Backlands

**The Backlands** was a region in the Western Heartlands known for its sparse population, wild nature, and many monsters. It was called the Backlands mainly by those that dwelt on the Sword Coast. The central grasslands were known as Pelleor's Prairie.

## Geography

There were no established borders, but the Backlands were generally described as the lands east of the Serpent's Tail Stream, the Forest of Wyrms, and the Trielta Hills, all the way to the edge of Anauroch. Its southern border was the River Reaching and the northern edge was usually defined as the southern-most Greypeak Mountains. This region included the Greycloak Hills even though some maps placed them at approximately the same latitude as the Greypeaks.

## Government

This region had no government to speak of. In the 1360s DR, there were tribes of wemics living on the prairie. In the 1370s DR, hunting parties from Najara were known to explore the area.

## History

In the days of ancient Netheril, this region was a great source of food from fertile farms.

## Notable Locations

* The Battle of Bones: site of an ancient battle and subsequently a myriad undead.
* Drawn Swords: a village between Hill's Edge and the Hill of Lost Souls.
* Evereska: a reclusive elven community well-hidden in the Greycloak Hills.
* The Halfway Inn: a caravan stop and trading post in the Greycloaks with an inn of the same name.
* The Hill of Lost Souls: a dormant volcano once used as a camp after the Battle of Bones.
* The Marsh of Chelimber: an inhospitable marshland. As of 1489 DR it was under the control of Najara.
* Skull Gorge: formed by the River Reaching, this is where the last of the goblinoid army met their fate after the Battle of Bones.
* Ss'thar'tiss'ssun: a ruined temple and city from the Days of Thunder. Briefly inhabited by humans in more modern times as the village of Serpent's Cowl.
* The Well of Dragons: a dragon graveyard not far east of Skull Gorge.
* Xonthal's Tower: a thorp named for a wizard's tower on the slopes of Mount Hlim in the Greypeak Mountains.
* Yarthrain: a farming village and ruins on the Winding Water.

## Appendix

### Gallery

Click to enlarge.

FRCS2eR-Backlands.png*Map of the region known as the Backlands in 1367 DR.*Backlands-EEa1-HoLS-Diesel.png*Map of Pelleor's Prairie in the Backlands* circa *the 1360s DR.*Backlands-FRCS3e.png*Map of the Backlands in 1372 DR.*SerpentKingdoms Map-a-week Lazzaretti.jpg*Detailed map showing many sites and underground yuan-ti tunnels in 1373 DR.*Backlands-1479DR.png*Map of the Backlands* circa *1479 DR.*
### References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), p. 123. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). *Serpent Kingdoms*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 105. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
3. ↑ Template:Cite book/Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I/The Hill of Lost Souls
4. ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition*. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
5. ↑ Map included in Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). *Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide*. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
6. ↑ Template:Cite book/Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I/The Hill of Lost Souls
7. ↑ Template:Cite book/Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I/Encounter Tables
8. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:126–129|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
9. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:130–131|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kim Mohan ed. (2015). *Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 82. ISBN 978-0786965809.
11. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:133–135|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
12. ↑ Template:Cite book/Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I/The Hill of Lost Souls
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Kim Mohan ed. (2015). *Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 978-0786965809.
14. ↑ Donald J. Bingle (April 1995). “The Battle of Bones”. In Elizabeth T. Danforth ed. *Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I* (TSR, Inc), p. 14. ISBN 0-7869-0115-2.
15. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). *Serpent Kingdoms*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 109. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
16. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:137–138, 187|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
17. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:139–140|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
18. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). *Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast*. (TSR, Inc), pp. {{#regex:141–145|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.

Backlands-Mike Schley-1489DR.png