Wormtower fills a narrow, tree-choked valley of winding lanes, clustered cottages, and small gardens. The terrain is steep and crowded, divided by hedges, low rubble walls, and twisting paths of gravel and flagstone, making navigation confusing even for visitors who think they know where they are going. Despite its modest size and isolation, the village is known for the quality of its craftsmen. Its coopers, carpenters, and potters produce a wide range of practical goods—coffers, chests, folding chairs, shelves, lanterns, ladders, and finely carved trim for doors, stairways, and tavern booths—that are used throughout the Dragonreach. Trade is steady rather than grand, and the village’s reputation rests on usefulness rather than wealth.

Landmarks

The Valley and Approach

The only clear approach into the vale begins at a placid pond known as Wyrm Pool, where a road branches from the Bluemist Trail and runs straight into the settlement. This road leads unerringly to the ruins of Wormtower itself, where it opens into a small market square. Around this square stand the village’s key establishments: its tavern, its inn, and the Tower Shop, where travelers can purchase goods or arrange dealings with local artisans.

Wormtower Ruins

At the heart of the valley stand the ruins that give the village its name. The shattered tower rises like a giant stone hand, its broken pillars resembling fingers forever reaching toward the sky. Within these ruins lies a grim and compelling sight: the skeletal remains of the dragon that destroyed the tower, sprawled across a vast hoard of gold coins and glittering gems. The beast did not fall in battle but seems to have died of some slow and unknown ailment decades ago. Beneath both dragon bones and treasure lie the remains of the slain mage, along with whatever magical remnants of the tower still endure.

The Hoard and Its Curse

Despite the wealth lying openly within the ruins, no one has ever succeeded in claiming it. The place is shunned by locals and feared for good reason. Any creature that approaches too closely is struck by lightning from the broken stones, and those who somehow pass within the walls are transformed into other shapes—beasts, plants, or stranger forms—and then vanish entirely. These transformations are followed by teleportation to distant and unknown locations across Faerûn, sealing the fate of most intruders.

The magic that guards the tower is believed to be a combination of the original mage’s wards, twisted and strengthened by the dragon’s own power. Legends say that only those bearing a special passagestone created by the mage Nendar can safely enter the ruins, suppressing the deadly enchantments in a small area around them. No known example of such a stone survives, though tales persist that one once existed and was destroyed in a wizard’s duel. It is whispered that the mage kept hidden refuges elsewhere in Cormyr, perhaps containing spare passagestones and other magical treasures, but none have been found.

The hoard continues to lure the curious and the doomed alike. Bards are drawn to the ruins to gaze upon the fallen dragon and compose songs of tragedy and wonder. Dwarves come to stare longingly at the gold, and some, overcome with greed, perish attempting to reach it. Others, old and weary, walk knowingly toward the tower, choosing death beneath its lightning rather than fading quietly elsewhere.

Places of Interest

Shops

Tower Shop

Furniture and Local Crafts

The Tower Shop serves as the village’s central place of trade, a sprawling and confusing structure built into the side of a small knoll. Its many cramped rooms are linked by steep steps and narrow archways, all lit by the soft glow of caged moss. Within, one finds an overwhelming assortment of furniture and crafted goods produced by the village’s artisans.

The proprietor, Bruima Shalut, is as unusual as her shop. Pale and graceful, with striking dark eyes, she moves constantly through the rooms, singing softly as she tends her wares. She arranges meetings between customers and craftsmen using a network of swift errand boys and is said to be well-informed about nearly everything that happens in the valley.

Rumors cling to her as tightly as dust to her shelves. Some claim she commands invisible flying daggers that pursue and strike at thieves, while others insist she is aided by a hidden family of leprechauns dwelling within the shop’s secret passages. Those who claim to know such things suggest the latter is true.

Taverns

Ten Tankards Today

Ten Tankards Today forms the social and commercial heart of Wormtower. Unlike most rural taverns, it is divided into multiple clean taprooms and booths, more reminiscent of establishments found in Amn than in Cormyr. Its fare is intentionally salty and light, encouraging patrons to drink freely, and business of all kinds is conducted within its walls.

Merchants meet here, deals are struck, and travelers exchange news beneath a sign depicting ten upturned tankards dripping foam. Outside, the hitching area is often crowded with mounts of all kinds, though visitors are asked to keep more unusual creatures separate from ordinary horses.

Inns

The Dead Dragon Inn

Overlooking the ruins stands the Dead Dragon Inn, named for the skeletal remains visible from its upper windows. The building is rustic and somewhat uncomfortable, with poorly sealed windows and a noticeable chill even in fair weather. Its single outhouse lies inconveniently far across the yard, making winter visits especially unpleasant.

Yet what the inn lacks in comfort, it makes up for in food. Fresh-baked bread is always available, along with roast fowl, hearty soups, and stews enriched by game brought in by local hunters. The constant baking fills the place with a warm and inviting aroma.

The inn is run by bands of semi-retired adventurers who are more than capable of dealing with trouble. They proudly recount that King Azoun and the royal mage Vangerdahast once stayed there and declared it delightful—a claim repeated often enough that few dare challenge it.