Cradle Loch
"There's more than majesty in Cradle Loch. There's magic. Of course, there's also improper grammar, as the old Common dialect of Highcroft would have rightly called this place Loch Cradle but one cannot blame a commoner for such things. They don't know any better. But I do. And it grinds at me." - from the memoirs of Lewin Von Treet, Vault: the Land of Stuff and Things
This massive lake sits below the cliffs of Caim and is filled from the snows of the Scaleback Mountains. It empties into the Horn Strait to the east. Cradle Loch boasts spectacular waterfalls all along its western side, some of them hundreds of feet high. On a clear, sunny day, the water creates a light show for miles.
Legends of Highcroft claim the lake was created when an archangel, batteling a mighty demon, fell to the earth and impacted the land. The waters rushed in and they were swallowed up by the lake. Over time the demon escaped but the archangel remained, having fallen in love with the beauty of what their mighty fall had created. Being a fresh water lake, the water is pure and good to drink, and folks attribute the fresh taste, the abundant life, and the enchanting green and cerulean colors swirling beneath its surface to the loving embrace of the archangel.
Legends aside, it is known that Cradle Loch is a magically infused place. The spectacular light shows are not only for the mists of the waterfalls; a rainbow of colors can often be seen deep beneath the surface. However, creatures who swim too deep often speak of a desire to stay in its depths, like being called home to safety. Many people have drowned after embracing this call, but when their spirits are put to the question, they often claim they've seen sights beyond imagination. And those who breathe water never return from the bottom.
Cradle Loch is famous for two occassions. One is when King Cadogan Cauld found the Gift Beneath the Cradle, or the Gift as it became known, which were the shackles used to imprison Hellfall. While no one witnessed it, Cadogan claimed he found them at the bottom of the loch, being divinely inspired and lead to their location.
The second occasion is the legend of the Elysian Nekton, a fish the size of a warship, with scales that shine with every spectrum of color all at once, and eyes that hold the wisdom of a thousand lifetimes. It's said the Elysian Nekton swam across the ocean from distant lands in order to live in Cradle Loch and it's happiness is such that anyone who seeks it for forty days and forty nights will be blessed with a visitation. It will answer one question truthfully when it visits, as it knows all.
Many small villages and homes surround Cradle Loch as it is an abundant source of food, recreation, and religious worship. There are a hundred stories told about the loch, some of them true, some of them outlandish, and some of them both. Whatever else may be the case, Cradle Loch is certainly a special place with many secrets still cradled beneath its waves.