The northernmost arm of the Alliance is known as the White Valleys
for the thick mists that descend on that part of the world. It hosts the only direct land route from the Alliance to the Armillian
Empire, known as the North Road. This
road emerges from the High Plains at Three
Falls to the south of the valleys and
follows the great Misty
River north round the
edge of the Barrier Marshes then turns west along the coast to the twin cities
of Xahe’s Gap in Armillia. Goods from
Blackvale in the southwest of the valleys must first traverse the Lone forest
and the southern edge of the Barrier Marshes before joining the North Road at Trader’s Crossing. Most of the White Valleys
is wilderness with most settlements being less than 150 years old. Despite a committed attempt to pacify the
region shortly before the forming of the Alliance, there are still many dangers
in the forests, mountains, hills and marshes of the White Valleys. The Lone forest is home to a wide variety of
large animals and insects, the Barrier Marshes is almost certainly the
territory of several Lizardman tribes as well as other savage creatures and
there are orcs and giants in the mountains to the north and east. The Eastern forest is said to be swarming
with Kobolds and the hills of Whisper Heath are home to roving bands of Goblins
and human outlaws. No one knows exactly
what claims dominion of the Blan Deguri – the lonely hills at the heart of the White Valleys
– and few are keen to find out. Just
south of them is the great Ghostwater
Lake, roundly considered
to be heavily haunted.
Hessau’s Meadow
In the North-East corner of the White Valleys lies
the village of Hessau’s Meadow. It is the only significant settlement on the North Road
between Three Falls at the edge of the High Plains, fifty miles to the south
and Xahe’s Gap over 130 miles to the west-northwest, just over the border into
Armillia.
The town was founded 150 years ago by the first Lord
Hessau, who won his lands in service to the city of Blackvale
during the War of Secession from Armillia and the subsequent pacifying of the White Valleys. Lord Hessau led the Blackvale troops that
routed the last of the Lizardman raiders from Lone Forest
and drove them back into the Barrier Marshes.
Thirty years later Blackvale joined Sentinel City,
Anvil, Ghalii’s Gate and GiXor in forming the Five Cities Alliance for mutual
protection against the Empire to the north, the tribes of the Wild Plains to
the east, sea raiders on both shorelines and the mysterious armies that
occasionally swarm out of the Unending
Forest to the south.
By that time Lord Hessau had already founded Hessau’s
Meadow and construction was nearly complete on Hessau House. Already the fledgling village had suffered a
near-disastrous assault by outlaws riding east from Whisper Heath and thus the
prudent Lord made sure the village was well defended, utilising the natural
layout of the wide valley he constructed one long wall, built a lookout tower
and deepened the bed of the Misty River where it flowed into Lake Yvainne to
create a series of barricades to any assault from the west. It was his grandson, the third Lord Hessau who
discovered Haven Vale while looking for a new pass through the North Wall
Mountains and realised
the high, secluded clearing’s potential as a secure retreat for the
townsfolk. Thus Hessau’s Meadow became
the safest settlement in the White
Valleys, other than
Blackvale itself, and the population quickly grew.
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