Ghosts of Broken Tooth Pass

Ancient Myth of the Daggerjaw

Rumours of restless spirits haunting Broken Tooth Pass, one of the main routes over the Daggerjaw Mountains, has been a common myth for many centuries in the surrounding area. Told mostly by the dwarves of Forgehome, as well as some of the local orc tribes, the root of the legend surrounds the supposed ancient tombs that reach deep into the mountains. Whether they exist or not is up for debate, but the supernatural weather that befalls the pass and the regular disappearances of travellers fuels the flames of the cautionary tale.

Summary

Depending on who tells you the tale, the ghosts that haunt Broken Tooth Pass are either restless spirits who feel that travellers are disturbing their eternal rest, or guardians of ancient tombs that line the pass and reach deep into the mountains. Neither of the stories have been confirmed, but they have not been resoundingly disproved either. Most people living in the shadow of the Daggerjaw range know that travellers attempting to reach the Blasted Plains via Broken Tooth end up never coming back. Those few that have supposedly returned tell tales of unnatural weather; blizzards that appear from nowhere, shrouding the pass in an impenetrable veil of snow that threatens to bury you alive, and temperatures that plunge to dangerous lows. They also speak of seeing phantom faces in the fierce wind that howl over the cacophony of the storm, driving the people they terrorise to find cover or perish. The fact that the pass is littered with what appears to be the ruins of some old, forgotten structure makes people believe that the ghosts are attached to it somehow, and still defending their property many thousands of years later. Survivors recall taking shelter in these remains until the storm and howling voices of the dead ceases, although that could be many hours from when it first started. Enduring the frigid conditions of Broken Tooth is likely the cause for most disappearances, and some of those who say they have survived such trials claim that the pass is littered with the frozen, half-buried bodies of those who were not so lucky. Many of these corpses are believed to be hundreds, if not a thousand years or more old, almost perfectly preserved in their icy tomb with all the items they travelled with. Talk of treasures of immense value and power still lying with their dead masters are rife throughout places like Forgehome and the rest of Eaerlann; those foolish enough to risk seeing if they are true generally fall victim to the Tooth as well. The myth states that every soul who falls to the ghosts of the pass become entwined in the supernatural events that happen there, joining the restless dead as mysterious guardians with an unknown purpose.

Historical Basis

Most theories on how the myth came to be in the first place are focused on the suggestion of there being ancient tombs of unknown origin scattered throughout the pass, with most estimates putting their age at many thousands of years old. Despite this, the only evidence for their existence is scattered remains of shaped stonework throughout the Broken Tooth, hinting at there being some kind of structure in the area at some point. Most believe the remains to be dwarven, although the dwarves, being excellent and precise record-keepers, deny that they built anything so far away from Forgehome. Even at the entrance to the pass on both sides of the range, it is obvious that people have died in the area from exposure, as travellers and explorers recount seeing half-buried, perfectly preserved bodies in the snow, still carrying everything they set out with. This is something that is not as evident in the two other mountain passes of the Daggerjaw, leading many to believe that the Tooth is definitely more dangerous - possibly even magically so.  

Spread

The myth of Broken Tooth Pass is mostly contained to the Daggerjaw itself, as well as a small part of the surrounding lands. In particular, the denizens of the High Forest and Deep Woods warn against travelling in that region of the mountains for fear of being lost in unpredictable weather, although they too hold onto the belief that ancient tombs contain the restless dead. In the Blasted Plains to the north, the barbarian tribes have an intense fear of angry spirits and avoid the Broken Tooth at all costs, choosing instead to take the much longer journey through Urial's Reach to get to the other side of the range.   

Date of First Recording

Unknown; most believe the myth to be thousands of years old.

Related Ethnicities

• Eaerlanian

Related Locations

• Broken Tooth Pass
• Daggerjaw Mountains