We Focus on TTRPG's Here The Nerath Campaign & The Nerath Timeline The current year for our Nerath campaign is set during the year 103AE. Inspired By Gary Gygax

As far as real world issues goes, we've never had to address these issues here and for that I am extremely thankful. We are not anything special here, just a group of gamers trying to have a good time and I think we've grown quite a bit which makes me happy. I hope that we can continue to grow and expand as time goes on!

However there is a lot of turmoil going on in the outside world and I want to make something clear here.

We will not discuss matters of justice and equality here. We (and I, specifically) believe firmly that heroes of high fantasy settings would have never looked at anyone or anything and wondered . . . what do they identify as, are they gay or straight, what race, color or sex a person is/was, no, they wouldn't because it never would have came up and it will not come up on this blog or within my games. None of that matters here because we are all adults here and we treat people like adults.

We don't care about any of that silliness here, this is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign blog . . . it does not matter what you are, what you believe in, what color you are, what sex you are or were, none of that matters here and it will not be discussed here, so keep it to yourself.

If you feel the need to push any of that in peoples faces where this campaign is concerned then please go somewhere else, we are here to play tabletop games and nothing that happens in the real world matters here. You won't find people yelling at the world about what pronouns they are, or if they identify as a lamp shade in this group. We are not for it or against it - we simply don't care. This is a GAMING BLOG covering a Dungeons & Dragons setting and the story that it holds. No one here cares about any of the above mentioned things, keep it to yourself and let us focus on the adventuers that happen here.

If you disagree with this, feel free to leave this place and never come back. I hope you take the time to reflect on your beliefs and understand that what you believe in, should be none of anyone elses business, and people will not be forced to address you by your silly pronoun - keep it to yourself. Once again, this is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign blog and that is all that should matter to anyone who visits this website.

People that sit around our real world or virtual table are all grown ass adults and we don't give a damn about your pronouns or your real world politics. Now, with all that silliness out of the way, we hope you enjoy your visit here and please feel free to say hello in our comments sections. We would love to meet you.

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

Phandalin is a settlement in Nentir Vale that enjoys much prosperity in the last decade. It was raided by orcs in 41AE and subsequently abandoned. It was eventually resettled in 61AE as a frontier settlement of farmers and prospectors. Phandalin is a modest and quiet town of farmers, woodcutters, trappers, and miners built atop the ruins of old Phandalin. The settlement quickly grew to about fifty well-maintained structures built of stone, lumber and flagstones with three deep wells providing water.

The town is dominated by an apple orchard on the west side and a ruined manor atop a hill to the east. The townsfolk congregate in a small town square and an adjacent town green. Phandalin is located in the southeastern region of Nentir Vale, nestled at the base of the southern Dawnshroud Mountains. It is southeast of Fallcrest where the road that ran from the Trade Road faded into the Triboar trail. This is a region rich with both natural resources and adventuring opportunities and is also quite dangerous.

The climate is temperate with an average yearly rainfall of 18 inches (46 centimeters). It does see snowfall during the winter months but not in abundance, the temperature does drop well below freezing through the colder winter months. For the most part, the settlement of Phandalin is a quiet, quaint and peaceful settlement. The inhabitants of Phandalin are very welcoming to outside traffic and especially adventurers looking for work.

When Phandalin was first reestablished, it had no real functioning government, and the Phandalin Miner's Exchange began acting as a center of records-keeping for local mining claims. It did eventually elect a sherrif and an administrator but Harbin says they both left town without giving any notice at all.

Now the townsfolk annually elect a "townsmaster" who serves as a judge and mediator as well as keeps town records who can be re-elected from year to year. In 101AE, Harbin Wester was elected as the townmaster. Harbin welcomes to Redbrands into Phandalin, telling the townfolk they are protecting the settlement and are a good thing for Phandalin. He gives them free rein in Phandalin and firmly believes they are what is best for Phandalin even though the settlements residents think otherwise.

After diminished faith in the abilities of a single townmaster to address threats to the settlement in the recent years, the townsfolk instead elected a three-member town council, consisting of Harbin Wester, Sildar Hallwinter, and Halia Thornton.

The local guard barracks and jail are located on the eastern side of Phandalin and is where the local militia are housed. Phandalin is a mostly self-sufficient town: it has enough small farmhouses to provide farming for the settlement and a few miners giving the residents everything they need to survive. Phandalin exchanges their surplus of goods for luxuries, trading with other communities of the vale.

Phandalin is adjacent to land which is good for farming and ranching, and is near enough to Winterbole to support a woodcutting and logging industry. Most of the wealth, however, is from mining in the nearby Dawnforge Mountains for gold, platinum, and cold iron. Phandalin was originally a farming community and a member of the Phandalin Pact, giving them access to the Forge of Spells and the mining operations in Wave Echo Cave to the east. However, when the orcs of the vale had destroyed all game in their realm, they went in search of food and turned on the human settlements in the area, raiding them. Phandalin was the main settlement that was attacked, and it was overrun and then abandoned.

The settlement remained abandoned for years. Roughly fifty years ago the area experienced an influx of tourists and adventurers. Beginning around 61AE, settlers from Fallcrest and Winterhaven began resettling the ruins of Phandalin, and the rebuilt town was well-established by the year 71AE.

Around this time, challenges befell the town. One was a group of bandits known as the Redbrands, or the Redbrand Ruffians, who settled in Phandalin, making their lair under Tresendar Manor. They were said to have committed several terrible acts, such as racketing local businesses, kidnapping over a dozen travelers to sell into slavery, killing the woodcarver Thel Dendrar for his defiance, and later kidnapping his family but none of this has been confirmed as fact, since no action has been taken by the townmaster. Unimpressed with how the townmaster, Harbin Wester, handled these challenges, the townsfolk restructured their government to include a town council which doesn't seem to be doing much better.

During 102AE, much of the mineral wealth that was expected to flow into the town failed to materialize. The town could go for months with no new income from the mining operations, and efforts to open the ancient mine at Wave Echo Cave were abandoned.

Notable Locations
• Stonehill Inn
• Smithy
• Phandalin Patisserie Shoppe
• Barthen's Provisions
• Phandalin Miner's Exchange
• Temple of Avandra
• Shrine of Luck
• Moneychanger's Shop
• Danley and Sons Inn
• Townmaster's Office
• Woodworker Shop
• The Sleeping Giant
• Lionshield Coster

• Tresendar Manor
• Edermath Orchard
• Phandalin Cemetary
• Alderleaf Farm

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

Huddled against a hillside on a stony shore, Mistwatch has an exquisite view of Lake Wintermist’s cold water. A sleepy town of 565 citizens, blessed with riches from timber cut from the Winterbole Forest, and well fed on trout and salmon drawn from the clear, mist-covered water, Mistwatch has long known peace and prosperity until recently.

After Lord Cadimus Zaspar "the lord of Mistwatch" castle was completed, stone buildings replaced the wooden shacks and piers grew out across the water to meet the burgeoning fishing industry’s needs. The crude hamlet became a thriving town, a trade partner for nearby Winterhaven, and an important stop for merchants bound west from Fallcrest, Hammerfast, and Harkenwold.

Even though Winterhaven has authority over Mistwatch, the settlement still has a local ruler whos name is Lord Cadimus Zaspar of House Zaspar who rules from his castle Widower’s Watch which ironically was the very first structure built when Mistwatch was founded. Lord Cadimus Zaspar lost his beloved wife to sickness the first year after claiming his land.

Its people are simple folk. They make few demands on Lord of Winterhaven Ernest Padraig and are content with the lives that has been given to them, finding peace and accord with their neighbors in spite of all that is happening to Mistwatch. The trade that comes through Mistwatch "not so much these days" helps the town keep up with goods they cannot acquire themselves.

Over the last year a thick mist has slowly developed that now covers Mistwatch. The mists have grown thicker and darker with the passing of each day and the settlement seems to grow more sinister the thicker the mists get. Within the last year, this settlement has gone from a peaceful, civilized location to a dark and gloomy place.

The overall population has also dropped as well due to people just packing up and leaving . . . some moving to Winterhaven while others as far as the city of Fallcrest. Many rumors are starting to circulate concerning this settlement, whispers of folk disappearing in the middle of the night. Mistwatch is slowly transforming into a domain of dread.

Notable Locations
• Beacon Inn
• The Baited Hook
• Mistwatch Temple
• Mort’s Supplies
• The Sink
• Smoke on the Water
• House on the Rocks
• The Run

Notable Names
• Cadmus Zaspar
• Cadmus
• Bartleby Haff
• Captain Cara
• Mort
• The Pinrae family

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

Nenlast is a small town on the eastern short of Lake Nen. Directly north is Winterbole Forest, and to the south are the Old Hills and the dwarven outpost of Hammerfast. With a population of only about two hundred people, most of Nenlast's citizens are fishermen, catching black trout and bass out of Lake Nen and selling their catch across the Nentir Vale.

This tiny human village lies at the east end of Lake Nen. The folk here make a meager living by trading smoked fish to the dwarves of Hammerfast. They also deal with the Tigerclaw barbarians of the Winterbole Forest. When the wild folk choose to trade, they come to Nenlast to barter their pelts and amber for good dwarven metalwork. Over the many years, Cromlen the Sorcerer has placed Continual Lights spells throughout the settlement to keep the community illuminated. It began as a way to detect Orcs raiding into the region and harrassing Nenlast but over time, it just became a way to keep the settlement illuminated during the nightime hours with enough lighted locations to keep the settlement dimly lit during the night.

It maintains a standing population of approximately 200 citizens year round. The population does not fluctuate from season to season, the warmer months might increase to a population somewhat due to kinfolk visiting and such. The settlement sees a small amount of traffic from travelers who usually stop at the Black trout Inn but shortly after are moving on, and is used more as a crossroads than anything else.

The settlement is governed by Lord Mayor Thure Karn. The settlement has no real standing miltia, only a few locals "former adventurers" that casually keep watch over the settlement, and Nenlast has seen no trouble in a very long time. Their are a few shops and stores located here as well as the Black Trout Inn "which serves some of the finest food in the region" .

Farming and fishing are the primary source of income for Nenlast although the location does have a smithy which sometimes trades with outside settlements.

Like many small settlements across Ansalon, Nenlast has autonomy in how it governs itself, electing its own officials and imparting its own brand of justice. Only when issues go outside their expertise or infringe upon another jurisdiction are they prone to ask for aid or upscale the matter to outside sources.

Nenlast holds frequent festivals, feasts, and fairs throughout the year, including the Forever Nenlast pageant, a competition for the title of "Gem of Nenlast" which is held until the following year when the Forever Nenlast pageant is held again, and also the midsummer Peachiest Pie bake-off is held during this celebration. The festivals will also have other random events and contests that change from year to year depending on popularity.

The Forever Nenlast pageant is an annual festival, first held in 101AE. It consists of an interview, a talent show, and an evening wear exhibition. Persons who won in previous years may re-enter in later years to potentially win the title multiple times.

Though the competition is primarily held for residents, those from out of town may also enter; entry is open to all ladies of the vale. Other festivities during this pageant include a presentation of pies during the day, which are also judged in a competition, and a presentation of barbecue and smoked foods at night.

Notable Locations
• Moon Tower
• Black Trout Inn
• Chapel
• Docks
• Erkar's General Store
• Ironheart Smithy
• Marita's Bookshop
• Benton Stables
• Nenlast Patisserie Shoppe
• Watch House
• Traders Establishment
• Traders Bank
• Mayor's Office
• Tenements
• Market Square

• Cemetary
• Old Lighthouse

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

Winterhaven is a settlement set against the Cairngorm Peaks and has a population of approximately 1,000 residents. It is surrounded by farms and pasture and a lot of the people who claim citizenship in the village actually live outside of its walls. The location of the settlement protects it from dangerous monsters, who do not like traversing the Cairngorm range. They do have problems with kobolds and goblins at times but that is about it.

Most villagers are farmers and herders who live outside the walls, and most are human, with a scattering of dwarf families, and a handful of individuals of other common races, including even a couple of elves. Ernest Padraig is the Lord Mayor of Winterhaven, residing in his family’s ancestral manor and enjoying the benefits of wealth and privilege in the tiny village. He has little real power despite his hereditary title but is recognized as the legitimate ruler of Winterhaven.

Lord Padraig commands the Winterhaven militia, a group of ten soldiers who perform guard and police functions in and around the walled settlement. Padraig can muster a force of about fifty, given a day’s notice, to supplement this force if the village is threatened. Winterhaven is primarily an agricultural settlement based on barter and trade and Lord Padraig keeps a monetary system afloat, and a small market place that sells most common goods. Most residents of Winterhaven have never traveled beyond the village vale. The majority of villagers are farmers, though the walled heart of Winterhaven employs various craftspeople as well. Wagons occasionally head east down old King’s Road from Winterhaven to find trade with the next village, town or settlement, which lies five days away.

Winterhaven does see a fair bit of traffic from adventurers in spite of its size. This is because of the close proximity to several ancient ruins from Arkhosia, Bael Turath and Nerath, that dot the western end of the Nentir Vale. They have a single inn as a result, Wrafton’s Inn. Sometimes wagons come into Winterhaven, usually from Fallcrest, causing the villagers to excitedly gather in the Market Square to hear news of the outside world and to buy new and exotic goods.

Winterhaven is a walled settlement with a central castle, and is surrounded by a series of farms. The settlement walls are thwenty-five feet tall as well as very thick, with watchtowers spaced randomly along the wall surrounding Winterhaven, which stand thirty-five feet tall. Winterhavens wall is broken only by two main gates, which allow access in and out of the settlement. Winterhaven is a frequent stop for many merchants and is a bustling center for trade during the warmer months of the year. Located at the center of Winterhaven is an open market and houses merchants and wares.

The city is also home to a large vegetable market, widely famed for the availability of many different vegetables from the region. Winterhaven has a very open feel about it full of friendly folk from the surrounding region. Very little crime from within Winterhaven happens which is why the militia is so small here.

Every other day or so, carts and wagons gather in the market square and offer goods to the people of Winterhaven. Once each week, the official Market Day acts as a siren’s song, calling most of the villagers to shop and socialize in the square. Farmers sell produce, hunters hawk smoked meats, villagers sell crafts, and sometimes a trader from other villages or towns sells hard to find or costly goods. On any given day, there is a 50% chance that common items are available for sale here (items worth less 10 gp). Adventurers will almost never find armor, weapons, or magic items in the market square, however.

Points of Interest
• Valthrun’s Tower
• Wrafton’s Inn
• Bairwin’s Grand Shoppe
• Coalstriker Smithy
• Winterhaven Temple
• Tenements
• Warrior Guild
• Winterhaven Barracks
• Lord Padriag's Manor House
• Winterhaven Keep
• Traders Shop
• Market Square
• Sheerah's Parchment and Binding
• Watch House
• Winterhaven Traders Bank
• Alaster's Provisions
• Winterhaven Stables

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

A dwarven fortress cut from the rock of the Dawnforge Mountains, Hammerfast is the largest and wealthiest settlement in the region. It is also the most haunted. The Trade Road runs up to the citadel gates and continues eastward beyond the Dawnforge Mountains. Hammerfast is governed by a council of masters, each the leaders of one of the town’s powerful guilds. The current High Master is the leader of the merchant guild, a dwarf named Marsinda Goldspinner. The inhabitants of Hammerfast look to their own first and don’t give away anything for free . . . "true to the nature of most dwarves", but they are honest and industrious.

The current fortress of Hammerfast is the third such "structure" to stand on the site and currently has a population of just over 3,000 rugged dwarves. The first was a Dwarven necropolis. As the nearby Dwarven colonies grew rich and prosperous, so to did the tombs and businesses catering to the dead interred there. So rich, that it drew raiding parties and eventually an Orcish horde. The orcs slaughtered the living dwarves and set about plundering and despoiling the tombs of the dwarves. Eventually, the easily plundered treasures and loot were played out, and the remaining tomb complex traps and now vengeful undead outweighed reward of the remaining treasure.

The orcs traveled on, leaving the necropolis a ruin. With the fall of Nerath, and the subsequent fall of the Dwarven colonies to famine, plague, and roving monsters caused the local Dwarven communities to make a fateful choice. "Why waste fortifications on the dead?" And thus, the ruins of the Necropolis of Hammerfast became the living city of Hammerfast. A strange (and epic!) tale tells of the negotiations between the dwarven clans and the orcish warbands, and the clerics and shamans of Moradin and Gruumsh hammering out their arrangement.

Today, Hammerfast is thriving with stark reminders of it's past. The remaining sealed tombs stand untouched on pain of death by decree of the Council. The ghosts of orcs and dwarves still walk the streets in the deepest depths beneath the fortress, some of them orc warriors slain in the Bloodspears' attack, others priests of Moradin or the necropolis's doomed guardians, and even a few of the dwarves laid to rest here long ago.

Such creatures enjoy full citizenship in Hammerfast, as long as they observe its laws. In a sacred compact struck with Moradin and Gruumsh, the town's founders agreed to respect the dead and defend their resting places in return for the right to settle here.

The upper levels are filled with dwarves, who are wary of outsiders, but will warm to anyone who will spend coin in their town. The lower levels are home to many business dwarves, such as smiths and miners. These areas are much less welcoming to foreigners due to dwarves not liking outsiders near areas of financial importance.

Hammerfast is a three-tiered fortress carved into the stone of the Dawnforge Mountains depths. The interior features extravagant masonry such as marble columns, archways, bridges, and buttresses, all of which are lit using a reddish-glowing stone called candlerock. A large metal forge envelopes the center of the city. Stairs and chain elevator systems near the edges of town are used for transportation between the higher and lower sections of Hammerfast.

The lower section of Hammerfast, near the mines, is darker than the upper levels. This area consists of several large structures and a giant domed temple made of flawless bronze in the center with doorways on each side, as well as a very large foundry with giant metal piping that filters off most of the smoke.

Off to the side of this section is the Darkhold Quarry mithral mine. The mine itself is made up of three deep holes that stretch down under the mountain. The expansion of the city shows in the mine design as well as the appearance that, once a section of the mine is hollowed out, the city slowly seems to expand downwards. Many mining buildings stretch around the center of the quarry. There are also a series of tunnels that go off to the sides of these main tunnels. Unbeknown to the dwarves of Hammerfast, one of these mining tunnels had broken into a cavern system that lead down into the Underdark but as of yet nothing has come from the depths beneath the city.

The Top Slab, also called the Arch, is built on a massive ring that sends neighborhoods and tunnels deeper into the mountain around it. Here is where most residential life is rooted, with thousands of stone-built abodes dotting the walls. A fine layer of soot tends to coat much of this slab, due to imperfect ventilation from the industrious center slab.

The Center Slab, also referred to as the Heart, marks the widest and most varied rung on the journey through Barad-dûm, and is stratified between the the residences of Hammerfasts dwarven elite and its wealthy merchant class. At the exact center of the slab-dwarves are very particular about geometrical symbolism-is the Pyrethrin, seat of the Iron Keeper. Radiating out from the Pyrethrone are the various fortress-manors of the dwarven noble houses, with several Carver barracks in easy reach.

Just below, the outer rings of the Center Slab are occupied by most of the city's non-mining businesses, from smithies, breweries, and jewelers, to tailors, butchers, and even tinkerers like the gnome-run Crack sackle Union.

The Bottom Slab, or the Pit, is the industrious center of Hammerfast, boasting many blast furnaces, courtesy of the Bronze Metalworks and their competitors. A network of fungus-farming paths called the Glowgrove works its way around this level, passing through all sorts of caverns. The mushrooms are harvested by the Toppers, the dwarven agricultural league that got their name from the small topside farms they tend above the city.

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

Restwell Keep "Keep on the Borderlands" is a very old keep. As the only major settlement near the Chaos Scar, Restwell Keep is a mandatory stop for adventuring groups, and members of all races can be found here. Not long ago, Restwell Keep was a freewheeling place with lax law enforcement. Lord Peridin Drysdale, paladin of Erathis, recently took command. More than a few residents, accustomed to the old regime, resent the paladin’s uncompromising push toward order and morality. As a result, Drysdale’s authority is a constant struggle.

Mercenary guards watch the barracks, as well as the towers and gate of the outer bailey. Drysdale’s soldiers patrol the keep proper and the inner bailey. The lord has mandated that capable individuals serve as militia if the need arises which most willingly do. For most, lord Peridin Drysdale is a very well respected knight and his rule of law is well respected.

Restwell Keep, also known as the Keep on the Borderlands, is an ancient site that has fallen into ruins in the past and been rebuilt several times. It was home to hobgoblin kings, dragons, and any number of other monsters. During the Empire of Nerath it was the fortress of a dwarven bandit king who was eventually overthrown by Bertak, a half-orc general who served the emperor. Today it is occupied by Lord Drysdale, who seeks to bring civilization to this region.

The keep guards the entrance to the Chaos Scar and serves as a bulwark against the monsters that live in the Scar. Lord Drysdale hopes that one day he can civilize the region and claim the resources of the Scar in the name of his goddess. Not everyone agrees with this plan however, and many fear that Drysdale intends to force everyone in the keep into service as an army to conquer the Chaos Scar. Additionally rumors abound of secret cults of Zehir or Tiamat among the keep’s inhabitants. Restwell Keep is likely to become a place of intrigue in the near future.

Three times the Keep has been attacked or besieged by humanoids or bandits, and each time it has held out and overcome its foes. Today it is a thriving community of people who have invested years of hard work into making this their home and willing to defend it to the bitter end.

Architecture
This is a full castle "with a population of around 1,000", with a very large open area inside its curtain walls and a strong keep called the Inner Bailey built into the back, far from the only entry point, the main gate. Set on cliffs on all sides at least seventy feet high, with only one real entry point, this is a very secure location. Within the walls of the castle is a small village of sorts which will serve the needs of travelling merchants, who has seen better days since the merchant caravans have recently all but stopped due to recent attacks by humanoids and bandits. The keep itself is made of solid, well-fitted stone "although over the years the wear and tear has begun to show", with thirty to 60 foot walls topped with evenly spaced blocks called merlons that the defenders can hide behind or fire between at invaders.

Towers are placed at regular points with ballista in them (a sort of huge, heavy crossbow that is each manned by crews). Catapults are also sprinkled along the outer walls. Neither weapon is tremendously accurate, particularly the catapult, they are fired at an area, not a single target.

The walls are ten feet thick, with the merlons two feet square, and a raised area that the merlons are atop of three feet high, providing half cover for defenders. The portcullis is of hard steel and is held in place with a gear system. It can only be raised from within by the windlass system once the catch is released. It takes a full turn to raise the portcullis enough for a horse to ride through, or a phase to make enough space to crawl under. The bars are very strong and well made and the entire portcullis weighs 900 pounds.

Notable Locations
• The Travellers Inn
• The Stumbling Giant
• Bergen's Smithy
• Market Square
• Jewel Merchant’s Apartment
• Restwell Bank
• Saruun Guildhouse
• Stables
• Storage Warehouse
• Groms Smithy
• Quartermaster Shop
• Locksmith
• The Green Man Inn
• The One-Eyed Cat
• Guild House
• Chapel
• The Granery
• Prison Tower
• Moneychanger's Shop

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

Fallcrest stands at the highest peak of the Moon Hills at the falls overlooking the Nentir River which can been by viewing the maps here and here. Here travelers and traders using the old King’s Road that runs north and south, the dwarven Trade Road from the east, and the river all meet. The surrounding ridges shelter several small valleys where farmers and woodsfolk live; few are more than six or seven miles from the town. In general the people outside Fallcrest’s walls earn their living by farming or keeping livestock, and the people inside the walls are artisans, laborers, or merchants. People with no other prospects can make a hard living as porters, carrying cargo from the Lower Quays to the Upper Quays (or vice versa).

Fallcrest imports finished goods from settlements downriver and ironwork from the Dwarven fortress of Hammerfast, and exports timber, leather, fruit, and grain. It also trades with the nearby settlement of Winterhaven. The surrounding hills hold several marble quarries that once produced a good deal of stone, but the area has little demand for ornamental stone these days, and only a few stonecutters still practice their trade. Fallcrest has a standing population of around 1,350; another 900 or so live in the countryside within a few miles of the town. The people of Fallcrest are mostly humans with a very small number of halflings and dwarves, travelers of all races pass through on occasion.

Fallcrest is divided into two main districts by a steep bluff that cuts across the town. The area north of the bluff is known locally as Hightown. This district survived the city’s fall in relatively good shape, and it was the first area resettled. To the south of the bluff lies Lowtown, which tends to be newer and poorer. In the event of a serious threat, people retreat up to Hightown—the bluff and the town walls completely ring this part of Fallcrest, making it highly defensible. The human noble Faren Markelhay is the Lord Warden (hereditary lord) of the town. He is in charge of all city justice, defense, and laws. The Lord Warden appoints a city council to look after routine commerce and public projects.

Fallcrest’s Hightown is guarded on two sides by a thick wall (the river and the bluffs protect the other two sides). It consists of two parallel barriers of stone block with a few feet of fill between them, and stands about 20 feet tall. Every hundred yards or so, a small tower strengthens the wall.

Two pairs of sentries (Fallcrest guards from the castle) walk the wall tops at night, but unless danger is imminent, the towers are left locked and aren’t manned. The gatehouses are permanently garrisoned. The Fallcrest Guard numbers sixty warriors, who also serve as constables. Moonstone Keep is their barracks. The Lord Warden can call up 350 militia at need.

310 years ago the Nerathan hero Aranda Markelhay founded a modest tower overlooking the Nentir Falls, where the present day Moonstone Keep sits. With the tower overlooking it, a meager settlement began to grow as settlers from Nerath ventured into the new Northern Province. This settlement soon became known as Fallcrest. Over the next two centuries, Fallcrest grew into a small and prosperous city. It was a natural crossroads for trade, and the Markelhays ruled it well. When the empire of Nerath began to crumble about a century ago, Fallcrest continued to flourish.

Ninety years ago, a fierce horde of orcs known as the Bloodspears descended from the Stonemarch and swept over the vale. Fallcrest’s army was defeated in a rash attempt to halt the Bloodspears out on Gardbury Downs. The Bloodspears burned and pillaged the lower portion of Fallcrest and went on to wreak havoc all across the Nentir Vale, including the complete razing of Fastormel.

In the decades since the Bloodspear War, Fallcrest has struggled to reestablish itself. Fallcrest is a shadow of the former city; little trade passes up and down the river these days. The countryside for scores of miles around is dotted with abandoned homesteads and manors from the days of Nerath.

Notable Locations
• Nentir Inn
• Blue Moon Alehouse
• Halfmoon Trading House
• The Silver Unicorn
• Sandercot Provisioners
• Temple of Erathis
• Fallcrest Stables
• Moonsong Temple
• House of the Sun
• Knight's Gate
• Fallcrest Harbor
• Moonstone Keep
• The Tombwood
• Fallcrest Tenements
• The Nentir Falls
• The Catacombs
• Septarch's Tower
• Watch House
• Naerumar's Imports
• Kamroth Estate
• Teldorthan's Arms
• The Market Square
• Lucky Gnome Taphouse
• Fallcrest Cemetary
• Fallcrest Bathhouse

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

Harkenwold sits on the White River and consists of 5 settlements: Tor's Hold, Marl, Albridge, Harken and Dardun. Tor's Hold is a small hamlet and keep, Marl is a village burned by the Iron Circle as a warning, Albridge is the second-largest settlement (and home to Dar Gremath's rebellion) and Harken is the largest settlement (and the headquarters of the Iron Circle).

Also of note is the Druid's Grove (home to the druidess Reithann), the Toadwallow Caverns (the base of a group of bullywugs, including Gloorpk and Uggloor), Ilyana's House (home of the half-elf farmer Ilyana and her two sons), Dal Nystiere (an abandoned eladrin village) and the Woodsinger Camp (where the Woodsinger Elves live).

Half a dozen small villages lie along the upper vales of the White River. Together, they make up the Barony of Harkenwold, a small realm whose total population is not much greater than Fallcrest’s. Harkenwold is a small barony in the southeast reach of the Nentir Vale. Several small settlements and a number of steadings (isolated farms) are scattered across the broad dale of the White River. The great Harken Forest surrounds the realm, isolating it from the lands nearby. In better times, this quiet backwater contently avoids major trouble.

The Barony of Harkenwold is a broad valley just over 50 miles long and roughly 20 miles wide located between arms of the Harken Forest. This primarily open land consists of gently rolling hills covered in a mix of cheery meadows, light forest with little undergrowth, and the occasional thicket. The climate is cool and rainy. Many small streams wind their way across the land, eventually joining the White River. These brooks are at most a few feet wide, and small footbridges cross them regularly.

The people of Harkenwold are mostly farmers, woodcutters, and woodworkers; little trade comes up or down the old King’s Road. The ruler of Harkenwold is Baron Stockmer, an elderly man who is known for his strong sword arm in his youth. He is a just and compassionate ruler.

Harkenwold’s total population is about 2,000, scattered across half a dozen small hamlets and a score of isolated steadings. Most of the citizens are humans (50%), halflings (25%), and dwarves (20%), with a smattering of other folk (5%).

Harkenwolders living in the countryside are primarily farmers, shepherds, or woodcutters. Denizens of the hamlets also include woodworkers, smiths, carters, brewers, cheese makers, and leatherworkers. The other villagers tend nearby fields or orchards.

A steading is a farm or homestead in Harkenwold’s countryside. Each of these settlements features a strongly built house of fieldstone and timber, surrounded by approximately 200 acres of pastureland and cropland. Some steadings have defensive palisades around the main house. A single extended family commonly lives in the house — two or three couples with their children, their older relations, and a few hired hands. Rarely do the total inhabitants of a steading exceed 20 people.

Traveling on foot averages 2.5 to 3 miles per hour on roads or trails. Walking from Tor’s Hold to Easthill, for example, takes about two days. If the travelers avoid the well-traveled trails and strike out directly overland, the mixed terrain reduces their speed to 3/4 normal. Venturing into the Harken Forest or the Briar Hills is much more difficult. The rougher terrain reduces speed to half normal.

Traveling in Harkenwold are rarely more than a mile or two from the nearest steading. Most Harkenwolders are happy to put up visitors for the night, although the accommodations might be a dry barn or stable.

Notable Locations
• Tor's Hold
• Marl
• Albridge
• Harken
• Dardun
• Easthill

• Gravelstoke Mansion
• White River

Tor's Hold The Nerath Campaign & The Nerath Timeline The current year for our Nerath campaign is set during the year 103AE. Inspired By Gary Gygax

Tor’s Hold is a group of steadings belonging to the seven children of Tor Hammerfist. Tor's Hold is the traditional home of the Tor Clan and is the largest fortress in Harkenwold, save perhaps the Harken Armory with a population of around 141 citizens. According to legend the first massive stone of the castle was lain in the year 100 AON by Tor Hammerhand himself, founder of the Tor Clan. It was the site of the Siege of Tor's Hold in A Heart of Sorrowful Power.

Tor's Hold was built by the eponymous Tor Hammerhand around the year 100 of the Age of Nerath. Old Tor has been dead for many years now, and his offspring have each raised small clans of their own. The elder of Tor’s Hold is Bran Torsson, a big, boisterous human of 60 years and the oldest son of Tor. Some accounts even claim Tor constructed the entire fortress himself, a nearly impossible feat considering the size of stone slab that make up the walls. The plot of land was likely awarded to Tor in recognition of his exploits as an adventurer. Tor's kin and those of his shield-brothers made the Hold their home. By generally keeping to their own affairs and upholding impressive defenses the Hold has remained in Torsson family hands ever since.

In the time of the Bloodreaver War Tor's Hold was briefly captured by the Bloodreaver Army of Chief Larkk, who was able to seduce Hergar Torsson and a few others to betray the clan with promises of dark power from Rob Boss. The actions of The Party and the Harkenwold Militia succeeded to help liberate the castle and return it to its rightful owners. The trouble with the Bullywugs in the Toadwallow Caverns requires the folk of Tor’s Hold to spend most of their time defending their lands.

Notable Locations
• The Grey Hare
• Blacksmith Shop
• Miner's Exchange
• Watch House
• Tor's Keep
• Porter Provisions

• Ironhold Chasm

Notable Names
• Jonn Stockmer
• Adalbar the Hunter
• Bran Torsson

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

A prosperous settlement surrounded by well-tilled fields. The nearest steading belongs to Curwen, a fretful old halfling, who lives with his wife Masie. Many of the people living here own farms growing much of the vegetables that is consumed here.

After the Iron Circle invasion, Nazin Redthorn ordered it burned as a warning to the other villages. Creatures such as dire rats, drakes, and goblins skulk around the ruins. A few of Marl’s outlying farms are still inhabited, including Curwen’s steading. The rest of Marl’s folk have scattered to other steadings or taken refuge in Tor’s Hold. It is a community where everyone knows one another and all of these people are friends. Low hanging clouds gives this region a cozy feel.

The settlement has no standing miltia, only a few towns guard that maintains security, although the settlement has seen no trouble in a very long time. The settlement sees little traffic from travelers but those few who do stop at this settlement usually stop at the Tara Kane’s Tavern but shortly after are moving on, and is used more as a crossroads for travelers. This community is a very self sustaining community and has grown used to taking care of themselves over the years with its local farmers and hunters bring in meats to the tavern. It does however see "some" outside trade, mostly food stuffs from other settlements within the Barony.

Notable Locations
• The Belching Beholder
• Stables
• General Provisions
• Smithy

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

Gerrad, a hale and white-haired old halfling, was appointed village elder by Baron Stockmer thirty years ago, and he conducts most of the town business from the common room of the Mallard Inn. He hides the keenness of his mind behind an affable manner and long-winded stories.

Gerrad and his wife Nioma are skilled weavers and sell simple but well-constructed garments of all kinds. Albridge has a standing population of 190, mostly they are humans, dwarves, and halflings who are very welcoming to good folk not native to the settlement.

Under Iron Circle occupation, Gerrad is well aware of Dar Gremath’s efforts to organize resistance and supports them. Their granddaughter Seranna is also part of the resistance. Gerrad hopes to deflect Iron Circle suspicions for as long as possible, but realizes that direct confrontation is inevitable. He despairs that the rebels will not be strong enough.

Baron Stockmer has appointed about ten guards to each smaller village, such as Albridge.

Alternatively, if Harkenwold is already occupied by the Iron Circle, Dar Gremath is leading the rebel forces from this village. The rebels will protect their village with their lives.

Notable Locations
• The Mallard Inn
• White River Mercantile
• Kathrid’s Smithy
• Gremath Stables
• Old Tower
• Village Green
• Wainwright’s Workshop