Skyreach Mountains

A massive range of mountains that splits the western continent in half. The mountains stretch from the far northern wastes to the southernmost reaches of the Leoric Empire. The mountains are virtually impassable in all but small groups everywhere but four passes. The Northreach, which connects Moreau and Elenti, The Druids Pass, which goes from the southern Sylvanus Forest to the banks of the Bloodwine River in the Disputed Lands, The Kings Pass, in the northern Leoric Empire, and Pinella Pass, In the southern Leoric Empire. The mountains are host to many tunnels, crevices, secret passages and lost caverns. Even trying to map them has been laughed off by even the most dedicated Cartographers. passages to the Underdark are abundant in the mountains, especially in western Tellmir where an entire division of the army, the Deep Scouts is devoted to combatting creatures of the Underdark and sealing off passages.

The mountains are among the highest in the world, capped with snow year round but especially blanketed in the winter. The mountains are host to glaciers that hide massive crevices that can fall for up to a kilometre. There are commonly avalanches that sweep away any attempts from plant life to gain a real foothold. Trails will often dead end at cliff faces or go in circles for miles, this constant turmoil shifting the landscape. The creatures of the mountains are ferocious and as harsh as the land they call home. Yetis, Rhemorazes, and Winter Wolves all stalk the mountains, eyes open for new prey. The Skyreach Mountains do contain one piece of beauty, however. The only flora that can withstand the mountains is the firmly rooted Frostbloom. The elegant blue flowers are a symbol of absolute trust and love in Tellmir and the Free Kingdoms. In Evestia, however, they are traditionally used at funerals. This has led to some rather awkward moments in Human- Elf relationships.

The Skyreach Mountains, aside from Moreau and Elenti, are virtually unpopulated in the North, with only a few settlements surviving high in its reaches. Some of the notable ones are the Tellmiri villages of Hiverven and Iarnsted, which mine the high peaks for precious gems. The villages are heavily isolated in winter. These villages are harsh places to survive, as their is little food or resources deep in the mountains. Farther south, the mountains become more heavily populated in the Leoric Empire. The towns of Deathfall and Stonewall are key strongholds for the Goliaths, while the Monastery of Nylah is built high in the mountains even further south. Holding two passes between the two halves of the continent has made the Leoric Empire key in many mercantile expeditions and other large movements of groups across the continent.