Toril - The World
The world you live on is called Toril. It’s a vast, ancient planet filled with diverse continents, countless civilizations, and millennia of history. Your adventure takes place on just one small region of this immense world.
The Scale of Toril
This is Toril. Massive, isn’t it?
Multiple continents, dozens of major civilizations, hundreds of kingdoms, and countless cultures span this world. Dragons rule ancient mountain ranges, wizards command floating cities, empires rise and fall, and gods walk among mortals.
Can you spot where your adventure takes place?
That tiny marked region? That’s the Sword Coast—the western edge of the continent of Faerûn. Your entire adventure happens in that small corner of the world.
Faerûn - Your Continent
Faerûn is the primary continent of Toril and home to most of the civilizations you’ll encounter. It stretches thousands of miles from frozen tundras in the north to scorching deserts in the south, from the western coastline (the Sword Coast) to mysterious eastern lands shrouded in legend.
Great empires have risen and fallen here. Ancient magic permeates the land. Dungeons filled with treasure and danger lie hidden beneath forests and mountains.
Again, that small marked area? That’s where you are. The rest of Faerûn—vast kingdoms, deadly wildernesses, legendary cities—exists beyond your current scope. But it’s all out there, waiting.
The Sword Coast - Your Region
The Sword Coast is a narrow strip of civilization along the western edge of Faerûn, bordered by the Sea of Swords to the west and wilderness to the east.
This is a land of:
- City-states like Neverwinter and Waterdeep, each governing independently
- Frontier towns being carved out of monster-infested wilderness
- Trade routes carrying goods between settlements
- Ancient ruins from fallen kingdoms and forgotten wars
- Adventure around every corner
Your story begins here, in Neverwinter, and takes you to the frontier town of Phandalin.
The Gods of Toril
The gods are real and active in this world. They grant power to their faithful, answer prayers (sometimes), and occasionally meddle directly in mortal affairs.
There are dozens of gods, but most people worship several depending on the situation:
- Pray to Tymora (goddess of luck) before a gamble
- Pray to Tempus (god of war) before battle
- Pray to Silvanus (god of nature) before a hunt
- Pray to Umberlee (goddess of the sea) before a voyage
Clerics and paladins devote themselves to a single deity and channel divine power through that faith.
Evil gods exist too—Bane (tyranny), Cyric (murder), Talos (destruction)—but most people avoid them or appease them out of fear.
Magic & The Weave
Magic flows through Toril via the Weave, a mystical force connecting all things. Wizards study arcane formulas to manipulate it, sorcerers wield it instinctively through bloodline or wild talent, and clerics channel divine magic through their gods.
Magic is uncommon but not shocking. Most common folk have seen a cleric heal someone or a wizard cast light. Powerful magic—teleportation, resurrection, world-shaking spells—is rare and awe-inspiring.
Politics & Power
Toril has no single ruler. Instead:
- City-states govern themselves (Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate)
- Kingdoms control regions (Cormyr, Amn, Thay)
- Factions work behind the scenes (see here for details)
- Monsters rule the wild places between civilizations
The Sword Coast is relatively free and independent. No emperor commands here—just alliances, trade agreements, and the occasional conflict.
Your Place in This World
You are adventurers—problem-solvers, treasure-hunters, heroes-for-hire. In a world full of ancient evils, monster-infested ruins, and political scheming, people like you are needed.
Your story begins small: escorting a wagon to a frontier town. But in a world as vast and dangerous as Toril, even small jobs can lead to great adventures.
Next: Learn more about the Sword Coast or Read about your destination