Entry 25 - Introduction to Ancien

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

Journal of Galthir the Cartographer

Entry 25 - Introduction to Ancien

Rather than delve more deeply into Innis Gallia, province by Province, I've decided to survey the Province of Ancien. Ancien is on the other side of the Pilgrim Gate in Kerys (just as Innis Gallia is on the other side of the Wyvern Gate). Despite the appearance that each gate leads directly to another province in the span of a few meters, I suspect that the interior of each gate warps space is some undefined way. The Wyvern Gate and the Gwydion Gate aren't offset enough from each other to connect to both Innis Gallia and Lyonesse without some form of warping. If nothing else, Lyonesse would need to be to the southwest (as Innis Gallia is to the south), but the Gate isn't oriented in that manner. Which means that in reality, despite appearing to be to the west of Kerys, Ancien could be to its north and above it - or to the east and below, as the orientation of the Provinces is independent of the gates' directions or orientations.

And yet, when I travel through the Pilgrim Gate in western Kerys, I emerge from the Pilgrim Gate in eastern Ancien. Though admittedly, much further to the relative north in Ancien. As with Innis Gallia, there's an Inquisition camp within easy travel from the gate that has a more detailed map than the one I acquired early in Kerys. It's still a hard task to acquire the map, as its guards are competent, alert, and aid each other - as professional soldiers should. I don't like the Inquisition, but I can't deny they are well-trained.

Regardless, a fast survey of the map reveals a province that is filled with long, twisting rivers with few large lakes. There are a pair of tall mountains near the center of the province, according to the scout's map, located on the western border of a small marsh. The wildlands are arranged in a form that suggests a pair of crossed bones, with the bones roughly angled northwest-southeast and southwest-northeast. This divides the map into 4 sections. The North and South quarters have three valleys each, and the east and west quarters have 2 valleys each. Again, 10 valleys in the province.

Like Innis Gallia, I do not see any markings on the map that indicate the Giant Whisper Trees; so far, those seem to be unique to Kerys. Ancien does have that pock-marked corrupted plain annotation however. Also, the map indicates gate to Lyonesse and a new province are in the southeast of the province's wildlands. My planned route takes me on a clockwise tour of the home valleys, starting with Astarac. So Astarac, Gravas, crossing the Shadowed Valley into Volvestre, then Lavedan, Tolosa, north across the Blasted Valley into Armanhac, then Maremna and across the Mararman Valley into Sallias, then into Libornes and Tursan, and completing the circle. I'll probably try to visit the two gates at the end of the Shadowed Valley as well.

REFERENCE 40: The Province of Ancien

Regions & Valleys ================

The North Quarter: It contains three home valleys - the Libornes, Tursan, and Sallias Valleys. It is bordered on the south by the Pilgrim Valley and the Ancien Marsh, and on the west by the Mararman Valley.

Tursan: A few narrow lakes, and a few large ponds. One of the lakes is barely more than a widening of the main river, which flows out of the province into Sallias. Another river acts as a tributary to the Tursan River. Bordered on the northwest by Libornes, on the north and east by the Rim Mountains, on the south by the Pilgrim Valley, and on the west by Sallias.

Sallias: A pair of small lakes, another pair of large ponds, and two rivers that join to flow into the Afon Tursan. Bordered on the north by Libornes, on the east by Tursan, on the south by the Pilgrim Valley and Ancien Marsh, and on the west by the Mararman Valley.

Libornes: The only valley in the provice that appears to be fully isolated from the wildlands of Ancien. It has large ponds, but no rivers. The northernmost valley in Ancien. Bordered on the north by the Rim Mountains, on the southeast by Tursan, and on the south by Sallias.

The East Quarter: It consists of two home valleys - Astarac and Gravas. It is bordered on the north by the Pilgrim Valley, and on the west and south by the Shadowed Valley.

Astarac: One long skinny pond - and a marsh that the Ancien Pale River flows through on its way to Lake Pilgrim. It is the nearest home valley to the Pilgrim Gate. Bordered on the north by the Pilgrim Valley, on the east by the Rim Mountains, on the west by the Shadowed Valley, and on the south by Gravas.

Gravas: The large Lake Gravas, a marsh, and the Gravas River, which flows into the Ancien Pale River. Bordered on the north by Astaras, on the east by the Rim Mountains, and on the south and west by the Shadowed Valley.

The South Quarter: It has three home valleys - Volvestre, Lavedan, and Tolosa. It is bordered on the north by the Ancien Marsh and the Great Ancien Peak, on the east by the Shadowed Valley, on the south by the Rim Mountains and the Cursed Coliseum, and on the northeast by the Blasted Valley.

Volvestre: One river - the Afon Lavedan, which flows from the west to the east. No real lakes or ponds, just a marsh on the Lavedan River. Bordered on the west by Lavedan, on the north by the Great Ancien Peak, on the east by the Shadowed Valley, and on the southwest by the Cursed Coliseum.

Lavedan: Three rivers that flow into Lake Lavedan, several ponds, and the Afon Lavedan that flows east through Volvestre into the Ancien Pale River. Bordered on the northwest by the Blasted Valley and the Ancien Marsh, on the west by the Great Ancien Peak and Volvestre, and on the southwest by Tolosa.

Tolosa: One lake, which is barely more than a wide spot in the short Tolosa River, several ponds, and the Ancien River, which flows south diving beneath the Rim Mountains. Bordered on northeast by the Blasted Valley, on the north by Lavedan, on the southeast by the Cursed Coliseum, and on the south and west by the Rim Mountains.

The West Quarter: It has two home valleys - Armanhac and Maremna. It is bordered on the west and north by the Rim Mountains, on the east by the Mararman Valley, on the southeast by the Ancien Marsh, and on the southwest by the Blasted Valley.

Armanhac: A large central lake (Lake Armanhac), a smaller river flowing into it from the east, and a larger river (the Afon Armanhac) flowing out of it to the south, into the Ancien River. Bordered on the northwest by Maremna, on the west by the Mararman Valley and the Ancien Marsh, and on the southwest by the Blasted Valley.

Maremna: One large pond, a few slightly smaller ones, and several others; no rivers. Bordered on the west and north by the Rim Mountains, on the east by the Mararman Valley, on the southeast by Armanhac, and on the southwest by the Blasted Valley.

The Wildland Regions ================

The Pilgrim Valley: The large river valley that holds the Pilgrim Gate at its western end. It is the northeastern "bone". It contains the headwater lake for the Pilgrim River and Lake Pilgrim. And the Pilgrim River, of course.

The Ancien Marsh: The central marsh of the Ancien province; smaller than the Kerys Marsh. Bordered on the west by the Great Ancien Peak. The Afon Ancien flows out to the south.

The Mararman Valley: The northwestern "bone". Its north end is a corrupted plains highland, while the southern portion is a river that flows through an evergreen forest.

The Shadowed Valley: The southeastern "bone". The northern portion passes the Great Ancien Peak to its immediate west; the southern portion contains the gates to Lyonesse and another province.

The Blasted Valley: The southwestern "bone". Most of the Blasted Valley is at its western end, consisting of those pock-marked cursed plains. It narrows briefly to connect to the Ancien Marsh.

The Cursed Coliseum: An isolated circular valley almost exactly in the center of the southern border of Ancien. Reachable from Volvestre (on the east), and Tolosa (on the west).

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

The Pilgrim Stone: The holy stone next to the Pilgrim Gate.

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

===== Roads

The Pilgrim Gate: The gate that leads into Kerys.

===== Tracks

===== Trails

===== Bridges

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

==== Biomes

==== Water Features

Tursan River: Starting with the outflow from the Upper Tursan Lake, flowing through the Lower Tursan Lake, through Sallias into the central Ancien Marsh.

Pilgrim River: Flows west from the Upper Pilgrim Lake, through Lake Pilgrim into the Ancien Marsh.

Lake Pilgrim: A large lake, located where the Pilgrim and the Ancien Pale Rivers meet.

Ancien Pale River: It flows north down the Shadowed Valley, bending west into Astarac and away from the Great Ancien Peak, ending in Lake Pilgrim. The Lavedan and Gravas Rivers are tributaries.

Gravas River: Flows from Lake Gravas westward into the Ancien Pale River.

Lavedan River: Flows from Lake Lavedan, east through Volvestre and into the Ancien Pale River.

Tolosa River: Flows from Lake Tolosa west into the Ancien River.

Ancien River: Flows south from the Ancien Marsh, through the southern portions of the Blasted Valley, into Tolosa, before diving under the southern Rim Mountains.

Blasted Lake: The large lake in the Blasted Valley.

Armanhac River: Flows south from Lake Armanhac into the Ancien River.

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

The Great Ancien Peak: The marge mountain whose slopes define the western border of the Ancien Marsh.