The Dalelands

The Dalelands, also referred to as the Dales, was a region in north Faerûn of dense forests and bountiful, rolling farmlands. It comprised a loosely-organized group of countries called dales that were as diverse as they were independent.

Geography

The Dalelands were located around and partially within the Cormanthor forest, west of the Sea of Fallen Stars. They were neighbored to the southwest by the kingdom of Cormyr, to the south by the nation of Sembia, and to northwest by the Desertsmouth Mountains and beyond them the Anauroch desert.

Geographical Features

• Arch Wood: Rumored to be haunted, this dark, dense forest was full of oak, ash and elm and home to ferocious owlbears. Its trees spanned the borders of Archendale, Deepingdale and Tasseldale and played a major role in the lives of their people, both socially and economically. Woodcutting was almost always prohibited, despite the constant pleas of Archendale during the annual Dales Council.
• River Ashaba: This massive river flowed from the Storm Horn mountains, through nearly half the dales, over Feather Falls and into the Scar before emptying into the Dragon Reach fjord off the Sea of Fallen Stars. A number of villages and towns, including Feather Falls, Chandlerscross, and Scardale Town rested on or straddled this river and attributed at least part of their economy to its prominence throughout the dale, especially Featherdale.
• Thunder Peaks: These massive mountains spanned the southern border of the dales, separating them from the nation of Cormyr. They were rich in copper and iron and mostly uninhabited, save for a few tribes of hobgoblins, hill giants, and the family of wyverns who took roost in one its tallest peaks. The mountains received their names from the year-round thunderstorms that would close Tilver's Gap and Thunder Gap with snow during the winter.

Notable Locations

Trading dales

These large, densely populated countries featured large cities that often had dealings with foreign powers. Their citizens were notably more urbane than their cousins from the rustic dales.

• Archendale: This large, mercantile autocracy was among the most aggressive and militaristic of the dales. Long-governed by the Three Swords, this ruling body was found to be under Sembian influence in 1440 DR. The Archendalesmen cast out those responsible for this treachery and cast into a common cause with the dales fighting to remain independent.
• Scardale: The ancestral home of the Aumersair dynasty was home to a stalwart, resilient people who have endured over a century of war, foreign occupation by forces such as Sembia, Hillsfar and Zhentil Keep, as well as a disease that all-but wiped out their formerly-shining-jewel of a capital city. The dale within the Scar finally fell to Sembian influence in 15th century DR and by extension fell under rule of the Shadovar of returned Netheril.
• Tasseldale: Long-standing rivals of Archendale, this collection of a dozen small towns of proud and politically-savvy craftspeople have always been influenced by the merchant nation to the south. Neighboring dalesfolk long-worried that Tasseldale would succumb to foreign influence and secede from the Dales Compact, or annexed as Moondale was in the 11th century. On the contrary, the dale was overran by mercenaries from Yhaunn in 1420 DR.

Transitional dales

These straddled the line between the larger, more influential dales and the more rural ones.

• Deepingdale: A prosperous and welcoming land that best exemplified the unity and bond that was possible between humans and elves. The dale earned its name from a vision of the Deeping Princess, Imryll Eluarshee, where humans and elves could unite and live in appreciation of the lore and culture of Cormanthor. It served as the de-facto home for elves on the mainland of Faerûn following the Retreat.
• Harrowdale: This independent republic, the oldest and one of the wealthiest of the dales, saw increasing wealth and affluence as its rival Scardale furthered in decline. This prosperity led to a formal alliance with Myth Drannor in 1428 DR, marked with the renaming of Harrowdale's capital city to New Velar.

Rustic dales

These lands were quiet, often pastoral lands, that held true to their farming roots. They featured freeholds of large farms, small hamlets and quaint villages.

• Battledale: Home to many of the Dales' grandest battles, the sparsely-populated lordship of Battledale remained fairly peaceful throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. They were forced to evacuate their long-standing capital city of Essembra after several trade conflicts with Sembia
• Daggerdale: Originally famous for its hospitality, the land formerly called Merrydale had longstanding conflicts with Zhentil Keep, had developed a weary and suspicious demeaner. That is, until the famed rebellion of Randal Morn and the Freedom Riders. Even with the Zhent threat neutralized, community of farmers has continually had to contest with monstrous humanoids, lycanthropes, and vampires.
• Featherdale: This quaint and peaceful stretch of farmland along the River Ashaba, had repeatedly maintained its independence and avoided annexation by Battledale, Scardale and thrice by Sembia. It finally fell to the merchant nation in 1418 DR after Sembian investors systematically bought out businesses and other interests.
• High Dale: A self-sufficient and lawful republic nestled at a strategic pass within the Thunder Peaks on the route to Cormyr. The dale's remote location allowed it stay free from Zhent and Sembian influence, but isolated it from the support and aid of the Dales Council. As such, High Dale reached out to Cormyr and aligned themselves with the Forest Nation in the early 15th century DR.
• Mistledale: This vast clearing deep within the forest of Cormanthor, was said to have been created by a star falling from realmspace. The staunch republic that formed over this verdant land was steadfast enough to defeat the Dale conqueror Lashan Aumersair in the Second inter-dale war, and gave way to a flourishing capital city, Ashabenford, that served as the seat of the reaffirmed Dales Council following the restoration of the Standing Stone in 1425 DR.
• Shadowdale: Humble in size, but heavy with power, this lordship-nation was perhaps most famous for being home to the archmage, Elminster Aumar. Many retired adventurers took up residence in the pastoral village that shared the dale's name and defended its borders from drow invasions, agents of the Zhentarim and would-be conquerers.

Fallen dales

• Moondale: One of the first dales to join the Dales Compact, Moondale expanded rapidly and the booming nation readily allied itself with the Sembia. They were peacefully annexed by the merchant nation in 1070 DR.
• Sessrendale: Founded in 880 DR, this country spanned the eastern face of the Thunder Peak mountains, living under the rule of the Dusk Lord. They were destroyed by the superior forces of Archendale during the Sessrendale War in 1232 DR.
• Tarkhaldale: Also known as the Lost Dale, this remote land slowly declined, falling afoul to orcish and goblinoid tribes for decades. In 1360 DR the dale came to be the home to the saurials, a scalykind race that had been recently transported to Toril.
• Teshendale: The northernmost dale was over-run by an orc army, under influence of the Zhentarim, in 1316 DR.

History

Origins

The smattering of human settlers that huddled in small villages at the edges of Cormanthor and Cormanthyrian led by Coronal Eltargrim Irithyl came to an agreement known as the Dales Compact. The conditions of this pact gave the future-Dalesfolk non-forested, and non-elven claimed areas of land on which to settle and ceased any and all logging efforts deeper into the forest. Furthermore, the Standing Stone was erected as a monument to this new alliance between elf and man. This turning point in both civilizations also marked the beginning of the Dale Reckoning calendar for centuries to come.

One of the most famous milestones in Harper lore occurred in the Dancing Place within High Dale on Flamerule 26, in the Year of the Dawn Rose, 720 DR. The Gathering of the Gods was a widely-celebrated event where good-aligned deities spoke directly through their respective priests on Toril. This event led to the reformation of the Harpers, which was all but wiped out some six years prior.

In response to the growing threat of orcish tribes near the Dalelands, Aencar Burlisk was the Warlord of Battledale in the Year of Warlords, 1030 DR. Over the next decade he would declare himself as King of the Dales, unite the Dalelands to defeat the common threat, and vigilantly defend them from others. Regrettably, he was slain in the Year of Singing Shards, 1044 DR by a dracolich that was summoned while he feasted. The undead dragon, and its summoner Alacanther, were defeated by Aencar's officers, and his body was interred in his manor and set alight. The Dalelands were split into independent communities that maintained somewhat an alliance through the Dales Council.

Civil Wars

When the Dusk Lord of Sessrendale was suspected of corrupting the Dalelands with dark magic and pillaging caravans with monsters and evil marauders, the Dalesfolk of Archendale took action. The first civil war took place over three weeks in the Year of the Weeping Wives, 1232 DR, when the forces of Archendale assailed, and eventually annihilated the Dusk Lord and his mages. The Three Swords then salted the earth of the dale so that nothing more could grow from its soil.

The second war-between-dales fell under attempts of the Lord of Scardale, Lashan Aumersair to reunite Dalelands under a common banner in the Year of the Worm, 1356 DR. His forces managed to defeat Featherdale, Battledale and Harrowdale but were eventually stopped at Mistledale by a coalition of Dales powers and united soldiers from Cormyr, Hillsfar, Sembia and even Zhentil Keep. This defeat resulted in over a decade of occupation and influence from the governments of these respective powers.

In the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, The Dales Compact was renewed between the crusading Seiveril Miritar of Evereska and the untied lands of Battledale, Deepingdale, Mistledale and Shadowdale.

The Cormanthor War of the same year resulted in the invasion of Battledale and Shadowdale but ended with a hopeful outlook for the latter. Lord Mourngrym Amcathra was freed and lordship of the dale was passed on to Alazar Falconhand.

Conflict with Sembia

Throughout 15th century DR, the Dalelands had become a focal point for several neighbouring nations, all vying for control over its land and people. Tasseldale was overrun, Featherdale was annexed and the government of Archendale was discovered to have betrayed their people to Sembian coin.

Races
Humans 80%
Drow 6%
Half-elves 5%
Elves 4%
Halflings 2%
Gnomes 1%
Dwarves 1%
Other 1%
Languages
Various
Religions
Chauntea, Ilmater, Lathander, Mielikki, Silvanus, Tempus, Torm, Tyr

Type

Region

Location under

North Faerûn