12.10.4 THE VALLEY OF KALEBB
Across the northern landscape runs the Mountains of Tarea, splitting the
tundra and Mamashi grasslands apart in a great wall of stone. Accessible
by the Pass of Eurik, the only breach in this natural wall, is the
Valley of Kalebb, a place forbidden to the stronger people of Aetolia
but a refuge for young explorers.
The Valley of Kalebb has been known to travelers for centuries and was
often used as a waypoint for those heading north into the vast tundra.
In recent times, however, the Valley has supported a small settlement of
people intent on keeping watch for signs of the prophecies of Kalebb, an
Ankyrean astrologer from the Alizarin Order. To this purpose, a tall
watchtower was constructed high in the mountains allowing a clear view
of the surrounding land. The prophecies tell of a great terror
descending from the north, and it is this event that the people of the
Valley await and prepare for.
The residents subsist on what little they can trap or grow, and
supplement their needs with profits from a small winery, the products of
which are eagerly snatched up by more southern communities. Many people
live in the Valley only transiently, coming from other parts of the
world out of curiosity or a need to feel purposeful. Of those who stay
permanently, most are without family or other ties that would draw them
elsewhere. These people form the heart of the settlement, a close-knit
community intent on each other's well-being and on the goal of
witnessing the fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
See also: CRAGS, EVLASU, LIRIS, LODI, RAHVEIR, SEHAL and YOHANAN
