The Forgotten Realms
Hail and well met, ye curious students. Come ye seeking secrets and wonders?I am Elminster, no more and no less. For more than a score of your years, I have parted the curtains betwixt my world of Faerūn and yours, and ye know it as the Forgotten Realms. Through contact with many chroniclers, I ensured the tapestry of wonders that is my home would spread out before ye.
For those who have not seen Faerūn in its glory, I wish to share the excitement of your first glimpses of its wonders. I have outlived many civilizations, and what keeps me young is the awe and tingle of discovering new things with new friends. Shall I tell ye about Cormyr, the majestic Forest Kingdom whose noble kings and loyal mages have ruled wisely for 12 centuries? Are ye more interested in hearing tales of Jhauraq the Paragon Blade, the Seven Imaskarcana, or the immensely powerful Grand Staff of Halaster the Mad? Would ye perhaps care to hear tales of Khelben the Blackstaff or the Daredevil Duchess, Vajra Valmeyjar of Tethyr?
Aye, ye'll learn all that and more. Sit a spell and let me share my world with ye. . . .
The Realms encompasses both one fantasy world and all fantasy worlds. Whatever you look for in fantasy can be found on Faerun, the setting of the Forgotten Realms game. Dragons fly the night skies, valiant heroes seek fame and fortune, the gods themselves speak through their pious servants, and mysterious wizards hunt the secrets of magics lost in time.
Legends and faerie tales come alive here, whether in the noble kingdom of Cormyr, the desolate wastes of Anauroch, or the mysterious forested glades of Cormanthor, home to elves and freedom-loving folk alike. Learn of lost magical kingdoms like fallen Netheril and long-buried dwarven realms like Ammarindar, or discover the wonders of living realms such as Evermeet, the fabled haven of elves, or Waterdeep, the City of Splendors.
Excerpt from What is the Realms? on the official Wizards of the Coast website.
