Draoidh Valley

Location of the Draoidh Valley in Duilintinn by tumblr user @thewatchau

Rough map of travel methods through the Draoidh Valley by tumblr user @thewatchau

### Location

Duilintinn

The Draoidh Valley is a basin-shaped region on the far western edge of Duilintinn, sitting on the very fringes of the Western Forest. It’s best known for the thriving wildlife growing in the fens at the bottom of the valley and the heavy fog that rolls into the region each summer. Three rivers flow into the valley- the Agrona River, Rúnach River, and Gáire River- all three of which empty into Loch Glas in the valley’s basin.

## Name Origin

Draoidh means “druid,” in reference to the myriad of strange and fascinating natural phenomena that take place in this valley. Since most people just call the region “House Marvin,” this name is usually only used when talking about the ecological, geographic, and any other nature-sciency stuff that happens here.

## Geography

The central parts of Duilintinn (Draoidh Valley, Monaidh Plains, Coastal Plains) are mostly filled with heavy, chalky clay soil that’s near-unworkable without significant effort. However, it is great for brickmaking.

The eastmost road in House Marvin corresponds generally to where the downhill slope from House Jackie into the Draoidh Valley levels out. The exception to this is where the road curves towards Monacoil in the south. Obviously, the slope will level out at the eastern banks of Loch Glas.

The Draoidh Valley was initially a huge lake basin, with the waters Loch Glas covering almost the entire valley floor. However, when the people of Feadhainn diverted 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, exposing more of the Draoidh Valley as we know it today.

The port in Athglen is the only way across Loch Glas from the east because the southern edge of Loch Glas is actually another cliff face, though not nearly as large as the ones in House Schneeplestein. Over time, the water has eroded at the mountainside, causing a) the entire Draoidh Valley in the first place and b) said cliffs. This also means that the Gáire River would end in a small waterfall!

In terms of elevation, the basin of the Draoidh Valley is very close to sea level. The eastern slopes that rise to meet the Monaidh Plains are about the same size and steepness as those of the Beinnfaire Ridge, though with far more greenery. To the south, the slopes of the valley become very sheer, even cliff-like in some places, particularly along the southern banks of Loch Glas. The northern slopes of the valley merge with the foothills of the Northern Mountains, not quite as steep as their southern counterparts but definitely less accessible than the eastern slopes. Finally, the westernmost slopes of the Draoidh Valley are largely unexplored, due to being completely covered by the Western Forest.

Finally, the central part of the Draoidh Valley is particularly overgrown, swampy, and hard to navigate, especially during the summer fog. This is why the main roads through the region travel along the edge of the valley’s basin. As a result, most towns located within the center of the valley are very isolated from each other, while the most urbanized parts of the region are located near Loch Glas and in the shadow of the valley’s slopes.

## Ecology

The majority of House Marvin (i.e. the Draoidh Valley) is a fertile freshwater wetland called a fen. Due to its low elevation, multiple rivers flowing into it, and Loch Glas itself, the Draoidh Valley is very, very swampy and humid. However, instead of swampland, the land in House Marvin is something… different.

Due to what can only be assumed is the magic coming from the Western Forest, which reaches into the valley approximately 10 miles east from the western edge of the basin, plantlife grows insanely quickly in the Draoidh Valley. Everything is ridiculously green and colorful, and most of the swampland is covered by a carpet of grasses and ferns. The only reason why House Marvin can’t use this natural explosion for agriculture is that the weeds will outgrow any crops they attempt to plant! The plants native to the region often have magical properties and are used in a variety of potions, drinks, and medicines, so most agricultural pursuits in House Marvin revolve more around hunting and gathering this magical flora and fauna than actual agriculture.

No one can quite agree on if the insane greenery and growth in the Draoidh Valley is a blessing or a curse, but it certainly is fascinating. Between that and the Western Forest, it’s no wonder that the region attracts experimenters of both magical and non-magical pursuits.

## Climate

Within the main valley plains of the kingdom, the climate is continental, with very cold winters and very hot summers. The summers and winters are pretty extreme; you could almost say there are two seasons rather than four. You’ll have a nice, temperate bit during the transition as the seasons change, but it can be very inconsistent.

One of the most famous elements of the Draoidh Valley’s climate is the summer fog which flows out of the forest to fill the Draoidh Valley to cover the entire region during the warmer months. From Fort Conchúr, the low clouds make the valley look like a steaming cauldron, and Watchers in the region are reminded to tread carefully through the dense fog that now covers the forested and marshy lands of the valley. Many wonder if this natural phenomenon, like many things hidden away in the Western Forest, has magical properties, and it’s not uncommon to see dozens of curious experimenters, mages, and inventors excitedly rushing to the forest border at the first sign of the summer fog.

The Draoidh Valley can get very icky and humid during the summer. While not necessarily hot, at least not notably so, you find yourself sweating all the same. It’s as if the fog that permeates the air has settled in a layer over your skin. It’s bizarrely and uniquely uncomfortable, and the only way to alleviate it is to catch a breeze of some sort. The bad news: the valley isn’t exactly prone to gusts of wind. The good news: the people of House Marvin are extremely innovative. In addition to the variety of creative ways you can use magic to push the air around, the inventors of the region have created a number of fans and fan-like contraptions to battle the oppressive humidity. This is yet another reason why most of House Marvin’s population is near Loch Glas. The pressure changes over the lake cause more wind to spring up near its banks compared to the rest of the valley.

## Travel

There are a total of three ways to get out of the Draoidh Valley: cross the Agrona Bridge, sail across Loch Glas, or attempt to cut through the Western Forest.

The Agrona Bridge is where the road (brown line) crosses the river near its source, all the way up north next to the Agrona Bastion, hence the name.

Loch Glas is a bit less simple, but far more convenient for southern travelers. Monacoil has a harbor that sends boats to a similar harbor on the opposite side of the lake (badly-drawn-brown-boats). They’ve been doing it now for decades, so transporting things like horses or carts full of cargo is standard procedure.

Finally, you could cut through the Western Forest to the Gáire Roosts. It’s in red instead of brown because 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. On horseback, it takes less than three days to get to the Roosts from Monacoil or vice versa (the downhill is not your friend in the mountains, sorry) taking the off-road route, but three to four days to get there via the lake crossing and roads.

However, this calculation assumes 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.

That being said, if you want to avoid passing through Monacoil for whatever reason, this would be an alternative way into or out of the valley.