Skola Vale
Nestled in the highlands of the Oraniad Mountains, the Skola Vale is blessed by Nylea, covered in lush grass, and dotted with copses of trees. Satyrs roam the comfortable valley with no need for permanent settlements, all their needs provided for by the valley’s magic. According to legend, Nylea was so taken with the valley’s beauty that she poured the contents of her wineskin onto the vale to make it flourish forever. When wild goats drank of this wine, they became the first satyrs who made the magical land their home.
While the Skola Vale is a place of revelry, it isn’t without its dangers. The satyrs themselves can become too raucous in their merrymaking, and monsters lurk in the shadows of the trees and the surrounding mountains.
Geography
The Skola Vale’s trees grow in twisted, climbable shapes allowing inhabitants shady places to play and sleep. Dryads protect the largest of these trees, especially from drunken satyr antics. During the day, the copses are idyllic forests, filled with the music of panpipes. At night, though, the forests grow more menacing. Nocturnal monsters roam the wood—particularly chimeras, cockatrices, and harpies—striving to pick off drunken satyrs wandering alone after a revel. Satyrs rarely travel alone at night, believing that noise and music scare away evil, but revelers aren’t always as wary as they should be.
Ecosystem
The Skola Vale is a wild place where majestic animals run free, trees, vines, and bushes provide fruit, and Nylea’s magic enhances the land. Plants and animals grow rapidly in the valley. The chaotic satyrs may upend a copse of trees one night only to have it regrow by morning. Most of the Skola Vale consists of greenery rolling over gentle hills. During the day, the vale’s residents hunt small game and gather wild fruit for wine. Other predators, such as bears, lions, and rocs, hunt the region as well. Some of these beasts, whether predator or prey, have become Nyxborn legends that appear again and again through the generations, either as threats or the stuff of incredible meals. Satyrs speak of both Kexosrexsos the Braided Lion and Hulp the Pork Bird with equal awe.
Localized Phenomena
Satyrs hold regular revels called rollick nights. These lengthy festivals are full of merrymaking, contests, impromptu performances, and song, all accompanied by good food and sweet drinks. Beyond these celebrations, tales are also told of bakkeia, revels that occur in deep caves and that involve ancient sacrificial rites. Most satyrs say these traditions were abandoned ages ago, though.
Tourism
Some non-satyrs looking for pleasure without consequences visit the Skola Vale, encouraged by dawngreets and tales of wild revels. After spending some time with the satyrs, dark-humored sibyls might invite outsiders to join the Cult of Horns. If they agree, the non-satyr might be crowned with a circlet of horns, marking them as “stubs” (for their crown’s stubby horns). A period of hazing follows, where the stubs are enticed to perform menial or humiliating tasks. When the satyrs grow bored—or a respected, sober satyr steps in—the hazing ends, which typically results in the stub later waking up alone in the mountains. Most satyrs who participate in such ungenerous behavior are chided and are themselves made to serve at the next revel, but the satyr memory for consequences is short and the tradition persists. As for former stubs, most never share details about their experiences, their secrecy contributing to tales of dark rites and sinister enchantments in the vale.
Type
Vale
Inhabiting Species
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