Rhipaion Province

Rhipaion Province is a sparsely populated region, mostly at high altitude, which includes highlands and plateaus as well as mountains. There are a number of cities and towns, though most of them are quite small, especially in the higher elevations.

Major cities:

Breston – “the Golden Port”

A major trade terminus and the only large trade town in the province, Breston is connected to Auxesia by the Sudran Bridge, which is traveled by cars and hyperloop trains. This is the oldest intercontinental crossing on Hemera, and Breston was the destination of the first offshoot colony after the original landing in Auxesia. As such, Breston is a very proudly historical town, and still retains a political bent. Since they are so cut off geographically from much of Messembria, they rely a great deal on electronic communications and have strong cultural ties to Auxesia. They are a fiercely proud and independent people.

Alta – “Heaven's Rest”

A smaller town, yet one of the largest in the Rhipaion Mountains, Alta has long been a home to religious orders, particularly Catholic and Buddhist sects, and a few hybrid groups that combine characteristics of both. Alta is the birthplace of the Order of the Eighth Day, a hybrid Christian and Buddhist religious order that prizes knowledge and was known for its role in preserving a good deal of knowledge and technology during the Global War.

Major rivers: The Tendril and Whip Rivers, flow from the northern edge of the Rhipaion Mountains to the Andric Ocean. The Breston River flows south towards Breston, and the Dylan and Aravon Rivers join at the southern edge of the mountains and flow to the Sudran Ocean.

Rhipaion Mountains: The mountains hold many hidden plateaus and cloud forests, and they are the highest mountain range on the planet; the tallest peak is called Mt. Celestine and is found toward the southern end of the range, north of Alta. There are a number of small towns and villages scattered through the mountains, but travel is difficult. Gondolas are quite common in the steeper regions.