The Dalelands Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter One: The Dalelands ................................................................................................... 3 Chapter Two: The Dales ...................................................................................................... 11 Archendale ...................................................................................................... 12 Battledale ...................................................................................................... 16 Daggerdale ...................................................................................................... 19 Deepingdale ................................................................................................... 22 Featherdale ...................................................................................................... 26 Harrowdale ...................................................................................................... 28 The High Dale ................................................................................................ 31 Mistledale ...................................................................................................... 34 Scardale ......................................................................................................... 38 Shadowdale ...................................................................................................... 42 Sessrendale ...................................................................................................... 47 Tarkhaldale (the Lost Dale) ................................................................................. 48 Tasseldale ...................................................................................................... 49 Teshendale ...................................................................................................... 53 Chapter Three: Features of the Dalelands .................................................................................... 54 Chapter Four: Campaigning in the Dales .................................................................................... 61 Credits Design: L. Richard Baker III Cartography: Dawn Murin Editing: Richard Steinberg Typography: Angelika Lokotz Interior Art: Eric Hotz, Valerie Yalusek, Denis Beauvais Art Co-Ordination: Peggy Cooper Cover Art: John and Laura Lakey Graphic Co-Ordination: Sarah Feggestad Thanks to: Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Tim Beach, and Julia Martin ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. The TSR logo and DUNGEON MASTER are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real person, living or dead, is strictly coincidental. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. © 1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. P.O. Box 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge, CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom Introduction Theres a good reason for my decision to retire to Shadowdale, lad; they know how to mind their own business in the Dales. Ye would be wise to follow their example. Good day! Elminster the Sage, to an unidentified adventurer etween the shining Kingdom of Cormyr and the dangerous lands of the Moonsea lie the Dalelands, a region of rich farmland and dark, brooding forests. Referred to by the locals as simply the Dales, the area is hidden in the virgin woodlands of the ancient Elven Court. The people there acknowledge no overlord and pay tribute to no great power, but instead jealously guard their independence and freedom from their larger neighbors. For hundreds of years, Dalesmen have led rustic lives. Scattered in small communi- ties, they have learned that the price of freedom is sober responsibility. People count on no one but themselves, or perhaps the fellow who lives in the next farm over. Hard work and clean living will succeed where foreign magic and plots fail. Unfortunately, the Dalesmen have found that their simple lifestyle and morals arent always enough. To the north lie the black battlements of Zhentil Keep, ruled by dangerous and manipulative folk who would like nothing better than to add the Dales to their list of conquests. To the south is the young nation of Sembia wealthy, ambitious, and strong. West of the Dales are broken mountains and bad- lands where all kinds of evil creatures plot raids and war against the Dales below. The freedom of the Dales often rests on the point of a sword. In the Elven Woods, ruins and old secrets lie waiting, some harboring wondrous treasures and others horrible death. The Elven Court is not so quiet or empty as the Dalesmen would like, and all sorts of brigands, bandits, and monsters have made their home in the dark forests and tors that lie between the Dales. From Scardale to Shadowdale, from Battledale to Teshendale, high peril, dark magic and ancient ruins wait for the bold of heart. And between adventures, you may also find the truest allies and most honest folk of the Forgotten Realms. About This Book he Dalelands is designed to be used by the DUNGEON MASTER as a ready to-run campaign guide to the Dales. It supplements the information in the ® FORGOTTEN REALMS Boxed Set, and is complementary to any number of adventures set in the Dales or Elven Court. In Chapter One, the Dales are discussed as a whole. History, trade, politics, power groups, and other campaign-shaping forces for the entire area are described. Chapter Two discusses each of the Dales in turn. Personalities, places, and items of special interest to adventurers are all noted. In addition to descriptions of the various Dales, you will find information on local surrounding areas and adventure possibilities in Chapter Three. With a little cus- tomizing and work, you will find everything you need to make the Dalelands into your own campaign area. 2 The Dalelands he people of the Dales are honest farmers and craftsmen, simple folk who believe in a days work and a square deal. They are a tough, hardy race who has thrived despite the efforts of larger and more powerful neighbors. While they have little use for brigands or vagrants, they also recognize that skilled adventurers are their first line of defense against the threats that surround them. What are the Dales? The Dales are a group of small farming communities scattered throughout the vast expanse of the ancient Elven Court. As the forest has receded over time, the Dales have moved as well, continually encroaching on the old forest. In most cases, the Dales were not carved from the forest by fire and axe, but rather grew in the unforested areas between the arms of the forest. The Dales were first settled more than 1,300 years ago by humans who had permission from the elves of Myth Dran- nor. Recognizing no superior government, the Dales remain a loose confederation of small towns and farmlands. Who are the Dalesmen? The first settlers of the region were immigrants from across the Dragon Reach, but the modern Dalesmen have become a nation of tough, independent folk who are ready and willing to fight to preserve what is theirs. Other countries see Dalesmen as rustic and xenophobic people, but, few Dalesmen care what other people think of them. Whats There to Do in the Dales? Most Dalesmen would be offended by that question. If you dont have an honest trade or craft to ply, perhaps you shouldnt stay in the Dales very long. But the fact remains that the Dalelands attract a large population of adventurers, both active and retired, and are home to some of the most interesting and powerful individuals in Faerûn. Dalesmen are nothing if not adaptable, and they have grown accustomed to the presence of large numbers of glory-seekers and treasure hounds. Fortunately, there is plenty to keep wandering adventuring companies busy. The borderlands around the Dales are the home of evil raiders and bandits. The mysteries of the ancient elven realm of Cormanthor beckon in the dark shadows of the wood. And older, more sinister ruins can be found scattered through the entire region. A ready sword and true heart wont lack for excitement in the Dales. History of the Dales oughly 1,400 years ago, humans began to settle the regions surrounding the ancient elven forest of Cormanthor. The nations of Cormyr and Sembia took 3 shape as small trading posts, slowly growing larger and was built to oppose the Twisted Tower of Ashaba and more populous. The Dalesmens ancestors immigrated contest the control of Shadowdale. Although the to the area from the old cities of Impiltur and Damara, drow eventually destroyed the rival fortress, they were and asked the Lords of the Elven Court for permission driven from the Twisted Tower in 906 DR. The village to settle the rich borderlands of the forest. of Shadowdale was founded in the