From the River Mirar in the north to the Sword Mountains in the south, and from the Starmetal Hills in the east to the High Road in the west, the Neverwinter Wood is one of the oldest forests in Faerûn. Nearly split in two by the mountains of the Crags, there are plentiful streams and rivers throughout. The Neverwinter River flows from Mount Hotenow, through Neverwinter Wood and the great port city of-you guessed it-Neverwinter, finally emptying into the Sea of Swords.
History
The elves originally called Neverwinter Wood the Llewyrrwood, and the forest came to be a part of the elven nation of Illefarn, and, for a time, Aryvandaar. The elven nations deminished as the People answered the call to travel to Evermeet, and there were no significant settlements left by 177 DR.
After the Spellplague, Neverwinter Wood experienced a mass migration of fey from the plane of Faerie. Elves were also drawn here in large numbers and they attempted to re-found Illefarn within the forest’s borders. Though they had to defeat a force of dark fey to reclaim their ancestral home, they quickly went about establishing the military outpost of New Sharandar around a portal to Faerie.
Locations
Agatha’s Grove is the lair of the Ghost of Neverwinter Wood, Agatha. The grove could be found northwest of Conyberry, at the end of a path whose entrance was marked by a group of birch trees.
Conyberry was a small fishing village on the southeast edge of Neverwinter Wood. First decimated at the start of the Spellplague, the village fell when Uthgardt barbarians attacked and forced the remaining people to join their tribe.
Cragmaw Castle is a dilapidated and crumbling castle located in southwestern Neverwinter Wood. It received its current name from the goblinoid tribe that recently inhabited the castle. It is a medium sized castle that was originally constructed of seven towers, but only the ground floor still stands.
The Cragmaw Hideout was a small cave complex inside a large hill, with a stream that poured in via a small waterfall and out via the complex entrance. The goblinoids would raid caravans and bring their spoils here first.
The Crags are a series of hills, broken mounds, and mountains that run southwest from Mirabar towards Neverwinter, nearly cutting Neverwinter Wood in two. The resettled dwarfhold of Gauntlgrym, Mount Hotenow, and Morgur’s Mound are here.
The Dread Ring was an enchanted area near the center of the southern Wood, created by necromancers years ago with the intention of stealing the souls of the living in order to feed necromantic powers, such as animating the dead, raising evil structures, or powering spells. People that died near there fed the power of the necromancer casting the spell with their souls, and would likely be raised as undead.
Gauntlgrym was an ancient dwarven city and the capital of the Delzoun. It fell over 1500 years ago, and its exact location was lost to the ages. Rediscovered in 1451, Gauntlgrym has been retaken by the dwarves and is being rebuilt.
Helm’s Hold is a fortified city and cathedral dedicated to the god Helm, located less than a day’s travel to the southeast of the city of Neverwinter. [More…]
Icespire Peak is comprised of snow-laden crags and hard-edged bluffs that loom over the small Icehammer dwarven village of Torunedar like frostbitten fingers. Rumors of late claim that wintery weather has been spreading from this area.
Leilon was a mining town, but most people who travel down the High Road now go out of the way to avoid looking at the town. The town fell apart during the Spellplague, when magical chaos unleashed guardian monsters within an abandoned mage tower in the town. It was rumored that anyone who looked upon the tower during the Spellplague would be frozen in place.
Morgur’s Mound is the ancestral mound of the Thunderbeast tribe of the Uthgardt. It is believed to be the burial site of Morgur, Uthgar’s mortal brother. Atop the mound was the skeleton of a long-dead dinosaur, which they call a “thunderbeast.” Legend says their shamans could animate the skeleton when the tribe was in dire need of protection.
Mount Hotenow is a volcano amid the Crags mountain range, situated to the northeast of the city of Neverwinter. The Neverwinter River begins here, warmed on the sides of the volcano to the point that it never freezes over, even in the heart of winter (hence the name). The volcano also has a history of attracting creatures like fire giants and red dragons to make their homes near it.
Neverwinter, also known as the City of Skilled Hands and the Jewel of the North, is a multi-racial city-state, regarded by Volo as the most cosmopolitan and the most civilized city in all of Faerûn. The city is a member in good standing of the Lords’ Alliance. [More…]
Old Owl Well, located in the hills south of Neverwinter Wood and north of the Sword Mountains, was once the site of a Netherese watch tower. While the tower has fallen to ruin, the well still provides clean water not far off the Triboar Trail.
Phandalin Cave is a great cavern complex within the Sword Mountains, known for its mineral wealth as well as its magical properties. The Cave is connected to an underground spring that has been harnessed to power the great forge of the mine that has been built therein. [More…]
Sharandar was an ancient elven keep of Illefarn lost within the Neverwinter Wood near the village of Conyberry. Legend says that Sharandar was hidden under living trees within the forest. Rumors say excursions of eladrin have been seen in the area, leading some to speculate that there may be a nearby portal to the Feywild.
Thundertree was a small logging village on the western edge of the Neverwinter Wood. It was overrun by a horde of undead and destroyed in the years following the eruption of Mount Hotenow and the creation of the Dread Ring in the center of the Wood. In 1491, our party slew a young green dragon that had taken up residence in an old tower.
The Tower of Twilight was home to an eccentric member of the Harpell wizard family, located on the eastern edge of the Neverwinter Wood. Legend says that it disappeared at the beginning of the Spellplague. Some have claimed to have seen the tower again since the Second Sundering, but it is again not there when others try to confirm.
Westhill is a village located northeast of Leilon, where the road that runs from the High Road to Triboar fades into a trail. It was raided by orcs in 951 DR and subsequently abandoned. It was eventually resettled, and has became a frontier settlement of farmers and prospectors looking for wealth in the Sword Mountains. [More…]
Wyvern Tor is a craggy valley in the hills northeast of the Sword Mountains, easily seen by any on the Triboar Trail. Wyvern Tor was formerly inhabited by a vicious nest of wyverns, but they were slain by bold adventurers whose names time has forgotten.