The Moon Peaks

Geography

The tallest mountain range in the entirety of Ashtree, the mountains are perpetually draped in a blanket of snow, and most are somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 feet in elevation. The highest peaks are about 22,000 feet in elevation. They are exceedingly difficult to travel through, mostly because roads are susceptible to landslides and avalanches, and other obstacles might block the path. This makes it so that it's technically faster to get through the mountains by simply doing mountain climbing, rather than traveling down the few trails that exist. Many caves and frozen ponds can be found, usually with wildlife teeming around them. Volcanoes and underground magma flows are plentiful here, in part due to the shifting tectonic plates not too far away from these mountains. You might want to watch out for geysers.

Ecosystem

Standard tundra animals can be found here, as well as a huge population of dire wolves. They are quite a nuisance, and are also much more difficult to fight off than just some wild dogs or wolves. This leads to many hunters, independent or dedicated guild members, to go on specific missions to hunt down these creatures. Mountain goats and stags in the few woods in the mountains can be found quite often, too. This place is basically a hunter's paradise, so long as you don't freeze to death or get your innards mauled out of you by an owlbear. And yes, owlbears (and regular bears, and dire bears, and sabretooths. So many ways to die) have developed a white coat to blend in with their surroundings. Now, there aren't as many creatures living here as in the tundra, but many apex predators find refuge in caves and near water sources. This isn't even mentioning the dragons and giants, all of which make lairs or homes within cave systems or in the calderas of volcanoes in this area. There's a reason people recommend watching the skies while traveling, as a dragon or wyvern may suddenly attack.

Climate

It is at freezing temperatures almost year round, or close to it. In the winter, it almost constantly drops below zero, most likely due to the altitude. Certain parts of it are rather dry and don't receive as much snowfall, in part due to the rain-shadow effect. There still seems to be snow on the other side, however.

Fauna & Flora

For all the animals of the tundra, there's not as many plants. There is mainly an abundance of pines, perennial berry bushes, and mostly just evergreen trees. Moss and cavernous fungi can be found, too.

Natural Resources

This place is a literal gold mine. Not just for gold, either, but the Moon Peaks also hold plenty of copper, zinc, iron, coal, some less-valuable gemstones, and even minerals holding cobalt (which is why it's a perfect breeding ground for kobolds). Some lumber can be gathered, but it's better to do so in the lowland tundra.

History

There isn't much to be said about the history of this place, besides the Snow Elves that used to live here and shared the territory with dwarves. Obviously, their civilization crumbled around them (more on them in a separate article). There is a legend, however, about how the Moon might appear vaguely blue-tinted on certain nights. No one is sure why this happens, and what's even more confusing about it is that it's always on full moons and only in the Moon Peaks. Some say it has something to do with the Snow Elves, but no one is really sure.

Alternative Name(s)

The Northern Peaks, the Hearth Mountains

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

Tundra of the North

Ruling/Owning Rank

Viscount and Count

Owning Organization

Viscounty of Wildpeak

Contested By

• County of Hallowgrave

Inhabiting Species

• Snowspringer