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Description

In the hallway of the students' quarters of the castle, you see a painting of the Laume area of the Kingdom of Donovan. It is primarily coastal in the west, lacking the large farming lands of adjacent territories. The modern Hraler Wildermen also prevent the people of Laume from significant mining or harvest of lumber in the mountains in the east of Laume. As a result, the territory is dependent on trade to provide much of its food and building materials. And this trade is dependent either on visits by ocean-going ships, or barges that take passage through the narrow Laume River Valley eastward to Toulon.

Voyages through the valley are sometimes attacked by the Hraler Wildermen on the north bank or by Durgen thieves on the south bank. These dangers require armed protection at all times. The Lord Minister of Laume is responsible for organizing regular and trusted convoys, by road or river barge, between the two major towns that bookend the valley.

Guards that work this route are well trained, well fed, and well paid, but have a death rate higher than more common trade routes. To make matters worse, if any ship encounters problems that force it to throw anchor along the banks, or if any travelers are too poor to pay for a barge and must take the road, they must stay within sight of the river when camping or foraging. The stony wilderness of the valley forms a natural maze of channels, tunnels, and monoliths that have conspired to make travelers lose their way, never to be seen again.

Master Arasemis said this painting was probably made using notes from an expedition organized by the Lord Minister of Laume to map the river bank paths most used by travelers. The idea was to hammer colored stakes into the ground to prevent people from getting lost. But stakes mysteriously disappeared, some members of the expedition lost to the wilderness, and the effort was abandoned.

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Context: This is an excerpt from the Earthpillar Online: Thorendor Castle interactive . This epic fantasy WIP uses DungeonDraft maps of a castle with hundreds of paintings and lore. Alchemical objects, artwork, bookshelves, chests, and doors are clickable like an old school choose-your-own-adventure. You can wander each room to learn more about the Earthpillar world you’ve read about in the novels (or get a taste of the writing if you haven't), without stumbling into spoilers. Some art is original, others like this one is a hybrid of Midjourney and my own work in Procreate.

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Description

In the hallway of the students' quarters of the castle, you see a painting of the Laume area of the Kingdom of Donovan. It is primarily coastal in the west, lacking the large farming lands of adjacent territories. The modern Hraler Wildermen also prevent the people of Laume from significant mining or harvest of lumber in the mountains in the east of Laume. As a result, the territory is dependent on trade to provide much of its food and building materials. And this trade is dependent either on visits by ocean-going ships, or barges that take passage through the narrow Laume River Valley eastward to Toulon.

Voyages through the valley are sometimes attacked by the Hraler Wildermen on the north bank or by Durgen thieves on the south bank. These dangers require armed protection at all times. The Lord Minister of Laume is responsible for organizing regular and trusted convoys, by road or river barge, between the two major towns that bookend the valley.

Guards that work this route are well trained, well fed, and well paid, but have a death rate higher than more common trade routes. To make matters worse, if any ship encounters problems that force it to throw anchor along the banks, or if any travelers are too poor to pay for a barge and must take the road, they must stay within sight of the river when camping or foraging. The stony wilderness of the valley forms a natural maze of channels, tunnels, and monoliths that have conspired to make travelers lose their way, never to be seen again.

Master Arasemis said this painting was probably made using notes from an expedition organized by the Lord Minister of Laume to map the river bank paths most used by travelers. The idea was to hammer colored stakes into the ground to prevent people from getting lost. But stakes mysteriously disappeared, some members of the expedition lost to the wilderness, and the effort was abandoned.

---

Context: This is an excerpt from the Earthpillar Online: Thorendor Castle interactive . This epic fantasy WIP uses DungeonDraft maps of a castle with hundreds of paintings and lore. Alchemical objects, artwork, bookshelves, chests, and doors are clickable like an old school choose-your-own-adventure. You can wander each room to learn more about the Earthpillar world you’ve read about in the novels (or get a taste of the writing if you haven't), without stumbling into spoilers. Some art is original, others like this one is a hybrid of Midjourney and my own work in Procreate.

Subscribe for two free novelettes, quarterly newsletters, discounts, and exclusive content.