VoLo's GcifDe DaLeLanDs

Clippety-cloppety, bold Jonstan the Rover Rides misty-eyed down to the Dales again Into forests and fields, rare beauty all over, Land of his true loves—Aldee, Imthra, and Luthane, Elda and Myrta, Chalantha and Araine.

Will he find yet another? Or be welcomed back? Long lasses aplenty catch his winking eye. Is it kisses he'll taste soon? Or scorn everlasting? Love and laughter and soon away Jonstan will fly— Gone again over threshold and under dawn sky.

Far across Faerun, a rover adventures free 'Til the Dales call his heart home again To Jhaele, Sharune, Aleese and Rythree— Warm arms and heartSampleh and a roof 'gainsfilet rain 'Til his wandering feet bear him away again.

Climbing far mountains, riding in high clover To Waterdeep and the shores of the Shining Sea "Hark! Comes now bold Jonstan the Rover? Will he, oh will he ever come back to me?" The Dales call back the man wedded but free.

Clippety-cloppety, bold Jonstan the Rover Comes riding down into the Dales again. Their forests and fields, rare beauty all over, His true love more than all the maidens in pain. My man is riding mist-eyed to the Dales again.

—Jaladha Tshamryl, Minstrel of Battledale, "Jonstan the Rover" Dedfcafion To the original Knights of Myth Drannor for first exploring the Dales at my side. salutes ye.

Cnedfts Design: Editing: Julia Martin Cover Art: Cireulo Cabral Interior Art: Theresa Brandon, Tony Crnkovich, Ned Dameron, and Cartography: David Sutherland HI Typesetting: Nancy Kerkstra and Angelika Lokotz Production: Dee Barnett Graphic Coordination: Robert J. Galica

Othen Souncebooks in Tbfs Senfes Volo's Guide to Waterdeep Volo's Guide to the North Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast (includes information on the Western Heartlands) Volo's Guide to Cormyr

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TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom Foreword 4 Mistledale 172 The Abbey of the Golden Sheaf 178 Volo's Ratings System 4 Ashabenford 179 The Barrowfield 188 TheDalelands 5 Elven Crossing 189 Galath's Roost 190 Archendale 8 Glen 192 Archenbridge 14 The Oakengrove Abbey 194 Elgath's Provisions 24 Peldan's Helm 195 Orosul's Tower 26 Swordpoint 29 Scardale : 196 The Heart of the Mine 32 The Weeping Rock 34 Shadowdale 197 White Ford 35 Battledale 38 Tasseldale 198 The Abbey of the Sword 42 The Abbey of the Just Hammer 202 Aencar's Manor 45 Archtassel 203 Essembra 47 Arrowmark 205 The Silver Taproom 63 Glaun 207 The Watchful Eye 66 Halfcrag 209 Hap 70 Moontassel 211 Tasselheart 214 Daggerdale 74 Tegal'sMark 216 Anathar's Dell 77 Dagger Falls 79 Appendix I: Folk of the Dales 222 Deepingdale 92 Appendix II: Dales Magic 229 Bristar Sample96 file The Darkwatch 97 Appendix ID: Index 237 Highmoon 99 The Rising Moon 110 Hunters' Down 114 Moonrise Hill 115 Featherdale 116 Blackfeather Bridge 119 Feather Falls 122 Wright's Ferry 126 Harrondale 128 Harrowdale Town 131 The Fall of Stars 143 Halvan's Keep 149 Velarsburg 151

The High Dale 154 The Dancing Place 157 Highcastle 160 The Swordsmith's House 166 The Wyvernfang 170 ell met. Welcome to the fifth southwestern Battledale and along the of my popular travel guides to fringes of the Elven Court—are not dealt regions of Faerun. The Dale- with herein, but remain for the reader to lands are a bucolic backwater discover. With the elven withdrawal, known far across the Realms changes are sweeping this region, and for their beauty and for the tales of adven- adventure has come again to the Dales. turing glory set in their forests and fields. May this guidebook bring you safely to it— Many folk have long desired a wayfarer's or guide you in evading it, if you prefer. For practical overview of the Dales, and that's ease of use, I've listed the Dales alphabeti- precisely what I've endeavored to provide cally, even places I was not able to fully herein. So once again I pray to all the gods explore (for reasons which who may be disposed to smile favorably will become apparent). Here upon such efforts that your eyes also find are the Dales as you have favor with this latest work—Volo's Guide never seen them before1— to the Dalelands. Volo's Dalelands. OolotUmf Se In these pages many of the most colorful minstrels' tales have been regrettably laid Ahem. As usual, I've aside in favor of covering features likely to be amended some of the of interest or useful to the traveler—or that worst distortions and should bear warnings or be best avoided. untruths, but not all of Many isolated hamlets, walled estates, them.2 Some adventure is ruins, and private keeps—particularly in good for all of ye.

'Elminster: Nor are likely to again, unless someone else as given to exaggeration, misrepresentation, and nights of fancy happens along. Elminster: No prizes for guessing whicSampleh ones. file Volo's Ratings System Pipes Tankards Coins Daggers (Inns) (Taverns) (Prices) (Alleyways, Courtyards, etc.)

Worst Unsafe

Better Dangerous

Best Deadly The DalelanT>s

he Dalelands (called just farms tend to have heard of the Dales at "the Dales" by most folk least as "that quaint backwater where the who live there) are known mage Elminster dwells—in, er, Shadow- as the Breadbasket of the dale, isn't it?" To neighboring powers Dragon Reach because of such as the Zhentarim, the realms of the fine and abundant food crops these Sembia and Cormyr, and the cities of small, wood-girt vales produce. One of the Hillsfar and Mulmaster, the Dales are a most beautiful, pastoral regions of Faerun, prize worth fighting for: rich farms that the Dales are well worth any traveler's each power must deny to their rivals at all time—but be warned: Many a wayfarer costs. Azoun of Cormyr has been heard to who sees them falls hopelessly in love with say "My worst nightmare is the Zhen- their beauty and their good-natured free- tarim casting eyes at my realm and Sem- dom and subsequently will think of bia to the east after they've got the Dales dwelling nowhere else in all the Realms. comfortably under their belts." A Sembian Even folk who shrug at tales of deep envoy was heard to agree that such a elven forests, stags at bay, and verdant seizure of the Dales must never happen.

Sample file The hardy independence of the Dales- comparatively small human dale folk—notably the inhabitants of Archen- holdings, predatory beasts and long- dale and Shadowdale—has helped to hidden dark powers have arisen to take thwart the imperialistic ambitionSamples of thei filer places. Wayfarers are warned that many of the larger, more powerful realms even local woodcutters venture into the and city-states in the Dragon Reach and to leafy depths only in large, well-armed keep the Dales free. The people of Shad- parties. Bugbears, trolls, owlbears, and owdale alone have successfully repulsed worse predators often skulk around the almost a dozen invasions led or spon- fringes of many of the Dales. Those thrifty sored by the Zhentarim. travelers, such as the merchants of The traveler will find in the Dales the Cormyr and Sembia, who customarily bucolic paradise that minstrels all across save a few coins by dining at inns and Faerun sing of and harried city folk from then sleeping out under the stars in Westgate to Waterdeep think that all nearby woods may find this habit a fatal countryside, everywhere, is: a land where mistake when in the Dales. livestock are fat, harvests are plentiful, Foraged food and water free for the and rolling fields or dense forests meet taking are, however, both plentiful in the the eye on all sides. The Dales hold their Dales, and travelers may even happen dangers, to be sure. As the vigilant elves upon food crops gone wild in the have left Cormanthor, the sylvan cloak of overgrown remnants of a now-vanished ancient forest surrounding the Dale or abandoned hold. Deer are