Volo's Guide to the Realms

Volo's Student's Guide to

The Forgotten Realms

Overview

Seriously, nobody ever forgets about the Realms. In fact, people don't shut up about them. That's not the point though. The point is, the timeline advanced a hundred years over the fall term, and students went home for winter break to find the whole of reality reshaped. Clerics of Mystra were pretty freaked out, as were people who lived in cities in the Heartlands that used to stand upright without the rubble and stuff.

For those who remained on Faerun, it wasn't a pretty hundred years. The schools in the Interplanar Division wondered why the conference had forsaken them. Unfortunately, PLOT overrides logic, and the ability to use portals to get off plane was shut down until the whole Spellplague thing was over. I (Volo) was lucky to survive only because I was in a meeting with my publishers here in Sigil.

It's a running joke that everybody on Faerun is an epic-level wizard, which is no longer true. The ones who don't teach at Sigil Prep are mostly dead now. Of course, nearly all of them taught at Sigil Prep, so...

Oh, right. Part of Abeir crashed into Toril, and there's all this new geography and stuff. You know, it's not easy to maintain up-to-date travel guides. You try it sometime! Sheesh, I have no idea where Maztica went, okay?

Getting There

Toril rests in a different cosmology than Sigil, and therefore you can't Plane Shift directly, though there are plenty of Portals. If an alternate route is needed, the elemental planes, as well as the Hells and the Abyss co-exist in both the Faerunian cosmos and the one in which Sigil lies.

Division A Schools

Conclave of Silverymoon
     Athletic Nickname: the Avatars
     Colors: Silver, White
     Popular Majors: Wizards, various other arcane classes
     Alignment: Good
     Founded by Alustriel of the Seven Sisters, the Conclave is almost purely a wizard's college. It survived the Spellplague pretty much intact, impressively. Though they are division A sports, they don't have competitive contact sport teams. We play them mostly in chess, golf, tennis, and Wizard Duels. We aren't terribly good at any of them. Boo, Silverymoon!

Students at Silverymoon

Mina (human Warlock-22): Serailye's roommate when she was attending Silverymoon. Mina survived the Spellplague, and is now head of Warlock studies.

Mysk (Eladrin Wizard-25): Onetime head cheerleader at Silverymoon, and chairman of the Secret Meeting of the Head Cheerleaders. Since the Spellplague, she became cheerleading coach, and Dean of Students.

Shadovar Conservatory
     Athletic Nickname: the Shadows
     Colors: Black, darker black
     Popular Majors: Wizard, Fighter, violence.
     Alignment: Evil
     Shadovar is nestled in the floating City of Shade. It not only survived the Spellplague, but thrived. They have an excellent basketball team, and do well in Debate League, but their football team, once miserable, is now major competition for Sigil Prep. For the most part, the school serves as a recruiting ground for the Shades.

Thaymount School of Advanced Arcana
     Athletic Nickname: the Slavers
     Colors: Red and Black
     Popular Majors: Wizards
     Alignment: Evil
     Despite its name, Thaymount has been teaching more than Arcane arts for several generations. It was once primarily a training ground for Red Wizard candidates and their agents. Since the Spellplague, it is mostly a training ground for Dean Szass Tam's minions. Slaves are available at the campus bookstore. Their football team is hard to judge game by game, since it consists of slaves, not students, and every game they lose results in the execution of the worst performers.

Waterdeep U
     Athletic Nickname: Splendors
     Colors: Aqua, Red
     Popular Majors: everything
     Alignment: unaligned
During the 100 year gap, when no one could planar travel properly, several notable families in Waterdeep chipped in, despite the ongoing carnage, to found a school as cosmopolitan as Sigil Prep, where they could dump their kids off. The coup was getting Drizzt Do’Urden as Dean of Schools, and most of the big name Realms personalities who don’t teach at either SP or Silverymoon, teach here. They’ve built a pretty decent track team, and a baseball team that’s pretty much going to beat ours. Still suck at football, though.

Waterdeep U Faculty

Drizzt Do'urden (drow Ranger-15/Fighter-6): One of the most famous celebrities in the Forgotten Realms, sometime baseball umpire, and Dean of Schools at Waterdeep U. He's got a marketing machine that won't quit, and several of the other heroes (and villains) of Faerun are either jealous or rightfully peeved, depending on your viewpoint. Every Drow male who ain't whipped wants to be him. (based on the Forgotten Realms character; property of Wotc)

(Note: The Waterdeep Instititute for Underpowered Races ("The Fighting Urds") was destroyed in the Spellplague, and never rebuilt, since most races refuse to admit they're underpowered now)

Vacation Spots

Lower Gwynneth Island: Surprisingly tropical island in the Moonshaes. Catering to tourists, it has clean, friendly beaches, boardwalk amusement parks, and creepy odd adventuring sites off in the woods.

Restaurants

Grual Hut: One of Shadovar's fine gruel restaurants.

Gruel Shack: Another of Shadovar's fine gruel restaurants.

Mondo Gruel: You know what? None of Shadovar's gruel restaurants are worth a crap.

Shopping

Dougal's Fine Spirits, Wines, and Beers: A liquor shop on Lower Gwynneth Island in the Moonshaes, that is much, much bigger on the inside than the outside.

T'garr Gahtum Import Imporium: Rakshasa-run import store on Lower Gwynneth Island, where they sell exotic Kara-Turan goods, and cursed magic items. He'll tell you what they are once you try them out.

Services

Karkck's Quick & Easy Trapfinding: Situated in an unnamed kobold village, Karkck's is the best source for finding traps in all of the unnamed kobold village.

Notable Inhabitants of Faerun (characters marked with an asterisk were last seen before the 100 year gap, and their current fates are unknown)

Adenn* (human Fighter-6): Local on Lower Gwynneth Island. He fell for a manipulative attempt by Rahariel Goldentree, then a vampire, to attack another adventuring party, themselves on a pointless quest on her behalf. He eventually came to his senses. He thinks himself to be more a ladies' man than he actually is.

Amlaruil* (Elf Aristocrat-13): Queen of Evermeet, met by Xizlqk when he was looking for Mialee, who had left during a group vacation. (based on the Forgotten Realms character; property of WotC)

Beklek Tri'bless* (kobold Commoner-5): A kobold hillbilly who raises hook horrors (not even he is sure why). He was nearly assassinated when he was mistaken for Biklik Tribeless.

Boomer* (aquatic elf Commoner-5): The more obnoxious brother of Dwidt. A surfer from the Moonshae island, Lower Gynneth.

Cham* (aquatic elf Hexblade-5): One of the vacationers from Arlen's Shelf, that many of the PC's met on vacation in the Moonshaes.

Dael* (elf warrior-10): A palace guard at Amlaruil's castle.

Dinsdale* (human Commoner-3): A farmer who built his farm on top of Avalanche Peak. It proved to be a bad idea, and his entire farm, cattle, chickens, and himself included, avalanched down on Biklik.

Donovon* (human Cleric-12): A cleric of Sune on Lower Gwynneth Island, who debated philosophy with Xizlqk.

Dorph* (dwarf Fighter-5): Member of the Order of the Nine Mountains, an adventuring party in Faerun that was manipulated by Rahariel Goldentree.

Dundaror* (Dwarf Wizard-13): Magic shop owner in Sundabar, and a good friend of Storm Silverhand.

Dwidt* (aquatic elf Expert-3): Brother of Boomer, and a surfer from Lower Gwynneth Island in the Moonshaes who tried to steal Amizath and Anissa's purses.

Edair* (halfling rogue-5): Member of the Order of the Nine Mountains, a highly gullible group of adventurers, whom Rahariel sent on a wild goose chase all across Lower Gwynneth Island.

Elminster (human (chosen of Mystra) Wizard-23): The archmage of Faerun, and benefactor of Sigil Prep's library. He does not teach at Sigil Prep, although there are those that simply assume he does, based on his phenomenal reputation, and the fact that all the other major figures of the core worlds do. (based on the Forgotten Realms character; property of WotC)

Emabeth Tri'bless* (kobold Commoner-1): Daughter of Beklek Tri'bless, who has a crush on the "heroic" Biklik Tribeless.

Harrigan* (human Cleric-8): Cleric of Gond, and pilot of a submarine Daveon borrowed during the BombardBall Run, a race across the continent of Faerun.

Hershel* (human Druid-5) and Morrie* (human Druid-5): Two slacker druids from Faerun who decided to live in the Underdark and create new druid spells, which they've proven not too good at.

Hillary* (aquatic elf fighter-3): One of the aquatic vacationers many of the PC's met on a trip to the Moonshaes. She mentioned being interested in attending Sigil Prep, and had a fling with Roxy and Anastacia.

Ixnillth* (mind flayer): An illithid who has infiltrated Evermeet, in an attempt to steal Elven High Magic. He was exposed by Mialee, and presumably executed.

Jarthan Drael* (human werebadger Ranger-8): The leader of a band of lycanthropes who haunt and hunt the woods of the Silver Marches. He thinks raptorans look tasty (based on a character in the Silver Marches sourcebook; property of WotC)

Julia* (human Commoner-3): The female half of a vacationing couple rescued from vampires by Rahariel, Korwan, and Yffub on Lower Gwynneth Island.

Keldin* (human cleric-5): Cleric of Sune, and leader of the Order of the Nine Mountains. He was tricked by Rahariel into a roundabout, pointless adventure, and would likely slay the vampire if he ran into her again.

Klllklkkllk* (mind flayer): The leader of a Faerunian illithid circle planning to steal the secrets of High Magic from Evermeet.

Kri-Kri* (kobold Commoner-2): Receptionist at Karkck's Quick & Easy Trapfinding, in the unnamed kobold village currently ruled by Kreeba. She lives on Spiked Pit Trap Blvd, and has had a brief fling with Biklik.

Lilandra* (elf wizard-5): Member of the Order of the Nine Mountains, and the only one who isn't easily manipulated by cute vampire elves.

Pete* (human Commoner-3): Pete runs a surfboard rental stand on Lower Gwynneth Island. He hates people.

Ringho* (human Expert-5): Crazy castaway Pembe and Krusk found living on the back of a zaratan (island turtle), after he and his mates crashed there, and they left him behind.

Seigfried Despan* (human Warrior-6): Ship's captain from Waterdeep, captain of the Lady of Manners.

the Simbul (human (chosen of Mystra) Sorcerer-20/Archmage-10): One of the famous Seven Sisters of Faerun, notable for not teaching at Sigil Prep. (based on the Forgotten Realms character; property of WotC)

Sorril* (human Commoner-3) and Dinna* (human Commoner-2): A couple vacationing on Lower Gwynneth Island, kidnapped by a passing roc, and saved by the PC's.

Steve* (possibly avatar, possibly Commoner-1): An old hermit who lives on Lower Gwynneth Island in Faerun. He may be the god Bane, an avatar of Bane, a powerful cleric of Bane, or just some nut.

Tag* (merfolk Bard-2): One of the aquatic vacationers to Lower Gwynneth Island, whom Tinya had a vacation fling with.

Tim* (human Commoner-1): A boy from Luskan who had a nice piece of quartz that Biklik's mother stole.

Timamar* (human commoner-6): Serailye's favorite playwrite

Tod* (aquatic elf Fighter-3): One of a group of aquatic elves from the town of Arlen's Shelf, who many of the PC's met on vacation.

Vriana* (merfolk Wizard-5): A mermaid vacationing on Lower Gwynneth at the same time as many of the PC's went there.

Mr. Weller* (human Wizard-8/War Wizard of Cormyr-8): The Truesteels' crotchety next-door neighbor.

Woger* (myconid junior worker): Woger is a wittle myconid who Penembwe met. He wiked the pwetty wady, but was scawed she would eat him.

Organizations on Faerun

Brightwater Goddesses: On the plane of Brightwater, one of the god planes of Faerun, there dwell five utterly frivolous goddesses: Sune, goddess of beauty; Lliira, goddess of joy; Sharess, goddess of pleasure; Tymora, goddess of luck; and Waukeen, goddess of money. As a group, they're one of those exclusive cliques like you see in most high schools, except they're several thousand years old. Don't look a day over twenty-five, though. It's a non-stop party in Brightwater. (Brightwater is now known as The Gates of the Moon; Waukeen moved to The Palace of the Four Suns. Either way, this whole mess is property of WotC).

Order of the Nine Mountains: A Faerunian adventuring party, apparently easily manipulated by cute vampire elves. Probably no longer existent.

Trintar Tribe: A kobold tribe native to the Three Peak Valley near Luskan, in Faerun. The Trintars slaughtered Biklik's tribe for no really good reason. They're particularly aggressive, and the local gnolls and ogres are afraid of them.

Zhentarim Youth: Criminal youth group.

(The Forgetten Realms is property of Wizards of the Coast)

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