Location

Sparkling Creek Valley is bordered along the north by the Ochotona Mountains, and to the west by the Croal Mountains. The eastern edge of the land is cut off by the Ferral Sea, and to the south is partially bordered by a stretch of the White River Mountain Range. Noteworthy geographical features are listed below.
Mountain Ranges: Croal Mountains, Ochotona Mountains, and the White River Mountain Range
Rivers and Creeks: Requiems River, White River, Sedge Creek, and Sparkling Creek
Bodies of water: Pikes Lake, Elk Stand Lake, White River Lake, Lake of the Heavens, Lake Oasis, Orca Bay, Ferral Sea, Ebontarn Sea
Highways Leading to Sparkling Creek Valley: Highway 99, Highway 204 (Closed during the winter.)

Thermal Systems

Most of the northern half of the Valley sits on highly active, natural thermal systems. The best evidence of this is at the Ashen Domes, where many of the vents converge to form an array of geological features - from domes, geysers, laval-filled faults, and hot pools.
The intensity and spread of these thermal systems offers a unique ecology to the Valley, and has allowed non-native species to survive the otherwise harsh and bitter winters.
In addition to sustaining exotic animal species, unusually high ground temperatures in many areas have allowed the survival of non-native plant species as well. While the Valley falls into Zones 2 to 5, thermal hotspots have been found to sustain plants that naturally live in Zones 9 - 10.

Atroe City

Though once inhabited by an ancient civilization to the west, and then later by a mining town in the mid 1800's, the Valley has only one major area of civilization now. Atroe City was established as an offshoot of the mining town, based near the end of Requiem's River, a few miles from the coastline. The town has grown very slowly since its official founding in 1887, and today stands at a population around 16,000. With no offical airport or seaport, Atroe City is only accessible via two highways - one of which is closed down during the winter, as it passes through the rugged Croal Mountains. Despite its near-stagnant growth, powerful local organizations have brought a wealth of resources to the area, allowing Atroe City to benefit from the technowledgies of the day while still remaining small and relatively unseen by the rest of the world.

West Vs East

Built around Requiems River, Atroe City is divided into a Western and Eastern section by the water. Once connected by Carver's Bridge, the new 'H' bridge now links the two sides.
The west side is typically filled with the 'upperclass' and 'wealthy' inhabitants, while the 'lowerclass' tends to live on the east side. Although the entire town is largly corrupt and prone to violence, it is the east that really personifies the dark and digny aspect of society. Apart from the social strains, the east side is also more prone to suffer from weather-related disasters. Backed by the end of the White River Mountain Range, the west side sits upon hills and a strech of bluffs, while the east portion lies in a bottom land. For this reason, flooding is a major problem during the spring, and following summer storms.

The Wildlife

Once dominated by wolves, the Valley now flourishes with a diverse range of species. Due in part to the popularity of animal fighting and blackmarket trading, many foreign species have escaped over the years and managed to survive and establish themselves in the area.

Notable NPCs

Ederelues - Monitor Hybrid
Where she can be found: Tabumrot Scar
Interactions: Creatures big and small should be very wary of this large lizard. A single bite can lead to a slow, painful death from infection, even for otherwise healthy animals.

Galar - American Alligator
Where he can be found: He resides strictly in Galar's Marsh.
Interactions: He's best known for being friendly towards canines, and enjoys socializing with them. Galar is generally not 'friendly' towards humans, and will either hide at their approach, or target them as food if they swim through his territory. Similarly, he may attack any other creature that wanders too close to him if he is hungry.

Hav'Feera - Bull Shark
Where she can be found: Orca Bay, Tears of Dew Isle (along the beaches), and Pike's Lake.
Interactions: Anyone swimming in the areas she frequents is at risk for attack, particularly humans. It is safest to interact with her from the shore or in shallower waters. Feera can be persuaded to attack one's enemies on occasion, and may in turn request various tasks (usually involving food for herself) from those she's helping.

Mortar - Moose
Where he can be found: Tabumrot Scar
Interactions: This young moose is shy and reclusive, and very rarely seen by humans. He prefers to run at the sight of predators, but due to positive interactions with them at a young age, he can be persuaded into talking with them, under the right circumstances. Fellow herbivores are much more likely to run into this moose, and can often count on his help if they run into trouble while passing through his domain.

Tyali - Killer Whale
Where he can be found: Orca Bay, Tears of Dew Isle
Interactions: He is part of the Silv Cove pod, a resident orca pod that frequents Orca Bay and the coast along the valley. Tyali is very fascinated with wolves in particular, and enjoys talking with them every bit as much as Galar does. He and most others in his pod are inquisitive of humans as well, and are generally friendly towards them.

Ventisshou - Northern Rattlesnake
Where she can be found: She can usually be found in the Canyon, Croal Mountains, and the Ruins, and may occasionally wander into the Tall Grass Prairie.
Interactions: Any creature stepping too close to her risks getting bitten. However, Ventisshou prefers to save her venom, and so long as she isn't startled or sufficiently pestered, she presents little risk to most creatures (with the obvious exception of prey species, mainly small rodents). In exchange for a free meal, she has been known to spend her venom against one's enemies, assisting both predators and herbivores as long as she believes their is little risk to herself in the task.