Ecba

Ecba is an island of black volcanic rock dominated by a steep, caldera-topped mountain. Traditions connect its rock and shoreline to the ancient Halls of Orithena; in the present day a resident math operates a formal excavation there.

Geography and Geology

• The island is approximately round with a single prominent volcano. The north face appears regular but is dangerously steep.
• The south slope exploded and collapsed in -2621, burying the Temple of Orithena and filling in a former harbor; ash and rubble now descend in a broad fan from summit to sea.
• Along the northeast shore are closely spaced coves divided by fingers of hardened magma that once ran down from the caldera. A small offshore islet breaks and diffracts incoming surf, making the waves small but unpredictable. Some coves are shallow and rock-bound, suitable only for the smallest boats.

Settlement and Infrastructure

• Ecba's only notable settlement apart from the math surrounds the ferry terminal on the northwest coast. A ring road follows the island's shore; distance by road can be several times longer than line-of-sight.
• A solar-powered desalination plant in town makes and sells water; visiting parties have been able to provision there.

Orithena Excavation and Compound

• On the south side, a walled compound stands above a large, orderly excavation attributed to the effort to uncover Orithena. A dark perimeter wall crowns the slope; access from the coastal road begins at a tee that climbs and then switches back up the ash.
• At the foot of the switchbacks, low buildings serve as a checkpoint and small souvenir stand staffed by avout who wear bolts and chords openly. Visitors have been allowed to buy goods but not to drive farther up the road.

Ownership and Governance

• Research on the Reticulum identifies the entire island as a single parcel held by a private foundation (akin to a Dowment) for roughly nine centuries. Earlier eras saw Ecba as a small principality passed between empires and private owners.
• The current excavation is described as a mathic project with long-term organization consistent with plans laid over many Apert cycles (e.g., coordination visible around the millennial Convox).

Status and Access

• Recent on-site accounts describe camping in an unposted northeast cove that appeared to be neither private property nor a park; later findings about private ownership suggest signage and enforcement may be minimal in some places. Beach tarping against heat and sun was necessary.
• The ferry terminal and town are active; avout wearing bolts and chords have been observed moving openly in public, suggesting relaxed local relations between avout and extras. Vehicles are turned back at the checkpoint below the walled math.

History

• In -2621, an explosive event on the south slope buried the Temple of Orithena and obliterated a harbor once used by early physiologers voyaging from around the Sea of Seas.
• Since the year 3000, a new math at Orithena has been under construction above the excavation, with access works and a fortified perimeter becoming visible from the coastal road.