Siege of Shadowdale [06:45 AM 02/07/05 GMT]
Like a tide of darkness they came butchering the innocent folk of the dale with wanton glee Know this many are the foes I have battled in my time but were it not for the actions of some brave heroes I fear even I would have been undone that fateful day Elminster of Shadowdale DR The Dales are broad forest vales with rolling farmlands linked by narrow trade roads running through beautiful woods Blessed with fertile soil and a temperate climate aside from the extremely harsh weather conditions the Dales are the breadbasket of the Heartlands The Dales independent spirit and age old alliance with the elves of Cormanthor have made them the historic birthplace or favoured home of many of Faerun s greatest heroes Shadowdale is the best known of all the Dales because of its history of successful battles against drow Zhents and would be conquerors such as Lashan of Scardale Although small Shadowdale makes up in quality what it lack in quantity of citizens The dale is notorious as a home for adventurers who now prefer the quiet life but are capable of exerting extreme force when necessary After a brief period of relative peace the Dalelands once again face a number of terrible threats Always the dark presence of the Zhentarim broods in the north An unsuspected enemy has just arrived to create the Empire of Shadows in the wastes of the great desert Anauroch north west of the Dalelands And in the great forest of Cormanthor itself the retreat of the elves to Evermeet far to the west has left the door open to the return of another great foe one long banished from the region in ages past Arriving in Shadowdale town one morning in early summer the players are soon drawn into a nefarious plot by a villain hell bent on bringing the entire region to its knees
