Places in the Hidden Valley, Continued

Dragonfire Flats

This is some of the best farmland in the valley. The land is generally open fields with occasional small copses of trees. Unfortunately, for most of recorded history it has been “controlled” by dragons who live high atop the Dragonhome Plateau to the west and used the DragonFire Flats as their hunting grounds. As there have been no reliable reports of dragon encounters since the Wizard Binkly’s over 100 years ago, people have begun to settle and farm the land starting from the north and east. The Dragonfire Flats are the home of the fiercely independent Abodan tribe, a nomadic group of hunter-gathers who worship the dragons. The lands of the Abodans are mainly in the western and southern portions of the Dragonfire Flats so there have been few conflicts with settlers. This is likely to change if settlers push much further into the area.

Filgiso Forest

A large evergreen forest. An almost trackless wilderness, it has never been explored beyond the end of Tribune’s Folly Road. The Filgiso is inhabited by elves and other sylvan beings who value their privacy (and are generally hostile to outsiders). According to an old legend, it is also the home of “the Lone Huntress”, a human woman of radiant beauty who turned down the hand of Tribune Deral II and was forced to flee for her life over 325 years ago. According to Archmage Irisinholm, there are several areas of the forest that actually overlap other planes.

Frozen Lake

A large lake in the Mountains of Darkness that is generally frozen over year round. A handful of legends state that this is the home of some ancient (Lovecraftean) evil called “the Snow Lord.” Other legends tell of a fierce tribe of fur-covered humanoids that live on the ice itself. There are no records of any expeditions to the Frozen Lake, at least none that ever returned.

Goodlands

Excellent farmland that is the heart of the present Girwyllan Empire. The Goodlands are dotted with small towns and tiny, sleepy villages. The towns are usually ruled by a minor imperial noble while the villages are each ruled by an imperial knight. A few towns hold a old charter from the Tribune (the last one was granted decades before the Kinstrife) and are free of noble control. Seventy percent of the Girwyllan Empire’s population live in the Goodlands. The Goodland currently provide most of the food for the civilized areas of the valley.