Volkumburgh Vale

Volkumburgh Vale was a valley nestled in the foothills of the Thunder Peaks, south of Thunder Gap.

Geography
Volkumburgh was a rugged, snowy valley. Where winters came early and were liable to have blizzards or ice storms. In the southern half of the valley stood Mount Drakkor Rouge, a semi-extinct and partially flooded volcano.

Notable Locations

 * College of Rune Magics, a school dedicated to the study and practice of rune magic. It was situated south of the valley on a wide natural ledge opposite the other college.
 * College of Shaping Magics, a school dedicated to the study and practice of item enchantment. It was situated south of the valley on a wide natural ledge opposite the other college.
 * Temple of the Dragon Oracle
 * Volkumburgh, a small rustic village of miners and sheep farmers nestled within the valley. All major paths and trails in the valley led to this village.

History
In 999 DR, the villa of the Cormyrian noble Lord Volkumburgh was established.

Around the 10 century DR, members of the Cult of the Dragon came to the Thunder Peaks area. While there, they carved out what would become the Temple of the Dragon Oracle on the central rocky landmass of Mount Drakkor Rouge, as witches among this cell believed that the sulfurous vapors within the crater's lava caves would help them to divine the future. Some time between the and the, some evil force overran the temple and forced the cultists to abandon it.

In the mid-12 century DR, King Proster Obarskyr ordered Volkumburgh's College of Shaping Magics to construct a new breed of stone golems, designed to help expedite his building projects. In later centuries, this information could only be found in a single obscure government document in Suzail.

Later that same year Volkumburgh Vale was sacked by that same golem, leading to the destruction of both the magic colleges within it.

Lord Volkumburgh's manor would be rebuilt as the Crimson Wyrm, while the rest of its remains were used to construct the small village of Volkumburgh. Later, some man would approach the lord and task him with hiding one of the golem's hands within the village, which he tucked away beneath its fountain.

Over the two centuries that followed their destruction, the residents of Volkumburgh would loot the ruins of the valley's colleges for valuables to either keep or sell. Many even considered it a right of passage to loot something sellable from the ruins.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Shattered Statue • TSR Jam 1999: "Vale of the Dragon Oracle"