Cape Alsea makes up the northeast coastline of New Cascade. While technically part of the systems designed for New Cascade, native Jaladrians think of it as a separate place entirely. What began as a few world-built houses (built from the ground up instead of being printed) then turned into a small fishing village located near the far point of the cape.

In the present day, it is a weekend destination for many people with restaurants featuring fresh local seafood, water sport and recreation, and an employee credit beachside hotel resort.

The highway, which leads northwest, departs in the Northeast of the city, routes through multiple tunnels and then runs above ground to the West. Upon meeting the Kaen Mountain range, the highway enters the Kaen Access Tunnel. This is the first leg of the journey to Columbia Reach.

During the Growing Season, Jaladri’s suns experience their longest time in the sky. Near the peak of this time, what you might refer to on Earth as Summer, the binary system casts it’s light nearly straight down onto the planet.

Because the planet has such severe and varied weather systems, often in the mornings and evenings, shafts of different colored light can be seen, shining through the clouds and casting themselves across the surface of the ocean.

Between the city center and Cape Alsea, there is a large environmental zone, the only human footprint is the elevated roadway with supports drilled into the old lava flows. This area is a Wetlands Preserve.

The Pthalo River, which boasts headwaters in the Kaen Mountains, empties into an estuary here. There are multiple bodies of mixed fresh and saltwater scattered around the zone. In addition to the thousands of marine creatures which reside here, there are many species of small primates, birds, and rodents.

Children in primary school often will take a field trip here to learn about this incredibly diverse and rich biome.

Driving to Columbia Reach generally takes about 3 hours. From The Ceramic District of New Cascade, the distance is roughly 225km by road. There is a small passenger tram that makes the journey twice a day, but many people opt to drive, as it is the only way to enjoy a road trip On-World.

From New Cascade, you will travel northeast to Cape Alsea, and then enter the Ridge Nagata Protected Highway System (PHS). After 9km, you will encounter the Kaen Access Tunnel which travels for 12km underneath the Kaen Mountain Range. This tunnel was completed between 1962 and 1974. Before the tunnel, aircraft or tram were the only routes to Columbia Reach.

Halfway through the tunnel, the ceiling opens up into a natural mountain valley for half a kilometer. Here, a small facility housing high speed personnel elevators which leads to the Kaen Watch Observatory. Upon exiting the tunnel, you will find yourself 5km from the west shore of Reitoru.

The north quadrant of the PHS heads west of the Kaen Mountains for nearly 18km before continuing north/northeast, following the coastline. For over 16.5km the highway passes through The Way of Lakes, a vast arrangement of lakes and estuaries. 4 different rivers meet the ocean here.

On the northern edge of this feature, is a small utility harbor known as Point End, for marine science craft, as well as a breakwater-protected corridor utilized as a seaplane runway. There are 15-20 people living here at any given time, pilots, Harbor Workers, and people spending the night before or after a voyage.

Due to the absolutely vast West Ocean and the extreme capabilities of Jaladri’s weather, massive tides and sneaker waves batter the entire west shore of Reitoru. Point End’s harbor can actually adjust the angle and position of it’s breakwater depending on the direction and intensity of the waves. There is a small pedestrian and vehicle bridge on the west side of the Harbor to continue north.

The topology of the entire planet is fascinating, but particularly on the west coasts of Reitoru and Ketinio. Almost all of Jaladri’s land masses above water are the western edge of a massive, ancient crater, surrounded by oceans.

All along the coastline are myriad gulleys, ravines, creeks, caves, and other geological features, sometimes these locations can house completely unique and endemic biomes.

Outside of the island of Hoshimi, and the planted forests and nature features in and around New Cascade, almost every tree On-World is evergreen.

One of the most wide-spread types of trees outside of forests and jungles on Jaladri are Exo Myrtaceae. Menthol Eucalyptus, Aqua Gum, and Ketinio Miras are a few notable examples. This is yet another example of similarities to Earth.

When Menthol Eucalyptus cycles its leaves out, they catch the wind and end up everywhere. They can be quite sharp and can puncture your skin with a prominent gust of wind.

These leaves, like their Earth counterpart, can be used as food, medicinally, and to create natural disinfectants and cleaners. When they are flowering, the breeze smells like tea and sweet camphor.

One of the most important discoveries on Jaladri was that it was inhabited by it’s own form of underwater mammals closely resembling Earth’s Whales. Only 4 different types have been cataloged and studied, many more have been observed or caught on camera feeds. The largest species is the Mirrorback Dreadnought.

Roughly 1.5x the size of Earth’s Extinct Blue Whale, they can reach nearly 272,155kg and can be 36-45m long. They can stay underwater for as long as 90 minutes. Using additional breathing organs that allow it to store and recycle air, this gives them the ability to dive up to 5km under the surface. They travel around 210 meters per second making the dive roughly 20 minutes. Scientists do not know why they dive so deep, as they feed at around 0.5km depth.

The Exo Cetacean Institute is the jewel of the Oceanic Science community On-World. Founded in 1953 by acclaimed Cetologist Wideline Lozier in a small facility on the west-facing pier off the waterfront downtown. In the present day, the facility is the 2nd largest building in Columbia Reach. It is a weekend destination for families, and an overnight field-trip for older children.

After driving north for nearly an hour past Point End, The highway veers east and drops down into a horseshoe configuration to pass through an incredibly steep ravine. This is known as Hydrophane Ravine. An incredibly large vein of Hydrophane Opal ripples through ethereal Lustre Granite and Black Shale.

Thousands of years of erosion have carved out a cathedral of natural rock and gem spires. Because the shale, granite, and opal are softer than the surrounding rock, the West Ocean has carved deep into the landscape. Lush forest jungle fills every available space creating a chilled shadow-world underneath a strange canopy of green.

At the bottom of the horseshoe, a small platform sits to the east of the road, jutting up against the rock wall. There is a reinforced cargo bay door, and a pedestrian door. To the west side of the road, there is a reinforced, heavy utility dock in well maintained condition.

Although there is JLA and Water Committee signage, the location does not resemble a municipal facility. This is an Eso Waypoint known as The Hydrophane Ravine Slipway.

The mystery surrounding the The Hydrophane Ravine Slipway is not unfounded. For about a kilometer north and south of the ravine, while driving, all communications and signals are completely dead. No gps, no infonet, no calls. Even your radio will sound like a sea of static.

There are rumors of people hearing a voice say their name in the static sometimes.

In 1990, a documented incident dominated the infonet for weeks. A driver and passenger were passing through, heading back from Columbia Reach, the passenger was recording the sun hitting the opal spires when their radio station disintegrates the camera pans down to the clock in the vehicle “now watch” she can be heard saying. The clock jumps 40 minutes instantly. The submitters claim that 40 actual minutes had passed in the span of less than a second. They said they lost 68 minutes on the way north 3 days earlier.

Many people responded saying they had experienced similar oddities. Most just dismiss the stories as impossible.

Through a long period of adjustment, taking over 2 decades, some people who came to Jaladri during First Landing had to come to terms with the fact that they were now here forever and decided that their original purpose for their journey might not be enough for them. Columbia Reach originated as the first outpost established away from New Cascade in 1947.

Only accessible by seaplane, it was manned by 4 people full time, and served as a weather and ocean surveillance facility. Over time, a few houses were built, and then a few more. Over the next 40 years it gradually evolved into a thriving colony of artists, bums, scientists, pilots, and Harbor workers.

Due to a lack of level building area, the colony climbs the steep hillside behind it. Roads switchback 2-3km up into the forest. Small street cafes, unbranded shops, and even a Cozy Mart are scattered around the neighborhood. Most of the single occupancy houses are at the top of the hill, and near the water at the bottom.

There are many configurations of micro apartment buildings tucked into the trees as you head up towards the far west side.

Rain is basically everyday. Not all day, but it always makes an appearance. All municipal water in town is from rain water collection. The power comes from offshore tidal and solar from an array 2 thousand feet above the colony on a plateau with east exposure.The colony was voted as “best place to visit during the Dark Seasons Festival”.

At night, crescent lanterns adorn the streets, and the tradition is to walk from the waterfront all the way to the statue of the Owl at the top of the hill and back. All of the streets are turned into a Night Market, and people like to tell ghost stories and discuss eso while they walk.

Nobody knows why there is a statue at the top of the hill, or why it's an owl, or who put it there. It was first noticed one morning on the first day of the Rain Season in 1970, placed next to 3 tall trees. It’s carved out of pure Kurocite and would have taken multiple people with a heavy duty expovan and a small boom crane to place it where it was. Nobody living near the area reported any disturbances. It has become a symbol for the colony, and was even added to the Livery in 1990.

Columbia Reach is a very relaxed place. It’s also a place that retains its own mystery and intrigue. Unfortunately, due to lax policy enforcement and a general “to each their own '' mindset, it is also a perfect place to smuggle contraband flown in from Port Worden. You can also take untracked flights anywhere on the planet from this location. People say that the Committee that is in charge of Columbia Reach turn a blind eye to smuggling and illicit travel because they made a deal with Port Worden based Mare Nubium Syndicate affiliates. This is unfounded.

The Highway continues north of Columbia Reach for 4.3 more kilometers. It terminates in a roundabout next to a small complex housing a tram storage and maintenance facility, the final stop for the tram that heads towards New Cascade, a Vendmat, a micro coffee stand, a small Cassette Station and a rest area. This area is called North Terminus, but is known locally as “New Miramar”.

It’s a wide open flat area that is one km away from the mountains to it’s south and east. It is jokingly referred to as “The Other End of All Known Land” because the road and tram both have their terminus there, although the actual feature by that name is at Point End.

Heavy marine fog blankets the North Terminus Complex and its surrounding landscape and shoreline the majority of the day and night. It will burn off on hotter days during the growing season, and you can sometimes see Ketinio far on the horizon.

There are already scattered houses and more being built every day It’s a lonely and comforting place, like Jaladri.