Valley of the Fair
This isolated valley deep in the Spine is home to community of Khanna worshiping witches. At the northern end of the valley is a mountain lake which flows into a river that runs down the length the valley before going over a high waterfall and heading towards the Windy Sea. About 1,000 people live in the valley. The women in the valley’s population are all witches, most with just basic skills, but some very powerful. The people of the valley keep some sheep and goats along with a small population of dairy cows. The valley is rich with apple trees and its cider is prized. The route to the valley comes off one of the mountain trade roads through a set of steps some 1,000 feet in height. The steps are designed to be climbed by pack animals.
The valley’s inhabitants are spread out between four villages along the fourteen mile long valley. The villages are connected by well-marked cart tracks. The wooden houses of the villages and the bridges are all showcases for the masterful woodworking and decorative painting skills of the villagers. Each village maintains a guest house where most visitors will be housed, unless they are personal friends of one of the village families.
Each village is said to have some important objects related to the Khanna sect. Each village also maintains a sacred grove, except the central village of Castell which has a full-blown shrine in the form of a large wooden temple. The shrine is placed above a pilgrimage site for followers of the Goddess. This site is a grotto with blue and green crystals embedded in its walls and the pool at the center is fed by a magical spring. Bathing in or drinking the waters of the spring are credited with healing all types of ailments. This probably accounts for the health and longevity of the valley's inhabitants.
Despite the Valley's relative geographic isolation, it's mountaineer culture has cosmopolitan influences from Northrons, Danites, Dark Corgerians and Southrons. This outside influence is especially notable in the music and food of the valley. Loan words from Northron have heavily influenced the Mountaineer dialect spoken in the Valley.
Geography
The northern end of the valley is a mountain lake which flows into a river that runs down the length the valley before going over a high waterfall and heading towards the Windy Sea. About 1,000 people live in the valley. The valley’s inhabitants are spread out in four villages along the fourteen-mile-long valley. The villages are connected by well-marked paths.
Climate
Winter in the valley is cold and snowy, but several hot springs located along the valley's floor provide pockets of comparative warmth. These springs contribute to frequent morning fogs that fill the valley. The summer is mild and rainy.
Fauna & Flora
The slopes of the valley are thick with evergreens while the valley itself is mainly forested with deciduous trees. Thickets of edible berries are scattered throughout the valley. Deer and mountain goats stray into the valley and are liable to get bagged by local hunters. During the winter, animals tend to congregate around the hot springs where water and exposed grasses provide sustenance. Varieties mushrooms including those with psychedelic effects grow in the valley.
Natural Resources
The lake and stream are rich with fish. Game is plentiful in the mountains along the edges of the valley. The valley has good pastureland used for sheep, cattle and horses. The area along the stream and the northern lake shore are heavily cultivated with fields of root vegetables, oats and apple orchards.
History
The Valley was settled by a small group of Priestesses of Khanna and their families. This group began a tradition of training their daughters to be priestesses. As new migrants came to the valley, they fell in with this tradition making witchcraft almost universal among the Valley's female inhabitants. Over the years they were joined by other Khanna worshipping families from the mountains and the north with a scattering of others including Danites and Southrons. About 400 years ago the shrine of Castell was constructed becoming a center of religious education among the priestesses of Khanna. Some 150 years ago the Zalarite Order tried to invade the valley with a mixed force of Zalarites and Upper Laoians. The inhabitants of the Valley gathered over a hundred witches, the local militia and a small force of Alyites and successfully ambushed the Zalarite army on the Great Stairs that lead to the Valley. This clash is generally referred to as the Battle of the Bloody Steps. Several hundred of the invaders were killed with many more sustaining injuries. The surviving Laoians promptly deserted and the surviving Zalarites beat a hasty retreat back to Zareb. After this clash, the Alyite Order created to the Chapter of Castell to protect the Valley and its inhabitants. Since that time the most serious threats to the Valley have been wandering bands of Naarmen and various mountain beasts. Over time the shrine at Castell continued to take on increasing importance among the worshippers of Khanna. While most witches visiting the shrine stay for a few months some choose to remain permanently in Valley. In both cases these visitors brought continued influence of outside cultures on the valley. The Valley also developed a reputation for excellent cider, beautifully carved ornamental items made from wood and effective herbal medicines. These items attracted increasingly regular visits from Danite and Northron traders. The Valley's leaders developed long-term relationships with a half dozen trading houses based on mutual trust. Over the years members of these trading houses have intermarried with families from the valley with these families serving as key links between the Valley and the trading houses.
Tourism
Khannite witches frequently travel to the valley to visit its shrine and to study with the Coven of Castell. Alyite warriors generally rotate in an out of the Alyite Chapter of Castel. Most of these women come through the Order's northern headquarters at Pandra. During late summer the harvest fair draws travelling merchants to the valley where the purchase cider, wool and wooden artifacts from the Valley's people while selling imported goods like glassware, spices, silk, cotton cloth and metalwork.
Alternative Name(s)
Witch Haven
Type
Valley
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Owning Organization
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