Settlement of Harken The Nerath Campaign & The Nerath Timeline The current year for our Nerath campaign is set during the year 103AE. Inspired By Gary Gygax

The Village of Harken is a small village nestled near the White River, along the old King’s Road in the southeast corner of the Nentir Vale. It has a population of 212; another 100 or so live in the countryside around the village. The people of Harken are mostly humans with a few dwarves, and halflings.

The human noble Jonn Stockmer is the baron of Harkenwold. He oversees justice, defense, and laws within the six villages and surrounding countryside that makes up the Harkenwold. The baron appoints village elders to help with the daily governing of the Harkenwold. One of the town elders is called Old Kellar, an ancient and respected dwarf.

Harken village has no standing defences, but 30 or so able-bodied warriors can be raised from the population relatively quickly.

If the need arises, the baron can call up 150 militia at need from the whole of Harkenwold. Being the largest settlement within the Barany of Kardkenwold, it gets far more traffic in and out from traders and merchants.

Harken Keep is the home of Baron Stockmer and his family. It stands on top of a short, steep-sided hillock overlooking Harken Village and the King’s Road. The trees and ground cover on the hillside are cut back at least 100 feet from the walls, leaving a bare grassy slope. The hill rises precipitously on the eastern side. The other approaches are more gradual, but none flatten out until about 100 feet above the village. A causeway of hard-packed dirt climbs around the hilltop to the castle’s front gate, exposed to archery fire from the towers and walls for most of its length.

Soldiers built the great tower and upper bailey 200 years ago to guard the King’s Road and the White River valley against monsters attacking from Thunderspire or the Dawnforge Mountains. When Jonn Stockmer became baron 45 years ago, he embarked on a decades-long rebuilding and expansion of the stronghold, adding the lower bailey and repairing the rest of the castle (sorely needed at the time). Old Kellar from Harken was the chief stonemason of this work, and knows the castle like the back of his gnarled hands.

Under Iron Circle occupation, the castle will be renamed Iron Keep, and is the stronghold of Nazin Redthorn and his Iron Circle soldiers.

Notable Locations
• Nonnie's Place
• Cliffside Brewery
• The Broken Goal
• Harkenwold Trading Station
• Harken Temple
• The Tower of Green Flame
• Harken Jailhouse
• House of Faith
• The Broken Gaol