The Forgotten Realms The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval The current period of time for our Forgotten Realms campaigns are set during the 1st and 2nd edition era. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

The Dalelands spread across the green heartlands of Faerûn, a patchwork of wooded valleys, rolling farmland, lonely roads, and small settlements beneath the ancient boughs of Cormanthor Forest. There is no single king here, nor great capital ruling every dale. Each community guards its independence and traditions with stubborn pride. Between 1328 DR and 1358 DR, civilization remains thin beyond the farms and villages, and wilderness waits just beyond the last lantern.

Travelers may find warm hearths and friendly faces one evening, then spend the next beneath trees where sunlight barely reaches the ground. For adventurers, countless roads lead toward forgotten places and dangers sensible folk have learned to avoid. At the region's heart looms Cormanthor, an ancient forest whose history reaches thousands of years into the past. Beneath its branches stand forgotten elven monuments, overgrown roads, crumbling towers, abandoned shrines, and ruins swallowed by wilderness.

Deep within lie the remnants of Myth Drannor, once among the greatest cities of the elves and now a name spoken with wonder and dread. Treasure hunters whisper of vaults containing enchanted weapons, spellbooks, jewels, and relics abandoned when the city fell. They speak less eagerly of monsters haunting those ruins, ancient wards still functioning without masters, and strange magic waiting silently in the darkness. Roads connecting the Dalelands, and neighboring settlements cross lonely countryside where protection is uncertain. Bandits hide among wooded hills, goblins creep from forgotten caves, and monsters descend upon isolated farms. Old barrows rise from mist-covered fields, while abandoned keeps stand upon rocky ridges. In the Dalelands, adventure often begins with a missing shepherd, an empty farmhouse, or mysterious lights moving through the forest after midnight. Shadowdale is particularly known as a gathering place for wanderers, mercenaries, adventurers, and those whose business is better left unexplained.

Forgotten tunnels and ruins lie scattered throughout its countryside, reminders that others walked these lands long before the present inhabitants. Stories speak of hidden cults meeting beneath abandoned buildings and mysterious strangers traveling under false names. A farmer plowing a field might uncover stones belonging to an ancient tomb, while adventurers hired to eliminate common bandits might discover someone far more dangerous has been supplying them.

Beyond the settled valleys, the Dalelands grow increasingly wild. Forests, marshes, rocky hills, and forgotten trails stretch between communities, and maps become less trustworthy with every mile traveled. Beneath the hills run caverns and forgotten passages leading into darkness. Stories tell of routes descending toward the Underdark, lost dwarf-holds buried beneath the earth, and creatures from below occasionally finding their way upward to hunt beneath the stars. Darker secrets hide among these ordinary dangers. Agents of Zhentil Keep travel disguised as merchants, caravan guards, and mercenaries, quietly seeking influence throughout the region. Cultists gather in forgotten cellars, necromancers search ancient burial grounds, and smugglers maintain hidden wilderness trails. Even harmless disputes between neighboring settlements may conceal larger schemes. Missing livestock might prove to be sacrifices, while an innocent merchant caravan could unknowingly carry messages intended for enemies of the dales.

For those willing to leave the safety of the hearth behind, the Dalelands offer nearly limitless adventure. Old legends speak of treasures never recovered and mysteries never solved. Somewhere beyond the next bend, another adventure awaits. The Dalelands are not merely a land adventurers pass through. They are a land where adventurers are made.