Emprise Du Lion
Emprise du Lion is a rural area located within the the Highlands of the Dales which rests on the western descent of the Frostback Mountains. It is a cold and craggy environment dotted with mines and the occasional ruins. It's a place where the ancient and modern co-exist, where relics of the lost are scattered between bustling human villages.
Several fortresses dot the landscape, some of which are in-use while others rot to the decay of a thousand years of disuse.
Natural Resources
The people who reside here are toughened and hard-working, rarely dreaming of that which lies beyond their immediate grasp. During the winter this region presents severe environmental challenges to its people, much moreso than any other region in all of Orlais. To those who visit Emprise du Lion looking for a cold-weather retreat, it's inhabitable. Despite this, people thrive and have built their lives here. Some of the most fought over mines can be found amongst these snow-covered hills and they act as the empire's main source for the coveted azure-granite and silverite.
Beneath the unyielding cloudy sky, one can stand amongst these highlands and listen to the rhythmic sound of picks hitting stone, wildlife singing their alluring tune, and the hum of contended villages. Along those lines, Emprise du Lion is also home to plenty of exotic wildlife. One such creature is the August Ram. Found in few other places, this horned creature resembles an antelope coated in blue paint then smattered with small bits of orange paint. It's speed makes it faster than even the best racing horses in Orlais, but its feisty nature means that they rarely are of any use as mounts. These creatures have, according to tales amongst artists, a strange fixation with eating painters' canvases. Giants have also been found in snowy caverns.
The most notable beast that lived here were, before they were driven to extinction, dragons. They seemed to find great comfort amongst the hot springs in the area and would use them as safe places to slumber.
Tourism
The most prominent village of this region is Sahrnia. This is the main supplier of many highly coveted minerals found in the region and is the last stop most merchants will go to when visiting the region. They stop in Sahrnia since it is large enough that they can stay a day or two if need be, the winds aren't absolutely debilitating yet, and the roads are easy enough to travel. Usually these traveling merchants buy the goods supplied in Sahrnia at high prices, allowing Sahrnia's people to eat well enough throughout the winter.
Some are drawn to the region due to local legends surrounding a figure referred to as Raven-Man, usually in vain attempts to either find the truth behind this legend or to slay this monstrosity. The tales surrounding this being are mingled from village-to-village. Almost any miner or field-worker can tell you of stories where they encountered a man who had wings that stretched out for ten feet and eyes that were beady-red. Some of these encounters seem to have ended with grave wounds while others with cryptic omens or guidance. It is common belief that this thing must live up in one of the caves high up in the Frostback Mountains, only coming out on the occasion. In those villages where he is revered as a bringer of bad things to come, there are annual festivals where his existence is celebrated.
Comments