Mniȟe Mountain Range

The Mniȟe are a cluster of mountains along the western border of Ąpawičhak’ya. The mountains form the western wall of the Iȟe, a mountain pass in which the capital city of Ȟelote is located, and provide shelter from the harsh western winds. The mountains are thought to have once been an offshoot of the Equoni Mountains to the west before being split over time by the gorge carved by the Otali River. The three Mniȟe are Ȟeȟąte (juniper mountain), Yužažaskaȟe (white wash mountain), and Mazaȟe (metal mountain).

Ȟeȟąte is the northenmost mountain of the Mniȟe and the largest. The mountain has numerous herbs and medicinal plants such as juniper, yarrow, aspen, feverfew, wild garlic, mugwort, nightshade, and valerian. Ȟeȟąte's variant and often conflicting medicinal plants have earned the mountain the nickname Ȟepejuta or medicine mountain. The base of Ȟeȟąte is littered with cave systems and deposits of salt and iron have been found in these caves. It is rumored the military commander who founded the fortress know known as Ȟelote had the cave system mapped to build secret routes from inside the walls of the fortress to the base of the mountain in case of a siege. Any maps of the cave system have proven inaccurate and and many of the entrances inside the walls of Ȟelote have long since been closed off.

Yužažaskaȟe is the westernmost and shortest mountain whose feet rest against the banks of the Otali River. Yužažaskaȟe is the only one of the Mniȟe to not directly touch Ȟelote. Only accessible from the west, Yužažaskaȟe got its name from the large limestone deposits at the mountain's base giving it the appearance of having been whitewashed.

Mazaȟe is the southernmost mountain and forms the southern gate of Ȟelote. The mountain is made of very hard rock that is difficult to dig through which earned the mountain its name. With sheer vertical facets and narrow cliffs, Mazaȟe is virtually unclimable for all except its native inhabitants, the Makohr. The western foot of Mazaȟe is used for quarrying granite, marble, and slate. This quarry is the second largest in Ąpawičhak’ya with the largest being a quarry/mine in the Boreal Vally along the Equoni mountains.

Legend has it that the Mniȟe were once sisters who lived in a village along the banks of the Otali. The sisters were devout and prayed regularly to Mąka. The eldest sister prayed for strength and health to survive illness and protect her sisters. The middle sister prayed for cleanliness and beauty so that one of the traders could sweep her away down the river. The third and youngest sister prayed for resilience and love so that her family would remain together. Eventually the eldest sister died from her illness and the middle sister, who threw herself into the river from grief, drowned. The youngest sister remained devout in prayers and married a Tahąr named Maška. Her husband, who eventually became one of the Itąčąįyųkȟ, also prayed to Mąka that the three sisters be reunited and their wishes come true. After the youngest sister died, Mąka answered Maška's prayers and the three sisters were reborn as the Mniȟe, named after their village by the water.

Map Key:
Purple - Ȟeȟąte
Yellow - Yužažaskaȟe
Orange - Mazaȟe

Type

Mountain Range

Inhabiting Species

• Makohr