Barony of Steeping Falls
The Barony of Steeping Falls, also known as the Barony of Blood, was an ancient, independent war hold founded in 133 DR by a renegade Shoon mercenary named Artur Morlin, the self-styled Baron of Steeping Falls. The realm encompassed much of the Shining Vale, from the mouth of the River Delimbiyr to the Steeping Falls north of present day Loudwater; a vast territory for the time. While it began as a trade crossroads, the barony eventually garnered a fell reputation until it was eventually abandoned some time before the rise of the kingdom of Phalorm.
Morlin Castle
Raised on a berm of land overlooking the largest ford across the River Delimbiyr, Morlin Castle was the seat of Artur Morlin. For several decades the powerful fortress played host to mercenaries and traders alike making the journey from the lands of the south to the frozen north and vice versa under the watchful eyes of Baron Morlin. In time, however, the castle and the surrounding lands began to acquire a dark reputation for evil magic and unquiet dead. By 403 DR, the castle and it's environs were completely abandoned, save by terrible undead and other monsters. For more than 500 years, the castle's haunted ruins lay abandoned until the near-mythical founder of the town of Daggerford, Tyndal, ventured into the castle and came away with enough magic and treasure to found his new seat of power, Castle Daggerford, upon the ruins of the old fortress.
