Loch Glas

Loch Glas by tumblr user @thewatchau

Location of Loch Glas in Duilintinn by tumblr user @thewatchau

Loch Glass is located in Duilintinn's Draoidh Valley. Its water comes from the Rúnach River, Agrona River, and Gáire River. Its northeastern banks are heavily populated, while the southwestern banks are overshadowed by small, rocky cliffs eroded from the Southern Mountains and/or the oppressive greenery of the Western Forest.

## Name Origin

The lake is called “Glas,” meaning “green,” for the deep blue-green hue reflected from the surrounding trees onto the water’s surface.

## History

Found on the southern edge of House Marvin, Loch Glas used to be much, much bigger, filling the entire valley.

Many stories and myths are told about why the water levels fell to their current (still massive) span. Some suspect that a Fae Garden might have covered the region at one point for centuries, causing strange nature magic that disappeared when the garden moved. Some tales even speak of a community of Fae Folk that used to live in the underwater region but were forced to leave when the lake became too small.

In reality, the answer is quite simpler. When the people of Feadhainn managed to divert the Agrona River, ushering in their golden age of technology and culture, the water that was now being irrigated into the arid Monaidh Plains to feed the growing civilization was no longer flowing into the lake. Over time, the decreased flow from the Agrona River caused the water levels of Loch Glas to slowly drop.

Despite this change, Loch Glas is still massive, awe-inspiring, and unimaginably deep. Much like the forest alongside it, no one has ever been able to explore its depths completely.

While most scholars assume that the excess water in Loch Glas percolates into Duilintinn's groundwater, some wonder if the lake might drain into the abandoned dwarven tunnels found beneath Tirónar, forming groundwater rivers that return to the eastern sea.

## Settlements

The lakeside of Loch Glas is the most populated region of House Marvin for both environmental and transportation reasons. Environmentally, the pressure changes over the lake cause wind to spring up near its banks, alleviating the Draoidh Valley’s heavy summer humidity. In addition, the Loch Glas crossing between the small, bustling port city of Athglen and the regional capital of Monacoil is one of the safest, most widely-used forms of transportation into and out of the Draoidh Valley.

As a result, settlements home to mage, inventor, or random civilian alike dot the banks of the lake, not to mention the House’s capital city of Monacoil. The water that flows into the lake from the surrounding rivers create beautiful waterfalls and are excellent for running the local mills. The water is perfectly safe to swim in, so long as you don’t venture out too deep for your swimming skills. Whatever once resided in the lake has either been gone for centuries or takes little interest in the mortals living and splashing above.

However, there are some downsides to living near the lake. Monacoil in particular is at heavy risk of infrastructure damage due to the swampy terrain and erosion from the lake itself. The city’s unique districts trace many of their aesthetics back to the differing ways their antecedents attempted to mitigate and repair this damage. The Lake District often sees minor flooding if the loch overspills its banks, though the Inventors Guild in the district would probably claim that the constant access to the water needed for the mills and steam-powered devices is worth the risk. Regardless, Loch Glas plays a major role in Monacoil’s culture and economy in more ways than one.

## Crossing

Due to the strength of the Agrona River, there are only two ways to travel between the Monaidh Plains and the Draoidh Valley; crossing the Agrona Bridge in the foothills of the Northern Mountains, or sailing across the calmer waters of Loch Glas between the port in Athglen and the docks of Monacoil.

However, crossing the bridge today can be a hassle. The Agrona Bridge is heavily guarded by the Watchers of the Agrona Bastion, and with good reason. The bridge is the only way into the northern reaches of Duilintinn from the Western Forest without climbing into the mountains and bypassing the river’s source, making it a major target for The Enemy. As a result, the Agrona Bridge is covered with defenses, checkpoints, and guards, making it a hassle to cross.

For this reason, most people choose to take the boat trip over Loch Glas instead. While this route is a significant detour for travelers approaching the river from the north, many prefer the simplicity of the lake crossing over the intense security on the Agrona Bridge. A ferry-like service has existed for decades for this purpose, able to transport people, goods, even horses and carts full of cargo from the town of Athglen on the lake’s eastern banks to the city of Monacoil on the northwest edge.

Technically, there is a third way to get into the Draoidh Valley by hugging the western banks of Loch Glas, cutting through the Western Forest to avoid the cliffs, and crossing the Gáire River at some point to cross back into Duilintinn’s borders. Though this path is technically the fastest route between the Gáire Roosts and Monacoil, the route is steep, unmarked, fords two rivers, and forces the traveler into the Western Forest, making it extremely dangerous. However, rumor has it that some small wooden footpaths and bridges can be found along the western banks of Loch Glas, allowing one to travel along the edge of the lake without truly entering the forest until they reach the cliffs…

## Trivia and Real-World Inspirations

   The concept of a secret shortcut along the western banks of Loch Glas was inspired in part by this post on tumblr.

The image right is of Lake Konstanz (Lake Constance), taken by tumblr user @theshapeshifter100 in Konstanz, Germany, is an incredibly accurate parallel to Loch Glas. I did the math, and the distance from the city of Konstanz to the edge of the lake is 44 km, which converts to 27 miles; almost the exact width of Loch Glas. Moreover, the dark shadows on the horizon in the image aren’t clouds, but the Alps; a major inspiration for the Southern Mountains. These two details taken together make the image below a perfect reference for what Loch Glas would look like to those looking from its eastern banks towards the Southern Mountains. Anyone who’s planning on taking the boat trip from the harbor near Fort Conchúr to Monacoil would likely get this gorgeous view on their way down the valley slope.

### Forest-Lake Border

This uneven, rocky, overgrown boundary between the lake and forest is exactly how I imagine the westernmost edge of Loch Glas. To quote an old description of this bit of the lake:

> “[To exit the valley] you could cut through the Western Forest to the Gáire Roosts... [but] it’s not nearly as “official” compared to the other routes. There is no road here, and you’ll be fording two rivers, traveling straight through the forest, and climbing in elevation the entire trip. However, it is technically faster... [assuming] that the dangerous conditions of the off-road route don’t cause some sort of injury or delay to slow you down… which they probably will.”
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TL;DR: One of the reasons this route is so tricky is because it forces you to cut through the forest; there’s no open shoreline between the lake and the trees.

That’s why I love this picture so much as an inspiration for that stretch of the lakeside; it doesn’t just show the proximity to the forest, but the danger and ruggedness of the path as well.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some artificial paths that people have constructed over the years in an attempt to sneak out of the valley without passing through the major cities... but I dunno. It’s not explicitly canon yet, but I’m not going to rule out the possibility.

Ruins inspo