IO
seek their fortunes. Some of the exotic plants that grow
only in Chult fetch high prices in mainland markets. Ru-
ined Mezro stands across the sea from Calimshan, wait-
ing for explorers and its displaced people to cleanse the
city of its undead inhabitants and uncover the treasures
that lie hidden there.
Eastward along the Chultan peninsula lie the remains
of Thindol and Samarach. Despite the apparent fall of
both civilizations, Thindol remains infested with yu-
an-ti, while the illusions cloaking Samarach's mountain
passes conceal the activities in that nation.
Dambrath. Situated on a warm plain on the shore of
the Great Sea, Dambrath is ruled by nomadic clans of
human horse riders who revere Silvanus, Malar, and
occasionally Seh1ne. Given the Dambrathans' history
of domination by the Crinti, a ruling caste of half-drow,
it is no surprise that they reserve their greatest hatred
for the drow.
The clans meet twice a year at a sacred site known as
the Hills of the Kings, where dozens of totem sculptures
are preserved. At these gatherings, each clan updates its
totem with an account of its exploits over the previous
seasons. Many Dambrathans seek out lycanthropy as a
means of showing reverence for their favored deity and
honoring their heritage.CHAPTER 1 I WELCOME TO THE REALMSEl/harrow. A blasted near-desert north and east of the
North Wall mountains bordering Halruaa, Elfharrow
isn't a name bestowed by its residents, but rather the
sobriquet that travelers use for this violent region. The
tribes of xenophobic elves that claim this area don't hes-
itate to discourage uninvited guests by any means nec-
essary. A simple group of pilgrims might be scared off
with some arrows, while a band of hunters or explorers
is likely to be killed outright.
Food is sparse in this region, with the forests long since
vanished, and as a result the elves of Elfharrow fiercely
protect the herds of animals they have cultivated. The
elves have no interest in looting the cities of fallen Lapa-
liiya, but neither are they willing to allow "adventurers"
free access to those lands through their territory.
Halruaa. Once believed destroyed in the conflagration
of the Spellplague, Halruaa has largely been restored to
the insular, magic-mighty nation it once was. Because
of the foresight of their divinations, Halruaan wizards
were able to use the raging blue fire that followed Mys-
tra's death to propel their nation safely into the realm of
Toril's twin, Abeir (displacing part of that world into the
Plane of Shadow).
Now that the events of those times have mostly been
undone, the famed Halruaan skyships and waterborne