Novels

People travel for all sorts of reasons, and one of the best reasons I’ve found to visit Chikurry is for relaxation.

I want to make clear; relaxing doesn’t mean boring. Yes, Chikurry occupies a quiet and humble place in the world, but if you seek excitement, don’t count this region out. When I say “relaxing,” what I mean is a place ideally suited for recharging your batteries. A place where you can relax on the beach, go out dancing, or take part in a music festival as you see fit. Chikurry is a pastoral place of some of the best scenery in the world, and is ideal for vacationers who want to experience more of the natural world.

Now, it is not my place to argue whether or not the beauty of our finest constructions compares to that of the natural world. I myself find the two are different enough that finding beauty in one is no barrier to finding beauty in the other, and the beauty of nature is astounding. From the Shimmering Falls of Elgire to the Ice Sword of Kiggian range, our world is full of remarkable beauty and uncompromising majesty.

There are several companies that provide Mirrored Clouds cruises. The differences are significant, so I won’t bother detailing each, save to give you some options:

If you’re on a budget, consider the Royal Vizier Cruise or Whitesky Tours. Both are quite reasonably priced, and provide comfortable accommodations and amenities. Whitesky Tours manages to keep costs low by reducing the number of stops on the cruise, making it much shorter than most other tours, while still making sure you see the most spectacular parts of the Mirrored Clouds. I personally prefer Royal Vizier, as they keep costs low by cutting back on luxuries such as on-board entertainment and high-end meals. This makes a Royal Vizier cruise much less ostentatious than other cruises, and more like a train service.

The Ushkagoosh Valley is located just outside Esseck town, on the south-eastern edge of Mustain province. In walkable distance from the town, access includes regular shuttle services, taxis, and carriages.

Reaching Esseck is slightly more difficult, as train services reach only as far as Dorsden. Busses from Dorsden depart twice daily, and cost around 2N a ticket. The ride itself will take about an hour, so make sure you bring along a book to read. I highly recommend a history of the Everburning Torch, as its full history is quite interesting.

The Ushkagoosh Valley is located just outside Esseck town, on the south-eastern edge of Mustain province. In walkable distance from the town, access includes regular shuttle services, taxis, and carriages.

Reaching Esseck is slightly more difficult, as train services reach only as far as Dorsden. Busses from Dorsden depart twice daily, and cost around 2N a ticket. The ride itself will take about an hour, so make sure you bring along a book to read. I highly recommend a history of the Everburning Torch, as its full history is quite interesting.

Travel to Belliboos is limited, as the region is largely surrounded by mountains. The most reliable method is travel by hot-air balloon, though there is a train line that cuts through the mountains. It is perhaps a more direct route, but certainly has less in the way of impressive views.

The Red Morning Balloon Ferry is probably the best option for most travelers, as they also include several minor convenience services, such as a currency exchange and purchasable guide-books and maps.

Travel by balloon will take anywhere from two to three hours, depending on the wind, while the train will only take one and a half hours. There are no meals on the train, however, while most balloon ferries provide at least a small snack and drink for purchase.

Once a towering empire that spanned countless kingdoms and continents, the Old Kingdom has since dwindled in strength and prestige to the polished museum piece it is now. Countless ancient legends have their origins in the Old Kingdom, with historical mores and cultural tropes spreading through the ages. It is suggested by some historians that the world culture that exists today is largely a byproduct of the Old Kingdom. I, of couese, don’t know any facts of the matter. What I do know is that the Old Kingdom is a place of deep historical significance.

Personally, I have an awkward relationship to the historical. I am a person who tries to concern themselves with the present. While I do not dispute the importance of history, much less its impact on current events, I find myself somewhat ambivalent when standing in front of ancient artifacts or visiting the locations of important historical events.

Getting to Morlastig’gna and the Achinean Spire is surprisingly simple, given its inhospitable location. The Green-Ridge Flier branch-line departs from the Logoruun Spike in the evening, and arrives at the Morlastig’gna Tail at lunchtime the following day. Tickets will likely run you up to F200, though there are sometimes seasonal specials for local holidays and festivals, and sometimes bulk rates.

The Green-Ridge Flier doesn’t have seats, but rather cubbies for passengers to sleep and recline in. The Flier doesn’t serve evening meals, leaving late enough that passengers are expected to settle dinner on their own. They do, however, offer breakfasts from simple to hearty, and a small midday snack to tide you over until you can find lunch in Morlastig’gna.

Winterkesh is one of the larger regions in Flororenghashst, and yet is one of the most difficult to reach. Winterkesh is an isolated place with only one reliable method of ingress: the Icepick Engine in Esquan.

While there are several ways to reach Esquan, the simplest starts in Fhanna, which is relatively easy to get to from any of Flororenghashst’s urban centers. Once there, purchase a ticket to New Dally on the Dingrun Flyer for F50 a seat. Trains leave twice a day; late morning and early afternoon.

When you reach New Dally, you will have to cross town to the Stables, a caravan meet-up point where you can purchase a seat on any caravan heading for Esquan. There are no train lines connecting the larger cities to Esquan, due to the mountainous topography and inhospitable climate. This is the longest leg of the journey, and may take up to a day if the weather is bad. Remember to bring warm clothing and snow-gear.

The Akcriskkap is a region of over five-thousand square lengths in the Egralpian sea. Easily reachable by ferry or flight, your best bet for cheap and reliable transit is the Barkwater Ferry. Operating out of Hamllerdad, the Barkwater Ferry travels to and from the Akcriskkap four times a day. Tickets run 100F to 130F, and the journey will take about three hours to reach Nightgroan. For 50F more, you can purchase a private cabin.

Alternately, chartered flights disembark from Gromswik Local at semi-regular intervals. Prices are steeper, ranging from 200 to 300 face, and the trip will only take about three-quarters of an hour. The flights will drop you on a small island just off the coast of Akcriskkap, from which you will have to charter a river-boat to get you to Nightgroan proper, for only 20F.

Travel to and from the Ironbar Cave Forest is largely hangled by the Fhanna Ranger service and their guides. While traveling to the forest on your own is certainly doable, either via charter-bus service or rented vehicle, the Ranger service discourages entering the forest without a properly accredited guide.

The Fhanna Ranger Guide service operates out of Moortla City, which has several available train lines and plane routes to various travel hubs across the world. Prices will vary based on your origin and travel-line of choice.

Purchasing a trip to the Ironbar Cave Forest will cost anywhere from four to ten face, depending on which hicking path you wish to take, which guide service you purchase, and how much equipment you need to rent.