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The Doom of Daggerdale will be taking place in the Forgotten Realms universe, one that I'm not particularly familiar with but did do quite a bit of reading on the subject in my youth (I'm looking at you RA Salvatore). If anything I post here or otherwise conflicts with your own understanding please bring it to my attention and we can decide what to do from there, though I think the adventure will be happily encapsulated by the Module's info.


Daggerdale

Daggerdale Map

For more than fifty years, Daggerdale has been battling to survive against hostile raiders, bandits, and monsters. Zhentarim spies and agents have infiltrated the dale, and the men of Daggerdale have been decimated by the attacks.

They want nothing more than to be left alone. Located in the upper reaches of the Tesh valley, Daggerdale lies between the Desertsmouth mountains and the Dagger Hills, remote and hard to reach. Paths lead south to Shadowdale and east to Teshwave, but little traffic passes through the dale. Merchants of other lands have found the trip to Daggerdale dangerous and unprofitable. The Zhents are the most frequent visitors.

The people of Daggerdale are hunters and farmers, but many homesteads are abandoned. Large areas of the dale are heavily wooded; the open farmlands and manors of the other dales are not found in Daggerdale. Instead, people huddle together in small stockaded settlements for protection. Small villages lie in isolated areas. The villagers farm the land nearby and send hunting parties into the dark forests and hills. The Dalesmen barely produce enough to keep themselves alive and have little to offer foreign traders. The folk of the countryside band together in fortified villages, while the people of Dagger Falls, are protected by a Zhentarim-sponsored constable.

Daggerdale'’s rightful ruler, a rebel named Randal Morn, leads a band of fighters against the invaders of the Dale. The largest community of Daggerdale is Dagger Falls, but it is ruled by a sheriff from Zhentil Keep. Randal Morn and the free Dalesmen keep moving their base to avoid the Zhentish forces. Randal’s forces have been trying to recapture the town for years, but there are too few to risk a battle against the Zhentarim garrison.

Zhentarim
The Zhentarim (or Zhents; or the Zentish), are a faction of mercenaries who have been around for some 200 years. They control a large empire, but not quite so large as it once was. In this setting they control Dagger Falls the city for its trade routes but not much else of Daggerdale on account of the rebel Lord Randal Morn.

Dagger Falls

Dagger Falls Map

The largest community of Daggerdale, Dagger Falls has been under Zhentarim rule for decades. While the Zhents could take the rest of the Dale by expending strenuous effort, it appears that they are satisfied with Dagger Falls. Their efforts have been devoted to holding the town so that they can control the trade routes. Dagger Falls is a rough-and-tumble frontier town. The Zhentish garrison is composed of brigands and looters, and the native men of Daggerdale defend their own territory while avoiding involvement in anything that doesn’t concern them. The town is full of intrigue and treachery.

1) The Teshford Arms
This exhorbitantly-priced inn offers mediocre food and bedding for prices nearing extortion. The innkeep is a portly, matronly woman by the name of Olavia. Because Zhents and other mercenaries can use the barracks rooms for free, the common room is often full of rough dangerous men looking for hire. It is, however, relatively safe as the Constable has forbade there to be any disturbance in the Inn's custom.

2) Dulwar's Leatherworks
Dulwar's Leathworks offers leather goods, run by a wiry but sure-handed fellow by the name of Dulwar. Custom suits of leather armor are ready within the day, and the walls are already stocked with crafts such as quivers, waterskins, and heavy aprons.

3) Fulgath's Caravan Supplies
Anything and everything a caravaner might need can be found here. Saddlemakers and wainwraights are on call, dry goods are on offer, and mercenaries flock like crows to a corpse when a caravan comes through. Indeed, most things can be purchased here... at twice the going rate as Fulgath has a corner on the market.

4) The Red Rock
A ramshackle tavern that serves mostly country-side dalesmen. The innkeep Kessla was once a traveling minstrel and sometimes entertains her common room with bawdy song and mournful dirge alike. Apart from Kessla's playing though there isn't much to the place which serves sour ale, questionable stew, and watered spirits with all the cheery atmosphere of a barely-lit root cellar. Still, the prices are fair for what you get, and Kessla is more honest than most.

5) Ruined Temple of Lathander
Once the largest temple of the city, this structure burned in a mysterious fire eight years ago. Many priests failed to escape the flames. The hierarchy of Lathander plans to rebuild the temple and guard it with experienced fighters and priests, but these plans have been delayed several times because of mysterious fires, accidents, and hauntings.

6) The Broken Dagger
The Broken Dagger was a decent tavern until the Zhents and their mercenaries made it theirs. Several fights erupt each night. This dismal taphouse is the very epitome of roughand-tumble bars. Bored Zhentish soldiers, orcs, and mercenaries congregate here. Few nights go by without a killing. The Broken Dagger is owned by Tharwin One-eye, a retired Zhentish tracker.

7) Zentish Warehouses
Zhentish caravans come up from Teshwave and then proceed westward into the great desert Anauroch. Very few people know what goods the Zhentarim are moving west. The warehouses are well-guarded.

The Market Square
This square seldom sees merchant activity, though Zhentish caravans load and unload here. The public stocks and whipping post are both used frequently to punish real and suspected rebel sympathizers.

9) The Garrison
The Zhentish and mercenary troops stationed in Dagger Falls live in this enclosure. The troops include 100 Zhents, 200 mercenaries (including units of orcs and other disagreeable types), and 130 native Dalesmen auxiliaries.

10) The Constable's Tower
This reinforced tower is the home of Constable Tren and his chosen guards. It is located at the highest point of the town.

11) The Eagles' Eyrie
Rising above the town is the rocky knoll called Eagles’ Eyrie. Local legend states that an ancient dwarven delving lies under the hill. Some have been known to claim the place haunted.

Religion in Daggerdale

At this point there are no major temples in Daggerdale, the temple to Lathander being burned down nearly a decade ago (along with many of its priests). There is, however, a small chapel in Dagger Falls to the Mad God Cyric run by a priestess named Eragyn who has been unsuccessfully trying to spread her faith amongst the Zents for a dozen-odd years.

Lathander
Also known as The Morninglord, He is a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies. His symbol is a sun at Dawn over a grassy field.

Strive always to aid, to foster new hope, new ideas, and new prosperity for all humankind and its allies. Perfect thyself, and guard ever against pride, for it is a sacred duty to foster new growth, nurture growing things, and work for rebirth and renewal. Be fertile in mind and in body. Consider always the consequences of thine actions so that the least effort may bring the greatest and best reward. Wherever you go, sow seeds of plants, tend the growing things you find, and plant seeds of hope, new ideas, and plans for a rosy future in the minds of all. Whenever possible, see each dawn.

Cyric
Called The Lord of Three Crowns, The Mad God, and The Prince of Lies, He is the deity of strife and lies. His symbol is a white jawless skull over a purple sunburst.

Death to all who oppose Cyric. Bow down before his supreme power, and yield to him the blood of those that do not believe in his supremacy. Fear and obey those in authority, but slay those that are weak, of good persuasion, or false prophets. Battle against clergy of other faiths, for they are false prophets and forces who oppose the One True Way. Bring death to those that oppose Cyric's church or make peace, order, and laws, for only Cyric is the true authority and all other authority must be subverted. Break not into open rebellion, for marching armies move the false deities into action. Fell one foe at a time and keep all folk afraid, uneasy, and in constant strife. Any method or means is justified if it brings about the desired end.

Time and Distance

The year is 1368 DR. Our party sets out from Shadowdale on the third day of Ches (the equivalent of March). Spring is just beginning and there is still snow in the deep shadows of the forest. The mornings come with the bite of frost, but in clear weather the midday sun is warm enough to shed your coat.

The distance from Shadowdale to Dagger Falls is nearly 17 1/2 leagues. Staying on the road should make the going easier but there are still the hills near the decrepit ruins of Castle Daggerdale, and in some places the term 'road' is quite generous. With no delays it should take a gear-laden traveler 5-6 days to make Dagger Falls.

There is one wayside inn, The Garlic Braid, should one stop after a day's journey north of Shadowdale, but no other populated shelter until Black Switch save the odd farming commune (most of which are very distrustful of strangers).

The description immediatly brought this to mind:
Just this past March, we walked such a forest. It's an old road in the Apennine, the mountain ridge that runs through Italy, crossing from the headwaters of the Arno to those of the Tiber. We did not expect such cold weather. The worst was that some of the inns we stayed in had no heating in the bedrooms, so I really learned what it means to be cold and wet, despite our high-tech equipment.

P.S. What is a league in today's units?

Thanks Breila! That picture is actually a perfect description of the Rimwood area of Cormanthor (the area where Shadowdale is located). A forest of thin-spread predominantly pine with the odd pockets of willow and spruce dotting creek banks. There is little undergrowth save the occasional fern due to the soil's weak and sandy nature.

A league is ~5.5km or ~3 miles.