The Iluskan Valley

**The Iluskan Valley** is an idyllic river basin in the Wild North, resting between the Iron Range and the Mistbreak Mountains. The slow moving Adena River curves through the basin, bordered on the west by the mysterious Finhorn Forest.

There are several locations of note in the region.

## Geographic Features

The Iluskan Valley is a fertile basin intersected by the
meandering Adena River. In prehistoric times, the entire valley was covered in
a vast primordial forest, that still exists in some form today. To the west is
the Iron Range, and to the east are the Mistbreak Mountains which form the
lower bound of the valley.

At the mouth of the valley is a large natural harbour formed
by a narrow peninsula known locally as the Embrace. The harbour is dotted with
small pine covered isles.

Approximately twenty miles inland is Long Lake which
stretches 80 miles in length and is 30 miles across at its widest. The western
banks of the lake are heavily forested, with the north-western section being
particularly wild. This wood is known as Finhorn Forest. An uncharted
tributary called Taerul’s Creek winds through the woods and spills into the
lake. The Adena river continues from the northern-most end of Long Lake.

Beyond Finhorn Forest the land rises into the untamed northern
Wilderlands.

## Settlements

* Oldstone
* Ravens Keep
* Phandalin
* Conyberry
* Leilion

## Notable Locations

* Ruins of Thundertree
* Wyvern Tor
* Mere of Dead Men
* Old Owl Well
* Finhorn Forest
* Long Lake
* Godless Isle
* Cragmaw Keep

## History

### Prehistoric

Archaeological
finds suggest that the Iluskan Valley has been inhabited for at least 120,000
years, and likely much longer. The first beings to exist in the valley were a
primitive race of Wood Elves (known as the Wood Walkers) and Halflings (known
as the Children of the Forest). They lived separately but in symbiosis. A race
of orcs and goblins also inhabited the Iron Hills in the south but rarely
entered the forest, fearing the strange, hostile creatures that stalked within.
At this time, the boundaries between the Feywild and the Material Plane were
much more blurred than they are now, and the region was abound with
wild magic.

### Arrival of the Iluskans

Approximately 6000 years BD, the Iluskans arrived from the south
and began to inhabit the region. They were led by a legendary figure known as
Garth the Seer. They immediately they came into conflict with the native orcs, who were
consequently nearly wiped out as the invading force pushed them into the woods,
and the arrows of the elves and halflings.

For
a period of time thereafter the humans, elves and halflings coexisted
peacefully, but as more Iluskans arrived from the east and their
settlements grew so too did their need for wood and game. As they expanded into the realms
of the woodland creatures the frequency of antagonistic interactions increased
until eventually they were in all-out war. The Wood Walkers, Children of the
Forest and Iluskans fought one another to a standstill, with much loss of
life in the intervening years. It is believed that Long Lake was created as a
result of woodland spellcasters bringing a great flood down from the mountains
to sweep away a large Iluskan force.

Eventually, the three factions signed a pact on the Godless Isle that granted the open lands to the Iluskans and the deep forests to the
Elves and Halflings. An uneasy peace lasted for the next 2000 years during
which time the three cultures began to integrate slightly – especially the
halflings and Iluskans. A number of large towns sprang up throughout the
valley, the ruins of which can still be seen today, and the Iluskans began
mining many of the precious metals that could be found in the Iron Hills.

### The Scourge

In 845BD a scourge descended upon the Iluskan Valley in the
form of Uthrak the Bold, a ruthless orc chieftain who lead a united army of Orcish
tribes into the valley to reclaim what they saw as their ancestral lands. The
fighting was savage and devastating. For the first time, the Iluskans, Wood
Walkers and Children of the Forest worked together to defeat an external force.
By the time the orcish forces were overcome however, many Iluskan towns were
razed to the ground and their population severely diminished. The Wood Elves
shared a similar fate, and after the deciding battle at Wyvern Tor they
retreated to their hidden homes deep in the forest.

### The Sindarin Dynasty

The subsequent years are collectively known as The Mourning,
as the three races struggled to recover from the devastating war. To add to
their woes, in 792BD the Sindarin Dynasty, who are said to have ridden dragons
into battle, finally reached the Iluskan Valley. The resistance was short-lived
and the region soon fell under dynastic control. The invading force also
brought with them The Faith, which remains to this day.

The Sindarin Dynasty wasted no time building infrastructure
to strip valuable resources from the vale to power their hungering war
machines. There are stories from this time which tell of a mysterious
discovery; a cave dense with magic that was transformed into something known as
the Forge of Spells. However, any remnant of the mythical location has since been
lost to time.

During these years Finhorn Forest was extensively felled, all
but disappearing from the southern coast. It was at this time that the legendary
elven hero Finhorn, for whom the forest is now named, rose up against the dragon
riding oppressors. Using his magical longbow, Yew Heart, he slew a dragon as it
flew over the woods, causing it to crash down into the depths misty timberland,
where it is rumoured to still lie.

### Return to Wild

The Sindarin Dynasty maintained control over the valley until The Divergence, after
which the empire crumbled and the Iluskan Valley grew wild once more.

Although some Iluskans, Elves, and Halflings remained, it
took many years for the valley to be properly settled again. However, now in
the year 1422AD a few bustling settler communities have sprung up, and a new
nation is beginning to form.

## Travel Distances

Travel time is dependant on two factors; the terrain and your speed.

* Fast travel = 30 miles in a day (-5 to perception checks)
* Normal travel = 25 miles in a day
* Slow travel = 20 miles in a day (can use stealth)

Difficult terrain such as swamps and mountains effectively halves your travel speed. Vehicles and mounts can be used to increase travel speed in some instances.