| Vallen Cove ~ Beach ~ Records ~ Residents ~ Isle |
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Vallen Cove is, and always has been, a small trading port on the Eastern Seaboard. The wagon trains that run around Belrin Isle frequent this stop, as it offers secure housing for beasts, humans, and their goods.
Within the past few decades, seafaring dragons were sighted off the coast, but none came near. After the industry on the Isle grew, traders began to risk the wind-tossed waters to bring their goods to other islands. Reports of seadragons helping ships that would have been lost to storms often float around Vallen, and the more extraordinary ones sometimes reach as far as Caer Yslen, if not Ice High itself. Within the last few years, those ocean-toned creatures have begun to use some of the more sheltered areas around Vallen to keep their eggs. The clutches were few and far between, but it was found that humans present when the eggs hatched might be chosen as a bond by a hatchling. This phenomenon brings numbers of youths to Vallen Cove to try and witness such an event - and perhaps be bonded as well. Generally, the eggs hatch without much fanfare - but if the mother or sisters take a liking to a particular youth, they'll be summoned so they can be there. Most of the time, those chosen are indeed Chosen by the hatchlings... Of course, the hatchling seadragons sometimes bond each other, and sometimes bond adults, but that is to be expected. The seadragons were here first, after all. When facing out to sea, the large boathouse for the trading and fishing fleets is to one's right. Most of the fleet are wind-driven, and a few smaller craft have oars. To the right of the boathouse, and down the beach a short way is the fishhouse -- for smoking the fish, and other such storage. A bit further up the beach is a semicircle of small houses. This is the fishing center on this side of Belrin Isle. The fishers and their families live in those houses, but come to the main hall for dinner -- there's little point in cooking when one can go up to the cookhouse and have a nice meal and talk with the neighbors. On one end of the semicircle of houses is one that is very brightly painted. On it's front is painted "The Mermaid." No one is sure anymore why the tavern is called this, but nobody wants to rename it either. Roughly in the center is the cookhouse, main hall, and visitor's housing. The menu consists mainly of fish and sea-faring bird, but the food is good. Though activities are rarely planned, there is usually a card game to join in on, or a bard, minstrel, or storyteller to sit back and listen to in the main hall. The visitor's housing is new (since the seadragons started laying here) and is rarely full, unless storms have stopped many traders from moving on. The wide sandy beach to the far right is claimed by the seadragons. Usually there are one or more dragons there when a clutch is present. The water is shallow for the first hundred feet or so, reaching a depth of nearly ten feet deep at high tide. After the hundred-foot mark, it drops off sharply. This cove is the ideal nursery for tiny seadragons. |