Editing Wilderlands Hex Crawl IV (section)

===Shadow Valley===
Now, speaking of Garthain again, if you go there, and head five miles north, crossing over the River Greencourse, you come into Shadow Valley. At about the five-mile mark, you will reach the Shadow Valley Stronghold. It is a strange place, a cruel castle ruled by Unlarg Smokebreather, a goblin. He rules over a band of goblins, orcs, and orc-human hybrids. Foul folk indeed.

They maintain the Stronghold as a neutral meeting place between men and the non-human tribes of the region: orcs, goblins, and so forth. I have little love for Smokebreather, but I must admit that he does keep the place a neutral meeting ground. No petty quarrels are allowed to break out.

The great news in the area now is that a meeting between men and orcs is about to occur at the Stronghold, to renegotiate and reaffirm various treaties and trade agreements---or else cancel them and throw the land into chaos and savagery once more. Tensions run high, and many fear that Smokebreather will no longer be able to keep the peace at the Stronghold, and that the meeting will degenerate into a brawl...or a battle.

As for Shadow Valley, it cuts between the lands about the River Greencourse and the Brazen Hills to the north. The land sinks so sharply that in the center of the Valley it is so dark that only the noon-day sun fully dispels the darkness. You can see why light-haters such as orcs and goblins would appreciate that, yes?