Sorrow

The tallest peak in Elethica is deadly as it is grand. Once the location of many pilgrimages, the lone peak has become riskier to summit. For every person who returns, dozens are lost to the howling gales and chilling blizzards. While the Iron Pine Kingdom does not claim ownership of the mountain and cannot prevent anyone from attempting the journey, it does forbid travel through Azurah's Tears—a location under the kingdom's control.

Geography

Sitting on a wide peninsula at the northernmost tip of the continent, Sorrow towers more than 8,000 meters above the nearby ocean. It is so high and so steep, no one has made it to the top and lived to tell the tale. It is believed if one could stand at its summit, they could see to the southern coast and beyond; even other continents and landmasses. Separating Sorrow and its peninsula from the rest of Elethica is a mountain range, Azurah's Tears.

Ecosystem

The base of the mountain and the land surrounding it is home to many subalpine animals. Travel up the slope and signs of life will quickly disappear, forced back down by storms and the bitter cold. Due to Azurah's Tears, the ecosystem of the small peninsula is relatively contained, especially since human travel has decreased in recent decades. Wolves, reindeer, eagles, mountain goats, and many more call Sorrow their home, free to exist outside of human influence.

Localized Phenomena

Not even halfway up, life ceases to be supported. Harsh gales, never-ending storms, and bone-chilling blizzards wreak havoc on anything that isn't stone. These phenomena are caused by what lies buried in the very core of the mountain, the Heart.

History

Sorrow's existence wasn't exactly a secret, even back when the four countries were first being established. The thrumming Heart made itself known when the first settlers landed on Kator Island. When ships landed in what would become Iron Pine Peak, the looming presence of Sorrow was what guided them to shore.
Ever since then, people have been making the trip to travel north—through the Iron Pines and across Azurah's Tears—to commune with the Heart of the Mountain.

Tourism

There is one reason and one reason only to risk the journey to Sorrow: to commune with the Heart of the Mountain. The Heart isn't a physical object, however. About a third of the way up Sorrow's northern slope is a small entrance to a tunnel that delves deep into the very core of the mountain; at that core is a cavern. Within is an underground lake with a small island in the middle that carries an ever-burning flame. The air flows in ways unnatural. This is the final destination of all those who set forth on this journey, for this is said to be the source of all magic in Cormont.
The Iron Pine Kingdom actively tries to stop pilgrims from crossing Azurah's Tears; not for any nefarious reasons, but for the simple fact that most die on the slopes having never caught a glimpse of the lake and its ethereal flame. Unfortunately, the kingdom can only stop passage through the Tears; many desperate travelers take to the sea and drown, unable to find safe harbor in the sheer cliffs of the peninsula's southern coast.

Alternative Name(s)

The Heart of the World

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Iron Pine Peak