Tilverton Scar

Where shadows linger and light dares not tread.

Overview

Once the bustling trade town of Tilverton, this place is now nothing but a festering wound in the earth, a gaping crater filled with magical darkness. Known simply as the Tilverton Scar, it was formed in 1372 DR when the forces of Thultanthar—the floating City of Shade—collided with the arcane defenses of Cormyr.
To this day, the Scar remains a blight upon the land, a place where light falters and shadows coil unnaturally. The air is thick with whispers, and even the bravest souls hesitate to cross its ashen rim. Some claim the Scar itself is alive, feeding on those who wander too far into its depths. Others speak of creatures lurking below—shadow horrors born from the collision of magic and shadowstuff.
A small keep of Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards now stands at its edge, a frail bulwark against the corruption. Yet, despite their vigilance, the scar remains restless, and the lands surrounding it hold their breath.

The Destruction of Tilverton

The fall of Tilverton is a tale etched in horror. In 1372 DR, as tensions grew between Cormyr and the Shadovar of Thultanthar, the town became a casualty of a far greater conflict. Cormyr’s War Wizards unleashed their magic against the shadowy forces of the Shadovar, only for the Weave to twist violently. The resulting collision unmade Tilverton, reducing it to a smoldering crater where shadows seeped and light recoiled.
Survivors—few though they were—spoke of a sudden blackness consuming the town. It swallowed streets, homes, and people, dragging them into nothingness. When the shadows finally settled, Tilverton was gone, replaced by the Scar: a wound where no sunlight penetrates and sound is swallowed by the dark.
Some believe the explosion of magic weakened the barrier between the Material Plane and the Plane of Shadow, allowing the darkness to take root and grow.

The Tilverton Scar

The Scar is vast, stretching nearly half a mile across, and its depths are shrouded in magical darkness that resists all but the most powerful light. What lies at the bottom is unknown, for even torchlight sputters and dies within 30 feet of the crater’s edge.
Features of the Scar:
The Darkness: The magical darkness is pervasive, reducing vision to near nothingness. Spells like Daylight barely pierce its edges, and even Sunbeam grows weak within its depths. Shadow Crevasses: Narrow fissures crisscross the crater, plunging into unknown depths. Some say they lead to the Plane of Shadow itself, where the laws of reality shift unpredictably. The Shadow Shredder: In hushed tones, locals speak of the Shadow Shredder, a formless predator of razored darkness that prowls the deeper crevasses. It strikes without warning, leaving behind shredded remains and whispering echoes of its prey. Ruins of Tilverton: Fragments of the old town lie twisted and warped at the Scar’s edges—cracked cobbles, blackened doorways, and broken walls frozen mid-collapse. Further down, explorers have glimpsed spectral buildings flickering in and out of existence, as if caught between planes.

The Purple Dragon Keep

Perched just beyond the Scar, a modest keep of stone and iron watches over the area. Manned by a small force of Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards, its purpose is twofold: to study the Scar’s anomalies and to keep the reckless from venturing into the crater.
Commander Veyra Eltorch: A stern veteran of the Tilverton disaster, she harbors a personal vendetta against the Shadovar and remains ever vigilant. War Wizard Edran: An aged scholar obsessed with the Scar. He warns that the darkness may expand if its root cause is not discovered and sealed. Despite their efforts, strange occurrences plague the keep. Shadows move where no light falls, and the sound of footsteps echoes in empty corridors. Some whisper that the Scar’s influence is spreading.

Life Around the Scar

Though Tilverton is no more, a handful of stubborn ranchers and scavengers cling to the lands surrounding the Scar. They eke out a living amidst the shadow-tainted grass and whisper-haunted hills.
Serra Highridge: A defiant rancher who grazes her sheep on the outskirts. The animals return with blackened eyes and eerie resilience, and her wool fetches a high price in Suzail for its strange, shadowy sheen. Eldryn Blackcask: A dwarven scavenger who picks through the Scar’s edge for artifacts. He’s been seen muttering to himself about “voices in the dark.” Herders avoid straying too close, for tales persist of shadow beasts stealing livestock, or worse, people who wander too far from safety.

Legends and Rumors

The Scar’s presence has given rise to countless tales, each darker than the last:
The Shredder’s Hunger: The Shadow Shredder prowls the crater, said to devour souls and leave only whispers behind. Tilverton’s Ghosts: Some claim the shadows are filled with echoes of the dead—spectral survivors reliving their final moments, forever consumed by the dark. Netherese Secrets: A lost Netherese artifact is rumored to lie at the crater’s heart, its shadow magic the true source of the Scar’s corruption. A Spreading Darkness: War Wizards fear that the Scar is expanding, its shadow creeping outward. Could it eventually consume all of Cormyr?

“They say shadows grow hungrier the longer you look at them. Don’t let the Scar look back.” – Eldryn Blackcask

Final Words

The Tilverton Scar stands as a stark reminder of the cost of magic unchecked. What was once a proud town is now a place of whispers and darkness, feared and avoided by all but the most daring. Its secrets remain buried deep, waiting for those brave—or foolish—enough to seek them out.

“The Scar isn’t just a place. It’s a shadow of what’s been lost... and what’s still waiting to be found.”

RUINED SETTLEMENT
1372

Type

Town

Population

0