Darkened Vale

A feral, fey-haunted forest on the edge of civilization, the forest presents a constant threat to those who live nearby, but also serves as a persistent temptation to adventurers eager to make names for themselves.
The Darkened Forest is located near Hollen, at the base of Brokkr’s Crag, along the banks of the Coldfire River in western Erast.
The Darkened Forest is home to a wide variety of plants and animals beyond its more dangerous intelligent residents, such as the fey of the forest or the kobolds of its subterranean reaches.

Geography

Darkened Vale is a large, mixed temperate forest west of the city of Ironhaven.
The two main woodlands in the Darkened Vale are the southern area known as Darkened Wood and the reaches north of the Silver River called Arkenfell Forest. The logging of Darkened Vale continues to create great tensions between the Vale's human inhabitants and the native fey protectors of the forest.
The Silver River is the primary waterway in the region and cuts a line through the center of the Vale. 
While Darkened Vale consists mostly of frontier lands, it nevertheless hosts several mentionable settlements. These include Hamar, Hollen, and Kilren's Bluff. Despite the region's many dangers, Ironhaven remains interested in the Vale's natural resources, from darkwood to silver, and its access to the coast.
Ruins are found all over the forest. Old elvish towers, Mannish homesteads, even deserted stout halfling villages.

Climate

Darkened Vale is exposed to warm and cold air masses, which cause this area to have four seasons, and recieves between 30 and 60 inches of precipitation a year. Winters can be extermely cold and summers are warm.

Fauna & Flora

The main trees found in Darkened Vale include darkwood, fir, oak, ash, maple, birch, beech, poplar, elm and pine.
Large numbers of fennec inhabit the vale.
The Vale is home to at least one green dragon and a rampage of forest drakes. These dragons have little interest in one another besides avoiding each other's territory.

Alternative Name(s)

Darkened Forest

Type

Forest, Temperate (Seasonal)

Location under

Ironhaven

Included Locations

• Hamar
• Hollen
• Kilren's Bluff
• The White Ruins

Included Organizations

• The Circle of Night