The Blackwyrm Mountains

The imposing, dark shapes, shrouded in mist, that dominate the landscape of the southern reaches of The Kingdom of Archaria are the Blackwyrm mountains. This enormous range stretches from Chafis in the North to the Enchidrian boarders in the South, and encloses the The Lands of Ruination. Being the only barrier between the thriving kingdom and the destructive presence of the Shadowfell beyond, the mountains are very well defended by their namesake Blackwyrm dwarves who rule over a vassal kingdom within The Kingdom of Archaria, their freedom from human rule brought about by a promise to defend against sorrowspawn hoards from beyond. Once the dwarves gained rulership of the mountains, they heavily fortified it not only on the Ruination side, but also on the Archarian side, fearing a human betrayal which never came. Though the Dwarves rule over the south side of the mountains, the Northernmost section was once home to a community of stone giants, who were almost entirely wiped out after the Ruination. Dwarves still fear to tread their caves, so the defence of these mountains is left to the Archarians and the treacherous seas. This part of the mountains is also the only part where the ruination penetrated due to the presence of the City of Chafis - the Ancient Zerbath of the North. The city was heavily industrialised by gnomic technology, so given the link between the ruination and the gnomes, it was quickly destroyed.

Geography

The Blackwyrm mountains are a mountain range stretching North to South across The Kingdom of Archaria. The mountains are primarily steep and conical, with rolling foothills which lead down to the ocean in the East. Towards the North, ancient volcanic activity has formed huge pillars and spikes of rock jutting out in a mountainous peninsula, eventually dissolving into a tight and treacherous archipelago of stone columns, some of which are thousands of feet high.

Fauna & Flora

The more extreme and secluded heights of The Blackwyrm Mountains are known to be home to a small population of wyverns and manticores, that, although they mostly feed off of the goats, deer and hippogriffs that live in the mountains and the surrounding forests, have made certain passes extremely treacherous for travelers. Dragons also inhabit parts of the mountains. The upper reaches of the mountains are mostly barren, supporting only minimal shrub growth, but lower in the foothills, there are coniferous forests. On The Lands of Ruination side of the mountain, various cursed herbs, essential for the crafting of various dubious potions can be found by anyone brave enough to venture past the fortifications.

Natural Resources

The southern Blackwyrm Mountains are very iron-rich, and many mines have been built to extract it. The iron mines around Ancient Zerbath served as an escape route for survivors of the ruination as they penetrate the mountains, but later proved difficult to defend for the dwarves. The mountains are mostly composed of basalt, which is quarried on the Archairan side. Most of the dwarven defences and stone buildings in Keelford are made of this stone. Further North, deposits of white marble were quarried to build Lenthall and Grendel, while deposits of Adamantium and Mithril are kept a closely guarded secret by the dwarves. More mithril is known to exist in Stone Giant territory, but the Blackwyrm Dwarves are unwilling to venture that far in.

Type

Mountain Range

Included Locations