There Erix the slave girl learns of a great destiny laid upon her by the gods themselves. At the same time, across the sea, a fateful mission of exploration embards.The explorers, a legion of seasoned mercenaries sail westward to discover a land of primitive savagery mixed with high culture, of brutal, bloodthirsty gods and lavish treasures. Under the banner of their vigilant god, the legion claims these lands for their own.Only as Erix sees her land invaded by these strangers, when her world itself starts to collapse around her, is her startling destiny revealed...

    . . somewhere in the most ancient corners of Faerun? An intrepid human explorer sets out to find the truth and what starts as an archaeological expedition soon becomes a race against time as an undying avenger is determined to protect the secrets of the ancient, xenophobic elven empire of Cormanthyr. Lost Empires is a bold new series that uncovers the secrets of the lost, ancient Forgotten Realms world.

    But first, he must uncover the kingdom's most jealously guarded secret.

    Only in the mighty, magical empire of Netheril are men a force to be reckoned with.Bored and haughty in his midair castle, the Netherese mage Candlemas bets fellow wizard Sysquemalyn that a certain barbarian who has caught his eye can survive the most savage tests his friend -- and deadly rival -- can devise. The only rule: The tests must offer the subject some chance to survive, however slight.Of course, "playing fair" is a concept as alien to the wizards of Netheril as "mercy."But the subject of their wager, Sunbright Steelshanks of the Rengarth Tribe, has a mind -- and a will -- of his own. And Candlemas and Sysquemalyn are not the only players in this lethal game of swords and sorcery...

    The chaos of spilled blood, lawless strife, monsters unleashed, and avatars roaming Faerun was still to come. Unbeknownst to mortals, the gods had been summoned together, and among them was Mystra, grown proud and willful in the passing eons. With the others, she was about to be stripped of her godhood. The secret of her power gave her an idea. She made certain preparations, looking always for one who would be her successor . . . But until that person's ascension, her power must be preserved. A lone mortal must carry the greater share of her divine energy until the power could be reclaimed, and it was the fate of this mortal to risk being destroyed or driven wild, involuntarily and without warning. This was the occaision of Elminster's Doom.

    Now his freedom and his very life are at stake as powers of evil embroil the priests of Finder in a struggle against a plot to resurrect the dead god Bane. With his only allies the young freedom fighter Holly Harrowslough, the mysterious winged woman Jas, and the aging priest Jedidiah, Joel embarks on a mission to recover the Hand of Bane. His quest leads him from the Realms all the way to the extra-planar city of Sigil. There Joel must rely on all his courage, wisdom, and strength to thwart the return of Bane the Tyrant and rescue the god Finder from imminent death. Finder's Bane is the fifteenth in an open-ended series of novels focusing on the Harpers, the secret organization for Good in the Forgotten Realms fantasy world.

    Each novel in the series will be a stand-alone adventure, but the overall setting for all of the titles will be the Old Empires, an area of the Forgotten Realms world never before explored in the novels.

    Malevolent Bane, power-hungry Mystra, and Helm, guardian of the heavens, all know the lost Tablets of Fate are the key.Possessing a mysterious amulet, four heroes, desperate to escape the dark elements of their pasts, find themselves drawn into this high-level power struggle, sought after by the fallen deities and their minions.But time is running out for the heroes--and the Realms. Caught in the crossfire, nature itself revolts: strange, deadly creatures stalk the land, and even magic becomes unpredictable. The heroes must find the sage Elminster, the only mortal who may know the secret of the tablets.And the search begins in Shadowdale.

    Original.

    25,000 first printing.

    Four Words: Forgotten Realms® Fourth Edition!The Spellplague--and other things from horrifying disasters to monumental achievments--has changed the face of the Forgotten Realms world, and this series is the first to plunge fully into a bold new era for the venerable line.The first novel to fully embrace the exciting new elements from the next edition of the Dungeons & Dragons® game, award-winning game designer and New York Times best-selling author Richard Baker's Swordmage goes where--and when--no Forgotten Realms novel has gone before.

    To the beleaguered elves of Toril it is the ultimate refuge. But to many it is the ultimate prize.At the heart of its story is Amlaruil, Queen of All Elves. When Evermeet comes under massive, devastating attack, her sacrifice holds the last hope of saving the elven homeland.

    (Cover art by Clyde Caldwell)

    Robert King, Douglas Niles, Elaine Cunningham, Troy Denning, Jess Lebow, Christie Golden, Kate Novak-Grubb, William W. Connors, Monte Cook, Keith Francis, Strohm, and an original tale by R. A. Salvatore. Original.

    I will send the teeth of beasts upon thee, with the poison of serpents of the dust..."Presents the first volume in a new fantasy series chronicling the stand-alone adventures and exploits of the clerics in the Forgotten Realms universe. Original.