Located in the Cragmoor region of Iskandar, far from the busy city of Herronford, Phandalin is a small, frontier settlement.
Local History
More than five hundred years ago, the dwarves of the Phandelver Clan discovered a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave in the Cragmoor region of Iskandar. The dwarven leader; Urmled, was amazed to find that in addition to its mineral wealth, the cavern contained great magical powers.
To harness the magical energies of Wave Echo cave, Urmled sought out the aid of a local Baron named Wesley Tresendar. Working closely with the Baron and a group of hired wizards, the dwarves built a fabulous device called the "Spell-Forge," which harnessed those energies and allowed for powerful magic items to be crafted.
With the completion of the forge, Lord Tresendar made a pact with the dwarves of the Phandelver Clan to work the cavern's mines alongside the men of Cragmoor and share the profits. With this arrangement, a mixed human and dwarven settlement called Phandalin was established to support the mining operations. As news spread of the mine's wealth, the village quickly grew in size and importance.
For many years, the mine and the village of Phandalin prospered. But then disaster struck when a horde of screaming goblins swept out of the Crystalpeak Mountains and laid waste to everything in their path. The goblins intended to capture Wave Echo Cave and seize the Spell-Forge. The men of Cragmoor fought alongside their dwarven allies to defend the Cave, but the goblins were too many. In a final act of desperation, the defenders set off a magical explosion which collapsed the cavern entrance under tons of rock, sealing it forever.
After the goblin raid, the entire region was devastated. The village of Phandalin was burnt and the cave entrance was sealed off forever. House Tresendar continued to rule the region, but most of its inhabitants moved away, and Cragmoor became a backwater.
Recent Events
For centuries, legends of buried riches have attracted treasure seekers and adventurers to the region. Stories sprang up about a hidden entrance to the lost mine, but nothing came of it. In recent years, men and dwarves have resettled the area and rebuilt Phandalin into a rough-and-tumble frontier settlement.
A few months ago, Lord Loxley Tresendar transferred ruler-ship of the town over to a young wizard named Glasstaff. Loxley died shortly afterward in a mysterious fire which also consumed much of his home. Since that time, Glasstaff has ruled the village. He refurbished the stone tower portion of the manor-house, but left the remainder in ruins.
Recently, a series of goblin raids led Glasstaff to hire a group of mercenaries called the "Red-Devils," to protect the local inhabitants. Unfortunately, these soldiers seem more interested in intimidating the population then hunting down goblins.
Prominent Residents
- Barthen, local store owner
- Daran Edermath, a retired adventurer
- Garaele, a cleric of S'thar
- Glasstaff, a local wizard
- Halia, operates the Miner's Exchange
- Harbin Wester, town scribe
- Kellara Alderleaf, local farmer
- Linene, operates Lionshield Coster (trading post)
- Quimby, innkeeper, Stonehill Inn
