The city of V`Ral was originally a Duchy on the western edge of the Kingdom of Daerma. Below is the story of its founding.
Daerma first came known to the modern world around the year 1371DR, when one Varalla, Orphan of Waterdeep, and her companions Calvin and Frizzit, answered a message from the Wizard Starglow. Starglow is the official court mage to the Kingdom of Daerma. Arriving for an audience with Starglow and the King, the trio learned of an evil green dragon by the name of Vandaxis, who had been plaguing the eastern portion of the kingdom for the last century or so. Receiving promises of great wealth upon ridding the land of the dragon, Varalla and company set out to the west in search of Vandaxis.
About a ten-day west of Daerma City, the companions came upon a ruined keep in the wilderness. Deciding the keep would make an excellent base of operations for the search, they setup in the ruins and took to keeping a watch in the one tower standing. Their patience and vigilance paid off after three days when Frizzit spotted a large shape flying to the southwest. Incanting a spell, Frizzit was able to determine that the large shape was indeed a dragon. Encouraged by this, they set off in the direction the dragon was last seen, southwest. Journeying for two days, they came upon a village of lizard men living in a marshy area of the forest near a bend in the river Arcdus. Spying upon the lizard men, Varalla determined that the lizard men were giving tribute to the dragon in the form of gold, jewels, and slaves. Outraged by this, Varalla and Frizzit cast power spells of fire instantly killing most of the lizard men, the few that survived slaughtered their prisoners and fled the area. Unfortunately before the area was secured Calvin was severely wounded.
Deciding that a break to rest and heal was in order, they retreated back to the ruined keep. Another ten-day passed with no sign of the dragon. Then on the eleventh day, they were awaked to a horrible screeching. Vandaxis had arrived. The dragon seemed to be in a very foul mood. Tearing into the ruins with breath, claw, and tail. The companions managed to stay hidden and safe until the dragon’s rage had subsided and he flew off. Hoping Vandaxis was returning to his lair, Calvin ran up the entry tower in an attempt to find the general direction the dragon was going. Watching, Calvin eventually seen the dragon fly low and disappear off to the southeast. After healing themselves and resting, Varalla and company set of in the direction the dragon was last seen.
After a few days, the party spotted the beast flying up out of the forest ahead. Unfortunately it also seen them, before they could react the dragon had caught the party up in a spell that sent them falling up into the night sky. Reacting quickly, Varalla and Calvin managed to grab onto the upper branches of a tree and halt their upwards flight. Frizzit, unable to catch himself, rode out the spell and began to plummet to earth. As he neared the ground again, Frizzit saved himself with a spell to slow his fall to that of a feather. Trading a few spells back and forth with the party, the dragon then flew off the way he had come. Following quickly, the party was halted by a seemingly impenetrable line of trees and undergrowth. As they hacked a tunnel through, the dragon landed behind them and let out a mighty breath of poisonous gas, which knocked out both Varalla and Frizzit. With his companions down and face to face with a very angry green dragon, Calvin quickly downed a magical potion granting himself the fiery breath of a red dragon. Hoping the potion didn’t backlash and kill him, Calvin drew a huge breath. Exhaling forcefully, it is hard to say who was more surprised the dragon or Calvin, when a huge gout of flame came from Calvin’s lips blasting the face of the green from point blank range. Unable to turn aside, the dragon’s head all but exploded from the blast, killing him instantly.
Carefully reviving his companions with a healing drought, they set about searching for the defeated dragon’s lair. Finding it even deeper in the mysteriously thick woods, they took everything of value they could carry and returned to the ruined keep. After resting at the keep for a few more days, Varalla transported all of them back to Daerma City, along with the charred dragon’s head, to report a successful mission. As a reward, King Marl granted Varalla the title of Duchess and gave unto her the keep, and all lands within 2 days ride of it, to rule. Swearing fealty, she accepted and set about recruiting craftsmen and adventurers to rebuild and protect her new duchy.
Among the people to answer her call, were two groups of adventurers who later came to be known as ‘The Fallen Legion’ and ‘The Defenders.’ Although none of the original members of the Legion are still alive, and the Defenders have disbanded due to the mortality rate, what they begun is quickly becoming legend. The following are their stories.