Alatier Crossing -- location?

From: jorganos <joe_at_lX7kZGRkL5t8tfKZ0HE1hYgAAh84wNf8ww3QtovachPStnpfsc8yKAm-XhtISyuPvQje919c>
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:01:13 -0000


I have tried to get a grip on the geography of the Machine Wars.

The New Unity Army laid a 10-year siege upon the Clanking city, making a number of assaults across tidal flats known as the Alatier Crossing.

The best detail map on the area I could find is the Second Age Kethaela map in Esrolia, Land of Ten Thousand Goddesses. This map shows (and names) a series of islands in the eastern branch of the Leftarm Isles, from the coast east of Refuge (named Vernen in this map and Tosk Island, the main island also having Talar Hold, across a series of minor islands to Kostern Island, the great southern island, in whose southern lagoon lies the city of Locsil on an island of its own.

The description in History of the Heortling People speaks of several miles of tidal flats.

The distance from the mainland to Kostern Island is about 40 miles. That is more than an army can cross in a day without excellent roads.

The distance across the lagoon of Kostern Island is in the range of 3 to 5 miles. Give terrain modifiers and hostile action, and you could be lucky to get across before noon.

Which of these is the Alatier Crossing?

Kostern also is home to the Jrusteli port of Selgus, a major fleet base controlling sea traffic along the coasts and through Troll Strait. I don't think that the presence of several thousand Orlanthi and EWF magicians would be tolerated by the Jrusteli fleet, nor vice versa. On the other hand, the Durengard scroll treats the place as if still intact around 925, 8 years after the fall of Locsil. (This doesn't mean that it couldn't have been burnt down for a while, and reoccupied after the mostali cursing made the bay in Kostern Island's south a cursed area).

Casino (town) is safely away from the main action on the westernmost of the Leftarm islands.            

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