Description
The Sword Coast was an expansive tract of wilderness,dotted with independent cities and overrun by bands of monstrous creatures, that some saw as merely a place through which you had to travel in order to reach an actual meaningful destination. It was much more than that of course, a rich and vibrant land with a long and storied history that encompassed some of the most important cities in all the Realms.
It was considered one of the rougher locales of Faerûn, both geographically and by virtue of its people.
Etymology
Some say the Sword Coast took its name from the white cliffs that rose up sharply for hundreds of miles along the coastline between the River Dessarin and Baldur's Gate. Traveling author Volothamp Geddarm attributed the region's name to its dangerous inhabitants, both humanoid and bestial.
Geography
While scholars disagreed as to the exact borders of the Sword Coast, it was generally considered to have been bordered by the merchant nation of Amn in the south, and in the north by Waterdeep the Delimbyr Vale. Some guides considered it to begin south at Candlekeep and continued all the way north until the city of Luskan, though most other cartographers and writers shared the former opinion on the matter, designating the coastal lands north of Waterdeep as the separate Sword Coast North.
Geographical Features
The landscape of the coastal lands varied from the verdant fields along much the Coast Way to the dangerous badlands found north of the Chionthar.
The River Chionthar was vital to trade all throughout the Western Heartlands, linking the great port of Baldur's Gate with other inland cities including Elturel, Iriaebor, Berdusk, and the ever-important Caravan City of the West, Scornubel.
Bodies of Water
- River Chionthar, the great river that ran across the Heartlands was vital for commerce in the region, serving as a trade route between a half dozen major cities.
- Lizard Marsh, a seemingly-endless stretch of fetid wetlands infested by lizardfolk tribes, otherwise seldom-encountered dinosaurs, and even the terrifying black dragons.
- Sea of Swords, the coastal waters of the Trackless Sea that bordered and were named after the Sword Coast.
- Winding Water, a long waterway that twisted through the stretch of Wilderness between the Troll Hills and the River Chionthar.
Forests
- Cloak Wood, an old and overgrown forest was home to many fearsome monsters, malevolent fey, and portals linking it to other locales across the continent.
- Trollbark Forest, the dense and overgrown forest that – as it's name suggested – were infested with trolls
Hills & Mountains
- Sword's Teeth, the precarious sheer cliffside that lined the coast for miles upon miles.
- Troll Hills, a collection of hills south of the similarly forest that remained an extension of shared territory of the troll tribes.
- Trollclaws, a grouping of hills that held within it many monstrous creatures including the horrific tall mouthers, along with even more trolls.
- Wild Hills, the stretch of barren land south of Daggerford.
Flora & Fauna
Because much of the coastland was still relatively untamed wilderness, it was rich with game: rabbits and fowl including grouse, bustards, and rock doves, could be hunted in abundance.
Law & Order
An agreement known as "the Pact" offered protection for those traveling across the Coast Way, a responsibility shared among the settlements from Baldur's Gate all the way south to Amn
Much of the lands beyond the trade roads and away from the influence of the coast's cities were considered mostly lawless. Like many similar places in the realms, bandits, monstrous creatures, and raiders were considered to be regular threats.
Society
The spirit of the Sword Coast was one that comprised the shared traits of its people and their ancestors: courage, resourcefulness, and a resolute sense of self-determination.
Culture
Venues and festivals across the Sword Coast often hosted tableaux, plays in which motionless performers reenacted historical scenes to live music backing. While they were known by several other names, they often featured provocative wardrobing for their actors.
Common among other live performances, often referred to as the "good old plays", was the character Old Duiwin, a wily peasant from the backcountry. Current jokes and political commentary were updated in these kinds of plays as the years went on.
Trade
Unfinished bloodstone gems were regularly used as currency throughout the Sword Coast, especially by mercenaries.
Beyond the shared protection offered by various alliances and nations, the cities of the Sword Coast were bound together by their shared common interest in successful commerce.
Powerful financial and mercantile organizations operated throughout the Sword Coast, including the Merchant's League of Baldur's Gate, the High Moon Trading Coster, the Seven Suns Trading Coster, and the Iron Throne among others. The Sword Coast Traders' Bank of Daggerford allowed traveling merchants to deposit their accumulated wealth at a single location, for safe-keeping during their travels along the coast, and withdrawal the same amount at either city of Baldur's Gate or Waterdeep.
Defenses
While the Lords' Alliance provided some shared defense of the northern coastlands, and the Baldurian Flaming Fist protected the city's interests beyond its walls,[37] much of the Sword Coast and its residents living away from the central trading routes were left to seek out aid or defend themselves from the region's many threats, while travelers of appropriate means were encouraged to hire personal guards or adventurers.
Rumors & Legends
While the great many tall-tales, local rumors and gossip, hushed political murmurs, and awe-inspiring legends that permeated the Sword Coast were far too many to list, they could often be found for a few coins at the many inns and taverns across its lands.
Several guidebooks detailing the Sword Coast have been written over the years, including numerous volumes of the the Traveler's Guides and the infamous Volo's Guidebook series.