Highstairs

Ruler and Owner

The Highstairs is a remote mountainous gorge in the Amorvale. The Amorvale is a broad valley at the southern end of The Farden Mountains. It belongs to The Sanctuary and the Amotorr seers.

Geography

At the northern point of the Amorvale is a dangerous, high, and steep gorge that leads to the snowy Caradeen Pass and the seat of Clan Hoershal, Benholm. It is situated far up the mountain, above the town of Passenloch.

The gorge's floor is made up of thousands of steps, some wide, some very narrow. The constant ice sheathing makes the steps treacherous, and the path is often bordered by deep chasms which have never been explored. There is also a constant threat of blizzards, which makes going up the Highstairs dangerous, especially during the dark days of the year.

Only the local guides know the few shelters along the Highstairs and can guide the travellers through them. The gorge is, in fact, a shortcut to Benholm. However, it is seldom used because of its supernatural reputation: it is said that the stairs tend to move with the weather and the time of the year. Many travellers have lost their lives crossing the Highstairs.

Climate

The Highstairs gorge is one of the harshest places in Alven. Blizzards can happen out of nowhere, even in the light months of the year and despite the supposedly warmer weather on the mountain ranges. Ice builds up quickly in the dark and narrow passage deprived of sunlight.

The wind can also cause problems - the northern wind coming from the glaciers on the mountaintops can funnel through the gorge and make it even harder to climb up. This wind is known locally as the Killstorm, and no one in their right mind would consider climbing up the two-day-long path when it is blowing or about to blow.

Localised Phenomena

As well as the Killstorm, the Highstairs have a reputation for haunting spirits and shifting landscapes. Rational minds explain the 'haunting' by the strange noise the wind sometimes makes through the gorge. The ice formation and the ever-changing snowdrifts explain the rest. However, locals still tell blood-curdling stories about the gorge. White as snow spirits rising from the fells and devouring the souls of clansmen, who are found with their minds lost and completely mad.

Flora and Fauna

The Highstairs are barren of vegetation, and very few animals pass through it, making it even harder to survive if rations run out in this stone hell.

Secrets

There might be some truth to the stories told by the locals. The Highstairs are ancient and cursed - built by the Ancestors once, when strange powers still existed in the physical world.