Tel Amon Mountains

KHUZDUL: OROD BÁR, NOGAKHI: NOGAKHAR

I have arrived at the base of the mountains called "Tel Amon" by the local people. They corroborate the tales told at court: that there is a city of silver and gold buried beneath the mountains. Looking up at those wide peaks, I cannot shake the thought from my mind. There is certainly something mysterious about them. That much cannot be denied.

—Diary of Emperor Cornelian I

The Tel Amon Mountains are a mountain range that dominates east of Cuendar. They are incredibly wide and difficult to navigate. As such, they are generally considered to be the eastern border of Cuendar. Nobody is entirely sure what lies beyond them, but some postulate that the Celestine Stair is located there.

The Tel Amon Mountains are the ancestral home of the dwarves, the goliaths, and their gods. In particular, the Storm King, a giant worshipped by both dwarves and goliaths, is said to wander the mountains, breaking them apart with his lightning and reforming them with his bare hands.

Inhabitants

The Tel Amon Mountains are perhaps the most diverse region of Cuendar. Most of the mountains are inhabited by goliaths and other giantkin. The mostly solitary goliaths, who collectively call themselves Ül Nogakh ("Mountain Folk"), wander the slopes, tending to their giant sheep and goats. They speak Nogakhi, which is a Khudzuli language closely related to Khudzul itself.

To the north, b]Mor Dragar hosts both human dedicants and the blessed dragonborn. Both humans and dragonborn are known for their unique connection to the draconids of the region, and the Ratashatsva ("Wyvern Riders") of the Roost have often proved decisive in conflicts and battles that have involved them. The people of Dragon's Roost speak Daeva Annat, the ancient tongue of the dragons.

Finally, beneath the mountains, the recently-awakened dwarves toil away in their great halls. Urnas Orim is the greatest of these, but there are others scattered throughout the peaks. The dwarven halls supply the continent with much of its raw ores and stone, as well as masterwork crafts and weapons: the Uz Falak ("Master Crafts"). The dwarves of Tel Amon generally speak Khudzul, their ancestral language

Wildlife

Flora

The Tel Amon Mountains cover a vast area, so their climate regions are quite diverse. At lower altitudes, deciduous forests are most common, with maple, aspen, and hazel trees dominating. At higher altitudes, evergreen trees begin to take over, with junipers, spruces, and pines dominating. Flowers and shrubs common to the Tel Amon Mountains include frost mint, gumweed, and wolfsbane.

Fauna

Mammals that call the Tel Amon Mountains home include deer, elk, goats, bears, and wolves. Various bird species also inhabit the Mountains, including passerines like the fox sparrow, mountain chickadee, and the pine grossbeak and raptors like the golden eagle, the great horned owl, and the swift falcon. Near the northern peaks some draconids such as wild drakes can be seen.