Highjump

A vertically-oriented group of settlements that stretches from the foothills up the side of the Barrier Mountains, Highjump serves as the eastern exit and entrance to Byrd’s Passage, depending on whether travelers are coming from or going to the Eternal Desert.

History

Highjump originated as several separate population groups that gradually grew together under a united sense of purpose. Peoples who had settled along the Dholgroth River had enjoyed cordial relations and simple trade with the cha’ari who dwelt further up the mountain and the kegani at the mouth of Byrd’s Passage for as long as anyone can remember. As Byrd’s Passage became more and more popular as a means to cross the mountain, the population groups gradually coalesced, eventually giving their combined village the collective name of Highjump.
Highjump has long enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence, with the exception of a few ill-fated skirmishes from outside forces looking to control the outpost. While relatively small, Highjump’s location at the mouth of Byrd’s Passage has made it a target for strategic control in the past. However, Byrd’s Passage itself is virtually impossible to navigate without the cooperation of the mountain kegani who have settled it.
Because they do not take kindly to invasion, no one invading outside presence has ever held Highjump for long, and the settlement hasn’t seen a direct attack in decades. The dense forests that surround the passage of the Dholgrath have prevented the area from being destroyed or approached by any of the walking cities, as well, placing it well off the beaten path.

Description

There has been a relatively stable permanent population in the mountainside portions of Highjump (in the form of the cha’ari that founded that section), and for the past few hundred years, the forest-side settlement has sustained a more mixed population of various species. Mountain kegani are also a regular sight down by the river both in and outside of Byrd’s Passage.
In traditional cha’ari fashion, Highjump is less one specific town than loosely-collected groups of small villages that march up the side of the mountain. Despite being separated by great distances and elevations, these widely-scattered population groups still all consider themselves to be part of Highjump. Many sections of Highjump see their share of through traffic in the form of successful expeditions returning from the Eternal Desert, travelers looking to enter Byrd’s passage for various reasons of their own, or simply as a stopping point along the Barrier Mountains on the path to the coast.
The scattered structures that make up Highjump range in style and utility. Higher up the mountain, one typically finds small population clusters that have been formed from cha’ari villages that have grown large thanks to the location of the settlement. Down in the foothills and beyond, lower-profile buildings can be found around the Dholgroth river as it flows inland and shelter under the canopy of the thick forests that crowd along the eastern edge of the mountains. Though a few of the higher-elevation areas are accessible only by flight, by and large the cha'ari-populated clusters have made roads, bridges, and other accomodations for their flightless neighbors and travelers.
Though there is one particularly large and well-developed launching point into Byrd’s Passage on the banks of the Dholgrath, there are several smaller entrances into the extensive tunnel system scattered along the mountain face. Entrances that are looked after by locals are generally understood to be traversable ingresses to the Passage proper, while cave openings that have little or no attention paid to them are likely unmapped and potentially treacherous tunnels.
Because of its sprawling nature, looking for specific services in Highjump can often require quite a bit of travel. Along the banks of the river is what is largely considered the “commercial district” of Highjump: mills, inns, trade outposts, docks, and fishing markets largely dominate the space, stretching from the cover of the trees all the way to the river marina that sits at the place where one enters into Byrd’s Passage.
The mountainside stretch of Highjump is made largely up of private dwellings scattered with a few public facilities to manage entrance into the Passage as well as board travelers.