North of the River Icehilt where the Icemelt Foothills begin their ascent into the Icemelt Mountains, the small trading settlement of Talin was established as a trading post between the shield dwarves of the Earthspur Mountains and Damaran settlers. Referred to as Croninsburg by its human inhabitants in honor of the first man to establish contact with the dwarves in the region Viktor von Crönin of Damara, Talin remains a vital part of the region’s economy given the rich deposits of iron ore and gemstones that reside beneath the rocky terrain.

Today, the primary inhabitants of Talin are a small yet hardy collective of dwarves who patrol the northern route into the Icemelt Mountain trail network and work the local iron and gemstone mines. 

“When they first arrived, they forged inland and found a shelf of grass-covered land bounded by two woods which rose above the shores of the Bluefang Water. It is here they made camp to wait out the storm.” – from the journal of Taren Jens, Impilturan historian, regarding the first recorded account of men in the area of Polm.

Now a small farming community, the village of Polm began as a trading settlement between Damaran fur traders from the north and the local inhabitants of Bay Town to the east. It has been home to both merchants and brigands of human, dwarven, and halfing descent over the years; and the villagers of Polm have, for much of its existance, lived and died just beyond the watchful eyes of the Impilturan monarchy. Because of its independent rise from a small encampment to a once relatively thriving merchant community, Polm has had exposure to many different cultures and customs and still maintains an air of individualism and self-reliance.

Given its favorable location along the northwestern banks of the Great Imphras River, the village of Polm serves as a favored ferry port for adventurers seeking access to this region and remains a reliable portage point for traders navigating the difficult Imphras. It is here where most adventurers begin their careers.

The tiny hamlet of Aubrey Hollow began as a settlement of humans and halflings shortly after the founding of Polm. It was an enclave of settlers who, for various reasons, had decided to pursue a more pious and isolated existence in the wooded area now known as the Barrow Weald. Over the years, this small settlement grew increasingly isolated until contact with the hamlet ultimately ceased. Today, its exact whereabouts and history are known only to a select few in the region.

Local folklore describes Aubrey Hollow as a wicked place, plagued by cultic activity and evil spirits that consume the souls of those brave enough to seek out its location. Once an enclave of pious settlers, the story of Aubrey Hollow is often told to children at bedtime as a warning against the pitfalls of wandering away from their moral upbringing. The tale has many variations but all describe a small village that falls under the fell influence of the surrounding woods turning its inhabitants into creatures that are half-human, half-beast who lie in wait for children unlucky enough to have wandered too far from home.

The Barrow Weald, or Dark Wood as it is commonly known, is an insidious and forsaken place for reasons not fully understood. Beginning south of Krig’s Creek and extending southward toward the rocky bluffs of the Great Imphras River’s west bank, the Barrow Weald has always been synonymous with death. Its tall, narrow stands of trees lend a sense of somberness to the woods which is augmented by the eerie quietness of the place. Devoid of fauna, local folklore describes the forest as haunted, inhabited by the maligned souls of the lost and forgotten.

Perhaps more unsettling are tales of a long-forgotten cemetery at the edge of the wood where the weave itself is purportedly torn and the dead restlessly emerge each night to feast upon unwary travelers. Some also describe a dark tower of stone which looms ominously over a small glen near the graveyard. From this tower it is said that strange flashes of light are occasionally witnessed by Polm’s south gate watch followed by accounts of unearthly moans and shrieks which fill the woods during moonless nights.

Located along the southern shore of the River Icehilt, this naturally-fed hot spring supplies a series of grottoes and caverns carved out of the rocky shoreline. The mineral-rich waters of the spring are rumored to possess healing powers and to grant longer life to those who bathe within the myriad secluded pools nestled throughout the caverns. More notable, however, are the occasional, yet dubious, tales of prospectors who claim to have discovered deposits of gold deep beneath the spring’s source. Given its relatively isolated location, Cahalt Springs remains somewhat protected from intrusion by hostile creatures though transient bears have been known to seek out the warming baths during the colder months.

On the eastern shore of the Great Imphras River near the village of Polm lies a vast cold marsh known to the locals as the Easting Moors. Often shrouded in a thick, low-lying fog, this vast swamp extends ever westward as far as the eye can see. The swamp is rumored to be a mystical place full of strange creatures and unexplained phenomenon but is home to a tribe of troglodytes that inhabit the craggy caves near the river’s edge.

The eastern border of the Easting Moors is demarcated by a dense and tangled wood known as the Bogwood. Rumored to have once been the location of a mithral mine hundreds of years ago, little else is known given how few have actually been able to reach its outer edge and return to relate what they have seen. Tales of encounters with stirges, wisps, and lynx color their stories; but it is the fouler creatures encountered which deter adventurers from following in their footsteps.

The ancient elven settlement of Ereb T’al was founded, grew in prominence, and was abandoned long before humans settled the area. What little is known about the rise and fall of this wooded enclave has been gleaned from the remaining architecture and artifacts that still litter the area along with legends passed down through the oral tradition between the last remaining ancestors of the original inhabitants.

Now locally known as the City of Shadows, Ereb T’al is located in the heart of Aim’s Wood along the southern ridge of the Rymerift. It is accessible via two primary passages from the south and the east with notable landmarks encircling the settlement including the Sambrian Catacombs, the Waterstone Caverns, and Durgan’s Mine. Several shrines to elven deities also still remain lending further evidence to a location rich in culture and the arts.

Today, Ereb T’al is occupied by a group of rangers in service of the Queen who seek to protect the remaining ruins and surrounding woods and who monitor the activities of the goblin and hobgoblin tribes which reside in the area.

Just west of the Village of Polm where the wooded boundaries of the surrounding forests give way is a low-lying expanse of rocky scrubland known as the Federmarch. Bounded by Aim’s Wood to the north and the Barrow Weald to the south, the Federmarch extends westward toward the north central Impilturan highlands and Rala Canyon. This open expanse is dotted with small stands of oak, birch, and maple trees; craggy rock outcroppings and caves; cold water marshes and ponds; and the modest but deep Bastian Lake.

Originally prized for its deposits of silver and lead, the Federmarch is now inhabited primarily by marauding goblin tribes and worg.

The Kalte Caverns are a vast network of underground caves and caverns interconnected to form a dizzying labyrinth beneath the foothills of the Icemelt Mountains. Famed for their variety and beauty, the caverns are made up of not less than twelve different cave systems and are a favorite haunt of trolls, ogres, and tribes of the indigenous cave orcs. Perhaps the most well-known of the caverns is the famed Crystal Cavern which is difficult to reach but whose walls are purported to be encrusted with red garnet giving it an ethereal red glow.

The primary entrance to the caverns lies at the foot of the equally impressive Kalte Falls which mark the end of Ljuk Creek’s long journey from the Icemelt Mountains to the River Icehilt. It is atop these falls that the trading outpost of Talin is sternly perched overlooking the surrounding foothills.

Above the rocky shores of the River Icehilt on a wooded bluff just beyond the sound of the rushing waters is the remnant of a by-gone era when dwarves frequented the area in much greater numbers. The ruins of Mora Dûn provide evidence of a once thriving and wealthy community. Believed to have been erected in honor of the dwarven deity Dumathoin, the temple ruins have been abandoned for hundreds of years. Much of the interior remains unexplored and entry into the temple proper remains difficult due to the sturdy stone doors which remain intact despite the collapse of the roof structure near the main entrance.

It is rumored that the temple still possesses a vast treasure horde, a myth that is accompanied by tales of malevolent dwarven spirits which remain behind to guard against any would-be treasure hunters and thieves seeking to plunder their wealth.

Steeped in myth and legend, the Rymerift is a geological tear in the earth which is oriented in a relatively east-west direction, dividing the majority of the woodland area known as Aim’s Wood into two halves. Over four leagues in length and varying in width, the depth of the Rymerift has never been measured and is purported to be without bottom.

How the Rymerift originally formed is unknown. The precipitous sides of the rift bear evidence of a cataclysmic event having occurred at some point in the region’s history though the dense forest growth which decorates its rim suggest that it has been hundreds of years since its occurrence. While ancient records from the original elven settlement in the region fail to note the rift, famed local historian Taren Jens makes mention of it in his record of the first human settlements along the upper Imphras. Today, many believe the rift to have formed as a result of cultic activity in the area during the Fiend Wars of the early 8th century DR.

“Let no mortal speak, | Nor whisper hollow word. | For in yonder vale | With mournful wail, | The Voice of God is only heard.” – Inscription near the entrance to the catacombs.

Situated near the center of Aim’s Wood, the Sambrian Catacombs have a long and storied history and are best described as a network of underground temples, tombs, and crypts which have been constructed and added to over hundreds of years by different races and groups that have occupied the region. Originally believed to have been created by the elven inhabitants of the now abandoned enclave of Ereb T’al, the catacombs have seen expansions by dwarven and human settlements to include tombs for both royalty and peasants alike.

Known for its elaborate system of traps and puzzles which guard the various chambers and their possessions, the catacombs are often visited by historians, treasure hunters, and rogues seeking to unlock the secrets of its treasures. For others, the Sambrians are believed to belong solely to the dead and are to be revered, if not feared. Such beliefs are not unfounded as the local taverns are rife with tales of encounters with the supernatural and of unexplained accidents which befall those who trespass with greedy intent.

Recent cultic activity within the Sambrian Catacombs has renewed calls for the catacombs to be permanently sealed as reports of unholy phenomenon occurring in the vicinity around the tomb have many of the nearby Polmarian townsfolk concerned.