Aglarond Aglarond was a magocratic state in the southwestern - most part of the Unapproachable East with its capital at Veltalar . Most of its land was covered by the Yuirwood . Filled with magic and mystery , it was ruled by one of the most potent spellcasters of the Realms : the Simbul , until 1425 DR , the Year of Seven Sisters , and as of 1475 DR was ruled by fifteen Simbarch of Aglarond — arcane spellcaster s trained in the Simbul ' s arts . Geography . Aglarond ' s isolation and its long history of sieges by Thay made the once - trusting Aglarondan people suspicious of outlanders - anyone could be an agent of their hated enemy . Aglarond was separated from the rest of Faerûn by the plateau of Thay to the east , and the Sea of Fallen Stars on the three other sides . The lands beyond the fortress at Undumor to the Thayan borders were beyond the direct protection of the armies of Aglarond and were thinly populated for this reason . The Pirate Isles lay only a hundred miles or so off Aglarond ' s own western islands , but since piracy was punishable by immediate execution in Aglarond , most buccaneers gave the land a wide berth . The length of water that separated Aglarond from Thesk was known as the Sea of Dlurg . This was more of a bay than a proper sea : At its narrowest point , about midway down its length , only fifteen miles separated the city of Furthinghome from the Thesk ian shore . There was only one major port in Aglarond , Velprintalar , later known as Veltalar . The large peninsula ' s coastline was mainly comprised of rocky cliffs with villages and towns settled near inlets suitable only for fishing boats and other smaller ships . While the fey - dominated Yuirwood covered much of Aglarond , the land between the trees and the shore consisted of fertile , rolling hills that made excellent farmland . Farms were rarely more than ten miles from the shore . The half - elves who made their home under the Yuirwood ' s leafy canopy discouraged large - scaled settlements of the forest with a mixture of compromise , diplomacy , and the occasional veiled threat . Despite such efforts , though , the woods continued to recede every year . Grasses , shrubs , and vines quickly reclaimed abandoned farmsteads , but trees were slow to return to territory stripped from the Yuirwood long ago . As of 1479 DR , the Yuirwood was filled with plagueland s formed in the wake of the Spellplague , filled with ruins of an ancient , long - gone eladrin civilization . Climate . Although Aglarond was at roughly the same latitude as Cormyr , its weather was much more moderate . The waters moderated the weather , so the seasons were rarely as harsh as they were elsewhere . Towns and cities . The larger cities in Aglarond were the coastal ones . Most cities were supported by agriculture or fishing . Wealthier inhabitants lived in stone buildings , the poor lived in thatched huts , and those in - between lived in buildings of two or three stories , made of weathered wood with steep shake or tile roofs . Construction was usually dense , with narrow streets . History . Aglarond was formed after the Battle of Ingdal ' s Arm in 1065 DR , when the half - elves , who were victorious in the battle , negotiated for the creation of a new nation , with Brindor Olósynne , who had led the half - elf army , as its first king . The Olósynne Dynasty remained in power until the apparent death of “ the Simbul ” in 1425 DR . By 1475 DR , the Simbarch Council took control of the country and have ruled it since . Government . Aglarond was ruled for several centuries starting in 1065 DR by the Olósynne Dynasty , beginning with the half - elf King Brindor and ending with the apparent death of Alassra Shentrara , " the Simbul , " in 1425 DR . Under this system of government , the monarch was advised by a council of thirty , made up of eleven councilors from major cities and a further nineteen from smaller settlements . Every community in Aglarond was entitled to elect a member to the council , although the Fanger cities of Dahst and Findar did not acknowledge that they are part of Aglarond and never sent a councilor . After the Simbul ' s disappearance and the end of the monarchy , Aglarond was ruled over by the Simbarch Council , an assembly of fifteen mages learned in the ways of the Simbul . Following her end the Simbul ' s followers banded together and took control of the Palace of the Simbul , from which they govern today , and took it upon themselves to lead her former kingdom . Their rule was not unchallenged , however , and the Council eventually resorted to military might to bring rebelling regions to heel . Since coming to power the Simbarch Council have consolidated their rule and extended Aglarond ' s power over the disputed Wizard ' s Reach , defeating the armies of Thay ' s exiled zulkir s for control of the region . Military . Aglarond ' s army was formed by Brindor Olósynne early in the nation ' s history . The army was small and skilled as of 1368 DR , famed for its “ Forester s ” — elite units of ranger s loyal to the crown — operating in the Yuirwood . The rest of the army comprised archer s , pikemen , and a few cavalry . These were garrisoned at the fortress Emmech ( later renamed Undumor ) and the citadel Glarondar . Glarondar also featured a small number of griffon - riders used for scouting . During this period , the militia numbered around six thousand . Aglarond also has a strong tradition of local militias . When the size of the army was insufficient to deal with a threat , everyday people in Aglarond came to arms , using spear s and pikes . The six thousand trained troops could easily be joined by four times that number of citizens . Aglarond did not formally have a navy . The Foresters used boats called coastboat s for transportation and raids , especially against invading forces . Most recently , the military of Aglarond was used to cement the control of the Simbarch Council , first through the suppression of resistance to the new government in outlying regions of the country and later as a defense against the encroaching threat of Thay . Demographics . As of 1372 DR , Aglarond ' s population , numbering somewhere around 1 , 300 , 000 , was mostly made up of humans , though one third were half - elves and a fair number elves . Over the course of the century since , the local tiefling population swelled , due to the large number of refugees fleeing from Thay , particularly in the cities of Escalant , Glarondar , and Citadel Dantalien . Many dragonborn also came to Aglarond from neighboring lands and both genasi and halfling s were found in large numbers in Delthuntle , Veltalar , and Furthinghome . Humans . The humans of Aglarond are regarded as trustworthy and hardworking , living simple lives from agriculture , fishing and herding livestock . Traditionally humans kept close to Aglarond ' s coastal cities , since these were the first founded by them in the 750s DR , when human colonists first arrived . Originally , human colonists arriving in Aglarond were Untherite s from Chessenta , but these were soon joined by settlers and adventurers from other parts of Faerûn . The average height of an Aglarondan female was 157cm ( 5 ' 2 " ) and a male 173cm ( 5 ' 8 " ) . They were hardy , tough people with blue or brown eyes . Eastern Aglarondan humans dressed in bright colored tunics and trousers embroidered with black thread . They wore bracelets , circlets , rings , necklaces and earrings made from bronze or silver . Those in the west owed much of their culture to the pirates who originally inhabited these areas . They dressed in contrasting colors , donning headbands and bandanas , or wore plain brown or white tunics . Jewelery here was simple and inexpensive , including brooches , earrings , nose - rings and necklaces . The average Aglarondan had no concern for magic as part of everyday life , instead regarding it as best wielded by those in power . A number of Aglarondan monarchs in the Olósynne Dynasty were powerful spellcasters , but regular people with these powers were viewed with disdain . Any young children who show a particular gift for magic were recruited as apprentices by the Simbul , becoming members of the Simbul ' s Children . Half - elves . The Aglarondan half - elf population was mainly concentrated in and around the Yuirwood . They were a copper - skinned people , amongst whom about half had pointed ears . There was a large range of attitudes toward other cultures amongst the half - elves . Those who lived on the outskirts of the Yuirwood , nearer to the human settlements , had a more tolerant approach and adopted human traditions , such as living in houses . Those half - elves living deeper in the Yuirwood were in touch with their elven ancestry , preferring to live the elven way , in small communities , or as hunter - gatherers . Most half - elves either supported or accepted the human presence in Aglarond , but there was rumored to be a small group who were in favor of wiping them out . Many of the half - elves , and the wild elves they shared their homes with , distrusted and questioned the authority of the Simbarch Council that ruled Aglarond since 1425 DR , though it was only recently ( as of 1479 DR ) that their worries shifted from the ex - zulkir s of fallen Thay . Magic among the half - elves was widely practiced ; more so among the inhabitants of the Yuirwood . Some of the nomadic tribes still used totemic magic . Half - elven dress was similar to humans in the areas near human settlements , and even so in parts of the Yuirwood . In the other parts , the half - elves dressed more like wild elves , with fur , loincloths and tattoos . Halflings . As of 1368 DR , the halfling population of Aglarond was limited to a few hundred , concentrated on farmland in the area surrounding Mesring in the east . They were well - liked by both the humans and the half - elves . There was little to no evidence the halfling population changed substantially since . Economy . Aglarond ' s economy was largely self - sufficient . It produced everything it needed in order to survive . It did , however , produce a small surplus with which it traded . Aglarond exported copper , gem s , grain , lumber and Aglarondan blood wine and imported glass , iron and textiles . The half - elven community produced musical instruments and artwork from wood and silver . Aglarond did not actively seek trade with other nations ; instead , it let in a small number of traders from the outside . Transportation . Sea trade played an important part in Aglarondan economics . The names of vessels from Aglarond were based on the goods they carry like " Spicesail " or " Timberhold " . Culture . Aglarondan society was dominated by two primary principles . First , Aglarond was a land of magic , steeped in the teachings of the Simbul , one of Mystra ' s Chosen . Additionally , Aglarond was the only known state in Faerûn to possess a demographically significant half - elven population , which traditionally played a large part in local affairs . Aglarond also had a traditional rivalry with their neighbors in Thay , whom Aglarondans distrusted deeply . Religion . There were few temples and holy sites in Aglarond , none of which were large . Some people worshiped regularly and others were content to show signs of faith in their own manner . Aglarondans believed that the prosperity of their land was a sign that the god s favored them . Amongst the humans , the farmers tended to worship Chauntea and the seafarers Valkur and Selûne . Half - elves often venerated Mielikki , Silvanus , the Seldarine , or other human deities , depending on their profession or beliefs . The Yuir elves used to worship their own pantheon of gods who were assumed to have disappeared with the downfall of the Yuir .