The Northern Promontory

Huge sea cliffs, cold wind and tightly nestled gravelly beaches make the far side of the gulf to the north of Pethron very unappealing. Those foolish few who have attempted to explore the region have returned empty-handed, if at all.

It was the exposure that got to me in the end. Traveling overland was like being at sea without a ship. The landscape was barren - no plant higher than my knees, no creature bigger than a sparrow. Though it was summer, the wind was cold as ice and our water supplies would ice up at night. The wind never stopped and there was no shelter from it. The sky was as often grey as blue and that made it colder still. The day it rained was the worst. Driven and stinging. Not cold enough to sleet, except that the wind made it sap our strength so much worse than any snow or sleet I've had to endure.

- Rolph Hiseland, on his exploratory trip across the Northern Promontory

Just trying to access the Promontory can be incredibly dangerous. Cliffs line the entire facing coast, and in most places they plunge directly into the sea. The small beaches that could be landed on with a rowboat are often tucked in amongst rocks and battered by waves. Reaching the tops of the cliffs from these beaches is only possible in a few locations, and even there, requires a near vertical ascent at times and treacherous shale ledges at others. All this comes together to mean that those who do seek to explore the Promontory must do so with minimal supplies and equipment.

Fauna & Flora

Small, hardy shrubs and lichen are all that grow here. Animal life is mostly small birds and rodents that feed on seeds. Most of these creatures live in nooks and crannies in the rocky surface - the ground is too hard to make effective burrows.