Alblézard Range
The Alblézard Range divides Skadi and Cetoile. It rises from the lowlands near Ereb's western coast and runs eastward until it intersects with the Obsidienne Range. As a natural barrier, it buffers Cetoile from the worst of the icy northerly winds and bitter climate. The peaks of the range are tall and forbidding, with few easy passes between them. This allowed for two disparate cultures to develop either side of the mountains. The range is culturally and historically important to both nations.
Peony Plateau. The smallest rise in the range. It was on this plateau that the last battle of the War of the Bloodied Thorns was fought.
Asberk's Mausoleum. The most prominent feature of this structure from afar is the towering statue of the Skaden high chief, holding the two battle axes with which he united the Skaden clans and fought the Cetoilais. Asberk's remains are housed within a crypt, along with the headless body of the traitorous thegn Vaskr. It is said that the spirit of the hero Farleze guards the crypt by night.
Saint Ainveille's Pass. This pass, located in Zareth's east, is 2,045 metres above sea level. It is walled and guarded by Knights of the Thorn. A stone fortress named Ainvelle's Rock serves as lodging for the Knights and any travelers who cross through the pass. Saint Ainveille's Pass was briefly Skaden territory during the War of the Bloodied Thorns. The defensive structures that guard the pass are considered Cetoilais property, and it is Cetoile that mans and maintains them. Over the years, Skaden people have come to serve at the Rock. The Knights who man the Rock and guard the pass change, but the servants and handful of Zarines who call the pass home know the unforgiving surrounds of the pass well.
The Rastveld Standing Stones. There is no record of who made these nine pillars. Located deep within the labyrinthine cave network within the range, twelve conical stones stand in a vast cavern, arrayed in a perfect circle. Each of these stones is engraved with an animal motif. These stones, discovered by the Skaden explorer Rastveld, are considered to be home to twelve ancient ancestral spirits, messengers of the Skaden gods, that blessed the ancient Skaden people when they first came to the northern lands. Skaden seeking the blessing of their gods and ancestors make the long, difficult journey to these stones.
Zariel's Refuge. The angel Zariel, for which the duchy of Zareth is named, retreated to this cave while his scions founded the duchy, and he whiled away his time, teaching and absolving his children while Thierrin prepared to depart this world. Zariel's refuge is now a sacred place of worship for all Etoilines, but particularly those who venerate Zariel above the other eleven angels.
Egelstoft. Seasonal homestead and village of the Waeldirmung clan. For a third of the year, it is covered in snow. The Waeldermung welcome travelers into the village when it is inhabited. The Waeldermung hold a belief that during the winter months, the village is inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors, who wish for quiet and must not be disturbed. On the spring equinox, the Waeldirmung hold a sacred festival and sacrifice closed to outsiders. These rites are to appease the vicious spirits of the Alblézard range, and to ensure the village will be safe to return to the following year.
Einsby. A village that nominally belongs to the Adalsteinn clan. Einsby's primary industries are its quarry and mine. Einsby's people are insular and stoic. They trade with the few travelers that come, and will travel out of the village as the worst of winter melts away, but Einsby is a largely self-sustained and insular community.
Geography
The Range starts from the brackish marshes of the lowlands. Historically, it had no precise starting point, but the Ereb Adventurers' Guild's Encyclopaedia of Geography and Topology marks its starting point at 300 metres above sea level. This number is consistent with Cetoile's official geographical records. From the height of 300 metres above sea level, the mountains swiftly rise to a mean height of 2,500 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the range is Aiguille Blanc, at 4,703 metres above sea level.Resources
The Alblézard is a source of lumber, stone, and food. Its rugged terrain makes much of the range unsuitable for farming all but the most hardy of crops. Crops common among the stalwart Alblézard farmers are spinach, sweet onion, garlic, leek, rhubarb, broccoli, beets, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chicory, sprouts, fava beans, radish, mustard, winter pea and turnip.Notable Mountains & Locations
Aiguille Blanc. The tallest mountain in the range.Peony Plateau. The smallest rise in the range. It was on this plateau that the last battle of the War of the Bloodied Thorns was fought.
Asberk's Mausoleum. The most prominent feature of this structure from afar is the towering statue of the Skaden high chief, holding the two battle axes with which he united the Skaden clans and fought the Cetoilais. Asberk's remains are housed within a crypt, along with the headless body of the traitorous thegn Vaskr. It is said that the spirit of the hero Farleze guards the crypt by night.
Saint Ainveille's Pass. This pass, located in Zareth's east, is 2,045 metres above sea level. It is walled and guarded by Knights of the Thorn. A stone fortress named Ainvelle's Rock serves as lodging for the Knights and any travelers who cross through the pass. Saint Ainveille's Pass was briefly Skaden territory during the War of the Bloodied Thorns. The defensive structures that guard the pass are considered Cetoilais property, and it is Cetoile that mans and maintains them. Over the years, Skaden people have come to serve at the Rock. The Knights who man the Rock and guard the pass change, but the servants and handful of Zarines who call the pass home know the unforgiving surrounds of the pass well.
The Rastveld Standing Stones. There is no record of who made these nine pillars. Located deep within the labyrinthine cave network within the range, twelve conical stones stand in a vast cavern, arrayed in a perfect circle. Each of these stones is engraved with an animal motif. These stones, discovered by the Skaden explorer Rastveld, are considered to be home to twelve ancient ancestral spirits, messengers of the Skaden gods, that blessed the ancient Skaden people when they first came to the northern lands. Skaden seeking the blessing of their gods and ancestors make the long, difficult journey to these stones.
Zariel's Refuge. The angel Zariel, for which the duchy of Zareth is named, retreated to this cave while his scions founded the duchy, and he whiled away his time, teaching and absolving his children while Thierrin prepared to depart this world. Zariel's refuge is now a sacred place of worship for all Etoilines, but particularly those who venerate Zariel above the other eleven angels.
Settlements on the Range
Champeleve. A Zarine town a half a day's hard travel from Saint Ainveille's pass. It serves as a respite for travelers and a source of resources and entertainment for the Knights stationed at the Ainveille's Rock. Champeleve is a bucolic settlement, yet compared to the Rock, it is a lively place. It is a self-sustaining settlement, though it relies on itinerant swords-for-hire when danger crops up. It was famously the home of Farleze and Selene Desaume. House Desaume remains the ward of this town.Egelstoft. Seasonal homestead and village of the Waeldirmung clan. For a third of the year, it is covered in snow. The Waeldermung welcome travelers into the village when it is inhabited. The Waeldermung hold a belief that during the winter months, the village is inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors, who wish for quiet and must not be disturbed. On the spring equinox, the Waeldirmung hold a sacred festival and sacrifice closed to outsiders. These rites are to appease the vicious spirits of the Alblézard range, and to ensure the village will be safe to return to the following year.
Einsby. A village that nominally belongs to the Adalsteinn clan. Einsby's primary industries are its quarry and mine. Einsby's people are insular and stoic. They trade with the few travelers that come, and will travel out of the village as the worst of winter melts away, but Einsby is a largely self-sustained and insular community.
That's an interesting piece of world. I'd love to see the map, to get a better understanding of how all these places are located with respect to one another.