Fiery Summits

A group of travelers huddles underneath an outcropping as they hide from the flurries of unseasonal snow. They hear the confused bleating of the native goats as they walk over the top of the hidey-hole, and breath a momentary sigh of relief that shelter was found before it was too late, settling in against the warm stone for the night.

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The Fiery Summits were named as such by the Humans who first entered the range, for the many dormant volcanoes and the way some of the rock holds and exudes heat, making the lower elevations much more temperate than is otherwise normal. Other races have their own names for the mountain range, such as the Blue Peaks (Gnomish), the Western Heights (Dwarvish), or the Sky Pillars (Orcish).

Geography

The Fiery Summits are a mountain range extending from the southern edge of the Frozen Expanse down to the Jade Sea. Some of the northern mountains are faced with soapstone, a softer rock that retains and expels heat, keeping the heat of the day constant well into the night.
Several of the mountains within the range are dormant volcanoes, including the Dreaming Mountain, Mount Krudoc, and Mount Terrensea.

Fauna & Flora

The majority of the flora of the Summits falls into one of two categories: hardy, cold-resistant plants that can survive the harsh winters of the high altitude, and less resistant plants, some imported invasives and some native, that cluster around the more heat-stable warmed areas. Fauna has a similar distinction, but less pronounced; most animals that cannot survive the colder temperatures would perish quickly in the frequent blizzards of a Summit winter.

Natural Resources

The Summits have long been mined for ores of many kinds, ranging from iron to gold. A large portion of the world's quartz trade (including clear, rose, smoky, and blue quartz, as well as amethyst) originates from the Summits, as well as many examples of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Summit diamonds are rare, as the dwarves of the region use them for a wide variety of purposes and are loathe to give them up to outsiders.

Alternative Name(s)

the Blue Peaks
the Western Heights
Sky Pillars

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

The Material Plane

Included Locations

• Bastion