The Aves territory is based in and on the mountain-sides of a small range in the northern part of the territories. The deep mountain passages which lead into the pack's territories often closes over for some time in the winter - allowing only foolhardy or particularly tough wolves to make their way to the outside world.
The whole territory is a series of slopes and plateau's - south of the river, north of the river and the den area being on slightly different elevations.
Weather:
The plateau, in which the wolves spend the majority of their time, is relatively cool due to its elevation and particularly chilly in winter, freezing and snowing hard, earlier in the season than the foothills. However, in the small enclosed part of the territory (past the barrier forest) the wind is kept to a minimum because of the surrounding steep hills and spits of rock. Rain is frequent during the earlier parts of the year, leaving the land near the Ice Edge river quite boggy, but it tends to be dry in summer and any moisture in winter falls as snow, hail or sleet.
Forests
Plain's Reach Forest:
Plain's Reach forest is the first one can approach in the Aves territory - it is mostly composed of evergreen cedars, spruce, and fir trees, but is also interspersed with a few of the hardier deciduous trees such as varieties of Larch, Willow, Aspen, Birch, Rowan and the very occasional Maple. The forest floor is covered with mosses, lichens and ferns and very little else.
The forest is filled with life - there are some bears, and a plethora of small mammals for every niche. Birds, too, are common.
The Barrier Forest:
The barrier forest is entirely evergreen - dense packed pine and fir with mostly moss underfoot. It is as lively as the Plain's Reach forest, but lacks the quotient of larger mammals.
Winterfall Grove:
The tiny forest near the back of the territory, close to the dens, is similar to he Plain's Reach forest but with a far higher level of deciduous trees. It is in a relatively protected locale with a good water supply and thus is more akin to lower forests than would normally be found at this altitude.
It is roomy and wide, filled with the tougher fruiting and flowering plants such as hawthorn, blackberry, cranberry and lingonberry. Whilst filled with birds and the smallest of mammals, the larger creatures generally stay away from here, knowing that wolves are nearby.
Water
Ice Edge River:
The Ice Edge comes off of the Eagle's Reach peak fast, deep and cold. It has several plunge pools but is mostly shallow-edges - making it less of a danger than it might otherwise be. It is teeming with life - salmon swim upriver here and multitudes of insects live their lives out above the swirling pools, accompanied by the birds which eat them.
Crane's Rest Lake:
The small lake which nestles just past the twin ridges comes from an underground spring, fed by the same mountain sources as the Ice Edge. It is filtered through the mountainside, slowed by it's passage through the rocks, and thus is a crystal-clear, gentle pool of water. Although it lacks fish, and the area is a bit too cold for most amphibians and insects it is still a popular watering hole for the local fauna. It often partially freezes over in winter, but rarely thick enough that getting water is impossible.
Terrain
Eagle's Reach:
The peak of this vast mountain dominates the surrounding landscape - it is scaleable but cold.
Switchback Ridge:
Switchback Ridge is named for the way the mountainside wraps back and forth across thlandscape as well as for the way its rocks, jagged and deformed, cut into each other. The whole ridge is relatively unclimbable for anything four legged despite not being quite as tall as Eagle's Reach.
Watch Posts
Watch Post 1:
Watch Post 2:
Dens
Den 1: The Eagle den is where the pack lives primarily.
Den 2: The Crow den is where the pack's spiritual advisor and his acolytes work and sometimes stay.
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