The Prioni

Written by Nestor Alren

Geography

The Prioni is a mountain range located in the Nemean province of Dyodia. They run along the entirety of Dyodia's southern border with The Lost Lands. Its highest peaks stand just over 7,600 meters, gathered from the middle to the western end of the range, and they tend to decrease in height as they reach out toward the Niashard Sea, past the Marshes of Madness.
Near the center of the range, a lone peak stands out from the rest, placed slightly northward. built into the side of this mountain is the fortress city of Napoca, sharing the same name with the mountain itself, Napoca Peak. The Kipmere River runs down from the Prioni here, past Napoca and on towards the Threshold, where it feeds into the Niashard Sea. Napoca Peak provides a stunning view of the rest of the mountain range, and the tallest peaks to the west, with the river running by, are an astonishing thing to behold.

Ecosystem

The Prioni Mountains are a story of extremes. The weather ranges from extreme heat to extreme cold, and from heavy snow to devastating drought and wildfires throughout. There are hundreds of microclimates, depending upon factors such as elevation, latitude and longitude, nearby water sources, peak and valley placement, and slope angle, to name a few. Several of the peaks seem to be inactive, or dormant volcanoes, and the rock composition throughout the range varies, including significant amounts of granite, basalt, andesite, and limestone. Some even theorize of a lost rhadanthium mine hidden deep in the mountain range.
Forests dominated by large, coniferous trees such as lodgepole and sugar pines cover much of the northern side of the range, and other microclimates include bare rock, sometimes barely studded by manzanita bushes, or a mix of both shrub and trees. Green grass may cover certain slopes in the spring, but by summer, it will turn gold. Overall, the Prionis are fairly dry. The fauna who inhabit these mountains have developed a variety of ways to eke out life throughout the seasons.

History

Right before Dyodia joined Nemea, Mother Eileithyia, the then ruler of Dyodia, as now, was struggling with how to handle attacks from monsters invading from The Lost Lands. She negotiated with, trained, and armed the The Tribes of the Prioni to handle the threat. They have been an indispensable part of the Dyodian defenses to this day.

Tourism

Tourists usually base themselves in Napoca, where they already have amazing views, and make trips out from there. To accomodate this, a plethora of inns and other tourist attractions have sprung up in Napoca, despite the locals not caring much for all the hubbub.

Location under

Dyodia

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Eileithyia Ursanaa

Ruling/Owning Rank

Monarch

Related Ethnicities

• The Tribes of the Prioni