In this series I will be looking at each of the individual nations of Faerûn in turn, in alphabetical order. This series is based around the status of each nation as of 1371-72 Dalereckoning (at the end of D&D 2nd Edition and the start of 3rd Edition). The maps are drawn from The Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas CD-ROM and their respective 1st and 2nd Edition sources. They are not necessarily current for the 5th Edition of the setting (which is set c. 1496 DR).

A map of the nation of Aglarond and the surrounding area. Please click for a larger version.

Aglarond

  • Ruler: The Simbul
  • Capital: Velprintalar (pop. 66,044)
  • Settlements: Corth (500), Dahst (300), Dlusk (1000), Emmech (7620), Findar (300), Furthinghome (40,643), Glarondar (5489), Halendos (200), Ingdal’s Arm (1000), Mesring (1000), Orithar (500), Osker (700), Relkath’s Foot (5080), Thayguard (5000), Urst (1000), Urve (500)
  • Population: 1,270,080 (64% human, 30% half-elf, 5% elf, 1% misc.)
  • Population Density: approx. 19.57 people per mile², 7.56 people per km²
  • Area: approx. 64,902 miles² (168,095.41 kilometres²)
  • Military: c. 6,000 (standing), c. 30,000 (full mobilisation, for a brief period)
  • Languages: Aglarondan, Common, Elven (Yuir)
  • Religion: Chauntea, the Seldarine (elven pantheon), Selûne, Umberlee, Valkur, the Yuir (vanished elven sub-pantheon, consisting of Relkath of the Infinite Branches, Zandilar the Dancer and Elikarashae)
  • Exports: Lumber, grain, gems, copper, wine
  • Imports: Glass, iron, textiles, produce
  • Sources: Spellbound (Anthony Pryor, 1995), Unapproachable East (Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck & Sean K. Reynolds, 2003)

Overview

Aglarond is a small but strong nation making up the northern half of the Aglarond Peninsula, a substantial landmass extending westwards into the inland Sea of Fallen Stars. Aglarond is mostly an agricultural land whose interior is dominated by farms, hamlets and small villages, with the larger towns and the small number of cities in the nation located along the northern coast.

Aglarond is seen as something of a backwater, a relatively quite and peaceful land. However, it exists in the shadow of the forbidding nation of Thay, which lies to the east beyond the Umber Marshes. Like many of the nations of the so-called Unapproachable East, Aglarond has extensive fortifications, military contingencies and magical defences arrayed against a potential invasion out of Thay. The Watchwall, a 20-mile-long fortification, extends along Aglarond’s eastern border with Thay with fully a third or more of Aglarond’s army stationed along it at any one time.

Aglarond’s most striking feature is the Yuirwood, a long, narrow forest extending from east to west across the entire southern border. Once the home of the mystical Yuir elves, it is nowadays mostly home to the half-elven descendants of the Yuir, as well as various communities of druids, treants and other forest-dwellers. The Yuirwood retains certain magical qualities and aspects that have dissuaded the armies of Thay using it to outflank Aglarond.

Aglarond is bordered by the mercantile nation of Thesk to the north, with whom Aglarond has various trade agreements. To the south, beyond the Yuirwood, lies a loose confederation of city-states, running from Delthuntle in the west to Taskaunt in the east, with Laothkund as their largest and most important city. These cities drift between independence and being influenced by Thay to the east and Chessenta to the south, across the Wizards’ Reach. To the west lies Altumbel, a small peninsula made up of independent towns and villages, dominated by the city-state of Spendeliyon (the not-always-accurately-called City of Pirates). The Thousand Swords lies off the coast of the Altumbel Peninsula, an assortment of islands, islets, sandbars and craggy rocks. These islands are occasionally used as a base of operations by pirates, although Aglarond’s utter intolerance of piracy usually dissuades such activity.

History

Historically, the area controlled by Aglarond was originally a powerful elven kingdom, that of the Yuir, founded more than 18,000 years ago by refugees from the War of the Three Leaves. Settlers from Thearnytaar, Eiellûr and Syòrpiir established the Kingdom of Yuir in a remote corner of Faerûn, far away from the politics and conflicts that eventually erupted into the Crown Wars.

The surrounding area fell under the sway of the ancient Mulhorandi Empire before being ravaged in the Orcgate Wars. The area was largely left alone, with the Yuir elves enjoying significant relations with the empire of Cormanthyr across the Inner Sea (thanks to a gate linking Myth Drannor to the Yuir capital) which enriched them. Several times the area fell prey to political machinations, including a brief conquest of the region by the Second Untheric Empire in the Year of the Scarlet Sash, although they failed to penetrate deep into the Yuirwood.

After the Fall of Myth Drannor and subsequent retreat of many of the elves of Faerûn, the area became more dominated by human settlers, with a large wave of migrants arriving in 756 DR. Hostile confrontations between the dwindling Yuir and arriving humans gave way to friendlier relations, including a rapid increase in the half-elven population. Over time, the half-elves of the Yuirwood and the human settlers of the coastlands developed into two distinct populations, with increasingly uneasy relations. These relations came to a head in 1065 DR when Indrila Demaz, the Queen of the coastal city of Velprin, launched an invasion of the Yuirwood in retaliation for half-elven raids on unauthorised loggers. This invasion was checked and defeated by Brindor Olósynne at the Battle of Ingdal’s Arm. In the resulting peace treaty, it was decided to unify the Yuir half-elves and the human settlements as a single nation, Aglarond, with its capital at the newly-renamed city of Velprintalar. Some human settlers rejected this outcome, choosing instead to move to Altumbel.

Brindor’s reign was successful uniting and strengthening Aglarond. He was followed on the throne by Althon (1128-89), Elthond (1189-94), Philaspur (1194-97), the Mage-Queen sisters Thara and Ulae (1197-1257), Halacar (1257-60) and the Mage-Queen Ilione (1260-1320).  After Ilione’s death without issue, she bequeathed the throne to her apprentice, Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand, better-known to history as the Simbul, one of the Seven Sisters. The move was controversial, but the Simbul proved herself an exceptionally powerful and strong ruler, one of the most powerful spellcasters who has ever lived on Toril and one of the Chosen of Mystra. The Simbul single-handedly halted several attempted invasions of Aglarond out of Thay to the east, and was fully capable of defeating a dozen Red Wizards in combat by herself. The Simbul was also the on-off lover of Elminster, one of the most infamous and powerful mages of Faerûn. The Simbul is noted for her ferocious temper and wild rages if she feels that she or her kingdom have been wronged, which sometimes wrong-foots even her closest allies. The Harpers, the Lords’ Alliance, the Alliance of the Silver Marches and other good-aligned organisations hold Aglarond and the Simbul as a powerful, if unpredictable, ally.

In recent years Aglarond has beaten back several attacks by Thay, and strengthened its trade and military relations with other lands.

Thank you for reading The Atlas of Ice and Fire. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods, which will also get you exclusive content before it goes live on my blogs.