Slumber Peak

Slumber Peak is a lone mountain found in the glacial regions of Vastiaria. A popular destination for daredevil mountain climbers and shamans with a connection to the land, it is also a place steeped in myth. The tales go that the mountain is the home of a truly powerful spirit of the earth and stone inhabits it. While no one in living memory can remember this spirit ever doing anything, the place still has a unique draw and is home to many lesser spirits and elementals .

Summary

Legends tell that the lone mountain known as Slumber Peak did not always lie where it now does. Long ago, a most terrible blizzard ravaged the surrounding land, seemingly without end. The people suffered and died, until at brave shaman ventured into the wilds to seek aid. The spirits of wind and ice were deaf to their pleas for mercy and continued to ravage the land. But a great spirit of the stone felt pity. It rose its body, that of an entire mountain, and strode across the land, carrying the shaman with them.
There, it and the shaman did battle with the storm. The shaman called upon the spirits of their ancestors, to aid the mountain spirit and to ward of the magic of the cruel blizzard. The spirits of the blizzard retaliated, striking at the spirit of earth. Wind blasted its sides and ice covered its peaks, but neither could break it and both were in turn broken upon it. The battle done, it settled, giving cover to the people with its body and then fell into a deep sleep.
They say that should the spirits of wind and ice ever again grow so cruel, the spirit of Slumber Peak will be there to protect the people of its land.

Historical Basis

While the story has variations, everyone agrees on Slumber Peak's actual location. While it has never been recorded to move in modern times, two things do point to the mountain being something else. First, it is charged with animatic power and attracts both local spirits and elementals. And secondly, modern geology concludes that the mountain has no roots. Most mountain have a foundation that goes well below the surface, but Slumper Peak rather notably doesn't, as if it was indeed just put there at some point.

Spread

The story has spread pretty far through Vastiaria, carried by merchants and travelers.

Variations & Mutation

The exact identity of the brave shaman varies from variant to variant. Their gender and race usually depending on local customs, though the oldest versions makes no mention of either. Often the shaman gets linked to various historical figures, though rarely in a way that makes timeline wise.

In Literature

The story of Slumber Peak has been added to a number of folklore compilations, most famously "Tales of Vastiaria," by Gene Barker, which also has extensive notes on regional variants. The story is also referred to in a number of books of the local area, as the mountain is rather hard to miss.

In Art

Slumber Peak has proven a popular topic for landscape painters, if they can stomach the cold. Depictions of the mythic battle is also reasonably popular. One of the most noted ones is "All Myths Are True," by Irdlirvirisissong, which depicts a veritable army of shamans aiding the mountain spirit against the blizzard, each one based on a different variation of the story.

Date of First Recording

1467 AIT

Date of Setting

Sometime in the Mythic Era