Ardeep Forest

The Ardeep Forest, also known as the Faraway Forest, was a relatively small but thick woodland in northwest Faerûn. Elven scribes usually compounded the name to "Ardeepforest" in order to denote the forest as opposed to the realm that once encompassed a large part of the Sword Coast.

Geography
In the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the forest was a few miles east of Waterdeep, on the south bank of the River Dessarin. Three clearings in the northwest corner closest to Waterdeep were favorite rendezvous spots for clandestine lovers and runaways. The interior of Ardeep Forest contained many ridges and steep gullies that were hidden beneath thick vines, dense shrubbery, and cloaking mists that presented a danger to casual travelers. In addition, tunnels, cellars, and vaults constructed by dwarves during a time of alliance became pitfalls centuries later.

History
The forest was once much bigger than the extent shown on maps of the 14–century DR. In the Year of Oaths Forsaken, −626 DR, the trees extended unbroken (except by rivers) from Neverwinter Wood down through Kryptgarden Forest, Ardeep Forest, the Misty Forest, and ended in the Trollbark Forest north of the Troll Hills. Millennia before that, the forest was connected to what eventually became the High Forest.

The dwarvish contributions to the (eventual) hazards of Ardeep Forest were primarily built during the 6–century DR when the kingdom of Phalorm briefly flourished.

During the Retreat, begun in the Year of Moonfall, 1344 DR, the elves left behind many baelnorn and green warder guardians to protect the tombs of their ancestors and guard their legacy.

About a decade before the War of the Silver Marches, the inhabitants of the neighboring village of Nightstone, led by Lord Drezlin Nandar from Waterdeep, started making hunting expeditions into the forest in an attempt to reestablish the hunting lodge held there by House Nandar two centuries earlier. These incursions infuriated the few remaining elves. In the following years, the conflict escalated until the elves assaulted Nightstone and killed Drezlin. In the aftermath, his widow, Velrosa Nandar, made peace with the elves and pledged never to make any such expeditions into the forest again. She kept that promise until her death one year later when the cloud giants attacked Nightstone.

Rumors & Legends
Floating towers (including Maddgoth's Castle ) have been observed above Ardeep Forest over a good portion of its history. They were attributed to various mages and cloud giants but the owners rarely revealed themselves. Bard-spun yarns of ships from other worlds were also tavern favorites.

Somewhere in the eastern section of the forest were the remains of a desecrated elven tomb. As of the, all that was left above ground was a stone arch with a decrepit iron gate, and even the bones had been looted from the site. The arch was a one-way portal to the Crystal Labyrinth in Undermountain.

Notable Locations

 * The Crypts of the Deepening Moon
 * The royal vaults of abandoned Ardeep.


 * Dancing Dell
 * Contained a magical rock sacred to the followers of Eilistraee.


 * The Glen of Aloevan
 * The site of a portal that led to a pocket plane wherein lay the ghost of the maddened laranla (queen) and Chosen of Mystra and Sehanine, Embrae Aloevan. The site was guarded by an otherworldly dragon and the laranla's attendants, all priests of Sehanine.


 * The Floshin Estates
 * A lightly wooded expanse of land that bordered the forest proper. Elorfindar Floshin, lord of the lands, guarded the House of Long Silences from his secret fey'ri relatives in penance for his family's actions.


 * The Green Glade
 * a ring of elm trees that encompassed a minor mythal's effects.


 * Harpshield Lands / Dungeon of the Shield
 * Were owned by the Harpshield royal family, some of whose members survived the drow raids of, fled to Nimoar's Hold, and eventually became House Majarra, although they mostly forgot their royal lineage over the centuries. Their land bordered the southeastern ridge of the forest. The dungeon was beneath Harpshield Castle.


 * The House of Long Silences
 * Was located at the bottom of the northern spur of the forest.


 * House of Stone
 * A huge tower fallen to ruin just east of the forest contained Stoneturn Well that connected to the Underdark.


 * Nandar Lodge
 * The foundations of a hunting lodge that was abandoned by its stubborn owner after repeated elf attacks.


 * Phylund Hunting Lodge
 * Known for hosting hunts of exotic creatures, brought from elsewhere.


 * Reluraun's Tomb
 * The final resting place of a fallen elf warrior, cursed by evil magic during his final battle.


 * Talmost Keep
 * Located just outside the end of the forest's northern spur and was the royal seat of House Talmost, never reclaimed by its descendants.

Inhabitants
In 1358 DR, Strumferrel, a Tanar'ri posing as a evil human wizard named Glandowr, lived in a tower in the forest.

Traditionally, the Eldreth Veluuthra had been active in the forest. As of 1374 DR, two cells operated here, one hunted down worshipers of Eilistraee near the Dancing Dell and the Ladystone; and the other guarded the ruins of Phalorm.

By the 1480s DR, in the years surrounding the War of the Silver Marches, the forest was inhabited by a group of wood elves from Evermeet, led by Rond Arrowhome. The elves took it upon themselves to preserve the forest's ruins and wildlife.

Flora & Fauna
Thanks to the loamy ground, Ardeep Forest's vegetation was thick and healthy and aided the growth of mushrooms that glowed faintly. Visitors to Ardeep Forest either came to experience a truly untamed woodland or to seek privacy. It was a place with sun-speckled paths, parcels of deer, and pleasant verges among blueleaf, duskwood and weirwood trees. Deeper into the forest the vegetation became dense with shrubbery, cloaked in vines, shrouded in mists, home for wild boar, wolves, and the occasional owlbear. After the elves left, various monsters including assassin vines, tribes of kobolds, nyths, tendriculoses, thirsts of stirges, and other creatures moved into the forest. As of 1372 DR, patrols by rangers and the Harpers kept the larger predators and bandits from settling in the verges.