The Luxemburry Alps

The ranges

The northern range runs from the German border east to the Cinder, whose black cone is the highest point in the Realm and the last piece of the Stone Heart in the legend. The eastern range, the Eastern Peaks, is a wall of pale rock and snow between the Realm and Switzerland, steepest of the country and the home of Bonic and its resort. Between the two ranges the Cinder Highlands fall in long ridges toward the Silvershine.

The five passes

Pass	Leads to	Kept by
The Cinder pass	Germany, from Purgnar	First company of Sentinels
The Bonic pass	Switzerland, from Bonic	Second company
The Lake road	France, from Verdian	Third company
The Forest road	France, from Aethelgard	Fourth company
The Silvershine gorge	France, along the river	Fifth company

Climate and seasons

The Realm counts its year in snow. Winter runs from the first snow, usually late November, to the last, usually mid April; the ski season is fixed by decree at December 1 to April 15. Summers are short, bright, and cool in the valleys, and warm only on the Aurelia shore. Valdoria sees snow on the ground about 120 days a year; Purgnar about 160; the summit of the Cinder never fully clears.

Season	Valdoria	Purgnar
Winter, Dec to Mar	Cold, snow most days	Cold, deep snow
Spring, Apr to May	Thaw, the rivers high	Snow to late April
Summer, Jun to Aug	Mild, long light	Cool, clear
Autumn, Sep to Nov	Crisp, the larches gold	First snow by November

The passes in winter

Under Article VI of the Charter the passes are never closed by choice. They have been closed by weather, and by decree in time of war, when the Realm shut its doors to every conflict of the last three centuries.