Ridgevale

Ridgevale is the name given to a region of land on the eastern coast of Terrus. It is bounded by ocean to its east and south, and by the Ridge mountain-chain to its north and west, which has historically allowed the region to develop its own cultural identity and, in the current day, has protected it from the various power struggles that have defined the Silvertine Plains beyond the Ridge in the wake of the death of the Silvertine Empire.

### History

In ancient times, Ridgevale was previously considered part of the elven realm of Enphelas, (though the Ti-Pau people would argue their presence in the region predates the arrival of the elves from over the Ridge). It is unclear - and considered unlikely - whether Ridgevale was considered a separate region with its own identity or simply an extension of the former nation. The river Zalef, the central waterway of the region, bears an elven name to this day. Ruins of a high-elven structure can be found in Threesteams, whilst many Zalefian buildings are made from the ruins of older elven structures, (or else designed to look as such.)

Around 800 years ago, the leaders of the human Silvertine Principality, a northerly fledgling nation that had sprung up out of the ruins of the Tyrannian Empire, launched an invasion against Enphelas and, with it, Ridgevale. During this conflict, which took several decades, the palace/fortress of Asherah's Dominance was constructed by the Silvertines to secure a stronghold in Ridgevale. This would later be destroyed, though the skeletal remains of this building would serve as the basis for modern-day Ashbloom.

The conflict between the elves of Enphelas and the humans under the Silvertines would lead to destruction of most of Ridgevale, however the humans would eventually prevail and the Silvertine Empire was declared, ruling over a vast swathe of land which included Ridgevale. Defence of this realm mostly fell to the port city of Zalefia, built atop the ruins of a high elven fortress. The Silvertines built a safe passage through the Ridge mountains, connecting the wider Empire to Ridgevale, and the villages of Fjeldawn and Threestreams were established along this route.

For a period of time, lesser princes and princesses of the Silvertine nobility were garrisoned at Ashbloom. This tradition came to an end shortly after the reign of Khulan the Great.

When the line of Emperors came to a close 160 years ago, Ridgevale's isolation south of the Ridge mountains spared it much of the turmoil that took place in the Silvertine Plains beyond. Instead, the city and towns of Ridgevale learnt to live independently and, when nothing rose to replace the Empire, became an autonomous region. There has been movements to unite the various civilised lands of Ridgevale, mostly pressed by the economic superpower of Zalefia, however the other settlements have been resistant to this and formed the Triachs' Agreement to mitigate attempts at Zalefian rule being enforced upon the northern towns.

As time went on, the old roads that were maintained by the empire fell into disrepair and the wilds became more dangerous. Travel through Ridgevale then changed to primarily be focused on the river network and the ancient road through the mountains was closed off.

15 years ago, lizardfolk began descending from over the Ridge mountains and attacking civilians in Fjeldawn and Ashbloom. The most serious escalation of these raids led to the death of Lady Gelina Navan, wife of Lord Lenaga Navan, one of the Old Houses of Ashbloom. This led to the establishment of the Ridgevale Defence Corps, a military group formed from half the guard forces of the three northern settlements of Ridgevale, along with any civilian recruits that put their name to it.

### Geography

The focal point of the Ridgevale landmass is the River Zalef, which goes southwards from Threestreams to the sea at Zalefia. The River Zalef is itself fed by three rivers; the River Fjel that runs past Fjeldawn, the River Ruinous which comes from north of Threestreams, and the River Ashfal which comes from Ashbloom. All of these rivers ultimately stem from the Ridge mountain-range.

Most of Ridgevale is forested, however these forests give way to grassy plains the further north one goes. To the north-east, in the areas immediately surrounding Ashbloom, the land gives away to marshes. In the south-east there are tropical jungles, whereas in the south-west the land becomes arid.

### Politics

The political centre of Ridgevale is in Zalefia. The city is governed by a body known as the Guildmasters Hall, a collection of the most notable merchant enterprises in the city that make decisions for the city's continuing prosperity. The other three towns in Ridgevale; Threesteams, Ashbloom and Fjeldawn, are ruled by an elected figure known as a Triarch and have a loose agreement to come to each other's aid should there be any encroachment by Zalefia.