Sorkin Mountains
As far back as the wise have records, the hostile climate and terrain of the Sorkin Mountains have resisted human settlement. The region remains one of the wildest on Hârn. A few Pradeyalkri, the mythical foes of the god Sarajin, have made their home in the mountains, as have many predator species and Ivashu.
The granite spires of the Sorkin ranges stretch along Hârn’s eastern coast from Jara in the north to Melderyn in the south. They form a forbidding hundred-league mountain chain that walls Kaldor from the Sea of Ivae. The terrain climbs from the lowlands of the Kald Valley to peaks above 7,000 feet. There are higher peaks on Hârn, but few more rugged.
The peaks of the Sorkins are home to aerial predators that use thermal air currents to glide great distances as they hunt. When they sight their prey from as far as a mile away, they dive and attack with terrifying speed. Few can forget the helpless terror of watching a wyvern snatch a fully laden mule from a narrow mountain trail, and any passing shadow can make veterans of these hills look up in fear.
In the heart of the Sorkin Mountains is the Kingdom of Azadmere home to the Khuzadul, the dwarves of Hârn, their capital the city of Azadmere lies on the east bank of lake Arain.
Hardy souls come to the Sorkins mainly in search of furs in the highlands and gold in the icy streams. The foothills are littered with theirbones. Moss-encrusted ruins dot the landscape, some of Khuzan origin and some of human; several are said to contain “treasures beyond value.”
The Anoa tribesmen patrol the north slopes and the Taelda inhabit the south and west. Wondrous but dangerous beasts roam the east and Gargun are everywhere. The Sorkins tantalize the unwary with the promise of wealth but they are more often a place of death.
Geography
The Sorkin Mountains have six peaks higher than 6,000 feet. The higher elevations experience alpine weather throughout the year but a more temperate microclimate exists near Lake Arain. The permanent ice fields of the peaks contribute to the glaciers that feed the rivers of eastern Hârn.
The prevailing southwesterly winds drench the western slopes, and the leeward side is wetter than normal due to the nearby sea. On both sides of the mountains, torrential rains lead to frequent mudslides. Snow is frequent and heavy in the winter; ice coats the northern slopes of the mountains until mid-summer.
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