Gems has stretches of whitewater stretch of the River of Gems where erosion of
rapids that are nigh impassable to watercraft the cliffs has caused a great collapse, forming a
much larger than a canoe. Added to the normal barrier of massive boulders. The river now
hazards associated with rapids, however, is the flows through the many voids between the
fact that the boulders that protrude from the boulders, creating a labyrinth of submerged
turbulent waters are, like the walls of the gorge, chambers and tunnels within the collapsed rock.
studded with hard, sharp crystals. While a A tribe of hobgoblins living in the nearby bluffs
e
creature cast adrift in ordinary rapids risks has dubbed this dark, underwater network the
concussion and heavy impact on the rocks, one Hive, and it is within this network that a coven
carried away in the River of Gems risks being of sea hags has established their lair. Guarded
flayed alive, their body forced across the points by giant octopuses and river sharks, they spend
fil
of hundreds of jagged gems. Watercraft are their days scrying on the surface world and
hardly out of danger; all but the sturdiest (or performing twisted experiments on creatures of
magically protected) boats are liable to have the river. When they spy a boat approaching
their hulls shredded against the unyielding, the rockfall through their scrying sensors, they
crystal-encrusted boulders. use their magic to cause great waves and
currents, hoping the craft will capsize or wreck
on the rocky barrier.
Heroes' Helm
Roughly halfway between the High Ice and the
e
Sword, a great stone spire rises out of the center Ryok Somlyser
pl
of the riverbed, diverting the flow to either Near the river's headwaters in the High Ice is a
side. Over one-hundred feet across at its base waterfall nearly one-hundred-fifty feet high.
and two-hundred feet high, this pinnacle rises The water crashing down on the rocks below
high above the skyline in the area, making it throws up a mist that rises to nearly its entire
easily visible from quite far away. Two height, but the gems embedded in the rock
entrances to a cavern near its peak resemble a behind the falls shine through when the sun is
m
pair of eye holes, giving the spire the high, piercing the haze like one-thousand
appearance of an enormous helm jutting out of flickering stars. Called Ryok Somlyser, "The
the river. Like other high caverns on the Plain, Smoke That Glistens," by a nearby tribe of
this one is home to a fierce creature of the air: stone giants, it is held in their traditions that
an ancient blue dragon named Ghondalaath this is a sacred site of Iallanis; in their eyes, the
Sa
whose might as a wyrm of its age is light penetrating both the falls and the vapors
complemented by its skills in the arcane arts. twice over is symbolic of compassion and
Having been targeted by the Cult of the Dragon mercy's triumph over unfeeling, relentless
as a strong candidate for dracolichdom nearly a strength.
century ago, they sent a moon elf wizard named
Thamior Liadon to tutor the dragon in the
ways of necromancy. The dragon has proven to
be an excellent student; though it has yet to
commit to dracolichdom, it has developed a
talent for creating and commanding the undead,
guarding its lair with clever magical traps and
scores of undead servants.
42
The Scattered Host In spite of the fact that it is one of the
smaller banners in the Plain, their tactical
prowess and mastery of aerial combat has
Scattered about the Plain of Standing Stones is a
earned them more respect than some banners
broad network of hobgoblin warcamps, the
that outnumber them tenfold.
only semblance of conventional civilization to
be found in the region. A martial people whose
lives are structured around discipline, training, Stonemaw
and survival in the face of adversity, the While there have been many small mines
hobgoblins thrive where others have failed. carved out of the Plain by the hobgoblins that
e
Their camps, called banners, are by no means live there, Stonemaw is among the deepest. So
united under a common order; each has a called because its entrance is flanked by two
unique set of alliances and feuds with other natural pointed spires, mimicking fangs, this
banners, often dating back generations, that mine winds deep into the heart of the land,
fil
dictates with whom they trade and with whom exposing rich veins of copper, silver, and
they make war. The one thing they have in mithral. The largest hobgoblin tribe in the
common is a prophecy that, eventually, the Plain, the Gleaming Fangs, has centered their
hobgoblins of the Plain will be called upon by camp on this mine and defend it with their
Magubliyet to form a host and wage war. Their lives. Boasting a population of over five-
enemy-to-be is uncertain - while most believe hundred adults, most of whom have trained in
they are destined to invade the Silver Marches,
e the arts of war since childhood, capturing the
others suspect they may be destined to push mine would be difficult in neutral terrain.
either north to conquer the white dragons of Surrounded as they are by natural barriers,
the High Ice or south to conquer the Bedine. traps, palisades, and engineered defenses, and
pl
All cases would test the hobgoblins' ruggedness, guarded by manticores who scout and provide
martial prowess, and tactical excellency, so none aerial support, most consider invasion
sees cause to question their interpretation. impossible.
Fortunately for the surrounding peoples,
neither sign nor omen has directed the Verdigris Gorge
hobgoblins to form the host so far; if the
Over centuries, a distributary of the River of
m
hobgoblins were ever called upon to do so, the

Gems has carved out a gorge through a massive
slaughter wrought would be great indeed.
vein of copper and pot metal ores. With
erosion and exposure, the walls have taken the
The Nest of the Iron Wings patina of aged copper, colored a subdued, earthy
green. Calling themselves the Cloud of Blades, a
Sa
Atop a craggy peak high in the mountains is the banner of hobgoblins has made their camp here
camp of a hobgoblin banner that calls itself the and made good use of the abundant ores;
Iron Wings. Their name comes from the leveraging bronze's superior malleability to
wyverns their warriors ride into battle. They create lightweight weapons and armor, these
were nomadic for a time, moving across the fighters focus on honing their agility, speed, and
mountains to follow the wild game. After the reflexes to surprise, dodge, and outmaneuver
discovery of an elemental air node high in the their opponents. Ziplines of hempen rope
course of their travels, however, they chose to connect either side of the gorge, allowing travel
make camp permanently and to learn to channel across the canyon without going all the way to
power from the Elemental Plane of Air. Their the river below. In addition to expediting
best wyvern riders have learned to channel this transport, they are also placed near the only
power to perform deft aerial maneuvers and entrances to the gorge, allowing soldiers to
deflect arrows and missiles with gusts of wind. move behind invaders and attack from the rear.
43
The High Ice
This arctic waste is the least documented region Blastig Ild
in all of Anauroch. In the days before the
Lifedrain, Anauroch was the title given to this Flanked by two braziers which perpetually
region alone, and it was hardly understood produce azure flames and smoke of deep violet
better at the time than it is now. With the is the entrance to an ancient grotto where a
exception of caravans to and from a few tribe of stone giants has thrived since the reign
locations popular with prospectors and of Ostoria. In those days, the surrounding
adventurers alike, expeditions to the High Ice terrain was temperate and rocky; in the wake of
the Lifedrain, however, all but the stone has
e
are few and far between, and those that return
to share their discoveries are even fewer. As been consumed by the sand. Numbering sixty
such, the findings of adventurers who have adults and nearly as many children, the stone
survived a trek to and from the High Ice are in giants who live here dedicate their lives to
fil
high demand among scholars. Some theorize studying and practicing the arts, especially that
that the fabled ruins of Ostoria, the fallen of carving stone. One's position in the tribe's
kingdom of the giants, lay buried deep beneath ordning is determined by their proficiency with
the High Ice. Others tell stories of laborynthine their chosen skill. As such, the leaders of the
tunnel networks formed by clutches of tribe are those whose artistic talents are
remorhazes and elementals that lead to massive, unparalleled, earning them the title of Master.
icy caverns, possibly even into the Underdark.
e All giants of Blastig Ild are dedicated to
These tales, however, are few, and fall far short honing their crafts; from childhood until death,
of a comprehensive map or census. Nobody they spend their days practicing, learning, and
known to the sages of Faerûn, except perhaps teaching their chosen media. Annam Allfather,
the absent head of the giant pantheon who
pl
the white dragon that reigns supreme over
these icy wastes, truly knows what lies turned his back on his children during his
forgotten in this frigid, glacial desert. fallout with their mother, Othea, is venerable to
the stone giants chiefly because he created all of
the true giants; as such, the stone giants view
The Frozen Sea the endless pursuit of perfecting the creative
m
arts as the path worthy of the greatest respect.

Where the Sword wraps northwest around the Most stone giants of Blasting Ild, however - all
Plain of Standing Stones, the sands are chilled except those who have become known as
by the icy climes of the glacier. In these lands, Master - are ignorant of the tribe's greatest
dubbed the Frozen Sea by explorers and achievement; deep underground, accessible only
prospectors, the dunes are every bit as volatile by a narrow passage whose entrance is
Sa
as those in the Sword, but the winds here can concealed by a great boulder miles from the
sap the heat from a man's body with ease. The grotto, exists a network of tunnels known as
Bedine do not wander this region, preferring the Living Cave where the Masters collect the
the warmer sands to the south; explorers, best work of the tribe and carve great friezes in
prospectors and raiders from the Silver preparation for the fulfillment of an ancient
Marches are the most commonly enountered prophecy.
intelligent life, but even they are scarce. Most
creatures capable of surviving the climate prefer
living on the glacier to the northeast; to
creatures without the natural fortitude to thrive
in frigid temperatures, there is little the Frozen
Sea has to offer.
44
Chapter 3 - Geography of Anauroch The High Ice
Hlaungadath The Living Cave
Among the surviving ruins of Netherese cities Unknown to most inhabitants of Blastig Ild,
in Anauroch, Hlaungadath is one of the most their most skilled craftsmen and artists have
intact. Unfortunately for those who find spent thousands of years hewing out tunnels
themselves there, it is no beacon of hope or beneath what is now the Frozen Sea.
place to take respite from the frigid winds, as a According to an ancient prophecy dating back
band of lamia claimed the ruins for themselves to the time of the Hartkiller, the youngest son
centuries ago. Today, they number about of Annam Allfather who was rejected by his
ninety, ruled by a lamia noble named Kummite. brethren for his short stature, there will come a
e
Living a life of cruel luxury, they maintain a day when another giant of Annam and Othea's
breeding colony of humans to be cooked and divine bloodline will rise and restore Ostoria to
eaten in the network of cellars, basements, and its former glory. In preparation for this, the
sewers that sprawls beneath the city. They are stone giant Masters of Blastig Ild have dedicated
fil
careful not to overfeed on their stock, however, their lives to amassing the most complete body
and routinely send hunting parties west to the of giantkind's knowledge; when the child of
borders of the Silver Marches to find fresh prophecy is born, it is their hope that the child
slaves and supplies. may lead with the wisdom of the millennia.
The tunnels wind in angular patterns whose
Kummite herself spends little time hunting, significance is only known to the giants who
however; her primary interest is the crashed e carved them. Today, every surface of the nearly
spelljamming galleon that was unearthed by the two-hundred miles of tunnels bears magnificent
wind in a nearby dune only a year ago. The friezes depicting important moments in giant
ship is heavily damaged, but Kummite believes history, cryptic explanations of the foundations
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it could fly again someday if she could figure out of rune magic, and prophecies foreseen by giant
how to operate it. She dreams of a future chieftains and shamans past. Due to its state of
where she leads raids along the Sword Coast, constant expansion, it has been dubbed the
spiriting slaves and supplies back to frigid "Living Cave" by those aware of its existence.
Hlaungadath to be added to her stock. It is
fortunate for many that she does not know how
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to use the spelljamming helm - the magical

device that allows powerful mages to propel the
ship through the skies - for the helm of the
crashed ship is still operational; in its current
state, the galleon could safely fly at a reduced
speed within this crystal sphere. In the hands of
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an experienced pilot and crew capable of

repairing it, the value of such a vessel would
exceed its weight in platinum.
45
Llashloch, The Lake of Ice which cannot be sated. An enormous labyrinth
of winding tunnels has been hewn out over
time as the elementals spawned nearby have
One of the few places in the High Ice hospitable
attempted to reach the magma chamber deep
to life from the more temperate regions of
underground. Some of these tunnels have
Faerûn is Llashloch: the Lake of Ice. The
become flooded after breaking through the
largest lake in this region of Anauroch,
glacial walls of the lake; others have collapses or
Llashloch is situated at the intersection of two
blockages triggered by intersecting with other
glacial fissures in the approximate shape of a
tunnels. Since they never use the same tunnel
flexed forearm. Subterranean volcanic activity
twice, however, these areas are popular
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heats the water in this ancient crevasse; its tepid
locations for wildlife to lair. In addition to
waters carry amorphous ice floes in a slow
mundane arctic creatures, ice toads commonly
dance across the lakes surface. Propelled by the
make nests in the submerged tunnels and caves
wind above and convective currents below, the
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left behind by the frost salamanders while snow
shapes of these floating hunks of ice are in
cloakers lurk in the passages most traveled by
constant flux as their bottoms melt and water
other creatures. These arctic cousins of the
washed atop them freezes. As may be expected,
Underdark ambusher have inspired speculation
this location is home to more wildlife than
that some of these tunnels lead all the way to
much of the rest of the glacier. In addition to
the Buried Realms. When not clinging to icy
mundane fish and aquatic life, arctic hot springs
ceilings awaiting an easy meal, they can be seen
such as Llashloch are known for attracting frost
e gliding over the lake with surprising grace,
salamanders from the Frostfell; these massive
scanning the water below for easy prey to
elemental creatures have a hunger for heat
snatch up mid-flight.
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46
The Maelstrom The Rift of Stars
Just north of the Ice Wall, the glacial wall that The windswept surface of the High Ice is filled
separates the High Ice from the Plain of with crevasses, rifts and valleys where the
Standing Stones, there is a natural formation of glacier has sheared. Unlike the hidden valleys in
mountains that forms a crescent miles across the Plain of Standing Stones, where such places
where the prevailing winds catch and form a can harbor life and provide food and shelter,
natural, unending cyclone. In the center of this those north of the Ice Wall are generally as
vortex, carved out of the glacier itself, is the lair barren and inhospitable as the rest of the
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of an ancient white dragon who has lorded over glacier. While the Rift of Stars is no exception
the mountains for centuries. The presence of in that regard, it draws more attention than any
younger white dragons in the High Ice that fly place in the High Ice by providing a different
unmolested has fueled speculation that they are motivation: wealth. Believed by some sages to
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this dragon's progeny, and therefore that the have at some point been the source of the River
dragon is female, but its name is unknown; the of Gems, the icy walls of this crevasse are lined
hobgoblins of the northern Plain know it only with valuable gems and minerals. A merchant
as the Bane of the Northwind. The only small who survives a trip here and returns home
comfort to lesser creatures inhabiting the safely will have enough wealth to last them a
nearby mountains is the relative scarcity with lifetime. Unfortunately for prospectors, the
which it hunts; years have passed between its e relative regularity with which caravans attempt
flights. When it does take to the air, however, the trek to this rift has not gone unnoticed by
it is unmistakable; with beats of its enormous the native denizens of the High Ice. Winter
mighty wings, it weaves southward through the wolves, yetis, and other arctic predators keep
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mountains with terrifying speed in search of their eyes on the Rift of Stars whenever a
potential prey. If it fails to find enough game to mining team shows up, biding their time until
satiate its appetite before reaching the Ice Wall, they can strike with the greatest advantage.
it continues its furious hunt southward to the Many miners whose eyes were affixed to the
Plain of Standing Stones. Stories passed down gems before them did not notice their attacker
among the hobgoblins there say that the ancient sneaking up from behind until it was too late.
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wyrm has defeated and consumed entire

banners in its ravenous frenzies. Some
hobgoblins in the northern Plain believe that,
when Maglubiyet calls for them to form a host,
they will march northward to capture the
Maelstrom, ending the reign of the dragon once
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and for all.
47
The Smokeholes In spite of the danger, a number of
adventuring expeditions have attempted to map
and explore the Caverns of Burning Ice; in these
In a remote reach of the northern wastelands,
caverns, or perhaps in caverns deep below the
there are a number of great holes that penetrate
surface to which they may connect, there is
deep into the earth, constantly spewing an acrid
believed to be wealth of incalculable value
mixture of water vapor, smoke, and sulfurous
waiting for those brave and hardy enough to
gases into the frigid skies above the High Ice.
find it. While many rumors have been spread
Fueled by subterranean volcanic activity, these
and theories devised regarding the true
shafts, known as the Smokeholes, are believed
contents of the Caverns, the one that has drawn
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to penetrate all the way to the bottom of the
the majority of adventurers to the Smokeholes
great glacier, but few living creatures can attest
is that the ruins of an ancient Ostorian city that
to such claims; the Smokeholes are fraught with
fell in the Thousand Year War eons ago lie
peril. In addition to the toxic gases and extreme
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buried deep within the ice, and that the volcanic
heat that characterize the environs of the
activity responsible for the Smokeholes is
Smokeholes, elemental creatures of fire and ice
connected to a fire giant forge built in the heart
clash here in perpetuity. Salamanders from the
of an active volcano.
Plane of Fire and the Frostfell want nothing
more than to consume each other, creating
networks of tunnels that spiral toward each
other as they hunt until they finally meet and
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engage in combat to the death, and the jets of
volcanic gases that spew upward in foul
eruptions can carry scores of smoke mephits
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with them. The tunnels carved out by the
salamanders, which circle and intersect with the
Smokeholes in their spirographic paths, have
been dubbed by explorers the Caverns of
Burning Ice for the elementals who made them.
Fortunately for those brave or foolish to seek
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out the Smokeholes, finding them is not hard

for those who can survive in the High Ice to
begin with. The frequent plumes of smoke and
water vapor freeze into icy clouds almost
immediately upon leaving the ground, causing
wispy trails to appear in the otherwise clear
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skies. Once one finds these cloudy trails,

reaching the Smokeholes is purely a matter of
surviving the trek through the arctic waste for
long enough to reach the trails' source.
48
The Buried Realms: The Underdark of Anauroch
Unlike many regions of Faerûn, where the Araumycos
Underdark and surface civilizations have
developed independently, the histories of the of Araumycos is the name given to a massive,
the surface world of Anauroch and of the kingdom-sized fungal growth in the Underdark.
Buried Realms have been inexorably linked One-hundred years ago, it was mostly confined
since ancient times when the war between the to the caverns deep below the High Forest;
phaerimm and the sarrukh lead to the latter's since then, it has expanded to the point where
downfall. Since then, the phaerimm have also its northeastern reaches stretch into the
western Buried Realms. Its origins are
e
enslaved most of the civilizations of the Buried
Realms and precipitated the collapse of the unknown; some point to an illithid experiment
Netherese empire with their Lifedrain ritual. In gone wrong, while others point to some
the Upperdark, they conquered the mighty otherworldly evil made manifest by a powerful
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beholder nation of Xun'Qoroth by enthralling ritual or a monstrosity gated in from the Far
key leaders, leaving most of the inhabitants Realm. Whatever the case, it is colossal in size
none the wiser. Not all of the history of the and wields powerful psionic abilities. It
Buried Realms is tied to the phaerimm, apparently lacks the intelligence or ambition for
however; the dwarven kingdom of Tethyamar aggressive expansion, as it only seems to
was once a prosperous, sprawling system of exercise its psionic powers as a reaction to
tunnels home to clans spanning many e being attacked or crushed by a collapsing
generations until orc, goblin, and demon hordes cavern. Its size and power wax and wane with
conquered it in 1104 DR. The asabi, a reptilian time; in times of expansion, it assimilates any
race created by the sarrukh, still live throughout dens, towns, or even entire cities unfortunate
enough to be in Araumycos' path, the ruins of
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the Buried Realms either in service to the lich
kings of Oreme, in the thrall of the phaerimm, which are revealed when the massive fungus
or as independent companies. Finally, a recedes. Such sites are promptly raided by any
mysterious, ancient race known to most as city or kingdom near enough to send an
Tomb Tappers occasionally emerges from the expedition. As it stands, it is the largest it has
Lowerdark in search of magical items, though ever been in recorded history; its northeastward
m
they are never seen using such items expansion has consumed the ruins of Ched
themselves. Some sages suspect that they are Nassad, a drow city that fell to a duergar
hoarding these items in a great subterranean invasion, and Ammarindar, an ancient shield
vault, but all who have set out to find it have dwarf settlement that fell to a demon incursion
failed. centuries ago. After every apex comes
withdrawal, however, and it is only a matter of
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time before Araumycos goes into recession.

Sages everywhere await with eager anticipation
what the great fungus will leave in its wake.
49
Chapter 3 - Geography of Anauroch The Underdark of Anauroch
Ooltul Recently, however, they have found that
they could increase their influence and power
Ooltul is based in an enormous, bell-shaped by broadening their clientele. Their chief trade
cavern with a great pillar of stone in the very good, as before, is information, but they have
center. This pillar extends all the way from the opened their borders to any and all buyers
floor to the ceiling, acting as the cavern's hardy enough to make the journey there. After
primary structural support. A freshwater lake being assigned a value by a beholder known as
surrounds an island at the base of the pillar Irixis the Scorcher Orb, the Triumvirate's
called Zorx, where most business is conducted. master of secrets, information of all sorts can be
Bazaars, shops, and slave traders all have sturdy bought and sold in the markets of Ooltul. Irixis,
e
structures here for engaging in regular like many beholders of the city, is sick of
commerce. Outsiders of all kinds are welcome dealing with the phaerimm and plots against
to visit Ooltul - at least, as welcome a creature them in its old age, hoping to come across some
can be in a city of beholders. All guests bearing
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secret piece of lore or obscure magic which
a proper visiting badge - a large, engraved block could lead to the Triumvirate's ouster. The
of bronze which can be obtained on the phaerimm are loosely aware of this treachery,
outskirts of the settlement - can safely travel but Irixis’ value to them as the broker of secrets
within Zorx. However, those who sneak in or has so far prevented them from taking action.
lose their badges are allowed by law to be In addition to its reputation as a marketplace of
claimed as slaves. Few residences can be found informaton, Ooltul is well-known in the Buried
on Zorx; the beholders live in lairs carved out of
e Realms for having death tyrants for sale.
great stalactites suspended from the cavern Though the cost in gold can rival a king’s
ceiling. Zorx-ka, the name of the great pillar ransom, the phaerimm have reportedly traded
supporting the cavern, is off-limits to guests them for information of exceptional interest to
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altogether. Some nine-hundred feet in the Triumvirate.
diameter, it is here, somewhere within the
serpentine tunnels and shafts carved out of the
stone, where the Triumvirate - the trio of Tethyamar
ancient phaerimm who lord over Ooltul - lives
and plots the future of the city. It is also where Founded in -149 DR, the ancient dwarven city
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they keep their reserve army of death tyrants in of Tethyamar was once the center of a
case of a full-scale invasion or rebellion. prosperous kingdom. The primary wealth of
the settlement was in its great mines where the
This city was conquered centuries ago by the dwarves discovered rich veins of adamantine
Triumvirate: Phindounma the Abominable, and iron ores. However, its success made it an
Scalmarel the Sage, and Ygnaroth the attractive target for invaders; orcs, hobgoblins,
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Necroseer. They did not rule openly at first; for and other raiders were constant thorns in the
a long time, they ruled through intermediaries. dwarves’ sides. Even so, the dwarves toughed it
Today, it is no secret that the phaerimm rule out; at its peak, Tethyamar was trading
Ooltul; though the beholders despise them, they regularly with merchants from Cormyr, Myth
cannot resist the enchantments of the Drannor, and other prominent nations of the
phaerimm well enough to challenge their time. Much of its mineral wealth flowed east to
authority. The only major phaerimm- the Moonsea along the river Tesh where
controlled settlement outside the Sharnwall, its Zhentil Keep would be founded - and with it,
primary purpose to the phaerimm is routing the Zhentarim. It remained an influential
information and goods into and out of the power in the region for more than a
Buried Realms. For most of their rule, the millennium.
Trimuvirate exclusively acted on behalf of their
kin trapped within the Sharnwall.
50
Jealous of the wealth of Tethyamar’s mines, the Thaalud can instinctively locate the
Zhentarim unsuccessfully tried to pressure the entrance, but other creatures must use magic
dwarven kingdom into favorable trade capable of detecting planar portals to locate it.
arrangements by orchestrating attacks on their The interior of this demiplane resembles a
trade caravans. In what would become a chain of floating islands and fortresses in an
characteristic tactic for them in the following endless abyss, though it is finite in size in spite
centuries, the Zhentarim finally managed to of appearances. It is ruled over by an ancient
topple Tethyamar by leveraging the desperation demilich, formerly a powerful Netherese
of others. After scarcity of resources forced a arcanist, who is the undisputed ruler of the
band of goblins, orcs, ogres, and giants out of thaalud.
e
the Goblin Marches, the Zhentarim negotiated
with them in secret, promising to aid them if
they sacked Tethyamar instead of the Moonsea. The Vats
fil
This force laid siege to the dwarven kingdom In the restored lair of an illithid colony that was
for more than decade before a separate force, a overrun by the phaerimm, the enthralled mind
band of orcs and demons led by a powerful orc flayers operate as if little has changed. To an
shaman, made the final push to breach the outsider, there would be few indications that
kingdom’s defenses. In the year 1104 DR, more anything was amiss; the lair still has chambers
than a millennium after its founding, it finally for dissecting and studying captured creatures,
fell. Today, it remains under the rule of the orcs
e slave pens, illithid quarters, and other facilities
who overran it and the Zhentarim who aided common to their colonies. The primary
them. Though all attempts to date to reclaim difference in how the colony is run its purpose;
Tethyamar have failed, the dwarves of the rather than attempting to be self-sufficient or
Moonsea still look forward to a future when independent (both features in opposition to the
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they will take back their kingdom. phaerimm's goals), the main objective is to
produce more illithids for the phaerimm to
enslave. Many of the caverns that make up the
The Tomb Tapper Tomb colony have been converted to tadpole
There is believed to be a great vault in the chambers. The elder brain, which once shaped
m
northern Lowerdark of Anauroch known only the will of the colony, has been permanently
as the Tomb Tapper Tomb; though the thaalud, assimilated into the body of a phaerimm
known colloquially as tomb tappers, clearly do patriarch. The union of the two, now resting in
not call it that, they are said to deposit all of the the pool that once housed the elder brain alone,
magic items they find there. Nobody but the is a hulking mass defying description; slaves
thaalud know how to find this place; contrary who inadvertantly cast gazes on the creature are
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to the popular conception that this is a hidden said to have been driven mad. Appearances
cavern or vault in the Underdark, the Tomb is aside, however, the creature possesses
actually a demiplane, created by Netherese intelligence and psionic powers that rival some
arcanists in the height of their conflict with the demigods and lesser powers. Under the
Phaerimm, whose entrance migrates across the direction of this creature, known only as the
Lowerdark of the Buried Realms. Transcendence, the tadpole chambers churn out
illithids to serve in the legions of the phaerimm.
The Transcendence cannot survive on the
brains of its victims alone as an elder brain can,
however, so sacrifices must be made daily,
dying its briny pool a deep crimson with the
blood of the devoured.
51
Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Sword
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52
Life in the sandy desert of the Sword presents a For instance, if a new customer approached
traveler with a unique set of challenges, so the and presented a gold coin as payment, it would
gear and equipment they craft and carry may be difficult for the merchant to tell if that coin
differ from that available in other regions. had been alloyed with a small percentage of
Wearing heavy armor is almost unheard of in silver, significantly undercutting its apparent
the desert, for instance, while the traditional value. Rather than measuring each coin’s
headwraps and cloaks of the desert are unlikely weight and volume, and thus being able to
to be practical elsewhere. In this chapter, the calculate the relative proportions of gold and
reader will find detailed knowledge of the silver, it is more expedient simply to apply a
mundane, albeit necessary, equipment one premium when dealing with outsiders. While
e
might expect to find in the Sword. such premiums are ultimately at the discretion
of the GM, suggested premiums are 50% the
nominal value for new foreign customers
Coinage
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without a qualifying letter of recommendation
Among the races of the Sword, the D’tarig are (typically by a familiar merchant or customer),
the only ones that place real value in currency. 25% for foreign, regular customers of less than
When the Bedine find coins, they trade them to one year but more than six months, and 10% for
a D’tarig desert walker at the earliest regular customers with more than six months
opportunity in exchange for some object of of business history. The D'tarig are transparent
utility unless they know of an oasis that will
e about the nature of such premiums and are
accept them as an offering. The asabi have a often willing to haggle on the terms of any
similar disposition; to them, coinage is only particular transaction, but they only discuss
worth what can be readily acquired with it, so such details if asked about a perceived
they have no motivation to hoard or save discrepancy in price. In large settlements, there
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money. As a result, a random encounter with is typically a moneychanger who melts down
either Bedine or asabi is unlikely to be foreign coinage to separate it into its
financially rewarding. The D’tarig, on the other constituent metals and remint them into D’tarig
hand, are more than happy to accumulate currency. The expenses associated with this
monetary wealth. Considering the many process account for a part of all applied
premiums. Such moneychangers can often be
m
different peoples they do business with from

either side of the Sword, they cannot afford to contracted by adventurers to convert currency
exclusively accept any particular currency. in anticipation of needing it, typically taking 5%
Rather, they traditionally default to a qualified of the sum as payment. When dealing with
weight conversion system. They assign each other, or anyone else using their native
nominal values to their wares in weights of coinage, the D'tarig do not apply such
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gold, silver, copper, platinum, and electrum, premiums unless they have some other
and charge premiums based on factors such as motivation. They frequently upcharge when
the trustworthiness of the customer, prior dealing with the Zhentarim, other perceived
business history, and allowance for coin enemies, and outsiders who appear to
qualification. condescend to them.
53
Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Sword Coinage
Armor D’tarig Equipment. The D’tarig are stout folk
of diminutive stature; as such, they are rarely
Armor in the Sword is almost exclusively seen sporting a blade any longer than a
classified as light due to the intense physical shortsword, and they prefer short javelins and
exertion required of any physical activity in the crossbows for ranged combat and hunting.
desert. When even caravanners riding on When they do wield swords, they are typically
camels must worry about heat exhaustion, the the same scimitars that are characteristic of the
notion of wearing medium or heavy armor is Bedine. They are known to apply poisons to
laughable to the natives. The Bedine the tips of their crossbow bolts and javelins
traditionally fashion armor from the tanned when they hunt, though they are unlikely to
e
hides of their fallen camels, though the sheikh reapply a poison in the heat of battle.
of any particular tribe is likely to be wearing
armor crafted from the hide of something Asabi Equipment. The asabi almost
tougher. The armor of a sheikh is often seen as
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exclusively scavenge; the primary exception is
a symbol of their tribe’s might; were two tribes that, when hired as mercenaries, they
to come into conflict, the one whose sheikh frequently demand that their employer to
sports armor crafted from the skin of a basilisk provide them with a cache of weapons, armor,
or dragonne will command more respect than or other supplies as an advance payment.
one sporting camel leather. The asabi have the While they do have the ability to form crude
ability to form basic metal goods in their more metal weapons, the craftsmanship of asabi
permanent underground desmenses and are e metalwork is generally inferior to that of the
skilled at crafting small items from bone, so D’tarig and other Underdark races, and most
they may be found wearing studded leather or tribes have killed enough other creatures that
splint mail, but most prefer to rely on their they can forego crafting their own. They are
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natural scaly hides than wear any armor at all. skilled at crafting items from bone, however,
The D’tarig, who migrate much less frequently and frequently craft arrowheads, daggers, and
than the Bedine, usually have semi-permanent hooks for fishing in underground rivers from
tanneries for refining camel hide, so their the bones of their fallen enemies. For ranged
armor more closely resembles the leather armor combat, they usually use crude shortbows, but
encountered in the rest of Faerûn. they observe the same preference for melee
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combat as the Bedine when above ground.

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54
Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Sword Armor
Weapons Apparel
Most cultures in the Sword have distinct Similar to the armor worn by the folk residing
weapons of choice, but there is variation in all in and around the Sword, light is right when it
things. The Bedine traditionally wield scimitars comes to clothing. Almost all Bedine wear
and short, curved daggers for parrying. They cloaks of some kind to cover their bodies, and
lack the metalworking prowess to manufacture though burnooses (traditional hooded cloaks)
their own blades, so they mostly rely on using and turbans are worn by some Bedine, keffiyehs
those claimed from fallen enemies and bartering (headscarves held on by a cloth band) with
with the D’tarig, exchanging coffee beans and hoodless cloaks are the chosen outfits of most
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exotic resins harvested from desert palms and Bedine tribesmen. Most tribes have a distinct
bushes near oases for new swords. In terms of symbol or pattern which they stain into their
fighting style, they prefer to swarm their enemy keffiyehs using a process in which a negative
as quickly as possible, often doing so on image is masked using wax before soaking the
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camelback. Though they do frequently have cloth in dye.
bows crafted from the wood of trees found at
oases, they are loathe to rely on them in battle. Most D’tarig wear white burnooses and
To reduce physical exhaustion, they usually do turbans and feel less inclined to adorn their
battle at night, so visibility during battle is clothing with tribal patterns. While those
usually poor. That, in combination with the prejudiced towards the D’tarig cast this as a sign
strong winds that are so prevalent in the Sword,
e of greed, as dyes of good quality can be
makes ranged combat unreliable in war. More expensive, it really comes down to the fact that
often, bows are used for hunting flying D’tarig's and the Bedine's cultural needs are
creatures that cannot be fought on the ground. quite different; the relatively peaceful and
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Spears are the other common melee weapon of conflict-averse D’tarig rarely need to be able to
the Bedine, as they are frequently the best tell friend from foe by the sheer glance of a
option for bringing down a mounted foe from headwrap while the Bedine rely heavily on such
the ground. identifiers in the heat of battle. Asabi generally
do not wear clothing unless it is a component of
armor (e.g. cloth padding on ring mail) or some
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mystical ornament worn by a seer.

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55
Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Sword Weapons & Apparel
Travel Traveling light means forgoing some of the
luxuries that adventurers take for granted in
The D'tarig adhere to three axioms of good more temperate climes. In general, D'tarig
practice when planning an expedition into the caravanners carry little more than a single spare
Sword: travel mounted, travel healthy, and change of clothing, a waterskin, rations, a thin
travel light. Traveling in the desert is bedroll, and a few personal effects. Having
intrinsically hazardous and taxing on the body, access to small farms and agriculture, the
so experienced travelers of the Sword rarely set D'tarig typically pack rations consisting of
out into the desert unmounted. Camels are the salted meats, hard cheeses, and salty, tacky
ride of choice across the board; when it comes breads. At oases, members of a caravan refill
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to price, hardiness, resource consumption, and their waterskins and harvest whatever food is
friendliness - as long as they are well-trained, of available; common foodstuffs taken from oases
course - they are the best choice for nearly all include nuts, berries, and fruit chips: thin slices
who travel the desert. Most caravans consist
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of fresh fruit dried in the hot sun for
entirely of people mounted on camels and preservation. If an oasis has native wildlife,
people on foot leading pack camels. As a travelers sometimes make jerky from hunted
caravan grows in size, it is likely to upgrade game by drying thin strips of fresh meat in the
from lone camels to camel-drawn skiffs and sun with a pinch of salt. A designated pack
sleds. These vehicles significantly sacrifice camel or two typically carries enough mundane
maneuverability to increase carrying capacity, gear such as rope, tools, and light cookware to
so they are not taken along routes where large
e supply the entire caravan, so travelers rarely
slopes cannot be avoided, but they have proven pack their own. Caravanners who are trained
highly effective when crossing flats. In caravans in the arts of war typically carry their weapon of
where there are more people than available choice and a light backup weapon such as a
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seats, the people who walk are frequently dagger, club, or sickle, but no more; those who
rotated to keep everybody in good health. are not trained to fight typically carry a dagger
While sick or injured travelers can be a liability as a precaution, but nothing else. If a
in any ordinary expedition, those ailments can caravanner fights with a shield, they rarely carry
easily turn fatal in the unrelenting heat of the anything larger than a buckler while in the
desert. Unless at an oasis, fresh water often desert, both due to the lighter nature of the
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cannot be spared to thoroughly clean wounds, shield and because most desert combatants
and the fatigue borne of illness is utterly prefer melee combat to ranged combat.
crippling. Essentially, every item carried needs to be
justified; wasting precious carrying capacity
with unnecessary gear is a mark of
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inexperience, and nothing labels a desert

traveler as a newcomer quite like loading a
camel with one-hundred pounds of extra
weapons "just in case." D'tarig merchants who
observe such behavior usually assume that the
offender is either stupid or exorbitantly
wealthy, and therefore have few qualms with
charging a premium for any goods or services
requested.
56
Chapter 4 - Equipment in the Sword Travel
The Bedine, while they have no such Caravans featuring wizards and other
formalism as the D'tarig's three axioms, spellcasters sometimes employ arcane tactics to
essentially observe the same habits as D'tarig ease the journey across the desert. Tenser’s
caravanners. They place the same emphasis on floating disc spells are often used to lighten the
avoiding overexertion, almost exclusively camels’ loads when crossing treacherous terrain;
traveling and fighting on the backs of camels, illusionists utilize major image spells that cast
and they discard or leave behind items from shadows from the desert sun that follow the
fallen foes which they cannot justify taking with caravan; and Leomund’s tiny hut spells provide
them. One notable difference, however, is that respite from harsh sandstorms. An experienced
the Bedine do not have the luxury of choosing wizard can ease many of the pains that make
e
to delay or cancel an expedition due to injury or journeying through the desert so fraught with
illness; while the D'tarig are generally able to peril. Unfortunately for the good folk of the
ensure that, at least as the caravan leaves, Sword, however, nearly every wizard offering
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everyone is in good health, the Bedine must their services to caravans belongs to the
press on in sickness as well as in health. While Zhentarim. They may be willing to hire
Bedine mates have been trained by their themselves out to non-Zhentarim, but they are
ancestors which herbs can be harvested from known for shifting their loyalties when it
oases to help wounds heal and how to prepare benefits them. Most D’tarig caravanners are
poultices and other simple remedies, the only experienced enough on their own that they will
hope for healing grievous injuries is often the
e forego arcane assistance altogether in exchange
blessing of an oasis' guardian spirit. After major for peace of mind.
battles, a tribe may need to rest at an oasis for a
week or more to fully recover.
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57
Chapter 5 - Making Anauroch your Own
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58
The great sand sea is vast indeed, and no book Where Are They Found?
could possibly catalogue all of its wonders. This
chapter contains guidelines and Though natural springs can be found anywhere
recommendations for creating locations, non- in Anauroch, oases as described here only exist
player characters and adventures for use in in the Sword. That said, within the bounds of
Faerûn's largest desert. the Sword, there are few limitations on where
they can be found. There are certain areas, such
as At'ar's Looking Glass, where finding one
Custom Locations would be exceptionally unlikely, and they
should not be so common that a party of
e
The prior chapters describe a wide variety of adventurers can wander into the Sword and
locations, but what if none of them perfectly fit reliably find one without a guide. Beyond those
your needs as a dungeon master? What if your limitations, however, an oasis can be found just
adventure requires them to pass through a about anywhere in the Sword.
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region where the map shows nothing? In some
cases, simply altering a location could be
enough - how do your players know that Who Lives There?
Elah'zad is not in the Quarter of Emptiness? -
but just as likely, you will want to create a new This question can largely be divided into two
location altogether. The guidelines below parts: what beasts, humanoids, and other mortal
provide insight into how to create unique creatures live there, and what is the nature of
the oasis' guardian spirit. Answering the latter
locations consistent with the cultures and
creatures described in previous chapters.
Oases
e question first will make it easier to answer the
former.
The power of an oasis' guardian spirit is
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directly correlated with the amount of traffic
Oases, as previously discussed, are the backbone and praise it gets from the Bedine and other
of life above ground in the Sword. They are desert travelers. They are broadly classified as
often the only places where certain exotic major and minor oases based on whether or not
spices, herbs, and resins native to Anauroch can they have accumulated enough influence and
be found, and both the Bedine and the praise for the spirit to gain sentience. In either
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Zhentarim rely upon them for sustenance. No case, the spirits have a supernatural awareness
adventure in the Sword is likely to last long of the area within a radius of several miles, and
before visiting an oasis. can communicate with any creature in this area
via telepathy if it is not shielded from divination
magic. If a guardian spirit is not sentient, it
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communicates purely in simple ideas, like relief,

rest, or shelter.
59
Minor Oases Major Oases
While there are some oases which are truly no Unlike the guardian spirits of minor oases,
more than natural springs, nearly all oases in which are rarely inclined (or able) to withhold
the Sword get enough Bedine traffic that they their boons, the guardian spirits of major oases
have at least a small amount of magical potency. tend to be very judicious with regards to those
These minor oases have guardian spirits that they aid. Some guardian spirits demand a
are closer in temperament to beasts than more sacrifice of some sort to gain their favor before
intelligent creatures, and are almost universally they are willing to grant travelers a boon; oases
helpful to those who do not act against them. guarded by such spirits may have crystal-clear
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They typically have one or several properties water resting in a basin lined with coins and
from the table below. gems, the collected offerings of generations of
travelers, and woe is the adventurer who
MINOR OASIS FEATURES
offends the guardian by attempting to abscond
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D10 Feature with this wealth. In other cases, the guardian
Boun�ful. Plant life here produces three �mes the normal spirit might bestow a boon upon adventurers or
volume of fruit or berries, though said fruit is not in any way
1
magical. Addi�onally, resins collected from trees accumulate Bedine tribesmen as a reward for, or in
three �mes more rapidly than normal. anticipation of, embarking on a perilous quest
Caching. At the will of the guardian spirit, a creature may
enter the oasis and bury an item in the sand at the bo�om of in pursuance of the spirit’s wishes or in its oasis'
its pool without risk of suffoca�on or �ring. Once hiding an
2
item in such a way, the oasis can prevent other creatures defense. A party that drives off a raiding party
from swimming to retrieve the item by genera�ng powerful
water currents.
e that intended to poison an oasis will almost
certainly earn the blessing of its guardian spirit,
Cleansing. Regardless of how many creatures bathe or how as will one that agrees to retrieve a palm sapling
3 much equipment is cleaned in this oasis, the water remains
crystal clear. stolen by the Zhentarim for alchemical
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Comfortable. Regardless of whether or not there is natural
experiments. Guardian spirits have also been
shade, as from trees or rock forma�ons, the air is always known to grant their boons to benefit creatures
4 pleasant and the sun does not burn. Creatures here cannot
suffer from heat exhaus�on in the day�me or from who are not even necessarily aware of the spirit
hypothermia at night.
Cura�ve. A creature suffering from one or more nonmagical
if they believe that aiding such creatures is in
diseases or poisons who drinks at this oasis is cured of one
such ailment. A creature cannot benefit from this feature
the interest of protecting their oasis.
more than once in a 24-hour period. Water removed from Major oases tend to have one or more of the
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5 this oasis loses its potency a�er one hour, but a creature who
has the ability to cra� holy water, or who has an herbalism kit following properties. Those with truly
and is proficient with it, can spend one hour with the water in
this oasis to cra� one dose of medicine that replicates this monumental followings may have as many as
feature. three or four of these properties, though any
Fer�le. Any nonmagical seed, sapling, or other infan�le plant oasis whose guardian spirit has awakened to
can grow and flourish at this oasis regardless of its typical
6
environmental requirements, though the season during which sentience - the primary distinction between
they bloom or produce fruit (if any) is unchanged. major and minor oases - has at least one.
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Relaxing. A creature can take a long rest here while remaining

Additionally, most major oases have between
7 fully conscious and alert as long as they do not undergo any three and five properties from Major Oasis
strenuous or mentally taxing ac�vity.
Features table.
Rejuvena�ng. The water at this oasis is especially relieving.
8 Taking a long rest at this oasis a�er consuming at least one
handful of its water removes one more level of exhaus�on
than normal.
Restora�ve. One handful of water at this oasis restores 2d4 +
2 hit points. Creatures who benefit from this feature must
9 wait one hour before benefi�ng from this feature again.
Addi�onally, creatures who have suffered a serious injury,
such as a broken bone, recover from one such injury for each
day they rest at this oasis.
Succulent. The fruit or berries growing at this oasis are
especially nourishing. Consuming one fruit or berry restores
10 1 hit point and sa�sfies the daily nutri�onal needs for a single
creature. A berry taken from this oasis loses its potency a�er
24 hours.
60
MAJOR OASIS FEATURES
D10 Feature
1 Transpor�ng. The guardian spirit can cast the transport via plants spell three �mes per day. The des�na�on should be a place
where the oasis's followers have been, such as a major trade hub, another oasis, or a dis�nct natural feature.
Reviving. At the will of the guardian spirit, if the body of a creature who has died within the past 48 hours is submerged in this
oasis, it is restored to life with 1 hit point and is unconscious as long as its soul is able and willing. Le� alone, they will awaken
2 1d4 hours a�er being submerged. Any physical deformi�es such as broken or severed limbs are not healed; a corpse missing a
body part cri�cal to sustaining life cannot benefit from this feature. The guardian spirit may only exercise this feature five �mes
per day.
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For�fying. The guardian spirit of this oasis can cast the heal spell at will, targe�ng any creature it can sense and ignoring the
3 normal range requirements. Once a creature has benefi�ed from this feature, it cannot do so again for 24 hours. Addi�onally,
the guardian spirit can choose to grant 25 temporary hit points to any creature who completes a short or long rest at its oasis.
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4 Invigora�ng. The guardian spirit of this oasis can cast the heroes’ feast spell once per day. The feast is cons�tuted by the local
fauna suddenly becoming overgrown with massive fruit and small, natural springs forming pools of wine.
Sanctuary. The guardian spirit may grant one or more creatures the ability to cast the word of recall spell without consuming a
5 spell slot at a future �me with this oasis as the designated sanctuary. It may choose to bestow this benefit on a creature mul�ple
�mes, but not more than once in the same day.
Blessing. The guardian spirit may grant up to ten creatures a blessing as exemplified in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Unless the
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creatures seeking to gain this benefit have performed some daun�ng task in defense of or at the request of the guardian spirit,
6 these blessings are typically temporary. Blessings typically grant the benefactor an increase in a par�cular ability score, a bonus
to AC, or the benefit of a specific magic item. A creature cannot gain more than one permanent benefit from this feature from this
guardian spirit.
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Concealing. The guardian spirit may choose to enshroud a creature at this oasis within a veil of illusion magic such that other
creatures cannot detect it. It may do so to mul�ple creatures, and may do so in such a way that some creatures can detect some
other creatures. For instance, it is en�rely possible for two adventuring par�es to be present at such an oasis without the
7 knowledge of each other’s presence. A creature with truesight can see through this effect, revealing shrouded creatures as
ghostly projec�ons, but cannot interact with revealed creatures in any way except for telepathy and cannot target them with
spells, a�acks, or other abili�es. The guardian spirit can choose to change the targets of this effect at any �me, either by
enshrouding new creatures, revealing previously shrouded creatures, or changing which shrouded creatures another creature can
see.
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Therepeu�c. The guardian spirit can choose to relieve a creature's anguish. When a creature spends a long rest at this oasis, its
dreams are filled with visions and wisdom. Upon finishing this long rest, it can immediately make a saving throw with advantage
8 to a�empt to end an ongoing magical effect, cure a madness effect, or remedy some other ongoing source of mental plight, even
if the effect normally would not allow the a�empt to be made. If the effect is from a spell, it can be removed by succeeding on a
Wisdom saving throw whose DC is 8 plus the spell’s level. If the effect is a curse, the DC is 11. For a madness effect, the DC is
15. For cases not specified here, the DC is determined by the GM.
Renewing. The guardian spirit can choose to change the body of a willing creature. As the creature wades into the oasis and
submerges itself in its magical waters, it undergoes a transforma�on and emerges in a new form. The creature maintains its
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memories and personality, but its body is altered. The altered body can be of a different playable race, any sex, and up to 1d100
9 years younger or older than the previous body. If it emerges as a new race, it loses all racial benefits of its previous race and gains
those of the new one, including ability score increases. If the age would be beyond the lifespan of the altered body, it is instead
the maximum expected lifespan minus ten years. A creature cannot benefit from this feature more than once per year, and the
guardian spirit cannot grant this effect more than once every ten days. The guardian spirit determines the details of the altered
body, though it can choose to allow the creature to request specific features (e.g. "make me younger," "make me an elf").
Wishing Well. The guardian spirit can choose to replicate the effects of a wish spell with some limita�ons. This effect cannot
alter events that have already happened (i.e. change the past) and cannot use it to affect things which it cannot sense or
10 otherwise know about (e.g. wish to aid or hinder a creature which it is not familiar with). Once the guardian spirit has used this
feature, it cannot do so again un�l the next full moon. Guardian spirits who command this feature rarely admit to it openly,
reserving its use only for the most desperate of situa�ons.
61
Guardian Spirit Manifestation Those that become ubiquitous in the stories
passed down by Bedine tribesmen and in the
The guardian spirit of an oasis can choose to cafes in D'tarig settlements like Addas Babar
manifest physically. The guardian spirits of become elevated to mythic renown. In terms of
minor oases typically take the form of a beast, occurrence, the quantity of guardian spirits
elemental, or monstrosity native to the desert, increases by roughly an order of magnitude for
while those of major oases can take a wider each step down from mythic. That is, for each
variety of forms. Additionally, though an oasis' guardian spirit of mythic renown, there are
classification can change with time as its about ten of iconic renown, about one-hundred
followers increase and decrease in number, a of regional renown, and about one-thousand of
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guardian spirit who has gained sentience never tribal renown. There are only a handful of
loses it. If a manifestation is defeated, it mythic oases in all of the Sword.
explodes in a burst of radiance, leaving nothing
behind, and the spirit cannot manifest for a
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tenday. In both major and minor oases, their
renown among the Bedine (and, to a lesser
degree, the D'tarig) correlates with the
maximum challenge rating and maximum
Intelligence score of their manifestation in
accordance with the following table.
Classifica�on
Minor
Renown
Tribal
CR
3
INT
4
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Minor Regional 6 5
Major Iconic 12 -
Major Mythic 20 -
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An oasis of tribal renown is only celebrated

by a handful of Bedine tribes, while one of
regional renown is likely visited and revered by
ten or more over the course of a year. When a
guardian spirit gains sentience, its powers are
expanded significantly, as are its abilities to
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communicate with those who revere them. As

such, it is typically at this point in a guardian
spirit's ascendance that word of its deeds and
favors to the Bedine people become widespread.
It has become iconic, and other tribes begin to
seek it out for aid in times of need. For varied
reasons, some iconic guardian spirits become
more acclaimed than others.
62
Oasis Wildlife PRIMARY CONSUMER
Oases in the Sword are often teeming with D12 Consumer
wildlife. This is in no small part because many
1 Baboon
oases have some benefit that makes its water or
plant life especially nourishing or otherwise 2 Bat
life-sustaining. When creating an oasis, roll on
3 Camel
the following table to determine what lives
there, or choose which entry or entries seem 4 Gazelle
most appropriate or interesting. As a rule of
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5 Hare
thumb, each oasis has its own microecosystem;
there must be some sort of producer (generally 6 Horse
shrubs and bushes) to support herbivores,
7 Newt
omnivores, and insects, and enough of those to
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support carnivores and insectivores. As such, 8 Oryx
there are likely a variety of producers and
9 Porcupine
insects, but perhaps no more than one or two
types of creatures that feed on them. To create 10 Rat
an oasis randomly, roll 2d4 times on the
11 Scorpion
Producers table, 2d4 times on the Primary
Consumers table, and 1d2 times on the e 12 Tarantula
Secondary Consumers table. For purposes of
these tables, tiny invertebrates such as insects
and arachnids are considered to be primary
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consumers present at most oases. Exotic SECONDARY CONSUMER
creatures are unusual or magical creatures such D12 Consumer
as dragonnes and basilisks.
1 Cat
PRODUCERS 2 Eagle
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D12 Wildlife 3 Giant Bat
1 Acacia Tree 4 Giant Cen�pede
2 Alfalfa 5 Giant Scorpion
3 Arbi 6 Giant Wolf Spider

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4 Caper Plant 7 Hawk
5 Dahlia 8 Hyena
6 Date Palm 9 Jackal
7 Coffee Bush 10 Raven
8 Ghaf Tree 11 Viper
9 Harmal 12 Exo�c
10 Juniper Tree
11 Milkweed
12 Orache
63
Oasis Crops Dens
Some species of desert plants can produce fruit, Relatively speaking, creating a den is simple.
beans, or roots which can be either eaten for Considering that there is typically only one
nourishment or sold to buyers of exotic goods. significant life form present - whatever is
The D'tarig are particularly fond of brewing lairing there - all that must be chosen is the type
drinks from roasted coffee beans. Additionally, and quantity of creature, as well as what sort of
resin can be collected from desert trees by treasure they might be protecting. The tables
etching away the bark. While it can take days or below can be used to randomly generate dens in
weeks for a tree to produce an ounce of sap, all three regions of Anauroch. If the entry
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some is quite valuable. The resin of acacia trees rolled is logically inconsistent with the desired
is a thick substance which can be used in mixing setting - for instance, a dragonne occupying a
paints, sap from date palms is sweet and used in cave far from the mountains - roll again, or
food, and others are used for making incense. choose a more appropriate entry. Similarly,
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make sure to keep the party's level in mind, as
Green Caves and Dens the entries are not intended to pose equal
threats. Due to the fact that dens typically do
Whether found in the shadow of the Scimitar
not connect to the Underdark, it is unlikely -
Spires or beneath an outcropping in the Plain of
though not impossible - that its inhabitants
Standing Stones, caves are popular places to
have been influenced by the phaerimm.
seek shelter from the elements across e
Anauroch. So-called green caves are those that
are full of life, usually requiring some sort of D12 Den: The Sword Quan�ty Treasure
steady water source. Caves without an 1 Asabi 1 Patrol Lesser

abundance of life (funguses, insects, etc) would
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2 Baboon 3d4 Detritus
be more aptly described as dens: places where a
single creature or family of creatures may 3 Basilisk 1d2 Detritus
decide to make their home, but which provide
4 Bedine 1 Patrol Lesser
no sustenance of their own. These are almost
exclusively shallow caves, for deeper caves (at a 5 Dark Naga 1, Minions Greater
m
minimum) tend to house bats or darkmantles

6 Dragonne 1 Detritus
whose guano provides nutrition for insects,
slimes, and other primitive forms of life. 7 Giant Scorpion 1 Detritus
8 Giant Spider 1d4 Detritus
Where Are They Found? 9 Jackal 1d6 Detritus

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Since dens have very loose requirements -

10 Jackalwere 1d4 Lesser
basically, being a shelter large enough for some
sort of creature to lair in - they can be found 11 Lamia 1, Minions Greater
just about anywhere in Anauroch. Green caves,
12 Traveler Special Special
however, require a climate that fosters a wide
variety of lifeforms. As such, these are
primarily found in the Sword and the Plain of
Standing Stones. However, the frigid chills of
the High Ice do not penetrate all the way to the
Underdark; no doubt, there are some cavern
systems originating north of the Ice Wall that,
if one descends far enough into the darkness,
become warm enough for life to thrive.
64
D12
Den: The Plain of the
Quan�ty Treasure
Detritus. The inhabitants of this den have
Standing Stone
little interest in (or lack the ability to
1 Bandit 3d4 Lesser comprehend) the accumulation of wealth. As
2 Basilisk 1d2 Detritus such, the only loot to be found is the discarded
bones and belongings of their past meals. It
3 Chimera 1 Greater
may still contain valuables if the creature was
4 Dark Naga 1, Minions Greater strong enough to defend its lair for a long time
5 Death Dog 1d4 Detritus
or against well-equipped adventurers, however.
6 Dragonne 1 Detritus
Greater. Whatever lives in this den is
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powerful, having amassed substantial wealth in
7 Fomorian 1 Greater some form or another. Such creatures are
8 Giant (Hill) 1 Lesser usually intelligent enough to appreciate its
value, and can sometimes be bargained with if
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9 Giant Spider 1d4 Detritus
the price is right. Consider determining such
10 Hippogriff 1d4 Detritus treasure in advance, as the inhabitants would be
11 Hobgoblin 1 Company Lesser
unlikely to neglect to use powerful magic items
at their disposal if attacked by adventurers; after
12 Jackal 1d6 Detritus
all, a lamia and its minions would probably not
13 Leucro�a 1d4 Detritus allow a cube of force to collect dust during a
e fight, and adding the effects of random treasure
14 Man�core 1d4 Lesser
to an encounter can make it much more
15 Ogre 1d4 Lesser interesting.
16 Saber-Toothed Tiger 1 Detritus Lesser. Whatever lives in this den is
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17 Trap Special Special
probably something powerful enough to have
kept it to themselves for some time, or a
18 Traveler Special Special
transient company or troop of humanoids such
19 Troll 1 Lesser as asabi, Bedine, or hobgoblins. In either case,
there tends to be a significant amount of
20 Wyvern 1 Lesser
treasure in such dens, though not necessarily in
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magic items or coinage; Bedine are likely to

D12 Den: The High Ice Quan�ty Treasure have wealth in the form of exotic herbs or
1 Frost Salamander 1 Detritus
incenses, while asabi might have doses of
poison or finely crafted carvings made from
2 Ice Mephit 2d4 Detritus
bone. Consider determining such treasure in
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3 Ice Toad 1d4 Detritus advance, as the inhabitants would be unlikely to

4 Polar Bear 1 Detritus
neglect to use any magic items at their disposal
if attacked by adventurers; if a bandit chief has a
5 Saber-Toothed Tiger 1 Detritus magic sword, they will certainly use it to defend
6 Snow Cloaker 1 Detritus themselves against intruders.
7 White Dragon Wyrmling 1 Lesser Minions. This creature is typically
accompanied by minions. Consult Appendix A
8 White Pudding 1 Detritus
for information.
9 Winter Wolf 1 Pack Detritus
10 Ye� 1 Pack Lesser
65
Trap. This den has been set up as some Traveler. This den is currently inhabited by
variety of trap to catch unwary travelers off- some creature who is on the move. The GM
guard. Some common general arrangements has a great deal of latitude when choosing a
are described below. traveler. In the Sword, this could be a D'tarig
• Whatever set the trap also lives in this cave. desert walker making his journey into or out of
In this case, the trap is likely something that the desert, a Zhentarim scout or two sent to
its creator is not affected by (e.g. a spider survey the area, or an outcast Bedine witch
and its web) or that is easily avoidable to its trying to escape from their former tribe. In the
creator (e.g. a snare laid by a hunter). Plain of Standing Stones, this might be a
• Whatever set the trap does not live here, but caravan of prospectors hoping to make their
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maintains this den as a trap, visiting once fortune at the River of Gems, a hobgoblin
every day or two to see if it has been sprung. hunter, or a wandering stone giant following a
In such cases, the trap must be able to be vision it had in a dream. Travelers are scarce in
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reset and should be something a creature is the High Ice, but not unheard of. Only the
unlikely to escape from with time. hardiest and most determined creatures test
• The trap is not artificial, but a particularly their mettle against the savage cold of the
treacherous natural hazard such as a narrow northern reaches of Anauroch; while traveler
tunnel which must be navigated prone in non-player characters may be useful or
single-file, or a steep slope which is easy to interesting additions to an adventure there,
fall down and difficult to climb. There may
e encounters with them are unlikely to be
still be a creature who lives here and random.
capitalizes on this trap, perhaps even
increasing its effectiveness (e.g. slicking a
steep, stone slope with oil). Alternatively, a
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flying beast may watch from above, waiting
for the perfect moment to catch its
unwitting prey.
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66
Green Caves D8 Surface Cave Secondary Consumers
Before populating a cave with creatures and 1 Basilisk

encounters, a decision must be made regarding 2 Carrion Crawler
its depth, as the depth of a cave determines how
3 Giant Bat
different its occupants may be than those that
4 Giant Cen�pede
live on the surface nearby. Shallow caves, such
as small alcoves beneath rocky overlooks, 5 Giant Lizard
probably host life very similar to that whatever 6 Giant Poisonous Snake
lives outside. By contrast, deeper caves, such as 7 Giant Wolf Spider
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karsts hollowed out by centuries of flowing
8 Violet Fungus
water, often have microecosystems of their
own. The deepest caves intersect with cavern
D12 Underdark Cave Primary Consumers
systems that go all the way to the Underdark,
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and may be occupied by surface life, Underdark 1 Bat
life, or some mix of the two. For the purposes 2 Blindfish
of the creating a cave, depth is stratified into 3 Crab
surface and Underdark.
4 Darkmantle
As with oases, small insects and arachnids
are assumed to be ubiquitous if insectivores are 5 Frog
listed as inhabitants. Unlike oases, however, e 6 Giant Fire Beetle

most caves which do not connect to the 7 Newt
Underdark, called surface caves in the tables 8 Rat
below, have very similar microecosystems, and
9 Rust Monster
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only differ significantly at the secondary
consumer level. Underdark caves have access to 10 Scorpion
a much wider variety of creatures, as they can 11 S�rge

be home to creatures which could not possibly 12 Tarantula
survive on the surface. To populate a cave
randomly, randomly select 2d4 entries from the
m
Primary Consumers table and 1d4 entries from D12 Underdark Cave Secondary Consumers
the Secondary Consumers table for the 1 Basilisk

appropriate cave depth. 2 Carrion Crawler
3 Cave Fisher
D8 Surface Cave Primary Consumers
4 Cloaker
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1 Bat
5 Giant Bat
2 Crab
6 Giant Cen�pede
3 Giant Fire Beetle
7 Giant Lizard
4 Newt
8 Grell
5 Rat
9 Grick
6 Scorpion
10 Hell Hound
7 Strige
11 Hook Horror
8 Tarantula
12 Piercer
67
Hobgoblin Banners What Does The Land Have To
The closest thing to civilization that can be Offer?
found in the Plain of Standing Stones is the The size of a banner is generally dependent on
loose network of hobgoblin warcamps that can what resources are available. In general, a band
be found at irregular intervals throughout the of hobgoblins establishes its camp in order to
area. These camps vary greatly in size, take advantage of natural resources. For
population, wealth, and disposition towards purposes of generating a banner, these
other camps. Called banners by the hobgoblins, resources are categorized into primary and
they are functionally more like single military secondary resources. Primary resources are
e
units than villages, typically having one captain those which provide access to the basic things
or warlord in charge and as many layers of needed to survive, while secondary resources
intermediate rank between that and soldier as are those which are desirable, but cannot
needed. Small banners may have only a few
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support life on their own. While it is possible
dozen adult soldiers led by a handful of officers for a banner to form its camp in an area rich in
and a single captain. The largest banners have secondary resources and poor in primary ones,
hundreds of soldiers led by scores of officers, a this necessitates that its inhabitants either
council of captains and a single warlord. In venture into the wilderness to forage, or trade
general, a banner can be assumed to have as with another nearby banner to obtain essential
many civilians (including children) as soldiers. supplies.
Larger banners, naturally, require more e To begin generating a banner, the first step
resources and more space, so most banners tend is to determine its natural resources. On the
to be on the small Banner Resource Generation table, roll a d20 to
side. determine how many primary resources are
pl
available and a d10 to determine how many
Where Are They Found? secondary resources are available, then roll on
the Primary Resources and Secondary
Hobgoblin banners can be found just about Resources tables a corresponding number of
anywhere in the Plain of Standing Stones. That times. Do not reroll duplicates; rather, if a
said, care must be taken to ensure that thought particular resource is rolled twice, the area is
m
is given to whether or not other banners live especially rich in that resource. For instance,
nearby and what implications having neighbors rolling the entry for water once may suggest it
may have. If there are no camps for miles in was built around a pool where rainwater
any direction, it may be perfectly believable to collects or where melted snow drains in the
have a hidden valley where a two-hundred- spring thaw, while rolling it twice may suggest
Sa
strong banner has built its camp. However, a natural spring. Explanations of each entry are
putting a smaller, unrelated banner a stone's detailed after the tables. Feel free to change or
throw away may bring up questions. If they are reroll entries if the results are difficult to
on friendly terms, why has the larger banner reconcile.
not assimilated the smaller one to increase the
security of both? If they are feuding, why has
the larger one not conquered the smaller one?
It is by no means impossible for banners to
coexist independently, but consideration should
be given to their exact relationship.
68
D20 Banner Resource Genera�on Defenses. This area is naturally fortified by a
favorable arrangement of cliffs, boulders, water,
01-05 1 Resource
or other natural boundaries. Defending a camp
06-10 2 Resources in an area rich in natural defenses requires half
as many guards on duty as a similarly-sized
11-14 3 Resources
camp without them, freeing up soldiers to hunt,
15-16 4 Resources build, or tend to other duties around the camp.
17-18 5 Resources Food. This area is rich in harvestable plants
and wildlife. The form this takes is likely
e
19-20 6 Resources
dependent on other features. If this camp is
also near a body of water, it may be in the form
of fish and shellfish. If it is near a cavern or
D4 Primary Resources
tunnel system, perhaps it is green, sporting
fil
1 Defenses plant and animal life (see Green Caves above).
2 Food Gem Deposits. A wealth of precious gems,
such as diamonds, rubies, or emeralds, can be
3 Shelter
found in this area. A character with a mining
4 Water pick or other suitable tool who spends one hour
attempting to harvest gems can extract 10d20
gp worth of gems. A character who has
D10
1
Secondary Resources
Arcane
e proficiency with this tool can extract three
times this amount. The GM chooses whether
this wealth is comprised of a few very valuable
pl
2 Gem Deposits gems or many of lesser value.
3 Ore, Copper Ore, Copper. Copper ore veins are present
either in or very near this camp. This workable
4 Ore, Iron
metal is ill-suited for weapons and armor on its
5 Ore, Pot Metals own, but it can be formed into common metal
m
goods, such as cookware, as well as melted into

6 Precious Metals
currency if the camp is nearby others willing to
7 Quarry trade for it. Additionally, it can be alloyed with
8 Structure
pot metals such as zinc and tin to produce
bronze, a low-melting-point metal which can
9 Wildlife be cast into weapons or incorporated into
Sa
10 Wood
composite armors, such as splint and scale
mails.
Ore, Iron. Provided that the facilities to
Arcane. There is something supernatural smelt and forge it are available, iron and steel
that makes this location especially desirable. are the favored metals for weapons and armor
Perhaps an earth node, a small area which lies across most of Faerûn. However, it requires
tangent to the Elemental Plane of Earth, was permanent facilities that some hobgoblin
found and leveraged by a powerful hobgoblin banners lack the means to build and the
evoker, or there is an abundance of chardalyn expertise to operate. As such, if a small banner
available. Consult the table below or come up comes across a rich vein of iron ore, they are
with your own. more likely to license its exploitation to another
banner in exchange for worked goods than to
make use of it themselves.
69
Ore, Pot Metal. Pot metal is a broad term Structure. Some structure that has survived
referring to soft, low-melting-point white generations of erosion has been discovered by
metals such as zinc and tin. Due to their low wandering hobgoblins. It could be something
melting points, it is not difficult to extract them mundane, though robust, such as an abandoned
from ore without complex facilities. These bridge, keep, mine, or castle. However, it could
metals, while unsuitable for weaponry and not also be something far from ordinary, such as a
valuable on their own, are easy to cast into fallen cloud giant palace, crashed spelljamming
general goods such as cookware. More ship, or abandoned wizard tower. This
importantly, they can be alloyed with copper to structure may shape how the banner gains
make bronze, which is much more suitable for influence. A hobgoblin banner that has
e
weapons and armor (see Ore, Copper). centered itself on an ancient, though usable
bridge, may spend time trying to repair it and
Precious Metals. Precious metals are those form roads on either side such that they may
fil
most commonly associated with coinage and charge tolls.
wealth. Gold, silver, platinum, and electrum (a
naturally-occurring alloy of gold and silver) are Water. This is the most basic need that all
the most common examples. Other exotic banners must either have at their own camp or
materials, such as mithral and adamantine, also have access to nearby. It could take the form of
fall under this category. Except for those which a river, a pond, a freshwater spring, or any
can be used to make weapons, precious metals number of natural bodies of water. There are a
number of banners camped on the River of
e
are typically only as valuable as what they can
be traded for. As such, most hobgoblin tribes in
the Plain would eagerly trade a vein of gold for
a vein of iron.
Gems.
Wildlife. Not to be mistaken with food, this
pl
resource refers to some aspect of local wildlife
that provides utility for reasons beyond (or at
Quarry. While no area of the Plain is poor least in addition to) consumption. A cave might
in stone, some areas are more conducive to be a natural nesting ground for giant lizards
mining it than others. Camps made in such which can be tamed as mounts. Another might
areas, provided enough time and tools to be home to a dark naga whose services can be
properly exploit the land, can be fortified with
m
bought with tribute or other goods. A camp

robust stone defenses, tightly controlling might be in the territory of manticores or a red
ground access. In a camp with these defenses, dragon, either of which may be open to
the required number of on-duty guards is only a negotiating an arrangement to benefit both
quarter of that in a camp of similar size without parties. Alternatively, this wildlife may make
them. camping in this area more difficult if conditions
Sa
change.
Shelter. This area has natural features that
provide shelter from the elements. Such Wood. The most common plants in the Plain
features may be as simple as rocky overhangs, of Standing Stones are small, wiry shrubs and
but may be as elaborate as tunnel systems or bushes due to the lack of moisture and rocky
large caves. Consider choosing the type of terrain. While most areas in the Plain are not
shelter to synergize with other available fertile enough to support any but the scrawniest
resources, such as food and water. of trees, some areas (usually ones near a body of
water) are home to small, healthy groves. Some
hobgoblins harvest the trees, using the wood
for building materials, while others use them as
lookout posts to get advanced warning of
approaching enemies or potential game.
70
D10 Arcane Resource Dead Magic Zone. A vestige of the City of
Shade's rituals that once blanketed all of
1 Chardalyn
Anauroch in a dead magic zone, some areas of
2 Dead Magic Zone the Plain of Standing Stones are still isolated
from The Weave. While this would be
3 Elemental Node (Air)
considered to be a problem by many, most
4 Elemental Node (Earth) hobgoblins prefer martial training to wizardry.
As such, making camp in the midst of a dead
5 Haunt
magic zone (assuming they are aware of it) is
often seen as an intrinsic defense against mages,
e
6 Luspeel
forcing any invaders to best them in traditional
7 Portal (Inner Plane)
combat.
8 Portal (Material Echo)
fil
Elemental Node. Points in the Material Plane
9 Portal (Outer Plane)
that closely resemble pure elements sometimes
10 Wild Magic Zone host nodes of elemental power. Of the four
elements, nodes of only two can be found in the
Chardalyn. This brittle, black stone is of Plain. Air nodes can be found near the tops of
little use for items requiring resilience or certain mountains, where crisp, chilly air roars
strength. However, the ancient Netherese e and swirls around the cragged peaks, while
discovered that the material has an affinity for earth nodes may be found in caverns deep
absorbing magic. A spellcaster holding a piece underground. Skilled spellcasters have been
of chardalyn can target the stone with any spell known to harness elemental nodes to augment
with a casting time of one action. Rather than their spells and conjure elemental creatures to
pl
resolving the spell's effects as normal, the magic serve them. While few hobgoblins truly
is stored within the stone. The piece of capitalize on their potential, those who do make
chardalyn must not have a spell already stored their banners all the more difficult to conquer.
within it and be worth at least 20 gp times the
spell slot used, or the spell resolves as if it Haunt. Put simply, this camp is haunted by
targeted or was centered on the caster. Casting something predating the formation of the
m
the spell in this way consumes components as banner. There are many forms such a haunt
normal at the time of casting. At any time in might take, both beneficial and malicious. A
the future, any spellcaster can use the stone to beneficial haunt might be a flameskull guarding
produce the spell's effects. A character aware of a lair of its long-dead master whose loyalty may
the stored spell can use an action on their turn be earned or bought, or the spirit of a fallen
Sa
to crush the stone, at which point the effects of warrior who will fight alongside a captain if
the original spell are resolved immediately as if bested in solo combat. Malicious haunts might
it had been cast that turn. Casting identify on a be vengeful ghosts demanding sacrifices to
piece of chardalyn reveals what spell is stored placate them, or wicked creatures removed here
within it. If a piece of chardalyn with a stored from the Shadowfell by spontaneous, unstable
spell is destroyed either by mistake or by a portals.
creature who does not know what spell is
stored within, it is resolved immediately. The
GM adjudicates the exact outcome, but it
generally targets the nearest creature within
range or the space in which it was destroyed.
Spell save DCs and attack bonuses are those of
the caster who originally stored the spell.
71
Luspeel. Luspeel, also known as lodestone, is Wild Magic Zone. In areas where the Weave
a hard, brittle variety of iron ore that exhibits of Magic has been damaged or altered, magic
magnetic properties. While it can be processed can be unpredictable. No two wild magic zones
to extract the iron within by conventional are alike; some are benign, simply making
means, creatures skilled in the crafting of magical effects sparkle with technicolor flares
enchanted weapons know that luspeel has a and sparks, while others are unstable, causing
natural affinity for magical dweomers. Such a any spell cast within them to unleash a torrent
craftsman who uses iron extracted from luspeel of uncontrollable arcane energy. For the most
by specialized processes in place of conventional part, hobgoblins tend to view such areas as they
metals can craft the enchantment while view dead magic zones in that they are an asset
e
consuming half of the typical time and when defending an area against powerful
resources. spellcasters. Though less reliable than dead
magic zones in thwarting mages, the chaos they
fil
Portal. Portals can take many forms. Natural sow can turn the tide in the favor of the
portals exist to all planes, most frequently disciplined ranks of the hobgoblins.
between the Material Plane and its echoes,
followed by portals between the Material Plane
and the inner planes, and finally by portals How Many Hobgoblins?
between the Material Plane and the outer The number of hobgoblins at a camp tends to
planes. These portals can take a wide variety of
e scale with the amount of resources the area has
appearances; portals between the Material Plane to offer. After determining how many primary
and its echoes, the Feywild and the Shadowfell, and secondary resources a banner has, add those
are typically local to a specific geographic numbers to get a total. Multiply this number by
feature that can be found in both the Material 5d6 to determine the total population of the
pl
Plane and an echo. A ruined tower on the banner. Consider also, however, the balance
Material Plane might correspond to an ancient between primary and secondary resources. A
battlement in the Shadowfell or the court of a banner that has ample access to food and a rich
fey prince. Portals to the inner planes, also vein of ore, but no water, must get water from
known as the elemental planes, most frequently somewhere. Similarly, a banner with access to
occur in places that strongly resemble those
m
food and minerals must still shelter itself from

planes. Natural portals to the plane of fire the elements. Any gap in resources provided by
might exist in the heart of a volcano, while the land must be provided by somebody else -
portals to the plane of water are found in the usually another banner - or foraged for in the
depths of the ocean. In the Plain of Standing surrounding territory which may result in a
Stones, the most common locations for portals smaller population than would be expected.
Sa
to the inner planes are deep underground and

on windswept mountaintops. Natural portals
to the outer planes almost exclusively lead to
Sigil, the City of Doors at the center of the
multiverse. Without the key to such a portal,
which can be something as mundane as a forked
twig or something as esoteric as thinking of a
particular flower with one eye closed, there is
no evidence that a portal exists at all to the
untrained eye. As such, these are the most
likely portals to be overlooked altogether.
72
Optional Rules: The Sword Illusory Shade. Illusion spells capable of
producing visual illusions can potentially be
used to create shade. While most spells do not
At the discretion of the GM, the following rules
have a duration long enough to reduce the
can be implemented to help emphasize the
exhaustion experienced over the course of a
hardship intrinsic to desert travel and to
day, there are exceptions. Major image spells cast
introduce additional challenges to player
at 6th level or higher and mirage arcane spells
characters. The following rules are directly in
are two examples. In such cases, the GM may
line with the guidance listed in Chapter 3 for
allow characters to ignore some aspects of
cultural habits of the D'tarig, Bedine, and the
desert travel (such as the Desert Heat optional
e
Zhentarim, and are intended to reflect the
rule) if the illusion is deemed sufficiently
difficulties of travel and combat in the desert.
powerful.
These rules, if implemented, are intended as
inescapable, but well-understood, difficulties.
fil
Travel By Night. Some characters may wish to
They should be fully explained to characters
avoid the heat of the day by traveling
who do a reasonable amount of research prior
exclusively at night and resting during the day.
to their adventure in the Sword.
Such creatures may ignore the Desert Heat
Desert Heat. The heat of the desert sun optional rule. However, unless they have a
makes wearing armor heavier than leather magical method of staying cool during the day,
unbearable. In addition to the guidance in the
e the desert heat makes it difficult to regain spent
Player's Handbook regarding exhaustion due to energy. All creatures attempting to take a long
travel pace (Chapter 8, "Speed"), a creature who rest in the heat must make a DC 15
wears medium or heavy armor suffers Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they
exhaustion from the heat. After traveling for gain no benefits from the rest and gain one level
pl
one day, a creature wearing medium armor of exhaustion.
suffers one additional level of exhaustion; a
creature wearing heavy armor suffers two.
Desert Wind. Far from any terrain to break
the wind, a constant gale is felt throughout the
m
desert. All ranged weapon attacks made from a

distance of 30 feet or greater are made with
disadvantage.
Light is Right. Bearing the burden of
adventuring gear is exceptionally difficult in the
Sa
Sword. If adhering to the "Lifting and Carrying"

rules outlined in Chapter 7 of the Player's
Handbook, a character traveling while carrying
more than half of its carrying capacity (15 times
the Strength score for most characters) suffers
one level of exhaustion at the end of the day.
This applies to pack animals as well as
characters. Alternatively, if not explicitly
tracking carry weight, all gear beyond a
character's basic needs and magic items must be
carried by a designated pack animal or the
character suffers one level of exhaustion at the
end of the day.
73

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Credits & Bibliography Background Options 18

The Phaerimm 7 Hlaungadath 46

Dungeons & Dragons, updated for fifth edition.

that Netheril soon became home to the most

craftsmanship allowed powerful spellcasters to

throughout the desert: the last vestiges of the

the memory of their accomplishments.

of those who sought refuge with

discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. your choosing decreases by 2.

Common and Asabi. an attack with a melee weapon, it deals an

dastardly schemes. divine favor of sorts, and the blessings of the

nothing for the D'tarig people: an opinion

backup or escape plans in case negotiations go

The only artisinal skill with which the D'tarig

comes to blows. Each side, either in deals with

many tribes view them as the closest thing

Bedine Outcast Moment of Separation

Feature: Bedine Oral

Our raid on an asabi camp was quashed when enemy forces

outcast for feuding with the tribe or practicing

know which way is north and cannot become

I believe that being a desert walker makes me superior to

My child, s�ll young and in the care of my home village, is my

My camel is my dearest friend, and I never go anywhere

I am sweet on a merchant who does business at a trade hub.

My life was saved once by the guidance of an oasis' guardian

5 spirit; that oasis is sacred to me, and I would protect it with

I met an outcast Bedine witch in my travels. Now, my favorite

You have been trained well in the ways of the

journey into the Sword, or before doing

Additionally, you have advantage on

Power. Nothing is more important to me than having the

I have come to respect the asabi tribe I frequently trade with.

it brings are too much for me to discard.

I dislike games of chance; I enjoy scheming in all things, be it

The reflective appearance of the stones

Outsiders, however, would be well-advised

southeastern fringes where it borders on the

archmage for a year and pay for the valuable

the phaerimm have more motivation than ever

learned the true secret guarded at Bhaerlith:

imprisonment spell, causing it to become buried

phaerimm, all memory of the battle was lost.

they can even guide travelers to find them;

eruptions. water. Additionally, it affects any creature

for showing an aptitude for or interest in magic.

their war with the phaerimm eventually led to

caverns where water flows in steady streams.

say that asabi lair below Rasilith; others, that

ritualistic feast, typically followed by an

isolated reaches of the Material Plane such that

hobgoblins were ever called upon to do so, the

arts as the path worthy of the greatest respect.

to use the spelljamming helm - the magical

an experienced pilot and crew capable of

wyrm has defeated and consumed entire

and for all.

out the Smokeholes, finding them is not hard

skies. Once one finds these cloudy trails,

time before Araumycos goes into recession.