The Gladden Vale

### **Overview**

The Gladden Vale is one of the smallest provinces in Alfine. Found in the southeast reaches of the country, the region is mountainous and rugged, with deep ravines and swift rivers, rolling and rocky hills, and swaths of dense evergreen alpine forest.

However, the region has also been blessed with fertile soil and bountiful harvests; the farms throughout the Gladden Vale grow some of the healthiest and heartiest vegetables found anywhere in the country. The good land, mixed with surprisingly mild weather and well-maintained roads, makes this region fairly popular with travelers looking to move into or through Alfine from Vanar or the Empire.

The people of the Gladden Vale are honest and hard-working folk. They work as craftsmen, farmers, ranchers, and woodsmen; people who make their living off of the land. Fishermen are more common around Nordendell, and a number of mines have been opening across the region thanks to the growing presence of the Miner's Exchange. Citizens of the Gladden Vale are used to a simple and peaceful life--and a safe one, thanks to the Restwell Haven Monastery (see below).

#### **The Everwinter River**

This river flows from the Nordelache, which lays at the foot of the mountains that surround the valley. This river is surprisingly fast and shallow; it is extremely dangerous even for those familiar with its waters. The Everwinter River carried water from the Nordelache to the Gladden River, which it meets around Nordendell.

#### **The Gladden River**

The namesake of the entire region is ther Gladden River. It comes down from higher up in the mountains, running down and across the valley. The river is both wide and deep; the river is more than sixty feet deep in some places, and more than twice that in width at its widest point. Only a single bridge, aptly named the Gladden Bridge, spans the river. The bridge was made by the dwarves of Salthame centuries ago, and while that thaig is long since lost, the bridge remains as a reminder of the friendship the people of the valley once shared with the dwarves here. In other parts of the river, crossing is done via ferry or rope bridge.

Many smaller arms branch off from the main river, creating numerous tributaries, lakes, and even a wetland at the southernmost point. The river continues beyond the Gladden Vale, running south through the entirety of Alfine, where it then flows into Ilan and joins with the Green River Running.

#### **The Salt Road**

The Salt Road is the main road through the Gladden Vale, which runs east-west, from the ruins of Salthame, past Gladdenburg, and ends in Nordendell. This road is the most well traveled and well maintained in the region, and it is common to see merchants and other travelers constantly moving along the road. The road is kept safe thanks to the efforts of the Knights of Dawn and the Dawntreaders, who can often be seen patrolling at all times of day.

#### The Shadewood

The Shadewood is the largest forest in the region, and one of the largest in Alfine. It covers much of the north-northeastern reaches of the Gladden Vale. It is filled with thin, evergreen trees with a soft, mossy forest floor. It is easy to move quietly through the forest here, and hunting in these regions is common.

The Shadewood gets its name from the state of perpetual shadow the forest seems to find itself in thanks to the presence of the Shield Mountains. This makes much of the forest quite cold year-round.