BRECKEN VALE GAZETTEER

BY

JUSTIN HALLIDAY

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 1


Hero KidsTM copyright 2022 Justin Halliday
Hero Kids and Hero Forge Games
are trademarks of Justin Halliday
herokidsrpg.blogspot.com
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Hero Kids designed and written by Justin Halliday
Hero Kids covers, hero, and monster art by Eric Quigley
www.ericquigley.com
Additional art by James Shields and Dean Spencer
Printing Authorization:
This PDF document may be printed for personal use.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
Version: 1.0 (Build 95)
Changelog:
• Added new cover!
• Proofing and style revisions
• Added Lineages, Factions, and Encounters sections
• Expanded People of the Vale section
• Added Character Codex section
• Added Brecken Vale Campaigns section
• Expansions to the Rivenshore locations
• Yet more expansions to the Brecken Vale locations
• Updated Brecken Vale locations
• Updated Brecken Vale map
• Added Taxes, Tribute, Tariffs, and Toil section
• Added Deities section
• Added more character portraits and illustration
• Added color character portraits
• Added Calendar and Festivals
• Added Geography and Climate
• Added Law and Order, Culture and Custom
• Added Characters of the Vale
• Added Across the Vale section
• Added Rivenshore Locations section
• Added detail images of Rivenshore locations
• Added map of Rivenshore
• Restructured Gazetteer
Justin Halliday Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
People of the Vale 27
Alethia (Unicorn) 27
Araz (Clan Chief) 27
Brecken Vale 5 Aubrie (Elf Queen) 28
Across the Vale 5 Bern (Fisher) 28
1. Skritteland 7 Bree (Firestarter) 29
2. Darkenwold Woods 8 Brin (Farm Boy) 29
3. Myrland 8 Captain Silver-Beard (Pirate) 30
4. Brecken Bay 9 Drexanathon (Dragon) 31
5. Deepwood 9 Elija (Dragon Prince) 31
6. Druinhowe Mountains 10 Grimma (Apothecary) 32
7. Dragenhode Peninsula 12 H’Shala (Shaman) 32
8. Spyd Peninsula 12 Isabel (Queen) 33
9. Grivland 13 Lucien (King) 33
10. Drageskygge 14 Madge (Wise-Woman) 34
11. Ice-Bound Sea 14 Maeve (Innkeeper) 34
12. Havahitt 15 Mortain (Wizard) 35
13. Sletteland 16 Odin Father (Deity) 35
Othric (Jarl) 36
Rivenshore 17
Qadra (Marani) 36
Rivenshore Locations 17 Ratch (Brigand) 37
1. Crossroads 19 Roger (Innkeeper’s Son) 37
2. Town Square 19 Saffie (Farm Girl) 38
3. Block and Tackle Inn 20 Ser Morten (Knight) 38
4. Great Hall 20 Titus (Merchant) 39
5. Camarva River 21 Walt (Sheriff) 39
6. Market Square 22 Culture and Custom 40
7. Cemetery 22
Societal Structure 40
8. Apothecary 23
Law and Order 42
9. Blacksmith 23
Taxes, Tributes, Tariffs, and Toil 43
10. Common 24
Calendar and Festivals 43
11. General Store 25
Deities of the Brecken Vale 45
12. Mill 25
13. Pier 26 Geography 47
14. Watchtowers 26 Surrounds 47

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 3

Climate 48 Brecken Vale Campaigns 62
Polar 48 Adventures in Rivenshore 62
Temperate 48 Adventures in Skritteland 63
Arid 48 Adventures Across The Vale 64
Tropical 48 Pirates of the Drageskygge 65
Dragon-Ryke Saga 66
Lineages of the Vale 49
Dragonkin 49 Character Codex 67
Dwarves 49 Character Cards and Maps 69
Elves 50
Forest-Folk 51
Froglings 51
Halflings 52
Humans 52
Lizardkin 53
Orcs 53
Factions of the Vale 54
Brigands 54
City Guard 55
Commoners 55
Cult of Hydraxis 56
Dragon Cultists 56
Nature Protectors 57
Town Watch 57
Vale Encounters 58
Using Random Encounter Tables 58
Encounter Elaborations 58
Aquatic Encounters 59
Cave Encounters 59
Cemetery Encounters 59
City Encounters 59
Desert Encounters 60
Farmland Encounters 60
Forest Encounters 60
Mountain Encounters 60
Swamp Encounters 61
Tomb Encounters 61
Town Encounters 61

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 4

BRECKEN VALE ACROSS THE VALE
In a distant corner of the Varld lies the Brecken Vale. The Brecken Vale is divided into large regions:
The wide sweep of the Vale is cradled by the soaring 1. Skritteland
peaks of the Druinhowe Mountains. 2. Darkenwold Woods
The valley abounds in majestic places; ancient forests of 3. Myrland
gnarled trees, roaring rivers that surge with fish, boggy 4. Brecken Bay
swamps that sing with frog calls, mountains of snow-
5. Deepwood
topped pinnacles, and grasslands asway with winds
6. Druinhowe Mountains
carried from distant lands.
7. Dragenhode Peninsula
For the common folk who live in towns and homesteads,
the Vale provides safety. Here, they go about their day- 8. Spyd Peninsula
to-day lives far from the distant wars, protected from the
greed of ambitious tyrants. Beyond the Vale lie these regions:
To secure its peace, the adult folk of the Brecken Vale 9. Grivland (Lucien’s capital)
travel to distant lands. In those forsaken places, the 10. Drageskygge (pirate cove, swamp)
Vale’s warriors and shield-maidens pledge their swords, 11. Ice-Bound Sea
slings, and spells to the eternal battle against the armies 12. Havahitt (White Sea)
of darkness that would otherwise overwhelm the Varld. 13. Sletteland (grassland)
And yet, despite their efforts, the forces of chaos and
mayhem threaten to break the valley’s peace and enslave
its inhabitants.
These forces of chaos come to the Vale in raiding parties
over mountain passes, they twist the minds of beasts into
deranged mayhem, they crawl from dark fissures to
quench their thirst for blood.
With the adults absent, the job of protecting the Vale
falls to its brave youngsters; Hero Kids.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 5

 12

13

6 1

1. Skritteland
2. Darkenwold Woods 6
3. Myrland
4. Brecken Bay
5. Deepwood
5
6. Druinhowe Mountains
7. Dragenhode Pen.
8. Spyd Peninsula 4
9. Grivland
3
10. Drageskygge
7 10
11. Ice-Bound Sea
12. Havahitt 8
13. Sletteland
11
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 6
1. Skritteland
Skritteland – the stride lands – is the fertile and bountiful
lands in the heart of the Brecken Vale. Skritteland is
bounded by the western and northern ranges of the
Druinhowe Mountains, to the east by the edge of the
Darkenwold Woods, and to the south by the coast of
Brecken Bay.
This region is characterized by fertile grasslands that are
punctuated by low hills and thick forest copses. The
Camarva River runs down the middle of Skritteland, from
the great northern mountains to the bay.
Skritteland is roughly divided into the northern
Hoydlands, which are sparsely populated, and the
southern lands around Rivenshore, which are home to
most of the population of Skritteland.
To the south-west, the Skritteland gives way to the
ancient Deepwood, while to the south-east it merges into
the Myrland.
Rivenshore
The Vale’s largest town is Rivenshore. Rivenshore’s
founders chose a piece of land along the Camarva River,
surrounded by rich pastureland, and close to the edge of
the Darkenwold Woods. Proximity to these gave the
settlers ready access to water, food, pasture, and lumber.
Rivenshore is the hub of activity in the Brecken Vale. All
roads lead to the town, connecting the different regions
of the Vale and to the wider Varld beyond the mountains.
These roads meet in the center of Rivenshore.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Hoydland
The north of the Vale, where the land rises in hills and
highlands, is known as the Hoydland (high land).
The land here is sparsely populated, with only a few
lonely homesteads between the northern extent of the
Darkenwold and the rocky escarpments of the
Druinhowe Mountains’ northern range.
Once the North Road out of Rivenshore reaches
Hoydland, it becomes progressively less travelled. Along
the road’s meandering route, several smaller tracks split
off into the Darkenwold and to the Druinhowe
Mountains beyond.
As the road continues into Hoydland proper, it is
overgrown after years of disuse. The road dwindles to a
track as it traverses the gradually rising landscape.
Finally, grassland gives way to rocky escarpments and
shale as it winds its way up the mountains. Scholars of
history know this as Eagle’s Reach, the long-abandoned
pass over the Druinhowe Mountains to the north.
Twilight Watchtower: A farming family recently re-
occupied an abandoned farm in the north of the Skritteland.
Several weeks later, they send word back to Rivenshore
asking for help; their children have gone missing. When the
kids investigate, the farmers report seeing lights burning in
the ruins of a nearby watchtower. What will the kids find
when they investigate the twilight watchtower, and what
dangers will they face?
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2. Darkenwold Woods
The eastern edge of Skritteland is dominated by the
foreboding and impenetrable Darkenwold Woods. This
forest stretches from the middle of the Brecken Vale to
the eastern range of the Druinhowe Mountains.
The forest is crossed by two roads, the East Road, which
connects Rivenshore to the main pass over the east range,
and a smaller continuation of the North Road, which
bears east through the northern part of the Darkenwold.
These two roads constitute the only ‘tamed’ part of the
forest, and they are ever at risk of falling back into wild
growth without constant maintenance.
Rivenshore’s lumberaxes are careful not to venture into
the forest, and even more careful to take only trees
outside the forest for their needs, lest they anger the
Darkenwold’s primeval spirits.
The Darkenwold is home to all manner of animals and
beasts; from wild boar to giant spiders. And in its depths
it also sees hordes of rampaging goblins, bands of
opportunistic brigands, reclusive elven tribes, and
communities of humanoid forest folk.
Fraternity of Fair Forest Folk: Trouble is brewing in the
Darkenwold. Watch officers hear skirmishes in the dead of
night; yet the next morning there are no signs of battle. One
day, after such a night-time battle, a figure emerges from the
forest – a humanoid otter. The otter seeks audience with the
Jarl to ask for help. The fair forest folk – otters, badgers,
squirrels, and mouselings – are under siege from ratlings,
foxlings, and weaselkind, who would enslave them.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
3. Myrland
A day in the saddle on the South Road from Rivenshore
brings a weary traveler into the Myrland region on the
east side of Brecken Bay.
Here the land narrows, sandwiched between the widening
bay and the resolute mountains to the east. As it narrows
further south, Myrland earns its name. The land softens
underfoot as rivers empty into a vast swamp. The air is
heavy with humidity, thick with fist-sized dragonflies,
and aloud with animal calls.
Singing Swamp
The coastal lands adjacent to Brecken Bay give way to the
vast Singing Swamp, which stretches east to the lower
ranges of the Druinhowe Mountains.
The Singing Swamp is home to two communities of
creatures; warlike froglings and reclusive blackscale
lizardkin. The froglings are territorial and adversarial,
often raiding nearby homesteads and laying ambush along
the South Road. Comparatively, the blackscale lizardkin
are insular, and mainly remain in their stilted villages in
the swamp.
The Fetid Swamp: Travelers on the road past the Singing
Swamp find a badly wounded blackscale lizardkin. The
lizardkin’s swamp village has been raided by a frogling
warparty. Their lizardkin warriors have been defeated, and
many of their tribe carried off by the froglings to their lodges.
Will they help rescue the captured lizardkin?
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4. Brecken Bay
A large part of the Brecken Vale’s geographic favor is due
to the moderating impact of the Brecken Bay. The bay
tempers the Vale’s climate, provides abundant fishing
grounds, and protects the land from the wilds of the open
ocean to the south – the Ice-Bound Sea.
The Camarva River spreads into a small estuary at the
bay’s northernmost point. From there, the land of the
Vale wraps around the bay. At the southern section of
the bay, the two extents of the Vale narrow into the
Dragenhode Peninsula and the Spyd Peninsula.
Just a mile or two off the coast of the Dragenhode
Peninsula is a small island, Takenoy. This island is
avoided by sailors and fisherfolk alike. Their reasons are
lost in years of telling, but none foolish enough to
venture into the mists have ever returned.
Between Dragenhode and Spyd is The Chance, a narrow
stretch of water between Brecken Bay and the Ice-Bound
Sea. With each moon, large tidal flows surge in and out
of the bay, making this stretch of water a dangerous to
navigate. Yet, with this danger, The Chance also protects
the Brecken Bay from all but the most intent ocean-going
visitors, for good or ill.
Grim Offerings: A desperate delegation from Bayhaven
arrive in Rivenshore, begging for help. Their regular
‘offering’ to ‘the Beast’ has failed. They need cows, lots of
cows, and they need them transported to Takenoy Island
before their beast – Leviathan – returns.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
5. Deepwood
The heavily forested lands in the south-west of the
Brecken Vale are known as the Deepwood. Here, the
primal forest stretches across league after league, and age
after age.
At the border of the Deepwood, two small villages are
beacons of light in the shadow of the deep wilds. These
villages, Willowsdell and Bayhaven, are close together.
Bayhaven is located on the Brecken Bay coast, while
Willowsdell is a league farther into the forest.
Willowsdell is at the end of the road, the last settlement
before the Deepwood. Its semblance of order and safety
is a tiny point of light at the edge of the untouched wild.
In the dark heart of the Deepwood are creatures and
civilizations unchanged in millennia. Intrepid explorers
or lost travelers who’ve ventured into the depths of this
wood have reported fierce beasts – including massive
gorillas – as well as tribes of greenscale lizardkin.
The Heart of the Wild: Travelling fortune-hunters hire the
kids to protect their party as they delve deep into the forest;
their goal a closely guarded secret. After overcoming surging
rivers and long-dormant traps, the party reaches the ruin of
an ancient temple. Here, the party discovers the king of the
jungle, a massive gorillian, ancient like the Deepwood. The
fortune-hunters seek to capture the battle-scarred creature.
The kids face a choice; do they help the fortune-hunters
capture the gorillian, or do they side with the gorillian
against their travelling companions.
Justin Halliday Page 9
Bayhaven
The second largest settlement in the Brecken Vale is
Bayhaven, village on the western shore of Brecken Bay.
With the foreboding Deepwood a constant presence to
the west, Bayhaven’s hundred folk live their lives of
fishing, farming, forestry, and trading.
Treasure of the Deep: The kids are asked to investigate when
Bayhaven’s eponymous bay is choked with hundreds of
water beasts, preventing its fisherfolk from launching their
boats. It’s clear that there are too many water beasts for
them to be able to drive off, but why are they here? What
did one of Bayhaven’s fisherfolk haul in from the depths?
And when they open this underwater treasure, what will
they find? And when they do open it, how will they defeat
the deep beguiler that’s trapped inside?
Willowsdell
A few miles inland from Brecken Bay is the hamlet of
Willowsdell. This settlement is nestled at the edge of the
Deepwood. Its fifty residents live hard and isolated,
existing on fish and game, and ever wary of the
primordial creatures that inhabit the Deepwood.
Raiding Parties: Willowsdell, quiet since the run-in with
rogue lizardkin in The Lost Village, has recently been
subject to raids by kobold bands. Strangely, instead of
returning back to where they came, these kobolds are
heading to the south-east after their raids. They ask the kids
to protect them from the raids, and see where the kobolds are
going with their stolen supplies.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
6. Druinhowe Mountains
The west, north, and east ranges of the Druinhowe
Mountains encircle the Brecken Vale. The snow-capped
mountains peaks are often shrouded in cloud.
These mountains stand silent witness to the history of
the Brecken Vale; they are home to smoking volcanoes,
dwarven redoubts, played-out mines, dragons’ lairs,
legendary crucibles, isolated villages, abandoned keeps,
and treacherous passes.
For brave adventurers, greedy fortune-seekers, inquisitive
historians, and intrepid explorers, the Druinhowe
Mountains offer endless opportunities for their activities.
Any expedition into the mountains or accidental
deviation from the beaten path is sure to uncover an
undiscovered ruin from the ancient past or a tunnel
purposefully hewn into solid rock.
These mountains give the Vale its temperate climate and
feed its life-giving rivers. But they do more than just
regulate a pleasant climate; they also form a protective
barrier against threats from the west, north, or east.
Their rocky escarpments rise to impassable jagged peaks.
Just four mountain passes connect the Brecken Vale to
the rest of the Varld, one to the west, one to the north,
one in the north-east, and one in the east. These
mountain passes are narrow and treacherous. They afford
slow passage to careful travelers and merchant caravans,
but prevent large forces from easily entering the Vale.
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Sunset Pass (Western Pass)
The West Road from Rivenshore covers 15 miles –
perhaps just half a day on horseback – before it begins the
hard climb over the western range of the Druinhowe
Mountains. Once it reaches a plateau high in the range, it
splits, with one track bearing north towards Forstlys, and
the second continuing west, into the Sletteland.
Raiding Season: Goblin raiding parties are attacking
wagons and travelers crossing Sunset Pass. When the kids
investigate, they find that bugbears have set up camp in the
mountains, and are using the goblins to raid caravans.
Eagle’s Reach (Northern Pass)
If a traveler was to take the North Road beyond the
northern edge of the Darkenwold, and then managed to
locate and follow the remnants of the overgrown track
farther north, it would take them up and over the
northern range of the Druinhowe Mountains.
This path is known as Eagle’s Reach.
Eaglefast: At the highest point of the pass lies Eaglefast, an
ancient and long-abandoned keep, built across the pass itself.
Across generations, Eaglefast has fallen into disrepair. The
kids are sent to Eaglefast to reopen the pass to the north and
reconnect the Vale to the desert lands of Havahitt.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Dragon’s Pass (North-East Pass)
When heading on the North Road past the Darkenwold,
if the traveler turns east instead of continuing north, they
would reach Dragon’s Pass over the eastern range of the
Druinhowe Mountains.
Dragon’s Pass is named for its proximity to the mountain
lair of Drexanathon, sole protector and self-described
supreme ruler of the Brecken Vale.
Giant Steps: While patrolling Dragon’s Pass, the kids find
the road blocked by a massive rockfall. The rockfall has
exposed a hidden chamber inside the mountain. Within the
chamber is a strange stone-like structure, perfectly fashioned,
shaped like a faceted archway. If the kids interact with the
artifact, the portal activates. But where does it go?
Dawn Pass (East Pass)
The East Road from Rivenshore covers barely a league
before it enters the thick canopy of the Darkenwold
Woods. It’s almost a day’s travel through the
Darkenwold before the road emerges and climbs the
eastern range of the Druinhowe Mountains. This pass,
tight and steep, affords the Vale some protection from
the Grivland; the kingdom to the east.
Hydraxis Reborn: While the kids are stationed at an outpost
on Dawn Pass, a wagon-train of travelers approach from
Grivland. The travelers claim to be passing through on
their way to Sletteland. The watch commander, skeptical,
asks the kids to follow the caravan. In the depths of the
Darkenwold, the caravan turns onto an old path, in search
of an ancient temple, where they hope to revive Hydraxis.
Page 11
7. Dragenhode Peninsula
To the south-east of the Deepwood region, the land
narrows into the western peninsula that encircles Brecken
Bay. This is Dragenhode; the dragon’s head.
Dragenhode’s landscape has been scoured to hard rock by
icy winds from the south. The peninsula comprises
desolate sheets of jet-black obsidian. Over eons these
sheets have shattered, cracked, and spread, opening wide
chasms that plunge into dizzying darkness.
In the winter, the black rock is covered in snow drifts,
hiding the lethal chasms. In the summer, the rock bakes
under the scorching sun.
The rocky plain’s landscape appears devoid of life. But
the observant adventurer might spot a hardy shrub, that
has survived its scorching summers and freezing winters
or a timid rodent that emerges from some sheltered
crack.
The old folk tell legends of Dragenhode, that it was once
home to many generations of dragons.
Return of the Dragon: Many groups of kobolds have been
seen on the Dragenhode. They are drawn by the inexorable
pull of their dragon-kinship. In the Dragenhode, they
excavate a long-buried clutch of dragon eggs. The kobolds
transport the eggs back to the volcano to the west of the
Deepwood. Under the guidance of dragon cultists, the
kobolds incubate the eggs in the volcano’s molten lava
crucible.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
8. Spyd Peninsula
A traveler who follows the South Road is heartened to
know that they’ve survived the marshes of Myrland when
the road underfoot hardens as it turns west onto the Spyd
Peninsula.
Spyd is not as inhospitable as Dragonhode, but it is still
less temperate than the lands to the north. Spyd’s
southern coast is wind-swept, taking the full brunt of the
cold and snow that blow from the Ice-Bound Sea,
resulting in a bleak landscape of gnarled shrubs. Inland,
the peninsula is punctuated by sparse forests.
The old tales tell of the endless battle between tyrannical
dragons and the lesser inhabitants of the Vale. In the
telling, these struggles were powerful enough to shape
the land itself.
The dragons of legend we so terrifying and powerful that
they shaped the Dragenhode Peninsula in their image.
Those folk fighting for freedom from the dragons armed
themselves with a legendary weapon, the dragon spear,
the only mortal weapon powerful enough to wound a
dragon. The struggle of these common folk drew the
land into a narrow point, the spear of Spyd Peninsula.
Generation by generation, the struggles of dragons and
folk have receded into legend. Yet, to the south, the
spear of Spyd Peninsula is forever poised to strike
Dragenhode’s exposed nape.
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Barrowtombs
The South Road turns west and dwindles to a track as it
runs parallel to bay-side coast of the Spyd Peninsula.
On the south side of the road, a series of four mounds are
topped with wind-swept grasses and saltbush. These
mounds are burial barrows of ancient kings and queens,
from an age of legend.
A small industry of unscrupulous guides bring brave,
greedy, and foolish folk to the barrowtombs. This is
often a one-way trip, and those that survive return home
with tales of terror and – sometimes – valuable treasures.
Tomb Raiders: Adventurers come from far and wide to
delve into the barrowtombs to see what lies within. Inside,
the tombs’ mazelike tunnels are patrolled by flaming skulls
and laced with lethal traps.
Mortain’s Tower
Several days’ travel along the South Road, a weary traveler
will find themself at the base of a stone tower. This is the
home, study, and laboratory of the wizard Mortain.
Mortain is content here in his solitude, and the folk of
the Vale believe that he has chosen this location for that
reason alone. However, Mortain has other reasons.
From this base, he works to unlock the secrets of the
nearby barrowtombs.
Ravage of the Dragon: As a new Dragon King rises in
Grivland, Mortain has discovered the secret that unlocks the
route through the barrowtomb. He believes the legendary
dragon spear will be found in its depths, protected by a
terrifying guardian.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
9. Grivland
To the east of the Brecken Vale lies Grivland. Where the
Vale is sheltered and constrained, Grivland is vast,
sprawling, and expansive.
To the north of Grivland, lie the high plateau deserts of
Havahitt. To the south, the Ice-Bound Sea roils and
heaves. To the west, the Druinhowe Mountains cut
Grivland off from the Brecken Vale. To the east,
Grivland’s settled and ordered lands progressively give
way to the frontier of the wildlands. These wildlands are
barely explored, uncharted and ungoverned.
To protect its borders, Grivland relies on an array of
isolated guard towers that punctuate its borders with the
Brecken Vale and Havahitt. These guard towers watch
over the trade road from the Vale and the great red rock
escarpment that delineates the border between Grivland
and Havahitt.
Long ago the Vale’s warriors and shield-maidens held
back a Grivland invasion, forcing a stalemate. The
stalemate ended when Brecken Vale pledged to Grivland,
offering ongoing tribute in return for autonomy.
Grivland’s most recent king Lucien, a descendent of the
legendary dragon kings, rules over a loose collection of
jarls, chieftains, maranis, earls, and marquise. These allied
countries pay tribute and contribute soldiers to protect
the wider realm from distant threats.
But all is not well in Grivland. The bloodline of the
dragon kings has awakened, and seeks to re-establish its
dominion over Grivland, and over dragons.
Page 13
10. Drageskygge
To the south of Grivland, sandwiched between the
eastern range of the Druinhowe Mountains and a stretch
of ocean that sweeps around from the south, the
Drageskygge region lives in the shadow of dragons.
While its geography protects Drageskygge from dangers
from afar, not all dangers come from afar. Lying so
distant from the seat of power in Grivland, and without
an honest and steadfast leader, Drageskygge has fallen to
dangers from within.
Corruption has driven Drageskygge into disarray and
lawlessness. Its leaders, officials, and officers now work
only for their own enrichment and gratification.
Banditry is rampant, both within its borders and further
afield. Pirates set out from its ports, preying on shipping
and coastal settlements near and far.
At the far south of Drageskygge, a lonely river widens
into a secluded cove. The cove’s sweeping peninsula
protects it from the churning waters of the Ice-Bound
Sea and its deep waters offer an ideal location for a
clandestine anchorage.
Law of the Land: Lucien, the king of Grivland, has ordered
a contingent of the Vale’s law officers to Drageskygge to
restore law and order. Their first job; chase the bandits from
the roads, then break up their raiding camps.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
11. Ice-Bound Sea
The wine-dark waters of the Ice-Bound Sea forever toss,
surge, and roil. The frigid wind blows sleeting mist from
the slab-sided waves. Atop this maelstrom ride titanic
icebergs, calved from some fabled frozen land even
farther south.
Those crews brave, foolish, or desperate enough to sail
the Ice-Bound Sea must avoid the jagged rocks of the
southern coastline. Yet, in avoiding the hazardous
coastline, crews put themselves in the path of giant
icebergs. A freak wave, howling wind, or inattentive
watch officer threatens to dash their ship to splinters.
Canny crews chart a course close to the coast, careful to
circumvent collisions with colossal cliff-like chunks.
Leviathan, Bane of the Seas
Those crews that avoid treacherous coastlines and
crushing icebergs face a final threat – Leviathan – that
monstrous sea serpent that ranges across the sea in search
of its next meal or treasure for its hoard.
Ice-Bound Lair
Terrified sailors, calming their nerves in the safety of
land-locked inns, tell of a massive iceberg with a triple-
masted galleon iced within (complete with frozen crew).
Cursed Treasure: The frozen galleon is icy lair and treasure
hoard of Leviathan. Worse, the creature’s treasure hoard
holds the key to breaking the ghost pirates’ curse. To lift
their curse, they must recover a mythical item from
Leviathan’s floating lair.
Page 14
12. Havahitt
Havahitt – the White Sea – lies beyond the northern span
of the Druinhowe Mountains.
Those few travelers who manage to find a path that leads
to Eagle’s Reach, are rewarded with a view that sweeps
from west to east; sand-dunes, rocky crags, soaring
mesas, teetering pillars, and ragged crevasses.
From these soaring heights, above the sun-baked mirage,
adventures might glimpse a distant oasis city to the
north-east, and to the north-west, an alabaster-white
tower rising from the sands.
Foolish and unprepared travelers who stray or venture
into the White Sea will – sooner or later – succumb to
one of its dangers; giant scorpions, fech fech, or the plain
old-fashioned dehydration.
The White Sea is home to nomadic clans, who expertly
navigate the seemingly featureless desert dunes and flats.
A fool on the brink of death might have a change of
fortune if discovered by such a clan.
These clans’ survival relies on their herds of livestock,
whether hardy camels or ‘tame’ scorpions. The clans
roam the deserts, moving between reliable food and water
sources, depending on the season.
All clans herd camels for their hardiness, milk, and
sometimes their meat. But some clans have managed to
capture and control the desert’s giant scorpions. These
scorpions are even more belligerent than camels, but they
combine this unruliness with their lethal claws and
venomous stinger.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
Al Ain
In the lifeless expanse of the White Sea lies a miraculous
valley, an oasis that abounds in vegetation fed from an
underground aquifer.
Over the centuries, the nomadic people settled around
the oasis, and this settlement grew into a thriving desert-
town. Now, its mud-brick walls rise from the desert
sands, protecting its folk from the sand-storms and
dangerous monsters of the White Sea.
Emissaries: Following the reopening of Eagle’s Reach pass
over the northern range of the Druinhowe Mountains, Jarl
Othric sends an envoy to Al Ain. Two seasons have passed
and the envoy has not sent word. Sheriff Walt sends the kids
to Al Ain to find the envoy.
Alabaster Tower
Curious or greedy travelers who glimpse the radiant
white tower rising from the desert sands might decide to
set off in search of it.
After days criss-crossing the desert, delirious with thirst,
burned by the relentless sun, and on the brink of death,
the travelers curse the magic that shrouds the tower from
their search.
The wizard Sal’Darin resides in the tower, and he doesn’t
like visitors.
Alabaster Tower: Mortain has a terrible dream about his old
friend – Sal’Darin – who occupies the Alabaster Tower. He
sends the kids over the Druinhowe Mountains with a magic
compass that points the way to the Alabaster Tower. But the
tower is protected by fierce elementals to dissuade visitors.
Justin Halliday Page 15
13. Sletteland
West of the Brecken Vale, over the western range of the
Druinhowe Mountains, stretch vast grassland expanses.
The Sletteland plain stretches west from the foot of the
mountains until it terminates at the sandy shores of
Logrinn, an expansive fresh water lake. Sletteland is split
by a river into northern and southern sections. The river
meanders from the Druinehowe Mountains, through
Sletteland and empties into Logrinn.
The northern range of Sletteland is bordered to the north
and east by mountain ranges, south by the river, and to
the west by Logrinn. This range is home to herds of
bison, and deer, and also the region’s orcish clans; the
Slettelords.
Forstlys
Nestled in the western foothills of the Druinhowe
Mountains is Forstlys, a trading town at the intersection
of trade routes between the Brecken Vale, Sletteland, and
the western reaches of the Havahitt desert.
Forstlys draws its name from the moment when the sun
rises above the jagged mountain peaks, and its first rays
bathe the town with their warmth.
As a trading town at the intersection of three major
routes and at the conjunction of mountains, grasslands,
and deserts, Forstlys brings together inhabitants from
each of those areas: dwarves from their mountain holds,
orcs from their grassland steadings, and humans from the
Havahitt and the Vale.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Slettelords
From the elevated heights of the Druinhowe Mountains,
northern Sletteland stretches into the distance in uniform
regularity. Yet, once on the grassland, its variation and
features soon reveal themselves. The grassland is traced
with well-worn travel routes and narrow river tributaries,
punctuated by rocky outcrops and hidden dells, and
home to migratory herds of wildlife and their predators.
Interweaved throughout this landscape and its wildlife are
the outposts and steadings of the orcish Slettelords.
Stolen Horses: The Slettelord chief Araz claims that the
horses belonging to a missing hunting party have shown up
for sale in Forstlys. He asks the heroes to find his clan
members and bring them home.
Badlands
While the northern reach of Sletteland is abundant and
stable, southern Sletteland is out of balance. In its midst
is a swamp of befouled waters, twisted trees, and hideous
creatures, all shrouded in a choking miasma.
Rise of the Dragon: The Slettelords ask the heroes to help
them find the source of the corruption that is afflicting the
swamp. The kids discover a river of ichor-thick sludge
running into the swamp from the volcano to the south.
What is the source of this corruption? As they follow the
river of sludge, they find that it runs from the volcano that
towers above this range of the Druinhowe Mountains.
Inside, they find a cave where kobolds, under direction of a
scarred human in dragon-scale armor, bath onyx-black
dragon eggs in lava-heated water, turning it black and vile.
Page 16
RIVENSHORE RIVENSHORE LOCATIONS
Rivenshore is the cultural, military, political centre of the The notable locations in Rivenshore include:
Brecken Vale. It’s the largest town in the Vale. Yet, even 1. Crossroads
as the Vale’s main town, Rivenshore and its surrounds are 2. Town Square
home to just a few hundred people. 3. Block and Tackle
Rivenshore’s location is ideal, it’s situated on flat and 4. Great Hall
fertile land, somewhat inland to avoid the worst of the
5. Camarva River
weather blowing from the south, on the river for access
6. Market Square
to fresh water and the fishing grounds of Brecken Bay,
equally distant from the west and east passes over the 7. Cemetery
Druinhowe Mountains, and close to the Darkenwold 8. Apothecary
Woods and other smaller sources of timber and stone. 9. Blacksmith
The date of Rivenshore’s initial settlement is lost in time. 10. Common
Its houses are built on the foundations of earlier houses, 11. General Store
their walls built from stones excavated from ruins, layer 12. Mill
upon layer, generation after generation, back into time. 13. Pier
Without good records, the town’s history is marked by 14. Watchtowers
the Jarls of each era. The counting of Jarls extends back
over two hundred years. Some old-timers claim to know
the names of Jarls even further back, but these claims are
treated with quiet bemusement.
In spite of its favored location, Rivenshore’s history is
not one of pastoral idyll. Its place in the Varld is forever
under threat, as evidenced by the ruins of older towns
buried just a few feet underfoot. The inhabitants of
distant towns and homesteads rely on Rivenshore to send
help when under threat, or as a place of refuge when the
threat grows too great.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 17

 1. Crossroads
14 2. Town Square
3. Block and Tackle
7
4. Great Hall
5. Camarva River
6. Market Square
7. Cemetery
12
14 8. Apothecary
6 9. Blacksmith
5 10. Common
8 11. General Store
11 3
9 12. Mill
13. Pier
14. Watchtowers
4

1
2
13

10
14

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 18

1. Crossroads
The four main roads of the Brecken Vale intersect here,
bounded by the Town Square, the Common, merchant
Titus’ manor house, and the Blacksmith’s workshop.
East Road
The East Road winds through rolling pasture for a league,
then enters the Darkenwold Woods.
North Road
The North Road follows the Camarva River north then
branches through Hoydland and the Darkenwold Woods.
South Road
The South Road turns south-east immediately after
leaving Rivenshore, and then south after several leagues.
West Road
Once beyond Rivenshore, the West Road winds between
low hills before reaching the Druinhowe Mountains.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
2. Town Square
The stone-paved Town Square is the centre of
Rivenshore; it’s immediately adjacent to the Crossroads
where the Brecken Vale’s four main roads intersect.
The square is flanked by the Block and Tackle Inn to the
north and the Great Hall to the east. In the center of the
square stands a statue of Rothgar, the lost king.
The Town Square is the location for important
assemblies. When the town folk are rallied to welcome
returning warriors or for important speeches from the
Jarl, they meet here in the Town Square. Alternatively,
markets use the Market Square to the north, and festivals
often use the wide common to the south.
Fallen King: The morning after a thunderstorm of fighting
gods, the kids discover the statue of Rothgar sundered by
lightning, revealing stairs descending into darkness beneath.
Page 19
3. Block and Tackle Inn
The Block and Tackle inn sits to the north of the Town
Square and to the south of the Market Square.
Maeve, Yarrik, and their son Roger run this business.
The ground floor houses the common room, kitchen, and
stores. The upper floor has rooms for the inn’s owners
and lodging for guests. The basement below the inn
holds the town’s sizable supply of fortified beverages, and
a similarly sizable supply of sizable rats. At its rear, the
inn has a walled courtyard for stabling horses.
Rough and Tumble: One evening while the kids are serving
revelers in the Block and Tackle, they suddenly realize that
all of the adults are unconscious at their tables. Worse, one
table of adults are still awake; it’s Ratch and his band of
troublemakers, who’ve poisoned the ale. The kids are the
only thing stopping their mischief.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
4. Great Hall
Rivenshore’s Great Hall stands to the east of the Town
Square. Massive stone steps rise from the Town Square
up to the hall’s towering wooden doors.
From the Great Hall, the Jarl rules over the Vale. The
Vale’s karls – its normal folk – gather here for rowdy
feasts around the Great Hall’s roaring fire.
The Jarl’s wooden throne is carved from a single tree
trunk. A massive tree stood here in Rivenshore’s earliest
days. Lightning struck the tree, and Rivenshore’s karls
carved the throne from the shattered stump.
But the throne is vacant more than not. The Jarl is
absent, leading Rivenshore’s warriors and shield-maidens
in battle against distant threats.
Jarls Jr: While sitting steward on the throne, the kids must
deliberate on petty grievances bought by the townsfolk.
Page 20
5. Camarva River

The Camarva River runs south from the Hoydland (the

northernmost lands of the Brecken Vale) through the
heart of the Vale to finally empty into Brecken Bay.
The river runs past Rivenshore on its journey through the
Vale. Here, as it passes, the river is crossed by a bridge
that marks the beginning of the West Road. The Vale’s
fishers and traders tie their boats at a small pier just south
of the bridge.
Treasure Chest: While fishing off the covered bridge, the
kids snag something big. Investigating, they find that
they’ve hooked an ancient chest. When they haul the chest
out of the water, and evade or trigger its traps, they reveal a
bed of treasure, with a pile of bones laid on top. But these
bones won’t give up their treasures without a fight.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 21

6. Market Square
In the Market Square locals sell produce, materials, and
goods from stalls and tents made from brightly-colored
canvas.
The Market Square is centered around the town well.
The well is a natural gathering place for locals to meet
and catch up as they go about their days.
Deeper Delving: Following the events of Darkness Neath
Rivenshore, the well has supplied water without fail. Now,
slimes, rats, and worse, have started to emerge from the
ruins beneath Rivenshore. What could have driven them
out of their lairs?
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
7. Cemetery
Rivenshore’s cemetery is situated on a small rise just
north of town.
The cemetery is the final resting place for generations of
Rivenshore inhabitants. Behind it’s stone walls, the
cemetery field is a jumble of graves and headstones, as
well as two large mausoleums.
One of the mausoleums is the Tomb of the Lost King,
and is said to be haunted by the restless spirit of Rothgar.
The identity of the occupant of the second mausoleum
remains a mystery.
Night of the Dead: Ratch and his band have been robbing
graves again. When night falls, and the full moon shines, the
dead rouse from their slumber. But the shambling dead
won’t stop until they are reunited with their stolen treasures.
Page 22
8. Apothecary
Tucked in the trees alongside the side track from the
Town Square to the Market Square, sits Grimma’s
Apothecary. From the smoky haze of his small shop,
Grimma sells all manner of dried herbs, ointments,
tonics, powders, reagents, potions, tinctures, and salves.
The ground floor of this building is split between
Grimma’s cramped shop and a work area where he creates
his wares. The upstairs attic is given to a small bedsit and
book-piled study.
Taste Testers: Grimma has made up a bunch of fun potions
for an upcoming festival, but he’s mixed up the labels. He
asks the kids to help identify the potions by sampling each to
see what they do. What will they find, and how will the
potions react when the kids mix them together.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
9. Blacksmith
The north-west corner of the Crossroads is occupied by
the blacksmith’s workshop and home. From here, the
ringing of the blacksmith’s hammer striking the anvil
echoes across the Town Square.
The blacksmith’s shop is built around his forge, a huge
stone fireplace and furnace where he smelts ore to
fashion household goods, tools, weapons, armor, farming
equipment, bridlery, and horseshoes.
A Legend Reforged: An ancient weapon has been found, but
it is broken. To repair the weapon, it must be reforged in an
enchanted forge. Such a forge exists deep in the mountains,
inside a dwarven redoubt. The kids must escort the
blacksmith to the dwarven forge, and protect him from the
forces that want the weapon for themselves, at any cost.
Page 23
10. Common

To the south-east of the Crossroads, stretches the town’s

Common. This grassy pasture is usually grazed by sheep
and cattle, and regularly hosts town festivals.
To the east and south of the Common, its cropped grass
gives way to cultivated cropland, and fenced pasture.
Beyond this farmland rise the towering ancient trees of
the Darkenwold Woods.
Pumpkin-Ween: The Rivenshore Common hosts the annual
Hallowseve festival, featuring pumpkin growing and
carving competitions. Farmers from near and far bring
their best pumpkins. During the day, the kids compete to
carve the most terrifying pumpkin. As night falls, the town
is terrorized by a pumpkin monster, its head the winning
pumpkin from the carving competition.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 24

11. General Store
Rivenshore’s General Store sells sundry equipment and
provisions. The storefront sits on the north side of the
West Road, between the Crossroads and the bridge over
the Camarva River.
The store’s proprietor, merchant Titus, lives with his
family in the house to the south-west of the Crossroads.
Bargain Hunter: Titus, the bargain hunter that he is, has
purchased a magnificent suit of armor for display in his
house. Unknown to him, the armor is actually a helm
knight, instructed to kill its owner. That night, the helm
knight activates and Titus and his terrified family flee from
their house. Can the kids defeat the helm knight before it
carries out its grim orders, or can they find another way to
fulfill the armor’s mission.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
12. Mill
As the dependable waters of the Camarva River pass, they
catch on wooden paddle and turn the wheel of the Mill.
Inside, the mill shaft drives a huge stone wheel that
crushes grain to flour.
Harvest Champions: It’s harvest time in the Vale. The kids
are challenged to see how much wheat they can harvest,
transport, thresh, and grind. Each step of the process relies
on a different skill, challenging the kids to the find the best
approach. Against their opponents, another team of kids,
they’re competing for the title of Harvest Champions.
Page 25
13. Pier
Rivenshore’s fisherfolk and those infrequent sea traders
who make their way across the Brecken Bay moor their
boats at the pier that extends out into the Camarva River.
The pier is frequently the centre of the townsfolk’s
attention as shipments arrive from Bayhaven – or even
further afield. While simple fishing hauls warrant a
cursory glance, trading tenders unloading crates and
barrels from distant lands can draw a larger crowd.
Monkeys! The kids are drawn to the pier as a heavily laden
trade barge rows upriver. The traders reveal their cargo,
stacked wooden cages of exotic animals; monkeys, birds,
snakes, and more. That night, the traders release the
monkeys, who swarm the town stealing anything precious
they can get their grabby hands on!
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
14. Watchtowers
Members of the Rivenshore watch keep lookout from
these four watchtowers. The towers are situated to the
north, east, west, and south of the town, providing good
visibility of all approach routes towards Rivenshore.
Third Watch: For the third night running, wolves have
been prowling the outskirts of Rivenshore, looking for
weaknesses in the town’s defenses. Tonight, the kids are on
watch on one of the watchtowers. Ahead of their watch, the
kids are offered a selection of potions and items (night-
vision, long-shot, bombs, torches, etc). With their selected
items, and the watchtower’s mounted ballista, can they hold
off the wolves’ attacks.
Page 26
PEOPLE OF THE VALE Araz (Clan Chief)
The vast grassland plains of
Alethia (Unicorn) Sletteland are home to orcish
In the deepest reaches of the horse-clans, the Slettelords,
Darkenwold, under the thick and each of these clans is
canopy of eons-old trees, led by chief.
untouched by the trappings Araz is the chief of the
and artifices of civilization, largest of the Slettelord
are pristine remnants of clans. Its several hundred
primal wilds. clan members and their huge-
Here, in dappled glades bred horses live in a steading in
damp grottoes, sunken dells, the northern reach of Sletteland. The steading’s palisade
and twisted thickets, live walls protect the village from raids from Havahitt to the
animals and beasts in their north, and from the badlands to the south.
primordial state. The balance of this The orcish Slettelords hunt across the slette, the
natural world is overseen by Alethia, the protector of the expansive grassland plains, and trade crafts, furs, meats,
Darkenwold. She holds back the relentless forces of and horses at Forstlys.
chaos and wanton savagery. Common phrases:
Common phrases: • “The slette is our home, our provider, and our
• “Small ones, step lightly in the deep forest.” protector. We take what we need, no more.”
• “The peace of the forest requires constant vigilance.” • “Our best horses are as much part of the clan as our
• “There is primordial power in natural places, and that best hunters.”
power is lost when those places are defiled.” • “The Slettelord hunting parties who’ve ventured the
Call of the Wilds: The kids’ sleep is wracked with south have fought strange beasts of corrupted flesh.”
nightmares of trouble in the forest, visions of the unicorn, Red Harvest: An entire herd of bison has been massacred on
and pleas for help. Long-dormant evil rises in the lost the slette, the carcasses half-eaten and strewn among the
depths of the Darkenwold; Hydraxis returns. trampled grasses. Was this the work of a raiding party or
some massive creature?

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 27

Aubrie (Elf Queen) Bern (Fisher)
Aubrie is the queen of an elf Bern’s small fishing boat is usually
tribe who live in a secluded moored at the pier on the Camarva
treetop enclave, hidden in the river. From here, he sails down to
northern-most reach of the the bay to fish.
Darkenwold Woods. When he’s not fishing, Bern is
Deep in the woods, the elves often found on the pier tending
live in nature. Aubrie lives to his boat, sorting his catch, or
closer than the rest; simply whiling away his time.
effortlessly moving between Bern lives in a riverside shack, just
the realms. Their gifts place downstream from the West Road
elves at the intersecion of realms, bridge.
one step each way to the gods, the Bern’s shack is easily identified by the rows of
primal world of nature, the courts of the fey, and the drying racks out the front. At the end of fishing season
world of mortal folk. These same gifts burden elves with these racks are loaded with fish drying for winter.
the sadness, as they watch their friends pass beyond Common phrases:
mortal life, and the natural world diminishes with each
• “I wouldn’a want to be out in this kind of weather.”
passing generation.
• “Watch your head as we come about. I don’ wanna be
Common phrases:
fishing ya out too.”
• “It is forbidden for us to bring you to our realm.”
• “Keep ‘at line tight, we’ve got the runna t’ wind.”
• “The wind speaks your name. The trees remember
Island of Mist: The kids are enlisted to search for Bern the
your ancestors.”
fisher after a fierce storm. They sail across the bay, and as
• “Your lives are so short; yet you squander your time they near the mist-shrouded Takenoy Island, they find signs
on petty matters.” of his wrecked boat. Dare they enter the mist to rescue their
Fallen Giants: Having cut down their trees in Grivland, friend?
loggers cross the Druinhowe Mountains and fell trees in the
Darkenwold Woods. Aubrie and the elves demand the kids
help to drive them back to Grivland and restore the forest.

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Bree (Firestarter) Brin (Farm Boy)
Bree is an orphan girl and wielder Brin is the older brother of
of fire magic so powerful that even Saffie. Their family live in an
she struggles to control it. isolated homestead on the
After the great fire in north-east road that runs
Rivenshore, Bree was taken in through the Drakenwold.
by one of the town’s families. Like others raised in the
Since then, she has worked to wider Vale, Brin has a simple
help rebuild the town’s education. From an early age
buildings and repair the he’s helped his family work
damage from the fires. their farm.
Now that she’s older, Bree has In the recent past, Rivenshore kids helped deliver Brin to
found her place helping to wrangle a local healer when he was victim of a wolf bite.
the younger kids. Common phrases:
When she sees a child who shows the same ability to • “Folks ain’t much different than sheep, and smell
control fire that she has, she takes them under her wing about the same.”
to train them to use their powers. • “There’s wolves in the Darkenwold, and not all of ‘em
Common phrases: are the animal kind.”
• “I ain’t gonna stand round watching you young ‘uns • “Saffie’s just ‘bout the loudest thing I ever met.”
going through what I did.” • “I don’t take much to people, prefer my own
• “I ain’t one for forgettin’, I’m for gettin’ even.” company.”
• “Ya gotta reach in quick and grab and just send it out The Hunger: Local farmers call on the kids to find out who
and boom!” has decimated their chickens and made off with yearling
Bree’s Bullies: Bree’s bullies, grown now, have joined goats. Following telltale wolftracks, the kids find Brin
Ratch’s band of brigands. She’s tracked them to an asleep in a clearing. Around him are strewn animal
abandoned homestead in the north of the Vale, from which remnants. It turns out that Brin wasn’t bitten by a wolf; it
they’ve been raiding nearby farms. She asks the kids to help was a werewolf. And as the moon waxes, his hunger grows
her run them off; and teach them a lesson at the same time. relentlessly.

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Captain Silver-Beard (Pirate)
In the lawless lands of Draggeskygge, it takes self-
confidence and moral flexibility to fight and connive and
convince their way to captain a own ship of their own.
One such individual is Silver-Beard, the captain of the
Dauntless and its rabble crew.
In his rise to the top, a young venturer called Wilco Stede
grifted across the Varld, until he found his place in
Draggeskygge. Here, he gathered a crew, raided and stole
until he had built a force powerful enough to steal a ship
to call himself captain. Along the way, he and his crew
were cursed. In the decades since, they have tried to find
the cause of the curse so that they can make amends.
Common phrases:
• “Crew, it’s time to throw off this curse, and settle
down on a patch of dirt somewhere.”
• “The creaking and cracking you hear is not just the
Dauntless, that’s our weary bones.”
• “Our crimes are long past, our victims buried under
dusty headstones, yet our punishment continues.”
Cursed Pirates: In the bright sun of a summer day, without
stealth or guile, the pirate ship Dauntless sails into Brecken
Bay and sets anchor at the mouth of the Camarva River. Its
landing party beg audience with representatives of the Vale.
They explain that they tire of cursed piracy, and beg for help
to lift the curse that prevents their death.

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Drexanathon (Dragon) Elija (Dragon Prince)
From time to time the Elija is the the crown prince of
residents of the Vale are Krivland, the son of King
startled by a shadow Lucien and Queen Isabel.
passing overhead. They His mother’s bloodline is
scan the sky, favored by strong in Elija, and he has
the sight of the great studied deeply and trained
dragons Drexanathon tirelessly to reclaim his
and Algoxarth as they glide birthright; the crown of the
above the Vale’s snow- Dragon King.
capped peaks. But Elija’s brash and impulsive
These two golden dragons have laired in a volcano high in approach failed when he first attempted to capture
the Druinhowe Mountains for hundreds of years. Drexanathon and Algoxarth’s young hatchling, resulting
From their dizzying vantage, they see the affairs of in his plunge into the lava of the dragon’s lair.
common folk as unworthy their concern. Ancient and Common phrases:
timeless, they claim ultimate dominion over the Vale, • “I am the dragon prince; bow down before me!”
largely ignoring the petty squabbles of the people below.
• “I was reborn of fire and fury.”
Common phrases:
• “The bloodline of the dragon kings is strong. Not
• “Who among you iss your new leader?” even death can stop us.”
• “Your livesss here are nothing but a heartbeat to me. Dragon Cult: Townsfolk from Rivenshore, Bayhaven, and
In a moment, I can wipe clean the Vale.” Willowsdell report strangers in their towns, asking questions
• “We dragons are like the sky and the ground, we were about long-lost weapons and artifacts.
here before you, and we will be here after you…”
Snacks: A local cattle farmer reports the theft of his entire
herd. When the kids investigate, they find that one of
Drexanathon’s young wyrmlings has taken the entire herd to
eat. Can they convince this young dragon not to eat the
cows, or do they need to talk to its parents?

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Grimma (Apothecary) H’Shala (Shaman)
Grimma is Rivenshore’s healer and The Deepwood’s resident tribe of
herbalist; its apothecary. greenscale lizardkin has been riven
In his cramped and smoky by internal conflict. In this
apothecary shop, he prepares turmoil, the tribe’s shaman
medicinal cures, lotions, H’Shala overthrew the chieftain
tinctures, potions, salves, and and led the lizardkin to capture
incenses. Willowsdell villagers for
Grimma always has time for sacrifice. H’Shala’s ritual was
local kids, and gives them disrupted, and he was thrown
healing potions for their from the tribe for breaking the
adventures. peace with Willowsdell’s residents.
While Grimma is an accomplished Since his banishment, H’Shala feels pull of his dragon
potion-maker, he can be slipshod lineage even more strongly. In response, he has
and careless. Sometimes he accidentally mixes volatile marshaled an unruly group of kobolds to help advance his
ingredients, other times he pollutes the environs with the plans. Now he leads his kobold minions to find and
waste from his failed ‘experiments’. hatch ancient black dragon eggs.
Common phrases: Common phrases:
• “Indeed I have the perfect thing for your ailment.” • “Hsssss- Work fassst, my dragon kin! Thessse eggsss
• “Bah! Nothing that a little nightwort couldn’t fix.” are precioussss.”
• “Just chew on the bark; that will chase away the pain.” • “When our new mastersss hatch, we’ll feassst on our
enemiesss.”
• “Drink this. No! Wait. Drink this instead!”
• “Sssoon minionsss. Ssssoon I will be in charge again!”
Herb Hunters: Grimma has run out of herbs for his healing
potions, and asks the kids to escort him into Darkenwold to Unlikely Allies: A tense peace holding between the
gather more from his secret location. But when they reach Deepwood’s greenscale lizardkin and the residents of
the hidden herb glade, they find that the herbs have been Willowsdell. Ch’loc and his warriors arrive in Willowsdell
removed, leaving only freshly turned earth. Who could be to ask its residents for help to thwart H’Shala’s plans to
responsible for such an act? hatch dragon eggs.

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Isabel (Queen) Lucien (King)
Queen Isabel is queen consort of Jarl Othric owes allegiance to
Grivland, wife of King Lucien. Lucien, the king of Grivland.
Isabel’s past is mysterious. She Lucien’s kingdom is fragile.
was elevated to the throne Grivland includes the regions
from obscurity, living as a around the Brecken Vale, each
commoner until she caught led by a jarl, earl, or chieftain.
the eye (and heart) of then Every year Lucien is due
crown prince Lucien. tribute – usually gold,
After siring a son and heir for gems, or grain – from
Lucien, Elija, Isabel withdrew each of the fiefdoms in
from court and public life. Some his kingdom.
say she died birthing Elija, country In times of trouble, Lucien can
folk claim she lives in a secluded also demand warriors from his
fastness where she pores over ancient tomes, inhabitants allegiant jarls. Lately though, these
of Grivland’s capital see candles burning in her castle requests are more and more frequent, with many of the
windows and claim this as proof that she resides within, Vale’s most capable and seasoned adults kept away for
yet others claim that Elija’s birth left her disfigured, her many years.
face and body erupting with in hardscale welts. Common phrases:
Common phrases: • “My subjects, these are times of strife.”
• “I am a simple commoner, just like yourselves.” • “The strength of our land is the strength of our
• “Lucien warms the throne for a king of true blood, people, and the strength of our people is the strength
when the true crown will be restored.” of our arms.”
• “When my bloodline returns, you will see real power.” • “Threats abound. Our enemies are relentless.”
The Dragon Queen: The Dragon Prince travels with a Under Siege: Lucien sends word calling a meeting of his
mysterious rider, cloaked in black, face always hidden. Is jarls. But Jarl Othric is away on an adventure. Sheriff
this Queen Isabel, or some other kingmaker manipulating Walt sends the kids to find Othric and pass on word of this
the prince into more and more extreme action? meeting. The kids find Jarl Othric held siege by enemies.

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Madge (Wise-Woman) Maeve (Innkeeper)
Madge lives in a small forest When she’s not dealing
hut in the far north with oversized rats in the
Darkenwold. The inside of basement of the Block and
her hovel is decorated with Tackle inn, Maeve and
fetishes, bones, carvings, and husband Yarrik serve mead
rune-carved stones. and hearty meals to
Rumor has it that Madge took Rivenshore locals.
her own eye, but that has not Maeve and Yarrik’s son,
stopped her visions. One eye or Roger, always finds new an
two, Madge has the gift. interesting ways of getting into
For Madge, the gift manifests as visions of possible trouble.
futures, and knowledge of places and events surely Maeve, Yarrik, and Roger live in cramped quarters in the
beyond her mortal knowing. upper floor of their inn. The rest of the floor is given
Although she’s outcast from the town, Madge is still over to small rooms for visitors to Rivenshore.
visited by the people of the Vale. They come seeking While Yarrik is a native to the Vale, he met Maeve on a
guidance along their way, insight into a challenging journey to distant lands. Since returning home as a
situation, or the clarity of a person compelled by couple, they have become fixtures of the Rivenshore
maddening visions. For these visitors, Madge will throw community.
bones, deal cards from a battered deck, scry a still bowl, Common phrases:
track their palms, smoke-smudge their souls, or read the • “Oh, my beautiful babies!”
signs in tea or blood-splash. • “You kids hungry? We’ve got a stew on the fire.”
Common phrases:
• “Ain’t nothin’ but dark and rats down there.”
• “Wind it was, told Madge you were coming.”
Odyssey: Maeve receives a distressing letter from home,
• “The way is dark, but you are the light.” which is beyond Havahitt to the north. She implores the
Dragon Reborn: Madge has vision of a great calamity; kids to escort her on a treacherous journey to visit her ailing
Drexanathon scorches the Vale to ashes. On his back sits a parent.
black-armored figure, carrying a legendary spear.

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Mortain (Wizard) Odin Father (Deity)
Mortain and his crow are the In the heights of the north
Vale’s resident wizard and range of the Druinhowe
sassy companion. Mountains is a snow-bound
From the seclusion of his log cabin.
soaring tower at the tip of Once a year, Odin-Father
Spyd Peninsula, Mortain makes the trek down from the
researches lost magic. mountains to grant the
Lately, he seeks to unlock residents of the Vale his favor
the secrets of the peninsula’s during the Yulesday festival.
barrowtombs. Odin-Father’s cabin is hidden
Mortain’s visits to Rivenshore draw attention from wary by wards and glamours, which
townsfolk and wide-eyed kids. These commoners are protect it from discovery. In spite
drawn equally to his magical powers and talkative raven. of these safeguards, the cabin can be
When he visits Rivenshore, it’s usually to re-stock his pierced by youngsters who are true of heart.
supplies for his tower. On these trips he buys food from Across the eons, Odin-Father’s constant companion is
local farmers, arcane ingredients from Grimma the Sleipnir, the eight-legged flying horse, and he is in
apothecary, and equipment from the General Store. constant battle with Fenrir the dire wolf.
Common phrases: Common phrases:
• “Where did I leave that spell book?” • “Visitors, I so rarely have visitors lately. What brings
• “Shush, silly bird!” you up the mountain young children?”
• “Magic is more powerful than we imagine, or control.” • “Sleipnir heard you arrive; did you bring him a treat?”
Common raven phrases: • “My lost eye still aches in the cold; and my soul aches
• “AWK!” from the knowledge I gained.”
• “Pretty! Gimmie that!” Yulesday Festival: The annual Yuletsday festival is
approaching, and the kids are put in charge of collecting gifts
Swamp Things: Mortain’s raven arrives in town, ruffled.
On his way to Rivenshore, Mortain has been attacked and and offerings for the festival.
abducted by the froglings from the Myrland swamp.
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Othric (Jarl) Qadra (Marani)
Othric Strumhammer is the Qadra is the Marani of Al Ain,
current jarl of the Vale. the main settlement in the
When not leading the Vale’s inhospitable deserts of Havahitt.
warriors in distant lands, the As Marani, Qadra is Al Ain’s
Jarl occupies the Vale’s leader. She’s responsible for
splintered throne. peace and prosperity of the city,
From this throne, Jarl Othric as well as relations with
fairly metes justice, wisely neighboring kingdoms. Qadra
considers petitions from pays careful attention to Al
karls, patiently resolves Ain’s water and food, as the
petty disputes, deliberates city is challenged with constant
risky ventures, and hosts feasts. shortages of these essentials, even as its population
Jarl Othric has occupied the swells.
throne for several years, since the Common phrases:
death of Jarl Roneth. • “The pharos and pharaes of the Gyptian people live
Lately, the Jarl and the Vale’s warriors are somewhere in on, even after their reign is over.”
the south-east, fighting Drageskygge’s criminal warlords. • “The White Sea cannot be persuaded, argued, or
Common phrases: fought. If you have luck with you, she may favor you,
• “People of the Vale; let’s feast!” and you may survive.”
• “Young ones, once again you’ve shown your quality.” • “Water is life. If you steal someone’s water, you steal
• “Folks, the threat in the east is real; and with the gods’ their life.”
fortune, we take up our arms and defend the Vale.” Poisoned Well: Al Ain’s residents are struck down with
Tunnel Rats: Two farmers accuse each other of sabotaging sickness after drawing water from its azure oasis lake.
their crops. But could something else be to blame? When Without water from the lake, the city will collapse within
the kids investigate, they find tunnels dug under the earth to days. Is this corruption the sign of an ancient evil beneath
steal the crops. In the tunnels, they find large rat footprints the ground, or a more human corruption designed to wrest
(giant rats), but also even larger rat prints (ratlings). control of Al Ain from Qadra?

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Ratch (Brigand) Roger (Innkeeper’s Son)
While the good folk of the Vale work Enthusiastic but trouble-prone,
to build community, others give in Roger lives and works with his
to greed and laziness. family (Maeve and Yarrik) in
Ratch is the Vale’s resident villain. the Block and Tackle inn.
When he’s not lurking in the On busy nights at the inn,
Darkenwold waylaying travelers, Roger takes orders, delivers
he and his lackeys are filching food, and cleans up after
chickens, silverware, and worse excitable customers.
from remote farmsteads. What he lacks in coordination
Ratch and his band of he makes up for with his
reprobates operate from deep enthusiasm for his tasks.
in the Darkenwold. Their base When Roger’s not working in the
is the tumbledown ruin of a inn, he’s training archery, horse riding, and weapon
watchtower from a forgotten age. Ratch’s band have fighting, or learning history, writing, and reading.
cleared the debris from the ground floor of the tower, But Roger is younger that many of the Rivenshore kids,
and rebuilt a makeshift roof. Outside, their canvas tents and yearns to be included in their dangerous adventures.
and lean-tos are scattered around the clearing that Common phrases:
surrounds the broken tower. • “One day I’m gonna be an adventurer like you!”
Common phrases:
• “You’ll see, I’m just as good as the rest of youse!”
• “Damned interfering rascals, you’ll get yours!” • “I was a goner for sure!”
• “Come on you maggots, ‘ave at ‘em!”
• “Thank the gods youse came along!”
• “Back to the woods, quick!” Misadventure: Maeve comes to the kids, frantic; Roger’s
Bandit’s Den: Rangers have discovered Ratch’s hideout; the missing. As they investigate, they find his training sword and
ruined watchtower. Sheriff Walt has gathered all of the equipment missing. Investigating, the kids find that the
able-bodied adults for an assault on the watchtower. When watch officer in the east watchtower saw Roger heading
the Sheriff’s posse doesn’t return, it’s up to the kids to purposefully towards the Darkenwold. Maeve fears that
investigate. Roger is seeking to ‘prove himself’ to the rest of the kids.

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Saffie (Farm Girl) Ser Morten (Knight)
Saffie lives in a small While the Brecken Vale is off the
homestead in the isolated beaten tracks of the Varld, it’s
north of Hoydland. Here, not unusual for interlopers to
Saffie lives with her mother, visit the Vale.
father, and older brother Brin. Ser Anjon Morten has come to
Life on a farm in Hoydland is the Vale on the trail of a
hard. Since they were young, fearsome creature, a wyvern. He
Saffie and Brin have helped has been pursuing the beast for
raise the family’s livestock and years, since it took his wife from
tended their farm plot. him.
Kids raised outside of Weary from his endless pursuit,
Rivenshore miss out on town education and socialization, now more ordeal than quest, Ser
and speak with broad accents. And when Saffie gets Morten finds himself closer than ever to his quarry.
talking, she has a great deal to say, whatever the subject Astride his horse, Anjon questions the Rivenshore locals
or situation. for sightings of the wyvern, and implores the folk to join
Common phrases: him in pursuit of the beast.
• “Cor, what’re youse up to?” Common phrases:
• “This one time me brother Brin got bitten real bad by • “Commoners! Throw down your tools, take up your
a wolf and he ain’t been proper ever since then.” arms, and join me in avenging my murdered family!”
• “So out ina woods near where my place is there’s this • “Beautiful and terrible, evil incarnate.”
old lady who lives in a creepy hut but she’s okay I • “Scales and wings of black. And a heart twisted by
guess ‘cos she’s always got some nice soup and stories darkness.”
when I drop by even though some of the stories are Beastheart: A small hamlet is under siege from a terrifying
scary and the soup has weird bones in it...” beast, of wings, teeth, claws, and endless hunger. Assisted by
Sheep Rustlers: While her parents are away, leaving Saffie in Ser Morten, the kids track the wyvern to its lair. Yet, at the
charge, her family’s sheep have been stolen. With her parents last moment, as they have the fearsome creature laid low,
due to return, Saffie begs the kids to help recover the flock. Ser Morten will not let them fell the beast.

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Titus (Merchant) Walt (Sheriff)
The town of Rivenshore’s trade is Sheriff Walt is responsible for
largely arranged and profited by maintaining law and order in
Titus. Rivenshore and across the
The town’s most prominent wider Vale.
merchant, Titus is owner- As sheriff, Walt rosters karls
proprietor of the General to the town watch, he
Store. The General Store is appoints deputies to enforce
situated on the West Road, laws, and he gathers larger
not far from the Crossroads. forces when the town and
When he’s not at his store, Titus is surrounds are under threat.
either at his manor house just south-west of the In the absence of able-bodied
Crossroads, overseeing deliveries at his warehouse, or adults, the sheriff often calls on
travelling beyond the Vale to negotiate new trade routes. the kids to help deal with problems.
Common phrases: Walt lives in rooms above the Rivenshore’s watchhouse.
• “Robbery! I’m robbing myself with these prices!” The watchhouse’s ground floor is a simple office, while
• “It’s not personal, it’s just trade.” the basement has jail cells to hold local miscreants.
• “Look, but don’t touch! These are valuable items!” Common phrases:
• “If it exists in the Varld, I’ll get it for you. For the • “Kids, we need your help.”
right price.” • “We’ve heard naught from the Jarl in months.”
Road Agents: Two weeks ago, Titus sent an important • “Be careful, there are dangerous monsters about.”
wagon (protected by guards) to Forstlys, the town at the end Red River: Several members of the Rivenshore watch have
of the West Road. But he has not received word that the not returned from routine patrol into the Darkenwold. The
wagon has arrived, and he fears that raiders have waylaid sheriff can’t send any more officers of the watch after them,
the wagon on its journey. Titus and the Sheriff ask the kids for fear of leaving the town vulnerable to attack. In the
to scout along the road to see what’s become of the wagon. woods, the kids find the watch officers hiding up a tree,
Turns out Titus’ guards aren’t trustworthy, and actually driven there by vicious dire boars. Those boars have been
work for Ratch. corrupted by polluted water run-off from mountain mines.

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CULTURE AND CUSTOM
Societal Structure
The general population of the Brecken Vale are known as
karls, who are people of largely equal status. A few of
these karls are elected, appointed, or volunteered to
specific roles, such as those of jarl, elder, or sheriff.
Karls
The karls are all of the people of the Brecken Vale.
These are the residents of the Vale; be they cooks,
farmers, farriers, coopers, millers, miners, healers,
soldiers, innkeepers, clerics, jarls, lumberaxes, fishers,
weavers, wheelwrights, shepherds, watch officers,
trappers, gravediggers, tanners, butchers, cobblers,
merchants, battle masters, bakers, brewers, guards,
storytellers, rangers, soothsayers, wagon drivers, hunters,
builders, blacksmiths, and furriers.
It is from these folk – the karls – that the Vale’s jarl,
elders, sheriff, and warriors are drawn.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Jarl
The place of the Brecken Vale in the wider Varld – its
identity, bounds, and stewardship – is directed by its
leader. This leader is the jarl.
The Brecken Vale is formally led by a jarl – female or
male. While occupying the position, the jarl is the civil
and military leader of the Vale.
The jarl rules from Rivenshore, the heart of the Brecken
Vale. Here, in the centre of the town is the Great Hall,
the home and seat of the jarl. The Great Hall was built
around the lightning-stuck ruin of a massive oak tree, the
stump that ancient residents of the Vale carved into the
splintered throne.
In times of peace, the jarl leads from the splintered
throne, appointing karls to official positions, making
long-term decisions, resolving disputes, and officiating
events such as feasts, festivals, weddings, namedays,
solstices, and funerals.
The jarl’s judgments and decrees are law. If the jarl
decides that no water should be drawn from a river, or
that a new settlement should be established, then these
decisions must be followed on threat of punishment.
In times of war, the jarl leads the Vale’s forces, whether
within the Vale and on far-reaching expeditions.
When a jarl retires or dies, the next jarl is elected by a
vote of the residents of the Vale. In these elections, the
candidates, normal karls, give a short speech about their
vision for the Vale. Following the speeches, the residents
clap, cheer, and stamp for their preferred candidate.
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 The jarls of the Brecken Vale owe their featly to a distant
king; King Lucien of Grivland. In times of war, the
Vale’s soldiers are pledged to the king. In times of peace,
the Vale sends tribute to the king in return for continued
autonomy and independence.
The current and past jarls include:
• Jarl Othric (current Jarl)
• Jarl Roneth
• Jarl Frey
• Jarl Rethel
• Jarl Helgar
• Jarl Sif
• Jarl Rothgar (Lost King)
• Jarl Sim
• Jarl Shayda
• And more…
Elders
When a karl reaches a certain age, and demonstrates their
wisdom through the rigors of experience and sharing
sound advice, the jarl may ask them (or direct them) to
join the Council of Elders.
The jarl calls on the Council of Elders to advise them on
difficult matters; the decision to pledge the Vale’s
warriors to a distant battle, the appropriate resolution for
an ambiguous dispute, or the possible impacts of an
important decision. In these situations, the jarl is not
necessarily obliged to take the Elders’ advice, but a wise
jarl always listens closely and trusts their own instincts.

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Law and Order
The people of the Vale are bound by a set of laws that
regulate their behavior, and proscribe punishments or
restitution for transgressions.
Law
The Brecken Vale operates under a common law system,
where these laws basically break down to:
• Crimes against a person (assault, murder)
• Property crimes (theft, damage)
• Crimes against the state (disobeying edicts, pay taxes)
If a transgression is not covered by these common laws,
or deemed to have some special circumstances, it might
escalate to the Council of Elders or the jarl to adjudicate
the situation. In this situation, those bodies become
courts and juries.
Justice
Once the sheriff, jarl, or elders have decided that a law
has been broken, they must decide the punishment.
In some cases, such as property crimes, this may require
restitution. For example, theft may require the thief to
repay or work off the debt.
In more serious cases, such as crimes against people, the
punishment may be more severe. For example, criminals
may be punished with whipping, branding, impairment,
or – in the most serious cases – capital punishment.
These punishments might be combined with outlawry
(removal of protection) and banishment of the criminal.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
In crimes against the state, where someone disobeys and
edict, or avoids taxes, tithes, or tariffs, the punishment
may be different. These may be punished through fines,
forfeiture of assets, or possibly the removal of citizenship
and the protection of the state.
Law Enforcement
Laws are useless without people to enforce them. And
the people of the Vale are vulnerable to opportunistic
predators when their most able warriors are absent.
To enforce the law and protect the people of the Vale, a
number of law enforcement officers are employed.
These officers include:
• Sheriff: Appointed by the jarl and responsible for
enforcing laws, judging cases, dispensing justice,
collecting taxes and tithes, and authorizing deputies.
• Deputies: Karls with temporary or ongoing delegated
authority from the sheriff. The sheriff might engage
permanent deputies to help perform the duties of the
office (such as collecting taxes from distant
homesteads). In other situations, the sheriff may
temporarily deputize karls to perform short term
functions (such as a posse to chase down outlaws).
• Watch: The sheriff may designate karls as a limited
type of deputy, an officer of the watch. These watch
officers have fewer powers than full deputies, mainly
having power to enforce the law, but not to dispense
justice. In practice, these watch officers occupy
Rivenshore’s watchtowers, or patrol strife-torn areas.
Page 42
Taxes, Tributes, Tariffs, and Toil Calendar and Festivals
The Brecken Vale, like most agricultural societies, Over eons, the societies of the Varld have organized their
operates on a series of collective payments that includes: lives around the passage of the sun. The Varld orbits its
• Taxes are wealth paid to support the Vale sun every 365 days. Its axial tilt gives seasons where parts
• Tributes are paid to Grivland, the Vale’s liege state of the Varld are exposed more or less to the sun.
• Tariffs are levied on goods coming into the Vale Months
• Toil is work done by decree of the jarl In the Brecken Vale and surrounds, the year is split up
Taxes into eight months, each forty-five days long. The
Each land-holding karl owes the Vale an annual tax. This remaining days are given to the five major festivals
tax is equal to 10% of the annual income of rural throughout the year, and do not count as weekdays.
properties, and 15% of annual income for town The eight months are:
properties. The tax is paid in grain or gold, and funds the 1. Einery (late winter)
upkeep, protection, and development of the Vale. 2. Twiyery (early spring)
Tributes 3. Prirery (late spring)
Every four years, the Vale levies a tribute that is paid in 4. Fjorery (early summer)
homage to the kingdom Grivland. This payment is equal 5. Fimmery (late summer)
to a karl’s normal annual tax dues. 6. Stexery (early fall)
Tariffs 7. Sjauery (late fall)
When independent traders or local merchants import 8. Attery (early winter)
goods for sale, they are levied a tariff of 10% of the value The first month (Einery) begins the day after the winter
of those goods. solstice festival, Yulesday. Similarly, the fifth month
(Fimmery) begins the day after the summer solstice
Toil
festival Lithasday.
By decree, the jarl can require toil from all able-bodied
karls. Toil is used in special projects that go beyond the
normal activities of the running the Vale. For example,
toil was decreed to rebuild the Camarva bridge when it
was washed out by a flood.
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Weeks and Days Yearly Calendar
Each month is divided into five weeks of nine days. 1. Einery Winter
These nine-day weeks begin with two workdays, followed 2. Twiyery
by Midmarketday and a rest day, then two more Ostarasday Festival Spring
workdays, followed by Marketday and a rest day, and 3. Prirery
finally Odinsday, a third day of rest and observance.
4. Fjorery
1. Bragisday Working day
Lithasday Festival Summer
2. Helasday Working day
5. Fimmery
3. Gefjonsday Local market day or working day
6. Stexery
4. Tyrsday Rest day dedicated to training
Mabonsday Festival Fall
5. Fullasday Working day
7. Sjauery
6. Forsetisday Working day
7. Gnarsday Regional market day or working day Hallowseve Festival
8. Loriensday Rest day dedicated to the household 8. Attery Winter
9. Odinsday Rest and observance day Yulesday Festival

Festivals
The Brecken Vale and surrounding countries celebrate
five major festivals throughout the year.
Four of these are the solstices:
• Ostarasday – Spring Festival
• Lithasday – Midsummer Festival
• Mabonsday – Fall Festival
• Yulesday – Midwinter Festival
The final festival day takes place at the start of winter,
and is dedicated to the veneration of the dead and
appeasement of disturbed spirits:
• Hallowseve – Festival of the dead

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Deities of the Brecken Vale
Odin (Father)
Symbol: Circle with four smaller circles inside it
Odin, also known as Odin-Father or the All-Father, is
the overgod of the Vale’s pantheon. The rest of the gods
are said to be Odin’s dysfunctional family.
Invoking Odin:
• “Merciful all-father, favor us this day.”
Lorien (Mother)
Symbol: Flame
Lorien, the All-Mother, is the goddess of strong families
and safe homes. She sits at Odin’s side and moderates his
excesses. While Odin is the head of the pantheon, Lorien
equals and balances him with her wise counsel. But like
all mothers, Lorien’s burden is sadness. The sadness of
loss, of absence, of farewells.
Invoking Lorien:
• “Mother Lorien, keep our hearth lit and larder full.”
Tyr (Warrior)
Symbol: Shield
Tyr is the god of courage, strength, and warfare. When
wielding his shield, Tyr is said to be invincible in battle.
Tyr is slow to anger, but formidable when provoked.
Invoking Tyr:
• “Tyr’s courage goes with you.”
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
Bragi (Minstrel)
Symbol: Lute
Bragi is the younger brother of Tyr. He’s the family’s
singer and storyteller. He chronicles the exploits of the
gods in songs, verse, and tale. He is the patron deity of
minstrels and entertainers, across the realm.
Invoking Bragi:
• “Bragi, grease my tongue, and sharpen my wit.”
Forseti (Sage)
Symbol: Sunrise
Amongst the pantheon of the Brecken Vale, Forseti is the
wisest, the most truthful, and the most patient. Mostly,
Forseti is tranquil and watchful. Yet when she speaks,
she speaks the truth, though the truth of her sage words
may not be immediately apparent.
Invoking Forseti:
• “Sister Forseti, I beseech you for guidance this day.”
Gefjon (Farmer)
Symbol: Grain
When winter breaks across the Brecken Vale, the
snowmelt feeds brimming streams. At this moment, the
Vale’s karls seek favor from Gefjon. They implore
Gefjon for strong sunshine, timely rains, and to hold off
frosts until the harvest is in from the fields.
Invoking Gefjon:
• “Gefjon’s favor shines on those who honor him.”
Justin Halliday Page 45
Fulla (Maiden)
Symbol: Flower
As the living embodiment of fertility and love, Fulla is
represented as an idealized woman in words, songs, and
drawings. Fresh-faced lovers seek Fulla’s blessing for
their union and to grant them healthy offspring.
Invoking Fulla:
• “Fulla drew them together, in her wisdom.”
Gnar (Traveler)
Symbol: Wheel
When karls set out on long journeys or undertake deep
endeavors, they say a prayer to Gnar. Gnar is endlessly
inquisitive, he is the patron of journeys, exploration, and
knowledge.
Invoking Gnar:
• “He’s got Gnar’s feet that one. Won’t be long before
he’s taken off on some adventure.”
Hela (Widow)
Symbol: Crescent
When age, sickness, and decay are upon us, it is Hela who
walks alongside us. Hela, shrouded in black, sits alone at
the great table. Her brothers and sisters shun her. But in
the end, all end up seated next to her for their final
journey.
Invoking Hela:
• “Hela approaches.”
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Var (Deranged)
Symbol: Thunderbolt
In times of troubles, Var takes us with her anger, her
rage, her delirium. Warriors pledge themselves, seeking
Var’s fury. Mourners wail with Var’s despair. Outcasts
are touched with Var’s delusion.
Invoking Var:
• “T’weren’t me that did it, Var took hold of me.”
Lupon (Trickster)
Symbol: Die
Wherever Lupon goes, chaos results. When you have
Lupon’s favor, fortune follows you. If you draw Lupon’s
scorn, then bane befalls you. While Lupon’s family treat
him with mild bemusement, his attentions can have
devastating or life-changing impacts on normal folk.
Invoking Lupon:
• “Lupon roll for me.”
Page 46
GEOGRAPHY Surrounds
The Brecken Vale lies at the southern edge of a large
From the highest peaks of the Druinhowe Mountains,
continent. This continent, and its outlying islands, are
the Varld stretches to the horizon and beyond.
the known lands of the Varld.
Drexanathon, the great gold dragon, takes wing and beats
To the south of the Brecken Vale is the Ice-Bound Sea,
high into a cloudless sky.
the Varld’s southern polar sea. To the east and west of
He turns south, following the peaks of the mountain
the Vale are vast tracts of fertile lands, interspersed with
range, Grivland off his left wing, the Brecken Vale off his
mountain ranges, and split by ocean inlets.
right wing. Before long the wide arc of Brecken Bay is
North of the Brecken Vale lies the wide swath of desert
off his right, the land beneath him a murky swamp,
lands, known here as Havahitt.
Drexanathon glides across the wind-swept crags of Spyd
Intrepid travelers tell tales of lands even farther north,
Peninsula, then out over the roiling and crashing waves of
where thick jungles steam under a sun that burns directly
the Ice-Bound Sea. Below him, the huge waves explode
overhead.
against towering icebergs.
The dragon banks to the right, heading west across the
dark seas, and then banks right again, to the north. Its
shadow falls over the coastline as it flies above and
expansive land of forests and hills and rivers and fields.
The great beast’s wings shiver as updrafts fill its leathery
membranes. It lofts up above the Druinhowe Mountains
again, this time over the farthest western ridgeline. The
fertile eastern lands recede as the land rises.
Drexanathon skims the length of the western range,
reaching an elevated northern plateau of desiccated white
sand, Havahitt. Finally, the dragon’s course turns west
over the western plains, Sletteland.
Drexnathon beats tirelessly over the boundless slette.
Looking south, the grasslands stretch to frozen tundra.
Looking north, savanna and scrubland.

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CLIMATE Arid
To the north of the Brecken Vale, the land becomes arid,
The climatic regions of the Varld generally occur in
dry, and inhospitable.
latitudinal bands; cold at the poles, hotter at the equator.
This area region is savanna and desert. Elevated areas of
In the region around the Brecken Vale, the climate is
this arid zone may see snow in winter. However, the
warmer to the north, and colder to the south.
lowland areas have low rainfall, making them unsuitable
Polar for farming and cultivation.
The Ice-Bound Sea is the southern polar region of the Tropical
Varld.
Traveling beyond the arid zone, the sun’s zenith rises
Temperatures plunge as ships travel south. These seas are
near the equator, the climate becomes more tropical.
thick with icebergs. Relentless westerly winds churn the
Here, the traveler is challenged by thick jungle and
seas and turn spray into dagger-like sleet.
rainforests, and humid oppressive atmosphere. Unlike
Temperate the Brecken Vale, these equatorial regions have just two
seasons; wet and dry.
The Brecken Vale and the land to the west and east are
temperate regions.
The natural terrain here is verdant forest or grassland. In
settled areas, the forests have been cleared and given to
farmland and pasture. These areas are snow-covered in
winter, but mild and sunny enough for agriculture in the
spring, summer, and fall.

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LINEAGES OF THE VALE Dwarves
Dwarves are sturdy and stout humanoids. They generally
The lands of Brecken Vale and its surrounds are home to
stand 4ft - 5ft tall and live beyond 100 years.
a wide range of peoples; including ubiquitous humans,
graceful elves, stoic dwarves, and secretive forestfolk. • Homelands: Druinhowe Mountains
• Prevalence: Uncommon
Dragonkin outside Druinhowe Mountains
Dragonkin are robust humanoids Dwarves typically live in
of dragon lineage. They generally underground vaults and halls, and
stand 6ft tall and live 50 - 80 years. are known for their skills as
• Homelands: Havahitt miners and metalworkers.
• Prevalence: Rare outside The dwarves of the Brecken Vale
Havahitt region keep mainly to their own
communities deep in the rock
While the residents of the Vale
of the north-eastern ranges of
don’t know of any dragonkin
the Druinhowe Mountains.
communities in the valley, they are
infrequent visitors. The sight of When dwarves venture from their halls, it is for trade, to
dragonkin in the Vale (whether broker alliances, or – more rarely – for adventure.
travelling in a trade caravan, From their deep mountain redoubts, the dwarf clans
adventuring party, or as an trade north into Havahitt, east into Grivland, and south-
emissary from Havahitt) is west into the Vale. In each of these places, the dwarves
sure to draw gawking onlookers and slack-jawed children. are uncommon, but welcome, visitors. The Druinhowe
The closest dragonkin enclaves are in Havahitt, to the dwarves’ metalwork (weapons, armor, mechanisms, and
north of the Brecken Vale. In Havahitt, the dragonkin tools) is highly sought-after across the Varld.
live in nomadic groups that range across the desert sands, The dwarves live in uneasy proximity to the elves and
and in settled communities like the Al Ain oasis city. In forest-folk of the Darkenwold. The forest-dwellers
their homelands dragonkin do not warrant a second bristle at the dwarves’ ventures into the forest for
glance. materials for their metalwork.

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Elves Deep Elves
Deep elves live in the underdark.
Elves are lithe humanoids. They generally stand 5ft - 6ft
tall, and live well beyond 100 years. • Homelands: Underdark
Elves’ ancient lineage is woven with strands of fey folk • Prevalence: Rare outside the underdark
and mortal humanoids. Now, elves live in the twilight Deep under the Varld stretches the underdark, an
between the feylands and the mortal world. interconnected complex of caves, vaults, chambers. This
alien environment is the home of deep elves, a branch of
Forest Elves the elvish line that split eons ago. Little is known about
Forest elves reside in primal places; usually deep forests the deep elves as they are rarely seen above ground.
and woods.
• Homelands: Darkenwold
• Prevalence: Uncommon outside Darkenwold
The forest elves of the Brecken Vale reside in enclaves
deep in the Darkenwold, where they live alongside the
forest-folk, primal beasts, and ancient noble creatures.
Residents of Willowsdell report sightings of elves in the
Deepwood. Whether these sightings are evidence of
until-now unknown elvish enclaves, or elves walking the
fey-roads, is a subject of much discussion and curiosity.
The Vale’s forest elves are infrequently seen outside of
the Darkenwold. The residents of Rivenshore flock to
the town square when emissaries emerge from the
Darkenwold to meet with the jarl and the Vale’s Council
of Elders. These meetings are followed by a feast.
Some rebellious or adventurous young elves leave their
enclaves to explore the world and make a name for
themselves. Such elves might join other youngsters as
they fight the forces of chaos and evil.

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Forest-Folk Froglings
Forest-folk are small humanoids of animal lineage. They Froglings are amphibious humanoids. They generally
generally stand 2ft - 3ft tall and live 20 - 30 years. stand 5ft - 6ft tall and live 30 - 40 years.
• Homelands: Darkenwold and • Homelands: Myrland
Deepwood • Prevalence: Rare outside Myrland
• Prevalence: Rare outside In the swampy mire of Myrland –
Darkenwold and the Singing Swamp – are the
Deepwood underwater lodges, elevated
Forest-folk are a range of platforms, and stilt houses of the
lineages, each descended region’s frogling pods.
from animal ancestors; Where other Vale communities
mouse, ferret, shrew, have friendly or workable
turtle, fox, squirrel, relationships with their
turtle, wombat, ocelot, neighbors, froglings are actively
otter, and rat. hostile to people who encroach
Forest-folk live in hidden communities deep in their on their territory. They strike out
forest homes. For forest-folk, the forest is their entire from their swamp to attack homesteads built too close
world. Here, these small folk live full lives from litter to and ambush travelers passing through the swamp.
grave, each life filled with excitement, loves, loss, Froglings share their Myrland home with blackscale
adventures, dangers, friendships, rivalries, and lizardkin. These two communities are locked in a tense
opportunities. stand-off, with frequent skirmishes.
The forest is not solely the domain of the forest-folk. Because of frogling’s aggressive reputation, other people
They share the forest with others of their stature, flee or confront froglings whenever they encounter them
including both friends and foes (usually foxlings and in the wider Vale. The communities of the wider Vale
ratlings). And they share the forest with forest elves, repel their raids, but otherwise tend to avoid contact with
whose fey grace and longevity make them almost as gods froglings, rather than moving against them to thwart
compared to their smaller forest kin. their aggression.

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Halflings Humans
Halflings are diminutive humanoids who live in halfling Humans are ubiquitous and resilient
villages and in communities alongside other lineages. humanoids. They generally stand
They generally stand 4ft - 5ft tall, and live beyond 100 5ft - 6ft tall and live 50 - 70 years.
years. • Homelands: Brecken Vale,
• Homelands: Brecken Vale Drageskygge, Havahitt,
• Prevalence: Uncommon outside Grivland
the Brecken Vale • Prevalence: Common across
Halflings are mostly the known Varld
found in the Brecken Humans’ short longevity and
Vale, and are less early maturity gives them a
common elsewhere. unique advantage; they breed
In the Vale, quiet rapidly and spread quickly.
halflings tend to live in Due to their explosive population
their traditional rustic growth, adaptability, expansiveness, and adventurousness,
villages, while their humans have spread across the Brecken Vale,
outgoing and sociable Drageskygge, Grivland, Havahitt, and beyond. In most
members live in larger villages and towns. regions, humans live amiably alongside other lineages;
In the isolated dells and valleys of the Brecken Vale lie halflings in the Vale and dragonkin in Havahitt.
untouched halfling villages. These villages are pastoral Wherever they go, humans prefer to live in settled
communities, where halfling folk live as they have for communities; from small villages to bustling cities. In
generations. rare cases, individuals or family groups live apart from the
In towns like Rivenshore, halflings are as much members larger communities, but even these loners usually
of the community as their human kinfolk. Here, they are maintain links with the rest of their kind.
innkeepers, traders, hunters, sheriffs, guards, and any Young humans often leave their communities in rites of
other job that matches their aptitudes. passage where they test themselves against the dangers
Even more adventurous halflings set out beyond the Vale, and challenges of the wider world.
exploring the Varld in their own unique way.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 52

Lizardkin Orcs
Lizardkin are humanoids of draconic lineage. Orcs are sturdy and robust
They generally stand 5ft - 6ft tall and live humanoids. They generally stand
40 - 60 years. 6ft tall and live 80 - 100 years.
• Homelands: Deepwood, Myrland, • Homelands: Sletteland
Druinhowe Mountains • Prevalence: Uncommon
• Prevalence: Rare outside outside Sletteland
their homelands The vast windswept plains of
Lizardkin live in tribes of Sletteland are home to the
twenty to thirty individuals, majority of orcs in the known
located far from the larger Varld; the Slettelords.
settlements. There are three The Slettelord clans vary across
types of lizardkin in the Brecken the plains, from small nomadic
Vale; greenscale, blackscale, and family groups to large clans that
dragonscale. live in steadings of several
Greenscale lizardkin are characterized by their green- hundred individuals.
tinged scales, adapted for living in forests. Greenskin Slettelord society is based around clan groups, each led by
lizardkin are found in Deepwood. a chief and made up of related and affiliated individuals.
Blackscale lizardkin are characterized by their dark-green These clan groups are almost exclusively orcish, though it
scales, to better blend into swampy environments. is not unusual to see dragonkin, humans, and halflings
Blackscale tribes are found in Myrland. living as full clan members.
Dragonscale lizardkin dwell in mountainous regions, Beyond the plains of Sletteland, orcs are notable when
including the entire range of the Druinhowe Mountains. they travel; for adventure, trade, or diplomacy. Local
Their sandy scales blend with their rocky environment. folk are often taken aback by the orcs’ imposing size,
Lizardkin tend to avoid contact with other groups, which is further enhanced by their similarly huge horses.
whether fearing for their own safety or due to others’ fear In orcish society, young orcs often leave the relative
of them. safety and structure of their clan to explore the wider
world and forge their own identity.

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FACTIONS OF THE VALE
From the distant viewpoint of a dragon soaring high
above mountains, forests, and farmland, the Brecken Vale
might seem peaceful and unified.
At this height, you may never know that down below the
forces of law and chaos scheme and clash. But the clues
are there; a thick pall of smoke from a burning
homestead, a phalanx of marching soldiers, a fleeting
glimpse of a lone scout moving across the landscape, or a
dark tangle of blighted forest amid the verdant green.
These signs of strife could be the work of petty disputes
or individual mischief, but often they are the evidence of
larger forces at work. Such forces take many forms and
functions, and some build enough power and motivation
to grow into a faction; a group coherent and purposeful
enough to leave a mark on the Varld.
Each of the Vale’s many factions has its own goals,
members, methods, enemies, and alliances.
The factions vary greatly; the common folk (farmers and
townsfolk) who share a simple unspoken bond of
solidarity, the outlaws (pirates and brigands) whose anger
and greed set them against the Varld, the establishment
(nobles, armies, and town watch) who strive to maintain
and propagate their order across the Varld, and the
cultists (dragon and hydra worshipers) who work in
secret to unleash powerful entities on the Varld.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Brigands
Brigands usually operate in small autonomous outlaw
bands. The members of these bands have fallen (or been
pushed) from the structures of normal community.
Through anger, resentment, and spite, brigand gang
members decide that they’re owed a debt that is theirs to
take by force.
Most brigands operate in small groups, from a solo
operator to bands of ten or more. These groups are
fiercely territorial, and react with fury if other brigands
encroach on their domain. The exception to these
operating methods is Drageskygge, the lawless region
where brigand bands coexist in a constant turmoil of
petty rivalries and turf wars.
In practice, brigand bands take many forms; road agents
who lie in wait for travelers on byways, raiders who strike
isolated homesteads, rustlers who steal livestock, burglars
who enter and rob houses under the shroud of darkness,
and hijackers who make off when entire trade wagons.
Whatever their form, brigands usually seek to steal from
their targets, and refusal or resistance elicits violence.
Brigands, understandably, accumulate enemies. Town
and city watch officers are on the look-out for their kind,
wagon train guards are employed to protect their
companions from brigands, farmers and townsfolk live
on constant alert waiting for the day when their place is
targeted for thievery. Sometimes brigands also work for
corrupt authorities or individuals, doing covert work
their employers are unable or unwilling to do themselves.
Page 54
City Guard
The larger cities of the Varld, notably the capital of
Grivland and the oasis city of Al Ain, employ
professional guards in an organized city guard. These
guard companies are responsible for maintaining law and
order in the city and for regulating commercial activity.
City guards have many roles and responsibilities. They
stand station at the gates and entrances of cities to check
traffic entering or leaving the city, they patrol the city
walls vigilantly watching for external threats, they make
rounds of the city’s streets to dissuade local criminals
from their trade, they monitor large markets and festivals
to ensure order and safety, they investigate petty and
serious crimes to bring offenders to justice, and they
incarcerate and rehabilitate criminals. In times of strife,
the city guard is deployed to protect the city against
attack, and might be incorporated into a larger army.
For many people a job in the city guard is reliable, honest
work, with no small amount of risk. The ranks of the
city guard include ordinary folk, retired adventurers,
veteran soldiers, reformed criminals, and former wayward
children. But the guard is not immune to darker
influences, as the job’s authority and potential for
violence can attract brutal thugs and corrupt miscreants.
The city guard work for the leaders of their city, be that a
king, a mayor, a council, or an organization. In this role,
the city guard works to maintain the status quo, but can
find themselves pawns in the corruption and misconduct
of their superiors.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Beyond the walls of their city, the city guard works with
the town watch of the towns and villages across their
region. Further afield, larger regions have standing
armies that they city guard corps would work alongside.
Grivland is one such region large enough to have a
substantial standing army, as well as a royal guard
dedicated to the safety of the royal family.
Commoners
Unlike many of the other factions, commoners represent
an informal and unstructured faction. These common
folk are the farmers, townsfolk, herders, drivers, fishers,
laborers, smiths, farriers, and the like.
For these common folk, their goal is usually to maintain
and protect their current station, and to strengthen and
protect the situation of their wider community. This
takes many forms; sharing crops in hard times, helping
neighbors with harvest and herding, coming to a
neighbor’s defense when threatened by beasts or
banditry, or nudging young adults into each other’s paths
to strengthen family bonds.
Commoners have familiar enemies; roaming bandits who
see them as easy targets, local lords and jarls who demand
excessive tithes, taxes, and toil, inclement weather that
wipes out vital annual crops, and ferocious beasts that
prey on their livestock.
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Cult of Hydraxis
For a hundred years, the great hydra Hydraxis has
slumbered. Sleeping. Recuperating. Rebuilding its
power. Now, the great one’s power again ripples across
the Vale and beyond.
In dark halls and forgotten shrines, the Cult of Hydraxis
recruits new members. These cultists believe that
Hydraxis – the eater of the future – will soon rise to
usher in the end of the world. The cult recruits common
folk who are seduced by Hydraxis’ power and promises
of elevated position in the new world.
In wild and primal places, draconic creatures like
lizardkin and kobolds also feel the pull of Hydraxis’
power. Lizardkin clans are split between those that wish
to support Hydraxis’ rise and those that see dangers and
destruction in the hydra’s return. Kobolds, unlike
Lizardkin, lack complex reasoning and act on more basic
instincts to help Hydraxis.
From across the Varld, the members of the Cult of
Hydraxis and its draconic allies converge on the Brecken
Vale. These groups, be they kobold bands, lizardkin
clans, or cult chapters, search the Vale’s deep forests for
Hydraxis. These groups believe they will discover
Hydraxis in a ruined temple somewhere in the Vale.
The Cult of Hydraxis operates in secrecy and has (so far)
managed to evade exposure to the leaders of the Brecken
Vale and surrounding regions. But as their activities
intensify, it’s only a matter of time before the cult’s
activities are discovered.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Dragon Cultists
The members of the Dragon
Cult seek to return control
of Grivland to its rightful
heirs, the line of Dragon
Kings, and to once again
bring dragons under their
control.
The leaders of the Dragon
Cult are rumored to be Queen
Isabel and Prince Elija of Grivland,
as well as their close allies. Notably, King Lucien does
not appear to be aware of his wife and son’s plans.
Beyond its leadership, the Dragon Cult’s members are
drawn from Elija and Isabel’s personal guard, as well as
the nobles and common folk who have felt the irresistible
pull of the dragons’ power.
To bring their plan to fruition, the Dragon Cult works
with unruly kobolds and other draconic creatures to find
or steal dragon eggs, which they plan to hatch. Once
hatched, the Dragon Cult plan to raise the dragons under
their command, giving them a weapon more fearsome and
terrible than any army the Varld can muster.
The Dragon Cult works in secret as its plans threaten the
power of Grivland’s king, as well as the freedom and
autonomy of all of the regions around Grivland. When
discovered or exposed, the Dragon Cult’s members often
offer for people to recognize their power and join the
cult; those who decline are dealt with mercilessly.
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Nature Protectors
Beyond the memory of even its oldest residents, the
Brecken Vale was blanketed in thick forest. In time,
humans, halflings, dwarves, and others came and cleared
sections of land for small settlements. Over the eons,
tree after tree fell, and the great forests shrank.
Inside these forests quiet creatures lived close to nature,
elves and their forest-folk brethren. With each tree, their
domain shrank; pressing the forest’s inhabitants closer
and closer together, and raising tensions and conflict.
During the reign of one of Rivenshore’s first jarls, they
received a surprising visit; emissaries from the
Darkenwold. This group of elves, mouselings,
shrewlings, turtlefolk, and others demanded an end to
encroachment on their land. No more would they
tolerate the destruction and pillage of their forest home.
Together, they reached an accord; the two great forests
were reserved for nature, beyond the human domain.
Since this historic accord, the nature protectors of the
Darkenwold and the Deepwood have watched and
repelled encroachment into the forests.
But still, there are those that see the forests as theirs to
use. Brigands secret themselves in the forests as they
range out in pursuit of their nefarious ends and cultists
venture into the forest in search of ancient powers.
Awakened; the nature protectors work to repel these
threats. Yet sometimes the threats are too powerful for
the forest’s protectors, and they call on humankind to
fulfill their pledge to protect the forests.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Town Watch
Once a settlement becomes large enough, its residents
and leaders usually realize that it needs structures to
maintain law and order. This is first usually the
appointment of a sheriff by the town’s leadership.
The sheriff is a single individual who’s responsible for the
town’s law. After the sheriff, the next step is to raise a
town watch. In small settlements, this job falls to the
town’s residents, who volunteer or roster for the watch
duties, usually under the direction of the sheriff.
Much like the larger and professional city guard, the town
watch is responsible for law and order in their settlement.
However, given that town watches operate in smaller
settlements with a mostly volunteer force, they are more
constrained then a full city guard. In these
circumstances, the town watch focuses on specific duties
and activities; they roster a night watch each evening to
protect their settlement and they appoint temporary or
permanent deputies when needed for other activities.
The town watch’s patrols are defense against brigands
and similar criminals. Comparatively, the town watch
can also be called to respond to petty arguments that
escalate into dangerous feuds.
Beyond their law and order duties, the town watch may
be called on for other jobs, such as fighting fires,
wrangling wild livestock, forming search parties, and
responding to disasters and emergences.
Page 57
VALE ENCOUNTERS
When travelling across the Vale and beyond, the heroes
meet different types of monsters, animals, hazards, and
people, depending on the environment.
The lists below generate random encounters appropriate
for different environments and take into account the
relative probability of each creature’s appearance.
These tables focus on hostile encounters, but you can
ignore or modify these to make role-playing encounters.
Using Random Encounter Tables
To generate a random encounter, first identify the
environment in which the heroes are travelling:
• Aquatic • Forest
• Cave • Mountain
• Cemetery • Swamp
• City • Tomb
• Desert • Town
• Farmland
Next, roll 2d6 (two six-sided dice), total the results, and
compare the results to the numbered list of encounters.
If you don’t like the result, choose another!
To further complicate the encounter, you can roll on (or
select from) the Encounter Elaborations table and
incorporate that elaboration into the encounter.
Finally, consider how other factors – such as the time of
day or story situation – might alter the encounter.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
Encounter Elaborations
These elaborations offer complications and unique
circumstances to add interest and depth to encounters.
2. Anomalous: Roll on a different random table and use
that result instead.
3. Friendly: The creatures are friendly, perhaps
uncharacteristically so.
4. Aftermath: The heroes come upon the aftermath of
an encounter involving the creatures, for good or ill.
5. Injured: The creatures are injured, under strength.
6. Ambushed: The heroes are observed, ambushed or
surprised by the creatures they encounter.
7. Hostile: The creatures are actively and outright
hostile, even if they should be otherwise friendly.
8. Surprised: The heroes come across creatures without
those creatures noticing them, such as noticing the
creatures from a distance or coming across the
creatures unobserved.
9. Outmatched: The encountered creatures vastly
outmatch or outnumber the heroes.
10. Helpless: The creatures are unable to defend
themselves, such as separated from their weapons, or
physically separated from the heroes.
11. Deceptive: The creatures are not what they appear,
disguised, misidentified, miscounted, or hidden.
12. Combined: Roll again on the original encounter
table and combine both results into one encounter.
Justin Halliday Page 58
Aquatic Encounters Cemetery Encounters
Dark waters heave into crashing waves and sleeting spray: Headstones and mausoleums rise above blanketing fog:
2. Sea Monster 2. Mummies
3. Beguiler, Deep 3. Ghost
4. Elemental, Water 4. Cultists
5. Pirates 5. Zombies
6. Water Beasts 6. Skeletons
7. Commoners (fishers) 7. Bats
8. Water Beasts 8. Brigands
9. Pirates 9. Rats, Giant
10. Hazard (storm, swell) 10. Gargoyle
11. Trap (decoy boat, explosive jetsam, floating net) 11. Wraith
12. Sea Monster 12. Coot/Crone

Cave Encounters City Encounters

Within the yawning entrance lie treacherous tunnels: Crooked houses lean over tight streets inside stone walls:
2. Wyvern 2. Gladiators
3. Hazard (cave-in, deep chasm, lava chasm) 3. Cultists
4. Slimes 4. Guards (city watch, militia, army, mercenaries)
5. Skeletons 5. Hazards (runaway cart, barrel-lanche)
6. Bats 6. Commoners (beggars, orphans, nobles, merchants)
7. Rats, Giant 7. Brigands
8. Spiders, Giant 8. Commoners (beggars, orphans, nobles, merchants)
9. Kobolds 9. Hazards (runaway cart, barrel-lanche)
10. Trap (pit trap, noise trap, net trap) 10. Guards (city watch, militia, army, mercenaries)
11. Spider Queen 11. Cultists
12. Dragon 12. Gladiators
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 59
Desert Encounters Forest Encounters
Deceptive mirages and shifting sands hide perilous foes: Dappled forest floors are home to primal creatures:
2. Mummy 2. Lizardkin (greenskin)
3. Cultists 3. Goblins
4. Commoners 4. Spiders, Giant
5. Hazard (fech-fech, mirage, heat, sandstorm, tornado) 5. Snake, Giant
6. Guards (caravan guards, scouts) 6. Boar
7. Brigands 7. Wolves
8. Gladiators 8. Brigands
9. Trap (rock-fall, poison well) 9. Trap (log fall, pit trap, snare)
10. Scorpions, Giant 10. Hazard
11. Snakes, Giant 11. Cultists
12. Elemental (Air, Earth, Sand) 12. Guards (ranger scouts)

Farmland Encounters Mountain Encounters

Lonely homesteads punctuate rolling patchwork fields: Clouds blanket mountain passes and switchback tracks:
2. Wyvern 2. Wyvern
3. Coot/Crone 3. Giants
4. Goblins 4. Tengu
5. Wolves 5. Cultists
6. Brigands 6. Kobolds
7. Commoners (farmers, travelers, pilgrims, merchants) 7. Brigands
8. Farm animals 8. Goblins
9. Guards (local militia, scouts) 9. Guards
10. Hazards (farm animals, flooded road, stampede) 10. Lizardkin (dragonscale)
11. Knights 11. Knights
12. Dragon 12. Dragons
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 60
Swamp Encounters Town Encounters
Sodden soil gives way to mist-shrouded swamps: Dusty streets echo with ringing anvils and market criers:
2. Coot/Crone 2. Cultists
3. Lizardkin (blackscale) 3. Knights
4. Slimes 4. Brigands
5. Traps (barrier trap, collapsing platform) 5. Hazard (runaway cart, barrel-lanche)
6. Brigands 6. Commoners (farmers, orphan, traders, merchants)
7. Water Beasts 7. Guards (town watch, militia, scouts)
8. Froglings 8. Commoners (farmers, orphans, traders, merchants)
9. Snakes 9. Hazard (runaway cart, barrel-lanche)
10. Hazards (swamp gas, mire) 10. Brigands
11. Commoners (pilgrims, travelers, farmers) 11. Gladiators
12. Cultists 12. Coot/Crone

Tomb Encounters
Behind ancient doors lie traps, wards, and restless spirits:
2. Helm Knight
3. Ghost
4. Skeletons
5. Spiders, Giant
6. Rats, Giant
7. Bats
8. Flaming Skull
9. Zombies
10. Traps (pit trap, noise trap, net trap)
11. Wraith
12. Mummies
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 61
BRECKEN VALE
CAMPAIGNS
Adventures in Rivenshore
From a very young age, the kids of the Brecken Vale train
with sword, guile, bow, and magic to defend the Vale.
And even before they are officially assigned watch and
guard duties, they find themselves (and get themselves)
into all manner of scrapes and hijinks.
Basement O’ Rats
The kids are enjoying a traditional family dinner at the
Block and Tackle inn when Maeve – the inn’s proprietor
– bursts into the room, distraught. Her son Roger has
been carried off by the seriously large rats that have
overrun the inn’s basement.
The kids take up their weapons and head into the
basement, where they discover a tunnel that leads into
the rats’ den. They move through the den, fighting off
the rats, until they face the King Rat himself!
Fire in Rivenshore
Night’s peace is shattered when a fire breaks out in
Rivenshore and rages through the town.
The kids battle the blaze and try to find its source. After
rescuing Roger in the burning tavern and battling looters,
the kids discover that a bullied street urchin (Bree) is
responsible for the fires. Do they arrest her or let her go?
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer
Tomb of the Lost King
On the night of the dead moon, the kids are woken by
the ghost of their clan's lost king, Rothgar. The lost king
challenges the kids to enter his tomb and recover his
greatest treasure.
Under the dead moon, the kids battle through the
cemetery’s undead denizens, and then venture into
Rothgar’s tomb. Inside the tomb they face puzzles,
challenges, and guardians before facing its final challenge:
Rothgar’s ghost.
Darkness Neath Rivenshore
When the well in Rivenshore’s market square runs dry, a
child’s pleas for help echo from the dry shaft.
The kids descend into the well and find the wall broken, a
tunnel leading into ruins long-buried beneath Rivenshore.
Here they discover ancient cisterns and tunnels, overrun
by mutant slime creatures.
They follow the calls for help from the lost child, Emon,
and find him in an ancient fountain chamber, where they
face a final oversized slime beast.
But do they find the ghost of a long-dead child or rescue
a young Rivenshore villager trapped in the well?
Justin Halliday Page 62
Adventures in Skritteland
A little older and tested against some of the dangers and
challenges of life in the Vale, the kids are ready to take
their place among Rivenshore’s watch officers.
Their first duties as junior watch officers see them sent
into the farmlands and wilds immediately surrounding
Rivenshore; the Skritteland.
Twilight Watchtower
A husband and wife team of farmers travel to Rivenshore
begging for help. Their two children have disappeared.
The parents tell the kids – our heroes – about lights
they’ve glimpsed from a ruined watchtower on a bluff
near their farm. The kids travel to the watchtower,
overcoming vicious wolves. They climb the bluff and
find the ruined watchtower surrounded by a tranquil
glade of flowers. They meet a beautiful woman, who asks
them to come into the ruins. The woman is revealed as a
crone, twisted and evil, who seeks to capture the kids to
perform magic to restore her youth and beauty.
Curse of the Shadow Walkers
The kids venture out of town to spend a day at a
swimming hole to the north of Rivenshore.
On the way home they help a young girl – Saffie – who
begs the heroes to help her family fight off a pack of
hungry wolves. As the kids investigate, they meet Old
Madge, a forest-dwelling wise-woman, and the track the
wolves back to the local woodsman, who has been
infected with lycanthropy, turning him into a werewolf.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Mines of Martek
When two brave miners (not minors) disappear after
reopening the Mines of Martek, Sheriff Walt asks the kids
to help: they’re the only ones who are small enough to
squeeze through the rock-fall that has blocked the
entrance.
The kids enter the mine and explore its tunnels to find
and rescue the lost miners. As they follow clues and
venture deeper into the mines, they find web-filled
tunnels. Finally, the tunnels lead to a webbed lair where
the final miner is trapped by a giant spider and its
arachnid progeny.
Maze of the Minotaur
Having proven themselves capable, Sheriff Walt decides
that the kids are ready for the rite of passage that all
junior watch officers must undertake before being
promoted to full officer status. They must enter the
minotaur’s maze and steal its treasure.
The kids enter the lair and find themselves in a twisting
and turning labyrinth. As they explore, they find dead
ends, traps, tricks, enemies, and treasures. They must
avoid or defeat the minotaur, and find and steal the
beast’s treasure, then escape with their lives!
If they manage to escape with their lives and the
minotaur’s treasure, they’ve proven themselves ready for
more responsibility and more dangerous missions across
the Vale.
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Adventures Across The Vale
Having proven themselves by surviving the minotaur’s
maze, the kids are sent on missions and adventures that
take them to the distant reaches of the Brecken Vale.
Wizard’s Tower
While on duty in Rivenshore, the kids are interrupted by
a surprise visitor; the wizard Mortain’s talkative raven.
The raven tells the kids that Mortain has gotten himself
into trouble, and needs their help.
The kids travel by road or boat from Rivenshore to
Mortain’s tower on Spyd Peninsula. As they enter the
tower, they find that Mortain’s housekeepers, rickety
household objects animated with Mortain’s magic, have
gone crazy and taken him hostage in his tower.
The Lost Village
On the eve of what looks to be another harsh Brecken
Vale winter, Willowsdell’s autumn produce wagons have
not arrived in Rivenshore. The kids are sent to
Willowsdell to determine why their wagons have not
arrived, and to make sure all is well.
When they arrive at Willowsdell, the kids find the village
abandoned, its residents nowhere to be seen. As they
investigate, the kids find three-toed footprints of
lizardkin, territorial but reclusive humanoids.
The kids track the lizardkin back to their lair. After
overcoming the lair’s guards and traps, the kids must stop
the lizardkin tribe’s shaman from sacrificing the captured
villagers in a gruesome ritual.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Glade of the Unicorn
During the kids' routine patrols into the Darkenwold
Woods they rescue a unicorn from a pack of marauding
goblins. Unfortunately, the unicorn has been mortally
poisoned in the attack, so the kids must quest deeper into
the forest to find a cure.
As they venture deep into the Darkenwold, they face
fearsome wolves, discover magical springs, and finally
come upon a ruined keep that has been overrun by
goblins. They pursue the goblins through the ruined
keep, and finally recover a cursed spear. The spear is vital
to remove the curse and heal the unicorn.
Yuletide Journey
In the days leading up to Rivenshore's annual midwinter
Yuletide feast, the village has not heard from the festival's
annual guest, Odin-father, the legendary protector of the
Brecken Vale.
The kids set out on a journey to Odin's home in the
northern mountains. The trek north takes them through
the Darkenwold, where they meet a community of elves,
and then up the mountains to Odin’s snow-bound house.
But the house is guarded by Fenrir, a massive dire wolf
who prevents them from entering Odin’s house. When
they defeat Fenrir, they find Odin deep in Odin-sleep,
and they must find the right herbs to revive him from his
slumber.
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Pirates of the Drageskygge
The residents of Brecken Vale live in reasonable fear of
raids by pirate bands from Drageskygge; that lawless land
to the south-east of the Vale.
Scourge of the Seas
Pirates raid Rivenshore, having rowed up the Camarva
River under the cover of darkness.
The kids fight the pirates at key Rivenshore locations; the
Block and Tackle inn, General Store, mill, and granary.
Once the pirates are repelled, the kids find that the
pirates have captured some townsfolk to hold hostage.
The kids free the hostages, but end up captured instead.
Escape from the Ghost Pirates
Captured by the pirates, the kids wake in the hold of
their ship, Dauntless.
The kids escape, fight their way through the pirates’ ship,
until they face the pirate captain on the ship’s upper deck.
Here they discover the pirate’s secret, they’re ghosts with
supernatural power!
Leviathan’s Curse
Having escaped the ghost pirates and returned home, the
townsfolk are astounded when the pirates return to
Rivenshore, this time to beg the heroes for help!
The pirates want to lift their terrible curse, but they need
help to raid the lair of Leviathan. The massive sea
monster’s ice-bound lair contains the treasure that can
finally free the pirates from their curse.

Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday Page 65

Dragon-Ryke Saga
A new threat rises; the Vale faces its greatest challenge.
Grivland’s Dragon Prince seeks to restore his bloodline’s
control of dragons, and to use them to subjugate the
Brecken Vale, and then the entire Varld.
Reign of the Dragon
Rivenshore shakes when the great dragon Drexanathon
lands in the town square and demands that the town’s
inhabitants protect him from mysterious cultists.
After repelling the Dragon Cult’s members, Drexanathon
tells the townsfolk that the cultists are holding his mate –
Algoxarth – prisoner. The cultists seek the dragon’s
soon-to-hatch dragon hatchling.
The kids – our heroes – slip past the cultists and travel to
Drexanathon and Algoxarth’s lair. Here they face the
cult’s leader, the crown prince of Grivland, the self-
proclaimed Dragon Prince.
Return of the Dragon
Following the defeat of the Dragon Prince in the
dragons’ lair, peace has returned to the Vale.
Yet, in the south, new dangers emerge. An exhausted
messenger arrives from Willowsdell, begging for help to
protect their town from roving bands of kobold raiders.
As they investigate, the kids discover that the kobolds are
travelling en mass to Spyd Peninsula, where they are
recovering dormant dragon eggs from the peninsula’s
ancient volcanic plains. The kids race to stop the kobolds
from hatching these eggs in the lava of a nearby volcano.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
Rise of the Dragon
The kids return to Rivenshore to recount their adventure,
relating that the kobolds had hatched dragon eggs.
Mortain, hearing that some of the eggs have hatched,
fears that the bloodline of dragon kings has returned. In
ages past, the dragon kings controlled all dragonkind.
They used the dragons’ might to raze entire villages, rout
armies, burn fleets, and rule the Varld. The dragon kings
were only overthrown when mages and smiths created a
legendary weapon, the Dragon Spear. After the fall of
the dragon kings, the weapon was lost to time.
But Mortain’s research has located the spear. It’s hidden
in the barrowtombs on Spyd Peninsula, protected by
powerful wards, devious traps, and timeless guardians.
When the kids recover the spear and return to the
surface, they find the presumed-dead Dragon Prince
waiting for them. His face is terribly scarred from his
plunge into the lava at the climax of Reign of the Dragon.
Ruin of the Dragon
The kids are captured by the Dragon Prince, held in a
dungeon beneath the Queen Isabel’s isolated castle.
They escape and in the castle’s courtyard they see
Drexanathon shackled with massive chains. A dragon
lands in the courtyard – Algoxarth – the Dragon Prince
sits astride her, wielding the Dragon Spear.
The kids must sneak through the castle to steal the
Dragon Spear, free Drexanathon and Algoxarth from
their chains, raze the castle, and then – finally – defeat the
Dragon Prince and his flight of black dragons.
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CHARACTER CODEX
• Alethia: Unicorn, resident of Darkenwold, guardian
of the Vale. (Glade of the Unicorn)
• Algoxarth: Gold dragon mate of Drexanathon, lairs in
the Druinhowe Mountains. (Reign of the Dragon)
• Araz: Orc Slettelord, resident of Sletteland.
• Aubrie: Elf queen, resident of Darkenwold Woods.
(Yuletide Journey)
• Bern: Rivenshore’s resident fisher. (The Lost Village,
Wizard’s Tower)
• Bree: Orphan, possessor of barely-controlled fire
magic. (Fire in Rivenshore)
• Brin: Farm boy, brother of Saffie, lives on farm to the
north of Rivenshore. (Curse of the Shadow Walkers)
• Captain Silver Beard: Pirate captain of the Dauntless,
recipient of curse that turns him and his crew into
undead skeletons. (Escape from the Ghost Pirates)
• Ch’loc: Greenscale lizardkin, held prisoner by tribe
shaman H’Shala, subsequent chieftain of Lizardkin
tribe that resides in the Deepwood. (The Lost Village)
• Drexanathon: Gold dragon mate of Algoxarth, lairs in
the Druinhowe Mountains. (Reign of the Dragon)
• Emon Gunnar: Child resident of Rivenshore, either
long-dead or rescued from the Market Square’s well.
(Darkness Neath Rivenshore)
• Eriane: Operator of Rivenshore orphanage.
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
• Elija: Grivland’s crown prince, son of Lucien and
Isabel, descendent of the Dragon Kings. (Reign of the
Dragon, Return of the Dragon, Rise of the Dragon, Ruin
of the Dragon)
• Grimma: Rivenshore’s apothecary shopkeeper, maker
of potions. (Darkness Neath Rivenshore, Fire in
Rivenshore)
• Hydraxis: Legendary hydra beast, two heads severed
by Rothgar, long dormant in a temple deep in a forest.
• H’Shala: Greenscale lizardkin shaman, rival of Ch’loc,
resident of Deepwood (along with likeminded tribe
members). (The Lost Village)
• Ingret: Daughter of the crone Margret, raised by
wolves as a child, now a wolf-mother in the
Darkenwold Woods.
• Isabel: Grivland’s queen consort, wife of Lucien,
mother of Elija, descendent of the Dragon Kings.
(Return of the Dragon, Rise of the Dragon, Ruin of the
Dragon)
• Liana: Child resident of Rivenshore, caught in fires
caused by Bree. (Fire in Rivenshore)
• Lucien: Grivland’s king, husband of Isabel, father of
Elija, liege-lord of Jarl Othric. (Return of the Dragon,
Rise of the Dragon, Ruin of the Dragon)
• Lylph: Forest spirit who resides in a spring in the
Darkenwold Woods. (Glade of the Unicorn)
• Maeve: Proprietor of the Block and Tackle inn, wife of
Yarrik, mother of Roger. (Basement O’ Rats, Fire in
Rivenshore)
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 • Margret: Twisted crone whose daughter Ingret
disappeared; Margret now lives in the Darkenwold
Woods.
• Mortain: The Brecken Vale’s foremost wizard, notable
Raven companion, resident of the tower at the western
tip of Spyd Peninsula. (Wizard’s Tower)
• Odin-Father: Legendary protector of the Vale and
dispenser of Yuletide gifts. (Yuletide Journey)
• Madge (Old Madge): Wise-woman, resident of the
northern reaches of the Darkenwold Woods. (Curse
of the Shadow Walkers)
• Old Man Jenkins: Man lost for years in the rat warren
under the Block and Tackle inn. (Basement O’ Rats)
• Othric: The Brecken Vale’s current Jarl, resident of
the Great Hall when in Rivenshore, otherwise largely
absent.
• Ragnar: The Great Hall’s cook. (Fire in Rivenshore)
• Ratch: Leader of the bandits who operate around
Rivenshore and Skritteland, hides out in the
Darkenwold Woods.
• Raven: Wizard Mortain’s sassy animal companion.
(Wizard’s Tower)
• Roger: Accident-prone boy who works in the Block
and Tackle inn, son of Maeve and Yarrik. (Basement
O’ Rats, Fire in Rivenshore)
• Rothgar: The Brecken Vale’s lost king, buried in a
tomb in Rivenshore cemetery, severer of two of
Hydraxis’s three heads. (The Lost King)
Hero Kids – Brecken Vale Gazetteer Justin Halliday
• Saffie: Fast-talking farm girl, sister of Brin, lives on
farm to the north of Rivenshore. (Curse of the Shadow
Walkers)
• Sal’Darin: Wizard resident of the Alabaster Tower in
the Havahitt’s White Sea desert.
• Ser Morten: Ser Anjon Morten, knight searching
tirelessly for a dangerous wyvern.
• Walt: Rivenshore’s sheriff, former adventurer. (Mines
of Martek, Reign of the Dragon)
• Sleipnir: Odin-Father’s eight-legged flying horse.
(Yuletide Journey)
• Titus: Rivenshore’s foremost merchant, proprietor of
the General Store.
• Woodsman: Woodcutter who lives in an isolated cabin
in the northern reaches of the Darkenwold Woods.
(Curse of the Shadow Walker)
• Yarrik: Proprietor of the Block and Tackle inn,
husband of Maeve, father of Roger. (Basement O’
Rats, Fire in Rivenshore)
Page 68
CHARACTER CARDS AND M APS