Valhingen Graveyard

Valhingen Graveyard
Located North of the city of Phlan on the opposite side of the River Stojanow, the Valhingen Graveyard was created some time in the cities distant past, and since that time has undergone a long history of use by various monsters, much like the rest of the city of Phlan.

Apearance
Valhingen Graveyard was noted for being dominated by a mixture of exterior gravesites and stone catacombs.

During the days of Phlan's occupation by the Lord of the Ruins (Pre-1340 DR) three of the major catacomb sites were dominated by spectres that specialized in the creation of skeletons, zombies, and wight's respectively. Near the back of the Graveyard was an old well that gave access to a pit that during that time served as a vampires den. Overall during this period the graveyard was a dark and menacing place, filled with undead monsters.

After the care of the graveyard was transferred to the Order of the Silent Shroud (1375 DR) they took great care to ensure that the graveyard was transformed from its once menacing apearance to a much more friendly garden style design. Gravel walkways, tall trees, and well tended beds of shrubs and flowers decorated an otherwise clean and sturdy landscape of tombstones and mausoleums.

It is unknown how deep or expansive the catacombs beneath the graveyard run, though it is clear that in the citys far past the catacombs beneath the graveyard linked to some catacombs beneath the city. After the fall of the city these pathways were caved in, as to ensure that the wandering undead that occupied the catacombs at that time did not have access to the civilized portions of the city. As of 1489 DR the only known accessway into the catacombs is through the Cloister of Kelemvor, where the Order of the Silent Shroud enter in order to enshroud the newly dead.

History
The graveyard is supposed to have been founded some time near the citys founding in 367 DR, and since that time has accumulated many generations worth of dead from the city. Low estimates claim the graveyard and underground catacombs hold over 100,000 bodies, though sages say it could also be several times more than that. This has made the graveyard a target for necromancers and other nefarious parties over the years, especially during the period when the city and graveyard was lost and uncontrolled by any civilized force.

Little is known about the graveyard's history prior to 1340 DR when it was cleared out by the Heroes of Phlan. It is clear that undead had taken root, and that the graveyard was ruled by three powerful specres and a vampire in 1340. The undead of the graveyard seemed to be self governing at that time, sending forces of zombies and skeletons across the river to fight both the forces of civilized Phlan and the monsterous forces of the Lord of the Ruins. When the heroes of Phlan defeated the vampire overlord of the graveyard they discovered a secret teleportation chamber in the catacombs that linked to a chamber hidden beneath Valjevo Castle.

After the reclaiming of the city the graveyard was left mostly undisturbed until the city was taken by the forces of Zhentil Keep in 1375 DR, and the care of the graveyard was given to a sect of Kelemvor worshippers known as the Order of the Silent Shroud. They over the course of the following years cleaned up and restored the graveyard, removing almost all remnants of its malicious past.

The graveyard was disturbed once again in 1489 DR when a Red Wizard of Thay named Rorreth assisted the Cult of the Dragon in attempting to create a tunnel through the catacombs to the subteranean chamber where the Pool of Radiance once stood. Their hopes was to revive the long dormant pool beneath Valjevo Castle. They were ultimately unsuccessful.

Novels

 * Pool of Radiance (novel)

Sourcebooks

 * Ruins of Adventure

Video games

 * Pool of Radiance (game)

Adventures/modules

 * Phlan During the Tyranny of Dragons (D&D Adventures Leauge, Accessed Jan 2015)