Irontip Mountains

Peaks of deep grey, seeming metallic and defiant of the cold land about them, nary a sign of ice or snow caps about them, the powerful stone defying the will of the land and climate itself, that is where they get their name my lad. For in the early light of dawn, or colors of the sky at dusk, their are a great many whom would say, rightfully so, that the peaks seem metallic, as if solid iron.

The Irontip Mountain Range is one of many such ranges within the borders of Suranth, the Tundra Realms. Covering, at best estimates, some fifty thousand square miles, the range covers a noteably large expanse of land, the terrain highlighted by harsh crags and highland game trails, with many small wooded river valleys criss-crossing it. Mineral and ore rich, this range is the most well traveled, and settled, the most firmly within the actual kingdom of Suranth. Indeed her capital, Geata-Iarainn, lay here on the northern coastline, a fortress city carved defiantly out of the cliffs of granite themselves, with massive mining operations extending out from her walls for miles. The eastern regions of the range are well explored and well settled, with a major trade road and the rail lines that carve through the range. A couple smaller towns and a small handful of villages are scattered about the range as well, mostly on the eastern half of the range. Iron, coal and other precious resources are mined here.

Geography

The Irontip Range is marked by its tall peaks, defiant of the tundra climate, black and grey, with a distinct lack of snow or ice caps. These mountains rise tall and strong, admist craggy highlands, and narrow wooded stream and riverlands of the Nordjeim River System, all these streams and rivers feeders for the Nordjeim itself on its way to the Glacial Sea. Thre is a beauty here, a stark and sharp one, crisp cold and clean mountain air, the lowlands of green and white, tree and snow, giving way to rocky trails and harsh but beautiful highlands.

Localized Phenomena

Traveling the Irontip Peaks is not without risk, nor without a stark sort of beauty. Howling winds weave and blow across iron grey peaks, stone, and glacial caps alike. Snow flutters almost all year around at altitude, though the warmer months see slow melt which runs down the mighty mountain peaks, joining into countless small creeks, brooks and streams that all weave their path through valleys, over small cliffs, to eventually link and join larger ones all feeding, eventually, to the mighty Nordjeim. As part of that region, this comes as no real surprise. The Iron-Tip range is known as a mighty, challenging and mineral rich mountain range that is slowly being tapped into. Though these higher peaks can seem almost inhospitable, one will find plenty of interest and a surprising variety of wildlife mundane and otherwise within the valleys and along the cliff faces, ridgelines and plateaus within the range itself. That said, to truly explore the peaks in any real fashion takes one far beyond the borders of any recognized and current Suranthi settlements or borders. The Iron-Tip Peaks east of the White-Fir River are mostly generally considered wild and unsettled wilderness, dangerous frontiers. Avalanches, Frost Worgs, Yeti and worse may trouble any bold or foolish enough to explore the cliffs, game trails and caverns of the range.

Iron-Tip Peaks Random Encounter Table

1d100 roll	Creature and Numbers	EL (Encounter Level)
0-15	Nothing, roll again, add 5. If still lands here, then no encounter, or alternatively nothing dangerous	None or Varies
16-24	2d4 Rock-Stepper Sheep	0
25-29	2d6+2 Wolves	2
30-34	1 Wolverine	2
35-39	1d4 Irontusk Boars	4
40-44	1 Puma	2
45-49	1 Snow Leopard	3
50-54	1 Sword-Tooth Tiger	6
55-59	1 Grizzly Bear (50% male or female. If female, 25% she has cubs)	3
60-64	Old Grimjaw (Manticore)	7
65-69	1d6+1 Yetis	5
70-74	1 Frost Worg	3
75-77	1d4+1 ogres	6
78-80	1 Cave Bear (50% male or female, if female 25% chance of cubs)	6
81-85	Ogre Clan Halls	9
86-90	Yeti War Band (1 Braserker 2nd level, 1d6+1 Yeti, 1 hunter and 1 warrior 1st level, 1 cave bear)	7
91-92	Frost Worg Pack (2 Frost Worgs, 1d6+2 Worgs)	5
93-94	1 Corrupted and Braserk Topaz Marid (Elemental)	13
95-96	1 Roc	9
97	Avalanche	7
98	Yeti Shrine Encampment	11
99	1 Braserk Stone Golem	11
100	1 Opal Wyvern	14

Fauna & Flora

Food is scarce here, making larger prey items like elk and moose a rarity, though occassionally they can be found in river valleys in the southern reaches of the range. Steppe Goats are the most readily available prey item of a moderate size, and they thrive here, being excellent mountain climbers, and able to subsist off a limited diet, making the most of the mosses, lichen and small wildflower plants that do grow about the range, and moving into the valleys during the winter, making the best of the limited food sources, seemingly able to subsist and even thrive off tree bark. Smaller herbivores, such as mice, lemmings, snowshoe hares and the like are also common enough.

As to predators, small ones like ermine and weasels hunt the land well, as do gold eagles on wing. Wolf packs hunt the valleys, however the dominant predator of the range is the Sword-tooth Cat. Powerful solo predators, skilled ambush hunters, these great cats are quite rare to see, and are even rarer to survive seeing if fool enough to be traveling alone or in a small group on foot. They are utterly fearless, and most any living thing in their domain is a valid prey item. These are the more mundane sort of creatures in the eastern range that are relatively common and well studied. Outside that, in the far less well explored western areas of the Irontip Range, there are many less mundane beasties and creatures that dominate the top of the food chain. The western reaches of this mountain range are also known stomping ground of at least three tribes of foul Yeti, a bear like subset of bestials, along with an orc tribe or two, and rumor is even a small tribe of Stone Joten, though no sign of them has been seen in two decades. Winter Wolves and Worgs stalk the western and northern regions of this mountain range, foul abominations upon the canine form of the honorable and pure wolves that used to rule the river valleys and highlands here. Stories even tell of an ancient beast laired up deep in the north-western regions of this mountain range, a long forgotten aberration creature, tainted and twisted by the Void, a beast known as a Chimera, though no sightings have occured in at least two decades.

Natural Resources

-Iron Ore
-Tacturnium Ore
-Manna Gems, three small deposits near Geata Iarainn, Onyx, Topaz and Sapphire.
-Coal
-Salt
-Granite and Marble
-Silver

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

Suranth, the Tundra Realms

Included Locations

• Geata-Iarainn

Ruling/Owning Rank

High King/Queen of the Tundra Realms

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Suranth, the Tundra Realms