Across the center of Xanth there is a wide ravine known as the gap. It crosses Xanth from West coast to East coast. Approching the gap it has a sheer cliff drop off. So if you don't know it is there and you are not watching where you are going. You could drop off the edge and the gap is very, very deep. The walls of the gap are straight up. There are very few footholds, so climbing the walls are a great challenge. In the gap live nickelpedes (similar to centipedes only five times worse). They can gouge out nickel sized pieces of flesh. They do not like the light so they pretty much stay in the crevasses and any shadowed place where the Gap Dragon is not.
The only ways to cross the gap is to go down into the gap and risk certain death from the Gap Dragon , fly over it, or use one of three bridges that are not easy to find.
One of the bridges is invisible, if you do find it you have to walk across while looking though it and having no feeling of substance. Another one is a one way bridge. You can only cross from the South to North. If you are coming from the North, if you have a friend on the South touch the bridge, then you can cross. Also you can not turn back once upon it or down you go.
The other is the main bridge to Castle Roogna. It is a regular bridge but most people don't know about it because of the "forget spell".
The "forget spell" is a spell that was put on the Gap. So most people don't know that the Gap exists. Once you leave the area you usually forget all about it again. (Strange)
Oh yes! Did I mention the Gap Dragon. His name is Stanley Steamer. He is deadly to anything or anyone who enters the Gap. He is a huge steamer dragon with six stubby legs. He has super hearing and sense of smell. If he senses anyone in the gap he comes whomping. He will steam you to the bone and eat you right up. It is best to avoid the Gap Dragon. But he is very important in the defense of Xanth. When the Gap Dragon is away, Stella or Stacey Steamer take over. They can be just a deadly. Stanley later gets "youthened" and becomes a very close friend of Princess Ivy. You can read about that in "Dragon On A Pedestal".
Background by: Hee Yun's Graphic Collection
Dragon from : Xoom Clip Art
