Valley of Mines

The Valley of Mines in the south of the island of Khorinis is renowned for its rich deposits of magical ore, which once formed the foundation of the kingdom of Myrtana's wealth. The valley served as a penal colony, sealed for 22 years beneath a magical Barrier under which three prison camps arose: the Old Camp with its stone castle, the New Camp by the lake in the west, and the Swamp Camp in the east. In the southwest lay the dreaded orc territory with the city of the orcs and the tower of the necromancer Xardas. The valley is accessible from the Valley of Khorinis via the pass behind Bengar's farm. After the fall of the Barrier, the valley was transformed: four dragons settled in and reshaped the landscape to match their nature – a swamp dragon created new marshes in the swamp west of the castle, a fire dragon turned the old keep into a volcano, an ice dragon blanketed the former New Camp in the ice wasteland, and a rock dragon made the old mountain fortress a barren waste. Orcs besieged the castle held by Commander Garond's paladins, lizardmen served the dragons, and the Seekers occupied the abandoned structures. The hero defeated all four dragons with the help of the Eye of Innos and learned from them that their master dwelled in the Halls of Irdorath on an island near Khorinis.