Adventure Background

Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land is set in the winter of the Year of Risen Elfkin, 1375 DR. It takes place about five months after the events described in the Last Mythal trilogy.

In the spring of 1374 DR, Lord Seiveril Miritar of Evermeet mustered a great crusade to meet the threat of the daemonfey legion of Sarya Dlardrageth. Seiveril's Crusade drove the daemonfey out of the High Forest, and then pursued the demonspawned sun elves to their secret stronghold in Myth Drannor. Armies from Hillsfar, Sembia, Zhentil Keep, the drow of Cormanthor, and the various dales took the field, some allying with the daemonfey, others fighting against Sarya Dlardrageth and her hellish hordes. Ultimately the elf army prevailed, retaking Myth Drannor. Although Seiveril Miritar fell in the final battle within the ancient city, his daughter Ilsevele became ruler in his place.

With the rival city-state of Hillsfar firmly under his thumb, Fzoul Chembryl, Tyrant of Zhentil Keep, determined to prevent Myth Drannor from rising again. At the same time, the Vhaeraun-worshiping drow of House Jaelre and the Auzkovyn clan read their own doom in Ilsevele Miritar's ascension to the throne of ancient Cormanthyr. Zhents and drow conspired to attack Myth Drannor before Ilsevele Miritar's fledgling realm grew any stronger.

As Fzoul searched for a master stroke to overthrow his new enemy, he was approached by Esvele Graycastle, a priestess of Shar. The servant of Shar cared little for Fzoul Chembryl's troubles with Myth Drannor, but she greatly desired to strike a blow against the servants of Mystra in Shadowdale -- in particular, the great mage Elminster. Esvele offered to remove Elminster (and the other Chosen of Mystra) from Shadowdale by creating a dead magic zone over the entire area; its effects would deter the Chosen of Mystra from returning. The Sharran priestess also offered an alliance with the Lolth-worshiping drow of House Dhuurniv. By depriving Shadowdale's defenders of their potent magical powers, Esvele would make it possible for the Zhentarim and their drow allies to finally conquer the dale. In turn, the subjugation of the dale by the Zhentish armies would make it possible for the servants of Shar to carry out their goddess's vendetta against Mystra. Fzoul assented to Esvele's offer -- allowing the priestess of Shar to rip a hole in the Weave seemed a reasonable price for the defeat of Shadowdale.

In the dark hours of 15 Nightal 1374 DR, a small company of Sharran assassins and shadow adepts slipped into the dale. In Elminster's vaults a powerful Sharran artifact -- the Ebon Diadem -- lay quiescent, one of many such evil items that the Sage of Shadowdale kept hidden safely within the wards of his tower. But the Diadem harbored a deadly secret. Breaching the defenses of his tower, the Sharrans succeeded in activating the Ebon Diadem and unleashing its powers. Feeding on the very strength of the wards Elminster had raised over the years, the Ebon Diadem greatly strengthened the Sharran assassins. Although Elminster destroyed most of the intruders who had entered his tower, the Sharrans defeated him. Gravely wounded, he was whisked away by his contingency spells -- and his tower itself was blasted into ruin and hurled into some far plane.
Within hours of Elminster's defeat, Scyllua Darkhope led a Zhentish army into the northern verge of the dale, while the drow of House Dhuurniv overran the defenders of the Twisted Tower from below. When the Castellan of Zhentil Keep attacked Shadowdale in the summer of 1374 DR, Seiveril Miritar had quickly marched the Crusade to Shadowdale's defense. This time, however, the elves were unable to help -- they were heavily engaged against both a Zhent army attacking out of Hillsfar and a great raid of drow. The folk of Shadowdale simply could not overcome the Zhent advantages in monsters and numbers without resorting to magic, and the damage the Sharrans had done to the local Weave made magic weak and unreliable. Despite a valiant defense, the dale fell. To the astonishment of the local populace, Lord Mourngrym Amcathra subsequently announced an alliance with Zhentil Keep and welcomed the Zhentarim into Shadowdale as allies.

Establishing a powerful garrison to occupy the dale, Scyllua Darkhope led her army south and east, striking toward Mistledale and the Moonsea Ride to complete Myth Drannor's encirclement. While the armies continue to maneuver in the forests to the east, and the priests of Shar seek to complete the destruction of the Weave in this part of the Dalelands, Shadowdale lies under the Zhentish fist. The people of the dale seethe with anger and murmur against their oppressors, but they dare not rise up -- not yet, anyway.