Skull Gorge

Skull Gorge was a long gorge that ran along the northernmost stretch of the River Reaching in the Western Heartlands.

Geography
The gorge was located just northwest of the Sunset Mountains, with the Battle of Bones situated to the north, the Hill of Lost Souls to the north-west, and Darkhold due south. The Well of Dragons lay just east of Skull Gorge.

Geographical Features
Skull Gorge was very steep and narrow, appearing almost like a cut in the surrounding terrain, with its walls running almost to the edge of the River Reaching. The gorge's pale whitestone walls were pockmarked with caverns.

History
In the Year of Slaughter, 1090 DR, a massive orcish and goblinoid horde threatened to overrun the North, but was stopped by the combined forces of the goodly races at the site of the Battle of Bones. The diminished goblinoid survivors of the battle sought refuge at Skull Gorge&mdash;known as River Reaching Gorge at the time&mdash;hoping to use the area's many caves to hide out and tend to their wounds. However, they were pursued by an army comprising mainly humans who were intent on wiping out the horde entirely. A desperate last stand ensued, with the goblinoid forces summoning fiends to help them, including tanar'ri, bone devils, spined devils, and malebranche. A large disembodied and fire-wreathed skull was observed floating mid-air during the battle, scorching the attackers with its fiery breath. Although the orcs and goblinoids were utterly destroyed, many demons and devils outlived their summoners, forcing the victorious human army to swiftly abandon the gorge without looting the area. The sage Elminster Aumar later questioned the reports of extraplanar assistance, ascribing it rather to inspired illusion work, especially since the goblinoids were so decisively crushed. Whatever the case, the scale of the slaughter was immense, with only an estimated tenth of the original goblinoid army escaping back to the Goblin Marches. So many hobgoblins died at Skull Gorge that even 300 years later, their population across Faerûn remained at a historic low.

Rumors & Legends
Rumors told of hidden treasure in the caverns of Skull Gorge, hastily concealed by the orcish and goblinoid forces as they prepared to defend themselves. Although some few caches of treasure were found, most adventurers who sought these hidden riches never returned, falling prey to the dangerous creatures who made the gorge their home.

Among the tribes of the Goblin Marches, the warlord Izac Uthor was rumored to have escaped the battle at Skull Gorge alive. Some goblin elders believed he would one day return to lead his people, but few others took this seriously.

Inhabitants
In the 1350s and 1360s DR, the gorge was thought to be largely deserted, though Zhentarim patrols from the nearby Darkhold occasionally stopped there.

The Melial tribe of hobgoblins and orcs lived near Skull Gorge. Direct descendants of the survivors of the Battle of Bones, this tribe was noted for their unusual affinity for magic, and a high occurrence of lycanthropy.