High Walk

The High Walk was a dangerous foot trail though the Galena Mountains between Vaasa and Damara. It was one of the only paths through those mountains aside from Bloodstone Pass that warranted being named and remembered.

Description
Dominated by sheer cliff faces, boulder-filled canyons, and populated by deadly monsters, the High Walk was not to be traveled by the weak.

The tight confines of the pass meant travel by wagon was impossible. In fact, those who braved the trail preferred mules over horses to navigate the dangerous rocky terrain.

Geography
The trail leading through the High Walk originated on the Vaasan side in Palischuk. From there it headed north and east though the Vaasan lowlands along the slopes of the Galenas until it reached the High Walk Pass, where it turned southwards. It threaded through the mountains until reaching Ironspur in the Damaran Duchy of Soravia.

History
In the mid-to-late 14 century, the High Walk was used primary by half-orcs from Palischuk who wished to trade with the dwarves of Ironspur. Approximately one-in-ten travelers along the High Walk never made it through the mountains alive.

By the late 15 century, the Warlock Knights of Vaasa had sealed Bloodstone Pass, the primary route through the Galenas. . This forced traders to look for alternative means by which to cross the mountains, such as the High Walk. Increased trade and merchant activity led to a huge economic boom in Palischuk, transforming it into a commercial powerhouse and the second largest city in Vaasa.