General Info

The Sword Coast is the storied western shoreline of Faerûn, stretching along the Sea of Swords from the mighty trade city of Baldur’s Gate in the south to the lands just north of Waterdeep, the City of Splendors.

The Sword Coast remains one of the most iconic and cosmopolitan regions in the Forgotten Realms. Its cities rise amid rugged wilderness, ancient ruins, and restless seas — a crossroads of civilisation, danger, and adventure. The coast’s name, according to traveller Volothamp Geddarm, comes from the perils that lurk along its roads and waves — “where every traveller should keep a sword close to hand.”

Geography

The Sword Coast occupies a broad and varied stretch of territory bordered by the Sea of Swords to the west and The North and Western Heartlands to the east. The region’s temperate maritime climate brings mild summers, cool winters, and fogs that roll in from the sea like creeping ghosts.

Notable Regions

• The Sword Coast Proper – The coastal heartland of the region, anchored by Waterdeep, the “City of Splendors,” and extending south toward the High Moor and Baldur’s Gate.
• The Western Heartlands – Fertile plains and trade-rich cities such as Baldur’s Gate, Elturel, and Scornubel; the connective tissue between the Sword Coast and Amn, Tethyr, and inland Faerûn.
• Elturgard – A theocratic realm reborn after its harrowing descent into Avernus, encompassing Elturel, Triel, Soubar, and surrounding lands.
• Najara – A shadowy serpent realm stretching across the Serpent Hills and Marsh of Chelimber, ruled by the naga Jarant from Ss’thar’tiss’ssun.
• The Dessarin Valley – A fertile inland basin of trade routes, farmlands, and ruins, lying east of Waterdeep and the Ardeep Forest.

Geographical Features

• Sea of Swords – The storm-wracked ocean bordering western Faerûn, dotted with rocky isles and infamous for pirates.
• High Moor – A desolate upland of broken hills and ancient ruins, haunted by monsters and remnants of past empires.
• Ardeep Forest – Once a proud elven kingdom, now fiercely guarded by Evermeet’s returned elves.
• Mere of Dead Men – A sprawling swamp north of Waterdeep, said to conceal undead legions and drowned kingdoms.
• Dragonspear Castle – A cursed fortress on the High Moor whose catacombs once opened to Avernus itself.

Major Cities and Settlements

• Waterdeep — The City of Splendors; a bastion of trade, politics, and powerful magic.
• Baldur’s Gate — A grim but thriving port on the River Chionthar, known for its merchant patriars and dangerous underworld.
• Elturel — The capital of Elturgard, recently returned from Avernus; now a fervently theocratic city.
• Daggerford — A small but vital duchy along the Trade Way, linking Waterdeep to Baldur’s Gate.
• Candlekeep — A fortress-library perched atop seaside cliffs, repository of Faerûn’s greatest written lore.
• Ss’thar’tiss’ssun — The naga capital of Najara, hidden deep in the Serpent Hills.

Common Races of the Sword Coast

The Sword Coast’s cities and roads remain vibrant crossroads of peoples and cultures. While humans are most numerous, a multitude of ancestries thrive side by side in its markets and guildhalls.

Other peoples — including genasi, aasimar, tabaxi, and yuan-ti — can be encountered in major ports, reflecting the region’s planar and mercantile diversity.

Culture and Politics

The Sword Coast is not a nation, but a patchwork of free cities, realms, and alliances bound by trade and necessity. Merchant caravans and ships connect Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate to the interior, while adventurers and mercenaries roam freely between.

Major Powers

• The Lords’ Alliance – A coalition of city-states including Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, Daggerford, and several cities of The North (such as Neverwinter). It promotes mutual defence, peace, and prosperity.
• The Harpers – A semi-secret network of spies and idealists dedicated to balance and the opposition of tyranny.
• The Zhentarim – A mercantile and paramilitary organization seeking power through wealth and subterfuge.
• The Xanathar Guild – A criminal network based in Skullport beneath Waterdeep, led by the paranoid beholder Xanathar.
• The Cult of the Dragon – Worshipers and manipulators of dragons and dracoliches, whose influence waxes and wanes through the ages.
• Najara – Though not an official power within the Lords’ Alliance, this serpent realm’s ambitions threaten the region’s balance.

History

The Dawn Ages

Long before human history, dragons, giants, and elves dominated the lands along the modern Sword Coast. The elves of Illefarn and dwarves of Delzoun shaped much of the region before their empires crumbled, leaving ruins now plundered by adventurers.

Age of Human Expansion

After the fall of Netheril, human settlers pushed westward from the Heartlands. Coastal trade gave rise to great cities like Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate, whose independence and maritime wealth defined the modern Sword Coast.

Recent Centuries

The region has endured endless upheavals and rebirths:

• The Spellplague (1385 DR) – A catastrophe of magic that reshaped continents and seas.
• The Sundering (1480s DR) – A divine realignment that restored balance to the world.
• The Descent into Avernus (1492 DR) – Baldur’s Gate nearly joined Elturel in Hell amid infernal conspiracies.
• The Rise of the Dead Three – Cults of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul once again fester in Baldur’s Gate’s alleys.
• The Return of Najara – The naga realm reemerges after a millennium in the shadows, threatening the Heartlands.

Today, in the early 1500s DR, the Sword Coast stands as a beacon of commerce and adventure — its cities ever watchful for threats from below, beyond, and within.

Hubs

Points of Interest

Groups

Quests