(Area Overview) Sage's Mountain

[The Phantom God]

Sage's Mountain is the tallest mountain in the madou region, and by far the most hazardous and strenuous. Rather thin ledges and the lack of any even remotely smooth paths up the mountain mean the average climber with no idea where to start will find themselves spending more time moving horizontally than vertically in search of a better way to ascend further. Worse yet, one meager trip on the uneven surfaces could potentially send one tumbling down the barrel mountain face, a fall likely to end one's climb if not possibly their life if they're particularly unlucky. Thankfully, a flying squirrel station exists at the halfway point to the mountain's summit that can really take the edge off of the climb for adventurers who won't feel too cheated out of what would usually be a day or two's long expedition. However, extremely acrobatic characters with a good sense of balance may find that they fair the mountain far better than their fellows more restricted by human limitations, as while there are no even paths up the mountain there are a large variety of shortcuts to be taken should one have the tools or ability to safely scale sheer vertical surfaces of a sufficient height. As one gets higher up into the mountain, they may encounter small, seemingly natural cave systems that might offer them a pathway further up the mountain where otherwise their options would be flying or scaling exceptionally large, sheer surfaces.

At the top of the mountain sits a beautiful lake, oddly enough. At the center of this lake lays a lovely little flower guardian maintained by the sage of the mountain, a fae woman who made up by the fusion of the fairy spirits of earth and sky. She possesses the power to grant one's wishes but is pretty stingy about giving someone their request. The only known way to convince her is to participate in the Madou Village Magic Kindergarten's graduation exam challenge, a test normally reserved for the little ones but far more difficult than many are capable of. It is not uncommon for entire classes to simply skip out on or fail the challenge in favor of earning their graduation certificate in a less risky fashion.