The Stoneheart Valley

This is the area where the Great Downwards Engineering Company makes their homes.
== Geography of The Stoneheart Valley ==
As overheard in Bristleback's Inn:
"The Stoneheart Valley? Sea to the east, mountains to the west, plains to the south and swamp to the north. Alright, so you’ve got the Coast road. That runs north-south, though truth be told it never gets closer than fifteen miles to the sea. There’s three bridges as it crosses. From the south, the first is the bridge across Mosswood river, then the Wild Edge river then the Dragonmarsh. Keep heading north along the road and you’ll hit Tarren’s Junction before the end of the day and six days more to Tsar. From there you can pretty much go where you’d choose, Skor would be the closest place, if you really like big cities. South there isn’t much. You’ve got a few small towns like Forest Brook and Highcliff but they don’t do much more than farm and feed passing caravans. keep going south and you’re probably heading to Doren’s Hold, really big dwarf place. Dwarves don’t really like digging in the Stoneheart Valley for some reason. Otherwise you have Aberdeen or Tsuen if you keep to the coast. West will take you to Sandpoint and the Mosswood eventually. Long way, though.
Down near the Mosswood river it’s pretty quiet. A few ships were lost there last year, but the reefs are pretty bad, no-one’s surprised. Heading north, you normally see no trouble until you cross the Wild Edge river. That’s the worst bit of the road as you’ve got thirty miles until you hit dragonmarsh bridge. Inland you’ve got forty miles of riding through the forest to get to Zelkor’s Ferry. Coastwards, you’re less than ten miles from the sunken graveyard and Rappan Athuk itself. That thirty miles of road is plagued with bandits. They’re really mean bastards too, armed up with treasures from Rappan Athuk. Not just the bandits, but you get goblins and the rare ogre. Steer clear of the place. If you really want to travel, catch the ferry to Tarren’s Junction then take a boat from there or join a caravan.
After you cross the Dragonmarsh bridge, well, you’re in the Dragonmarsh. Worst thing you’ll get there are trolls, but if you leave the road and trek through the swamp you better know what you’re doing. Gods know why you’d bother, miserable place. Stay on the road and you’ll be fine. Nothing that lives in the swamps really likes roads.
The foothills around Rappan Athuk is the worst. Bandits to wraiths to stirges to all in between. There’s a path leading from the Coast road to Rappan Athuk. Oddly that’s pretty safe. It gets enough traffic from adventurers that bandits leave it be, and they keep the wolf population down. It’s only people wearied by the dungeon that usually get preyed upon. If you do go down there, and come back, put on a brave face when you do. Or just bring a lot of friends.
Ahywhere more than five miles west (inland) of the coast road is pretty safe. No merchants means no bandits, and that far from Rappan Athuk stops the undead and the thieves preying on weakened parties. By the time you hit the Mouth of Doom or Zelkor’s Ferry you’re pretty much fine. Nothing out on these hills but a few trees and the odd goblin patrol heading to Mosswood. We’ve had some intermittent giant-spider colonies, but the guards burn them as they find them. Stay out of thick trees and you’re fine. Keep heading west and you’ll hit the Lost Road, it goes through Mosswood and finds a pass in the mountains. Goblins use that road more than people, Mosswood is full of them. Keep going and you’ll eventually hit the hinterlands, and later Sandpoint.
The sea? There’s a few islands, but the reef is a bit much, but I am sure you can find a captain desperate for coin in Tarren’s if you really want to explore. Mostly just rocks, though. Easiest just to use the Coast Road as a guide. If you’re inland of it, not in a thick forest or in the Dragonmarsh, you’re fine.
Three silver? Thank you! Much obliged"
Category:Location