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Halcyon Mountains

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1.  Description

The Appalachian Mountains run through the area, spanning from the far west to the east coast of the lands. The Appalachians here turn sharply up, reaching at their peak 820 meters. On the northern face of this mountain rock, slides have exposed faults and turned the once-lush forest into nothing more than a rocky cliff.

After the forest fire in 2008, the eastern side of the mountain was severely damaged and took over a decade to properly recover. The Southern side is more fertile, and is densely-forested, home to a multitude of flora and fauna. The northwestern part of the mountain has many jagged cliffs sharp slopes, achieving its maximum height some distance west.

This area has shown signs of instability, with rock-slides and sink-holes occurring with more frequent regularity following the 2020 earthquakes.

1.1  Landmarks

Goldsglen Peak

The peak, amongst the highest of the Halcyon Mountain range, features a flat cliff. This vantage provides the perfect overlook for the territory.

Gampo Abbey

This Buddhist temple is nestled away quite well in the reaches of Halcyon Mountain. It is secluded and difficult to reach, but well worth the trek up one of the steeper peaks of the range. There are only three buildings—the temple itself, the most ornate of the buildings; the school building, which is just a hallway between two large rooms; and the lodging halls, which are extremely plain and simplistic. All of these structures have suffered severely over the years and are no longer structurally sound, though intrepid visitors will sometimes risk their safety to explore the area.

2.  Subterritories

2.1  Phosphagos Foothills

At the foot of Halcyon Mountain are what the wolves of the surrounding areas have dubbed "the foothills," or more precisely, Phosphagos Foothills. A series of hillocks lines the base of the mountain, the inclines of each grassy knoll diminishing the further it rests from the base of the great rise. The plant life is fairly uniform in the foothills, tall grasses and small flowers mark the beginning of the ascent up the territory's only mountain range. In the evening, the foothills are overshadowed by the tall trees and mountain itself, thus casting long shadows across the area. Dubbed the 'light-eating' foothills, its name is a rough translation, combining the words 'phos:' light, and 'phago:' I eat.

Due to once being the outer parts of Anathema, there are parts of a thick, tall wooden Palisade fence built on the outskirts of the Phosphagos Foothills. The fence covers a lot of ground, though has since been damaged over the years, leaving gaps and areas where the ground itself has shifted. The surrounding sections that were too rocky or steep for fence building have deep wooden spike traps and hedgehogs, many of which are now dangerously hidden by debris.

2.2  Serene Sands

Halcyon Mountain declines sharply into the forlorn shore of Serene Sands. Located in the southwestern border where land meets the Atlantic Ocean, the journey to reach the beach can be difficult due to the craggy ravines that ring the northern part of the area. It is quiet here, save for the gentle lapping of the waves, as the immensity of the mountain blocks out most extraneous noise, keeping the beach serene and tranquil from the goings-on outside. It is quite easy for someone to miss a call from this locale, shielded from interruption, left alone to enjoy the sanctity of the calm waves.

3.  Waterways

3.1  Pictou River

The Pictou River runs over Halcyon Mountain. Cold and fresh water springs forth from somewhere deep within the mountain. During the course of its downstream travel, the river meets a sharp cliff face; it falls well over thirty feet into a deep pool below. The river continues downstream before doing the very same thing over again. This pattern repeats four times down the stretch of the mountain, with rolling and rocky cliffs on either side of the waterfall the whole way down. The lowest waterfall is the only one that is safe to jump, as the drop is a mere ten feet and the pool at the bottom is the largest, but the rest are no less picturesque for their danger.

The Pictou River cuts a swift course between the Isthmus of Chignecto and Drifter Bay, separating the two territories as it travels southward to empty into the Bay of Fundy in the Minas Channel. Due to its location, the lower parts of the river experience a severe tidal bore. The water rushes against the current for a good distance up the Pictou; the lowermost parts of the river are heavily salted and close to brackish for much of the day.

4.  Likely Encounters

• Salsola members often frequent the section of the mountain they have claimed, though few will openly identify themselves.
• A mated pair of golden eagles roost somewhere in the central area of the mountains. They are highly intelligent and seem very knowledgeable about Luperci and how best to avoid them.

On the far western end of the mountain, humans gouged deep into the rock, creating long and deep tunnels that were in use until the virus struck. Although most of the mine shafts are horizontal, there are a few instances of sharp vertical drops that required the use of now-inoperable elevators. There is no natural light in the deeper parts of the mine. Even with light though, canines are advised to tread very carefully, as a fall into a vertical mineshaft is certain doom -- if the fall itself isn't fatal, there isn't a way back up and out of the mines. A collapse in 2018 sealed off a section of the mine, and further damage occurred when the 2020 earthquakes struck, eventually blocking it completely.

5.  History

• In 2020 both the Stellarton Mines and Howling Caverns both collapsed and caved in, becoming impassable.
• The Cobequid Pass was the fastest way north over the mountains. A landslide in early 2011 blocked the passage off almost all the way to the north, requiring would-be travelers to seek another way.
• Aberdeen Hospital was a large hospital was intended to serve the more rural communities near Halcyon Mountain. The original structures were built in 1895, though various additions and expansions enlarged the complex throughout its history. At least two wings were shut down and boarded off prior to 1988, meaning they were abandoned long before humanity's demise. This building has since been completely destroyed, leaving only rubble and overgrown ruins behind.
• Almost the entirety of Shadowed Sun was located on Halcyon Mountain and they claimed the Phosphagos Foothills and Serene Sands subterritories as their own. The mountain home was originally chosen due to its familiarity to the old Jaded Shadows territory, which had also been located on a mountain.
• Inferni claimed a small sliver of the mountain's south-central base.
• Ichika no Ho-en claimed the Gamapo Abbey region.
• Anathema claimed the easternmost part of the mountain in its entirety, including several subterritories.
• The Stellarton Mines were previously claimed by Sangi'lak before the pack's disbandment.
• Anathema re-claimed the easternmost part of the mountain in its entirety, including two subterritories.
• Omar de le Poer was killed in the Stellarton Mines.
• Antioch de le Poer died as the result of injuries sustained during a fight in the Stellarton Mines and the later collapse of a smaller tunnel within.

5.1  Defunct Subterritories

These subterritories have been completely destroyed and are no longer playable areas.

• The Stellarton Mines, which were located on the far western end of the mountain, were created when humans gouged deep into the rock and made long and deep tunnels that were in use until the virus struck. Although most of the mine shafts were horizontal, there were a few instances of sharp vertical drops that required the use of now-inoperable elevators. There was no natural light in the deeper parts of the mine. Even with light though, canines were advised to tread very carefully, as a fall into a vertical mineshaft was certain doom -- if the fall itself wasn't fatal, there wasn't a way back up and out of the mines. A collapse in 2018 sealed off a section of the mine, and further damage occurred when the 2020 earthquakes struck, eventually blocking it completely.
• Howling Caverns

6.  Notes

• Gampo Abbey is actually located on Cape Breton Island but it's a really cool thing so it got moved here okay? 8D

7.  Sources

• Wikipedia:Aberdeen Hospital
• Wikipedia:Gampo Abbey