Valley of the Mage

Ruled by His Most Magical Authority, the Exalted Mage of the Valley and Laird of the Domain (true name unknown)

The Valley of the Mage lies hidden within the central Barrier Peaks mountain range, concealing within its confines the source and headwaters of the Javan River. The only natural passage through the surrounding wall of mountains lies near the northern end of the valley. From here the river exits, flowing beneath the trees of the Dim Forest. This lush valley is one of the most naturally isolated realms in the Flanaess. The closest neighboring states are Bissel and the realm of Geoff. Across the Barrier Peaks to the west are Ull and the Plains of the Paynims.
Valley elves patrol the entrance, often in force, and gnomes are sometimes found among their ranks, These patrols are comprised entirely of infantry, usually wearing chainmail or studded leather, and armed with longsword and bow. The tenor of encounters with these elves is highly variable; sometimes they are wont to attack immediately, while at other times the elves turn back intruders with only a warning. The patrols do not seem to be highly disciplined or organized, and the elves are just as unpredictable when encountered outside the Valley.
The sovereign that is said to rule here is known as the Mage of the Vale, the Demiurge, or sometimes even the Black One. His court has no formal relationship with any other government, though he is suspected of maintaining a ring of spies in several cities in the neighboring realms. There is almost no trade, either; it is thought that the Demiurge prefers to send his servants on errands of theft and banditry instead. Henchmen of the Mage that were captured have either escaped or wasted away, dying if not allowed to return to their master.
Little is else is known of the Mage or the interior conditions of his domain. Those who have traveled there describe passing from under the deep shadows of the Dim Forest, through a wide gap in the mountains, to find a warm and fertile countryside within, with few inhabitants. The broad northern basin is grassy and pleasant, while the high southern valley is rocky and tree covered. Little apparent danger is here during the day. Nightfall in the valley is quite sudden, and the landscape comes alive with monstrous predators. It is not known if these are conjured in response to trespassers or are hazards for the subjects of the Mage as well. It may be that serving the Mage of the Valley is as perilous as opposing him.

History

This secluded vale has always been avoided by the common folk of nearby lands. Even in ancient times, it was felt to be dominated by an awful and foreboding presence. The valley was known to be the habitation of a strange race of olve, who viewed all other elves with disdain. The valley elves were once ruled by a king of their race who held his authority under the guise of a transcendent calling, though no deity was ever evoked by name. The valley elves were equally aloof in their relationship to the natural world, and they felt no reverence for the mysteries of faerie. All other elves abhor the valley elves, claiming they are not true elves at all, and shun them utterly.
The valley elves were rejected not only by all other olvenfolk, but also by the gods of their race. No outsider has ever discovered the cause of this divine renunciation, and the elves will not speak of it. The drow hint that the valley elves allowed themselves to be bound in servitude to a powerful master, in exchange for knowledge from beyond the known planes. For this the drow despise them, saying that they were made slaves to a lie, while the drow believe that lies should be used only to enslave others. Regardless of the cause, the rift between the valley elves and their kindred is thought to date back to their earliest appearance on Oerth.
The valley elves were not completely friendless, however. They formed a partnership with gnome traders that allowed them access to markets as far away as the Pomarj and the Nyr Dyv. Gnomes lived as citizens of the valley kingdom even before the first grand duke reigned in Geoff. By the time the Keoish built their empire, humans from the lands west of the Barrier Peaks had immigrated to the Javan Vale. They were allowed to form their own small communities, under a human earl who ruled in the name of the valley elf king. They were expected to learn the elves' language, but the combined influence of humans and gnomes in the vale soon made Common the language of daily use.
Few beyond the neighboring countries were aware of the hidden valley kingdom in the Barrier Peaks. The Grand Duchy of Geoff had the most regular relations with the court of the valley elf king, though merchants from Bissel and Ket quietly maintained contact with the gnome traders who served the king. When Geoff had its brief conflict with Keoland in the middle of the last century, the valley elves were said to have helped the grand duke's cause by providing information on Keoish tactics and resources. This relationship seems to have persisted until at least the end of the last century, despite vigorous and heated protests by the High Lord of Elvendom at Hocholve.
The most notable encounter with the valley elves occurred shortly after the turn of this century, when the elven king arrived unexpectedly at the grand duke's castle in Gorna. The king brought his entire royal house into the country, unchallenged by either the duke's forces or the elves of eastern Geoff. The valley elf king and his retinue were allowed to enter the city, and the king was granted a private audience with the grand duke. The following dawn, the king and his retinue departed, and the host of valley elves was observed traveling southward into the Crystalmists, never to be seen again. The grand duke was left with an oaken chest, several scrolls, and the final words of the valley elf king, which he revealed only to his heir.
Afterward, no contact was had with the valley until an exiled Aerdi wizard named Jaran Krimeeah, also called the Black One, learned of its existence and made himself master of the place. Marauding monsters had taken a heavy toll on the human communities, though the remaining gnomes and valley elves had defended themselves. Jaran magically restrained these summoned monsters and was hailed as the Mage of the Valley. He ruled for a number of decades, assuming great power over the vale and its inhabitants. One of his last public acts was to place a rogue drow elfin command of the valley's forces. Access to the valley was soon forbidden to all outsiders. During this time, the Mage acquired the antipathy of the wizard Drawmij, who joined the Circle of Eight and directed certain plots against him.
For nearly twenty years prior to the Greyhawk Wars, there was no contact with the Valley of the Mage. When giants from the Crystalmists swept down into Geoff and Sterich, these nations appealed to Keoland for aid and sent a small deputation to beg assistance from the Mage of the Valley. Against all hope, they were allowed inside the valley and given audience with the Black One—or so they at first believed. When the aid-seekers were introduced to the Mage, one within the group recognized him as an exiled necromancer, Nyeru of Bissel. Wisely, this discovery was never revealed to the ersatz Black One. Negotiations continued for several weeks with no real progress, until the marauding giants of the Crystalmists found their way into the valley.
The ambassadors fled while the Mage's troops moved south to face the giants. Escaping from the valley, the group made a harrowing journey down the Javan River to freedom. They could not return to Gorna, so most of the group gathered at Hocholve, where the elven high lord was very interested in their tale. At the conclusion of the Greyhawk Wars, stories were circulated that the Mage of the Valley had been killed, though there were no actual witnesses to his demise. Those with the most knowledge of the valley's history believe that the Mage will yet return—unless some other being comes to claim that title.

Government: Magical despotism
Capital: Unknown
Major Towns: Unknown
Provinces: Unknown
Resources: Unknown
Coinage: Unknown
Population: 10,000—Human 37% (OBf), Elf 25% (valley), Gnome 18%, Halfling 10%, Half-elf 5% Other 5%
Languages: Unknown, but Common is likely; racial languages supposed (Elven and Gnome for certain)
Alignments: Unknown
Religions: Unknown
Allies: None
Enemies: Geoff exiles, Bissel, Gran March, Knights of the Watch, Keoland (minor), Sterich (minor), Circle of Eight, nearly all other elves across the Flanaess (see later)

  Location in the Flanaess