“Where yaks decide who stays, and the cheese sings in the dark.”
Nestled between Velthryn and Eldermere, Nava’tano Vale is a place of patience, pasture trails, and softly sung cheese. Here, the yaks choose their humans, the bells decide the mood, and time itself seems to nap in the tall grass.
What you’ll find in the Vale
A living legend. Not to be hurried, questioned, or outshone.
The Gaze Rite
A sacred herding ritual. The yak chooses you.
Cheese Pies
Tira’pila’thira: a warm, layered miracle of cheese (thira) and crust.
Bell-Sung Pastures
Some say you can hear the past grazing here.
Whisper Hollow
A fog-covered mystery. Yaks return wiser. You may not.
Lore & Legends
The First Yak’s Gaze
A settler named Ravelo once approached a silent yak with rope in hand. He sat for three hours in stillness. When he rose, he left the rope behind—and the yak followed. It was the first of many quiet understandings between species. To this day, those who sit in the pastures during The Gaze Rite wait not to tame, but to be chosen.
The Trial of Herbert Bellingham
He brought cheese pie and bravado to Nava’tano Vale. He left with manure-stained boots and a ten-year sentence under Hilda’s gaze. His memoir was rejected by yak councils due to translation issues. Locals still tell the story, but rarely with sympathy.
Notable Folk
Eda Woolsleeve
Elder cheesemaker of the Upper Curdlestone Creamery, Eda has lived in the Vale longer than some hills have held their shape. Known for her spicy cheese (thira’wina), uncanny wisdom, and suspicious squint, she claims to speak fluent yak—unverified, but the yaks don’t disagree. It’s said she once stared down a storm cloud and made it rain on her neighbor instead. If your cheese doesn’t sing in the dark, she says, it’s not ready.
Farmer Finn
Caretaker of Hilda the Yak (whether by fate or misfortune), Farmer Finn is a quiet man with hay in his beard and a ledger full of delayed plans. He manages the High Pasture Track, where Hilda wanders, ponders, and occasionally crashes festivals uninvited. Finn doesn’t pretend to understand her—but he respects her. He once tried to quit. She blocked the door. His motto: “If she hasn’t stomped you today, it’s been a good one.”
Before you go…
Visit Glanvaria 