Entry 26 - Travelling through Ancien (Part 1)

(The annotated map is based on an image provided by Mainframe, developers of Pax Dei.)

Journal of Galthir the Cartographer

Entry 26 - Travelling through Ancien (Part 1)

All right. Orientation's done. Time to start off to Astarac.

Hmmm. Everything's quiet. Normally, I find some form of fortifications, or even dangerous wildlife near the gates, but here, the neighborhood is quiet. But not too quiet. Peaceful. Welcoming. I wonder why, and then feel a little too paranoid - isn't the better question why weren't the others? Not too far from the gate, I meet a cobbled road leading to the southwest, and into Astarac. It quickly leads up and over a pass and then almost immediately down into Astarac proper. Where my question as too why the area around the gate is so peaceful.

Sprawling up the sides of the Rim Mountains is the largest castle I think I've seen. And old. Despite the small Inquisitor camp that guards the nearby small quarry, the outer walls of the castle are covered in well-established ivy. Obviously, not even the Inquisitors are foolish enough to trouble such a massive fortification. And I imagine patrols from the castle travel near or through the Gate on a regular basis. But I think the most impressive part of the fortress, other than it's sheer size, is how well lit it is. It blazes like a beacon, and I don't think there's a single part of it nor covered in lights.

It's larger than I thought. I think you could house all of Llydaw inside. Possibly both Llydaw and Vanes. Oh, and the map I rescued from the guards, that I'm using for my annotations, has an error in it. It shows the cart track that leads to the quarry continuing on, and turning due west. In actuality, the road ends ant the quarry, there's another track leading into to the Inquisitor camp attached to the road just a little farther on. That track ends roughly where the false recorded turn does. More, I see more evidence that the Great Floods also disturbed the land here, as once again, a major road is broken beyond the use of the carts its intended for. At the base of the mountain, by the main gate of the castle, the road turns sharply north, as it meets another cobbled road that follows along the base of the castle walls to the south. Since the scout's map indicates the quicker path to the Astarac Stone is to the north, that's the turning I take.

The Astarac Stone is another circular shrine on the top of a sharp, artificial hill peak. Older than many I've seen, there aren't any walls, just a few piles of crumbled stone, and the holy stone standing tall in the middle of the ancient mosaic compass rose. Though the arms are offset a little from the true north points. Another indication that massive changes have altered this land.

The road leads downward to the Ancien Pale River; I turn south before I can get to the actual bridge that crosses it. The main Astarac Road leads across the bridge, but it intersects with the Astarac River Road, another cobbled road which follows the river's eastern bank. Which is the road I turned south on. And that leads to a holy stone. On the map, it's right at the northern border of the Astarac Marsh, but looking around if the fields, I'm tempted to call it something like the Obilac Stone, but I'll stick to the name suggested by the map - the Astarac North Marsh Stone. Just beyond the stone, the road splits; one portion leads into the Astarac Marsh, which must obviously be the Astarac Marsh Road, and another that appears to lead along the eastern border of the marsh and into Gravas. The Astarac Border Road seems most fitting, though an argument can be made for the Astarac East Marsh Road, I suppose. I'll use Border Road as it seems most fitting, and I suspect, based on the map, that it doesn't actually enter the marsh at all.

The Gravas border is, as always, marked by a brief rise and pass that the road follows. As border terrain goes, though, it is one of the less intrusive ones. On the other side, the road travels though a plain and an old forest before it meets the Grava Road itself. At the Gravas Road, I turn west.

While I prefer to reserve the valley names for the cobbled road that lead directly to or by the valley stone itself, there are times where it simply isn't practical. Usually because the Home Stone for the valley is at the end of short, otherwise unimportant road. Such is the case for Gravas Valley. So the Gravas Road connects to the Gravas Stone Road, which is what I follow to the stone.

While there, I met a very polite and nice Scion named Petronille, who greeted me. She apparently recognized my name; apparently others had told her of my Journals. She called me a Bard. Which is rather humbling - I'm just a traveler who writes down his journeys. The company of Amergin, Taliesin, and Aneirin are far beyond me. Still, it is very nice to be recognized, especially so far from home.

From the Gravas Stone, I follow some trails west and south; normally, I'd back track a little at take the Gravas Road out into the Pale Valley and cross into Volvestre that way, but I really want to pick up the two gates at the end of the Pale Valley, and this should be a better route for that.

Of course the one problem with following trails into the Wildlands is that they can take you perilously close to dangerous animals. Be prepared to run.

Eventually the trail meets up with a paved road, which given it's likely path, I will call the Pale Road (or Pale Valley Road). And that leads nearby another holy stone. According to the map, it is completely isolated at the crown of a large hill, though other paths are indicated to lead into the area, but not to it. I've seen this pattern before, so intrigued, I explore. My suspicions are confirmed when a track leads to a cobbled road, which in turn leads to the holy stone. It is, in fact, another Ancient City! Fitting, I supposes, considering this is Ancien Province. I don't recall encountering one in Innis Gallia, but I certainly didn't explore off the direct path between Home Stones as I have here. Still! Another City! This is wonderful!

While Exploring the city, I discover that there is a paved road that would have led directly into the city in the past. But there was apparently another upheaval, or multiple upheavals, and now the paved road ends before it can enter into the city proper. A short scramble over some sizeable boulders places me back along the southern edge of the city though. That paved road connects the city to the Pale Road, though it looks like the Pale Road may have once connected to it. I continue west along the Pale Road.

That leads me to the Southern Pale River Bridge, a high bridge over the Pale River. At the other (western) end of the bridge, it appears that another paved road leads out of Volvestre as well, but a quick exploration reveals that this road has also been destroyed by the upheavals of long ago. So I continue following the Pale Road. A spur branches from the Pale Road, leading to a border fort. That fort is clearly visible from the bridge, but right now, I'm more interested in the farther one, so I continue on.

The Pale Road eventually ends at another border fort. This one, according to the scout's map, is known as the Tower of Emrys. This strikes me as unusual for two reasons - one, it's the first working border fort that the maps don't call a Gate of some sort, and two, it's apparently named after a person. Though the same might be true of the Gwydion Gate, now that I think of it. Still, time to see what's on the other side. Which is the Bandit Lands of Lyonesse.

Back in Ancien, the spur I bypassed earlier leads to another unusually named gate: Bard's Rest. I am definitely not a member of the company this gate is named after. On the other side is Merrie, the last of the four Provinces of Gallia. And the only one I have not yet explored at all. Back to Ancien.

As I said before, normally, on my survey trip, I don't try to visit the border forts, even the active ones. It usually takes me to far out of the path. Here in Ancien, however, I suspected, and then confirmed that there was a southern trail that lead from Volvestre into the Pale Valley. It is, in fact the trail that is the remnants of that destroyed paved road I mentioned earlier. And, if I'm right it should connect to one of the main roads through Volvestre, which will in turn lead me to Volvestre Stone. Once there, I'll rest for the night. I'd normally press on, but between the Ancient City and the two gates, it's been a day.

So I've reached Volvestre Stone. And I'm right to pause here, as I've realized I've travelled all the way from the Pale Road without making a single annotation, a sure sign that I'm tired. So before I forget, The trail that connects to the Pale Road is the Destroyed Road Trail. It did not lead due north as I through, but once in Volvestre, turned west at the top of a ridgeline, ending at a small quarry. That quarry was at the end of a cart track that connected to another that lead to the Volvestre Stone. So, the Volvestre Quarry track connects to the Destroyed Road Trail, and the Volvestre South Forest Track. The Volvestre South Forest Track leads directly to the Volvestre Stone and the Volvestre Road.

REFERENCE 40a: Ancien

Holy Stones ==============

The Pilgrim Stone (Petra Pererinion): The holy stone by the Pilgrim Gate.

Astarac Stone: The home stone of the Astarac Valley.

Astarac North Marsh Stone (Petra Cors Gogledd Astarac): The holy stone on the Astarac River Road just before it enters into the Astarac Marsh.

Gravas Stone: The home stone of the Gravas Valley.

Emrys Stone (Petra Emrys): The holy stone at the Tower of Emrys, which is the gate from the Province of Ancien into Lyonesse, the Bandit Lands.

Bard's Rest Stone (Petra Gorffwys y Prifardd): The holy stone at the gate of Bard's Rest, which is the gate between the Provinces of Ancien and Merrie.

Volvestre Stone: The home stone of the Volvestre Valley.

Paths ==============

===== Roads

Pilgrim Road: The paved road leading west from the Pilgrim Gate.

Astarac Road: A cobbled road that meets with the Pilgrim Road near the gate, and leads southwest into Astarac.

Astarac River Road: A cobbled road that follows the eastern bank of the Ancien Pale River as it flows north from the Astarac Marsh.

Astarac Marsh Road: A cobbled road that crosses the Astarac Marsh.

Astarac Border Road: A cobbled road that follows the eastern border of the Astarac Marsh and crosses into Gravas.

Gravas Road: A cobbled road that leads west out into the Pale Valley, and west to the Gravas Stone Road.

Gravas Stone Road: A short cobbled road that connects Gravas Road to the Gravas Stone.

Pale Road: A paved road that follows the Ancien Pale River through the Pale Valley.

Ancien City Road: A paved road that connects the Pale Road to the Ancien City.

Bard's Spur Road: A paved road that connects the gate of Bard's Rest to the Pale Road.

Volvestre Road: A cobbled road that leads past the Volvestre Stone.

===== Tracks

Volvestre Quarry Track: A track that leads from the Volvestre South Forest Track to the small quarry south of the Volvestre Shrine.

Volvestre South Forest Track: A track that meets with the Volvestre Quarry Track and leads north to the Volvestre Stone and the Volvestre Road.

===== Trails

Gravas Stone Trail: A trail that leads west from the Gravas Stone and meets with another trail that leads north and south.

Gravas West Trail: A trail that leads north and south along the Gravas-Pale Valley Border. Its southern portion crosses into the Pale Valley and ends at the Pale Road.

Destroyed Road Trail: A trail that was once a paved road; it leads into Volvestre, and connects to the Pale Road and the Volvestre Quarry Track.

===== Bridges

Southern Pale River Bridge: The southernmost bridge on the Pale River, at the mouth of the Pale Lake.

Natural Features ==============

==== Biomes

Astarac Marsh: The marsh in Astarac; the Ancien Pale River flows along its western border.

==== Water Features

Pale Lake: The large lake at the southern end, and source of, the Ancien Pale River.

==== Hills, Mountains, and other Features of Interest

Ancien City: An ancient city at the southern end of the Pale Valley.