General Info

The North is a vast and unforgiving expanse of Faerûn, stretching from the Sword Coast and Neverwinter Wood to the Sea of Moving Ice, Reghed Glacier, and the endless tundras beyond. It is a land of frostbitten beauty, fierce independence, and unyielding endurance — where survival itself is the greatest adventure.

Few realms are older, wilder, or more storied. Here, frost giants and white dragons clash above mountains that pierce the clouds, and ancient dwarfholds echo with the songs of lost kingdoms. The North is not a nation, nor even a single culture, but a tapestry of isolated strongholds, nomadic tribes, and defiant city-states bound together by necessity, trade, and the will to endure.

To live in the North is to understand impermanence: cities fall to war or ice, alliances break like frozen rivers in spring, and yet — against all odds — life continues.

Geography

The North is defined by extremes — jagged mountain ranges, icy seas, endless forests, and glaciers that seem to hold the world in stasis. Civilization clings to river valleys and fortified halls, hemmed in by monsters, giants, and the creeping cold.

Notable Regions

• Icewind Dale – A remote tundra north of the Spine of the World, where the hardy folk of Ten-Towns survive beneath the shadow of Kelvin’s Cairn. Known for its harsh winters, Auril’s worshippers, and the dangerous lure of chardalyn.
• Kingdom of Many-Arrows – A resurgent orcish realm founded by King Orrusk Homebringer, who seeks to rebuild his people’s ancient domain at Dark Arrow Keep.
• The Lords' Alliance – Though not a territory, this coalition links cities such as Neverwinter, Silverymoon, and Mithral Hall for mutual defense, trade, and survival.
• Luskan – The infamous City of Sails, ruled by its pirate High Captains and home to the enigmatic Arcane Brotherhood in the Hosttower of the Arcane.
• Menzoberranzan – The drow City of Spiders beneath the northern mountains, ruled by House Baenre and dedicated to Lolth’s dark dominion.
• Northern Dwarfholds – The ancestral fortresses of Delzoun’s descendants, including Mithral Hall, Gauntlgrym, Citadel Adbar, and Citadel Felbarr, each standing defiant against the centuries.
• The Savage Frontier – A vast wilderness of frozen rivers, dense forests, and untamed peaks stretching between the North’s settled regions. Home to Uthgardt tribes, beasts, and ancient ruins swallowed by snow.

Geographical Features

• Spine of the World – The colossal mountain range forming the northern wall of Faerûn. Within its peaks lie dwarven citadels, frost giant holds, and ruins lost to the ages.
• Sea of Moving Ice – A frozen ocean of drifting bergs and treacherous waters north of Icewind Dale.
• Reghed Glacier – A glittering expanse of eternal frost, sacred to the Reghed tribes.
• Evermoors – A bog-ridden wilderness haunted by trolls, ogres, and the occasional floating cloud giant castle.
• Glimmerwood – A forested frontier blending the Moonwood, Druarwood, and Cold Wood, home to Uthgardt tribes and unnatural beasts.
• High Forest – One of Faerûn’s oldest and grandest woodlands, still guarded by ancient treants, elves, and creatures older than history.
• Icespire Peak – The tallest of the Sword Mountains, notorious for its dragon-haunted slopes.
• Mere of Dead Men – A vast, saltwater swamp filled with ancient corpses and two psychically linked black dragons — Voaraghamanthar and Waervaerendor.

Major Cities and Settlements

• Neverwinter — The City of Skilled Hands, rising from ruin under Lord Dagult Neverember. Once scarred by volcano and chasm, it is now reborn as a centre of craft and ambition.
• Silverymoon — The Gem of the North; a city of music, learning, and elven grace, protected by the Knights in Silver and powerful wards.
• Luskan — The infamous City of Sails; half-port, half-pirate haven, ruled by its five High Captains and the secretive Arcane Brotherhood.
• Bryn Shander — The walled capital of Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale, a lifeline for trade and refuge amid the tundra.
• Mirabar — The wealthiest city in the North, governed by humans above and dwarves below, its mines rich with jewels and mithral.
• Gauntlgrym — Reclaimed by King Bruenor Battlehammer, this dwarven city shelters the legendary Forge of Spells and Maegera the Dawn Titan.
• Citadel Adbar — An unbroken dwarven fortress that has stood for nearly two millennia against endless assaults.
• Phandalin — A frontier settlement built atop the ruins of a lost mining town, hub to adventurers seeking the Forge of Spells in Wave Echo Cave.
• Menzoberranzan — A city deep in the Underdark where deceit is law, and the shadows whisper with the prayers of Lolth.

Common Races of the North

The North’s population is sparse but diverse, forged by its brutal environment into a people of endurance and pride. Every race that survives here earns its place.

Culture and Politics

The North is a land of alliances born of survival, not loyalty. City-states, dwarven fortresses, and nomadic tribes cooperate when they must, but independence remains sacred.

Major Powers

• The Lords' Alliance – A coalition of cities including Neverwinter, Silverymoon, and Mithral Hall, united to safeguard trade and stability.
• Kingdom of Many-Arrows – The orcish realm under King Orrusk Homebringer, seeking to prove orcs can rule with honour and strength.
• The Arcane Brotherhood – A cabal of ambitious mages based in Luskan, ever vying for secrets of ancient magic.
• House Baenre – The ruling matron house of Menzoberranzan, whose reach extends far beyond the Underdark.
• The Dwarfholds – The united might of Citadel Adbar, Gauntlgrym, and Mithral Hall, bound by blood and stone.

Life in the North

Life here is a daily struggle against hunger, cold, and fear. Yet, there is beauty in that struggle — in the blazing hearths of dwarven halls, in the fierce loyalty of Reghed clans, in the brief but radiant summers that turn tundra to wildflower plains.

Winter’s Reign

However dragons and giants might rage, there is no power greater than the winter itself. Traders sell furs and spirits to stave off the cold, masons build walls thick enough to stop a frost giant’s breath, and priests offer desperate prayers to Auril, Tempus, and any god who might spare one more sunrise.

Giants and Dragons

The ancient war between these titans of legend still shapes the land. Whole valleys bear the scars of their battles, and many northern legends begin — and end — with their wrath.

Nomads

The Reghed and Uthgardt tribes live by their wits and traditions, following herds across ice and forest. They are both feared raiders and honored keepers of ancient wisdom.

The Underdark Menace

Beneath the frozen peaks, the Underdark festers. Drow, duergar, illithids, and nameless horrors threaten to break the surface, while ancient powers stir beneath the Reghed Glacier, their prisons of ice thinning year by year.

History

The Age of Ice and Iron

Before the first cities rose, giants and dragons ruled the North. The dwarves of Delzoun built their shining halls beneath the mountains, and elves walked through forests that spanned continents.

The Age of Conflict

When Netheril fell and human kingdoms spread, the North became a frontier of conquest and ruin. Orcs, humans, and dwarves fought endless wars — some still echoing in broken alliances today.

The War of the Silver Marches

The alliance of the Silver Marches — Silverymoon, Mithral Hall, and their neighbors — was shattered by war with Many-Arrows and Menzoberranzan, leaving cities weakened and trust forever frayed.

The Age of Giants

In recent decades, giantkind has stirred once more, waging battles that toppled keeps and reshaped the wilderness. Adventurers still uncover the scars of this chaos.

Hubs

Points of Interest

Groups

Quests

NPCs

Neverwood Academy

Neverwinter

Xvart Village