The Infernal Pinnacle
In the southeast of the Terath Mountain Range, the Infernal Pinnacle is the highest point in the mountain range and thus is nearly inaccessible.
The mountain was home to the last dragons living in the wild before they went extinct. The surrounding mountains are still littered with bones of dragons and adventurers alike. Since the area is so inaccessible, any remains in the area lie undisturbed save fore any scavenging birds or bacteria that inhabit the area.
Geography
The mountain is the highest point in the known world. The limited reports that still exist say the highest plateau is perfectly flat and a dragon's skeleton lies on top of a small hole in the ground, presumably where it laid its eggs centuries ago. There are a total of 7 plateaus where anyone trying to climb this mountain could make camp and hunker down from the elements.
The lower plateaus are littered with the bones of dragons and other creatures, including humanoids and small birds. The ground is covered with increasingly more bones the lower the plateau until the 4th plateau where it reaches critical mass, then lightens towards ground level.
The reports also speak of the incredible views atop the mountain, with one claiming that you can see the entire North-East-South coast line. Likewise the Pinnacle can be seen from almost anywhere along the same coastline.
If you dare to look outside of your tent at night time, the stars look close enough that you wonder how the dragons didn't just fly into the heavens.
Ecosystem
Aside from the small shrubs and weeds that grow along the mountain range, the plateaus are very barren and dry. TheDuring winter, snow can fall as high as the 5th plateau, but the air above that is too dry for ice crystals to form so it doesn't snow.
Piercing winds often blow through the area, sending a chill through even the most rugged up mountain climber.
Localized Phenomena
Many people claim that if you look at the Infernal Pinnacle at the right time during sunset on the summer Solstice, the tip glows red and gold and the sun lights up any dust in the air, giving the illusion of a Dragon breathing fire into the air.
When the Second Great Dust Storm reached the mountain range, it hit the Infernal Pinnacle with such force that it sounded like a dragon's roar.
Some outlanders that inhabit the area near the old Scale Hunters' camp claim to hear noises coming from inside the mountain. Almost as if something is digging around or trying to get out.
Fauna & Flora
Various low lying shrubs and weeds grow atop the entire mountain range, but less and less are found as you travel up the Infernal Pinnacles plateaus.
During the springtime, Mountain Weeds release seeds that are carried on the wind to the base of the mountain. Something that is a constant inconvenience for anyone who resides at the base of the mountain range.
When dragons were near extinction, the Infernal Pinnacle was the last sanctuary for the species. However, overcrowding meant. that many dragons were forced to make lairs closer to ground level, and then were subsequently captured or killed by Scale Hunters.
Natural Resources
The mountain range is rich in minerals, and many mines have sprung up over the centuries. However, according to local legend, the last surviving dragon collected all of the gold from other dragon lairs and deposited it inside its lair in the mountain, then subsequently sealed it shut. Many people believe this is the same dragon whose skeleton lies atop the mountain summit.
Since other dragon lairs have been found and looted, some question the truth to this legend while others merely say the legend is an exaggeration.
History
Many expeditions have tried to reach the 7th plateau in the centuries since the dragons went extinct. While more may have reached the summit, only 5 expedition reports still survive; each written at different points in history but sharing similar descriptions.
During the Gurtyol Horde's expansion, many refugees from its bloody conquest were forced to take sanctuary in the mountains. When the horde was eventually pushed back, some families formed expeditions to find their relatives in the mountain range, often to find their relatives met a sad end.
The Order of the Sacred Flame is said to reside somewhere in the mountain range, with people often assuming they live in the Infernal Pinnacle. Even if they don't live in the Pinnacle, it is rumoured that the order at least takes pilgrimages to the pinnacle every few years as an act of mourning for the extinct species. People also believe that members of the order scour the mountain range in search for any dragon eggs that were missed over the centuries, in hopes of one day reviving the species.
Tourism
Some citizens of the world travel to the Infernal Pinnacle as a stop on a larger trip to see the world, paying respects to the legendary beasts that made their last stand here.
Adventure seek out the challenge of climbing to the top of the Pinnacle, however no individuals have reached the top and returned to tell the tale. The 5 expeditions that had made it to the summit all had a number of experienced climbers, and even then it was not an easy journey, so to climb the mountain solo is regarded as a death wish.
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