Daggerjaw Mountains
Anuan's Highest Peaks
The Daggerjaw Mountains are a mountain range that borders the northern edge of the the High Forest. It is approximately fifty-seven miles long and seven miles wide - the largest range on the continent of Anuan. It contains three notable peaks and one active volcano. There are few safe mountain passes that allow passage from the south side of the range to the north, making the Daggerjaw one of the most treacherous mountain ranges in the world. Although not coming under the jurisdiction of any political state, the City-State of Forgehome claims ownership of 'all the riches the mountains hold' by an ancient manuscript, kept under lock and key within Forgehome's Palace vaults, which details the uniting of the dwarf clans and therefore their territories. Thus far, their claim has gone uncontested.
Geography
The Many Teeth
'The Many Teeth' is the unofficial name for the entire mountain range. However, the Daggerjaw is actually split into three separate regions, with The Many Teeth being the largest. The region consists of most of the range's highest and most inaccessible peaks, including Mount Hammer, Mount Anvil, and Mount Darrow.
The Mandible
Along the southern edge of the Daggerjaw range, there is a mountain valley bordered by the High Forest and the upper forest hills. The City-State of Forgehome lies within the centre of this valley, as does the source of the Dominyr River.
Mount Cauldron and the Obsidian Plains
To the north-east of Forgehome, nestled behind Mount Anvil, lies the active volcano of Mount Cauldron. Although being a mere twelve miles from the city, eruptions tend to burst magma out over the north face of the mountain, collecting as a plate of Basalt rock and ash that runs down out of the mountain range and onto The Blasted Plains. The entrance to the volcano is a bowl almost a mile in diameter, blackened from eruptions which occur at least twice a year, typically five and a half months apart. Particularly violent eruptions can spread ash clouds to as far away as Mhiilamniir, although this depends on the wind direction at the time, and tremors are regularly felt in the High Forest itself from the Daggerjaw range, all of which are directly linked to the activity of Mount Cauldron. Forgehome regularly experiences tremors that can cause problems in mines; shafts have to be shored up with steel-reinforced beams at regular intervals to stop them from collapsing, and during eruptions all mining activities are ceased due to the intensity of the tremors. Magma veins from the volcano have been found several times by the dwarves, although these deep shafts are closed and blocked up as quickly as they are found to stop magma forcing its way up during eruptions. Smoke is seen constantly billowing from the volcano, and becomes particularly dark and dense before an eruption is due. The Basalt rock (often referred to as 'The Obsidian Plains') is rich in Obsidian, and dwarves from Forgehome often head on expeditions to mine the stone for use in architecture and ceremonial weapons/decorations. The hot and dangerous work is well paid, however, and the Obsidian trade garners interest from places as far away as The Eastern Isles and The Southern Chain, who send merchants to the area to barter for the stone directly. The Obsidian Plains itself is a dangerous terrain, filled with hot and uneven crags, leading down to pools of partly-cooled lava, and geysers that emit bursts of boiling water and steam. The sizzling landscape seemingly resists the frigid air of the mountain range, and the atmosphere is kept humid and unbearably sticky by the proximity of Mount Cauldron.
Fauna & Flora
Trees and Shrubs
The trees and shrubs of the Daggerjaw range tend to be alpine, and therefore scrubby and hardy to high winds and low temperatures. They can survive on little nutrients, with some spreading their roots over rock in an attempt to reach scarce patches of loose, infertile soil. For this reason, the plants are usually small when compared to those growing in the mountain valley and the neighbouring High Forest. Trees in particular never tend to reach more than four or five feet in height, with some examples that cling to the craggy rocks being much less than that.
Natural Resources
Ores
The Daggerjaw Mountains are rich in Iron, Copper, Silver, and Gold, making it an ideal place for the smelting of steel and precious metals. Unique to the mountain range is Brightsteel, a rare, blue-tinted metallic ore which is found nowhere else in the known world, and is used mostly in the forging of expensive weapons and armour. The highest concentration of ores are located deep within The Many Teeth, with approximately 12% of what is mined coming from the upper foothills of The Mandible.
Stones and Minerals
Much of the Daggerjaw is made up of Grey Granite and Gneiss rock, with the exception of the north faces of the mountains around Mount Cauldron, which are predominantly made up of Slate, Basalt, and Obsidian. The Mandible contains lodes of Limestone and Marble, as well as Diatomite, signalling that the region was once underwater and likely an ancient lake or sea.
History
Myths and Legends
The Daggerjaw range is a place wrapped in myth and legend, with most of the stories told by the dwarves who call it home, but also the elves who live in the shadow of it. A lot of the legends surround the supposed presence of an ancient green dragon by the name of Chloracridara, a great, scarred wyrm who makes her home under the mountains and emerges only to hunt in the High Forest. There are also tales regarding the mountain passes; dangerous crossings used rarely by travellers to reach the Blasted Plains to the north of the continent. Elves, dwarves, and especially superstitious orcs speak of the ghosts of dead travellers warding away any who might disturb their rest, with the power to call down horrific blizzards on the heads of those who do. As well as the mystery of how Brightsteel came to be present in the Daggerjaw but nowhere else in the world, the mountain range is a fascinating but deadly place shrouded in secrets and superstitions, the roots of which date back millennia.
Alternative Name(s)
The Many Teeth (unofficial)
Type
Mountain Range
Location under
Inhabiting Species
Related Myths
Related Materials
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