The Vale

The Vale is the ancestral hatching ground of dragonkind and one of the most sacred sites in Navarre. Situated along the Iakobos River in Morraine Province, the Vale is a wide expanse of grasslands where dragon eggs are laid and young dragons first emerge.

Beyond a nursery, the Vale is central to Navarre’s survival. During the Great War, the Uaineloidsig line gave up their ancestral grounds so the First Six could weave the Basgiath wardstone. Since then, the Vale has anchored the magical wards that shield Navarre’s borders, though regions like Aretia remain vulnerable where the wards do not extend.

To dragons, the Vale is sacred ground — the birthplace of their kind and the source of the wards that shield their world. It serves as both a sanctuary and a meeting ground, where generations of dragons have gathered in peace. For humans, however, the Vale represents the ultimate test of survival and worth.

Each year, the Vale becomes the heart of the Riders Quadrant’s most perilous trials. On September 27, dragons who have earned the Right of Benefaction descend into the Vale for Presentation. This event allows dragons to observe the current year’s cadets, deciding whether any among them are worthy of future bonding. Dragons announce their intent to attend beforehand, and strict spacing rules are enforced — cadets must remain at least seven feet apart, as a dragon may burn through anyone standing between it and a chosen candidate.

Only days later, on October 1, the Vale transforms from a place of observation into one of reckoning. During Threshing, dragons and cadets meet on the open field to determine their fates. Dragons are free to kill any human who offends or fails to impress them, while cadets are permitted to kill one another without consequence. Those who survive the chaos may earn a dragon bond, securing their place as riders. Those who fail are reduced to ash.

The Vale’s significance extends beyond training and ceremony. It has also been the site of major conflicts, most notably the Battle of Basgiath, when dark wielders used Jack Barlowe’s lures to expose the positions of Navarre’s forces throughout the college and along the path leading into the Vale. The battle left lasting scars on the landscape — a reminder that even sacred ground is not immune to war.

Thus, the Vale endures as both a cradle and a crucible — revered by dragons, feared by humans, and eternally central to the balance between life, death, and power at Basgiath War College.