The Sword The Sword was one of the three major regions of Anauroch . It was the hot , sandy region most thought of when someone mentioned the Great Desert . Etymology . The term " the Sword " was coined by sages because of the violent Bedine tribes known to live there . Geography . The Sword was the southernmost and largest of the three subdivisions of Anauroch . It stretched from below the ruins of Oreme and from the Lonely Moor in the west to the Border Forest in the east . To the north was the Plain of Standing Stones . The Sword also bordered Evereska in the west and the kingdom of Cormyr in the south at the Goblin Marches . To the east were the Stonelands and the Desertsmouth Mountains . The area was covered in sand dunes , which was what had given the whole desert the name the " Great Sand Sea . " Four types of sand dunes could be found in the Sword : transverse " waves " , longitudinal " troughs " , dunes , and . It had a few " sand mountains " , or " draa " , that were over one hundred feet ( 30 meters ) high , but these were relatively rare . Dunes would often collapse in slides of sand with loud booms . The Sword also contained rocky pinnacles and small ridges of piled , weathered rock . Water was sometimes found deep below these ridges . Some parts of the Sword contained flat salt plains instead of dunes . Oases provided water and shade to desert inhabitants and were formed from springs deep in the ground that welled up to fill depressions in rock or sand . These attracted plants along the fringes of the source . Some oases had actually been created by magical means . Occasionally , springs from a mountain would form a stream through the desert . The water would carve a gulch before drying up . Similarly , dried up ponds fed by such springs would form " dead waters " , or " mamlahah " , flat - bottomed valleys of cracked clay . Ancient tunnels below the sands connected such places as Evereska , Tethyamar , and the Stonelands . Most merchants from the east entered the desert through the Raudilauth valley . The Zhentarim had established several trade routes through the Sword . The mountains in the desert sometimes contained gold . Other desert rocks were a source of gypsum . The salt flats were harvested by the Bedine for salt . The edges of the Sword were collectively called Desertsedge and were covered with rocky foothills with scrub plants and cut with ravines . Steams flowed from Desertsedge into the desert sands and quickly dried up . Weather . The weather in the Sword varied drastically with the time of day and time of year . In the summer , during the day , it was scorching hot , but at night , the temperatures could drop to freezing chills . A steady wind provided a constant droning sound during the day , and it slowed to a still breeze at night , if there was any movement of the wind at all . It was common for a summer to see no rain at all . The winters were as harsh and cold as elsewhere in the North . Rain or snow were rare no matter what time of year , and when it did rain , it might rain in one spot but not in another location only a mile or so away . Such rains were short and violent , with torrential downpours and lightning that came and went , causing flash - floods . Heat shimmer and mirages were all too common on the Sands . Another risk of travel in the Sword was the violent sandstorms . Flora and Fauna . The Sword had much life within it , despite its harsh conditions , including many plants , insects , birds , and animals , which tended to burrow under the dunes . Snake s , lizards , birds of prey that hunted at night , and desert bats made homes in the rocky ridges . Swarms of moths were sometimes present in the Sword , and in the spring and fall , swarms of other insects were prevalent . Desert snails were a strange creature that left their shells during the dry summers to hibernate under the sands . Camels were tended by the Bedine , being fed by hidden oasis pastures . Wild camels were rare but present . Gazelles and were two other herd animals present . In oases , hares and ostriches could be found , as well as jackals . As far as other predators , lions roamed the dunes , and many wyvern s also lived in the Sword . Thorny shrubs were often able to survive on rocky ridges , and their presence hinted at water sources below the surface in such places . In gulches formed by rare streams , and qassis bushes would form canopies and shade for animals , such as doves and quail . often grew around " mamlahah " . Tough varieties of grass grew in many places , as did cacti and short , twisted bushes and trees . Among the more numerous plant species present in the Sword were , , , buried , , , , lichens , , , , tumbleweed , and . Some plants and trees in the Sword produced valuable commodities , including coffee , " dragon ' s blood " , frankincense , myrrh , sesame seeds , tanbark , and turmeric . After the rare rains , the Sword turned into a place of plenty , as flowers bloomed and set seeds . Reputation . The Sword was the part of Anauroch most people thought about and cared about . It had great strategic importance as a route across the desert , and many of the ruins of the fallen empire of Netheril hid beneath its sands , making it a tempting place for adventure - and treasure - seekers . Few , however , survived such journeys into the desert — or under it . Some creature or creatures below the surface terrorized any making use of the tunnels and ancient paths below the sands , and on the surface , one had to contend with both the harsh environment and the savage Bedine tribes . Inhabitants . The Bedine called this region home , as did the lesser - known D ' tarig people . With the exception of some oases , few places in the desert could support permanent residency , so the inhabitants had to live a nomadic life . Dragon s also laired in the Sword , as did lamia and laertis . Rumors and Legends . There was a rumor that a magic " gate " existed in the north part of the Sword , linking Faerûn to Krynn .