Anauroch

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

Anauroch is a large desert separating the Sword Coast North from the Moonsea North.


Visiting

Geological Divisions

Anauroch is divided into four regions, known as the High Ice, the Frozen Sea, the Plain of Standing Stones, and the Sword. The latter three roughly coincide with the borders of fallen Netheril.

Neighboring Nations and Features

Politics

Who Rules

No individual can be said to control Anauroch. The Bedine tribes “rule” the patches of ground they camp on each night, and the d’tarig have their settlements, but the open sands are held by no one.

Who Really Rules

Nothing happens over or under the sands without the direction or tacit approval of the phaerimm.


Culture and Society

Demographics

The overall population is 77% human, 17% asabi, 5% gnoll, and 1% other races.

The human population of the region is 95% Bedine, 5% Vaasan, and less than 1% other subraces. The primary language is Midani.


Notable Individuals

The Zhentarim have some influence here, particularly in the northern Sword. The Bedine and D’tarig natives have their own “pecking orders” which are inscrutable to outsiders. The phaerimm, asabi and other desert creatures do pretty much whatever they please, unless someone is able to stop them.


Sources

Primary Sources
Passing Mention
Maps
Other Resources

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Deserts

Terrestrial Environment

Deserts comprise one of ten categories of terrestrial environments, the others being badlands, forests, hills, marshes, moors, mountains, plains, swamps, and subterranean.

A desert can be defined, technically and succinctly, as an area where more water is lost via evaporation and transpiration than falls as rainfall. Glaciers can qualify as deserts.

Deserts of the Realms

Cold

  • The Frozen Sword (Anauroch): blue abishai, hound archon, baneguard, barghest, crossroads guardian, darkenbeast, divine minion, dragon, dread warrior, ettin, gargoyle, ghast, ghoul, hakeashar, hellcat, hell hound, ibrandlin, janni, kir-lanan, lamia, dire lion, mummy, nishruu, nyth, ogre, orc, phaerimm, shadow, shadow mastiff, spectator, troll, vargouille, wight, wolf, dire wolf, worg, wraith.
  • The Great Glacier: crossroads guardian, darkenbeast, divine minion, dread warrior, ettin, frost giant, frost worm, hakeashar, ice serpent, Innugaakalikurit, kir-lanan, kupuk, mohrg, ogre, phaerimm, polar bear, remorhaz, rothe, spectator, spectre, tirichik, troll, white dragon, wight, will-o’-wisp, winter wolf, worg, wraith. Innugaakalikurit, kupuk, and tirichik are only encountered on the Great Glacier.
  • The High Ice (Anauroch): crossroads guardian, darkenbeast, divine minion, dread warrior, ettin, frost giant, frost worm, hakeashar, ice serpent, kir-lanan, mohrg, ogre, phaerimm, polar bear, remorhaz, rothe, spectator, spectre, troll, white dragon, wight, will-o’-wisp, winter wolf, worg, wraith.

Temperate

Warm

  • The Plains of Purple Dust: androsphinx, giant ant, baboon, baneguard, barghest, blue abishai, brown dragon, crossroads guardian, dark naga, darkenbeast, divine minion, djinni, dracosphinx, dragon, dragonne, dread warrior, efreeti, gargoyle, ghast, ghoul, gnoll, gorgon, gynosphinx, hakeashar, hound archon, ibrandlin, janni, laerti, lamia, dire lion, giant lizard, mummy, nishruu, nomads, nyth, ogre, orc, orpsu, phaerimm, scorpion, shadow mastiff, shadow, snake, spectator, spider eater, Statue That Walks, stinger, stingtail, vargouille, wight, wolf, dire wolf, wraith. Statues That Walk are generally only encountered in Mulhorand.
  • The Quoya: androsphinx, giant ant, baboon, baneguard, barghest, blue abishai, brown dragon, crossroads guardian, dark naga, darkenbeast, divine minion, djinni, dracosphinx, dragon, dragonne, dread warrior, efreeti, gargoyle, ghast, ghoul, gnoll, gorgon, gynosphinx, hakeashar, hound archon, ibrandlin, janni, laerti, lamia, dire lion, giant lizard, mummy, nishruu, nomads, nyth, ogre, orc, orpsu, phaerimm, scorpion, shadow mastiff, shadow, snake, spectator, spider eater, stinger, stingtail, vargouille, wight, wolf, dire wolf, wraith.
  • Raurin: androsphinx, giant ant, baboon, baneguard, barghest, blue abishai, brown dragon, crossroads guardian, dark naga, darkenbeast, divine minion, djinni, dracosphinx, dragon, dragonne, dread warrior, efreeti, gargoyle, ghast, ghoul, gnoll, gorgon, gynosphinx, hakeashar, hound archon, ibrandlin, janni, laerti, lamia, dire lion, giant lizard, mummy, nishruu, nomads, nyth, ogre, orc, orpsu, phaerimm, scorpion, shadow mastiff, shadow, snake, spectator, spider eater, Statue That Walks, stinger, stingtail, vargouille, wight, wolf, dire wolf, wraith. Statues That Walk are generally only encountered in Mulhorand.
  • The Sword (Anauroch): androsphinx, giant ant, baboon, baneguard, barghest, blue abishai, brown dragon, crossroads guardian, dark naga, darkenbeast, divine minion, djinni, dracosphinx, dragon, dragonne, dread warrior, efreeti, gargoyle, ghast, ghoul, gnoll, gorgon, gynosphinx, hakeashar, hound archon, ibrandlin, janni, laerti, lamia, dire lion, giant lizard, mummy, nishruu, nomads, nyth, ogre, orc, orpsu, phaerimm, scorpion, shadow mastiff, shadow, snake, spectator, spider eater, stinger, stingtail, vargouille, wight, wolf, dire wolf, wraith.

The Quoya Desert

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance


Visiting

What You See

Deserts are always dry, but among the naturally formed deserts of the Realms (in other words not counting Anauroch, the Plains of Purple Dust, or Raurin) the Quoya is the driest.  This picture shows what might be a sandy area near the Arundi River.

The Namib Desert... aka the Quoya Desert?

This picture is courtesy of the wikipedia article on the Namib Desert. Specifically, this is Sossusvlei, a tourist destination.  This is not an oasis… the salt/clay pan is (occasionally) filled by a nearby stream during summer rains.


Sources

Maps

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.