64 Chapter 2: Gazetteer of tal’Dorei
floor, this forest once marked a bastion of influence
for the Demon Prince of Indulgence. During the
Scattered War, Trist Drassig obsessed over the possi-
bility of losing and pledged his service to the demon
in exchange for power to smite his foes. The bargain
accepted, the Demon Prince sent his forces to this
valley to aid Trist in the Battle of the Umbra Hills, but
ultimately both fell to the incredible power of the rebel-
ling forces. The release of terrible energies cursed both
the battlefield and the valley where the demonic forces
hailed. Now left cursed and dead, the valley remains
a whispered warning to dealing with demons, and a
hotbed of darker entities drawn to the ruined place.Grey valley aDventures
sWorD of the DeMon prince
For mid-level characters: In a dream, a warrior PC continu-
ally sees visions of a noble, kingly sword embedded in the
ground, surrounded by shadows and demons. “Free me...
“ it whispers. “I need your help... I am in the Grey Valley.”
The sword is not as it appears; though the Demon Prince
was defeated at the Battle of the Grey Valley and banished
to the Abyss, his accursed greatsword still lingers. The
last shard of his malevolence in this world, Graz’tchar,
the Decadent End rests in the center of the valley, its tip
embedded in the earth. The twin hezrou demons that
guard it pretend to be the ghosts of great knights, protect-
ing the blade of a lost Sovereign of Tal’Dorei.Jorenn Village
Small Town • Population: 1,873
(68% Human, 10% Dwarf, 8% Halfling, 14% Other)
For many years, Jorenn Village was just a tiny pioneer
town trying to build off the unused resource of sha-
degrass. Over the past seventy years, the village has
exploded in size and population after plentiful silver
veins were discovered within the nearby rocky hills.
Hardworking common folk and opportunistic pros-
pectors alike flocked to Jorenn despite its unsettling
proximity to the Umbra Hills.
Jorenn is far enough away from Emon that the influence
of the Council rarely touches it, giving opportunists and
lowlifes freedom to subvert and control both the village
government and the local economy. Ten years ago, a small
circle of vigilantes and mercenaries declared themselves
protectors of Jorenn, and took the name Shadewatch, hunt-
ing and slaying creeping dangers in the night and returning
to great fanfare. Over the past decade, others seeking fame
and glory joined the ranks of the Shadewatch and the group
ballooned into the unofficial town law enforcement.
Yet corruption took hold of the Shadewatch. The vig-
ilantes now personally stoke the fires of fear, all while
demanding increasing tribute for their services—and
breaking kneecaps if they don’t get it. Today, the people of
Jorenn are just as afraid of the Shadewatch as they are of
the creatures they keep at bay.but eventually his reign of terror came to an end. Utterly
defeated by the Dawnfather during the Calamity, the
wounded god retreated to Acek’s domain to rally. How-
ever, the Dawnfather followed close behind, shackling
and banishing the dark god within the depths far beneath
Gatshadow. It was said that Acek’s mind and spirit were
so filled with his master’s essence, the god’s banishment
tore his body asunder. Today, only the empty maze of
deadly chambers and traps remain beneath the mountain,
forgotten and awaiting discovery.
The high bluffs of Gatshadow have in recent years been
the home of many a villain, most recently the ancient
black dragon Umbrasyl of the Chroma Conclave. Legend
says that Gatshadow’s interior tunnels spiral infinitely
downwards, into a void of utter darkness. Immortal,
white-eyed devotees of madness pace endlessly into Gat-
shadow’s depths, carrying lightless torches, whispering
that the Chained Oblivion itself is sealed in the depths
below. The stone doors that bar entrance to Gatshadow’s
lowest reaches are sealed by magic so great, even the most
inquisitive of the Arcana Pansophical cannot breach them.GatshaDow aDventures
blooD of the Dr aGon
For high-level characters: The body of the ancient black
dragon Umbrasyl was never recovered—some think that’s a
waste of a perfectly good business opportunity; after all, a
black dragon’s bones are a potent alchemical reagent, and its
scales stronger than any steel. Of course, there is a reason
why no one has dared to recover the Hope Devourer’s
corpse. When Umbrasyl died, the caustic acid and magical
blood within its body seeped through the caverns of Upper
Gatshadow, devouring stone and transforming the moun-
tain’s upper levels into a toxic swamp maze, teeming with
oozes, half-black dragon warriors, and the spirits of goliaths
from the Herd of Storms that failed to kill the dragon.no liGhts in the DarKness
For epic-level characters: The wars of gods and mortals
ended when the Betrayer Gods were banished to their
planes of eternal imprisonment, but something has upset
the laws of the planes. A being called the Nameless—
supposedly a cultist of the Whispered One—has stolen
her master’s secret knowledge and fled to Gatshadow in
search of the tortured spirit of Acek Orattim. Agents of
the Arcana Pansophical have sensed that the lower gates
of Gatshadow have been breached, and frantically call for
Tal’Dorei’s greatest heroes to rush to the evil mountain.
As the PCs race to the bottom of a labyrinth of insanity,
they will discover that they race not only the new Herald
of Oblivion, but also the Remnants she betrayed.The Grey Valley
North of the Umbra Hills lies a wide valley of ill
omen and dark history. So named for the forest of
dead, petrified trees that fill the majority of the valley