Nentir Vale and beyond: locales, cities and other regions

 Quote

Post by Zeromaru X » Tue Feb 02, 2016 7:02 am

Following in the footsteps of my list of every power in the Nentir Vale Setting, this will have many
cities and regions from the Nentir Vale setting. Most of this information was salvaged from the now
defunct Wizards Wiki, but I have done my contributions as well.

Map of the Multiverse (World Axis version)

Map of the World

Map of the Nentir Vale

The World:
The world has no proper name, but it bears a wide variety of prosaic and poetic names among those
people who ever find need to call it anything but “the world.” It’s the Creation, the middle world, the
natural world, the created world, the mortal world, or even the First Work.

The world has one sun and one moon, created by the gods at the dawn of time (though it once had a
second moon, Iltani). Some claim a black shell surrounds the World and the celestial bodies, and
protects them from being drowned by the Fundamental Planes, the holes on that shell being the
stars, though no one knows for certain.

Info taken from the Dungeon Master Guide, the Dungeon Master's Book (from the Dungeon Master's
Kit), World and Monsters (4e preview book), and the articles "Star Crossed: Star Pact Hexblades"
(Dragon 393), and "Guilds and Groups: Moon Catchers" (Dragon 382).

The Nentir Vale:

The majority of the Nentir Vale is comprised of large stretches of open meadowland, copses of light
forest, gently rolling hills, and the occasional thicket of dense woodland and heavy undergrowth.
The downs are hilly grassland, with little tree cover. They are steeper and more rugged, and include
light forest in the valleys and saddles between the hilltops. While the Nentir Vale is a northern land,
it sees relatively little snow—winters are windy and bitterly cold, and the Nentir River is too big to
freeze except for a few weeks in the coldest part of the year. Summers are cool and mild, while the
spring and autumn months bring heavy rains.

Three important rivers cross the vale: the Nentir River, the White River and the Winter River, while a
fourth and small one, the Rushing River, crosses the perilous Dawnforge Mountains. Along with the
King’s Road that crosses the vale south to north, the Trade Road from the east to the west, and the
Iron Road in the Dawnforges, those rivers serve as the major trade routes in the vale.

Further details on the Nentir Vale can be found on page 206 of the  Dungeon Master's Guide  or page
54 of the  Dungeon Master's Book  (from the Dungeon Master's Kit). Native monsters can be found
in  Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale. The Vale has featured in the  Fell's Five  comics, and
the  Mark of Nerath  and the  Abyssal Plague  trilogy novels.
Locations
The following sections serve as a summary of the vale’s significant features, interesting locales and
more prominent settlements. They are organized in alphabetical order.

The Cairngorm Peaks:

A small mountain range that forms a barrier between the Nentir Vale and the Stonemarch. The
northern mountains are rich in diamond mines, and some dwarves have opened mining outposts on
the region. Kobolds and goblins infest the eastern part of the mountains, while the high mountains
are the domain of the fearsome perytons and the bizarre aberrations known as mooncalves. The
green dragon Vestapalk makes his lair in these crags, and the kobolds of the Greenscale tribe hunt
the foothills and the neighboring terrain under the dragon’s aegis. According to legends, when
winter storms come to the Cairngorm Peaks, the Rime Mistress, a powerful frost witch, appears to
protect the indigenous beasts from unnatural threats.

The denizens of the Cairngorm Peaks will be the first to know when the orcs of Clan Bloodspear
decide to emerge from the Stonemarch and again brutalize the Nentir Vale.

 Keep on the Shadowfell: Long ago, soldiers from Nerath built a strong fortress over a rift
leading to the Shadowfell, hoping to prevent shadowy horrors from entering the world. The
old keep lies in ruins now, and a new generation of cultists has secretly taken up residence
here. They seek to undo the magical wards sealing the Shadowfell rift.

 The Iron Gauntlet’s hideout: The headquarters of a band of hobgoblin mercenaries and

slavers, located in a mine on one of the southern mountains of the Cairngorms.

 The Miser's Pit: A mad dwarf named Goldrun Coinkeeper discovered this deep shaft hidden
in the Cairngorm Peaks. A narrow stair at the edge of the shaft descends at least 500 feet
through the earth, leading eventually into the vast expanse of the Underdark.

 Sunderpeak Temple: Located in the northern mountain of the Cairngorms, this temple is

dedicated to the gods of good, constructed with the purpose to safeguard a powerful
artifact. However, a black dragon named Blightborn attacked Sunderpeak Temple at the
head of a small army. Blightborn claimed the ruined temple as its lair, and has been digging
in with its remaining servants ever since.

 Winterhaven: Hard under the Cairngorms at the west end of the Nentir Vale lies this remote
village, surrounded by a few miles of farmland and pastures. Built in the shelter of the Keep
on the Shadowfell during Nerath’s height, this village stands as a feeble light at the edge of
civilization.

Winterhaven serves as the characters’ base of operations during the adventure  H1: Keep on the
Shadowfell  and in the Epic tier adventure  Winter of the Witch  (Dungeon 162). Is also featured in
the  Abyssal Plague  novels. The Keep on the Shadowfell is described in detail in the adventure H1,
and its also is featured in the adventures  Winter of the Witch  and  Shadow of Kalarel. The Iron
Gauntlet and the Rime Mistress are detailed in the adventure  Kalarel's Revenge. Sunderpeak Temple
is fully detailed in  Sunderpeak Temple  adventure.

The Chaos Scar:

A long, wide valley between the Ogrefist Hills and the Witchlight Fens, the Chaos Scar was carved by
the fall of a massive meteor—in truth, a cosmic horror from the Far Realm—400 years ago. The
arrival of this fallen star was fraught with ill omen, and the place now seems a dark magnet for all
that is evil, drawing horrific monsters and people of malign character to make their homes in the
valley. Rulers have tried to contain the threat of the Chaos Scar in the past, with little to no success.
A long-forgotten king erected a wall across the valley's mouth. It still stands, partly in ruins, its gates
open and unguarded.
Locations outside the Chaos Scar:

 Restwell Keep: Also known as the Keep on the Borderlands, this citadel just outside the
King’s Wall has kept a sentinel’s post over the Chaos Scar for 400 years. Legends claim that
Restwell Keep has been the fortress of a hobgoblin king, the home of an infamous bandit
lord, a linchpin garrison of fallen Nerath, and the lair of a dragon. Indeed, the keep has been
all this and more.

 Wenly Halt: A small village that has endured on the edge of the Chaos Scar, just outside the
southern edge of the King’s Wall.

Known locations in the Chaos Scar:

 The Crossroads: A small inn located a few miles beyond the King’s Wall, it serves as a trade
hub and “safe” haven for adventurers and traders exploring the Chaos Scar. The owner is
tiefling man called Millen Silvereye.

 Dragontooth Hill: A hill near the King’s Wall. A ruined fortress on its top is also the lair of
Moxulhar, a copper dragon wyrmling.

 Earthmane’s Keep: The old keep of the famed goliath sorcerer Voran Earthmane was
destroyed when the Chaos Scar was created, but its ruins still stand.

 The Forest: A small and malign forest inhabited by strange creatures, and more recently by
increasing numbers of kobolds exiled from the Fireclaw tribe.

 Glass-Spire Forest: A forest made of crystal tree-like formations, not far from the King’s
Wall.

 The Goblin Hole: A cave system below the Chaos Scar, which attracts goblins. They have
transformed the site into a headquarters of sorts. No matter how many times adventurer
bands go into the Hole and kill all of its inhabitants, in time more goblins will reclaim the
Hole again.

 Hallowgaunt: This keep, built around the “meteor” in the heart of the Scar, is crowned by a
perpetual storm of black clouds and crackling lightning. It’s the headquarters of the
mysterious Brotherhood of the Scar, a group of worshipers of Bane that rule over the valley
without opposition.

 The Head in the Clouds: The human wizard named Bolios Whittish commands a strange
flying fortress carved from the head of an enormous statue and fortified with a crownlike
tower. The Head has been seen floating above the Chaos Scar in recent months.

 The Library of Highforest: A ruined library, once operated by priests and sages of Ioun.

 The Pillar of Eyes: Not far from the King Wall’s is a crooked stone pillar, standing alone in an
otherwise ordinary field. It resembles nothing so much as a stack of staring eyeballs.
  The Proving Pit: A gladiatorial arena that is associated with an enticing magical sword called
the Scarblade.

 The Slaver’s Stone: A lone monolith west to the Stone Forest. The Slaver’s Stone takes its
name for the business conducted on the high, flat stone.

 The Stone Forest: The Stone Forest is not an actual forest but rather a collection of
monoliths set in the Scar by people unknown for purposes unknown.

 The Temple of the Radiant Morn: A temple run by a devotee of Baalzebul known to his ilk as
Theran of the False Truth. He uses the temple as a facade, “helping” the poor, the pariahs,
and other people who will be not missed, while spreading the Lord of Lies’ influence. The
“helped” people tend to disappear without a trace a few days after they have arrived to the
temple.

 The Vanguard Tower: Formerly the headquarters of a band of mercenaries, the tower is

now inhabited by a powerful beholder and his band of duergars.

 The Whispering Glade: A small clearing in an otherwise dense woods. The glade is home to a
pair of hag sisters and their forest allies and servitors. They try to misdirect infrequent
visitors away from their lair, which is hidden in a forgotten eladrin tomb.

The Chaos Scar is not one adventure site, but hundreds. For a complete list of adventures and locales
set in the Chaos Scar,  click here. The Chaos Scar is also featured in  D&D Encounters: Keep on the
Borderlands. Restwell Keep is fully detailed in the article  The Keep on the Chaos Scar  (Dungeon
176). The village of Wenly Halt is mentioned in the short story "To Chaos and Back Again" (published
in the Untold Adventures Anthology book).

The Cloak Wood:

This small forest to the west of Fallcrest is infested with several tribes of kobolds. The young white
dragon Szartharrax also lives in the forest, enjoying the adulation of the tiny pests.

 Kobold Hall: The wreck now known locally as Kobold Hall was once the estate of a minor
lord who came to the Nentir Vale to establish his own demesne. Ruined during the
Bloodspear War, the old castle has been abandoned for almost a century and kobolds now
lurk in its depths.

 Vanamere’s Tower: The ruined tower of the elf wizard Vanamere stands alone at the
southern reach of the Cloak Wood. It's rumored it contains many treasures Vanamere
hoarded during her adventuring career, including one of the fabled Yellow Skulls.

Kobold Hall is described in detail on page 210 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Vanamere's Tower
featured in the adventure "Storm Tower" (Dungeon 166).

The Dawnforge Mountains:

Named for the legendary mountain at the eastern edge of the World where Moradin is said to have
crafted the sun, the Dawnforge Mountains define the eastern boundary of the Nentir Vale. Beyond
the mountains, the land grows quickly wilder, for only a few settlements were ever established that
far from Nerath’s capital and even fewer have lasted to the present day. The foothills to the east of
the mountains are infested with trolls, hill giants, ogres, gnolls, goblins, and orcs, making trade with
those remaining towns dangerous and difficult. The trolls and werewolves of Summerdown Valley
are also known for terrorizing the mountains, venturing far and wide in search of fresh victims and
treasures for their queen. Other monsters common to the region include ankhegs, blood hawks, dire
boars, cave bears, hippogriffs, harpies, manticores, owlbears, gray wolves, and wyverns.

A number of marauding gangs of humans, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes scour the peaks as well, in
search of folk to rob and terrorize. Several bands of goliaths also range throughout the mountains.
Most of the time these goliaths wander above the tree line to keep clear of monsters and travelers.
Once a year, though, they engage in a great race across the mountains. A non-goliath that completes
the race becomes an honorary member of one of the clans.

These mountains also hide dragons—foremost among them the three-headed monstrosity that calls
herself Calastryx. The red dragon is slumbering, still affected by a curse placed on her centuries ago,
but fears are growing stronger that her reemergence is near. The Emberdark—a tribe of kobolds that
are fanatically subservient to her—can hardly wait till Calastryx wakes up, and they actively work to
make that happen.

Apart from the dangers of bandits and monsters, the rough terrain, perilous slopes, and bitter cold
of the mountains present equally deadly threats.

 Azarel’s Tower: The abode of a long-dead archmage, which supposedly lies somewhere

within the Dawnforge Mountains. It's believed that anyone attempting to access the tower
without a wand of Thunder to open the tower’s hidden passages will find a quick end from
the magic traps and immortal guardians still defending the place.

 Castle Inverness: A ruined castle in the southern slopes of the Dawnforges. Castle Inverness
is one of the three infamous "ghost towers" of the Nentir Vale, but unlike the other two, it is
not merely a focus for the activities of undead. Even without the appearance of the Ghost
Tower, Castle Inverness has long been shunned by the locals. The legends of its tyrannical
rise, and of the supernatural perils that remain after its fall, are still the stuff of bard songs
and tavern tales.

 Cazakk’s lair: An ancient dwarf watchpost in the southern Dawnforge Mountains serves as
the lair of Cazakk "the Blessed", a red dragon.

 Dungeon of the Fire Opal: The ruins of a monastery stand on the northern slope of one of
the Dawnforges. This was the home of the monks of the Enlightened Flame once, but after
they were slain by marauding gnolls, the dungeon was left abandoned until recently. A small
group of bandits led by Serlek Undertow currently occupy the dungeon's entry chambers
now. Those bandits are members of Carthain's gang, a group of bandits that normally
operates in Hammerfast.

 Dwarven Steads: There are many minor dwarven towns carved in the mountains of the
Dawnforges. At least one of those steads was constructed above a subterranean evil temple
that houses a portal to the Far Realm.

 Forgepeak: This massive peak towers over the surrounding mountains. Visible from across
the entire vale, Forgepeak has never been scaled. The red dragon Calastryx slumbers within
its lair hidden in Forgepeak. Thar, a dragonborn champion of Gruumsh, seeks to awaken and
bind the dragon to the service of his god.

 Glimmer Peak: This small settlement is the center for mining in the area south of
Hammerfast. Glimmer Peak sits along the shores of Glimmer Lake. Rumors persist that the
 palace of a fey lord long ago sunk beneath the lake. To this day, fishermen sometimes report
vague images of a grand, ruined fortress deep within the water. The stories are true, and the
ruins hide kuo-toas, undead eladrin, and fabulous treasures.

 Hammerfast: A dwarven hold cut from the rock of a deep vale in the Dawnforges.
Hammerfast is the largest and wealthiest town in the Nentir Vale. The Trade Road runs
through the citadel gates and continues eastward beyond the mountains. The dwarves have
to share the town with a tribe of orcs, as part of a divine compact forged between the gods
Moradin and Gruumsh.

 Hammer’s Deep: One of the main subterranean mining outposts of the dwarves of

Hammerfast. Recently, rumors say the outpost has been deserted.

 Highpeak: A small fortress located in a northern mountain is the center of mining operations
in the Dawnforge Mountains. The settlement is well stocked with supplies and heavily
guarded. A number of mines work veins of gold in the area, although the threat of monsters
always looms over the operations. In addition, lone prospectors willing to brave the
wilderness scour the land for new finds. The miners eagerly hire adventurers to guard their
caravans along the Iron Road or to defend their latest find. The proximity of Stravalla's
Tower provides an ever-present threat, and more than one mining expedition has fallen to
trolls or werewolves.

 Lake Dunmere: This body of water has a number of small fishing villages along its shores. A
large manor house and village once stood beside Lake Dunmere, but both were destroyed by
the Bloodspear orcs during their invasion. The ruins of the manor and village still stand, as
do the cellars beneath them.

 Rushing River: Few travelers use the major waterway in the region, because many monsters
lurk along its banks and the difficult terrain makes patrols impossible. Bandits are the only
beings who risk traveling by river, since it allows them to escape with booty while avoiding
guard patrols.

 Stravalla's Tower and Summerdown Valley: Just south of Mount Starris, a valley cuts a scar-
like line through the Dawnforge Mountains. Despite the season, a forest forever thick and
lush fills this valley. Travelers smell Summerdown Valley long before they see it, as the
blooming flowers cast a perfume on the wind. Despite its appearance, the valley is a place of
great danger. A powerful hag, Queen Stravalla of Winter's Mourning, dwells within this
place. In her crystal tower, she surveys the verdant garden that is her realm. Trolls,
werewolves, and murderous fey heed her beck and call, and within the ever-verdant forest
shamble the animated corpses of those who dared enter her realm. Clad in rusted armor
and covered with sickly sweet orchids that grow from their decaying flesh, these sentinels
make quick work of those who blunder into Summerdown Valley.

Most of this information is taken from  Hammerfast: A Dwarven Outpost Adventure

Site  supplement. The Dwarven Stead featured in the Fell's Five comic, while Castle Inverness was the
setting of  D&D Encounters: March of the Phantom Brigade  and is described in  Into the Unknown -
The Dungeon Survival Handbook. Cazakk’s lair is featured in an article in Dragon 370. Azarel’s
Tower is mentioned in  Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium.

Gardbury Downs:
The site of Fallcrest’s failed attempt to hold back the Bloodspear orcs ninety years ago, Gardbury
Downs is said to be haunted by the spirits of the fallen defenders of the Nentir Vale. Remains of that
ancient battle litter the Downs—broken swords, shattered armor, and old bones. Travelers on the
King’s Road rarely see any sign of ghosts, but the folk of Winterhaven know better than to wander
out on the Downs at night. Orcs from the Stonemarch also appear in the Gardbury Downs from time
to time, circling the Cairngorm Peaks to raid into the Nentir Vale.

 Gardmore Abbey: This striking ruin is a large monastery that has lain in ruins for almost 150
years. The abbey was dedicated to Bahamut and served as the base of a militant order of
paladins who won great fame fighting in Nerath's distant crusades. As the story goes, the
paladins brought a dark artifact back from a far crusade for safekeeping and evil forces
gathered to assault the abbey and take it back. Extensive dungeons lie beneath the ruins,
which might still conceal the hoarded wealth of the old crusading paladins.

Gardmore Abbey is fully detailed in  The Madness at Gardmore Abbey  and  Siege of Gardmore
Abbey  (Dungeon 210) adventures.

Gray Downs:
This area of fog-shrouded low hills serves as the principal headquarters of the Gray Company,
loyalists of old Nerath that dedicate themselves to finding magic items and other treasures of the
lost empire. Treasure hunters and explorers find the Gray Downs covered with burial mounds dating
back to ancient times when primitive humans lived and hunted here. The hill clans are gone, but
their spirits live on, guarded and shepherded by the undead creatures known—for good reason—as
hounds of ill omen. The Phantom Brigade, an army of ghostly warriors of lost Nerath, can be
encountered here in major numbers than in other regions of the Nentir Vale.

 The Gray Company headquarters: Located in the center of the foggy hinterlands of the Gray
Downs.

 The Sword Barrow: This large burial mound stands near the middle of the Gray Downs. The
Sword Barrow gained its name because scores of rusted blades of ancient design are buried
around its edges, blades pointing inward; a visitor can turn up several in a few minutes of
looking around. The blades seen completely ordinary, not hinting at the old warding magic
that surrounds the place. Explorers who approach the place might be accosted by the
Barrowhaunts, a band of former adventurers who delved into the Sword Barrow and didn't
come back alive.

Harken Forest:
This large woodland Forest—which the native elves call the Windsong Forest—in-stretches from the
Nentir River to the mountains and extends for miles to the south. It separates the Nentir Vale from
the more populous settlements of the south. In this expansive wooded area along the vale’s
southern edge, any tree might conceal a threat—or danger could come from the tree itself, if it
happens to be one of the treants that watch over the deep forest. Allied with the Harken treants is a
group of zealot elf druids who call themselves Harken’s Heart.

Perhaps the most dangerous threat to the Forest is the red dragon Cazzak “the Blessed”, that had
settled in the hills east of Harkenwold and believes all he can see from his lair to be his realm. He is
trying to convert his “subjects” to the worship of Tiamat, by any means necessary.

 The Barony of Harkenwold: Half a dozen small villages lie along the upper vales of the White
River. Among those settlements are Albridge, Dardun, Desul Torey, Duponde, Easthill,
 Harken Village, and Tor's Hold. Together, they make up the Barony of Harkenwold—a tiny
realm whose total population is not much greater than Fallcrest's. The people of Harkenwold
are farmers, woodcutters, and woodworkers; little trade comes up or down the old King's
Road. The barony has drawn the attention of the Iron Circle, an army of mercenaries and
followers of Asmodeus from Sarthel, in the south. The band's leader, Lord Vhennyk, sees
Harkenwold as a vulnerable spot where he and his soldiers can gain a foothold for an
eventual invasion of the entire vale.

o Gravelstokes' manor: The bleak stone mansion of the Gravelstoke family is located

somewhere in the Barony.

o Riverslye Homestead: A small halfling commune located near Albridge.

 Blackleaf Village: Formerly a thriving village, this settlement was destroyed by a Cadaver

Collector and now lies in ruins.

 Daggerburg: An ominous goblin keep somewhere deep in the western reaches of the Harken
Forest, near the Witchlight Fens. The goblins sometimes raid the river-traffic moving along
the Nentir, or send small parties of marauders to Harkenwold’s borders. They have a long-
standing feud with the Woodsinger elves.

 Dal Nystiere: This eladrin settlement fell to ruin centuries ago, destroyed by some unknown
threat, and is accessible only through magical portals. Strange witchlights and evil monsters
are known to haunt the ruins. Hidden beneath a ring of standing stones on the outskirts of
Dal Nystiere is a secret sanctuary used at one time by wizards as a place to conduct magical
research. The sanctuary is now the domain of an undead mage named Yisam who has ill
plans for the Nentir Vale.

 Druid Grove: To the northwest of Albridge stands a large grove of ancient trees, long
sundered from the Harken Forest proper. A stone menhir stands in the clearing at the center
of the grove.

 Harken’s Heart settlements: The elven druids of Harken’s Heart live in small camps or
settlements sprinkled throughout the forest, and they rarely number more than a dozen
members in a particular community.

 Kalton Manor: Back in the days when Nerath was settling the Nentir Vale, minor lords in
search of land to call their own established manors and holds throughout the area. Kalton
Manor was one of these, a small keep raised by Lord Arrol Kalton about two hundred years
ago, but it was not finished—monsters from the Witchlight Fens drove off the tenants Arrol
had brought with him. At the end, Arrol and a handful of his servants and family lived alone
in a half-finished keep slowly falling into ruin until they disappeared as well. Stories tell of
hidden treasure—the old Kalton fortune—hidden in secret chambers beneath the ruined
keep.

 Malorunth, the Eternal Ash: At the center of Harken Forest lies the corpse of Malorunth the
Eternal Ash, a powerful archfey who governed the forest in the ancient past.

 The Great Braided Tree: A tall, multi-leveled woven structure near the center of the Harken
Forest, is part headquarters, part education center, and part residence for the largest
Harken’s Heart population. It holds about two hundred elves, though this number
sometimes swells to several hundred in times of great discussion or peril.
  Toadwallow Caverns: Located beneath a forested hill overlooking fetid marshland near the
White River, those caverns are unpleasant and ill regarded. The Toadwallow are currently
occupied by the Mud Hides, a tribe of bullywugs led by chieftain Gloorpk.

 Spiderhaunt Thicket: North of the King’s Road, the leafy boughs of Harken Forest grow
thorny and dense. Within, the Spiderhaunt Thicket is overgrown and nigh impenetrable.
Amid lie the ruins of ancient elven settlements, many swarming with arachnids or haunted
by undead fey. It’s the temporary headquarters of the Hunter Spiders. This group of drow
was stranded on the surface years ago when the tunnel back to their home city of Erelhei-
Cinlu collapsed. They have a reason to believe that concealed in this area of the forest is
another passage back to the Underdark. Until they find it, the drow guard their adopted
territory against intruders.

 Woodsinger camps: The elves of the Woodsinger Clan live in small camps located the
southeastern part of the Harken Forest. This nomadic tribe consists of a dozen bands,
numbering near 200 in total. They occasionally trade with the humans of Harkenwold and
keep an eye on travelers along the old King’s Road. They also oppose the goblins of
Daggerburg. A few days ago, a Woodsinger tribe led a wise, cautious elf woman named
Eriyel established a campsite near Harkenwold.

Most of this info was taken from the  Reavers of Harkenwold  adventure that is contained in the
Dungeon Master's Kit; from  Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, or from some adventure
material detailed in the article  The Longest Night  (Dragon 370). Riverslye Homestead was the
setting for the adventure  Prey for Smiley Bob  (Dungeon 205). While the town of Duponde is fully
detailed in  D&D Encounters: Dark Legacy of Evard  and  Evard's Shadow  (Dungeon 192) adventures.

Lake Nen:
The largest body of water in the Nentir Vale, Lake Nen stretches for nearly fifty miles (80 km) across
the southern edge of the Winterbole Forest. The frigid waters of Lake Nen hide a mystery. On certain
nights, fishers out too late on the lake hear beautiful, ethereal music that fills them with longing.
Some never return to their homes, others return forever changed, haunted by their experience. It is
said that the boundaries between the World and the Feywild grow thin when the full moon’s light
dances on the water, and the music of the faerie court of the Prince of Thorns filters out over the
lake.

 Cold Camp: The shoreline of the northwestern end of the lake is part of the dominion of the
Frost Witches, an eclectic group of magic-users who pay homage to the evil elemental prince
Cryonax. Although small groups of Frost Witches might be encountered anywhere within the
Winterbole Forest, the largest concentration resides here.

 Nenlast: 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.

 Rolaz-Gaar: An ancient Arkhosian ruin thought to lie near the shore of Lake Nen.

 Ruins of Fastormel: Once a prosperous town on the shores of Lake Nen, Fastormel was
destroyed by the Bloodspear orcs and has never been resettled. The town was ruled by a
Lord Mage (the most powerful wizard in town claimed the ruler's scepter), and the Mistborn
Tower of the last Lord Mage still stands amid the ruins of the town. The tower is shrouded in
 a strange silver mist that never dissipates, no matter what the weather would otherwise
dictate. Currently, the town is infested by a horde of undead.

Nenlast is featured in  The Mark of Nerath  novel. Fastormel adventure hook is from "Guilds &
Groups: The Last Legion" (Dragon 396)

Lake Wintermist:
The fog that blankets Lake Wintermist is a year-round phenomenon, belying its name. The lake is
inhospitable for most creatures, but those that thrive in frigid climes. White dragons frequently
appear in the northwestern part of the lake, particularly in the dead of winter when they seek out
mates. The lake provides ample supplies of fish for the Tigerclaw barbarians of the Winterbole
Forest and a few homesteads along its southern shore. From time to time, someone passing through
this area might come across a pair of angry trolls. The twin troll brothers Hurly and Burly both lair in
caves not far from the lake—despite the fact that they can't stand each other. When they get into
one of their family feuds, anyone who crosses their path could become a target of their rage.

 Mistwatch: Huddled against a hillside on a stony shore, Mistwatch has an exquisite view of

Lake Wintermist’s cold water. A sleepy town, blessed with riches pulled from the unyielding
stone in the nearby Cairngorm Peaks, grown rich from timber cut from the Winterbole
Forest, and fed well on trout and salmon drawn from the clear, mist-covered water, has
grown eerily quiet in recent months due to an undead curse. Mistwatch, totally covered in
mist, is in the process of transforming into a domain of dread.

Mistwatch is fully detailed in  Backdrop: Mistwatch  (Dungeon 186) —Note: there is a Minotaur
community near the Nentir Vale also named Mistwatch (detailed in Dragon 385), but is unrelated.

Moon Hills:
Arrayed to the south and east of Fallcrest, the Moon Hills are fairly tame. The countryside for scores
of miles around is dotted with abandoned homesteads and manors from the days of Nerath, some of
which were once the homes of well-off eladrin families. The surrounding ridges shelter several small
valleys where farmers and woodsfolk live; few are more than six or seven miles from Fallcrest. The
hills are steep and sharp, with jagged escarpments forming sprawling, hilly plateaus. Small groves
dot the area, as do the occasional burial mound, watchtowers from ancient Saruun Khel, and other
old ruins. This cluster of rugged terrain between the Nentir River and the King’s Road is not rife with
monsters and other villainous types, thanks mainly to the proximity of Fallcrest and the vigilance of
its town guard. But goblins and human bandits are fairly common beyond the town.

The people of Fallcrest tell stories about the Dark Drake of the Moon Hills, a sinister reptile that
leads a pack of other evil drakes. The hills also occasionally play host to terrors that wander out of
either the Witchlight Fens, the Harken Forest, or the Cloak Wood, including lizardfolk, giant spiders,
drows from the Hunter Spiders in search of slaves, and other random monsters looking for new prey.
Strange creatures drawn from the Feywild, the Shadowfell, and the Earth realms of the Elemental
Chaos are also found here because the existed of some planar portals created by the inhabitants of
Saruun Khel.

 Fallcrest: A hub for travel throughout the Nentir Vale, Fallcrest stands at the intersection of
the Nentir River and the vale’s two major trade routes. The town guard does a capable job of
protecting the populace from raiders that emerge from the surrounding wilderness, but the
biggest threats to Fallcrest’s welfare might come from within the town itself.
 o Aerin's Crossing: A group of farms to the south of Fallcrest that form the beginning
of the town proper. (N)

o Aranda Hill: A hill north of Fallcrest, from were you are able to see the town. (N)

o Watcher’s Point: A watch fortification in the crossroads near Fallcrest. (UA)

o Wintermood: The farthest farm outside Fallcrest to the south, following the Nentir
River. There is a custom in Fallcrest that in a reunion or some meeting is about to
start, they will wait until the Wintermoods will arrive, because they live so far from
town that any person willing to participate will have enough time to arrive at the
meeting before them. (N)

 Ruins of the Horned Tower: Older ruins from Saruun Khel (UA)

 Dungeon of the Sleeping Titan: Older ruins from Saruun Khel (UA)

 Pits of the Fang: Older ruins from Saruun Khel (UA)

 The Laughing Path: A treacherous path amid the Moon Hills. (UA)

 The Twisting Halls: Ages ago, a group of minotaurs built a grand temple in a cave of a hill
south of the land that will become Fallcrest one day, dedicated to four gods of good and law.
In the deep recesses of the temple, the minotaurs guarded a dark secret: a hidden shrine to
the demon prince Baphomet. The gods of good cursed the temple and its corrupt priests,
and eventually it fell into disuse and ruin. Over time, monsters made their lairs in the shelter
of its stone halls. The white dragon Farallax is currently the most powerful inhabitant of the
halls.

Further details on the town of Fallcrest can be found on page 198 of the  Dungeon Master's Guide  or
page 61 of the  Dungeon Master's Book  (from the Dungeon Master's Kit). Some prominent guilds
and groups are found in  Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale  and in the articles "The Honest
Few" (Dragon 381) and "The Students of Aurtus" (Dragon 387). The Twisting Halls are fully detailed
in the  Dungeon Master's Book  of the Red Box. Places labelled as "N" are from the  Oath of
Vigilance  novel. Places labelled as UA, are from  Unhearted Arcana, into the Wild.

The Ogrefist Hills:

Partially framing the western edge of the vale, these desolate hills are said to be accursed by an
ancient evil. During Nerath's height, several minor lords tried in succession to establish manors in
these hills, but none lasted more than a single year. Somewhere in these hills hides the mouth of a
tunnel leading up from the Underdark. It is also believed that a remnant of the old Arkhosian Empire
lies somewhere in the caverns beneath this area.

 Kiris Dahn/Gorizbadd: The town of Kiris Dahn, built by human hands, stood strong against
invaders for decades after the fall of the empire of Nerath. It had magical stones—created
by tiefling artisans—that could kill anyone who attacked the town. The number of stones
dwindled until all were spent. Eight years ago, the citizens of Kiris Dahn abandoned the town
when faced with invading goblin hordes. The goblins overran the town and renamed it
Gorizbadd. The town quickly fell into ruin, since goblins were far more interested in
vandalism than in proper maintenance. A faction of kobolds took over the slums, since the
goblins live mostly in what were once residences for the wealthier people of Kiris Dahn.
  Temple of Yellow Skulls: This mysterious temple, nestled among the rugged hills, might be
the most infamous location in the area. Legend tells that a rakshasa prince summoned
demons to this ancient shrine and bound them to his service by imprisoning their vital
essences in gold-plated human skulls. None of these have yet been recovered from the
ruins, but the story persists. Deep caverns beneath the ruins lead all the way down to the
Underdark, and from time to time dangerous monsters of the deep places emerge here and
prowl the nearby lands. Unknown to most people, however, is the fact that the Temple of
Yellow Skulls is a Temple of Elemental Evil built in the ancient past by the followers of the
Elder Elemental Eye (Tharizdun).

The town of Kiris Dahn is the setting of the adventure  HS1 The Slaying Stone. The Temple of Yellow
Skulls is featured in  The Temple of Yellow Skulls  novel

The Old Hills:

The Old Hills bear their name because the ruins of the first human settlements in the Nentir Vale can
be found here: ancient ring-forts built by the same hill-tribes that erected the barrows in the Gray
Downs. The remains of these ancient forts appear across the entire length and breadth of the hills,
from near Nenlast to Raven Roost and Fiveleague House, both of which were built atop old ruins.

Nowadays, the area is firmly in the grasp of the vicious Blackfang gnolls. Slavishly devoted to the
demon god Yeenoghu, the gnolls emerge from their burrows in the hills to kill or waylay travelers.
Other rumors concerning an even older series of ruins spring up from time to time. These tales,
always told in whispers, speak of the ancient necropolis of Andok Sur. The place, if it exists at all, is
said to be holy to the followers of Orcus.

The Trade Road crosses the area and is frequented by more than one gang of thieves. Merchants
and pilgrims who manage to avoid the notice of the Raven Roost bandits still have to contend with
the Wolf Runners, a widely feared band of humans and wolves that work together in an uncanny
fashion along the length of the Trade Road.

 Andok Sur, the City of the Dead: Andok Sur was ancient when the empire of Bael Turath
was merely a collection of loosely allied city-states. The place was established by the warrior
tribes of the Eastern Valley, and dedicated to the demon prince Orcus. At the height of the
city’s power, a great earthquake rocked the Old Hills. In an instant, the City of the Dead was
shattered. It fell into the earth and was buried, to be forgotten by time and history.
Currently, the vampire lich known as Emperor Magroth has opened it again, and undead
have started to spill forth accompanied by a strange disease, the Abyssal Plague.

 Fiveleague House: Fiveleague House is more properly known as the Fiveleague Inn, a

popular resting place for travelers heading to or from the vale's larger communities, located
a day's journey (five leagues) farther east from Hammerfast. It's a strongly built innhouse
surrounded by a wooden palisade. The proprietor is a big bearlike human named Barton.
Barton makes a good show of joviality, but he's secretly allied with the bandits of Raven
Roost and sends them word of travelers worth robbing who will be continuing west toward
Fallcrest.

 Raven Roost: An old estate house known as Raven Roost Manor sits on a piece of prime land
just north of the Harken Forest. The place is almost impossible for someone to approach
without being seen—and that's just how the Raven Roost bandits like it. The manor has
 recently been taken over by a group of criminals and cutthroats under the leadership of a
trio of shadar-kai. The bandits have a reputation for cruelty and mercilessness that extends
far beyond the area in which they practice their grisly trade.

 Khel Vale: A small valley with sparse vegetation lies at Thunderspire’s base, and a few
shepherds, woodcutters, and trappers live there. Their humble houses are made of turf and
fieldstone and are fitted with stout doors to repel predators, including bears, wyverns, and
griffons.

o Thunderspire Mountain: The tallest natural spire in the Nentir Vale, Thunderspire

Mountain lies on the southern fringe of the Old Hills. Its top forever encased in a
raging storm, Thunderspire is a majestic sight, even without considering what lies
within its depths. Beneath Thunderspire lies the ancient minotaur city of Saruun
Khel. The mysterious order of merchant wizards known as the Mages of Saruun
control those caverns now.

 Tower of Thunder: Also known as the Tower of Sunset, this tower overlooks

the Khel Vale, and it is from this tower that the shadar-kai witch Denoa
sends her gargoyle minions to harass the valley’s occupants.

 The Minotaur Gate: The Vale Road at the feet of Thunderspire Mountain

meets the Minotaur Gate about 4 miles from the Trade Road. This was the
grand entrance to Saruun Khel. The road enters a 50-foot-tall stone archway
hewn out of the mountainside. A towering minotaur statue stands on each
side of the entrance, glowering down at travelers.

 The Road of Lanterns: Beyond the Minotaur Gate the Road of Lanterns

slopes into the mountain and into the Seven-Pillared Hall. Green light from
copper lanterns dimly illuminates the road, which leads about half a mile
into the mountain, sloping steadily downward over several switchbacks.
Seventy-seven demon statues stand watch along the corridor’s length.

 The Seven-Pillared Hall: The heart of Thunderspire’s upper level is the

Seven-Pillared Hall. Dozens of lanterns hang from the walls and the thick
pillars of this great chamber. In this grand plaza, the Mages of Saruun and
their acolytes provide a place for natives of the Underdark to barter goods
with surface-dwellers, as merchants passing along the Trade Road
sometimes take shelter here.

 The Deep Stair: This passage descends sharply from the Seven-Pillared Hall
into the lower levels of the Labyrinth. From here, explorers can reach the
Houses of Silence, the Well of Demons, the Court of Bones, various cisterns,
and passages leading off into the Underdark proper.

 The Road of Shadows: Leading eastward from the Seven-Pillared Hall, the

Road of Shadows wends through rubble-filled halls and a confusing maze of
passages and storerooms. The Road of Shadows skirts a massive chasm and
eventually intersects a tunnel that leads to the mines of the Grimmerzhul
duergar, 30 miles away. Passageways frequently branch off the road,
including one that leads south to the Horned Hold.
 The Shining Road: This path leads north from the Seven-Pillared Hall into
some of the more magnificent ruins of ancient Saruun Khel, including the
Avenue of Glory. Like the Road of Shadows, this road leads through a maze
of ruined chambers and passages in the Labyrinth. In the north part of
Saruun Khel, it widens and leads 40 miles to the Silvershield Hold, home of
the Silvershield dwarves.

 Avenue of Glory: The Avenue of Glory is 50 feet wide and 80 feet tall,

running north and east for about a third of a mile. More than one hundred
mighty statues depicting minotaur heroes, fearsome monsters, and great
demons line the avenue. Some have fallen and lie broken on the ground or
have been defaced and damaged, yet the Avenue of Glory remains an
impressive sight. Most of the Seven-Pillared Hall’s residents avoid the
avenue, for it is frequented by wandering monsters.

 Court of Bones: The tomb of a forgotten minotaur necromancer, which is

said to be hidden in the cisterns. Adventurers who venture to the Court of
Bones must first encounter Az’Al’Bani, a wight who leads four zombies
through the Labyrinth and is also searching the court. Az’Al’Bani holds a
silver key wrought to resemble a human thighbone that unlocks the tomb.

 Grimmerzhul: This duergar trading post is a sturdy building of gray stone

carved into the cavern’s wall. Grimmerzhul duergar are part of the
Underdark folk who trade with the Mages of Saruun.

 Hall of the Broken Dragon: A colossal statue of a dragon lies in fragments on

the floor of this great hall. Kobolds, drakes, and gricks lurk in the passages
nearby, and many of the kobolds look upon the broken statue as a religious
relic.

 Houses of Silence: Crypts of minotaur nobles fill this multichambered area

to the far west of the Seven-Pillared Hall. Many of these crypts are guarded
by deadly traps, demonic summoning circles, and hateful undead.

 Palace of Zaamdul: Once the home of Saruun Khel’s ruling high priest, the
palace suffered heavily during the city’s final war. Today, demons and
undead creatures occupy its ruined walls. A few minotaurs also frequent the
area, searching for ancestral treasures and relics of power that might help
return them to their former glory.

 Silvershield Hold: An underground dwarven mining outpost. They trade

gems and precious metals with the merchants of the Seven-Pillared Hall.

 The Chamber of Eyes: At the pinnacle of Saruun Khel’s greatness, the

Chamber of Eyes was a shrine dedicated to the god Torog. The petitioners of
Torog are long gone. A few months ago, the Bloodreavers, a goblinoid band
of slavers and marauders, discovered the site and turned it into a defensible
lair. Led by the hobgoblin Krand, the Bloodreavers now plot their next round
of kidnapping and plunder.

 The Horned Hold: Formerly a defensive keep to guard the southeastern

approaches to Saruun Khel, the Horned Hold now serves as a stronghold and
 slave pit for the Grimmerzhul duergar. It is built above a massive chasm that
runs north to south at the limits of the ruins of Saruun Khel.

 The Well of Demons: A set of chambers sacred to the demon lord

Baphomet, the Well of Demons was once a place for the warriors of Saruun
Khel to prove their prowess. It’s now the lair of the Blackfang gnolls.
The Tower of Mysteries: The original purpose of this hidden tower in the
lower reaches of the Labyrinth has been lost to the passage of time, though
it’s believed this place was consecrated to Vecna by a culture that even
predates the minotaur civilization. What matters now is that Paldemar, a
renegade Mage of Saruun, discovered the place, mastered its secrets, and
now uses it as a headquarters from which to launch his final plans to obtain
ultimate power.

Andok Sur featured in the  Mark of Nerath  novel and is detailed in the adventure  Andok
Sur  (Dungeon 187). The Wolf Runners and the Raven Roost Bandits are detailed in  Monster Vault:
Threats to the Nentir Vale. The Thunderspire Mountain and surrounding terrain, as well as the
Labyrinth of Saruun Khel were the setting for adventure  H2: Thunderspire Labyrinth  and  Echoes of
Thunderspire Labyrinth  (Dungeon 156).

The Stonemarch:
A rugged land of stony hills and deep gorges cut by white-rushing rivers, the Stonemarch is home to
tribes of dangerous humanoids and giants. Orcs, ogres, giants, and trolls haunt the farther reaches of
these barren lands. Every century or so, Gruumsh's insatiable thirst for bloodshed and conquest calls
the orcs of the Stonemarch from their deep holes and whips them into a frenzied mob. They swarm
over the Cairngorm Peaks and into the Nentir Vale by the thousands, turning everything in their path
to ash and ruin. The last assault came ninety years ago, and the ravaged earth has not yet fully
healed. The people of the vale, ill prepared for another rampage, are desperate for new heroes to
halt the impending invasion.

 The Axe Bite Pass: A mountain pass that separates the vale proper from the orc infested
area of the Stonemarch. (DR396, p.42)

 The Fanged Jaws of Kulkoszar: A great orc-warren that lies in the northern part of the
wasteland. Legend says that the first great chieftain of Clan Bloodspear singlehandedly slew
the elder iron dragon Kulkoszar. The self-proclaimed King Bloodspear declared the dragon's
lair to be the seat of his new empire, and he forged a throne there from the dragon's jaws.
Over the years, Clan Bloodspear has extended the original cavern into an extensive warren
furnished with forges, arenas, and slave pens. The current chieftain of Clan Bloodspear is
Msuga, the Orc Queen, who rules over hundreds of the fierce warriors.

Clan Bloodspear is fully detailed in  Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale.

Winterbole Forest:
The vast expanse of the Winterbole Forest—known as the Shadowsong Forest by Woodsinger elves
—defines the northern border of the Nentir Vale and the limit of Nerath's expansion at its height.
The ancient trees of this forest have borne witness to the passing of epochs, and hidden beneath
their dark canopies are the remains of empires long departed. Few souls brave enough to explore
the primeval forest ever return, for countless horrors haunt the crumbled ruins. Within their woods
lie ancient Arkhosian ruins and secret Shadowfell crossings. It is home to a multitude of monsters
and villains. The white dragon Bitterstrike holds sway over a large part of the forest. Several of the
Winterbole's denizens, most notably the Tigerclaw barbarians and the Frost Witches, pay fealty to
the dragon. The satyrs and the coniferous treants of the Winterbole Forest contribute some of their
ranks to the cadre of Bitterstrike's vassals, and they typically stand with the dragon when it becomes
necessary to put down an incursion into the forest by humanoids.

The Tigerclaw barbarians consider themselves the real power to be reckoned with in the Winterbole.
This wide-ranging band of humans and shifters were never brought under Nerath's sway, and
remained uneasy neighbors of the empire at its height. They trade with the people of Nenlast at
times, but in harsh winters they have also been known to attack the village and simply take the food
and weapons they need. The Frost Witches are not nearly as numerous as the Tigerclaws, but their
desire for domination is no less strong. Clenderi, the witches' leader, would like nothing better than
to convince Bitterstrike to join their cause in service to Cryonax.

A cult of blue-skinned humans known as the Frostbloods pay homage, with blood and sacrifice, to
Cryonax as well. Only the wild folk know of their existence, and even among them the Frostbloods
are shunned and condemned as cannibals and monsters. No one knows how many Frostblood
cultists exist. Their organization is broken up into separate tribes that roam the frozen forest.

 The Pyramid of Shadows: In the depths of the Winterbole Forest, this bizarre
extradimensional space full of weird monsters and strange magical effects holds creatures
from all planes of existence since the Dawn War. The Pyramid of Shadows is one of many
infernal prisons created to confine powerful beings. It exists beyond space and time,
appearing in multiple places in the world and planes beyond.

 Satordi, the Lightning Oak: One of the few enclaves of the Wilden race in the World. Satordi
sits within the uncharted woods north of Winterbole Forest, less than a month’s travel from
Nentir Vale. Mentioned in Dragon 393.

 Winter's Rise: An icy mountain located in the northernmost region of the Winterbole Forest.
The Winterguard prison is located there.

o Winterguard Prison: An order of Eladrin swordmages maintain this prison.

Constructed when the World was young it held prisoners of the fey empire of
Cendriane, it was later re-purposed to held prisoners of the empire of Nerath when
the swordmages allied with the human empire. Detailed in Dragon 405

The Frostblood cult is fully detailed in the article  Lords of Chaos: Cryonax  (Dragon 421). The Pyramid
of Shadows is fully detailed in  H3: The Pyramid of Shadows  adventure. The Tigerclaw barbarians are
featured in the  Abyssal Plague  trilogy novels, and are detailed in  Monster Vault: Threats to the
Nentir Vale.

The Witchlight Fens:

At the confluence of the Nentir River and the White River, a great swamp stretches for miles. This
marsh is territory coveted by few intelligent creatures, for one principal reason: Shadowmire. As
elusive as he is deadly, this black dragon considers the Witchlight Fens his realm, and most of those
who enter the swamp are not interested in contesting that claim. Savage lizardfolk hunt these fens,
occasionally emerging from the swamp to skirmish with the Woodsinger elves or the Daggerburg
goblins. The lizardfolk manage to live in harmony with the dragon, and some tribes have come to
worship him.
A number of ruins related to the ancient empire of Bael Turath can be stumbled upon by those who
explore the depths of the swamp. Some of these have been occupied by newer groups, including
lizardfolk and goblin tribes, but others are so mysterious and have such an air of malignancy as to
drive all but the most desperate or depraved from their presence.

 Githzerai enclave: A small village populated only by githzerai, near the White River.

 Renefik: This halfling enclave work the local watercourses as traders and guides. Renefik’s
neighbors view the halflings as self-serving and a bit greedy, but as far less of a threat than
most creatures that dwell in the swamp. The enclave consists of four multistory buildings,
with the lowest level serving as an enclosed dock, the second level as a storehouse, and the
upper floors as living quarters. The enclave is lightly fortified, which means that it more
defensible than most holdings in the area.

 Sareth’s demesne: A series of underground ruins of Bael Turath full of deadly traps and
forbidden magic, inhabited the vampire lord Sareth (male tiefling) and his vampire
underlings.

 The Ghost Tower of the Witchlight Fens: One of the three infamous “ghost towers” of the
Nentir Vale appears in this swamp from time to time.

 Treewater: A small village inhabited mainly by humans and half-elves, Treewater has ten
buildings, consisting of small dwellings (little better than shacks) and a few stores and
storehouses. It stands along the edge of a small, round lake, tied to the larger river by a
narrow waterway. Treewater hosts trading days several times a year, when regional
residents can buy and sell goods and acquire hard-to-find items.

 Witchlight Hermitage: A small hermitage that lies near the Nentir River, along the ever-
changing borders of the Brackmarsh lizardfolk tribal lands. It is operated by a priestess of
Pelor, Ofeen Nole, who works to counteract the effects of the mire connections to the
Shadowfell and the evil influence exerted by the black dragon Shadowmire.

The Witchlight Hermitage is featured in the adventure  Battle of the Witchlight Hermitage  (Dungeon
191). Details for the Ghost Tower can be found in the  Ghost Tower of the Witchlight Fens  (Dungeon
Master's Kit) and  The Dungeon of the Ghost Tower  (Dungeon 182) adventures. The Githzerai
enclave is featured in the short story "The Foundling" (published in the Untold Adventures Anthology
book). Sareth's demesne is described in  The Mark of Nerath  novel.

Unknown locations of the Nentir Vale:

These locations, even if are part of canon Nentir Vale products, were never given a proper place in
the Vale.

 Al'Bihel, the City of Stairs: A ruined eladrin city on the Feywild that was inhabited by
mutated spider-drow until recently, when they were annihilated by the forces of the First
Lord Thrumbolg. Its former ruler, Arcane Lord N'ehlia, have plans to rebuild it. It's located
near the fomorian realm of Mag Tureah and appears every certain time on the mortal world,
in the Nentir Vale. Featured in the Fell's Five comic.

 Baron's Hill: This small town sits admidst the hills and along a trade road. Recently it has
been leeched of all color and is cast in tones of grey. It is unclear if is located in the Gardbury
 downs, the Old Hills, or the foothills of the Dawnforge mountains. Featured in an adventure
in Dungeon 211.

 Chad'Maragh, the Dark Magic Forge: An abandoned and seemingly forgotten dwarven forge
near a cliff, that was constructed long ago, and houses a magical portal to other planes. It
was created to hinder the eladrin ability to step between the natural world and the Feywild
by a long-forgotten dwarven king. It's custodied by a dwarven flameskull. Featured in the
Fell's Five comic.

 The Third Ghost Tower: Not much is known about this ghost tower. There are rumors of a
Wandering Tower that can be seen in different locations of the Nentir Vale from time to
time, but nobody knows is this Wandering Tower is the fabled Third Ghost Tower. In truth,
the Wandering Tower a very ancient mimic, that wanders the Nentir Vale in search of food.
Featured in Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale.

Lands of the Nerathan League - former Empire of Nerath

This area are the lands immediately surrounding the Nentir Vale and stretch to the South and East.
These feudal survivor states —mostly human and dwarven— are all that remain of the fallen Empire
of Nerath. The League is on the verge of collapse, caught between the aggressive forces of Karkoth
and the Iron Circle. Based on archaeological evidence this appears to have been mostly the northern
extant of Bael Turath holdings during the ancient empires, although Arkhosian sites are found as far
north as the Nentir Vale. This may be the result of the Arkhosian use of flying fortresses like
Ustraternes. The Minotaur empire of Ruul and the Troll empire of Vardar have also ruled over this
land at different points in time.

Info taken from the  Conquest of Nerath rulebook,  Remains of the Empire  (Dungeon 165), and Art
of the Ancients (Dungeon 203).

 The Borderlands: A stretch of frontier that is currently lightly populated by small settlements
slowly reclaiming the wilderness, this region is the northernmost area of former Nerath.
Across the borderlands, a small number of dragonborn and tiefling settlements persist in the
ruins of ancient Arkhosia and Bael Turath. The borderlands are patrolled by a group of
paladins dedicated to Pelor called Light of the Sun. Unfortunately a growing threat opposes
them, a cult of Bane called the Hand of Naarash. The Borderlands are detailed in the "Heroes
of..." series of books, and in the adventure "Heathen" (Dungeon 155).

o Adakmi: Once an outpost of Nerath, when the empire fell, the scattered folk of the
mountains initially abandoned their villages and gravitated here for safety before
expanding outward again. They created a well-defended enclave that now supports
a population of two thousand, mostly humans, elves, and half-elves. The moondocks
here once were the center of a bustling river boating launching point that were
piloted up the river to the waterfall the mountains and river are named after. This is
accomplished by trained direpike that swim upstream. However in wake of the
Hobgoblin cultists the moonboats are moored and abandoned. (DU155, p.39)

o Argent: A walled settlement on a cloud-shrouded mountaintop overlooking the

Plains of Chaos, where the barriers between the world and the Elemental Chaos are
particularly thin. Argent is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was created after
the Dawn War to house champions of every nation and empire in the world's history
 —the Silver Cloaks of the Paragon Compact—that worked to safeguard the world
from every threat. After the fall of Nerath there are no new champions and his last
member, an elderly wizard named Obanar, fears that the world is facing its end.
(RotG)

o Ashendale: A village near Nentir Vale. Currently, its ruled by a corrupt lord (perhaps
corrupted by an alien cult) and occupied by orc hordes. (DR396, p.42)

o Bael Hexott: This ragged colony inhabited only by tieflings is a remnant of the

Empire led by a priest of Asmodeus. The inhabitants capture and sacrifice members
of any other race that strays to close to their ancient castle. (PHBrT)

o The Barrier Peaks: Far at the edge of the Grand Duchy this mountain range is the
site of a bizarre ruin from the Far Realm where strange gadgets can be found.
(DR410, p.16)

o The Blackmarch: A long winding road that passes through the Borderlands. Rarely
traveled these days due to fear of the Hand of Naashar. (DU155)

o The Deepening Pits: One of the most dangerous regions of the empire of Nerath, at
least by the time of its fourth king. (DR396, p.38)

o Freydor’s Gap: A mountain pass in the frontier of Nerath. Ruins of Turathi fortresses
dominate the pass. (DR396, p.38)

o Grand Duchy: A duchy near the Barrier Peaks. (DR410, p.16)

o Gleaming: Somewhere to the East of the Nentir Vale this town is prosperous

because of a gate to the Astral Sea that the Halfling mayor intends to keep secret.
(DMG2)

o Misthollow: A town near the village of Ashendale. (DR396, p.42)

o Monastery of the Fists of Zuoken: A large monastery the size of a modest village. It
is located atop a frigid plateau near the mountains that house the legendary city of
Argent. Mentioned in Psionic Power.

o Napina: A small rural outpost threatened by trolls. Detailed in Dragon 366

o Nentir Vale: A northern vale sparsely populated, located in the Borderlands.

o The Pillars of Night: The headquarters of the Hand of Naarash located deep in the
Moonsfall Mountains. (DU155)

o Sentinel Peak: A mountain that lies beyond the Stone Forest Valley and sources the
headwaters of the Mistroad River

 Mistwatch: A frontier outpost of Minotaurs who have turned from Demon

worship to contemplate a philosophy of the Labyrinth. Detailed in Dragon
385

 Barony of Therund: A central trade cities on the trade road, it have a merchant relationship
with Sarthel. Mentioned in Adventure P1 King of the Trollhaunt Warrens
 o The Trollhaunt: Former holding of the Monstrous Kingdom of Vardar, now a
swampy frontier riddled with monsters. Detailed in P1 King of the Trollhaunt
Warrens, and the Side Trek Beyond the Trollhaunt.

 Moonstair: Gate town with a portal to the Feywild Detailed in DMG2 and P1

King of the Trollhaunt Warrens

o Gryphon’s Roost: A town three days southeast of the Nentir Vale. Mentioned in
Psionic Power.

o Ironwood: A city-state destroyed during the fall of Nerath. Currently, it's a gnoll-
infested ruin. (DMG, p. 151)

 Former Nerath: The heart of the former human empire located way to the south of the
Nentir Vale, in the Golden Savannah region.

o Abermare: Also known as the Sweet City. Mentioned in the Abyssal Plague trilogy.

o Albura: A remnant of fallen Nerath, this fortress is home to several practitioners of

simple magic, including the oracle who consulted the book of prophecy. Featured in
Journey Through the Silver Caves.

o Ardore: A small town near Cackle Hill. (Dungeon 220)

 Cackle Hill: A hill three miles south of Ardore, where witches consecrate
their souls to the demon lord Graz’zt.

o Colmane: A settlement or region. Mentioned in the Abyssal Plague novels.

o Darani: The ruins of one of the oldest cities of Nerath, that was transformed into a
Domain of Dread. (The Mark of Nerath novel)

o Erathium: A formerly great city of Nerath has now descended into squalor. Its
former protectors—a cult of Erathis—are now hunted as heretics. Described in
Dragon 387

o Four Winds: A trade city and headquarters of the School of Unmatched Excellence
and the Guiding Hand psionic orders. Mentioned in Psionic Power.

o Graefmotte: The ruins of a Nerathi city transformed into a Domain of Dread.

Detailed in Dragon 375

o Kaddastrei: A former Nerathi city, and the headquarters of the Iron Brigade—a
combat school and mercenary company known far and wide for the martial skill and
tactical prowess of its members and students. Mentioned in Psionic Power.

o Nera: The former capital of Nerath, parts of the city had being reclaimed by empire
loyalists, though the majority of the city is still overrun by gnolls. Nonetheless, those
sections of the city are a pilgrimage site for individuals whose ancestors were part of
the empire. Its current king is the cousin of the notorious pirate captain Gallus
Drake. Detailed in Dragon 393 and in the Oath of Vigilance novel (the king is
mentioned in Dragon 412)
  The Imperial Library: Once the center of an order of Ioun, it's librarians
mysteriously vanished and the order has scattered to redoubts throughout
the world. Detailed in Dragon 385

o Pravarum: An ancient city were the headquarters of the Keepers of the Cerulean
Sign are located. (mentioned in Psionic Power)

o Rolona Tor: An ancient dungeon from before of the founding of Nerath. Mentioned
in Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium.

o Tower of the Impossible Staircase: A floating tower of a Nerathi archmage that was
slain in the last war of Nerath. Before he died, the archmage bounded the souls of
the gnolls that assaulted the tower to serve as its unwilling guardians. Mentioned in
Worlds and Monsters.

o Veoran: A settlement or region. Mentioned in Mordenkainen's Magnificent

Emporium.

o The White Towers of Arkanast: A settlement believed to be the pinnacle of

civilization in the current age. Mentioned in the article Vor Kragal (Dragon 364)

o The Wild Wood: A forest that is home to an order of wardens known as the Crescent
Guardians. Originally a militia of Nerath who fought with billhooks, they now hang
their crescent blades throughout the woods to communicate with each other and
warn intruders to stay out. Mentioned in Dragon 379

 The Howling Forest: A forest near the Nentir Vale where every midnight Shinaleastra, the
Fading City, appears in the mortal world, and each dawn it returns to the Feywild.
Mentioned in Heroes of the Feywild.

 The Hinterlands: West of the Nentir Vale, this regions is unstable, connecting with other
planes of existence. Primal spirits and their followers protects those lands from incursions of
outsiders. (DR386, p.34)

o Icanthole: A small city north and west of the Nentir Vale. (DR396, p.42)

o Nydor: A destroyed city, now infested by drow and gnolls. (DR396, p.40)

 Elkridge: A small town of artisans that lies close to the Nettlebright Swamp. This community
of artisans pays tribute to a group of bandits who protect them against the Yuan-ti cultists of
the swampland. Nearby lay a fey crossing and the ruin of an Arkhosian flying fortress. This
town is featured in a trio of adventures in Dungeon 165, Dungeon 178, and Dungeon 190.

 The Dawnforge Mountains: Several Dwarven Communities have been mentioned in these

mountains.

o Mithralfast: This dwarven city serves as the seat of power for the Nerathan League,
and is considered the capital of the loosely confederated city states. Mentioned in
the Conquest of Nerath rulebook.

o Dawnforge Monastery: In the mountains beyond Hammerfast this monastery trains

a sect of Avengers known as the Kuldar who serve Moradin. Detailed in Dragon 385
 o The Monastery of St. Alabat: A ruined monastery once belonging to a band of
Paladins. Detailed in the adventure Winter of the Witch.

o The Dayforge Mountains: The mountains near the Winterbole Forest. Mentioned in

Adventurer's Vault 2 (Alfsair spear entry)

o The Deep Guides' River: A river runs from the Dawnforge Mountains which a loosely
confederated group of enterprising adventurers use to ferry people back and forth
from the Underdark. Mentioned in Into the Unknown.

o Haven: A town in the north of the Nerath region. Featured in the Last Garrison
novel.

 Former Bael Turath: The heartlands of the fallen Hell-Chained Empire, to the east of the
Nerathi lands.

o Harrack Unarth: One of the jewels of Bael Turath, known as the City of Carousel. The
city was transformed into a domain of dread, and now only ruins remain in its place
on the natural world. Detailed in Dragon 368.

o Monadhan: The ruins of Turathi town transformed into a Domain of Dread.

Mentioned in Dragon 378.

o Vor Kragal: The seat of power of Bael Turath, this city is now known as the city of
Ash after being leveled by Arkhosia. The ruin still houses ancient treasures and
rumors persist that descendants of the three noble houses still exist today. Detailed
in Dragon 364 and depicted in the Gates of Madness Novel. (Is also called Bael
Turath in Worlds & Monsters and the Gates of Madness).

 The Athanaeum: A dark temple where hundreds of Lords of Bael Turath first
made their pacts with the devils, it was destroyed in the final war against
Arkhosia. Mentioned in PHB Races: Tieflings and in Worlds and Monsters.

o Vor Rukoth: A former Turathi city and one of the jewels of the empire, also known
as the City of Forges. Detailed in Vor Rukoth Adventure Site.

o Skull Fields: Nothing grows in this vast wasteland, filled with blood rock, north of
Vor Rukoth. Arkhosia and Bael Turath fought numerous battles here, and the dead
are still restless. Mentioned in Vor Rukoth Adventure Site.

o Horned Hills: The hills to the north of Vor Rukoth rise like jagged horns toward the
sky. Savage tieflings —remnants of Bael Turath— still live in the hills, guarding
treasures looted from the ruins of the fallen empire. Mentioned in Vor Rukoth
Adventure Site.

 Turak-tol: A dwarven city located hundreds of feet below the Horned Hills.
Mentioned in Vor Rukoth Adventure Site.

 The Ashen Plain: A desolate land, once lush and green that was destroyed by the Dragon
Ashardalon. Mentioned in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons.

o The Sunless Citadel: A many spired fortress of a king who had Ashardalon's mate
killed. As retribution the dragon dragged the fortress beneath the earth where it
earned it's current name. It is now home to a cult of the Demonic Dragon.
 o Nightfang Spire: The headquarters of a cult to the Demonic Dragon Ashardalon.
Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 Kadagast Mountains: A mountain range that was settled by the Nerathi empire. It holds
numerous sites significant to Ioun. An old Nerathi road, favored by caravans who come to
the city of Wellspring from the north, leads through a mountain pass as well as a river fed by
mountain runoff called "the Chill." The river feeds Kord's Tankard, a deep lake. The area and
it's prominent locations are detailed with accompanying maps in the adventure Touch of
Madness and Depths of Madness.

o Wellspring: Two miles from Kord's tankard, Wellspring nestles in a valley, astride the
Chill and between two arms of the Kadagast Mountains. The town’s folk are farmers
and fishers. Cultivated farmland surrounds the community. Pilgrims of Ioun come
routinely to pay respect to a statue of Ioun's greatest saint, according to legend her
tomb lies under the statue.

o The Forlorn Tower: A crumbling fortress high in the Kadagast mountains that was
once the seat of Ioun's faithful.

o Stormcrow Tor: A crumbling tower that used to be the headquarters of the

Stormcrow bandits. Their treasure is rumored to still exist in the dungeons below
but is guarded by the tower's new residents. Featured in the adventure Stormcrow
Tor. More information on the Stormcrow bandits can be found in the adventures
Touch of Madness and Depths of Madness.

o The Fortress at World’s End: This imposing fortress bordering the Shadowfell was
raised in the days of Bael Turath by a cult called the Wrights of Nessus. It now serves
as the stronghold of Malachi, a wizard obsessed with obtaining secrets of the Far
Realm. The only way to the stronghold is through the Gloaming Gate on the shores
of the Umbral Sea on the Shadowfell. A Shadow Crossing that let's out nearby is
rumored to exist somewhere near the Kadagast Mountains. Detailed in the
adventure The Brink of Madness.

 The Dragondown Coast: A large coastal region south to the Nentir Vale, that stretches
across the Gulf of Kul and the Whitefall and Blackfall rivers, with Mithralfast in the north and
the Nera Bay in the south. The most important travel route is the Crow Road, an ancient
road that predates even Akhosia and Bael Turath. This region is detailed in The Seal of Karga
Kul novel.

o Sarthel: A prosperous City State, notable for it's chief export of silver. Detailed in
Dragon 398.

o The Blackfall Vale: The southern lands of the Draco Serrata Mountains. Mentioned
in Dragon 398.

o Pelarbin: A small town near the Blackfall river that serves as Sarthel's port outpost.

o Avankil: A fortified merchant city near the Blackfall estuary, in the south of the
coast.
 o Crow Fork Market: An ancient trading post and bastion against the hobgoblin
raiders who harry and destroy civilized outposts throughout the wastes between the
Blackfall and the Draco Serrata Mountains to the north.

o The Draco Serrata Mountains: A large mountain range that crosses the central lands
of the Dragondown Coast. It is said that some of the glaciers in its mountains are
enchanted with powerful magic and contained the preserved bodies of warriors and
mages from the age of Arkhosia.

o The Bridge of Iban-Ja: An ancient arkhosian bridge that connects the southern and
northern regions of the Coast.

o Toradan: A prosperous city estate of the central lands of the coast.

o Furia: Another city state of the central lands of the coast.

o Saak-Opole: Another city state, it is the ancient capital of an empire that fell long
before the founding of Nerath.

o The Lightless Marsh: A dangerous marsh infested with monsters and wild animals.

o Road-Builder Tomb: The last stop in the north branch of the Crow Road, where the
mysterious builder was entombed a thousand years ago.

o The Inverted Keep: A floating dragonborn fortress located near the Whitefall river,
in the north of the coast.

o Karga Kul: An ancient city home of the Knights of Kul, an order dedicated to guard
the portal to the Abyss located in the city.

o Ruins of Ruul: An ancient minotaur city once dedicated to Erathis that lays on an
archipelago in the Gulf of Kul. The city was destroyed by a volcano created by the
gods after its inhabitants turned to Baphomet worship. Mentioned in Dragon 369
(Note other sites that seem to be related to Ruul are discussed in the adventures
Thunderspire Labyrinth and Gardmore Abbey so the Minotaur Empire extended
across the Nentir Vale and places Ruul in the archipelago of the Gulf of Kul).
Descriptions of Minotaur Dungeons can be found in Into the Unknown.

 The Labyrinth City of Leng: A lost city of the Thavok Minotaur Clan. Built in a
volcanic canyon the heir to its iron crown is potentially a minotaur hero PC.
Described in Dragon 389.

 The Ironwall Mountains: A mountain range directly west of the Nentir Vale, this is the
setting of HS2 The Orcs of Stonefang Pass.

o Timbervale: A small frontier town on the edge of the mountains.

o Stonefang Pass: The one pass through the Ironwall Mountains and the site of a
Dwarf Citadel.

The Frostfell

This area of cold stretches to the North and North East, most of these locations are unmapped and
explorers may have to venture closer to the Karkothi dominions on the continent of Selduria.
  Wolfstone: North of the vale, this city amidst the frozen lands of the Frostfell was once a
Nerathi fortress. While dedicated to Kord, they have recently begun to commune with
primal spirits. Allied with a nearby Dwarven settlement. Their chief enemies are the Frost
Giants that live further North still. Detailed in Dragon 386 and Dragon 396

 Methenaera's Cave: This cave rests deep in a glacier encasing what was once Moradin's
fortress in the natural world. Now it houses a Silver Dragon who guards the God's sacred
casks of mead. Detailed in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons

o Nordkell: A small logging town a few miles from the glacier. Most pilgrims begin
their trip here first.

 The Road of Sleet: A glacier fortress of a Cobalt Dragon who is worshiped as a God by the
Talons of Winter, a tribe of shifters in the area who fight alongside Frost Giants. Detailed in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons. It is unclear if the Talons of Winter are related to the
Winterclaw barbarians.

 Rime's Lair: The home of a dragon steed of a Nerathi knight. Bound by magic to the knight's
body she can only escape during the winter. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 The Fortress of the Final Pact: A mysterious fortress in the Frostfell near the continent of
Nerath.

 The Scourge Mountains: A frozen mountain range featured in the Winter of the Witch.

o Crone's Finger: The highest peak of the Scourge Mountains. It serves as the lair of
Kurikveaeri an ancient White Dragon. An fey crossing stands amidst a stand of blue
menhirs. From here the Archfey Koliada marches into the world in her continual
attempts to cover the natural world in ice.

 The Winter Skull Lands: An island between the Nerath and Seldurian continents.

Lands of the Iron Circle - The Arid South

Goblin kingdoms, mercenaries, and warlike cities unite under the Iron Circle to create the world’s
strongest armies. The Iron Circle is dedicated to the worship of Asmodeus and their wizards summon
devils to swell their ranks. This appears to be the Southern holdings of Bael Turath and the Northern
Edge of Arkhosia, which was destroyed by Tieflings and reduced to the great Desert of Desolation.

Info taken from the Conquest of Nerath rulebook. Information on the Iron Circle and their minions
can be found in The Dungeon Master's Kit, and Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale. The article
Art of the Ancients has ideas for treasure parcels of Arkhosian, Bael Turathan, or Adretian art.

 The Eight Seas of the Iron Circle: A group of seas that are full of pirate activity

o The Sea of Mist: A group of islands in this sea are home to a lost pirate treasure.
Mentioned in Dragon 412.

 The Seven Jewels of the South: Arkhosia was founded when a dragon known only as the
Golden One unified these seven city states. They currently have all been lost. Mentioned in
PHB Races: Dragonborn.
 o Io'vanthor: The ancient capital of the Arkhosian empire carved into a mountain side
deep in the Trackless wastes believed to be the earthly palace of the deceased god
Io. Currently inhabited by warring tribes of Devils, Undead, Tieflings and
Dragonborn. Detailed in Dragon 369. The exiled last living inhabitant of the original
Io'vanthor, an ancient Gray Dragon named Zebukiel, is detailed in Draconomicon:
Chromatic Dragons.

o Krenstak: A ruined dragonborn city, destroyed during the Arkhosian-Turathi war

(mentioned in Art of the Ancients)

o Mount Korinda: A volcano whose eruption buried many nearby Arkhosian sites.
Mentioned in PHB Races Dragonborn.

o Razortear, an ancient Arkhosian fortress destroyed by the tieflings during the

Arkhosian-Turathi war (described in Worlds & Monsters and PHB: Races, Tieflings)

o Serpentus Rift: The only one of the Seven Jewels that remains until this age, this
canyon city was known for it's translucent bridges and ingeniously constructed
warrens. Recently some congregations of Dragonborn archaeologists have returned
to search for treasures of lost Arkhosia.

 The Trackless Waste/Desert of Desolation/Sea of Dust/Endless Desert: A barren desert in

the former Arkhosian Empire caused by the magic of Bael Turath. Currently inhabited by
nomadic Tieflings, Dragonborn, and Genasi. (Sea of Dust name is mentioned in Primal
Power, Trackless Waste is used in Dragon 369, the Sands of Time adventure used the Endless
Desert, while Dragon 402 uses the name Desert of Desolation. However all descriptions
seem to refer to the same place).

o Ashanta: A city in the desert that was once home to an advanced civilization of Pelor
worshippers. After it was destroyed by a brown dragon its population fled to the
small community of Sunspray. Detailed in Dragon 386

o Cynidicea: Once known as the Jewel of the Desert it has since become known as the
Lost City, destroyed by the creature Zargon that lives still beneath its Ziggurat.
Described in Into the Unknown.

o Ghere Thau: An ancient Nerathi fortress built in the desert. Depicted in Legacy of
Ghere Thau (DU218)

o The Oasis of the Golden Peacock: An enchanted Oasis in the desert that is home to
magical birds. (DU169)

o The Well of Stars: A small village located around a magical oasis with the power to
revive the dead. (DU215)

o The Tomb of Akkamedes: An ancient pyramid located at least four days’ travel from
the Well of Stars. According to some legends, it has a mechanism that allows it to
move on its own when activated.

o Sunspray: An oasis settlement in the desert. The tribes here worship Pelor. (DR386)

 Sunrise: A squalid outer settlement that is filled with outcasts from

Sunspray.
 o The Wastes of Maru-Qet: The ruins of the Draconic Empire of Maru-Qet, swallowed
by the desert after it was destroyed by rival catastrophic dragons. The Forsaken
Pharaoh Nefermandias line of Brown Dragons still live today, hiding in ancient
pyramids. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons.

 The Tomb of Urum-Shar: A pyramid built for Nefermandias' daughter, who

yet lives and guards the tomb. Mentioned in Draconomicon: Chromatic
Dragons and expanded upon in the adventure The Sand King's Daughter.

 Rethmil: Claims the distinction of being one of the most ancient human kingdoms, it was
once a holding of Arkhosia. Now it is a free city resisting domination by the Iron Circle with
the help of swordmages mounted on liondrakes. Detailed in Dragon 405

o Alam-Reth: The capital of Rethmil.

o Zagramor: The second largest city of Rethmil and its most important port.

o Castle Jemar: The realm of a oni warlord.

o Feya Basin: This large stretch of dry scrub, thorn bushes, and boulder fields covers
nearly three thousand square miles of western Rethmil.

o Hyarth Keep: Citadel of the Hyarthan Order, this sprawling fortress stands in the
foothills of the Altaran Mountains.

o Suthmar: A mining town in the eastern borderlands of Rethmil.

 Demper’s Ferry: A small frontier village on the edge of the desert. It is about to be taken
over by a horde of orcs led by a terrible hill giant named Turan. There is a tomb built by the
founders of the village. (Featured in the Sands of Time).

 The Scarlet Wastes: A vast red desert, this area is home to the Pilgrims of the Scarlet Waste,
a nomadic cult of Torog. Detailed in Dungeon 177 (While not officially written as part of the
South, it's name and desert environment seems to be a perfect match.)

o The Scarlet Principalities: City states across the wastes.

o The Hole: Formerly the location of Sar-Chavat, a city dedicated to Erathis, Torog

dragged the city down to the Underdark leaving behind this tunnel to the Deeps. It is
considered sacred to Torog by the Pilgrims of the Scarlet Waste.

 Dercassia: A kingdom under the control of the Iron Circle.

 Merindaelion: Known as the Barony of the Emerald Blade, this former holding of an Elven
Kingdom that collapsed after Gnoll incursions, is now almost entirely populated by sea-faring
Half Elves. They are part of the Vailin Alliance Detailed in Dragon 401

o Nesmalen: The largest city in the Emerald Blade Barony.

o Anduiros: The second largest city of the Emerald Blade Barony, populated mostly by
humans.

o Nesgard Keep: A fortress that oversees the only land route to the Barony.

o Lighthouse of Saris: A lighthouse located in the northernmost point of Cape Saris to

guide passing ships through the shallows of the straits.
 o Faldrin Vale: valley of wild and sinister beauty, where most of the elven clans of
Merindaelion dwell.

o Tower of Dal Beriod: A long abandoned watchtower in the western frontier of the
Barony.

o Serissalmar: Ancient Yuan-Ti ruin houses the remains of Serpent Kingdom that is

opposed to Maerindaelion. Detailed in Dragon 401

o Thaliessal: The ruin of a Sea Elf city that traded with the vanished Elven Kingdom.
Detailed in Dragon 401

 Court of Serathal: A minor elven kingdom that existed during the rule of Nerath's fourth
king. (DR396, p.38)

 The Kingdom of Tithinia: A kingdom under the influence of the Iron Circle, frequently raided
by Merindaelion's pirates. Mentioned in Dragon 401.

 Duchy of Solandir: A duchy located in the southeastern reaches of the Altaran peninsula.
They are part of the Vailin Alliance

 Adretia: A mercantile kingdom currently under the control of the Iron Circle. Dragon 402

o The Citadel of Iron Grasp: The chief fortress of the Iron Circle and said to be the
strongest in the known world.

o Nath Mornal: Formerly the most important city in Adretia, it is still the most
important mercantile center in western Altara.

o Jandhavar: A city under the control of the Iron Circle.

o Bamadin: The center of the slave trade in Iron Circle lands.

o Sercar: Once a large, prosperous walled town located at a strategic crossroads in the

middle of Adretia, now in ruin.

o Thanulzarum: An exceedingly ancient ruin said to predate the empire of Arkhosia.

o Vathan: A lumber and mining town on the edge of the great jungle of Rana Mor. The
town harbors a secret stronghold of the Knights of the Crescent Moon, a rebel group
that opposes the Iron Circle.

 Murgmar: One of the goblinholds in the Desert of Desolation. Allied with the Iron Circle.

 Kharavas: Another of the goblinholds. Allied with the Iron Circle.

 The Isle of the Druids: A forested island south to the Altaran Peninsula. The druids inhabiting
it are part of the Vailin Alliance.

 Confederacy of Oradaum: An coalition of cities in the bay of the Sapphire Sea.

o Seryth Oradaum: The capital of the Confederacy.

 The Shrouded Crags: A dwarven city hidden in lands coated by perpetual fog that has
recently been at conflict with the Confederacy of Oradaum.
The Great Isle of Kelarnil
A great island that stand amidst the Nerath and Selduria continents, Karkothi legions menace the
peoples of Kelarnil from their foothold in the Dread Marches.

This island in only mentioned in Dragon 399.

 The Dread Marches: The karkothi outpost on the island.

 The Tomb of Horrors: Somewhere under a lost and lonely hill of grim and foreboding aspect
lies a labyrinthine crypt, where the demilich Acererak dwells. Detailed in the adventure the
Tombs of Horrors, as well in the super adventure of the same name. Backgrounds for
adventurers can be found in the article Legacy of Acererak (Dragon 371)

 Rellis Vulin: A nation under the influence of the Iron Circle. Frequently raided by
Merindaelion's pirates. Mentioned in Dragon 401.

 Satrapy of Numoth: A nation under the control of the Iron Circle. Frequently raided by
Merindaelion's pirates. Mentioned in Dragon 401.

 Free Cities of Zembar: City states that have a merchant relationship with Sarthel. They are
part of the Vailin Alliance. Mentioned in Dragon 398.

 Zaarnath: A nation that is part of the League of Nerath.

The Lands of the Harthyar Barbarians - Western Selduria

Among the forests and mountains of western Selduria lies the homeland of a brave and fierce
people—the human barbarians of the Harthyar tribes. For a thousand years or more those savage
peoples have thrown back hordes of orcs, giant marauders, and the sorcerous legions of Karkoth,
falling upon each group of invaders with uncommon fury.

Unless otherwise mentioned this information comes from Dragon 400.

 Forest of Harthia: Also called the Forest of Mists, is one of the longest forest of the world. Is
the home to tribes of the Harthyar people of Selduria. These barbarians count themselves as
part of the League of Nerath and defend themselves against the Karkothi to the East.
Dragonborn, Dwarf, Goliath and Halfling settlements can also be found here as well as
Griffons, Owlbears, and Ettins.

o Iron Wolf Hold: The forested lands of the Iron Wolf tribe.

o White Raven Chiefdom: The lands of the White Raven tribe.

o The Accursed Keep: An old Turathi fortress destroyed by the dragonborn long ago; a
powerful devil still lurks in the dungeons below it.

 The Barony of Skalgard: The lands of the Frostspear tribe, the most civilized among the
Harthyar tribes.

 Cloven Skull Orc Hold: The lands of the Cloven Skull orc tribes.

 The Dragonfirth: A frozen delta near the Sea of Gnashing Ice.

 The Icebound Wastes: A mountain region to the west, beyond the Harthyar lands.
  The Maze of Maur Khul: A mysterious dungeon between the Harthyar and the Karkothi
Throneholds.

 Plain of Ebon Spires: A plain west to the Harthyar lands.

Lands of the Dark Empire of Karkoth - the Frozen East

The warlocks who rule Karkoth, the great empire of the continent of Selduria, wield terrible powers
of necromancy and shadow. Their undead armies hold a dozen lands in thrall, enforcing their
demands for tribute and new conscripts. Recently they have been influenced by worship of the
Chained God Tharizdun. At one point this was the center of the Yuan-Ti Empire of Zannad.

Unless otherwise mentioned this information comes from Dragon 399 and the Conquest of Nerath
rulebook. The Doomdreamer theme, which is related to worshipers of Tharizdun, appears in the Book
of Vile Darkness. Karkoth is the setting of the third movie of Dungeons and Dragons: "The Book of
Vile Darkness".

 The Broken Lands: Isolated expanse of arid rocky canyons populated by warring barbarian
tribes of Orcs and Dwarves. Lions and Drakes hunt throughout this region. Mentioned in
Primal Power

 Karkothi Throne Holds: Center of the Karkothi Kings it is made up of eight cities, seven ruled
by the Karkothi kings.

o Marhad: Location of the Chamber of Thrones, this neutral city where the seven
Karkothi Kings meet supposedly as equals.

o Dolthkarin: Largest city and chief port of Karkoth. Ruled by King Grom.

o Gormad: City of King Durn, continually wars with the Drow to keep the roads to the
Blisterforge open.

o Gray March: A border city on the Gray Shield mountains. Known for the horses that
are bred there, it is also home to the Temple of Dark Might, chief temple to the
Chained God. Ruled by King Haldrist

o The Groaning Tower: Fortress of the mightiest of the Karkothi Kings, Bursev. Rests
on top of a Turathi ruin.

o Karsk: City ruled by King Sarkomov. Houses great workshops and fields worked by
slaves.

o Surthgard: Known as the City of Sinking Mausoleums, the necromancer king Vasil

rules the marshy lands on the edge of Lake Surth

o Tyramur: The city of Queen Irina, it guards the pass of Tsyark which leads to the
Broken Lands.

 The Gulf of Sar: Former site of a decadent kingdom of Wizards destroyed by the barbaric
ancestors of the Karkothi Kings.

 Tarsembor: Elven Kingdom that repelled Karkothi invaders but has since fallen.

 The Jungles of Zannad: Home of a lost Yuan-Ti Empire.

 o Bogtangle: Swampy home to the diminutive tribe of humans known as the Hutanni,
that was once slave to the yuan-ti. Now that they are free they count bullywugs as
their chief foes. Detailed in Dragon 386

o The Forest Temple of Sarpacala: A temple devoted to Mual-Tar the Thunder Serpent
detailed in Dragon 370

 Dol-Thamar: Once a wealthy independant kingdom of wizards, the Kars barbarians

conquered them and learned secrets of Arcane magic from them.

o Thamargol: Ruins of the capital city of Dol Thamar, infested with monsters and said
to contain priceless treasures.

 Surth: Ancient kingdom magically submerged by the Karkothi kings.

o Lake of Surth

o Fen of Surth

 Moghmarrin: The realm of the Gorgon King. A land populated by Ogres, Orcs, and Trolls.
Ruled by Fell Giants, the most notable is Taldredar, whose sorcery can petrify his victims. An
uneasy alliance exists between the Fell Giants and the Karkothi. Detailed in Dragon 403

o Gloomfast: Taldredar's fortress.

o Khethmor: The fortress of the Karkhoti envoys in Moghmarrin.

o Ravenmeet: A small watchtower marks the meeting of the Road of Ravens and the
ancient road leading north to the old capital of Moghmarrin.

o Ludgrum Keep: The fortress of the Ludgrum fell giant clan.

o Nurthgard: The gianthold of the Turgravs, the most numerous and strongest giant
clan remaining in Moghmarrin.

o Uld: This remote gianthold is home to the Gloamgall fell giant clan.

o Vale of Dread: Fifty miles east of Gloomfast lies a dark and wild gorge in the
Nurthedur Mountains where none willingly venture. This vale is home to flying
abominations.

 The Temple of Elemental Evil: The greatest shrine of the Mad God. Described in Into the
Unknown.

o Hommlet: A village near the temple of the Elemental Evil. Described in The Village of
Hommlet Adventure.

Lands of the Vailin Alliance - The Far South East

Elven lands allied with mercantile human city-states, the valiant Seldurian tribes that remain loyal to
the old ideal of Nerath, this realm benefits from prosperous trade routes and Elven magic, giving it
the best navy in the world.

From the Conquest of Nerath rulebook.

  Vailindor: This elven city is the seat of power of the Vailin Alliance. Mentioned in the
Conquest of Nerath rulebook.

 The March of Cernall: A forested frontier region that is locked in a struggle with Karkothi
aggressors. Wizards are appointed as royal servants and are known as the Order of the
Golden Flame, as mentioned in Dragon 399. The Human and Halfing settlments along the
coast are protected by Elven and Shifter Rangers of the Silver Hart. Detailed in Dragon 406.

o Caer Madhrin: The capital of Cernall.

o Estafel: The richest and largest settlement in Cernall.

o Tower of Crows: The fortress of the Karkhoti invaders.

o Barton Ferry: Once a prosperous town, it was destroyed by Karkhoti invaders.

o Hartshall: The secret stronghold of the Silver Hart rangers, hidden in a deep gorge
about thirty miles north of the Wildbyrne Vale.

o The Old Ford: One of the sacred places of the Ancient Circle druids.

o Westermoss: A large, forest-covered peninsula that makes up the southwestern

quarter of Cernall. A dozen or so small settlements are scattered through the area,
most of them fishing villages along the shore.

 Great Wild Wood: The ancient forest that lies north to Cernall.

 Barony of Brandil: A prosperous barony of the Vailin Alliance.

 Albrenn: A nation of the Vailin Alliance.

 White Plume Mountain: A dungeon created by the Wizard Keraptis. Described in Into the
Unknown. It is connected with Dragotha the Dracolich who is detailed in Draconomicon:
Chromatic Dragons, and Kyuss and Ctenmiir the Cursed who are both detailed in Open
Grave: Secrets of the Undead, as well as the magical sword Blackrazor and the artifact Wave
detailed in The Plane Below: The Elemental Chaos.

o The maze of moors and marshes: Covered in the mists of White Plume Mountain
this areas is haunted by Dragotha and the witch Thingizzard.

The Underdark

The Underdark is divided into two major areas, the Shallows and the Deeps. An opening to the
Underdark from the Nentir Vale use to exist in the Ogrefist hills but has collapsed, but other tunnels
pass through the ruins of Saruun-Khel as well. There is also a potential opening to the Underdark's
"King's Highway" in the Harken Forest. Other known opening locations are the Hole in the Southern
Deserts, and the Vault of the Drow to the North of the Karkothi Throneholds.

Info taken from the Underdark book and Into the Unknown. However a few resources for Underdark
Adventures have appeared in other sources, such as Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale.
Heroes who survived Illithid slavery are discussed in Character Concepts: Corruption (Dragon 385).
  The Underwild: collective name for portions of the Underdark free of abominations and
steeped in primal power. Normally populated by Drow who practice the primal way.
Mentioned in Primal Power

 Black Wells: Scattered pools of Shadow Magic sought out by the order of the Obsidian Cave.
Mentioned in Heroes of Shadow

 The King's Highway: The broad tunnels that crisscross the Underdark, a reference to Torog
as the King that Crawls. Those tunnels connect to all places in the Underdark, as well to the
Feydark and the Shadowdark.

The Shallows

This intermediate area between the darker caves of abominations is populated mostly by Dwarves.
Trading posts and relatively more civilized realms of creatures serve as points of light for adventurers
before journeying deeper, yet many dangers still lurk in hese shadowy societies.

 Forgehome: The City of Mines, perches atop Storvirk's Lode, a vent of rock where several
different veins of ores intertwine.

 Cities of the Duergar: These Dwarves escaped the abominations of the Underdark by

pledging themselves to Asmodeus. General information on their cities can be found in
Dungeon 187

 The Lost Arkhosians: A nomadic dragonborn community prowls the Shallows, surviving by
raiding and trading. They claim to be the last survivors of the Arkhosian empire.

 The Gloomdeeps: A warren of tunnels that are inhabited principally by Trogolodytes and the
Carrion Crawlers they worship. Deep in the corridors lies a portal to Nightwyrm Fortress in
the Shadowfell. Detailed in P3 Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress

 The Mine of Bolmarzh: Once an ancient Duergar Mine, it is now home to an Adamantine

Dragon and his Grimlock and Gargoyle servitors. Detailed in Draconomicon 2: Metallic
Dragons

 Fastbet: A newly established, rough-and-tumble dwarven settlement that has yet to set up a
stable system of governance.

 Gammon Handle: A dwarven mining outpost whose dwindling silver vein serves as evidence
of its inevitable demise.

 Diamond Pipe: A dwarven settlement where the autocratic mayor rules by threat and
violence.

 Dwarven Ghost Towns: Abandoned underground mining settlements.

 Z'Kar: An abandoned Dwarven mining outpost inhabited by a docile Umber Hulk.

 The Citadel of the Rock: A Dwarf fortress that fell to the Drow only to be liberated again by
Dwarven undead. Mentioned in Heroes of Shadow

 Shrines of Numesnee: Scattered in the shallows, these temples are sites where the
creatures of the Underdark can find redemption. Detailed in Dragon 390.
  Deeping Delve: This redoubt is the headquarters of the original Deep Guides. It is set up on
the banks of a subterranean River that connects to the Dawnforge Mountains. One of the
many independant Deep Guide guilds may operate out of their today.

o The Nest of Purple Worms: Close to a subterranean river is a nest of purple worms.

Rumo has it that the legendary Ruby of Sereth Van rests in this nest.

 Maelbrathyr: A Turathi city dragged deep into the Underdark now ruled by three
adventurers who are eternally punished by Torog. Their Thieves' Guild is one of the most
famous in all the world.
The Dark Lake Ziggurat: A mysterious artifact of the Far Realm that wanders between the
planes, appearing from time to time on the Shallows.

o Dark Lake of the Kuo-Toas: A small tribe of kuo-toas occupies the lake surrounding
the ziggurat.

 Grell Colonies: A large community of grell philosophers.

 Hraak Azul: A troglodyte fortress made out of fungi.

 Howling Warrens: A lot of small, dank caverns linked by narrow, crumbling tunnels
inhabited by all manner of feral humanoids. including orcs, goblins, and troglodytes.

o Glutton's Teeth: Torog's den of torture in the Shallows.

 Hunting Grounds: A large network of spacious caverns and wide tunnels inhabited by a
loose alliance of dragons that prey upon the weak.

The Deeps

The deepest caves, home to Drow and unspeakable Abominations from the Far Realm who thrive in
the black depths. Only the heartiest of adventurers can survive these twisted caves. The Svirfneblin,
a reclusive race of Gnomes, inhabit these spaces too and can be sought out as potential points of
light in the darkness.

 Chaos Wastes: Sections of the Underdark influenced by the Elemental Chaos.

 The Heart of Darkness: A cave system hollowed out by beholders that is now the lair of a
Purple Dragon. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons.

 Phaervorul: A small drow city caught in a civil war. It rests on a portal to the Shadowfell. It's
near Nentir Vale (as one can reach the city using the Miser's Pit) Detailed in P2 the Demon
Queen's Enclave

 Ladoga: A secret dwarven mining colony digs its way Sideways into the hard rock of an
underground crevasse.

 Refuge: Centuries spent underground have turned the humans of Refuge into pale,
semiamphibious creatures.

 The Vault of the Drow: A spectacular cave system of unearthly beauty that houses the
greatest city of the Drow. According to Threats to the Nentir Vale, the city of Erelhei-Cinlu
lies in the Underdark beneath the Nentir Vale, suggesting that the Vault of the Drow in the
Karkothi Throneholds is a different group of Dark elves.
 o The Black Tower: A great mound of rock and crystal that guards the only entrance to
the Vault of the Drow.

o Erelhei-Cinlu: The greatest drow city on the Underdark. Additional information on

the structure of Drow Academies are featured in Dragon 390. An adventure hook in
Erelhei-Cinlu is mentioned in Ecology of the Swordwing (Dungeon 204).

 Pitchy Flow: North of the city runs the Pitchy Flow river, spanned by a
deceptively slender basalt bridge called the Flying Bridge.

o Noble States: The manors of the drow noble houses are located outside the city
proper.

o The Fane of Lolth: The largest temple to the Spider Queen in the world.

o Satellite Cities: At least six smaller drow cities connect to the Vault of the Drow by
narrow, well-defended passageways.

o Gargash, the Living Torture Den: The living remains of the primordial known as
Gargash, now one of Torog's torture dens, located near the Vault.

 The Web of Ygorix: Once a great Drow city it was taken over by a Demonweb spider that
was once the matron's pet. This powerful Spider demon is now a patron of Dark Pact
warlocks. Mentioned in Dragon 381 and dungeon 174. A survivor of the Drow city, Akaana is
detailed in Into the Unknown.

 Xarcorr: An aboleth empire in the region known as the Rock's Roil.

 The Citadel of Cor Talcor: This ancient Dwarven fortress is the home of an elite group of
Dwarves whose militaristic society is rumored to be a preserved relic of the ages of the
Dawn War.

 The Sunless Seas: The giant Underdark seas are so much more forbidding than surface
oceans that creatures from the world above have little means of generating a meaningful
comparison.

o Spire Sea: A vast ocean in the Deeps, contained within a network of caverns so
enormous that it experiences tides and weather as if it were on the surface.

 Gar Morra, City in the Deep: A great city build on a stalactite, inhabited by
dwarves and duergar who have allied and worship Moradin.

 Deepreach: A legendary dwarven home lost in the Underdark.

 City of Anathema: A fallen drow city formerly known as Erenira, that now serves as one of
Torog's torture dens.

 Nihilath: The ruins of the fallen ilithid empire.

o The Restless Heaps: Near the ruins of Nihilath in located another of Torog's torture
dens, created by the living remains of his exarch, the Abnegator.

 The Buzzing Vaults: This hive of Swordwings is further detailed in Ecology of the Swordwing.

o The Market Grottos: A trading market for swordwings.

 o The Great Mire: A grand cathedral several miles in diameter lies in the depths of the
Buzzing Vaults, swordwings call it A'shoachact, Temple of Dhogostho-Attu.

o The Burrowing Hive: A swordwing hive run by a queen with an interest in Dwarven
Engineering.

o The Sword Collector's Vault: The lair of a particularly nasty swordwing. Featured in

the adventure the Sword Collector (Dungeon 204).

 Adamanth: A cavern complex of Dragonborn who follow the teachings of an ancient

Adamantine Dragon. They practice divine magic and ally with Drow and Duergar who
convert to the Dragon's teachings. They are besieged by purple worms and Ilithids.
Mentioned in the Dragon article Power of Dragons (Dragon 385).

 The Hatchlands: A network of caves that loop through the lowest reaches of the Underdark,
this Beholder realm is pocketed with unstable passageways to the Far Realm.

 The Godless Deeps: Parts of the Underdark untouched by Torog's divine blood. Without
divine influence, those lands of the Underdark remain chaotic, like they were when the
Primordials created the World.

o The Sharnlands: The godless realm of the Sharn, and the only place on the World
connected to the Sharn's world of origin (DR373, p.55)

o Mherkrul: The godless realm inhabited by angels and devils that betrayed their
gods.

Unless otherwise mentioned, this info is taken from the Underdark and Into the Unknown books.

The Elsir Vale:

Elsir Vale is a region on the edge of civilization, a border vale doted with villages, towns and old ruins
from ancient times.

Settlements

 Armistace - a village near Overlook.

 Brindol - a river town and center of former Red Hand army conflict.

 Bordrin's Watch - a fortified mountain pass.

 Dauth

 Dennovar

 Drellin's Ferry

 Dunesend - a small trading community.

 Elsircross

 Feud - a village near Overlook.

 Hammerfist Holds - communities in the foothills of the Wyvernwatch Mountains.

  Hillwatch

 Hope - a village near Overlook.

 Lantern

 Marthton - village near the Marth Forest.

 Myler's Stone - a village near Overlook.

 Nimon Gap

 Old Den - a village near Overlook.

 Overlook - a huge dwarf-built city.

 Prosser

 Red Rock

 Sayre - a port city 160 miles SW of Overlook.

 Sodden - village on the Elsir River near Overlook.

 Talar - a village near Brindol.

 Terrelton

 Thiradith - a ruin dating back to the time of Nerath, now serving as a military outpost in the
northern lands near Sayre.

 Witchcross

Geography

 Black Fens (Swamp)

 Endless Plains (Tundra)

 Elsir River

 Giantshield (Mountains)

 Golden Plains (Plains)

 Lake Restin

 Marth Forest

 Stonehome Mountains

 Stonewash (River)

 Thornwaste (Desert)

 Westwood (Forest)

 Witchwood (Forest)

 Wyrmsmoke Mountains
  Wyvernwatch Mountains

Adventure Locations

 Rivenroar Castle (Ruins) - Rescue at Rivenroar module

 Monastery of the Sundered Chain - Siege at Bordrin’s Watch module

 The Nexus - Siege at Bordrin’s Watch module

 Fortress Ironfell - Lost Mines of Karak module

 Fortress Graystone - Den of the Destroyer module

 Mountainroot Temple - The Temple Between module

 Akma’ad - Haven of the Bitter Glass module

 Fane of Chanhiir - Garaitha's Anvil module

Nearby Regions

 Nefelus: A nearby city, and capital of the tropical island nation bearing the same name,
Nefelus is built among the vegetation on either side of the high cliffs of an inlet.

For more information about the Elsir Vale see the Red Hand of Doom Adventure (3.x) and the Scales
of War Adventure Path (Dungeon 156-175)

Unknown regions of the World:

Regions that cannot be easily located in the official World map.

Hidden Points of Light of the World

 Avaat Mahn: A powerful, centuries-old city-state, it claims dominion over every community
within several days' travel of its great stone walls. Its Pontifex Council believes in the false
god Ahn-Sur. Mentioned in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons in the Draconic Campaigns
section.

 Foamgather: A floating island constructed from detritus. It houses a race of humans who live
in intimate connection with the sea. Detailed in Dragon 386

 The Maelstrom: The name refers to both a churning whirlpool, and the neighboring coastal
community of Halflings dedicated to serving the primal spirits. Mentioned in Primal Power.

 Diyun: "The Hanging City," is carved high into the rocks along a coastal cliff. It is home to
rogues of all stripes and ruled by a mysterious human of prodigious size. Detailed in
Dungeon 189

 The Platinum Temple: A hidden shrine to Bahamut guarded by dragonborn templars.

Rumored to contain a portal to Celestia. Mentioned in PHB Races: Dragonborn. Another
location called the Platinum Temple is mentioned as existing in a large metropolitan area
and is mentioned in the adventure Flame's Last Flicker

 Temple of the Fates: Holiest site of those who worship Avandra, Ioun, and the Raven Queen
in their aspect as the goddesses of fate. Mentioned in Dragon 398
 Red Tree: This sleepy little town is currently under an Inquisition by the Chosen of the Sun, a
zealous brotherhood from the days of Nerath. Mentioned in the Book of Vile Darkness.

 The World's Academies of Magic

o The White Spires of Callanar: This Academy of the Enchantment school of Wizardry

drifts between the Feywild and a small remote island in the Natural World. Detailed
in Dragon 403

 The Town of Hedge Wizards: On the shores of the lake a small town of
Hedge Wizards has grown up. They wait for the appearance of Callanar to
trade magic and secrets with the Eladrin of the school.

o Ironstone Academy: This school of magic focuses on preparing Students of the

Arcane for war. Built on a mountain top in the ruins of a Dwarven city it is a center
for learning the Evocation Schools of Magic. Detailed in Dragon 403

o Rumor: A hidden school of illusion magic that started with a tavern bet it is housed
within a city but cannot be seen nor accessed except by its students. Detailed in
Dragon 403

o White Lotus Academy: A leading Academy for studying Arcane Magic. Detailed in
Dragon 374 and Dungeon 165 and its leaders' stances on Shadow Magic is laid out in
Heroes of Shadow

o Shadowdeep: A school of Necromancy founded by an exiled student of Ironstone

Academy. Located deep beneath the mountain of Ironstone in the ruins of an
ancient city. Detailed in Dragon 403

o Tanarthiel: Called the Castle of Dreams, this school of primarily Illusion and

Enchantment magic is the greatest Arcane Academy of Elves in the natural world.
Detailed in Dragon 392.

 Tradegate: A gate town to Sigil situated at a crossroads in the shadow of the rumbling hills.
Mentioned in DMG 2.

 Dunblane: A mixed-race village on the fringe of civilization. Mentioned in Underdark.

 Sor Axtang: This city-state occupies a fertile river delta surrounded by a desert infested with
monsters and bandits. Described in Underdark.

 Fadail: A disappeared village that only its a last scion —a potential PC— can find. Mentioned
in DMG 2.

 Eredu: A city with a curious stance towards the undead. Predatory undead are granted
provisional citizenship as long as they can prove ownership over livestock or some other
source to feed their hunger. Mentioned in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead.

 Nocturnus: A city devoted to indulgence it sits in a series of canyons called "the pit" that is
secretly a primordial grave. Its seven lords grant undead full citizenship. Mentioned in Open
Grave: Secrets of the Undead.
 The Howling Troll: A theater operating out of a coastal trade city and catering to its petty
bourgeoisie, serves as a cover for a cult of vampire worshipers. Mentioned in Open Grave:
Secrets of the Undead.

 Hornburg: A small sleepy town that contains a secret portal to Sigil in one of its buildings. A
steel dragon poses as a shopkeeper to defend the portal from outsiders. Mentioned in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Iron Empire: A nation possibly related with the Iron Circle, ruled by the mysterious Emperor
Krek, who is actually a multidimensional creature on a quest to conquer multiple worlds.
Mentioned in DMG 2

 Pavarium: This rich city is home to the Grand Assemblage of the League of Eternal
Discovery, an adventurers' guild run by a family of Orium Dragons. Mentioned in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Gloaming Hearts: The name for several rare settlements of Elves found in such dark forests
that they are permeated by shadow magic. Mentioned in Heroes of the Shadow.

 Farren: A gate town in the "Mountains of Chaos," which contains a one way portal from the
Far Realm. Populated by insane mystics and prophets. Mentioned in DMG 2.

 The Enclave of Dust: A temple to Aurom, a deceased deity of life and death. Mentioned in
Dragon 390

 Elderwood: A small town of lumberjacks and craftsmen who are annoyed at a recent band of
mercenaries setting up in the area. Detailed in the adventure Blood Money.

 Brunswick and Hampsted: Two medium sized towns run by councils of citizens. Each is
surrounded by a band of farmland. The former is west of the latter. Brunswick is concerned
because they haven't had any communications from Hampsted recently. Detailed in the
adventure The Lord of the White Field.

 Fitherton: A town that is barricaded against a rumored plague. Cultists of Mual-Tar and
slaadi have suddenly become drawn to the area as well. Featured in Faarlung's Algorithm.

 Barrinsgate: A small city that is rapidly gaining power and influence. Once a bandit enclave,
in response to its new status the bandit warlords have become a regular city council.
However the politics of the bandit gangs still cause problems causing the most prominent
councilwoman, Lord Stella, to seek out adventurers. Features in the adventure Clash of
Steel.

 Ashenport: The only fishing village to survive along a stormwracked rocky coastline. While
the decline in trade saw most of the other neighboring villages to be abandoned Ashenport
has mysteriously maintained a profitable fishing trade. Detailed in The Last Breaths of
Ashenport.

 Dorgal's Cove: A coastal fishing village that is plagued by Kuo-Toa raiders and something
even more monstrous. Featured in Grasp of Thalarkis

 Onat: A city deep in a primal valley that is guarded by the Scions of Onat, an order of
Rangers who are bound by primal spirits to a beast companion. Mentioned in Class Acts:
Ranger Scions of Onat.
 Parsain: A town long contested by Duchies of Hallber and Yranes. Mentioned in DMG 2.

o Duchy of Hallber

o Duchy of Yranes

 Restharrow: A peculiar kind of safety has blessed this tiny village, tucked away in a distant
corner of the world, for centuries. Bandits, monsters, wars, and kings have all passed it by.
Mentioned in DMG 2.

 The Six Kingdoms: The Six Kingdoms have historical and cultural similarities but act as
politically independent nations that share a common coastline. Once great, each kingdom
now exists separated from its fellow nations by swaths of lawless, monster infested territory.
Mentioned in DMG 2.

o Karakho: A kingdom ruled by arcane practitioners.

o Mahin Fields: A kingdom located on the hills.

o Murisov: A mining kingdom that boasts a long line of warrior-kings.

o Nizh: A merchant kingdom.

o Tarod: Home of numerous universities, cathedrals, and architects, is ruled by

paladins and priests.

o Zvetisk: A kingdom located amidst ancient forests.

 Veratur: Once a great nation, it has plunged into barbarism by marauding tribes of goblins
and orcs. Mentioned in DMG 2.

 Olenvale: the central and largest town in a network of more than a dozen coastal villages
and hamlets that make up one large community under the protection of the brass dragon
Vahalapras. Mentioned in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Kell:A duchy that is on the verge of becoming a kingdom. Ruled by Lord Naumonshra Kell.
Mentioned in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Shurral Deraen: A city that relies on a brood of silver dragons inhabiting its central spire to
protect citizens against the predations of hordes of giants in the mountains to the north.
Mentioned in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Delornen: A country in the lands of former Nerath, located on a land bridge between two
continents. Featured in the adventure The Tariff of Relkingham.

o Wyllea: The governing city of Delornen.

o Relkingham: A port town of merchants and sailors.

 Hommel Lane: An settlement near the Caves of Chaos. Featured in Against the Cult of Chaos.

 Weeping Briar: A town constructed over the ruins of a temple of Tharizdun. Featured in One
Dark Night in Weeping Briar.

 Thistledown: A small hamlet. Rumor say all adults have disappeared. Featured in the
adventure A Rhyme Gone Wrong.
  Jenn-Tourach: An eladrin city that appears in the mortal world on a mountain-top, one day a
year. Mentioned in Races and Classes.

 Towers of Avaellor: An Eladrin towers on isle, that appears in the mortal world on summer.
Mentioned in Races and Classes.

 Barony of Ealding: A thriving community that has become the target of three ambitious
rakshasas. Featured in The Art of Deception adventure.

 Xelfide: An unruly town ruled by criminals. (Adventurer's Vault 2, Holy radiance armor entry)

 Headquarters of the Platinum Talons: This abandoned orphanage is the headquarters of a

zealous cult of Bahamut and guarded by adamantine warforged. Detailed in Dragon 378

 Hoar Frost Castle: A temple dedicated to Bahamut run by the silver dragon Sephitherax. Is
the headquarters of the dragonborn order known as the Argentum Alliance. (DR385)

 Beggar's Cairn: A place where sellswords from a savage tribe go to sell their services to
agents of the Coastal Cities. Mentioned in "The Decaying Mansion of Memories".

 The Coastal Cities: A group of rival cities located on a coast of the Starfall Sea. Mentioned in
"The Decaying Mansion of Memories".

o Grandport

o High Canton: The wildest and hottest of the Coastal Cities, ruled by slave-lords. Built
of an edge of a basalt escarpment, fire creatures were enslaved or paid to work in
the city.

o Purpure: A city founded by a female wizard, and so was the most fantastically-
looking of all the Coastal Cities.

 Temple of Winds: Located in the Lost Island of Ee. Its a temple where the four wings whisper
secrets to its residents. Following those whispers, the monks have created an accurate map
of the World, known as the "Map of Winds". Mentioned in "The Decaying Mansion of
Memories".

Hidden Wilderness Locations of the World

 Bloodtangle: A southern jungle inhabited by primitive humans, elves, goblinoids, and

kobolds, all of whom are noted for their traditional poisons. Mentioned in Primal Power.

 The Wrathwood: An ancient forest of sentient trees who only permit those who revere the
spirit way to enter. Primarily inhabited by Elves and Gnomes. Mentioned in Primal Power.

 The Howling Plains: A vast grassland that is home to Barbarians and their Shamans who are
masterful horse riders. Mentioned in Primal Power.

 The Thunder Peaks: Called the Spine of the World, these stormwracked mountains are
home primarily to Goliath barbarians, as well as Dwarves and Dragonborn. Mentioned in
Primal Power.

 The Riven Stone: A menhir that stands as the meeting place for the primal Celestian Order
that defends the world from the Far Realm. Mentioned in Dragon 375
 Bleakmire: A marshy land, home to barbarian tribes of Humans, Elves, Halflings, Half-Orcs,
and Kobolds. Mentioned in Primal Power.

 Blazestone: A virtually uninhabitable expanse of volcanic destruction. Home primarily to

barbaric Genasi, but also to Goliaths, Dwarves, and some Humans. Mentioned in Primal
Power.

 The Misty Isle: The most sacred site of the Corellite faith, legend says this is where
Corellon's tears fell and created the Elven races. It was stolen by Gruumsh and Tiamat's
exarch Kurtulmark and hidden beyond Corellon's sight. Mentioned in Dragon 394

 The Bay of Fins: A bay near Aelathric Ocean, that has the multitude of small port towns that
line its shores, an array of small islands and protruding reefs. Mentioned in Draconomicon 2:
Metallic Dragons.

 The Lands of the Chimera Tribe: This wilderness location is occupied by a nomadic band of
Tieflings who have lost all knowleldge of their history, and instead believe their forms and
abilities to be the gift of Primal Chimera spirits. Mentioned in PHB Races: Tieflings.

 The Isle of Barrastis: The home to Primal Way lizardfolk who have turned to the worship of a
dragon. Detailed in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Tulkau Shayn: An area in a Southern Jungle where an Orium dragon has dominated a tribe
of lizardfolk to help him explore the ruins of the Alabaster City. Detailed in Draconomicon 2:
Metallic Dragons.

 The Breach: An area of the natural world so close to the Elemental Chaos that it resembles
the Plane Below. Guarded by wardens who embody elemental forms. Described in Dragon
383.

o Cinderheart: The wardens' fortress. Detailed in Heroes of the Elemental Chaos.

 The Fire Peaks: A chain of volcanic islands in the Sunset Sea, this is claimed to be the edge of
the world. Within the volcanoes live a colony of azers and is ruled by Infernus, a red dragon
veteran of Arkhosia who longs for battle once more. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic
Dragons.

 The Fenreach: A large marshy isthmus populated by lizardfolk who worship a black dragon
named Gulgol. Mentioned in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons.

 The Whispering Glade: The lair of hag sisters. Featured in the Adventure locale in dungeon
185

 Graythicket: A woodland expanse lying close to an unnamed city, it is home to the

Graythicket Elves. A permanent, but intermittent, portal to the Feywild is located here.
Rumors persist of an eladrin city nearby that contains a key to fighting incursions from the
Feydark. A side-trek adventure set in the wood is featured in Dungeon 171.

 The Serpentwood: An aptly named wood contains a dark past. A small town on its edge
called Sedgewood is home to the descendants of the primitive humans that use to worship a
dark god that once lived deep in the forest. Featured in the side trek Hall of the Snake God.
  The Warwood: A haunted forest that rests on the site of an ancient battlefield. Despite the
many years grisly remnants of the battle, corpses and decaying weaponry appear
throughout the forest. Featured in the adventure The Sleeper of Tomb of Dreams.

o The Tomb of Dreams: A mysterious dome that currently houses a group of bandits.

o The Monastery of Sir Malagant: An ancient Monastery of the Raven Queen

dedicated to her champion whose bones are interred here annually as decreed by
her exarch Achreisis.

 Melieria's Castle: A castle once owned by an eladrin, Meliera, and her husband who were
convinced the drow could be reconciled with the elves until they were betrayed by a drow
they took in. Mentioned in Into the Unknown.

o The Valley of Obelisks: A nearby valley.

 The Earthen Dagger: An Earthburg covered in Magma flows and ruled by a Mercury Dragon.
It flows back and forth between the Plane Below and the Natural World. Detailed in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons.

 Skyclaw Peaks: A line of weathered, tree-covered mountains in the far west, ruled by a
being known as The Stone King, the Living Rock. Mentioned in Dragon 394.

 The Caves of Chaos: Those caves teem with dangerous monstrous humanoids, and in their
deeps lies a rift connecting to the prison of Miska the Wolf-Spider. Featured in Against the
Cult of Chaos.

 The Teeth of Lormoch: A mountain range where the gods sealed the Elemental Prince
Cryonax. Detailed in Dragon 491.

 Gallowston: A region or settlement destroyed by a catastrophic dragon. Mentioned in

Dragon 425.

 Taoimburra: A valley where a tribe of wise men and wizards live. Mentioned in "The
Decaying Mansion of Memories".

 The Lost Island of Ee: A mysterious island amid the Starfall Sea. Mentioned in "The Decaying
Mansion of Memories".

o Mount Eponymous: A great mountain in the Lost Island. At its peak is located the
Temple of Winds.

Hidden Dungeons of the World

 Rahesh: Known as the city entombed, served as the capital an empire of Undead that was
destroyed by a volcano eruption. Detailed in Dragon 372

 Hantumah: A city populated entirely by undead and ruled over by a lich Raja whose lifeforce
was divided between four adventurers who attempted to slay him. A cult called the
lightbringingers harries its boarders and are hoping to one day slay the Raja and reclaim the
city. Detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead

 The Temple of Doresain: This temple to the King of Ghouls is housed in an egg of an undead
monstrosity. Detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead
 Castle Korvald: A crumbling Castle overlooking the highland town of Yeaven Raeach. Home
to a young white dragon. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 Regnant Fane: One of Tiamat's many temples in the Natural World, set apart because it
contains a clutch of the Dragon Queen's own eggs. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic
Dragons

 The Groaning Vaults: Balcoth's armory from the Dawn War still guarded by Rakshasa.
Mentioned in Dungeon 178

o The Prison of Balcoth: The god's Prison for the Primordial Balcoth. It holds his head
on a throne of stone. Mentioned in Dungeon 178

 The Secret Temple of the Stained Page: Hidden in a temple of the Raven Queen nearby a
graveyard of a large metropolis, members this cult, formed in the days of Nerath, seek to
make themselves gods by stealing souls destined for Letherna. Detailed in Dungeon 171.

 The Bone Tower: The headquarters of a cult of Nerull that seeks to unseat the Raven Queen.
Detailed in Dungeon 171.

 Shadowghast Manor: A manorhouse of a disgraced Paladin that contains a haunted Crypt.

Dungeon 197.

 The Sea-Demon's Shrine: A sahaugin shrine to Demogorgon, who is depicted as a demonic

octopi. Featured in the adventure the Campaign Workbook: Sea Demon's Shrine.

 The Troll King's Court: Located in a system of caverns located in forbidden mountainous

region this is home to a vicious troll lord. He has uncovered a powerful artifact related to the
first human to slay a deity. Featured in the delve Crown of the Troll King.

 The Ruins of Malphas' Tower: The ruin of an Eladrin citadel abandoned after it became
stranded in the natural world. One eladrin still lives there and takes to referring to himself as
the Patriarch. Detailed in the adventure Worse Than Death.

 The Ziggurat Beyond Time: A mysterious temple that exist in a different timeline than the
rest of the world, lies deep within a jungle that was built by the Sebeceans, an insect like
race from the Far Realm. Detailed in The Ziggurat Beyond Time.

 Tesount's Folly: A copper mine recently inherited by an aristocrat's prodigal son. Rumor of a
treasure buried deep within has caused the heir to seek out adventurers. Detailed in The
Depths of Avarice.

 Kincep Mansion: A haunted mansion on the edge of a small town. Detailed in the adventure
The Haunting of Kincep Mansion.

 The Cairn of the Winter King: Somewhere far south of the Nentir Vale amidst the Frost Jaw
Peaks lies the Cairn of the Winter King. Detailed in Monster Vault.

 Black Tower of Vumerion: Vumerion was a legendary necromancer that had a tower called
the Black Tower. This was the origins of the first Skull Lords. Mentioned in the Monster
Manual.
  The Six Cities of Akarot: Ancient allied city-states whose tyrant lords ruled over a vast land,
but eventually fell to ruin. Its rumored that at some point there was a seven city. (AV2, Rings
of the Akarot)

o Hrumdar’s Horn: A minotaur city.

o Laga, the Smoking Waste: A dwarven city.

o Urual, Defier of Tides: A pirate city.

o Synnith Ordan: An eladrin city ruled over by a fomorian.

o The Empty City: A shadar-kai city.

o Aurunia Palace: A human fortress-city.

o Sherazuul: The fabled seventh city.

 Orhiran, the Dungeon of Endless Doors: Thought to have once housed a planar prison.
Mentioned in Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium.

Wandering Locations of the World

 Jaggerbad Skyhouse: A flying tavern on the back of a mighty dragon, this strange domain
travels all the planes. The captain/innkeeper is associated with Lord Oran of the Green Fey.
Featured in Dungeon 198

 Nightrule's Carnival Calvacade: An all tiefling circus that wanders from town to town.
Mentioned in PHB Races: Tieflings.

 Vistani Caravans: A group of wandering performers and fortune tellers who have strange
connections to the Shadowfell. They were first discussed in a three part article in Dragon
383, and also they are mentioned in the Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond.

 Mihajla's Tent: The extradimensional trading post contained within a traveling tent owned
by a djinn. Detailed in dungeon 189

Seas of the World

Amilian Sea
Midnight Sea
Sea of Dragons
Sea of Gnashing Ice
Sea of Ghosts
Sea of Mist
Spire Sea (in the Underdark)*
Starfall Sea**
Solannin Sea
Sunrise Sea
Wailing Sea

All seas are taken from the official map, except for those marked with *.
*Mentioned in Underdark (sourcebook)
**= Mentioned in "The Decaying Mansion of Memories".
The Echoes of the World

Inextricably linked to the natural world are two parallel planes: the Feywild (or Plane of Faerie) and
the Shadowfell (or Plane of Shadow). They are the closest of the planes to the mortal world.

Despite vastly different astronomies and alternative names for stars, the architecture of the heavens
remains constant regardless of the plane in which the observer stands. While stars are bright in the
mortal world and in the Feywild, in the Shadowfell the night sky all its own. It seems a void of inky
blackness with illusory stars that deceive the stargazer, but by careful observation, dead stars, long
ago faded from the mortal world, glimmer in dull solidity in the Shadowfell, the only real stars there.

Info taken from the Manual of the Planes and the article "Star Crossed: Star Pact Hexblades" (Dragon
393).

The Feywild

The Feywild is a verdant, wild twin of the mortal realm. Towering forests sprawl for a thousand
leagues. Perfect amber prairies roll between pristine mountain peaks soaring into the flawless
clouds. Emerald, turquoise, and jade green seas crash along endless beaches. The skies are a perfect
blue not seen in the mortal world—until storms come, coal dark thunderheads boiling with fierce
winds and torrential rains. In this world, arcane power thrums through every tree and rock. All
existence is magical.

Most material can be found in the Manual of the Planes and Heroes of the Feywild. The Feyborn
template is in the Dungeon Master Guide, the Feywild Denizen theme and Victim of the Mad Dance
Template is in the Dungeon Master Guide 2, and the Maenad theme is in the book of Vile Darkness.
The article Art of the Ancients has ideas for treasure parcels of Fey art objects (and goblin ideas too
for the Great Gark's kingdom)

Map of the Feywild

 Astrazalian, The City of Starlight: This magnificent eladrin city is the crown jewel of the
eladrin realms, the incarnate dream and the envy of every mortal race. Appearing on the
hillsides of a green island on the natural world in the first day of spring, it is the fey realm
most well known to the inhabitants of the mortal world. At the end of the summer the city
returns to the Feywild, and is located in the sea known as the Kingdom of the Sea Lords.
During autumn and winter, savage fomorians besiege Astrazalian from their Feydark
borderlands in hopes of plundering the city and using it as a base from which to raid the
natural world. Astrazalian is ruled by Lady Shandria, an eladrin warlord and a distant niece of
Queen Tiandra of the Court of Stars. Detailed in Heroes of the Feywild and the Manual of the
Planes.
Astaraython, the City Lost in Time: A city mentioned in Mindartis' legends. (DR394, p.47)

 Mithrendain, The Autumn City: Once a great fortress of Cendriane. Mithrendain has

blossomed into a beautiful eladrin forest-city whose buildings seem to grow naturally
around the trees. However, Mithrendain has a dark secret: The central sections of the city
was built atop a now-sealed tunnel that leads to the Feydark. Is detailed in Dragon 366 as
well as mentioned in Heroes of the Feywild, and Manual of the Planes, and featured in an
adventure in Dungeon 157
 o Citadel Arcanum: The fortress guarding the entrance to the Feydark.

 Senaliesse: In the center of the Feywild’s primeval forest grows a massive stand of ancient
silver trees. The forest at the base of these trees seems completely undisturbed. This silver
grove is Senaliesse, the home of Queen Tiandra of the Court of Stars. Detailed in Heroes of
the Feywild and the Manual of the Planes.

 Shinaelestra, The Fading City: Shinaelestra is a city of rangers, and they long ago decided to
let the forest reclaim the ancient walls. Many of Shinaelestra’s towers are broken, barely
rising above the thick overgrowth of the forest. The ranger Lord Calenon Thray governs
Shinaelestra lightly. Some say he is the greatest eladrin ranger of them all. Every midnight,
Shinaelestra appears in the midst of the Howling Forest in the mortal world, and each dawn
it returns to the Feywild. The greatest threat to Shinaelestra is the fomorian realm of Vor
Thomil. Detailed in Heroes of the Feywild and the Manual of the Planes.

 Cyndaria: A city hidden by magic, located beyond a waterfall on a region of the Feywild that
is equivalent to the Nentir Vale in the mortal world. His ruler is the powerful eladrin lord
Toveliss E'teall. Featured in the Fell's Five comic.

 Blacktorn Forest: A forest mentioned in Mindartis' legends. (DR394, p.47)

 Nessecar: A crystal palace of eladrin, destroyed by fomorians. (AV2, p.124)

Sendaria: An ancient kingdom mentioned in Mindartis' legends. (DR394, p.47)

 Al'Bihel, the City of Stairs: A ruined eladrin city on the Feywild that was inhabited by
mutated drow until recently, when they were annihilated by the forces of the First Lord
Thrumbolg. Its former ruler, Arcane Lord N'ehlia, have plans to rebuild it. It's located near
the fomorian realm of Mag Tureah and appears every certain time on the mortal world, in
the Nentir Vale. Featured in the Fell's Five comic.

 Celduilon: The city equivalent to the town of Moonstair in the Feywild. Mentioned in Oath
of Vigilance.

 Feywild trails: Collective name for trails that crisscross the realm. Travelers who stray from
these paths might fall prey to dangerous creatures such as fey panthers, hags, or worse.
Mentioned in Heroes of the Feywild.

 Brokenstone Vale: A kingdom of lycanthropes in an uneasy peace with neighboring fey.

Detailed in the Manual of the Planes, Heroes of the Feywild, and featured in Dragon 410.
The site of an adventure in Dungeon 185 as an adventure in two parts

 The Tower of Rhath: A shadow steeped citadel ruled over by a powerful Satyr of Night.
Mentioned in Dungeon 197.

 Porpherio's Island: An enchanted island home created by Tiandra and Oran for a pair of
lovers. It is currently the home of an archfey known as the Green man. Detailed in the
Encounters Adventure Beyond the Crystal Cave

o The Palace of Spires: A demiplane within Porpherio's Island.

 The Spiral Tower: The site of the last battle between Drow and Eladrin. The original tower
was destroyed and has been rebuilt, and now serves as an academy for Wizards and
 Warlords. A secret history of the Eladrin hero Ossandrya is contained in it's ruins. Mentioned
in the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide 2, and Martial Power.

 The Grieving Palace: A cottage home to the Bramble Queen of the Green Fey. Detailed in
Dungeon 185

 Baba Yaga's Hut: The traveling demesne of the Queen of Witches. Described in Dungeon
196 and featured in an adventure in the same issue.

 The Vale of the Long Night: The Demesne of the Prince of Frost. Described in Dragon 374
and Dragon 384

o The Fortress of Frozen Tears: The citadel of the Prince of Frost, located in the
Feydark. Described in Heroes of the Feywild

o Winterheart: The demesne of Koliada the Winter Witch, the mistress of the Prince
of Frost. It's located in the equivalent of the Dawnforge Mountains in the Feywild.
Detailed in the adventure Winter of the Witch.

 The House of Flowers: A moving Demense of the descendants of the Rose King and other
warriors devoted to Corellon. The Archfey Liria is it's Grandmaster and her goals are the
unifying the eladrin to one nation, and the eradication of all drow. Mentioned in Dragon 386

 Jenn-Tourach: An eladrin city that appears in the mortal world on a mountain-top, one day a
year. Mentioned in Races and Classes.

 Towers of Avaellor: Eladrin towers on an isle, that appears in the mortal world on summer.
Mentioned in Races and Classes.

 Cendriane: Formerly the greatest empire in the Feywild, is now a ruin, having been
devastated during the wars fought by the drow, eladrin, and elves. The Vampire Lord
Kannoth now rules the catacombs of his capital city, Cendriane. Described in Heroes of the
Feywild

o Amethystra: Once a part of Cendriane, Amethystra is a city of alabaster and crystal

that floats atop a cloud. It spends most of its time in the Feywild, but sometimes
appears temporarily in the mortal world after specially violent storms. Those who
brave its wonders in search for treasure often find themselves enchanted by the city,
compelled to contemplate its unearthly beauty forever. Mentioned in World and
Monsters (4e preview book).

 The Garden of Graves: The final resting place for the dead of Quiet Hall, as well as the most
sacred place of this faction of the Gloaming Court. It is connected to the mortal world
through a fey crossing. Detailed in the Tomb of Horrors super adventure.

 The White Spires of Callanar: This Academy of the Enchantment school of Wizardry drifts
between the Bright Lands, a forest protected by Fey creatures, and a small remote island in
the Natural World. Detaild in Dragon 403

 Bedlam: A Gate town that leads to the Astral Domain of Pandemonium. The Bleak Cabal
currently has agents stationed in the town working on a coup to secure the gate for
themselves. Mentioned in DMG2.
 The Lake of Dreams: This lake, known for the glass-like stillness of its waters, is located in
the middle of a particularly dark forest. The woods are rumored to be the personal fiefdom
of Razcoreth, the Whispering Wyrm.

o Razcoreth's Lair: The hollow hill lair of the Green Dragon, the surrounding forest is
guarded by his fey servants. Detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons.

 The Maze of Fathaghn: This enormous briar maze belongs to the dryad queen Fathaghn, and
lost travelers are kept away from the maze's center at all costs. Detailed in Heroes of the
Feywild.

 The Murkendraw: An expansive swamp that stretches as far as the eye can see, the
Murkendraw is a haven for dangerous beasts, mad treants, and conniving hags. Detailed in
Heroes of the Feywild.

o Murkroot Trade Moot: A goblin trading outpost where all manners of vile poisons
can be acquired. Detailed in Dragon 393

 The Sky-Shaper's Demesne: The lands of an archfey who controls the course of the Moon
and Sun within his realm. Mentioned in an adventure from Dungeon 166

 Tower of Zoramadria: An Eladrin school of Necromancy. The normally peaceful

necromancers occasionally abandon their theoretical studies to capture helpless victims for
their experiments. Detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead.

 Mross-Kragg: An ancient Fomorian Fort in the forest. Detailed in Adventure P1: King of the
Trollhaunt Warrens

 The Killing Ground: Once home to three rival cities that have fallen, this Fey Demesne has
reshaped itself to the needs of it's current inhabitants, a tribe of Firbolg dedicated to the
wild hunt. This labyrinthine hunting ground has currently been assailed by a tribe of
Minotaurs from the natural world. Featured in the adventure The Killing Ground.

o The Animus Spire: A towering gemstone monolith at the intersection of the

demesne’s ley lines.

 Fool's Grove: The home of the Feywild's most famous monster who is known simply as "the
Gnome." Together with his faithful badger Francis he leads a ragtag assemblage of bizarre,
and dangerously cuddly, monsters. Featured in the delve Fool's Grove.

 Highridge Arcane: The home of a council of Tulani arcanists who conduct research together.
Mentioned in Dungeon Delve and previewed in Summer's End.

o The Lodge of the Hunt: A fane that is connected to the Spirit of the Wild Hunt.
Located not far from Highridge Arcane. Detailed in Dungeon Delve and previewed in
Summer's End.

 Plains of Echoing Thunder: This open country of rolling hills and grassy plains is the
stomping grounds of centaur tribes. Mentioned in Heroes of the Feywild

 The White Well: This pool, said to be the demesne of the archfey known as the Lady of the
White Well, is amidst a serene forest that seems to exude deep sorrow. Mentioned in
Heroes of the Feywild and detailed in Dragon 393
  Elkweald: A remote corner of the Feywild that is the demesne of the Sovereign Elk, and is
defended by a militant group of female elves and eladrin sworn to protect the archfey.
Featured in Dungeon 190

 The Isle of Dread: An island populated with behemoths and drakes. It is the home of the
Tyrantclaw Clan of Orcs. Discussed in Manual of the Planes and Heroes of the Feywild, as
well as the setting for Lair Assault: Attack of the Tyrantclaw.

 Plains of Valdrennai: A region on the Feywild that is known for its residuum storms.
Mentioned in Dragon 366.

 Uralinda: A ancient city destroyed by Rodielle of the Winter Fey. (MM3, p.14)

The Feydark

Just as the natural world has an Underdark, so does the Feywild have its own reflection of that
dangerous subterranean realm. These Caves are ruled by the Fomorians and their cyclops servants,
but are also inhabited by Gnomes, Drow, and Myconids.

 The King's Highway: In the Feydark, the King's Highway still shows evidence of Torog's
rampage, but areas of it have become smooth over the ages.

 Feydark Wilds: Choked with phosphorescent fungi and dangling roots from the great trees
above ground, the Feydark tunnels are a wilderness in their own right.

 Irith Tal: A drow city of the Feydark ruled by the priestess Zarra. Mentioned in Dragon 386

 The Court of Cachlain: A Fomorian court known for it's Gladitorial arenas. Featured in an
adventure from Dungeon 166

 Inbharann: The Richest of the Fomorian Kingdoms.

 Drochdan: Kingdom of the Gnomes. Clustered around the central burrow called haven,
these tunnels according to legend belong to a group known only as "the fools."

 Crystal Mountain: A mountain on the southeastern periphery of the Violet Thicket hides a
gnome realm in secret crystalline caverns. By most accounts, the gnomes of the Burrow
under the Crystal Mountain are more advanced than their counterparts in Drochdan.

 Deadtrees: A grove of ancient primeval trees that have been petrified.

 Harrowhame: This underground fomorian kingdom is built on the slave trade. Its ruler, King
Bronnor, is as mad as any fomorian, but he can be negotiated with —occasionally. The
lycanthropes of neighboring Brokenstone Vale often serve Bronnor as spies and assassins.

 Hag-Ungotha: Vile kingdom of fomorians, destroyed long ago. Mentioned in Mindartis'

legends. (DR394, p.47)

 Living Grotto: Ancient cave filled with fungi and myconids.

 Great Cathedral of Psilofyr: Central temple to the Myconids creator Psilofyr.

 Mag Tureah: The largest of the fomorian realms, Mag Tureah is ruled by King Thrumbolg,
the First Lord. It's located in the Feywild region equivalent to the Nentir Vale.
  Nachtur, the Goblin Kingdom: Subterranean kingdom of the goblins; ruled by Great Gark,
Lord of All the Goblins.

 The Fortress of Frozen Tears: The citadel of the Prince of Frost, located in the Feydark.
Described in Heroes of the Feywild

 The Teeth: A cavern that leads to a Shadowcrossing. A Shadar-Kai cult uses it to abduct fey
creatures and force them into a dark pact. Featured in the Side Trek The House of Pain.

 Vor Thomil: The nearest fomorian kingdom to Shinaelestra, Vor Thomil endures at the whim
of its mad Queen Connomae.

Unless otherwise mentioned this information comes from Heroes of the Feywild and the Underdark
book.

The Shadowfell

The Shadowfell is the dark echo of the mortal world, a twilight realm that exists “on the other side”
of the world and its earthly denizens. Legend has it that an otherworldly dimness arose around the
remnants and tatters of the raw stuff of creation. Over time, these shadows coalesced and assumed
a form similar to the natural world, but darker, more ominous, and thrumming with a strange and
unexpected power. This murky land spawned beings of its own and drew others from different parts
of the cosmos. It came to be filled with a diverse population of creatures, fair and foul.

Most of the Information can be found in the book The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond and
The Manual of the Planes. The Shadowborn monster theme can be found in Dungeon 190 and info on
Shadar-Kai can be found in Playing Shadar-Kai (Dragon 372).

Map of Gloomwrought

Map of Letherna

Map of Darkreach

 Letherna: The Domain of the Raven Queen. Detailed in Manual of the Planes.

o The Bleak Fallow: A forsaken stretch of badlands where devils and other cruel
creatures harvest unclaimed souls.

o Zvomarana, the Citadel of the Raven Queen: Zvomarana is the Raven Queen's

holiest temple. Located on the edge of Letherna, the temple features several
monumental gates. Beings who wish to petition the Raven Queen must pass through
Zvomarana's gates and perform the required rites. Detailed in E1: Death's Reach.

o Farad Exitis: Also called Fate's Bastion, less known than Zvomarana, Farad Exitis also
attracts devoted pilgrims, who come to Farad Exilis under the promise of having
their deepest, most pressing questions answered. Detailed in The Shadowfell.

o Fate's Palace: In the heart of this black palace, the Raven Queen holds court,
presiding over the souls of the deceased and musing upon the secrets of fate and
death that are her purview. Detailed in The Shadowfell.
 Gloomwrought, City of Midnight: Standing alone on a long stretch of desolate shoreline,
Gloomwrought is a dirty port with a huge swamp one side and a sea on the other. Inside its
high, encircling wall, the city is a cramped and dismal place. Detailed in The Shadowfell:
Gloomwrought and Beyond and The Manual of the Planes.

o Headquarters of the Shades of Darkness: A secret hold of a mysterious guild of

Shadow warriors the Shades of Darkness. Detailed in Guilds and Groups: Shades of
Darkness (Dragon 387).

o Blackearth Cemetery: A cemetery located two days outside of the city. Featured in
Winter of the Witch.

 The Plain of Sighing Stones: Stretching for hundreds of miles, the Plain of Sighing Stones is
the largest of the Shadowfell’s few deserts. Although the sun is not intense, the dead land
punishes travelers with its desolation, its lack of water, and its fierce dust storms. Detailed in
Manual of the Planes

o The Citadel of the Golden Architect: The floating fortress of a Gold Dragon plagued
by a deathly ennui whose magic rains down on the plain below. Detailed in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons

 Oblivion Bog: A forest of twisted trees covers this swamp, a region that separates
Gloomwrought from Letherna.

o Forsaken Hamlet: Only a few buildings remain of the village that stood in the heart
of Oblivion Bog, and they are slowly sinking deeper into the swamp.

o Hexus Commune: A coven of black-hearted hags has turned the northern fringe of
Oblivion Bog into their personal fiefdom.

o Mirehide Tribe: A tribe of bullywugs stranded from the natural world.

 Thyrin Gol: A network of mountain caves that serves as the enclave of a tribe of shadar-kai.

 Dead's Man Cross: The main road system of the Shadowfell.

o The House of Black Lanterns: An inn that stands at a lonely crossroads in the wilds
of the Shadowfell. The inn offers shelter for travelers, as well as a place to share
news and swap dark tales. Detailed in Manual of the Planes and in the Shadowfell.

o Vistani Caravans: A group of wandering performers and fortune tellers who have
strange connections to the Shadowfell. They were first discussed in a three part
article in Dragon 383, and also they are mentioned in the Shadowfell.

 Darkreach Mountain Range: The Darkreach Mountains stand as the remnants of an ancient

primordial named Volunt, slain by the shades of the Shadowfell in the Dawn War. Detailed in
The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond

o The Claw: A cluster of tall and spindly mountains.

 Yandere: A hidden githzerai monastery built into the side of one peak of the
Claw.

o The Gorge of the Mourning Mist: A valley covered in impenetrable fog that divides
the Claw from the Teeth.
 o The Teeth: Stouter, snow-capped peaks offering more manageable terrain but
harsher weather.

 Fellwroth Village: The village of Fellwroth, the ancestral home of House

Fellwroth of Gloomwrought, rests in the foothills of the Teeth. With their
noble manor in the City of Midnight now seemingly abandoned, the shadar-
kai of Fellwroth live here on the edge of civilization.

 Kazzak'tul: This ancient structure was clearly intended for war on a large

scale before it was abandoned long ago.

 The Frozen Path: The main passage through the Teeth is a narrow gap
covered by ice blizzards.

 Moil, the City That Waits: A city created long ago by a necromancer cult devoted to Orcus.
The city slowly sinks into a vast bog of darkness, a vile sea of pure necromantic energy from
which come undead horrors. One of Acerack's tombs is located here. It is detailed in the
Tomb of Horrors Super Adventure and the Manual of the Planes. A Monster theme for
Moilian Dead appears in the Book of Vile Darkness.

 The Obsidian Tower: An academy that specializes in Nethermancy founded by Acolytes of

Evard. Currently ruled by a council of six wizards. Detailed in Dragon 403

 Nightwyrm Fortress: Constructed at the dawn of history, this monstrous edifice of fossil-

bearing stone has weathered the storm of countless attacks and held many names. Detailed
in Manual of the Planes.

 The Fortress of Conclusion: Acererak's stronghold, hidden in the Shadowfell. (OP, p.201)

 Death's Reach: Once a place of purity that served as a doorway for dead souls to move on to
a place beyond all reckoning, Death's Reach is now the graveyard of dead warriors and
damaged weapons hailing from the Dawn War. Detailed in E1: Death's Reach.

o Nerull's Gate: This ancient gate, which the gods once used to assault Death's Reach,
stands in the middle of a bowl-shaped valley on the top of the largest ridge.

 The Auburn Desolation: This treacherously hot desert in the otherwise chill plane, serves as
the seat of a Yuan-Ti Pharaoh mummy. Detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead

 The Pale Court: A noble house of Archfey who became vampires to preserve their beauty
and descended into the Shadowfell. Detailed in Heroes of Shadow

 Plague-Mort: A ramshackle town in a dark corner of the Shadowfell that is a gate town to
the Abyss mentioned in Dungeon Masters Guide 2. Likely to let out in the larger town of
Plague-Mort on the plane of a Thousand Portals detailed in the Demonomicon.

 Slumber: A gate town that leads to the plane of dreams. Mentioned in Dungeon Master's
Guide 2.

 The House of Pain:The home of a Shadar-Kai cult that seeks to abduct Fey creatures and
force them into shadow pacts. Featured in the adventure The House of Pain.
  The Umbral Sea: A great lake in the Shadowfell. Along it's shore lies the Gloaming Gate, said
to be the only entrance to the Fortress at World's End in the natural world. Detailed in the
adventure The Brink of Madness.

 Umbraforge: A military enclave featured in the Scales of War adventure the Shadow Rift of
Umbraforge

o Tower Umbraforge: the angular edifice that serves as the center of Sarshan’s

operations.

Domains of Dread

Scattered throughout the Plane of Shadow are places hidden behind thick walls of mist, places ruled
by dark and deeply troubled beings bound to the plane by dreadful curses. These isolated pockets
within the Shadowfell are called Domains of Dread. A creature that passes through the curtain of
mist into a Domain of Dread becomes trapped there —a prisoner of the darklord who rules the
domain.

Info taken from the Manual of the Planes. Themes for servants of Darklords are found in the Book of
Vile Darkness while a PC Darklord Epic Destiny is found in Masters of the Planes (Dragon 372)

 Barovia and Castle Ravenloft: A Domain of Dread ruled by the vampire Strahd Von Zarovich
who counts vampires as his chief servants. Mentioned in the Book of Vile Darkness. Strahd is
detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. The History of Strahd is given in History
Check: Strahd and Van Richten in Dragon 416. Barovia was featured in an adventure Fair
Barovia (Dungeon 207). Descriptions of Castle Ravenloft and the town of Barovia, as well as
PC backgrounds can be found in Into the Unknown.

 Darani: One of the oldest cities of Nerath, it was transformed into a Domain of Dread after
Magroth the Mad was defeated by the hero Krondor, which in turn was killed by his own
brother, Kalaban. (The Mark of Nerath novel)

 Darkon: A lost Domain ruled by the lich lord Azalin. The only known survivors are the liches
elite secrect police known as the Kargatane. Mentioned in The Book of Vile Darkness. It's
most famous current resident is the vampire hunter Van Richten is described in History
Check: Strahd and Van Richten in Dragon 416.

 Death of Innocence: The only remaining temple of Nerull. When the Raven Queen came to
power, she banished Death of Innocence into a domain of dread and sealed its borders.
Mentioned in Channel Divinity: Nerull (Dragon 427).

 The Endless Road: Formerly known as the village of Tranquility in the natural world, it was
transformed into a Domain of Dread after its village elder, Eli Van Hassen, forced his
daughter to falsely accuse a noble hero of ravishing her, and having the innocent man
beheaded. Detailed in Dungeon 174

 Graefmotte: A Nerathi city transformed into a Domain of Dread after its lord killed his own
son rather than see it slain in the last battle of the Empire of Nerath. Detailed in Dragon 375

 Histaven: Also called the Withered Lands, a relatively young Domain of Dread, having
existed for less than a century. Ruled over by the self-deluded tyrant
 Count Artius and plagued by the constant assault of a wretched avenger known as the Rag
Man. Detailed in the adventure Domain of Dread - Histaven.

 Monadhan: A Turathi town transformed into a Domain of Dread after the dragon Arantor
betrayed and killed his protégée, the dragon Imrissa. Detailed in Dragon 378 and features in
an adventure in Dungeon 170.

 Sithicus: A Domain of Dread ruled by the Death Knight Lord Soth and his Death Knight
Servants. Mentioned in the Book of Vile Darkness and detailed more fully in Dragon 416.

 Sunderheart: Once the Tiefling city of Harrack Unarth, it was the ancestral Home of House
Dreygu, Zannifer, and Khanebor, this Turathi city was the pleasure garden of the empire.
Once called the city of Carousel, this ruin is now known as the city of curses. Mentioned in
PHB Races: Tieflings and detailed in Dragon 368.

 Timbergorge: Once a Fey Demense of the Treant Silvermaw, this plane has since slid into the
Shadowfell. Featured in Timbergorge (Dungeon 207).

 Victor Mordenheim's domain: A domain of dread that has only been mentioned in passing
in the book of Vile Darkness. [Note]

Note: Victor's domain is not mentioned by name in 4e. Its called Lamordia in other Ravenloft
products.

The Shadowdark

Below the Shadowfell’s twilight landscape lies a nightmarish reflection of the natural world’s
Underdark. Called the Shadowdark, this pitch-black expanse features labyrinthine tunnels, vaulted
chambers, and subterranean seas. These Caverns are inhabited by undead, ilithids and other
aberrations from the Far Realm, demons seeking souls to claim for the Abyss, and Vecna's servants,
the Incunabula.

 The King's Highway: In the Shadowdark, the King's Highway is a zigzagging, sideways slash of
wide corridors. The shattered rock retains the sharpness of its edges as if Torog had cut
through it yesterday.

 Stygian Waters: Through the Shadowdark, turbid waters seep and pool. Tears, cold sweat,
venom, and black blood flow in the form of lakes and rivers, in whispering rivulets and
growling torrents.

 The Ebon Spire: The headquarters of the Order of the Obsidian Cave. A group of Dwarven
Shadow Mages they appear only to Dwarves who have been exiled and cut off from their
clan. Mentioned in Heroes of Shadow.

 Glimmer: The city of secrets. This is the greatest city of the Incunabula, the servants of
Vecna.

o Tower of the Dark Secrets: A tower were the Incunabula imprison scholars,
explorers, and collectors.

 Esarham: The graveyard for the mortal souls of the first demons.

 The Pyre: A chamber of the graveyard, called after the perpetually erupting volcano at its
center.
  Soul Abattoir: The grim cathedral of Torog's Shadowdark torture den thrusts from a frozen
underground plain.

 Lathan: A river formed from the fused energy of the lost souls unclaimed by gods, devils or
demons.

o The Worm Bridge: A bridge crafted from the corpse of a purple worm whose long
body forms a tunnel through the water to reach the other side. Is the only
permanent bridge of Lathan. Is governed by Bragarra the Bridge Witch.

The Fundamental Planes

The mortal world and its parallel planes exist between two great infinite expanses—the Astral Sea
and the Elemental Chaos. These planes are levels of reality in which countless specific locales exist
like finite islands adrift in the infinite—the various astral dominions and elemental realms.

Although the fundamental planes are infinite, the known astral dominions and elemental realms lie
within a finite distance of each other. If a traveler journeys through a fundamental plane into the
trackless reaches outside the known dominions and realms, sooner or later he or she comes to the
divine dominions or elemental kingdoms of different mortal worlds.

Info taken from the Manual of the Planes.

The Astral Sea

The Astral Sea is a great silvery void in which countless fragments of divine or mortal purpose drift—
dreams, ideas, and wishes, as well as fears and dark desires. All these thoughts and feelings become
real and physical in this place. Most are virtually unnoticeable, of course. An ordinary mortal’s
passing fancy vanishes in the Astral Sea like a single raindrop falling into a mighty ocean. But dreams
and dreads with power are a different matter. The desires of deities or beliefs shared by thousands
of mortals take shape as vast kingdoms or even whole worlds within the Astral Sea.

Most Information on the Astral Sea and the Divine Dominions can be found in the Manual of the
Planes, and the Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea. An example of an encounter with Githyanki
Sky Pirates (A typical Astral Sea encounter) can be found in Dungeon 180 Aerial Battles. While an
adventure aboard an Astral Ship is presented in Dungeon 188. A bestiary of Astral sea monsters was
featured in Dungeon 203

 Archanus: Long ago, Archanus was a divine dominion ruled over by a deity sworn to creation
and invention and filled with mechanical creatures roving every inch of a vast workshop.
Now, the great machine realm is a ruin of broken gears and spilled fuel.

 Arvandor, the Verdant Isles: Arvandor is a dominion of emerald forests, enchanting waters,

and starry nights. Is the domain of the gods Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow.

o Estaira: The largest of Arvandor’s islands is Estaira, also known as Elvenhome.

 Nath Seldarie: Corellon’s palace and the court of the Seldarine, is a place of

open arcades and colonnades high on the wooded slopes of Estaira’s tallest
hill.
 o The Bark Fleet: A "site" in constant movement, the bark fleet consists of huge,
three-masted ships shaped from living trees that sailor drift along Arvandor's seas,
great rivers, and hidden waters.

o Gloaminghold: On a tiny islet near Arvandor’s astral border stands the hidden house
called Gloaminghold. Here the legendary tiefling warlock Duskmoon built a secure
retreat many years ago.

o The Green Isles: Verdant islands situated on the borders of the dominion of

Arvandor, floating in a silvery medium that is half Arvandor's waters, half Astral Sea.

 Starhallow: This island city-state takes its name from the bright star shining
over it, put there by the magic of outsiders and visible for leagues across the
Astral Sea.

 Tael Faris: Home to the House of Moon and Stars, a mighty temple to both
Corellon and Sehanine, Tael Faris is less a tranquil island than a city built
upon the silver waters, sculpted from trees, stone, and moonlight.

 Lyef Thierre: Lyef Thierre looks like another of the large wilderness islands
that dot the sea around Arvandor. A mile into its interior, however, pines,
redwoods, and oaks give way to thicker jungle plants.

 The Wilds Islands: Heavily forested, the scattered wilderness islands in the

Green Isles have little to distinguish them from each other, at least in the
eyes of outsiders. The people of Starhallow refer to the four largest wild
islands as Crownwood, Blood Tongue, Destruction Island, and Badger,
though the people who live on the islands perhaps have other names for
them.

 Carceri, the Red Prison: A prison plane. The deities created Carceri as a place to imprison a
terrible primordial monster that was too powerful to destroy without unleashing power
sufficient to destroy all existence. The Red Prison consists of six separate marshy isles.

o Orthrys: The bogs of Orthrys tend to be shallow and cold but not nearly as frigid as
the other isles.

 The Bastion of Lost Hope: This great fortress accounts for the entire
quantity of stone to be found on Orthrys.

o Cathrys: Cathrys features a vast array of cypress trees, peculiar fronds, and clinging
vines; were it not for the ever present marsh, the isle might seem more jungle than
swamp.

 The Apothecary of Sin: Constructed of a cunning array of woven wood strips

and rope-suspended walkways atop a copse of trees, the Apothecary is
home to one of Carceri's strangest prisoners.

 The Palace of Branches: Formed from woven branches, trunks, and roots,

this small fortress is in one of the isle's thickest copses of trees.

o Minethys: This isle consists largely of a deep layer of clinging mud, which pulls at all
who pass over it.
  The Tombs of Payratheon: A small city once stood upon the isle of
Minethys, hurled there by one of the gods when the populace somehow
enraged that deity.

o Colothys: Colothys contains substantial rises, hills, valleys, and even the occasional
small mountain, but the terrain here is more traditional swampland and bog.

 The Garden of Malice: The central wood of the isle's deadly foliage

resembles a corrupted Feywild grove.

o Porphatys: Porphatys is dominated by swamps that are fed by thick flurries of black,

caustic snow.

 The Deep Flotilla: A gathering of a dozen long barges and rafts sails on
Porphatys's lakes and deepest swamps.

o Agathys: Far beyond the other isles lies Agathys, which is the reason for the Red
Prison's existence. It is here that the stuff of the Astral Sea is warped and twisted,
slowly but steadily giving birth to more abominations.

 Celestia, the Radiant Throne: Rising above the mists of the Astral Sea shine the seven
splendid mountains of Celestia. Is the domain of the gods Bahamut, Kord and Moradin.

o Venya: Also known as Snowbeard, the rampart peak home to Kord and his warrior
retinue.

o Solania: The clouded peak also called the Rainfather, where Moradin keeps his
forge.

 Torzak-Belgirn: The Soulforge of Moradin is the mighty foundry where the

Dwarf-father undertakes his greatest works.

o Mertion: The dragon aerie, where Bahamut holds sway.

 Bahamut's Palace: The shining castle Bahamut calls home rests atop mount
Mertion. This grand structure is more than just a palace —it's also
Bahamut's hoard. Mentioned in Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons.

o Jusor: The least steep of the seven mountains, ascended by way of wide slopes that
function as giant ramps.

 Empyron: Also known as the City of Healing, this town stands by the shores
of a dark, starry tarn amid the high mountain vales.

o Fulghen: A rough and dangerous mountain of knife-edged ridges and crevasses,

regularly climbed by those who want to swear great oaths upon its summit.

o Perantia: Riddled by ever-shifting caverns and underground rivers that break onto

the surface to form ice cascades.

o Chronias: The final pilgrimage site for Celestia's exalted and keeper of the final
mysteries.
  Asiryet, the Heavenly City: Crowning the summit of Chronias is the heavenly
city of Asiryet. Its sections appear to hover in the air, but in fact they occupy
platforms of magical force.

 Bridge of al-Sihal: Behind a mithral gate in Asiryet lies a pathway or

road of blinding light that ascends to the highest of Celestia’s peaks:
Chronias.

o The Foothills: An island chain that looks like a set of hills contiguous with the
mounts of Celestia.

 Anvil: A dome-shaped island that houses Stouthome, also called the Stout, a
community of dwarves.

 Bentswords: A ruined island were Kord's followers dwell.

 Fleece Isles: The seven meadow covered islands collectively called the

Fleece Isles provide a home to a graceful, bucolic society of shepherds.

 The Gallows: This landmass takes its name from an L-shaped rock formation
jutting out from its hilltop. Arrayed around this formation are conical iron
huts belonging to the Golden Noose, a band of vigilante outsiders and
former followers of Bahamut and Kord.

 Highcliff: Fishlike dragonborn populate the ramshackle settlement of

Highcliff, which rests on a sheer plateau above a deceptively placid cove.

 The Pillar: This tiny isle is dominated by a massive watchtower, which

stretches high above the astral horizon. The bitter and eccentric souls
dwelling in the tower's dusty chambers claim to be former gods who were
reduced to mere outsiders during the Dawn War.

 The Tangle: Former worshipers of Kord and Melora disport on the steep-

sided, heavily forested island called the Tangle. The name refers to the
island's thick vegetation, which makes travel difficult for all but experienced
woodsfolk.

 Touchstone: The largest of the Foothills, a grassy hummock bounded by a

field of ice. Standing at Touchstone's center is a protuberance of exposed
and gnarled rock. A close inspection reveals that this so-called soul rock is
composed of countless petrified humanoid figures.

 Bahamut's Arks: Several great arks created by Bahamut and his followers,

intended to cruise the Foothills and the Astral Sea, and to provide a more
comfortable and enjoyable existence to outsiders that are devoted to the
deities of Celestia or other friendly gods.

 Chernoggar, the Iron Fortress: Endless warfare surges across the ashen plains and vast
ramparts of Chernoggar. Is the domain of the gods Bane and Gruumsh.

o Stairs of Woe: Only a handful of paths ascend the cliffs encircling Chernoggar’s

plateau. The best known is the Stairs of Woe, which climb from the dried seabed to
the field of Chern, the great battlefield before Bane’s fortress.
o Tuer-Chern: The Iron Fortress from which Chernoggar takes its sobriquet. Tuer-
Chern is Bane’s mighty stronghold.

o Clangor: Bane awards his exarchs and most capable underlings fiefs of their own to
be ruled in his name. Clangor is one such feudal territory. It is a goblin fortress-city
built in the sides of a fiery vent. It is governed by the goblin exarch Maglubiyet.

o Zoronor: This walled town lies along the edge of the plateau. If Chernoggar has a
port on the Astral Sea, Zoronor takes that place.

o The Tower of the Adamantine Mage: Koth-Amar, a wizard of great power, uses this
heavily guarded and trapped tower to store the magic and knowledge he has
plundered from across the planes.

o Crash Peaks: These extremely steep peaks stab high into the orange sky, surrounded
and riddled by sheer-sided canyons that gouge deeper into the earth than seems
possible.

o Stone Sea: These vast badlands frequently roil like a stormtossed ocean, with waves
of rising rock tossing splashes of shrapnel into the air.

o Lakes of Lost Hope: Enormous bodies of water dotting the lands of Chernoggar.

o Nishrek: On the far side of Chernoggar from Bane’s citadel lie the volcanic
mountains of Nishrek, the domain of Gruumsh.

 The Tower of Skulls: Amid blasting peaks and billowing clouds of acidic

smoke totters the Tower of Skulls, a massive structure of skulls of every
variety, lashed together by chains and the innards of the slain. This fearsome
palace is the seat of Gruumsh's power.

 Climbing Caves: A place consisting of winding and diverse chambers and

passages that writhe through the cliffs on the Nishrek side of Chernoggar.

o The Shrapnels: The Shrapnel Islands spin through the Astral Sea in a variety of
trajectories, sometimes colliding and fusing together in a reenactment of the
dominion's creation and other times ricocheting off one another into new
trajectories.

 Isle of Rage: This volcanic island whirls erratically about Chernoggar faster

than any other island, trailing a plume of cinders and smoke like a fiery
comet.

 Reavers' Haven: The scarred island presents an imposing sight. It looks like a

massive, irregular block of stone marbled by thick veins of pure iron that
glint in the orange glow of Chernoggar's color veil.

 Gnashing Teeth: Three islands that travel together in their shared orbit, they
spin around one another in unpredictable eddies.

 Rimeval: An island dominated by glacier-shrouded peaks.

 Cloudlands: Couatls live in floating communities called cloudlands. These edifices of rosy-
colored celestial matter slowly spin across the Astral Sea, far above its horizon. Though they
look insubstantial and fanciful, cloudlands and their structures are quite solid.

 Eldregaard: Also known as the Fane of the Fallen Dragon. The home of a once-powerful
battle dragon, Eldregaard is a morose place inhabited by the miserable Isaldurax.
Erishani: This is the realm of the golden monolith —a broken, unstable graveyard realm
roughly one hundred miles in diameter that surrounds a petrified primordial. It was once the
domain of Haramathur.

o Chaos Bog: A treacherous bog made up of disparate elements: a soup of scalding

mud, partly submerged pieces of molten rock that give rise to clouds of acidic mist,
and jets of air so cold as to freeze intruders in their tracks.

o The Golden Monolith: The petrified primordial waits, eternally silent, poised on one
knee, its other leg half submerged in the ground, and its arm raised to unleash a
destructive blast.

o Rhym Katal: A pirate haven that aims to stay well clear of githyanki tribute or
githyanki enforcement.

o Hovel and Twisp: A collection of huts, shanties, and tents home to the descendants
of mortal primordial cultists who hoped to reawaken the monolith.

 Frostburn: This pocket of elemental energy sprang up in the wake of the Dawn War and now
floats through the Astral Sea, unattached to any other region. Two elemental princesses —
the cold and calculating Sisanthak and the hot-tempered Vorsheen— claim dominance over
Frostburn.

 Haemanathuun: The floating corpse of a primordial detailed in Open Grave: Secrets of the

Undead

 Hestavar, the Bright City: The wondrous city of Hestavar drifts amid golden clouds. Off it's
shores lies the prison of the Primordial Heur-Ket. Is the domain of the gods Pelor, Ioun, and
Erathis. Further detailed in Dragon 371. Ioun's Tower is detailed in Dragon 397.

o Aurosion: A magnificent palace of gold that stands upon the highest of Hestavar’s
motes, Aurosion is the abode of Pelor and Erathis.

o The Field of Ida: This wide, flat earthmote is covered in a green daisy-flecked

meadow. No permanent buildings have been erected on this meadow.

o Kerith-Ald, the Swan Tower: Ioun’s dwelling place, Kerith-Ald drifts on a lonely

earthmote several thousand feet above the lagoon.

o The Daybreak Islands: Hestavar's border islands are oriented toward the perpetual
slanting light from the clouds above the dominion.

 Luethvar: A neutral trading zone where all are welcome, as long as they
keep the peace.

 Scar: A densely forested isle known as a bad place to stumble onto, Scar is
home to all sorts of twisted creatures, the results of magical and alchemical
 experimentation. The only sign of civilization is the Tower of Broken Men at
Scar's center, occupied by a mad artificer named Cassalanter Vegna.

 Shine Point: This small island on the far side of the Daybreaks, where dawn
turns to twilight, holds a strange rock lighthouse.

 The Townships: Two dozen separate islands with names such as Morrow

Town, Sun Town, Barter Point, and Middletown form a collective known as
the Townships. Each little island town has its own distinctive emblem for its
trading vessels, which ply the waters between the Daybreaks and Hestavar,
although some go farther afield.

 Kalandurren, the Darkened Pillars: Once a peaceful, well-ordered domain of shining castles

and noble warriors, Kalandurren is now a ruined landscape where dark powers squabble
over the choicest plunder. It was the dominion of the god Amon.

o Citadel Exalhus: The most important of the Doomguard strongholds is Citadel

Exalhus.

 God's Dice Arena: A gladiatorial arena created on the ruins of Amoth's

holiest temple.

o Rimmon’s Cairn: The slain demon prince Rimmon is entombed in a great barrow in

the shadows of Argeno.

 Kar'ka Dun: Oracles say that this wide, flat plain covered in tall grass and twisted trees, is the
site of the githyanki's first landing in the Astral Sea, which is fitting since the island
constantly moves through the astral realm.

 Mutas: A free city inhabited by mortals. Its metal buildings ring the inside of a sunken
structure that drops into the dim depths of the Astral Sea.

 Pandemonium, the Howling Depths: A rambling maze of black tunnels blasted by fierce
winds, Pandemonium is the most desolate and dismal of the known astral dominions. It was
the dominion of Tharizdun.

o Madhouse: The citadel of the Bleak Cabal lies near the plane’s veil.

o Wintervault: This portion of Pandemonium is noticeably colder than the rest of this

cheerless plane.

 Keener's Wall: A century-old, high-walled settlement stands in a deep

cavern at the edge of the Wintervault.

o Agathion: Some of Pandemonium’s caverns are completely sealed from the

surrounding tunnels, the only way in or out is by magic portals. Many forgotten evils
and slumbering monsters are imprisoned in the silent caverns of Agathion.

o Myriad of Gales: Formed by a minstrel planeswalker named Catalan the Mad, the

Myriad of Gales college accepts those bards brave enough to travel to
Pandemonium in search of the music of madness.
 o Vecna's Tower: Rumors, divinations, and mysterious disappearances lead to
agreement on one point —Vecna, the god of secrets, maintains a stronghold
somewhere in the depths of Pandemonium.

 Pluton, the Gray Waste: A dominion of dying willows, shriveled olive trees, and black
poplars, Pluton is forgotten by all but the most learned of sages. This cheerless land was
once the domain of Nerull.

 Timeless Sanctuary: The abandoned dominions of the Timeless, an order of mages who had
the power to move backward and forward through time, watching or altering events to suit
their purposes. Some calamity wiped out the order long ago. (AV2, p.68)

 The Bastion of Unborn Souls: The current lair of the Demonic Dragon Ashardalon.
Mentioned in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 The Constellation of Eyes: This strange astral dominion, a sphere of reflective crystal orbited
by countless massive, curved mirrors, is home of the nerras. Mentioned in Monster Manual
3.

 The Forgotten Sanctuary: An enormous landmass that is as big as a small continent in the
mortal world, is what remains of a world destroyed by the Primordials before the Dawn War.

 The Indigo Crystal: A mysterious floating crystal in the astral plane mentioned in the
adventure Flame's Last Flicker.

 The Living Gate: The place that connects the Astral Sea and the Far Realm are connected.
Destroyed before the Dawn War, and sealed with the former dominion of Pelor. (PHB 3)

 The Nine Hells of Baator: The hells are housed within a tormented world called Baator that
is clouded in ash and smoke. Is the domain of the god Asmodeus.

o River Styx: A river that crisscross all the layers of Hell. Born in a bitter lake amid
basalt cliffs on Avernus, it is linked to the Astral Sea by a seething funnel of storm
clouds dense enough to bear astral vessels down to the plains of Hell.

o Avernus, the First Hell: It is the surface of Baator’s ruddy orb. It is a desert of stone,
pumice, and ash broken by the occasional range of low, jagged mountains or a
flowing river of lava.

 The Bronze Citadel: The seat of Bel’s power. It is a mighty fortress of

fourteen concentric rings, each studded with forbidding towers and infernal
war machines.

 Darkspine: Once a corrupt city in the mortal world, Darkspine was engulfed

by a great planar rift and brought to the plains of Avernus.

 Gates of Malsperanze: Many caves in Avernus lead down to other hells

below, but the most notorious is a great archway guarded by towering gates
of iron.

 Lake of Despond: This large, bitter lake marks the birthplace of the River
Styx.
 o Dis, the Second Hell: The city of Dis is a tangled maze of iron ramparts, black towers,
and ramshackle alleyways.

 The Fetters: The city district where the outsiders gather, along with damned
souls who were clever or valuable enough to avoid the torments reserved
for most of the Nine Hells’ victims.

 Mentiri: The vast prison of Dis lies in the heart of a confusing labyrinth

whose inmates include crusading paladins, planar mercenaries, demon
cultists —and more than a few luckless adventurers.

 The Dungeon of the Prisoner in Chains: A dungeon that contains a

master of Infernal magic who patronizes Infernal Warlocks in the
hopes they will one day find a way to free him. Described in
dungeon 174 and Dragon 381.

 The Iron Tower: The citadel of Dispater is the Iron Tower, a mighty fortified
palace that stands above the center of the city by hanging down from a
gigantic stalactite in the cavern ceiling.

o Minauros, the Third Hell: Dank and brooding, Minauros extends for three hundred
miles or so beneath a ceiling that is rarely more than a few hundred feet overhead.

 Minauros, the Sinking City: Mammon’s seat of power is the city of

Minauros, from which the cavern takes its name. Black muck oozes up
between the paving stones, streets buckle and shift, and from time to time
entire buildings vanish into the slime below.

 Jangling Hiter: The City of Chains, is the domain of the chain devils (kytons).

 Labyrinth of Truths: A grim fortress of worn gray stone, is a vast repository

of records kept by Mammon’s underlings.

Phlegethos, the Fourth Hell: A black plain of cracked and cooling lava.

 The Lake of Fire: The Lake of Fire is a vast lake of burning pitch in the middle
of Phlegethos.

 Abyrimoch: Fierna and Belial rule from their palace in Abyrimoch, a city built
in the caldera of an active volcano.

 Tymphalos, the Mouth of Iron: This volcano houses a tremendous foundry

where lesser devils and hundreds of duergar toil to forge the weapons of
Hell and create various infernal constructs.

o Stygia, the Fifth Hell: An icy domain, dotted with jagged icebergs and dimly lit by
green-blue auroras of frostfire.

 Tantlin: Carved from the ice of a giant iceberg, Tantlin is the largest city in
Stygia.

 Tomb of Levistus: The iceberg prison of Levistus drifts slowly throughout the

dark reaches of Stygia.
o Malbolge, the Sixth Hell: A poisoned garden, a realm that seems fair at first glance,
but which conceals terrible rot and despair.

 Garden of Delights: Enclosed within the walls of a lovely palace, it's a

glimpse of true beauty within the lie that is Malbolge.

 Osseia, Palace of Glasya: Glasya governs her layer from a lustrous white

palace whose walls and archways are lavishly decorated with baroque
ornamentation.

o Maladomini, the Seventh Hell: This layer consists of dozens of vast tunnels that
meet and diverge in a maze stretching for hundreds of miles. In various spots its
tunnels reach Malbolge, Cania, and even Nessus.

 Malagarde: The embodiment of Baalzebul’s sloth, Malagarde is a once-

grand city that is crumbling into ruin.

 The Carnival Macabre: Under a sluice that showers filth into a mucky vale,
devils cavort in an endless bacchanal known as the Carnival Macabre.

 Grenpoli: The City of Guile, a place where commerce and intrigue come

together.

o Cania, the Eighth Hell: An icy kingdom shrouded in eternal night.

 Mephistar: Carved from the ice of a tremendous glacier, the citadel of

Mephistopheles is oddly warm and inviting.

 Kintyr: A lost city seated high in a saddle between two icy mountains.

o Nessus, the Ninth Hell: Spherical in shape, a cavern surrounding the dark core of the
poisoned world of Baator, is home to the mighty Asmodeus.

 Malsheem: The stronghold of Asmodeus himself, one of the strongest

fortresses in the cosmos.

 Taj Bari: A copper-clad citadel that juts from the wall of a deep rift, serves as
a repository for dark lore.

 The Chalices of Woe: Creatures who arouse the particular ire of Asmodeus

are sealed into red-hot coffins and left here, kept alive through endless years
of torment by diabolical magic.

 Neshminaar: Within this secretive city a cabal of cambions and devils

learned in arcane lore experiment with the breeding of monsters, the
creation of infernal constructs, and the perfection of dark rituals.

o The Outer Torments: Hell 's archipelago is made of terrible islets of all sorts, has no
central authority, and is rife with island-by-island despotism and fortresses.

 The Soul Market: Most neutral of the Outer Torments where the agents of
various devils and astral forces come to trade, the place also called Fair
Trade Island is a hospitable entry point for the Hells.
  Malharak, Hell's Bastion: The last loyal holdout of Baator's now nameless
master, He Who Was, Malharak was taken over only after a century-long
siege. It is a tribute to both the might of the fortress and the ferocity of its
defenders that it lasted so long.

 Screamstone: This windswept, black rock floating at the edge of the Astral

Sea, this Outer Torment contains a spiraling underground set of catacombs
and torture chambers where the most talented sadists of the cosmos do
what they do best.

 Shores of Sorrow: A seemingly paradisaical island in the Hells, with a darker

secret.

 Thronerock: A floating earthmote hidden among thick clouds and composed

mostly of a single broken mountain.

 The Tower of Law: A bastion of Mercykillers detailed in Dragon 370

 The Shattered Isle: A portion of the Tarka Sheet, a floating earth-burg destroyed in the Dawn
Wwar. Described in the Adventure Hunt for the Heretic

o Driftrock: A settlement at the center of the shattered isle inhabited mostly by

Shardminds and ruled by Master Emerald.

o Crumbletown: Standing at the outermost fragment this town is ruled by a mayor

who controls the portal to Sigil.

 The Shivering Spires: A ten-mile-square pocket composed of elemental wind and air that
derives its name from the high, incredibly thin pillars rising from a pool of acid and fire far
below. The Shivering Spires is also known throughout the Astral Sea as a neutral dueling
ground, principally for magicians who have a sense of drama.

 The White Desert of Shom: A desert dominion of the Illumians who have passed into myth.
It was the dominion of the God of the Word. Mentioned in Dragon 392.

o Oracle of Oarma-Thaal: A great sphinx known as the Voice of Sarpoth guards a

spring between two mesas.

o Tomb of Elirhondas: Also known as the City of Philosophers, is the former illumians'

capital. The deepest halls are utterly dark, lit only by the light of the words of
creation that circle the faces of illumian mummies.

 Tu'narath: The capital city of the githyanki ruled by the lich queen Vlaakith. Detailed in
Dragon 377 and featured in the adeventure The Lich Queen's Beloved, and the adventure A
Tyranny of Souls.

 Tytherion, the Endless Night: A vast maze of canyons shrouded in perpetual darkness,
Tytherion is a monster-haunted wasteland where serpents lurk and dragons feed. The
domain of the gods Tiamat and Zehir. Tiamat's lair is detailed in Draconomicon: Chromatic
Dragons and Manual of the Planes, as will in an adventure in Dungeon 175

o Samaragd, The Serpent's Kingdom: Zehir's domain, a belt of cracked badlands and

arid steppes that stretches for miles.
  Amun-Alt: This massive stepped pyramid of black stone stands atop an
island plateau and is the seat of Zehir’s power.

 Ennek-Vul: The largest of Samaragd's cliff-face temples, Ennek-Vul can be

seen for miles.

 The Labyrinth: A the maze of tunnels in which Zehir dwells, coiling and
slithering through supernatural darkness while thinking alien thoughts and
plotting convoluted schemes.

 The Murder Pit: A great dark pool filled with viscous blackness. Said to be
bottomless, the pit connects to none of Tytherion's other passages.

 The Obelisk of Night: A towering monolith of smooth, ink-black stone rises

from a crater near the border of Samaragd.

 The Ravenous Wood: This place is the largest of Samaragd's copses of dead

trees, dried brush, and desiccated brambles.

 Tabrol-Akla: Several of Zehir's temples are built on the cliffs of the great

chasms that plunge into Tytherion's depths. Tabrol-Akla has the dubious
distinction of being the lowest of these, hovering near the border of Azharul.

o Azharul: Tiamat's domain, the depths and lowest flatlands of Tytherion are Azharul,
a hellish nightmare of towering stone walls, jagged ceilings, sheer chasms, and rivers
of sluggish magma.

 Caverns of Fiery Splendor: Beneath the deepest pit of Tytherion lies a vast

cavern complex of flowing magma rivers and stone ramparts. This sprawling,
labyrinthine cavern system is the lair of Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons.

 The Maggot Pit: A 1,000-foot-wide crater that can capture the souls of dying
or dead creatures. Filled with ooze and writhing white worms, this
mammoth chasm radiates a palpable sense of evil and corruption. Tiamat
regards the Maggot Pit and the lemures it produces as another of her
favorite treasures. Described in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 Yithomel: Within this forbidding citadel, a cabal of Tiamat’s most powerful

darksworn spirits rules over a vast region of Tytherion’s middle level
canyons.

 The Crawling Castle: A strong keep of iron walls and forbidding ramparts,
the Crawling Castle roams the middle canyon level of Tytherion. It is called
the Crawling Castle because it is carried upon hundreds of clawed iron legs.
The castle is the citadel of the dark demigod Vulkur Vaal, also known as Vaal
the Flayer.

o Geryon's Lair: A home for exiled devils led by Asmodeus' former servant Geryon.
Mentioned in Dungeon 176.

o Hopelorn: In a hanging vale filled with thorny forest stands the obsidian necropolis
of Hopelorn, the stronghold of the lich-lord Melif and his cabal of undead mages.
 o The Scales of Night: The archipelago contains scores of islands, ranging in size from
several miles across to little more than a slight rise above the surrounding Astral Sea.

 Yggdrasil, the World Ash: A tree shaped plane that connects to all other dominions, even
those in other mortal worlds. Mentioned in Dragon 417

o Crux: A little town in the World Ash.

Unless mentioned otherwise, this info is taken from the Manual of the Planes and the Plane Above:
Secrets of the Astral Sea books.

The Elemental Chaos

The Elemental Chaos is the raw material of creation, that from which the universe arose. Untouched
by the stabilizing divine influence that formed the world into a more or less permanent state, the
Elemental Chaos is a roiling tempest of matter and energy. At times, areas coalesce into coherent
shapes and terrain, but much of it resembles a stormy sea of churning destruction. The Elemental
Chaos is at once the foundation of the world and the greatest threat to its existence. By its nature,
the Elemental Chaos seeks to pull the created world into its embrace, and return it to its component
parts.

It is detailed extensively in Manual of the Planes, The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos,
and Player's Option: Heroes of the Elemental Chaos.

 The City of Brass: Largest metropolis in the Elemental Chaos, home to the Efreets. Featured
in the Scales of War Adventure Test of Fire.

o Secret Headquarters of the Amethyst Sea: Located in a warehouse in the Avencia

District, this headquarters of a group of Genasi Freedom fighters houses a gate to
the Natural World. Described in Winning Races: Genasi, The Amethyst Sea (Dragon
391)

 The Sea of Fire: A fiery sea surrounding the City of Brass.

 The Brazen Bazaar: A traveling marketplace and carnival originating from the City of Brass,
the Brazen Bazaar includes thousands of merchants managed by a cabal of efreets called the
Golden Hearth.

 The First City: The legendary wandering city were djinns believe that their race was born.

 Dar el-Hariq: A former efreet outpost on a massive block of elemental earth tumbling
through the plane. The outpost was lost to attackers that emerged from a nearby chaos
storm.

 The Tower of Djamela: A monolithic tower built on a steep-sided, floating island that juts up
in the midst of the Sea of Fire.

 The Smoldering Gate: A nearly impregnable fortress created to defend the City of Brass
from abyssal incursions, is populated by efreets and their unliving servitors.

 The Sea of Howling Souls: This Sea is connected by edies to the natural world through the
Frozen Sea. Described in Revenge of the Giants module.
 The Keening Delve: Not far from the City of Brass, a shrieking wind howls along a network of
tunnels cut through a great mass of blood-red rock. An apparently permanent feature of the
Elemental Chaos, according to legend the elemental rock is the ancient stronghold of a slain
primordial, Haemnathuun.

 The Ninth Bastion: Originally called the Bastion of Law, this fortress-city is the realm of the
knightly order known as the Heirs of the Lawbringer. This Bastion is what remains of the
ancient Miran Empire.

 Zerthadlun: The largest githzerai community in the Elemental Chaos, that balance is the
subject of lifelong contemplation and study.

 Arsanith: A small githzerai monastery deep within the Elemental Chaos, far from any other
outpost of civilization.

 Sanzerathad: This githzerai settlement barely survives the wilds of the Elemental Chaos.

 Hak Karlum, the Faceted Plain: This small isle consists primarily of a peculiar crystal that
develops rare gems in its depths.

 Irdoc Morda: This bastion of the iron archons is well known as a place of power for these
elemental soldiers as well for its deposits of a strange type of ironlike metal, unknown to
sages.

 Thrak-Harda: A sprawling stone fortification built not only to house an enormous army of
earth archons, but also to guard a mystical gem that legend dubs the Diamond of Despair.

 Mordram Bek: This mighty stronghold connects three different locations across the
Elemental Chaos and the natural world.

 Mael Arn’dreygh: Known as the Sealed Way, this settlement is the center of Githzerai who
worship the dead God Haramathur. Described in Dragon 390.

 The Palace of Kristobal: This Elemental Palace is a massive yurt, home to a Dao Khan who
frequently acts as a patron to mortals. Detailed in Dragon 408

 The Palace of Zephyria: This Elemental palace is made of marble, clouds, and silver, home to
a Djinn Calipha who frequently acts as patrons to mortals. Detailed in Dragon 408

 The Palace of Fumeran: This elemental palace is a sprawling city amongst lava, home to an
Efreeti Sultan who frequently acts as a patron to mortals. Detailed in Dragon 408

 The Palace of Lureq: This elemental palace is formed from two pyramids fused together and
floats in a giant stormcload. It is the home of a Marid Pharaoh who is frequently a patron to
mortals. Detailed in Dragon 408

 The Riverweb: A network of elemental rivers and streams.

o Decktown: In an area called the River's Fangs, where dozens of ships have wrecked,
this small community has developed among the rocks and shattered hulls.

o The Landing: Near where a wide river feeds into a lake lies a stone island called the
Landing, a dock for elemental ships.
 o Rheilvalt: A trade city that stands on a small archipelago of rocky islets linked to
each other by arched bridges.

 Kaltenheim: The greatest kingdom of the frost giants in the Elemental Chaos, Kaltenheim is
the domain of the mighty frost titan Thrym.

 The Rune-Carved Keep: The eldritch titan Xantis rules this castle in a remote area of the
Elemental Chaos.

 Sakath-Mazim, Kingdom of the Ashen Storm: The mighty fire titan Surtur rules this realm of
burning ground and searing, ash-filled winds.

 Torrakor, Kingdom of the Black Waves: The storm titan queen Ysaga rules this ravaged
expanse of dark waters: a sailor's nightmare of huge waves smashing against each other,
driven by ferocious storms.

 The Pillar of the Wind: Fortress of the Elemental Prince of Air, Yan-C-Bin. Described in
Dungeon 199

 The Coral Keep: Fortress of Olyhadra, Elemental Princesses of Water. Described in Dungeon

199

 The Monastery of Vyc Zaleeth: This Githzerai monastery that holds an important font of
power has been seized by a Mithral Dragon and angelic allies with the hopes to reignite the
Dawn War. Detailed in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons

 The Earthen Dagger: An Earthburg covered in Magma flows and ruled by a Mercury Dragon.
It flows back and forth between the Plane Below and the Natural World. Detailed in
Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons
The Red Shoals of Dkar: Base of operations for a group of plane hopping raiders. Detailed in
Dungeon 174

 Canaughlin Bog: This swamp received its name two centuries ago from eladrin explorers of
the Feywild. Portions of Canaughlin are normal fens, complete with trees and other ordinary
plants. Other parts exhibit signs of chaos.

o The Black Pool: Sinkholes and pits abound in Canaughlin. Among them is the Black
Pool, normally an ordinary pit leading to a series of muddy underwater caves. At
random intervals, it becomes a portal to Shedaklah, a festering, swampy layer of the
Abyss overseen by the demon lords Juiblex and Zuggtmoy.

o Flotsam: This village is the home of the Tinder-Takers, a revolving assortment of

genasi fugitives.

o Raenrirriel: The fey settlement lies in a grove of petrified cypress trees protruding

from a basin of thin, watery mud.

 Fume: A duchy that swears fealty only to Ehkahk, the Smoldering Duke.

o The Choking Palace: from where Ehkahk has ruled Fume for more than a century.

 Gloamnull, City of Rain: A genasi trade city inhabited by followers of Dagon.

o Darmond's Tower: Darmond, a shadar-kai wizard, moved into Gloamnull not long

ago and erected a tower.
 Hatsnarl: This genasi town is built on a cluster of small earthmotes —the largest is a mere
mile across.

 Threshold: The largest genasi city in the Elemental Chaos, it was built around an enormous
portal that opens once each month for 72 hours. Each time, the portal connects to a
seemingly random location in the world or, rarely, some other plane.

 The Great Red Tempest: A churning, blood-colored maelstrom filled with slaads that slowly
rolls through the Elemental Chaos.

 The Spawning Stone: A great whorled and multicolored sphere several hundred feet in
diameter, cloaked by an enormous vortex of churning elemental fury that drift through the
Elemental Chaos drawing slaads to mate in it.

 Moteswarm: A jumble of small masses of every substance that gives birth to strange effects
and stranger elementals.

o Archon Forge: Built on a small mote of goldflecked marble, the archon forge

resembles a keep carved from the stone.

o Corehold: The major githzerai monastery of the Moteswarm.

o Zahazrian: The seat of power of Kazzamir, the storm titan, is an islet of solid

lightning.

 The Pandemonium Stone: A spire more than 100 feet in diameter and more than 500 feet
tall, it consists of bone, flesh, ice, minerals, wind, wood , and other materials, always in flux.
The Pandemonium Stone manifests randomly through the Elemental Chaos. Neither the
gods nor the primordials claim to have created the Pandemonium Stone. They knew of it
even before the Dawn War.

o Abode of the Watchers of Tomorrow: Near the apex of the spire, the Watchers of
Tomorrow look out over the Elemental Chaos from a balcony of obsidian.

o The Trackless House: Like the Pandemonium Stone, the Trackless House evades
easy location and winks out of existence for spans of time.

 The Thunder Temple: The most important temple of Mual-Tar's cult. Headed up by a Blue
Dragon, a Dragon Spawn, and an Efreet. Detailed in Dragon 370

o The Prison of Mual-Tar: A whirling storm where Mual-Tar is bound with chains
forged by Moradin. Detailed in Dragon 370

 Temple of the Weeping Goddess: A ruined temple to Avandra featured in an adventure in

Dungeon 194

 Tziphal the Mountain Builder: The body of this primordial rests in a barrow raised by deities
who defeated him during the Dawn War.

 Windstone: The headquarters of the Hierophant Druids who honor the elements as well as
the primal spirits, they are led by the Druid Asteron who lives on this earthmote. Mentioned
in Hierophant Druids. (Dragon 396)

 The Pillars of Creation: According to legend, these columns support the World. They have
existed since before the creation of the World.
 o The Obelisk of Ice: Formed of many-hued ice, the ramrod-straight Obelisk of Ice
averages a few hundred yards in diameter.

o The Raging Storm: Spongy, semisolid clouds encase the Raging Storm, a funnel of
howling winds, pelting rain, and lightning.

o The Torrent of Magma: An undulating mass two to five miles wide, the Torrent of
Magma flows as if under the influence of gravity.

o The Cloudfield: A certain area of clouds attracts bestial creatures of storm: rime fire
griffons, storm gorgons, and the like.

o Stormheart: A region of cloud-walled canyons and valleys, Stormheart exists

simultaneously in the heart of all storms everywhere.

 Yrnsvellar, The Steel Glacier: This moving citadel is a city-sized piece of supernatural ice,
implacably grinding across the Elemental Chaos or floating through unfathomable seas like a
great iceberg.

Unless mentioned otherwise, this info is taken from Manual of the Planes, The Plane Below: Secrets
of the Elemental Chaos, and Player's Option: Heroes of the Elemental Chaos books.

The Abyss

In the deepest reaches of the Elemental Chaos, the roiling tempest of elemental forces begins to
change. A pattern of movement becomes apparent —a slow, downward spiral toward a black mote
of utter annihilation at its root. Like a maelstrom that draws ocean vessels into the watery depths,
the Abyss is a swirling vortex of destruction, dragging everything down toward its heart. The Abyss
consists of uncounted layers, each one a floating piece of terrain caught in an inescapable downward
spiral. Each layer is a unique microcosm of terror, presenting a different face. One truth remains
constant, however: The Abyss works to destroy its inhabitants with a passion and tenacity that might
best be described as sentient.

The majority of the information on the Abyss is detailed in the Demonomicon, The Plane Below:
Secrets of the Elemental Chaos, and the Manual of the Planes. The Demonic Acolyte template
appears in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Information on the war between the Demons of the Abyss
and the Devils of the Astral Sea are described in History Check: The Blood War. (Dragon 417)

 The Blood Sea: Also known as the Abyssian Ocean, the Blood Sea connects to every other
ocean and sea in the Abyss. Mentioned in Demonomicon

o The Lair of Anthraxin the Devourer: Floating fleshy isles inhabited by Goriostro

Demons and ruled by an ancient and powerful Red Dragon. Detailed in
Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons

 Coagulous: A traveling layer of the abyss, it is home to Codricuhn the Demon Prince known
as the Blood Storm. Detailed in Dungeon 172

 Mal Arundak, the Bastion of Confusion: The public "prison" of Tharizdun. Detailed in Secrets
of the Plane Below.

 Molor, the Stinking Realm: A second domain of the demon Lord Juiblex. Detailed in Secrets
of the Plane Below.
  The Plains of Rust: Located near the Plain of Thousand Portals, an abyssal layer used by
devils as a sort of advanced headquarters in the first battles of the Blood War. Featurend in
the short story "The Plains of Rust", and detailed in Secrets of the Plane Below.

 The Spires of Rajzak: The abyssal layer of the demon lord Rajzak. Detailed in Secrets of the
Plane Below.

 The Forge of Four Worlds: Set in the blackest depths of the Abyss, it is written in obscure
texts that the Forge offers the power of a primordial to those who can control its Soulfire
Furnace. Detailed in E3 Prince of Undeath.

 The Abyssal Nadir: Also known as the Heart, this is the place where Tharizdun planted the
shard that created the Abyss. At its center lies the Shard of Pure Evil, the remains of a dead
universe. Detailed in E3 Prince of Undeath.

The layers of the Abyss:

The longest official list can be found in Demonomicon. This shorter list serves as a guide to layers
that have been detailed and where to find them.

 1) Plain of a Thousand Portals: Called Pazunia or the Plain of Yawning Pits by some, this
layer swarms with demons searching for prey. Is ruled by Pazuzu and detailed in
Demonomicon.

o The Tower of the Ravaastas: Constructed by Larsdana Ap Neut the Arcanaloth

sorcerer who is long vanished, now ruled by an Ultrodemon. Described in the
Demonomicon and the Dragon article Shemeshka the Marauder.

o Plague-Mort: A human settlement that is possibly a gate-town to the town of the

same name in the Shadowfell.

 4) The Blood Rift: Ruled by Phraxas and detailed in the Demonomicon. The connection to
Shemeshka and several Raavasta power brokers who live here are detailed in the Dragon
article Shemeshka the Marauder (Dragon 417).

 12) Twelvetrees: Rulerless layer, detailed in Manual of the Planes.

 23) The Iron Wastes: Ruled by Kostchtchie and detailed in the Demonomicon.

 32) Sholo-Tovoth: Ruled by Turaglas and detailed in Dragon 376.

 45-46) Azzagrat: Three layers ruled by Graz'zt and detailed in the Demonomicon

 53) Phage Breeding Grounds: Ruled by Urae-Naas and detailed in the Demonomicon

 65-66) The Demonweb Pits/Court of the Spider Queen: Ruled by Lolth and detailed in the
Manual of the Planes, Monsters Manual 3, Dragon 370 and Denizens of the Demonweb
(Dungeon 204). The Lolth's Chosen theme and Spiderblessed Spinner Template are provided
in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2. A skill challenge "Navigating the Demonweb" is given in
the Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos.

 69) Gibbering Hollow: Ruled by Ollomegh detailed in Demonomicon

 88 & 90) Abysm: ruled by Demogorgon Detailed in Demonomicon and Monster Manual 2.

The Demogorgon Cultist theme and Beast of Demogorgon appears in the Dungeon Master's
Guide 2.
  89) The Shadowsea: ruled by Dagon. Detailed in Demonomicon and Monster Manual 2.

 100) The Barrens: ruled by Oublivae. Formerly, an astral domain known as the Coruscating
Utopia. Detailed in Demonomicon.

 128) Slugbed: ruled by Lupercio. Detailed in Demonomicon

 176) Hollow's Heart: Ruled by Fraz-Urb'luu. Detailed in Dungeon 208.

 177) Writhing Realm: Ruled by Ugudenk. Detailed in Demonomicon.

 222) Shedaklah: Ruled by Jubilex and Zuggtnoy detailed in Demonomicon and Dungeon 188.

 333) Thanatos: Ruled by Orcus, detailed in the Manual of the Planes and Monster Manual.
The Orcus' Blood Cultist Theme appears in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2.

o The White Kingdom: The personal domain of Doresain, exarch of Orcus. Detailed in

E2 Kingdom of Ghouls.

o Everlost: This fortress is Orcus' seat of power. Its sanctum, the Red Hold, is detailed
in E3 Prince of Undeath

 422) Yeenoghu's Realm: Ruled by Yeenoghu, detailed in Dragon 364.

 503) Torrenor: ruled by Lamasshtu, detailed in the Demonomicon.

 548) Garavond: ruled by Haagenti, detailed in the Demonomicon.

 566) Soulfreeze: ruled by Aseroth, detailed in the Demonomicon.

 570) Shendilvari: ruled by the Succubus turned Demon Lord Malcanthet described in

Ecology of the Succubus. (Dragon 417)

 600) The Endless Maze: Ruled by Baphomet, detailed in the Manual of the Planes and in
Dragon 369.

 663) Zionyn: Ruled by Obox-Ob and detailed in the Demonomicon.

Sigil, the City of Doors

Sigil is a plane unto itself, existing outside the ordered structure of the rest of the universe and yet
intricately connected to it through its unnumbered planar portals. Sigil is the bustling crossroads of
the multiverse, full of portals leading to every known corner of the planes.

Sigil is detailed in depth in Dungeon Master's Guide 2 and Manual of the Planes.

Locations in Sigil

 The Planar Explorer's Society: This shop is the secret headquarters of The Guardian of the
Gates. The Guardians are led by a steel dragon and task themselves with keeping Sigil out of
the hands of those who scheme to use it to dominate the world. A portal to the city of
Hornburg in the natural world is here. Mentioned in Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons

 The Prison: The Headquarters of the Sons of Mercy in Sigil. Detailed in Dragon 370
  The Fortune's Wheel: A tavern owned by Shemeshka the Raavasta. This is her favorite place
to do dealings. Mentioned in Shemeshka the Marauder (Dungeon 205).

 The Friendly Fiend: A tavern owned by Shemeshka's rival A'kin. Mentioned in Shemeshka
the Marauder.

 The Grand Bazaar: Located in the city’s Market Ward, is a huge square overflowing into side
streets, alleyways, and even nearby taverns. It is filled with caravan tents and market stalls.

 Tivuum's Antiques: A curiosity shop run by an elderly Tiefling, this is Sigil's largest collection
of portal keys. It was described in The Attic of Alluvius Ruskin (Dragon 414) along with
several planar themed magic items.

Anomalous Planes

The cosmology includes some planes whose exact nature is not clear. These include the Far Realm,
the Plane of Dreams, the Plane of Mirrors, and other mortal worlds.

The Accordant Expanse

A larger planescape made of a myriad anomalous realms, much like the Far Realm. This is a place of
perfect Order. Practitioners of the Psionic arts believe this is a plane of "pure reason", the
counterpart of the Far Realm, and the third "phrenic plane". It's believed to be the plane of intellect
and logic and understanding utterly unmarred by the confusion of emotions. As the mortal mind is
incapable of comprehending or observing pure logic and order, the alien entities that are said to live
in that plane interact with mortals in the form of hovering crystals of perfect geometric shapes
(cubes, tetrahedrons, spheres, and so forth).

 Mechanus: One of many planes that exists within the Accordant Expanse, made up of cogs
and clockwork mechanisms. Is the home of the modrons and the enigmatic Primus.

The realm was described in Psionic Power (p. 91) and in "The Ecology of the Modron" (Dragon 414).

The Plane of Mirrors

A plane that exist on the other side of mirrors.

The Plane of Moments

A world where countless golden threads stretch across infinity, each a reality in itself, and the march
of history can be seen by reading these strands. In the thickest tangles, representing those
monumental events that shape the world and reality, strange and terrible guardians are said to
safeguard the strands from tampering. (AV2, p.68)

The Plane of Dreams

The Plane of Dreams (sometimes just called Dream) is a vast repository where dreams go when they
are dreamt, a realm formed by millions of creative minds over the past ages of the world. The outer
edges of the plane are where the newest dreams take shape, and the plane’s deepest heart holds
the dreams of ancient beings. Some claim that visitors to the outer edges of the plane can influence
the dreams of creatures who are sleeping at that moment. It's one of the so called "phrenic planes"
by psionic practitioners.

The Far Realm

The Far Realm, also called Outside, is a plane—or perhaps a space beyond the planes—that is
terrifyingly remote from standard planar geometry. The creatures that abide in the Far Realm are
too alien for a normal mind to accept without being damaged. Where stray emanations from the Far
Realm leak onto the world, matter stirs at the beckoning of inexplicable urges, then burns to ash or
takes on monstrous new life. it's one of the so called "Phrenic Planes" by psionic practitioners.

Plaguedeep:

A demiplane created by the Voidharrow, in the likeness of the Abyss, but inhabited by Abyssal
Plague-infected creatures and demons. If left unchecked, the Voidharrow will use this demiplane to
spread of a more virulent version of the Abyssal Plague across the entire multiverse.