The Glass Mountains (working title)

The Glass Mountains were formed out of ancient fire, longer ago than humans existed. On the surface, deciduous forests that turn gloriously red-gold in the autumn cover the ranges as far as the eyes can see in any direction, full of life. Under the surface, veins of mountain glass -- the common name for SiO2, obsidian -- carry strange magics throughout the land. Underneath the forest canopies, there are crater-filled ruins of a lost civilization which no living soul knows the name of. Autonomous city-states live in the largest ruins, venturing out only to fight one another for resources.

Geography

A series of volcanic mountains where igneous rocks such as basalt and granite are common, as are hot springs and minor earthquakes. Most importantly, obsidian -- known commonly as mountain glass -- is incredibly common, and is usually found in large deposits.

Fauna & Flora

The mountains are covered in thick deciduous forests which are prone to annual forest fires as a natural part of the ecosystem. Berries and edible greens are common. Deer, wapiti, ibex, greatelk, and aurochs maintain open fields full of wildflowers through grazing, while boars, hyrac, and paracer keep the forest underbrush from growing too dense and fueling the fires out of control. Mice, shrews, rats, and squirrels feed the smaller predators like raccoons, weasels, bobcats, and lynx, while the larger herd animals feed the bears, tigers, and azhdarkho, as well as the thriving vulture and raven populations. The large predators are dangerous, but won't generally go after anyone who doesn't provoke them. There's also the spirits, who represent the other half of the local fauna and are by far the most dangerous part of the mountains. Vow-keeping manusiha made of quartz and feldspar who personify persistence and eat oath-breakers. Foxes lit by an inner light who creep into fires that have been going too long. Nameless wisps of smoke in the mist who drift in the deep woods and smother the noisy and disrespectful. The great five-horned qinteser who slips through the shadows and taunts hunters to starvation. Skittering tusuchig that vary from the size of a bird to the size of a hill and drum on the earth with their legs to create earthquakes. Iridescent multi-colored pabsilag who dance to make mudslides and leave new shoots in the churned earth. Red-eared cadair hounds who run in packs and embody the hunt. The ghost-eating eskig who poison the souls of anyone who visit a battleground without respect. The winged simurq that coalesce with glowing eyes from stormclouds. Uktena who carve the land with their rivers. Crows who chase out the winter. They're what make the mountains really dangerous.

Natural Resources

The mountains are incredibly rich in most natural resources, and in any other circumstances would be a very easy and fruitful place to live. Ash-enriched soil makes for incredibly fertile crop yield, both in terms of intentional cultivation and natural foraging. Edible flora is quite literally thick on the ground in all seasons, and wildlife thrives. Ancient forests and natural granite quarries provide excellent building material, though metals are somewhat rare. Mountain glass, an excellent material for weaponry or other sharp implements, is common and easy to find. However, here's a strict difference between the natural resources that are available in theory, and the natural resources that are available in practice. The resource-rich forests are inhabited by a world of spirits whose opinion on human survival is contemptuous at best. Easily provoked and often quick to violence, the spirits make survival in the mountains a dicey prospect at best. Foraging or hunting in the forests is gambling with your life and some very bad odds, and agricultural fields are contained within city limits to prevent them from becoming killing grounds for angered spirits.

A beautiful place to visit, but a very dangerous place to stay.