Publisher's blurb: Thick scrub and patchy woods slow travelers who attempt the Whispering Vale, a hilly wind-blown pass through steep-sided mountains. Several barely discernable trails lead into the Vale, but they all disappear into the wilderness. The ruins of Haver Hill, a tiny village, overlook the Narrow Deep, the bottomless lake that lies at the lowest point in the valley. West of Narrow Deep, the burned-out shell of Lamoga Shrine stands in the middle of half-flooded scrublands dotted with grave markers. A second shallow lake, Greenwater, lies near the south edge of the Vale. To the north and west, the snow-covered peaks of Skyknife and Windscream rise above the surrounding mountains. Dergar Peak, named after the only climber to reach its summit, is even taller. There is little reason to traverse the Whispering Vale, but adventurers sometimes visit the area seeking the Scepter of the Snake. Religious historians claim Lamoga Shrine is the final resting place of this relic of the secretive Lamoga Order.