The Isle of Mist

“The island in Mirror Lake at the northern end of the valley is a place of death, avoided by all that live and breathe. Stories tell of ancient magic – and a crypt brimming with gold and wondrous artifacts. But the island is wreathed in demonic fog that sucks the life out of anything that comes near.”

On a hilltop stands a column of white marble so tall it rises above the yellowish mist. A narrow staircase winds its way up the column. Five arms support a wide stone slab at the top of the tower.

Oracle Cave

“Did you hear about young Roric? The boy was taken from his farm outside Outskirt. The tracks lead to the Iron Forest. People say he was brought to the Oracle Cave. The Oracle is ancient and knows all there is to know about the Misty Vale, and she’s said to be sitting on immense wealth. But now and then she demands a human sacrifice. I reckon we’ll never see Roric again.”

A dark hole, wide enough for several people to walk next to each other, gaping straight down into the earth. The cold of the underground flows from the opening.

The Village of the Day Before

“Seven centuries ago, this valley was home to Kato the Curious, a sorcerer who served Emperor Eledain but betrayed his liege. Kato’s tower and the nearby village of Blackridge, in the far northeast, perished in dragon fire when his treachery was discovered. Now he’s said to haunt the ruins of his tower, which supposedly holds all kinds of treasures. But no one who tried to loot the ruins has ever returned.”

In a valley between two hills, the road is blocked by a barricade that seems to be a mixture of orc palisades, dwarven structures, elven ironwork, thorny hedges of the kind grown by halflings, and other things of indeterminate origin. Texts in unknown languages have been painted on the various parts of the barricade.

Road's End Inn

“There is something strange about Road’s End Inn by the edge of the Haunted Marshes. Several guests there have disappeared without a trace, among them a small child, and most recently the shepherd Antelia. Her family is worried sick.” 

About twenty guests are chatting, eating, and gambling. Behind the counter stands a high-spirited halfling. The atmosphere and the smell of meat roasting in the fireplace make it impossible not to feel welcome.

Fort Malus

“Fort Malus was constructed by House Stoneoak near the end of Emperor Eledain’s reign, to protect the family’s most prized possession – the Malus Aureus, a tree that bore golden fruit, apples of actual gold! The ruins of Fort Malus still stand in the far northwest, probably with thousands of golden apples lying at the roots of the old tree.”

It is dark under the storm clouds that cover the Misty Vale. Raindrops and leaves perform a rustling, splashing dance in the gusty wind. Also joining in are the cones of light beaming at the forest from the top of the wall, from lanterns carried by guards peering outward but longing inward, to the warmth of the keep.

Troll's Spire

“When the moon is full you can see a tower glittering like a silver spire in the western parts of the valley. A magical tower, no doubt, for none has yet found the way there. Some say it’s home to an age-old alchemist who long ago incurred the wrath of the dragon emperor. She hid from Eledain in her tower, where she concocted an elixir that gave her everlasting life.”

Before you stands a crumbling tower from a bygone age. The ruins are wrapped in a crimson and black cloak of roses and sharp thorns, and the sweet scent of the flowers lies heavy on your senses. The entrance is blocked by a massive gate of red oak. The tower has a few windows, but none at ground level.

Bothild's Lode

“The dwarves of the Kummer Mountains are decent and honest folk. It was worse in the old days – during the reign of Bothild the Vile and Greedy – when they dug too deep in their miserable mines and unleashed nameless horrors on the world. But then again, what treasures they found! They unearthed heaps of gold, silver, shimmering emeralds, and crystals the size of a goblin’s head. Apparently, it’s all still down there in Bothild’s Lode, in the far southwest.” 

The ravine ends in a rock wall where a stone gate, no doubt magnificent in its day, now hangs wearily on broken hinges. A faint light seeps through the gate whose beautiful runes have been destroyed by vandals.

Riddermound

“This side of the Iron Forest there’s an unholy place with huge stones rising into the sky. Riddermound it’s called, named after a dark knight who was chained by the gods when the world was young. They say he was buried alive in that mound, along with his family, his servants, and all his riches.”

A hill crowned by tall standing stones rises in a glade in the middle of the forest. The place is strangely quiet. However, you notice a faint but ominous odor – a putrid stench like that of rotten vegetables.

Tower of Sighs

“There’s a disgusting bog about a day’s march east of here. It’s crawling with bloodsucking leeches and insects, and is a hideout for bandits. But there are vast riches out there in the sludge, buried in the ruins of an ancient watchtower. People around here call it the Tower of Sighs.”

This must once have been a mighty fortress, four stories high and built of red stone. The roof is flat and surrounded by battlements, but the tower is badly damaged. One broken wall is wide open and blackened with soot. There are stones scattered across the ground around it, as if a huge fireball once blasted through the wall. Up close one can hear distinct sighs that make one’s blood run cold.

Temple of the Purple Flame

“The Magna Woods is a diseased forest, and we all know where the malady is coming from – the Temple of the Purple Flame, a crumbling remnant of an evil age, where forbidden knowledge and demonic residue rest among untold treasures under the overgrown rocks.”

A large and impressive but severely dilapidated stone temple. Its towers and spires have collapsed and much of the building is covered with abundant vegetation dominated by huge briars with formidable thorns. The stone gate stands slightly ajar. The remains of murals with a pattern of violet flames can be seen on the walls beside the gate.

Dead Eyes Cave

“A monstrous beast has crawled down from the mountains and attacked Blind Hildi’s farm southeast of Outskirt. There are whispers about a cave full of torn-out eyes, but also great treasures and powerful weapons from ill-fated adventurers who met their fate in the Dead Eyes Cave.”

A thick mist blankets the top of Mount Oculus. In the middle of the rock formation that gave the mountain its name, where the pupil would be, is the cave entrance. It is pitch black in there and a musty smell emanates from the opening.

Outskirt

The wagon tracks give way to a paved road that cuts through the high grain fields. Countless smells invade your senses: manure, smoke, and rotting vegetables, but also freshly baked bread and grilled meat.

The road leads to a settlement surrounded by a palisade, with lots of small houses with smoking chimneys visible beyond its sharpened logs.

The village gate is closed and flanked by two low but sturdy towers of stone with crenelations and pointed wooden roofs. Drawing closer, you hear the stern voice of a man barking at you from one of the towers:

“Halt, strangers! State your names and business or turn back to the forest – this is a place of peace and decency.”

Drakmar Pass

The ancient and narrow pass runs through the mountains like an axe gash. Steep, moss-covered slopes rise to the snow-laden peaks that can occasionally be glimpsed through the veils of cloud. Somewhere ahead lies the Misty Vale, the legendary place where the empires of old stored their wealth and magical artifacts.

It is the rumor of these treasures that has brought you here – the vast riches and arcane secrets hidden among the ruins on the other side of the mountains. And you are not the first to be lured by such temptations. Since the orcs started leaving the area, about a decade ago, a growing stream of settlers and adventurers have made their way to the Misty Vale.

The Misty Vale

According to legend, the valley was once the heart of a powerful dragon-worshiping empire. But this great civilization fell into ruin and the valley was overrun by orcs.

The Misty Vale is surrounded by high mountains – the Kummer Mountains in the south and the Dragonfang Peaks in the north. Remnants of an ancient road system can sometimes be seen in hollows and passes between the mountaintops. But getting down into the valley is a hazardous enterprise that requires skilled pathfinders and brave swordsmen. The dangers are many and the paths treacherous.

The valley spans roughly 150 kilometers in both length and width. It was named the Misty Vale because of the impenetrable haze that often lies thick over the area. The terrain mainly consists of dense old-growth forests, but near the Kummer River are two large lakes and a vast wetland known as the Haunted Marshes. Around Outskirt, which in recent years has emerged in the southern part of the valley, there are rolling hills and partially cultivated plains.

Fragments of the imperial roads that long ago connected the different parts of the region can be seen in the valley as well, with crumbling and overgrown paving stones occasionally peeking from between moss and ferns. Cracked stone pillars and strange milestones – with jagged, horned crowns at the top – also rise out of the terrain at regular intervals.