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The Vale of Aldur is an area of forests and meadows lying along the
upper reaches of the west fork of the Aldur River, nestling as it were
in the fork or juncture of the eastern and western arms of the vast
mountain range which forms the spine of the continent. It lies at a
somewhat greater elevation than the grasslands to the north and
receives more rainfall. It is, therefore, more heavily vegetated. It
appears to be a pleasant, well-watered area, but is, so far as our
investigators have been able to determine, uninhabited.
From time immemorial certain reports have come back from the
area - usually from travelers who have lost their way, since the Algars
steadfastly refuse to permit anyone to cross the Vale. Our informants
advise us that there are in fact structures of various kinds in the Vale
structures of enormous antiquity One Sendarian merchant who had
wandered away from the South Caravan Route found himself in the
Vale and discovered several moss-grown ruins in the Vale and, on the
third day of his wanderings, came upon a huge stone tower with no
Visible door and reaching very high into the air - higher perhaps than
the tallest tree. He was discovered there by a mounted Algar patrol
who quickly escorted him back to the Caravan Route but refused to
discuss the tower.
The folk-lore of certain rude and unlettered people makes mention
of a 'Brotherhood of Sorcerers' which is supposedly headquartered
in the Vale, but this can probably be discounted. The so-called
Sorcerers, Wizards, Magicians and the like whom we have all seen
either as solitary mendicant vagabonds or associated with traveling
circuses are, of course, all charlatans whose 'magic' consists of a few
crude sleight-of-hand tricks and a few common chemicals for
altering the color of water. These tricks, while a source of amusement to
the common people, hardly elevate their practitioners to the exalted
status to which this folk-lore would assign them.
Since there is no hard evidence that the Vale is inhabited by a
separate people, Tolnedra has long taken the position that the Vale is
simply an integral part of Algaria. This is particularly evident since
Algar horsemen patrol its borders. The ruins which supposedly dot
the Vale cannot really be taken to represent the work of a non-Alorn
culture, but rather must be viewed as a tantalizing archeological
curiosity'
The University has frequently petitioned the Emperor to raise the
question of permission for an archeological expedition into the Vale,
but the Algars refuse to discuss it or even to admit that the Vale
exists.
Algaria
COINAGE
Algars do not have coins.
Their standards are based on livestock
A horse (standard) is worth about $50
(good horses are more expensive)
3 cows make a horse
5 cow hides = 1 cow
Algars do, however, trade, using coins of other nations and free
gold (nuggets and dust) panned from rivers and streams in the
foothills.
COSTUME