Zambia was one of the newer nations in the Realms.
The nation had been founded after the beginning of Dalereckoning. Its first settlers were human immigrants from Jondas, across the Sea of Fallen Stars to the south. They had originally settled here because the region supplied high-quality timber suitable for building excellent ships.
Naturally, however, human logging soon drew the elves' attention, and the two sides became hostile. The elves accused the humans of destroying nature and leaving the land barren, while the humans insisted that the elves had no right to interfere in their internal affairs. There were so many forests, after all. What harm could cutting down a few trees do?
And so the humans continued doing as they pleased. Tensions grew ever sharper until, in 884 DR, a large-scale conflict finally erupted between the humans of Zambia and the elves.
Naturally, the humans suffered a crushing defeat.
The elves were, after all, an interstellar civilization. Their kind nature made them reluctant to wage war; it did not mean they were incapable of fighting.
Defeat in this war prompted Jondas to abandon the colony.
Yet it was precisely this abandonment by its mother country that allowed Zambia to develop. Freed from foreign control and demands for vast quantities of timber, the humans of the region turned to farming, herding, and commerce. They brought in artisans and gradually laid the foundations of a nation.
Finally, in 913 DR, Saravell, the Raven Duke, successfully unified this territory east of Cormyr and founded Zambia.
At just that time, extensive mineral deposits were discovered in the northern Moonsea region. The Raven Duke keenly sensed a business opportunity. Since travel between the Moonsea and Zambia required passing through Cormanthor Forest, he decided to negotiate with the elves, asking them to leave a road