did Forgotten Realms develop starting with Undermountain, then Waterdeep, then beyond — or is my childhood memory deceiving me? The Realms began a decade before D&D as a series of short stories about Mirt the Moneylender swindling his way from port to port down the Sword Coast. When D&D play began in the Realms, it started with Waterdeep, then Undermountain, and then a second focus in Shadowdale.

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) June 20, 2018