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Rothé and indigenous FR animals

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Gurgle Gobblespit
Acolyte

USA
27 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 10:22:39

Hi all,

Being fairly new here, I'm not sure (or cannot find) if this has been discussed in the past. Is there any detailed coverage of the native fauna (animals, not monsters) of the Forgotten Realms? The only one that I know of is the bison-like Rothe.

And being a relatively new convert to the FR setting (my previous DM experience was in the original hodgepodge AD&D setting which was before FR became an established setting)…. I really don't know where terrestrial animals belong in the vast lands of Faerun. For example, would I see camels in the Anauroch desert? Or do they belong instead in the Calimshan deserts? Do lions live in the plains outside of Waterdeep? Or are they more likely to be seen in the jungles of Chult?

Do the armies of Tethyr, Cormyr, Sembia or Vaasa use war elephants? Or are they considered exotic beasts in those lands?

I'm trying to get a general feel of which animals are native to which regions of the Realms. Thanks for any insight!

Barastir
Master of Realmslore

Brazil
1600 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 12:20:15

Hi, Gurgle!

Well, your question enters, in a way, into a more delicate question, that is comparing the Forgotten Realms with RW (real-world) places. Many gamers and game designers compared the Realms with Earth cultures, to the point of using their architecture, environs, and so on, when describing their settings. I can think at least of two products in which the local fauna reflects a RW counterpart. Curiously, both were originally to be part of other settings, and were later additions to the Realms (Moonshaes and Kara-Tur).

There is an obvious African feeling to Chult and to some lands south of the Sea of Fallen Stars, which would in a way substitute the Mediterranean Sea in the Realms. And it makes sense to have some animals in southernmost, warmer climates, and others in the colder north. However, Realms geography is different from RW's, and you could have some crossovers.

Some Realms products cite animals from the American continent, like cougars and raccoons, in the supposedly European-flavored Faerûn, however, as creatures from Egyptian, greek and other mythologies in these western lands (sphinxes, werefoxes, and many more).

Personally, and as a biologist, I like to separate the fauna based on that RW comparison, not only for geographic and climatic reasons, but for two more reasons: first, because when a character travels to different places he finds new environs, new fauna, and the local culture is affected by its natural environs around, so it gives an extra sense of wonder to my players. Exotic animals can be found in Waterdeep's arena, for example, and they know that the creature was brought from afar. The second reason is that in this I reason that different parts of our world have different legendary creatures because they had access to different parts of the Realms, when the portals between our worlds were more common.

But then again, the Realms are entirely fictitious, and you must feel free to decide what is best for your gameplay. Many here have a different opinion, follow the one that suits your game best!

As for indigenous beasts of the Realms, there are others, like the nothern crag cat, for example. Most of the others I think of now are more magical, so I don't think if they are what you are looking for (like the cantobele, the bunyip and others).

"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."

The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood)

Artemas Entreri
Great Reader

USA
3131 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 13:52:10

Your best bet would be to use the region's climate to determine which animals would be present.

Lions and camels are all over Zakhara (and plenty of other places). Chult has dinosaurs to throw into the mix.

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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore

Netherlands
1280 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 18:20:13

Regarding Earth's fauna; here is a thread you can peruse, but it's main focus is the fauna of the Old Empires. It does show that Mulhorandi people see the Elephant as a symbol of their culture and hunt plenty of lions. In Faerun proper lions are ferquently seen in the Gulthmere (a favorite haunt of Nobanion).

There are Thunderlizards (dinosaurs) in the forests of Cormyr and others, Rothe all over Faerûn, Tressym swarms in Eveningstar and loads of special fish in all of Faerûns waters.

There have been scrolls made on dog, horse and bird breeds.

Here is a scroll I have been working on about Giant Spiders.

Edit: cleansed the links

My campaign sketches

Druidic Groves

Creature Feature: Giant Spiders

Edited by - Bladewind on 05 Oct 2015 18:28:52

Barastir
Master of Realmslore

Brazil
1600 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 19:45:00

I forgot mentioning the dinosaurs, they are also present at the "Lizard Marsh", a place near Daggerford and south of Waterdeep.

EDIT: a clearer explanation on where the Marsh is located.

Edited by - Barastir on 05 Oct 2015 19:54:32

Duneth Despana
Learned Scribe

Belgium
273 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 20:49:12

I think what OP asked about is a list of FR native animals like szorp, shaggun etc. (a list I would find really handy too)

« There is no overriding « epic » in the Realms, but rather a large number of stories, adventures, and encounters going on all the time. [...]. Each creative mind adds to the base, creating, defining, and making their contribution to the rich diversity of the Realms. [...]. But Ed built the stage upon which all the plays are presented. Thanks Ed. » -FR Comic no.1

Gurgle Gobblespit
Acolyte

USA
27 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 23:23:35

Thanks to all the responses so far!

To clarify…. I wanted to know which animals (and where in Faerun) that would include "mundane animals" rather than monsters like Bullettes and Rust Monsters. So I'd also be interested in non-monstrous semi-magical beasts such as Rothe (one of the few I know that are native to the Northern regions of FR).

For example, let's say that the PCs in my campaign are trekking by foot (or horseback) for hundreds of miles from Baldur's Gate to Silverymoon. That's a long journey of several days. It would be super-super cheesy for me to always spring MONSTERS on them every time there is a random encounter check. Every now and then, they should encounter just mundane creatures…. like roving packs of wolves, maybe bears, cougars, and the occasional charging elephant? See, that's my question. I don't really know if an elephant would be considered "native" to the area just a couple hundred miles beyond Baldur's Gate. In theory, there are temperate plains and savannah-like areas nearby, so that the DMG encounter tables could conceivably result in encounters with elephants and rhinos or tigers (oh my!) just outside of Baldur's Gate.

Thus, I wouldn't have my Players encountering elephants and tigers in the vicinity of Baldur's Gate if doing so would seem out of place. In my games as a GM/DM, I'm a huge fan of verisimilitude and immersion. (although verisimilitude is much harder to implement in a fantasy RPG setting)

I'm just as surprised to find out that dinosaurs even exist within a marshland area near Waterdeep. That's a revelation to me!

Never heard of szorp or shaggun? What book or source were they mentioned in?

Edited by - Gurgle Gobblespit on 05 Oct 2015 23:26:45

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 05 Oct 2015 : 23:40:45

Are you familiar with the 2E supplement Elminster's Ecologies? That was a good look at the fauna and flora in particular areas of the Realms.

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Gurgle Gobblespit
Acolyte

USA
27 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2015 : 04:44:31

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Are you familiar with the 2E supplement Elminster's Ecologies? That was a good look at the fauna and flora in particular areas of the Realms.

I didn't even know it existed! Thanks for the tip.

I do have one Elminster sourcebook upon diving into 5th Edition D&D… and that is the Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. From my understanding it was one of the last 4E books ever printed, and the book was brilliantly created as "edition-neutral", which meant it was an insta-buy for me for using it as a 5th Edition FR sourcebook. Still that book did not talk about local fauna or flora in FR, but it did discuss things like where the Princesses of Cormyr buy their lingerie, etc.