Harkenwold

The Barony of Harkenwold is a broad valley just over 80 kilometers long and roughly 32 kilometers wide located between arms ofthe Harken Forest. This primarily open land consists of gently rolling hills covered in a mix ofcheery meadows, light forest with little undergrowth, and the
occasional thicket. The climate is cool and rainy. Many small streams wind their way across the land, eventually joining the White River. These brooks are at most a few meters wide, and small footbridges cross them regularly. Harkenwold's total population is about 2,000, scattered across half a dozen small hamlets and a score of isolated steadings. Most of the citizens are humans (50%), halflings (25%), and dwarves (20%), with a smattering ofother folk (5%). Harkenwolders living in the countryside are primarily farmers, shepherds, or woodcutters. Denizens of the hamlets also include woodworkers, smiths, carters, brewers, cheese makers, and leatherworkers. The other villagers tend nearby fields or orchards. The human noble Jonn Stockmer is the baron of Harkenwold. He oversees justice, defense, and laws within the six villages and surrounding countryside that makes up Harkenwold. The baron appoints village elders to help with the daily governing of Harkenwold.

Albridge

Population 180
The second-largest village in Harkenwold, Albridge stands where the King's Road crosses the White River.

Harken Village
Population 212 (town), 60 (keep)
Referred to as Harken by the locals, this Village is the largest settlement in Harkenwold. Here lies Baron Stockmer's keep.

Dardun
Population 140
Surrounded by apple orchards, grain fields, and vineyards, Dardun is known for mild white wines, cheeses, and (of course) apples. Dardun's elder is a proud half-elf woman named Madera Lir, the matron of an old family oforchardists and cider-makers.

Easthill
Population 155
A hamlet of shepherds and stonecutters, Easthill rests on the slopes of the Briar Hills. The stone used to build the crossing at Albridge was quarried from hills nearby. A human trader named Sarken Toldorff is the village elder.

Tor's Hold
Population 141
Tor's Hold is a group of steadings belonging to the seven children of Tor Hammerfist. Old Tor has been dead for many years now, and his offspring have each raised small clans of their own. The elder of Tor's Hold is Bran Torsson.

Woodsinger Camp
Population 80 (Elves mainly)
The elves of the Wood singer clans live in the southeastern part of the Harken Forest. This nomadic tribe consists of a dozen bands, numbering near 200 in total. Each band shifts from camp to camp every few months. The campsite marked on the map is closest to Harkenwold. A wise, cautious elf named Elrandan leads the band currently residing there.

Character-NPC: Turalyon Sunstrike.

Turalyon Sunstrike.

Personality: Turalyon Sunstrike is a High Paladin serving the Church of the Silver Flame. Though zealous and weathered, Turlayon's eyes show kindness and wisdom. He is the Silver Flame's self-appointed defender, but regrets that violence is the only way to solve some problems. Possessing a rich, commanding voice and great physical strength, Turalyon is also capable of gentleness and compassion, though he does not suffer fools. Some would say he is the epitome of the paladin warrior — a mighty foe to his enemies and a bastion of hope to his allies.

In combat Turalyon, as a Paladin of the Silver Flame works best as a hard hitting striker, charging head-on into his enemies with his Sun-Blade, preferring to draw the attention of the enemy commanders.

Background: Turalyon is from a town that lies far west of Nentir Vale, most commonly referred to as "the west". He was left as an infant outside the town's church, where the servants of the Silver Flame found him and took him in as one of their own. Turalyon was an avid sword-fighter, when he reached the age of manhood (16) one of the High Paladins took him on as an apprentice. At the age of 20 he reached the rank of Missionary Paladin, and has been travelling mostly since. At the age of 35 he was apointed High Paladin of the Church of the Silver Flame, he stayed awhile in the town he grew up in and took on a few apprentices, but resumed his traveling three years later. 

Appearance: Turalyon is a 39 year old man with darker brown short hair, and a well groomed full-beard. He is a heavy built man weighing 100kg, and with a height of 195cm he towers over most people. He is usualy seen in his Sun-Plate armor, and wielding his Sun-Blade.

Character- NPC; Count Aldrin Morgraine

The human noble Aldrin Morgraine is the Count (hereditary lord) of Fallcrest. He is in charge of the town’s justice, defense, and laws. The Count appoints a town Council and a High Councilor to look after routine commerce and public projects.

Aldrin is a natural-born leader. He takes individuals at face value and treats them with respect until their actions prove that they should be dealt with otherwise. Despite Aldrin’s open acceptance of visitors into his town, he keeps a close watch for anything or anyone suspicious, he has guards and watchmen stationed all around the town who regularly bring him reports.

To friends, Aldrin is warm and generous, freely swapping stories and information. Hospitality is extended to everyone, but Aldrin expects all visitors to contribute in some way to Fallcrest’s survival. Visiting hunters often bring meat or fur in exchange for refuge from the wilderness, and traders from around the Vale periodically bring casks of salt ale and seed for crops. While in Fallcrest, visitors are under Aldrin’s protection and he will not tolerate any threats or violence against them.

In combat he is rarely alone, he is usualy seen in the frontline commanding and directing his men, wearing his plate armour and wielding his two handed iron mallet.

Location- Town; Fallcrest.

A large town built from the ruins of a larger city. Fallcrest is the crossroads of Nentir Vale. Here travelers and traders using the old King’s Road that runs north and south, the dwarven Trade Road from the east, and the river all meet. The surrounding ridges shelter several small valleys where farmers and woodsfolk live. In general the people outside Fallcrest’s walls earn their living by farming or keeping livestock, and the people inside the walls are traders, salesmen, artisans, laborers, or merchants. People with no other prospects can make a hard living as porters, carrying cargo from the Lower Quays to the Upper Quays (or vice versa).

Fallcrest imports finished goods from the larger cities downriver and ironwork from the dwarf town of Hammerfast to the east, and exports timber, leather, fruit, and grain. It also trades with the nearby town of Winterhaven. Fallcrest is currently ruled by Count Aldrin Morgraine.


Population: 1,350; another 900 or so live in the countryside within of the town. The people of Fallcrest are mostly humans, halflings, and dwarves, but travelers of all races pass through on occasion.

Fallcrest’s Story

Up until five centuries or so ago, the Moon Hills and the surrounding Nentir Vale were thinly settled borderlands, home to quarrelsome human hill-chieftains and remote realms of nonhumans such as dwarves and elves. Giants, minotaurs, orcs, ogres, and goblins plagued the area. Ruins such as those on the Gray Downs or the ring-forts atop the Old Hills date back to these days, as do stories of the hero Vendar and the dragon of the Nentir. With the fall of the empire Lorath and the return of the Nerathian Kingdom to the south, human settlers began to move up the Nentir, establishing towns such as Fastormel, Harkenwold, and Winterhaven.

A Nerathian hero named Aranda Morgraine obtained a charter to build a keep at the portage of the Nentir Falls. She raised a simple tower at the site of Moonstone Keep three hundred ten years ago, and under its protection the town of Fallcrest began to grow. Over the next two centuries, Fallcrest grew into a small and prosperous city. It was a natural crossroads for trade, and the Morgraines ruled it well. When the Kingdom of Nerath began to crumble about a century ago, by the Orcish Horde Invasion, Fallcrest continued to flourish for a time. Ninety years ago, a fierce horde of orcs known as the Bloodsfury Clan descended from the Stonemarch and swept over the vale. Fallcrest’s army was defeated in a rash attempt to halt the Bloodfury Clan out on Gardbury Downs. The Bloodfury Clan burned and pillaged Fallcrest and went on to wreak havoc all across the Nentir Vale.

In the decades since the Orcish Horde invasion, Fallcrest has struggled to reestablish itself. The town is a shadow of the former city; little trade passes up and down the river these days. The countryside for scores of miles around is dotted with abandoned homesteads and manors from the good days of Nerath. Once again the Nentir Vale is a thinly settled borderland where few folk live. This is a place in need of a few heroes.