Entry 23 - A Quick Survey of Inis Gallia (Part 1)

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

Journal of Galthir the Cartographer

Entry 23 - A Quick Survey of Inis Gallia (Part 1)

Enough woolgathering. Right now, the plan is to visit the home valleys in a counterclockwise manner - Atigny, Jura, Aras, Vitry, Ardennes, Nones, Morvan, Trecasseis, Langres, and finally Javerdus. I'll leave the full survey of each valley for later explorations; for now, I'll only detail the roads I travel and the stones I encounter. Come to think of it, the Inquisitor Outpost by the gate is the first gate I've seen guarded so closely. I wonder why?

Anyway, I proceed down the track from the gate where it quickly meets the paved road I expect. I follow that south until it meets another paved road leading east and west. I turn east, as that looks to be the fastest way to Atigny. Eventually I meet another paved road leading southwest, and down (I predict) into the Afon Gallia Valley. It soon meets a cobbled road, that should lead into Atigny. And it does. Atigny is a fairly populous home valley from what I see, with a number of villages, though no towns or ciries. I follow that cobbled road as it curves at a holy stone to bend west into Jura. After I cross into Jura it meets another cobbled road leading south. Looking at the map as I travel, I notice that this road does not directly lead to the stone. In fact, the fastest path to the stone is to cut west cross-country after a bit of travel, taking advantage of a small straight on a long skinny twisty pond formed by an island. Wehn I make that cut cross-country I find that a Scion named Abigail has built on the island, and connected the two shores with a bridge. Unlike most such that I've seen, she (I presume) has constructed it well; a large, straight path divorced from the building's living and working areas, with market stalls near the public path. Well done. And as always, if you take advantage of her generosity, thank her in some manner in return. From there, I follow a broad field up the nearby hills to emerge almost directly by the Jura Stone.

Like all home stones, the Jura Stone is located by a ccbbled road. I follow that road south, past an intersection with a track, around a sharp bend, and into Aras. Once in Aras proper, the cobbled road bends very sharply north. At the bend, a trail leads west, to a holy stone, on a much straighter path to the Aras Stone. So I take the trail. Which does indeed lead to a holy stone. And following the cobbled road that leads to the northwest does take me directly to the Aras Stone. Aras is very sparsely populated, but I expected such, given it's isolation. The same is true for Vanes and Dreger in Kerys.

I follow the cobbled road south to where it meets with another cobbled road from the east, a track from the west, and a trail leading south. As the trail seems to be the fastest way to Vitry, I choose it. The trail leads into Vitry and ends within sight of the Vitry Stone. The shrine seems to be of the same style as the one in Atigny, but much more intact. It has the remains of six alcoves, and the floor's mosaic is a 4-pointed cross oriented with the cardinal directions, though the stone itself is facing northwest and southeast. It is also unusually located at the end of a road, on top of a height overlooking Lake Vitry, which also has an island.

I follow the road east, until it meetsa road leading south and down the cliffs. At the base of the cliffs, it connects to another cobbled road leading west (and probably round the lake shore), while what I think is the main body leads to the island, crossing a bridge. However, once on the other side of the bridge, the road immediately becomes a track (and remains that way). So I'll ignore that brief bit of cobble leading to the bridge, and the main road will lead around the lake in the lowlands. The track continues south, past a holy stone to end on another cobbled road. There, I pause - it looks like the shortest distance into the Ardennes Valley is to the west, but I see no gap, and the map indicates a shrouded moor. The eastern way has a few turns, but it should lead me to a trail and gap into Ardennes. Eastward.

This cobbled road wends its way through a forest, into a series of fields. A track running north and south, joins it for a few meters. I follow the southern portion of the track. That southern track runs past a holy stone on the border of the fields and forest. The trail does enter Ardennes, in an evergreen forest. As frequently happens I have to outrun a hungry wolf. Luckily there are no obstacles this time, and I successfully reach a cobbled road safely, with the wolf giving up the chase. If take the cobbled road south to another, then west, heading towards the headwaters of the Afon Ardennes.

I'm sad (? bemused?) at leaving the Vitry Valley behind. Of all the home valleys I've seen in Inis Gallia, it reminds me the most of Llydaw. Ardennes, on the other hand, is almost unique in my experience, and it almost feels like a fortress. Not because it is well guarded, with many castles and keeps, but because the valley floor through which the Afon Ardennes flows, is, in fact, best described as a floor. As the cliffs that channel the river rise so steeply that they appear as tall imposing walls, carved from nature itself.

The cobbled road I'm following crosses a bridge, and then starts climbing, leaving the valley floor behind. There's another cobbled road that intersects with this one about halfway to the top of the climb, along an east-west saddle. But the cobbled road itself continues south. It passes the Ardennes Stone heading east.

But this is where I pause my explorations. I have visited half of the home valleys of Inis Gallia, all of the western ones. And I am burdened with the spoils of the hunts I've had during my journey. So I quickly return home, store the goods, and then turn around and return back to the Ardennes Stone. Next, I'll have to cross the Southern Highlands to enter Nones. I expect trouble, but hopefull, I will be wrong.

-Galthir

REFERENCE 20a: Inis Gallia

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

Wyvern Stone: The holy stone outside of the Wyvern Gate in the Wyvern Moors north of Atigny.

Atigny Stone: The home stone of the Atigny Valley. Located in the ruins of a square, rather than rectangular, temple like most of the stones in Kerys.

South Atigny Stone (Petra Atigny De): A holy stone located at the meeting to the Atigny Road and the Atigny Hill Track.

Jura Stone: The home stone of the Jura Valley. Located on top of a hill, on a stone outcropping with no walls remaining.

Aras East Forest Stone (Petra Coedwig Dwyreiniol Aras): The stone at the western end of the Aras East Forest Trail.

Aras Stone: the home stone of the Aras Valley. It is built in the same style and fashion as Llydaw's shrine.

West Lake Aras Stone (Petra Llyn Aras Gorllewinol}: A holy stone on the Aras Road by the western shore of Lake Aras.

Vitry Stone: The Vitry Valley Stone. Unusually for home valley stones, it is isolated from the rest of the valley.

Vitry Lakes End Stone (Petra Llyn Vitry Diwedd): A stone located on the southern mainland portion of the Vitry Island Track, just east of the mouth of the Small Vitry River.

The Vitry Meadow Stone (Petra Ddol Vitry): A stone located on the Vitry Island Track.

Ardennes Stone: The home stone of the Ardennes Valley.

Roads, Tracks, and Trails ==============

===== Roads

The Wyvern Spur Road: A paved road that leads from the Wyvern Gate to the North Gallia Road.

The North Gallia Road: A paved road that crosses the northern portion of the Wild Borders, or at least that's what I suspect. Only a small portion was travelled.

The Afon Gallia Road: A paved road whose northern end connects to the North Gallia Road. How far along the Afon Gallia it travels is unknown.

The Atigny Road: A cobbled road that connects to the Afon Gallia Road, and leads past the Atigny Stone, then past the South Atigny Stone, and likely through the northern tip of Jura to once again be in Atigny.

The East Jura Road: A cobbled road that starts in the north on the Atigny Road as it runs through Jura.

The West Jura Road: A cobbled road that leads past the Jura Stone and leads into Aras.

The Central Aras Road: A cobbled road that leads from the Aras East Forest Stone to the Aras Stone, travelling along the central forest in Aras.

The Aras Road: A cobbled road that travels past the Aras Stone, with its southern end meeting South Aras Road, the Aras-Vitry Trail, and a track.

The South Aras Road: A cobbled road that heads east from the end of the Aras Road.

The Vitry High Road: A cobbled road whose western end is the Vitry Stone, and follows the heights along the northern shores of Lake Vitry.

The Vitry Low Road: A cobbled road that connects the Vitry High Road to the Vitry Island Track, and continues west.

The Vitry South Road: A cobbled road that connects to the Vitry Island Track. It may be part of the Vitry Low Road.

The Ardennes North Highlands Road: A cobbled road connecting to the Vitry-Ardennes Trail, and meeting the Ardennes River Highland Loop Road.

The Ardennes River Highland Loop Road: A series of cobbled roads enclosing the highlands that comprise the central bend in the Ardennes. It consists of the Ardennes Western River Road, the Ardennes Eastern River Road, the Ardennes Cross Road, and the Ardennes Road.

Ardennes Western River Road: Starts at the intersection of the Ardennes River Highland Loop Road and the Ardennes North Highland Road, ending on the First Ardennes Bridge.

The Ardennes Road: The road starts at the southern end of the First Ardennes Bridge, meets the Ardennes Cross Road, passes the Ardennes Stone, meets the Ardennes South Road, the ends at the southern end of the Fifth Ardennes Bridge.

===== Tracks

The Wyvern Spur Track: The very end of the Wyvern Spur Road, it travels past the Inquisitor Outpost located by the Wyvern Gate.

Atigny Hill Track: A track that (according to the map) travels through the eastern hills of Atigny to meet the Atigny Road at the South Atigny Stone.

Vitry Island Track: A track that connects the Vitry Island to the mainland, and points south. It crosses both Island Bridges.

Vitry Meadows Track: A track that leads south from the Vitry South Road to connect to the Vitry-Ardennes Trail.

===== Trails

Aras East Forest Trail: A trail that connects the meeting point of the West Jura Road and the Central Aras Road to the Aras East Forest holy stone.

Aras-Vitry Trail: A trail that connects the end of the ARas Road to the Vitry High Road, near the Vitry Stone.

Vitry-Ardennes Trail: A trail that connects the Vitry Meadows Track to the Ardennes North Highland Road.

===== Bridges

North Island Bridge: A bridge on the Vitry Island Road that connects the island's north shore to the mainland.

South Island Bridge: A bridge on the Vitry Island Road that connects the island's south shore to the mainland.

First Ardennes Bridge: The bridge closest to the start of the Ardennes River, in the Ardennes Valley. There are seven bridges across the Ardennes.

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

==== Biomes

==== Water Features

Lake Aras (LLyn Aras): Technically a pond, as it has no inflows or outflows. Promoted to a lake because it is the largest in the Aras Home Valley.

Lake Vitry (Llyn Vitry): A large lake in the center of the Vitry Home Valley. One inflow (the Small Vitry River), and one outflow (Vitry River). It has a large island.

Small Vitry River: A short river that flows into the southwestern end of Lake Vitry.

Vitry River (Afon Vitry): The river that flows from Llyn Vitry to the Afon Gallia.

Ardennes River (Afon Ardennes): A river that starts at the base of the western highlands of the Ardennes Valley, then flows into the Afon Gallia in the Southern Highlands.

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

Vitry Island: The large island in Llyn Vitry.