Entry 44 - Inis Gallia Wildlands (Part 1)

(Annotated map based on an image provided by Mainframe, developers of Pax Dei)

Journal of Galthir the Cartographer

Entry 44 - Inis Gallia Wildlands (Part 1)

While I need to properly survey Langres, its citizens won't feel the delay. Focusing on the Wildlands, however, should prove more useful. Unusually, I choose to start my exploration, not at the Wyvern Gate, which connects Inis Gallia and Kerys, but the Wildling Gate, which connects Inis Gallia and Merrie. It should make the exploration flow more smoothly; first, east from the Wildling Gate to the center, then down through the Gallian Rift, the east up the Long River Valley, then north through the Eastern Borderlands to complete the circuit. Hopefully, I can complete the survey in 3 entries. We shall see.

Starting at the Wildling Gate, the first thing that strikes me is the impressive pillar of a butte? mesa? I have to find a way to the top. If there is one. The Gallian Pillar is unapproachable; there is no way to the summit that I can discover. A trail leading from the Paved Gallian Wildling Road leads south, into Aras, if the map is correct.

The trail is easy to follow, which most likely explains the two Inquistion camps located along it. The second camp is quite tricky - in addition to being right next to the trail, both a bear and a wolf are nearby, plotting how to raid the camp for food. It's fairly easy to plot a course around and wide of them and the camp however. The trail does lead into Aras, specifically the Northern Pale Moors of Aras. Aras is for a different time, so I return to the Gallian Wildling Road.

These Northern Moors in the Inis Gallia Wildlands have a much larger bear population than I expected. I've managed to avoid attracting their interest so far, but given how many, I am almost expecting a "surprise" bear at a turn or a rise or a dip in the road. I also found another of the abandoned roadside bathhouse ruins.

I've been comfortably traveling through juniper moors, but now, jusst as I leave the Pillar Pool behind me, I encounter some corrupted plains. According the the Scout's Map, it is a relatively small patch, surrounded by juniper moors, but it doesn't make the next stretch any more appealing. On the other side, a cart track leading southeast into Atigny meets with the road. Another track branching from this one leads to a workcamp. Surprisingly, this workcamp, despite being set in a ruined cabin, does not have a cot. It is obviously intended only as a camp, and also sees use as the campfire and forge are both still warm from their last use.

After first visiting Atigny briefly, then returning to the road, I pass a series of small ponds, to a point where the road bends sharply to the north. A trail, that looks like it traces the path of an old road, leads south into northwest Atigny. I confirm that, and continure onward.

Then I am faced with a choice. As the paved road bends east, an abandoned cart track leads west, back into the northern portion of the corrupted plains I passed through earlier. Duty, not desire, compels me down the track that is perilously close to being a trail. The westernmost end of this track improves, to end at an Inquistion camp and a wolf den. There is a holy stone along the track, in the middle of these corrupted plains, but it is silent, and overgrown. Only the remnants of its strength keeps the ivy green in this land of decaying red and brown.

After I escape back to the Gallian Wildling Road, I have a smooth journey east. In the distance, I can clearly see a border fort. I believe it to be the Inis Gallia battle-gate, Segurant's Abandon, but I must confirm it. And then, I'll take a break. It's a little early, and I had planned on returning to the parts of Inis Gallia I'd already surveyed, but I'm getting tired, and I've learned it's best to stop. Among other things, my notes greatly suffer when I push. I still have to cover Langres to fix my errors. I have no external pressure, so I won't apply it to myself instead.

Resuming my eastward travels, the journey is much smoother than my previous trek, and it doesn't take me long to reconnect with areas I've already surveyed. From here, I'll cross the High Gallian Moors, then turn south instead of continuing into the Eastern Borderlands, heading into the Afon Gallia Valley. As I pass through the Wyvern Evergreens, I of course, explore the side tracks that join the road. One caution, while there is a track that leads to a workcamp (and then to an Inquisitor camp) which looks like it might be a slightly more direct path to Javerdus, it is not one I recommend, as it ends suddenly in a very steep cliff with no easy way down - or back up past a certain point. Continue past it to the cobbled road on the far side of the Evergreens.

Ah. I've caught myself only writing down the names of the roads and places I've passed. It's an easy habit to fall into, especially when I've managed to avoid dnagers and mistakes, but it invariably leads to errors - missed features, missing information, and more.

So. From the Trumpeter's Ponds, I briefly headed into Javerdus, to resupply at Tenarath's markets - in particular, my skiining knife had worn down to uselessness. The Gallian Headlands Road had a number of sentinel wolves watching the road for their dinner, but I managed to avoid them. There was even one early on the Afon Gallia Road that managed to take a bite of me. The Juran Ledge, like the Northern Moors has a high population of bears. Running uphill is good exercise, I'm told.

At the Gallian Rift Stone, I followed the Langres Wildlands Road which passes very near a number of large Inquistion forts. But not so near that vigilant guards are a problem. Further down the Afon Gallia, a track forks from it, leading up onto a bluff to the east. Then crosses, and recrosses, the Afon Gallia itself. Shortly after crossing the North Valley Bridge, I notice that the Scout's Map marks a trail on the opposite shore of the river, that apparently leads to a stone circle. I can't see it from here, but do find its dead end set back from the river shore. It reminds me of the wildlands trail in northern Vanes. The Afon Gallia is swimmable here, if you are properly fed and watered, but a better approach might be to follow the western river bank until you reach the trail's end.

I return to the Afon Gallia Road, and pause for a while on the North Valley Bridge, just watching the river flow by, and the light play upon it.

Then it is time to, once again, resume my survey. Just below that currently unexplored bluff, I find another holy stone. This one at the intersection of a as yet unnamed cobbled road and the Afon Gallia Road. The paved road make a sharp turn west and south to head across the relatively small Gallian Marsh. On the other side of a pair of bridges I find another holy stone. Almost adjacent to the stone are two large ruins, both claimed by the Inquistion.

After exploring the marsh, I continue south, burdened by cotton. Eventually, I come to another bridge crossing the Afon Gallia again. Shortly before that a track leads to both an Inquistion camp among the evergreens and a wolf den. Shortly after I cross over the South Valley Bridge, I reach a junction where a cobbled road meets with the paved Afon Gallia Road. From the Scout's Map, this appears to be the far eastern end of the Vitry Road. It should also meet with the cobbled road that is the ending of the Overlook Trail. I need to confirm these, but the Map also indicates that the top of the South Valley Massif is another area of those corrupted plains. Duty must be answered, despite my reluctance.

Luckily, the cobbled road leading to the Overlook Trail also boasts a strong, singing, holy stone. I know from regretful past experiences that the stone doesn't offer refuge from hostile souls, but the song still soothes me. The cart track that leads deeper into those decaying lands is in as poor condition as all others I've seen. It also leads to three very large ruins, occupied by Zebians? Lost Souls? Both? I don't know, and have no desire to approach more closely and find out. Looking at the Scout's Map again, it appears that this cobbled road, after it enters Jura, might turn southwest again, run through a shrouded forest, to connect back to the Vitry Road within Vitry itself. I'll call this the Juran Forsaken Road for now.

I hate trying to follow trails through corrupted plains. The trails just vanish into the dead red grass and pebbly soils, making it impossible to tell what is a trail and what is a bare spot. The best I've been able to do, is estimate where the trail will end up, and aim for that point directly. Usually it works, but safe it is not. Also, instead of a few large areas of corrupted plains, Inis Gallia has what can best be described as scattered pockmarks. Maybe it has to do with the more deeply corrupted Eastern Borderlands?

I am a little surprised to find another Great Fae Circle here in Inis Gallia, not among towering trees, and atop a barely forested hill. It is in surprising good condition. And helps relieve my soul of some of the stress from traveling through the Dying Hills. And I still have some more of those to explore as well.

At this point, I hear of a lecture on the origins and history of the land, hosted by the Arcane University. I am more than a little wearied, and overly burdered with cotton, so some quick fast travel to drop off the cotton at Riverwatch, then back to Javerdus for the lecture, and then down to Ardennes to rest for the day. The lecture seems to be based mostly on the writings of Theolonius, which is was aware of but hadn't studied. It was thoutht-provoking, and I'll probably share my musings at some point, once I can get them into proper form.

Returning to my survey from Ardennes places me significantly south of where I stopped, but also allows me to tackle the most dangerous portion of this journey first. The South Gallian Pines are as wolf-infested as I remember them. But now that I'm not on the Grand Tour, I'll explore them more fully. And I do find something of interest. In the pale moors north of the pines, a ruined windmill sits unmarked on the Scout's Map. It's not far from an ancient tower claimed by the Lost Souls.

It's as I approach the souther end of the Afon Gallia Road that I notice something unusual on the Scout's Map. A portion of the map buried under the notation for the pale moors, shows the terrain marking for the giant trees of the Whispering Woods. While this appears to be an error, it does lead me to discover a fairly large Inquisition camp near the erroneous marking. Perhaps the Scout's are trying once again to conceal their own efforts for some reason? I saw them use similar techniques in Ancien, after all.

That finishes my journey down the Afon Gallia, and the first part of my survey of the Inis Gallia Wildlands. Next, I'll survey the rest of the Central Valley, the Long River, the Great Eastern Pale, and the Eastern Borderlands.