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For centuries, trade through the Witchwood used the Dawn Way, and the soldiers stationed at Vraath Keep were the primary defenders of the region. Their presence kept the road safe for merchants to travel.
A few years before the fall of Rhest, Amery Vraath inherited control of the keep. After the Rhestilor kingdom dissolved, Amery laid claim to the entire Witchwood and sought to rid his new domain of its evil reputation. Chief among his targets was a tribe of forest giants that dwelt deep in the woods that occasionally raided merchants on the road. The young lord gathered his forces and raided the lair of the giants, forcing them into the mountains. Yet their victory was short-lived, as a few days later the giant tribe returned and attacked Vraath Keep. Only a handful of soldiers fled with their lives to bring out the news that the keep was lost and Amery dead.
Rumors persist that Amery's ghost haunts the ruins and that those who dare to travel the Dawn Way at night say they sometimes hear the sounds of his anguished cries coming from somewhere deep underground.
If Dennovar is the eastern gateway to Elsir Vale, then the small town of Drellin's Ferry is the western. Once a dwarf-made bridge spanned the Elsir River here, but it was destroyed during an epic flood about a hundred years ago. Since that time, travelers on the Dawn Way have crossed by means of a ferry, from which the town gets its name.
In the high foothills of the Wyvernwatch Mountains lie the Hammerfist Holds, a half-dozen dwarf clanholds that occasionally trade with the humans of the vale. Each of the holds is a hamlet, home to a few hundred dwarves. The clanlord of the Hammerfirst clan is Othrek Hammerfist, a renowned dwarf fighter.
A trade city located on the shores of Lake Ern, Dennovar is the largest community in Elsir Vale. It's the eastern gateway to the vale, the first bit of civilization a weary traveler encounters after crossing the Golden Plains. Dennovar is noteworthy for the dozens of temples, both minor and major, that dot its streets.
One of the largest settlements in the vale, Brindol is a prosperous farming community and caravan stopover located along the Dawn Way on the south bank of the Elsir River. Orchards of apple and pear trees follow the river's winding shore, while broad grain fields and farm lands surround the town for miles in all directions. Brindol is the home of Lord Kerden Jarmaath, ruler over the lands of Elsir Vale. He resides in Brindol Keep.