Volo's Guide to the Dalelands
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Volos Guide to the 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 lovesAldee, 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 hell taste soon? Or scorn everlasting? Love and laughter and soon away Jonstan will fly Cone again over threshold and under dawn sky. Far across Faerûn, a rover adventures free Til the Dales call his heart home again To Jhaele, Sharune, Aleese and Rythree Warm arms and hearth and a roof gainst 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 Dedication To the original Knights of Myth Drannor for first exploring the Dales at my side. Elminster salutes ye. Credits Design: Ed Greenwood Editing: Julia Martin Cover Art: Cireulo Cabral Interior Art: Theresa Brandon, Tony Crnkovich, Ned Dameron, and Valerie Valusek Cartography: David Sutherland III Typesetting: Nancy Kerkstra and Angelika Lokotz Production: Dee Barnett Graphic Coordination: Robert J. Galica Other Sourcebooks in This Series Volos Guide to Waterdeep Volos Guide to the North Volos Guide to the Sword Coast (includes information on the Western Heartlands) Volos Guide to Cormyr ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are registered trade- marks owned by TSR, Inc. The TSR logo and MONSTROUS MANUAL are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ©1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English lan- guage 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 material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unau- thorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. 9524 TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom 2 Contents Foreword ............................................................. 4 Mistledale . 172 Volos Ratings System..................................... .4 The Abbey of the Golden Sheaf .................178 Ashabenford ................................................ .179 The Dalelands ................................................... 5 The Barrowfield.. ........................................ .188 Elven Crossing ........................................... ..189 Archendale ......................................................... 8 Galaths Roost.. ............................................ .190 Archenbridge ............................................... .14 Glen .............................................................. .192 Elgaths Provisions.. ................................ .24 The Oakengrove Abbey.. ............................ .194 Orosuls Tower.. ...................................... .26 Peldans Helm .............................................. 195 Swordpoint .............................................. .29 The Heart of the Mine.. ................................ .32 Scardale ......................................................... ..196 The Weeping Rock........................................ .34 White Ford ..................................................... .35 Shadowdale . ... 197 Baffledale ........................................................ ..38 Tasseldale ................................................... 198 The Abbey of the Sword .............................. .42 The Abbey of the Just Hammer.. ...............202 Aencars 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 Tegals Mark. ............................................... .216 Anathars Dell.. .............................................. .77 Dagger Falls .................................................. ..79 Appendix I: Folk of the Dales ..................222 Deepingdale.......................................................92 Appendix II: Dales Magic ..........................229 Bristar............................................................. .96 The Darkwatch ............................................. .97 Appendix III: Index ..................................... 237 Highmoon ...................................................... .99 The Rising Moon.. ................................. .110 Hunters Down.. .......................................... .114 Moonrise Hill .............................................. .115 Featherdale .................................................... .116 Blackfeather Bridge.. .................................. .119 Feather Falls ............................................... ..122 Wrights Ferry ............................................ ..126 Harrowdale .................................................. ..128 Harrowdale Town.. ..................................... .131 The Fall of Stars.. ................................... .143 Halvans Keep ........................................ .149 Velarsburg ................................................... .151 The High Dale ............................................... .154 The Dancing Place ...................................... 157 Highcastle ................................................... ..160 The Swordsmiths House..................... .166 The Wyvernfang.. ........................................ .170 3 Foreword ell met. Welcome to the fifth southwestern Battledale and along the of my popular travel guides to fringes of the Elven Courtare not dealt regions of Faerûn. 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 wayfarers or guide you in evading it, if you prefer. For practical overview of the Dales, and thats ease of use, Ive listed the Dales alphabeti- precisely what Ive 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 Volos Guide never seen them beforel to the Dalelands. Volos Dalelands. In these pages many of the most colorful minstrels tales have been regrettably laid Ahem. As usual, Ive aside in favor of covering features likely to be amended some of the of interest or useful to the traveleror 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 keepsparticularly in good for all of ye. 1Elminster: Nor are likely to again, unless someone else as given to exaggeration, misrepresentation, and flights of fancy happens along. 2Elminster: No prizes for guessing which ones. 4 The Dalelands 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 dwellsin, er, Shadow- as the Breadbasket of the dale, isnt 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 Faerûn, prize worth fighting for: rich farms that the Dales are well worth any travelers each power must deny to their rivals at all timebut 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