Overview:

Cattle’s Crossing is a steep, narrow mountain road that winds through the hills and jungles, leading to the ominous Amon-Gorloth Gorge and the Amon-Gorloth Bridge. Once a vital route connecting the Ziggurat of Yibb-Tstll to the holy Ixaltep Peaks, this road was originally used by the ancient Olmoy farmers and herders. They would travel the path with their cattle, offering sacrifices at the statue of Amon-Gorloth on the bridge to ensure their crops and rivers would flourish under the deity’s favor.

The road’s construction is a testament to the Olmoy’s engineering, its remains still visible through the jungle despite centuries of overgrowth. The stones are laid in patterns so precise that some speculate the same techniques used to build the ziggurats were employed here. This superior construction, combined with the religious importance of the route, once made Cattle’s Crossing one of the most sacred paths in the region.

However, Cattle’s Crossing has now largely fallen into disuse, reclaimed by the jungle, its sacred purpose forgotten by most. The path, once clear, is now overrun with thick vegetation, and the Beastmen that roam the region have turned it into a death trap for unwary travelers.

Geography and Path

Length: 100 miles west to the Ixaltep Peaks; 130 miles east to the Ziggurat of Yibb-Tstll
Terrain: Steep and narrow mountain passes, with treacherous cliffs on either side in some places. The jungle encroaches heavily upon the path, with vines and trees growing out of the cracks in the stone road.
Scenery: Despite the danger, Cattle’s Crossing offers breathtaking views of the Locantis River winding through the gorge below. From certain points, travelers can see the distant Ziggurats or the looming Ixaltep Peaks, mist-shrouded and magnificent in their splendor.

The Amon-Gorloth Bridge: The route leads directly to the Amon-Gorloth Bridge, which spans the Locantis River. The bridge narrows at its center, where a statue of Amon-Gorloth stands watch. It is here that offerings were once made, and many who still brave the road leave coins, food, or even animal sacrifices at the statue’s base, hoping to appease the mysterious entity.

History and Religious Significance

The road was once considered a sacred route, a lifeline connecting two of the most significant religious sites in the region: the Ziggurat of Yibb-Tstll to the east and the Ixaltep Peaks to the west. The Olmoy people, a civilization renowned for their worship of Amon-Gorloth, used the path as a pilgrimage route, transporting cattle for sacrifice to the deity of balance and creation. The cattle sacrifices were thought to ensure the rivers flowed, the land remained fertile, and the world stayed in equilibrium under Amon-Gorloth’s watch.

Even today, some of the old stone altars and sacrificial sites can still be found hidden along the path, their carvings worn by time but still detectable to those who know where to look.

Dangers of Cattle’s Crossing

Despite its history and scenic beauty, Cattle’s Crossing has fallen into dangerous disrepair. Though it offers a shortcut—saving 80 miles of travel compared to other routes—the risks are many.

Beastmen Attacks
The Beastmen have claimed much of the jungle surrounding Cattle’s Crossing as their hunting ground. These savage, tribal humanoids view the Olmoy ruins as sacred sites or places of challenge and have become increasingly hostile toward outsiders. They often set ambushes for travelers, especially at narrow points in the road where escape is nearly impossible.
- Tactics: The Beastmen are cunning hunters, using the overgrown jungle as cover. They attack swiftly and with overwhelming numbers, their ambushes deadly and well-coordinated. Travelers have reported traps such as tripwires, pitfalls, and barricades made from the jungle itself.
- Offerings for Safety: Some locals believe that leaving offerings at the base of Amon-Gorloth’s statue can protect travelers from Beastmen attacks, though there is little proof that this superstition holds any real power.
Treacherous Terrain
The mountain passes are prone to rockslides, particularly during the rainy season. Whole sections of the road have been washed away over the centuries, forcing travelers to make dangerous detours or scale cliffs to continue on their way. The combination of narrow paths, slick stone, and sudden drops into the gorge below make this a hazardous route even without the Beastmen.
- Rockslides: Frequent rockslides have blocked parts of the path, and the threat of sudden collapse is always present. If caught in one, travelers must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid being swept off the path or crushed beneath falling debris.
Jungle Reclamation
The jungle has begun to reclaim large sections of the road, its vines and roots breaking through the stone. In some places, the road is completely covered in dense foliage, forcing travelers to hack their way through with machetes. The dense undergrowth also provides cover for wildlife and monsters—such as venomous snakes, aggressive predators, or even ancient creatures awakened by the stirrings of the ziggurats.

Connection to the Ziggurat of Yibb-Tstll and the Ixaltep Peaks

Ziggurat of Yibb-Tstll (130 miles east): This ancient, cursed ziggurat was once a center of forbidden worship, dedicated to Yibb-Tstll, a deity associated with time and cosmic knowledge. The connection between the ziggurat and Amon-Gorloth was deeply religious, as both deities shared influence over creation and destruction. However, the Beastmen have taken control of the surrounding region, and no one has been able to reach the ziggurat in many years.
Ixaltep Peaks (100 miles west): To the west, the Ixaltep Peaks were once a holy pilgrimage site, where priests would ascend to commune with the gods in rituals of balance and sacrifice. The priests of Amon-Gorloth would send their most devout followers to the peaks to meditate on the nature of equilibrium, where the sun’s first light would strike the land. Today, the peaks are considered sacred ground, and few dare approach without permission from the region’s guardians.

Mystical Legacy and Remnants

The road, though in ruins, still carries the mystical energy of the past. Some believe that Amon-Gorloth’s dreaming force still touches this region, and those who walk Cattle’s Crossing for too long may experience strange visions or dreams of forgotten times. The road’s construction—sturdy and precise despite the jungle’s encroachment—has convinced scholars that there may be more to the connection between the ziggurats and the path than mere architecture. Glyphs and runes are occasionally visible along the road, marking its original importance as a conduit of divine power.