The Roosts

"They claimed the [fire] dragon had attacked the castle with the intent of claiming it as his home. What nonsense! What need would a dragon have for a castle, when in the Roosts we have a home to be envied by the gods?"

- Bellatrix of House Firewing, Roost Ambassador to Aphelia
The Roosts are a mountain range running along the western and northwestern sides of Tevhetra, taking most of the land between the coastline of the Void Sea and the Avantha Kolari. They are the largest mountain range on the continent and home to its highest point with Varvix Peak. The mountains are the homeland of the fire dragons of the Nightlands; as such, the political entity of the four major fire dragon houses - Firewing (red), Nightbone (black), Riverscale (green), and Cloudflayer (blue) - are collectively known as the Roosts as well.

Geography

While the Roosts' foothills are fairly mild, the range beyond them is filled with towering peaks, deep canyons, steep cliffs, weathered spires, and valleys kept in shadow even during lightfall. Navigation on foot is nigh impossible, as the fire dragons have no need to maintain trails. Based on the lava tunnels and deposits of igneous rock, this region was once volcanic, though the mismatch of stone found throughout the Roosts makes its true geological history incomprehensible; scholars assume that it may have undergone the same drastic land shifting found in the modern Aphelian Plains and Setre.

History

As with many things from before the Nightfall, the exact date of the fire dragons' arrival is uncertain, but tradition maintains that at least five generations (about four hundred years at minimum) of dragons had flown through its spires before the darkness fell. Prior to the Nightfall, fire dragons were strictly nomadic, but the Roosts proved a comfortable home for the dragons to return to: the rugged land was uninviting to most large predators and other people, caves large enough for dragons were plenty, and its proximity to the Avantha Kolari and the ocean that is now the Void Sea ensured easy prey.
After the Nightfall, many dragons retreated to the Roosts, preparing to hibernate through the lean times and awake when the light returned. But when they realized the darkness was permanent, several dragons from each house stepped up to become the leaders the fire dragons had never felt they needed before. The assembly of the dragons at Varvix Peak became known as the First Varvix Conclave.
The dragons of the Roost would come to work out an alliance with Nuana to guarantee limited hunting rights around and in the Avantha Kolari. The dragons also, for the first time, engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture to increase their food supply. They also began to further explore the world beneath the mountains, shoring up their own mineral and crystalline resources, though this also led to clashes with the Varen over who controlled the Roost's underground.

Alternative Name(s)

Theen: Palyra Sierdas, "Roosting Mountains"; Torugk, Hufatah, "The Pillars"

Type

Mountain Range