Great Vale was a Dukedom of THE REALM from YOR 1202-1495. When the Realm overthrew the chaotic forces of the Tower of Damnation, an inrush of settlement followed. The coastal areas became the Dukedom of Thranconia and the area between the Ostkrags and Veskrags mountain ranges, north of the Badab Desert and south of Algart became the Dukedom of Great Vale. The fief was ruled from a now-lost castle and town called Virkon whose ruins are now hidden in the THE PINE WOOD.

For almost two centuries the Dukedom received a steady influx of settlers and saw immense economic expansion. After some brief, minor border wars, Algart joined the Realm and the prosperity of the region jumped even higher. The Pine Wood was cut back to half its current size, and the grassy plains of today were productive farm country. The Legion of Sorcery even had a magic university in the capital. Today, the grasslands and Pine Wood are littered with ruins of castles, towns and villages.

The end came when an alliance of Chaos, including Herporite Sorcerers, desert nomads, mountain orc tribes from the west, goblin bands from the east, and even elves from the Pine Wood, united in an unexpected devastating attack simultaneously across the valley. The destruction was total, yet there was no serious attempt by these forces to attack Thranconia or Algart.