Geography
The Clouded Hills of Aveline takes up roughly 800 km
2 of land in eastern Casaréi, and is considered one of the country's most beautiful and picturesque regions. The hills begin at the base of the Mondero Mountains and run for hundreds of kilometres before ending about an hour's ride from Casaréi's capital, Meritosoa.
These hills range in height and overall size, with the smallest being mere bunny hills and being only a dozen or two feet high.
But there are many hills that range much taller, being several hundred feet in height.
Some have even been named, like Miana's Hill and Renaudin's Peak which are roughly 720ft and 930 ft. respectively.
Both are common destinations for sightseers looking for pristine beautiful views of the countryside and of Meritosoa. These picturesque locations provide some of the most beautiful sights in all of Casaréi.
The lowlands in between the many hills of the region are often prime real estate, not only providing fantastic farmland but also land for inns, restaurants, and shops. All of which are popular stop-offs for tourists during sightseeing tours of the area.
Wandering Clouds Phenomenon
The Wandering Clouds is a phenomenon known to only happen in this particular region of Casaréi. If you are fortunate enough to visit the area you may lazy rolling clouds slide down the slopes of the Mondero Mountains and blanket the Aveline region.
These clouds filter through the hills, obscuring much of the ground and in some areas being as tall as several hundred feet. For those on the ground, it can be a disorienting event, but most are so used to the event that it doesn't bother them to stop and relax for the short time in which the event takes place.
But for that are prepared and waiting on the top of a reasonably tall hill will see a beautiful sight that is unparalleled.
It has never been confirmed why or how this phenomenon occurs, and why it only happens during the spring and summer months.
But the few Casaréi individuals that have bothered to look into the phenomenon theorize that it may have something to do with the differing atmospheric pressures between the high mountains and lowland hills. A peculiar occurrence that only happens because the region just so happens to have an odd set of circumstances.
And that is about as much thought that has ever been given to the event.
The Wandering Clouds usually only float through the hills for about an hour or so before dissipating and floating upwards. During very hot days the phenomenon may occur several times in a day, while in the somewhat cooler spring time the event occurs a few times a week or less.
Tourism
The region of Aveline is a popular one, with thousands of tourists flocking through it year-round. In the fall, small fruit orchards and vineyards conduct fruit picking excursions and winery tours. The base of the hills often provides great farming land for apple orchards and grape vineyards.
In the winter the hills become laden with layers of soft snow that fall from the peaks of the Mondero Mountains, Casaréi has mild winters and it is a popular destination for skiers in these months. With the farm owners turning nearby hills into slopes and romantic getaways where cabins can be rented for short periods of time.
In the spring and summer months, tourists flock to the area to see the hills cloud over and witness the Wandering Cloud phenomenon.
Shops and inns in the dozens dot the region, usually attached to a farm or resort of some sort. Serving local delicacies and serving an assortment of wines and spirits. Some even sell Wandering Clouds merchandise. Shirts, dresses, socks, you name it, merchants have capitalized on it.
And in order to combat the obscuring effects of the clouds for those shops and inns that are located on the lower ground.
Some entrepreneurial minds have developed unique mechanisms to allow them to rise above the events. Quite literally. With special balconies and outdoor patios specially designed to raise and lower, using large crank systems, just enough to bypass the cloudy weather. These lifting patios have become a special sightseeing destination themselves, and seeing a dozen or more large patios lift out from a fluffy cloud is quite the sight to behold.
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