Latis Mountains

Day 17
There's been another snowstorm, but we've only lost a donkey this time. And our guide's run off with some our gold as well... Damned kobold, at least he warned us the roads through the mountains were dangerous. I just wish he'd have warned us of the snow scarabs too...

- Journal of an unknown traveler

The mountains have always been a mystical place, to cultures both east and west of them. The Rotsavan horse lords believed the gods resided behind them, looking down upon the steppes from their peaks. When the Elves reached them, they dared not go further, afraid they'd reach the edge of the world. Now, the mountains serve as a barrier between East and West, making trade between the two rare and very expensive on account of the snowstorms and monsters that prawl its few passes. Many creatures live up in the mountains, notably kobolds, goblins and the mountain men, distant cousins of the Rotsavans of whom little is known. Below the mountains are vast and unexplored cave systems, home to untold mineral riches, as well as goblin towns, spider nests and much more. During the Imperial Age, the Caleian Empire spent a great deal of effort to pacify the mountains, building mining towns and academies at the foot of the mountain. Some of these mineshafts found great riches, particularly Hallownite, whose discovery financed many more mining operations just off hope of finding more. As a result, Academies were constructed, for advanced Abjuration training. A few of these still remain in use, living as isolated communities in the snowy wastes, but many have been abandoned, just like the mines. When the Caleian Empire collapsed and the kobolds invaded the steppes, all attempts at civilization immediately crumbled, leaving the ruins of hundreds of failed towns all across the Eastern foot of the mountains.

To the West, a similar situation occurred, though on a smaller scale given the hazardous canyons and badlands that stood between the mountains and the desert. Hallownite too was discovered, although the Khǒrarines used it for industry rather than magic. Hallownite allowed for the design of many machines and vehicles previously unimaginable.

Quite a few creatures call the Latis Mountains their home, and many more species grow and thrive between the stone's cracks and caves. Goblins and Kobolds in particular dwell in the mountain caverns. There, hidden beneath the rock, they burrow and build cities out of rotting wood and stone, like ants in anthills. And much like ants, Kobolds and Goblins roam around everywhere foraging, waging war against each other and descending to pillage nearby towns. Both the Imperials and the Khǒrarines eradicate this scourge much like one would eradicate anthills, but being deep within the earth, most of these cities are out of reach. Goblins and Kobolds, though, are far from the only ones living in the mountains. Much, much deeper in the mountains hide ancient cities built of fine stone. Mineshafts that dig deep enough have occasionally been discovered, though always abandoned. The architecture, though alien, is distinctly similar to that of above-ground Elven ruins. Perhaps then, some descendants of the Elves inhabit these mountains as well, deep in hiding after the collapse of their civilization.

Type

Mountain Range