The Heilanda mountains, where Adrilana was born, lie in the north of the country and form a barrier of stone and ice between Kuhla and their ancient enemy, Lumina. A scattering of lonely villages nestle in the valleys, both threatened and protected by the mountains towering above them on all sides. Their inhabitants are hardy in the face of cold and poverty, their ancestors having survived the long trek from the coast in their desperate escape during the great war.
These inhospitable mountains are also the home of smugglers, brigands, and refugees, fleeing the cruelty and oppression of the Kuhlan king. On the Altus Ridge, the rock face is riddled with tunnels and caverns for smuggling and hiding contraband.
Climbing higher, the peaks and ridges are bleak and unfriendly, blasted by wind, rain and snow for much of the year. Only the desperate would seek refuge here. It was at the very top of one of these peaks that the monks had built their citadel. A place to escape the world that persecuted them.
High walls protect their stronghold but even their thickness cannot keep out the cold during the worst of winter. The warmest haven within the monastery is the refectory, where monks and travellers come together to eat before a roaring fire. Elsewhere, religious and laity are kept separate. A guest dormitory, splendid in its isolation, provides spartan comfort for those travellers seeking sanctuary. The novices are housed with the monks and an enclosed passageway leads from the sleeping area to the chapel. Children rescued by the monks are hidden among the novices and shielded from contact with passing travellers and their gossip.
Not all is bleak within the grounds. Cloisters surround an internal garden, where herbs are grown within the protection of the surrounding buildings. Monks and novices work hard, not only on their devotions, but also in finding food or caring for the animals. When the wind is in the wrong direction the smell of the pig pens battles with the stink of the latrines.
A hidden gem within the monastery is its library, housed in the basement of the North Tower. Windows from the tower look over the exercise yard where novices practice meditation and defence training. The monks want peace but life has taught them to protect themselves and others from attack. From the narrow windows of the tower the mountains stretch as far as the eye can see, the grey of their rock softening to green as they dip and rise in gradual descent towards the remains of Adrilana’s village.