Dodz Gkäl (dod͡ʑ ǂʌl)

''It was month Uenei, that year's warmest, yet all was frozen. It was a land of death''.

-Ikaharinese explorer talking about his experiences

Arguably one of the most inhospitable lands in the whole planet, the Dodz Gkäl (known in Shiuihikane as Ebbarei) is a frozen wasteland, more than 4.5 kilometers above sea level. Despite its harshness, humans have managed to establish themselves there.

Geography

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''I walked for five months, I walked tirelessly through those barren expanses. I walked until my shoes broke, and I still did not find the other side of that country''.

The Dodz Gkäl is a vast region, occupying over 200.000 square kilometers in the Aranpalin Mountains. Due to its size, there are 3 regions inside of it, their borders marked by the local elevation.

Dodz Pön (4500-5000m)

''A true paradise when compared with the rest...''

Translating into 'Land of Grass', the Dodz Pön is the lowest part of the Ebbarei. It is also its most fertile, even if grass and shrubs are the only things that grow there, the treeline being kilometers below.
Terrain-wise, this land is dominated by craggy mountains, the bare bedrock covered only by the occasional snow and patch of vegetation. However, most people only venture up there for a short while, spending most of the year in the valleys between them.
Furthermore, this is the only place that remains inhabited year round, as all the natives migrate to the lowlands every winter.

Dodz Ka (5000-5500m)

''I was shocked when the local savages informed me of the existence of people who lived above them''.

Meaning 'Black Land', the Dodz Ka sits above the five kilometer mark. Even if it's not as lush and thriving as the region below, there is still some very marginal flora and fauna on its lower reaches, and thus people who exploit them.
On top of being eternally below freezing, something the Dodz Pön only is for 90% of the year, the ground is rocky and uneven. The fields of black rocks half covered by snow, a few very hardy plants and lichens using them for shelter.
People can only be found in this wasteland for a few months every year, and some parts of it remain uninhabited for basically the whole year.

Dodz Llogqu (5500-7600m)

''I was frozen, my shoes torn, my fingers black, the harsh wind blowing. I had reached the top''.

The Dodz Llogqu is the tallest, and harshest, of the Ebbarei's regions. There is no life here, safe for the migratory birds that fly over the mountains, no creature inhabiting the glaciers permanently. 
The region's name translates into 'Land of Death', its bleak name owing to the fact this is where the sick Gkäl go to die and dispose of their dead.

Alternative Name(s)

Ebbarei

Type

Highlands