Rothé Valley

Rothé Valley was a region of the Sword Coast North that comprised verdant farmlands and wilderness that was rich with life.

Description
Rothé Valley comprised a number of small villages and farmhouses situated around a well-secluded village. Despite living in separate farms, its people part of a larger community that shared a common way of life.

Geography
The valley was situated north of Neverwinter, and its lush fields were provided abundant water from the Never River. Its numerous farms and rural settlements were situated along the stretch of the High Road that connected Neverwinter to Cragmire Keep further north.

Government
As of the late 1490s DR, the famers of Rothé Valley looked to the senior Gunderson for leadership, a retired adventurer who served as mayor of Rothé Valley Village.

Defenses
Circa that same time, Rothé Valley was under the protection of the Neverwinter's Rangers, among them the vigilant elf Dassar Truebow.

History
"Uncle, if you are reading this, you must listen to my warning. Proceed no further, and leave us to our fate! The drow believe you were behind a raid on their slaving outpost that left one of their leaders dead...Uncle, I never doubted your stories, but even in your prime you wouldn't have a chance against what they have waiting for you."

- Excerpt from a letter from Cella Gunderson to her uncle.

Throughout Present Age, dating back at least to the mid–12 century DR, drow raided the villages and farms of Rothé Valley to capture slaves for their cities in the Underdark. Groups like the Emerald Enclave led forays into the drow slave tunnels in order to rescue these poor souls, but were not always successful. One such group sought to warn the surface world above in the, but were ultimately unsuccessful and the journals they kept about their forays into the Underdark were left behind.

During the early 15 century, in the, a tunnel opened up within the valley that some believed was a lingering effect of the Spellplague that ravaged Faerûn some 40 plus years prior. It turns out the tunnel was formed by a wandering wizard named Rucksam in order to more easily access some local farms, in a bat made with an old farmer named Fergus Gunderson.

Over half a century later, in the, a group of drow slavers led by Slave Lord Malaggath of House Xorlarrin established a hidden camp within a canyon that overlooked Rothé Valley. They captured villagers from local farms and sparsely-defended settlements, enslaving them in preparation for trade in the Underdark. Rothé Valley Village itself was threated by scores of drow-controlled spiders, among them the enormous arachnid referred to as the Daughter of Lolth.

The whole drow expedition against the valley was led by Sarkon'Iss, a drider prince from the subterranean settlement of New Xorlarrin. House Xorlarrin sought to cease the endless cycle of slave-gathering and establish a permanent settlement in the region, just as Ravel Xorlarrin had done over a decade prior. The drow slavers were driven away by the Hero of Sleeping Dragon Bridge, working alongside Mayor Gunderson himself, a ranger from Neverwinter named Dassar Truebow, and even the surface-dwelling drow named Imbros Irri'karr.

In the mid–1480s DR, a cell of the Cult of the Dragon sprang up in Rothé Valley. The Hero Sleeping Dragon Bridge returned to the area to investigate these cultists and their mysterious jars filled with lightning, and eventually defeat the blue dragon Venfithar.

Rumors & Legends
As of the late 13 century DR, local stories spoke of "shadow-people" that came up from underground areas to abduct people in the dead of night.

Notable Locations

 * New Xorlarrin, a drow settlement formed by House Xorlarrin at the uppermost edge of the Underdark beneath the valley.
 * Rothé Valley Village, the area's largest village and home to the presiding mayor.

Appearances

 * Video Games