much of Featherdale for nearly seventy years when the
war came to an end.
Before Netheril claimed Sembia as a vassal state, mer-
cenary work and adventuring were popular livelihoods
among Sembians who didn't have local families to feed.
Those endeavors are even more popular now among
veterans of the war, who are better trained than their
predecessors were. A few of Sembia's less scrupulous
former soldiers have taken to banditry, which offers other
Sembians more opportunities for guard work.
Thay. For centuries one of the greatest concentrations
of magical might in Faerfin, Thay is ruled by the ancient
lich, Szass Tam, and the nation's Council of Zulkirs in
a ruthless magocracy. The council's will is enacted by
regional tharchions and bureaucrats, leaving the ruling
Red Wizards to focus on magical study and more im-
portant arcane matters.
For a time, living mages couldn't hope to advance to
prominence in Thay: Szass Tam promoted undeath as
a means of existence with boundless possibilities, and
held back those who didn't agree with this philosophy.
The recent battles with the demon Eltab, however, have
prompted Szass Tam to loosen this stricture-the living
now have hope of ascending within the Red Wizards,
even if that hope is merely to advance to a high station
within the cadre of Tam's servants.
Thesk. Reminders of the century-old war with the
Tuigan horde remain throughout Thesk, in the many
and varied features of its present-day inhabitants, partic-
ularly the half-ore descendants of the mercenaries who
fought in that great conflict.
Thesk is known to many as the Gateway to the East
because it is the western terminus of the Golden Way,
which runs through the Hordelands and into Kara-Tur.
Because their city is a crossroads of sorts between
Faerfin and the east, it should come as no surprise that
Theskians don't judge outsiders quickly, and don't bris-
tle at visitors who demonstrate strange quirks in speech
or behavior. The people of Thesk trade readily with any
folk, even nearby ores and goblins that are willing to
treat with them peacefully. They aren't fools, however,
and have no patience for violent or raiding humanoids of
all sorts.
Turmish. On the southern shore of the Sea of Fallen
Stars, Turmish is a nation of mercantile cities ruled
by its Assembly of Stars, representatives of each of its
cities in a parliamentary democracy. After being much
diminished by the devastation wrought in this area a
century ago, Turmish is currently enjoying a revival
of its fortunes, as the rising of the waters of the Inner
Sea has returned some of the trade that was lost in the
cataclysm. Turmish is the birthplace of the Emerald En-
clave, which has proudly taken credit for the rebirth of
Turmishan agriculture, the cessation of the great rains
that plagued the region a few years ago, and the resto-
ration of the god Lathander.
Tymanther. In decades past, the land of the drag-
onborn claimed as its territory part of what had been
the vanished nation of Unther. Then Unther suddenly
returned to Faerfin a few years ago and promptly went
to war against Tymanther. The realm has since been
reduced to small tracts mainly along the coast of the
COIN OF THE REALMS
Nearly every major power of FaerOn has its own currency:
coins minted within its borders that represent both its in-
fluence.and material wealth. Most coins of pure composi-
tion and standard weight are accepted at face value across
the continent, though not every city-state or nation bothers
to mint every sort of coin.
Some of the most commonly found, and widely accept-
ed, currency in the Realms is summarized below. Each
grouping is arranged in order of value: copper, silver,
electrum, gold, and (when present) platinum. Most people
across FaerOn refer to coins by whatever name the issuing
government uses, regardless of origin, except for Zhentil
Keep-for some reason, all Zhent coins have unflattering
epithets associated with them.
Arnn: fander, taran, centaur, danter, roldon
Cormyr: thumb, falcon, blue eye, golden lion, tricrown
Sembia: steel pence (an iron coin), hawk, blue eye, noble
Silverymoon: glint, shield, sword, dragon, unicorn
Waterdeep: nib, shard, sambar, dragon, sun
Zhentil Keep: fang ("dung-piece"), talon/naal ("flea-bit"),
tarenth ("hardhammer"), glory ("weeping wolf"),
platinum glory ("flat metal gem")
Silverymoon also mints two special coins: the moon and
the eclipsed moon. The moon is a crescent-shaped, shin-
ing blue coin of electrum, valued at 2 unicorns in Silvery-
moon and nearby settlements, and 1 unicorn everywhere
else. The eclipsed moon stamps an electrum moon with a
darker silver wedge to complete a round coin. It is worth 5
unicorns within the city, but only 2 unicorns elsewhere.
Waterdeep has its own coins. The taol is a square piece
of brass, worth 2 dragons in the city-and virtually worth-
less to anyone not trading with Waterdeep. Most traders
exchange their taols for standard coins before traveling.
The "harbor moon" is a palm-sized crescent of platinum
inset with electrum, and is worth 50 dragons in the city, 30
dragons elsewhere. Its name comes from its common use
in buying large amounts of cargo. Both taols and harbor
moons are pierced to enable the bearer to string multiple
coins together.
Baidu r's Gate sets the standard for minting trade
bars-ingots of metal (usually silver) of an accepted size
and weight used in lieu of great piles of coins or gems for
larger transactions. The most common such trade bar is a
5-pound bar 6 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick,
valued at 25 gp.