User:Zone Descriptions Project/Shadowdale

Connecting the blighted former Commonlands of Freeport and the Central Mountains, Shadowdale is a forest that hides a history as dark as it's name. The dale was once a pastoral retreat for the nobility of High Keep and their cabins still dot the forest to this day. Being sparsely populated, Shadowdale was spared the brunt of Kaezul's magical assaults on the surrounding areas, unlike adjacent Rivervale.

Over time, the corrupting influence of the undead presence surrounding the dale began to take its toll. These dark energies warped the minds of the druids and treants that called the forest home, turning them hostile to anything but their beloved bats and bears. The forest is also currently occupied by a self-proclaimed benevolent research force led by Councilor Shar-El of the Council of Innovation.

Adventurers sometimes report the faint sound of crystalline chimes on the wind when all is still and silent. One explorer, thought lost for years, was reported to have returned Newport some time ago. Clearly raving, he would only shout "Never go above the canopy!" The veracity of this warning remains dubious to this day.