Gáláwá Lake Caves
The home of Ithrós of the Deep
Location
The caves are situated up in the mountains and take its name after the Lake and the nearest human settlement - Gáláwá village.
History
The caves have been flooded quite recently, about 200 years ago. After heavy snows in winter preceding the event, the currents of rivers and streams have greatly intensified. The faint sounds of the rushing water could be occassionally heard during the Bloom rituals, clearly suggesting the presence of flows hidden behind the walls. When the Season of SvÍs was about to end, a deep growl echoed down to the city of Gáláwá.
The villagers dared not venture there at first, but with that year's Gathering, not much choice was left. After arriving at the spot, a waterfall was spotted gushing forth from the entrance to the cave. The ritual was given a temporary place until the situation resolved. Few months later, the caves were completely flooded and the shallow lake increased its size, now overflowing the Pass of Rose to form the Great Waterfall. The caves have been rarely visited since then, but some have tried to find the small ventilation openings in the Topaz Cavern.
The Sacred Spot
Long ago the Bloom ritual (The Gathering) was performed deep in the caves, specifically in the Topaz Cavern, where large, span thick crystals grew out from the walls.
Fauna
The blind catfish are known to venture into the Caves around the full moon. When seen from high above it reminds of small silvery snakes or moonlight being sucked to an underwater cave.
Connections to folklore
Songs
One of the most popular depictions of the caves lives on in Silly Hithy - a folk song. While the rhytmics and the mood remains jolly until the end, the story has a mixes grim and unsettling. The young boy ventures on a full moons night to visit the infamous Ithrós halls. While it seems just a reference to the Gáláwán Caves, in reality from the very beginning it reveals the boy's death.
There are no evidence that connect Gáláwán Caves with Ithrós, although rare sightings of a large blind catfish have been confirmed.
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