Editing History of the Vale (section)

== Ancient History ==
''Over 2,000 years ago''

The time before recorded history. The Vale is populated by wild animals and dangerous fey. Elves dwell in many parts of the Vale, primarily in forest holts.

Kobolds are an almost exclusively subterranean race, having little contact with the surface world; mining is a dangerous enterprise as a result.

Goblins control the western half of the Vale, living in many warlike tribes. Although some command powerful druidic magic, they are fractious and violent, expending most of their energy fighting amongst themselves as well as with the occasional rogue orc.

Relative newcomers to the Vale having emigrated from a forgotten homeland to the northeast, gnomes dwell mostly in the foothills of the northern Dawnforges and along the southern edge of the Winterbole. They alternately fight and trade with the halflings, kobolds and Min, or Horned Folk. They are the most technologically advanced of the races, having mastered bronze working, something the halflings and goblins struggle with.

Halflings live in the plains and forests east of the Nentir River in scattered tribes, alternately trading with and raiding both goblins and gnomes. Many inhabit mysterious stone ruins clearly built by much larger beings, often by dismantling them and using the stones to build more halfling-sized dwellings.

A race of unknown beings dwells deep in the Harken Forest (which was itself much larger then), known today only from their stone ruins and mysterious petroglyphs.