Advanced Dun^eonsf/Dragons^** Edition

CAMPAIGN SETTING

Tbeys Gtifoe to the

Fongotten ReaLrasCampaign

Table of ContentsThe Seekers: Who They Are 6

Bublim Barboast 6Esta Starchild 7Furian Arcanus 8Lorrick 9Samkin Silvertooth 10Trothgar 11

The Journey Begins 12On To Neverwinter 18Talk of Evermeet 23Horrors of the High Moor 26A Vision Upon the Hill 28Lost Among the Bones 31In the Forgotten Forest 34Elves of the Greycloaks 37A Tale of Prince Chelimber 46The Pegasus Rider 48Samkin's Past Catches Up 51Strangeness in Cloak Wood 57The Lore of Candlekeep 59

CwedifsOriginal Realms Design: Ed Greenwood

The Annals of the Seekers Design: Anthony HerringAdditional Material: Jeff Grubb, Karen Boomgarden,

Julia Martin, Steven Schend, J. Robert King, Tim BeachEditing: Jonatha Ariadne Caspian

Product Group Manager: Karen BoomgardenCover Art: Larry Elmore

Interior Art: Valerie ValusekCartography: Dennis Kauth

Typesetting: Nancy J. KerkstraProduction: Paul Hanchette

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Barstaag's Revenge 61The Night of Sharp Teeth 67The Black Hood Bandits 71News Spreads to Scornubel 76The Star-Spore 78Empty Purses in High Horn 82A Mystery in Arabel 86A Talk with Mother Lledew 93Taking Ship from Suzail 97Lorrick Takes a Quest 100Farewells in Saerloon 104Thunderholme 106A Tale of Pirates 110Crossar's Tomb 113A Night in Procampur 116News of Impiltur 117A Death in Damara 118Clues From the Past 121At the Shrine 124The Last Hope 126

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and FORGOTTEN REALMSare registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc.All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive

likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.Copyright © 1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights ReserveJ. Printed in U.S.A.

Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwidedistribution rights in the book trade for English language

products of TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the

United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.Any reproduction or other unauthorized use

of the material or artwotk herein is prohibited withoutthe express written permission of TSR, Inc.

ISBN 1-56076-695-6

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147U.S.A.

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TSR Ltd120 Church End

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United Kingdom

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lore'! Welcome to the FORGOTTEN REALMS® World.If you're a newcomer, the dozens of novels and game volumes

may seem daunting. Where do you start reading?Don't worry. Start here!The book in your hands is both an introduction to and refer-

ence for the fantasy world beloved to ADVANCED DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game players. But you don't need to know the game to discoverthe world within these covers—there's no jargon or lengthy statistics here.

Journal entries from the Annals of the Seekers, a half-elf's chronicling of themany exploits of his adventuring company, allow you to explore the Realmsfirsthand. Live their triumphs and dangers! Unravel their mysteries! For thebrave of heart and keen of wit, glory awaits. Safe journey!

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What awe theFcmgotten Realms?

-bme theorists explain dragons and other fantastic occurrences by postulat-'ing parallel worlds. In times past, they believe, travel between mundane

worlds—like our own—and more exotic locales was easy and frequent. But wehave lost contact, and lost the worlds themselves. Lost, or forgotten.

Abeir-Toril, more commonly Toril, is an Earth-sized planet dominated by acontinent in its northern hemisphere. Called Faerun in the west, it is here thatthe Forgotten Realms lie. Although other large landmasses sprawl across Toril'ssurface, and indeed, other civilizations share the continent with Faerun, theseregions are merely rumors and legends to most Realmfolk—perhaps known, butrarely visited. They do not concern us.

TuRn Back to MedieoaL Times

In many ways, the Forgotten Realms are similar to our Earth of the 13th and14th centuries. Until recently, much of the area was wild forests and unsettledgrasslands.

Civilization is still a novelty. The births of the oldest of cities on the InlandSea—even the founding of Waterdeep, now jewel of the North—lie within thememory of some ancient elves in Evermeet. History is young.

Faerun's peoples share the mindsets and advancements of 13th-centuryEarth. City-states are common, and organized nations are rising where wilder-ness is pushed back. Farming and craft-industry skills are widespread. Swordsand heavy metal armor are readily available, and too-often put to use.

Literacy and the quest for knowledge continue to advance civilization. The

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recent innovation of printed hand-bills has trans-formed alley walls in Waterdeep. As markets andresources are discovered, the merchant class grows inboth wealth and power.

Though not as dominant as it was in Europe of thisperiod, faith is a major force in people's daily lives, bethey commoner or noble. Realmfolk pay homage tomany gods.

Hewe Be Monstensand Magic

There are also tremendous differences between theworld of the Realms and our own. There, monstrousbeasts and evil humanoids prowl the wilderness,sometimes to the very outskirts of cities and settle-ments. Travel, whether by land or sea, can be treach-erous.

Most differently, the Realms have magic.Some say magic (or the "Art") was a gift to the

Realmfolk from the goddess Mystra, who later regret-ted her charity. With or without Mystra's blessing,some individuals study the Art. These wizards havelearned the ability to channel magical energies.

And not only wizards handle extraordinary power.The gods here allow believers to work miracles intheir names. Priests and clerics perform acts of heal-ing and power our modern world might well call sor-cery.

In the Realms, such mages and priests can alter thevery face of the world. Indeed, they have done so overthe millennia. Mountains may walk, and hills andforests appear where none stood before. In the heartof the Realms, an immense sandy waste spreads south-ward. An equally relentless glacier advances to itseast.

Kings rise and nations fall. Evil forces gather likethunderheads. And the need for valiant action callsthe hero forth.

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Bublim Bcmboast,Gnome IllusionistFrom the Annals of the Seekers, as written by

Furian Arcanus:Bublim Barboast is one of the most interesting (and

strangest) individuals I have met. In many drinkingestablishments, this friendly gnome is known as "TheStupendous Bublim Barboast," a name he considers his"stage-name." He amuses patrons by performing feats ofdexterity, juggling, and tumbling, and by his enchant-ing illusions, in exchange for an ever-growing bar tab.

When performing, Bublim dresses in blaringly colorfulclothing ornamented with tinkling bells and variousother trinkets. While adventuring, he has the sense todress appropriately, and displays considerable wisdom

and caution in dangerous situations. However, he can-not quite control his obsession for practical jokes, withLorrick being his primary target. Through minor illu-sions and mundane pranks, Bublim loves to get a rise outof the surly dwarf. One of these days, Bublim will likelyget more than he bargained for (just ask Samkin!).

From what Bublim has told me, he was separatedfrom his family many winters ago, during an untimelywar—between humans and goblins—that rolled acrosshis homeland, causing much confusion. Though hewants to find his family, the gnome does not seem con-cerned about commencing this personal quest. He hasbeen with us Seekers from the beginning, and plans toremain until he has enough good stories to tell his fam-ily. Then, he will begin the search for them.

Though this seems strange to me, 1 suppose it isquite typical of gnomes—they seem to twist whateverstruggle fate brings them into a happy ending. Afterall, Bublim will be happy—when he is reunited withhis family. And the stories he will have to tell!

Gnomesnomes are a short, friendly race common in'most of the Realms. Smaller and less stocky

than dwarves, they are thought to be distant relatives(though among gnomes, only men have beards).

Regardless of age, gnome faces are creased withsmile and frown lines, as if carved from wood.Their natural skin coloring, from light ash andmaple tones to the warm darkness of varnishedand buffed oak, increases the tendency to think ofgnomes as a woods folk.

Gnomes seem unbothered by the world, and onlyrarely become involved with it. They have no writ-ten history, preferring to keep records only in thememories of the eldest clan members and the songsof legend. Gnomes value their families first, thenwhatever other relatives they encounter, then othergnomes, and finally the world, in that order.

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