Page 16 - D&D - Player's Handbook

Alamber Sea and Ash Lake. The dragonborn that have ZAKHARA
withdrawn to those areas have lost none of their military
Far to the south of FaerGn, beyond Calimshan and even
tradition, and their ability to hold this smaller amount of
the jungles of Ch ult, are the Lands of Fate. Surrounded
territory makes it unlikely that Unther will push farther
by waters thick with pirates and corsairs, Zakhara is
any time soon- particularly since the Untherite navy
a place less hospitable than most, but still braved by
has been unable to overcome the great beast that guards
travelers who hope to profit from its exotic goods and
the harbor of Djerad Kethendi and the nearby waters of
strange magics. Like Kara-Tur, Zakhara seems a world
the Alamber.
away to FaerGnians. It is thought of as a vast desert,
Some of Tymanther's dragonborn have spread across
sprinkled with glittering cities like scattered gems. Ro-
FaerGn and gained reputations as competent, highly
mantic tales abound of scimitar-wielding rogues riding
sought-after mercenaries.
flying carpets and of genies bound in service to humans.
Unther. Trapped in another world, the people of
Their mages, called sha'ir, practice their magic with the
Unther had succumbed to domination by others. Then
aid of genies and, it is said, might carry the lineage of
among them arose one who called himself Gilgeam, and
these elemental beings in their blood.
he reminded them of their former greatness. Under the
leadership of this reincarnated god, the people of Unther
BEYOND THE TRACKLESS SEA
rose up as an army to face their masters. On the eve of
a great battle, the people of Unther were miraculously Farther to the west, past even Evermeet, are untold, un-
returned to their home, and Gilgeam wasted no time in known lands beyond the Trackless Sea. Many explorers
leading them against the dragonborn occupying their have visited such lands, and some have even returned,
ancestral la nds. The Unthcritcs have re lake u rnucl1 uf bearing rales that change from generation to generation
the land they formerly held, while seeking to wipe out about exotic locales, from island chains that are the
the "godless lizards" they blame for their time of oppres- sites of countless shipwrecks, to fearsome feather-clad
sion in Abeir. warriors, and vast continents that suddenly appeared
Gilgeam wants nothing short of a complete return to where nothing- or something very much different- had
Unther's former glory. This achievement will require ut- rested only seasons prior.
terly destroying Tymanther, of course, and eventual war
with Mulhorand to reclaim lands lost centuries ago, but TIME IN THE REALMS
as every Untherite knows, the great God-King is patient,
for he is eternal. Although a number of means exist for marking the days
Westgate. The dismal city of Westgate isn't a romantic and the passage of time during a year, nearly all folk in
place, but someone seeking employment for shady work, FaerGn have adopted the Calendar of Harptos. Even the
cultures and races that don't favor this method of mark-
or looking to hire someone for the same, will find few
ing time are aware of it, with the result that it is recog-
places better suited in all of FaerGn.
nized across nearly all races, languages, and cultures.
Westgate is considered by some FaerGnians as a har-
A year on Tori! consists of 365 days. In the Calen-
binger of the eventual fate of places like Arnn and Sem-
dar of Harptos, the year is divided into twelve months
bia, where coin rules over all other considerations. As in
of thirty days, loosely following the synodic cycle of
many such places, one's moral outlook is less important
SelGne, the moon. A month is made up of three ten-
in Westgate than one's attitude toward bribery. The
days, also known as rides. Five annual holidays, falling
city's proximity to Cormyr makes it a breeding ground
between the months, complete the 365-day calendar.
for that nation's enemies, including the Fire Knives, a
Once every four years, the Calendar of Harptos includes
guild of thieves and assassins that the naive pretend
Shieldmeet as a "leap day" following Midsummer.
doesn't exist.
Individual days of a tenday have no special names. In-
stead, they are denoted by counting from the beginning
KARA-TUR
of the period ("first day," "second day," and so on). Days
Far to the east, past the wastes of the Hordelands, lie of the month are designated by a number and the month
the empires of Shou Lung, Kozakura, Wa, and the other name. For example, sages would record an event as oc-
lands of the vast continent of Kara-Tur. To most people curring on "1 Mirtul" or "27 Uktar." People might also
of FaerGn, Kara-Tur is like another world, and the tales refer to a given day by its relationship to the current date
told by travelers from its nations seem to confirm it. ("two tendays from today") or the nearest holiday ("three
The gods that humans worship in FaerGn are unknown days past Greengrass").
there, as are common peoples such as gnomes and ores.
Other dragons, neither chromatic nor metallic, dwell in SPECIAL CALENDAR DAYS
its lands and fly its skies. And its mages practice forms
Every nation, faith, and culture across FaerGn has its
of magic mysterious even to archwizards of FaerGn.
own special festivals and holidays, the observances of
Stories of Kara-Tur tell of gold and jade in great
abundance, rich spices, silks, and other goods rare which are governed by the cycles of the sun, the moon,
or unknown in western lands- alongside tales of the stars, or some other event. In addition, the Calendar
shapechanging spirit-people, horned giants, and night- of Harptos specifies five annual festivals keyed to the
mare monsters absent in FaerGn. changing of the seasons and one quadrennial festival
that are observed in almost every land, with particular
C HAPTER I I WELCOME TO THE REALMS