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Journey Consistency Notes

Diana & Marya's Circuit

Blessed Springs → Three Rivers → Crossroads Market → Orpiment Quarries → Monastery of Waters → Pilgrim's Rest → Traders' Haven

This circuit takes approximately 40-50 days in good weather, following established trade routes that connect thermal spring settlements. Each location provides specific resources: pigments, healing herbs, or sanctuary.

The Winter Lord's Hunt Pattern

Northern Reach → Three Rivers → Crossroads Market → Blessed Springs

His route follows Diana's but in reverse, using his network of informants and "frozen watchers" to track their previous presence. He arrives days or hours after they depart, systematically closing the distance.

Saint Petersburg - The Winter Lord's Domain

Location: Northern stronghold built around ancient thermal vents, now corrupted by ice-magic

Distance to Blessed Springs: 8-10 days hard riding in good weather

Strategic Position: Controls northern trade routes and commands view of the steppes

Notable Features: The great house where Diana was born, now seat of The Winter Lord's power. Thermal springs run cold, transformed by his presence into sources of unnatural ice.

Key Geographic Features

Sorrowful Lake: Freezes solid in deepest winter, passable on foot/horse. Site of the Hermitage of St. Basil.

Thermal Valleys: Protected zones where settlements cluster around geothermal vents. Warmer microclimates allow limited agriculture.

The Edge of the World: Southern boundaries where maps fail. Here live the Stepnye Volki shamans and where ghost orchids bloom during spring floods.

Travel Times & Distances

Settlement to Settlement: 3-7 days by foot/horseback

Emergency Shelter: Ancient standing stones and shepherd's huts dot the landscape every 10-15 miles

Seasonal Variation: Some routes become impassable during deep winter; spring floods alter river crossings