Faerûn

Faerûn /feɪˈruːn/ is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described in detail in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001) from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more depth in separate campaign setting books. Around a hundred novels and several computer and video games use the Faerûn setting.

Culture and technology

Economically and technologically, Faerûn is comparable to Western Europe during the late Middle Ages, giving most new players using this campaign setting an intuitive grasp of the way the society functions. Gunpowder, known here as the magical substance smoke powder and different in its composition from historical gunpowder, is starting to make an appearance, but much of the armament is still dominated by pre-gunpowder weaponry such as swords, spears, and bows. Most of the population of Faerûn consists of farmers, who are organized somewhat loosely in a semi-feudal system. There are also a number of notable cities, and trade between nations is common, as in the Renaissance era. Likewise, there are regions where more barbaric tribes and customs persist.