Southern Highlands

Rugged highland hills south of the Greatwoods in the Institute Valley featuring misty gulches and areas roamed by scouts. Part of House Mars territory.

The Southern Highlands first appear as a rugged expanse of misty hills and gulches in the Institute Valley, positioned south of the Greatwoods and firmly within House Mars territory. These highlands serve as a strategic frontier patrolled by scouts, shaping early conflicts and movements during the brutal Institute trials of Red Rising. Across the saga, the region evolves from a mere territorial marker into a symbol of the harsh, unforgiving landscape that forges alliances, rivalries, and survival instincts among the rising houses.