Stories from RhyDin & The Rings

OOC: It should be noted here that Atrebla is located on the same planet as Rhy'din but roughly 2,100 miles north north-west. You can travel to Atrebla via conventional methods but due to the distance someone, at some point, established the main portal located twenty minutes outside Rhy'din. Atrebla has become a vacation spot of sorts for people looking to get away to a simpler style of living.

Atrebla Valley

Basic Geography
Snow-capped peaks, glistening glaciers and sweeping vistas are just one part of the allure of Atrebla Valley. You can enjoy all the comforts of Dex's manor and the Beacon of Truth or step out into the wilderness - home to the Iron Mountain's wildest creatures, including grizzly bears, caribou and wolves.

The Iron Mountains run east-west with the Atrebla Valley acting as a pass from north to south between the now desolate Krondor (in the north) and the mercantile city-states of Muir in the south. The eastern and western slopes along with the valley of Atrebla render an alluring yet ominous scenic vista to those who are unfamiliar to the lands. The generally snow-capped mountains vary from 6500 ft to 12,000 ft with the western ridge possessing the higher rise of the range.

The Atrebla Valley is a high mountain valley (4500 feet above sea level) which runs approximately 280 km from its southern opening before it closes into a narrow trail which passes through the remainder of the mountain range. The breadth of the land encompasses 2-3 km between the eastern and western bases of the high alpine peaks. Various portals are known to the inhabitants of the valley which make the otherwise six-day journey by horse from one end of the territory to the other unnecessary.

A key landmark is the Otyep falls at the northern end of the valley. They originate in a fair-sized lake (unseen from the valley) that lies in a basin below the receding toe of the Foos Glacier. Drawings from early explorers show that the ice once flowed right over the cliffs down which these cascades now drop. These glaciers carved out the valley where the summer melt from the icefields now meet through a series of waterfalls and finger lakes.

A small town lies in the south of the alpine valley. Leading from that town is a small trail that stretches north towards the riverhead and then rises up through the mountains past Otyep falls. The trail forks just beyond Otyep falls, and a large home belonging to Tatyana Montoya and Castel Drumroldie sits merely a half kilometre to the east. The westward branch of the trail leads you two kilometres north of the riverhead. Here, overlooking the valley and lower meadows, lies the Manor of Atrebla. The northern branch takes you to a simple guardhouse sitting at the edge of the icefield which marks the passage into the neighbouring valley heading north. It is a strenuous climb along the edge of the cliffs for anyone making this piece of the journey.

Located on the southern end of the valley lies "The Beacon of Truth" or the so-called home base for the Guardians of Truth wherein the commanding council can be found. The structure sits at the southern edge of an Alpine lake, beside a high alpine meadow. The Beacon is graced by the backdrop of the icy topped western mountains. Extending past The Beacon is a southern path which follows the Atrebla river down the valley and out of the mountains. It is an easy trail and is marked by a mysterious looking portal. This portal is the passageway to and from Rhy’din. When you eventually exit the valley a second river from the west joins Atrebla River. It is at this juncture where a small, insignificant path leads in the direction of Muir.

Scenic Vistas
Atrebla contains a superb backcountry trail system and icefields accessible by cart. It is renowned for wildlife viewing and is home to some of the Iron Mountain's rarest animals, including healthy populations of grizzly bears, moose, caribou and wolves.

In addition to Otyep falls, the snow-capped mountains and receding glaciers feed a series of lakes and rivers which join Atrebla river and the small alpine lake lying in the heart of the valley. Rising out of the glaciers of the Iron Mountains, the swift silt-laden waters of these rivers ripple over braided gravel flats, tumble over rapids and plunge over thundering waterfalls on their to the valley. Passing through the glistening snow-covered peaks of Atrebla Valley, their turbulent, icy waters challenged settlers. Although crossed by ancient roadways and trailways, the glacier valleys are essentially unchanged from the time when native people hunted and lived along their banks.

The well-designed switchbacks up the western slopes of Klanb Mountain give you a relatively easy opportunity to reach the top of the Iron Mountains. Granted it is a low one, yet reaching the summit reveals sweeping views up and down the Atrebla Valley. It is "the best place from which to get a good general idea of the topography of Atrebla Valley and its surroundings." A winding path carpeted in soft pine needles is accompanied by beautiful views. The picture of its meltwater carries fine rock flour ground for thousands of years from the surrounding mountains into the turquoise lake, making it impossibly bluer. Clouds recede down the glacial carved valley towards forever, and a sudden warm breeze carries hints of the wildflowers blooming far below. It's a living postcard, you are in it, and you are alive in a new way that makes the steep climb seem a bargain.

Up the eastern slopes of Crag Mountain, an interpretive trail leads up to the Rockpile, a prominent heap of boulders at the northeast end of a small meadow lake. The trail gives an excellent introduction to this famous Valley of the Ten Seers (more like a small river canyon). Interpretive signs along the trail focus on the geology of the area, and viewpoints at and near the top give classic views of the finger lakes and some of the mountains called the Ten Seers.

It is for these views and the rustic, simple life of the valley’s inhabitants that many come to Atrebla seeking respite, fresh air, and a sense of calm and tranquillity that are rarely found anywhere else.

Adapted from a description provided by Topaz's Player. Updated April 2019

The Lake above Otyep Falls


Tatyana & Castel's Home

The Manor of Condextint (Dex) Montoya

Settled on the eastern slope of the Iron Mountains and two kilometres north of the riverhead is the Manor of Atrebla. Overlooking the valley and lower meadows the windows face east and south for a brilliant view of the rising sun each morning. The manor itself was built by Condextint (Dex) Montoya using primarily materials with the assistance of hired help and members of the Guardians of Truth. The funds mostly came from mentoring in the three fields of duelling, making the training dojo a prominent feature.

The dojo is a large covered courtyard that includes a variety of supplies for the different form of duelling. This dojo was also the site of all Team Atrebla home fights during the Team Dueling League seasons. Around the courtyard and rings is wooden bench seating for spectators with gaps for the entrance into the manor and the exit outdoors. There are a variety of practice weapons for bladed combat, with rapiers being the most common and many of them forged by Dex himself. There are practice mats, Thai pads, gloves, and body pads for unarmed combat. Surrounding the dojo are buckets of sand and water for errant wizard blades or scorching fireballs from meteor storm.

Just north of the manor is a guest barracks for any members of the Guardians of Truth as well as housing for visiting duelling teams and officials. South of the manor is a large orchard that grows fresh fruit including cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, and a wide assortment of apples. The manor employs a variety of staff to help manage and care for the orchard, and the produce is a key component of Michelle’s pies.

In recent years a few additions have been made near manor grounds. Behind the manor itself, further up the eastern slope, is a small single story home that is currently occupied. Dex’s second daughter, Tatyana, built a home for her growing family with her husband Castel east of the riverhead. There is also a small portal tucked away that can take the occupants to the Beacon of Truth (located at the south end of the valley) and back at a moments notice.



Written in collaboration with Dex's player. When I asked about the Dojo he referred to the one in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Although I cannot find a good picture of it, if you look it up on YouTube it gives you a good sense of what Dex built in the covered courtyard.

Cadentia
Cadentia City is an outpost at the edge of the desert, a relatively short trip with a shuttle from the Anchor — longer by horse, car, or camel. It is a settlement ringed by a patchwork mosaic of crumbling walls that bear testimony to the civilizations that built it. There is a main gate, but the caravanserai take a different route, passing through a humble limestone arch to the two-mile lane they call the Cadentia Bazaar.

The Cadentia Desert sprawls south, east and west from this border town. If heading south, most travellers take the Great Southern Road through the High Cadentia Mountain Pass.

Al-Ibra
This high valley pass winds upwards like a long, thin, snake towards the fortress of pisé and palm wood. Smaller buildings speckle the base, spreading from the stronghold like a haphazard ring along the ridges where the heavy spring rains run away from clay foundations. Lush greenery covers most of the kasbah, obscuring the entrance and guardhouse. This circuitous pass guards the only passage through the High Cadentia Mountains. Bandits and traders alike take this road, leading to South Cadentia Wastelands.

South Cadentia Wastelands
The Wastelands are home to chimeras, wyverns, nagas and other dangerous beasts. There are also relics, runes and treasures. Signs of ancient civilizations, both technological and pre-historic, are buried deep within the sandy dunes. Traders, bounty hunters, treasure seekers and bandits all travel here for glory, gold and grandeur.