Yorai
Luren's fingers ached. He could feel the frost biting at them even through his northern made mitts. All he could see in front of him was white, and occasionally the ice axe he dislodged from and promptly hammers back into the endless wall of ice in front of him. The wind's sharp cold had cut through even the most potent of his warming spells long ago, and yet he was sure he hadn't even made it half way.
His strength was just about to give out as instead of hitting more wall, the ice axe continued sailing through the air. Luren lost his balance for a second, jamming the spike into the newly found ground. It slipped off, he felt his grip on the other ice axe loosen. A gust of wind caught him, almost like the mountain was trying to shake him off. He felt the axe slip out of his grip, its weight disappearing somewhere into the depth below. With his last strength he found his hold on the more loyal instrument and pulled himself onto the ledge. Grunting and wheezing, he pushed himself chest first onto the freezing rock and ice.
In that moment, almost exactly 14 hours before he would be the first man to ever scale the highest peak in the world, Lubrent thought to himself "Why did I set out on this foolish journey?"
His strength was just about to give out as instead of hitting more wall, the ice axe continued sailing through the air. Luren lost his balance for a second, jamming the spike into the newly found ground. It slipped off, he felt his grip on the other ice axe loosen. A gust of wind caught him, almost like the mountain was trying to shake him off. He felt the axe slip out of his grip, its weight disappearing somewhere into the depth below. With his last strength he found his hold on the more loyal instrument and pulled himself onto the ledge. Grunting and wheezing, he pushed himself chest first onto the freezing rock and ice.
In that moment, almost exactly 14 hours before he would be the first man to ever scale the highest peak in the world, Lubrent thought to himself "Why did I set out on this foolish journey?"
Geography
Also known as the "Beyond", the Yorai mountains are the tallest, coldest, and certainly most inhospitable place in the whole world. The tallest peaks, though no one truly knows which is the tallest, are said to reach into the heavens itself. Legends from lands to the south tell of how the Yorai are the corpse of a dead god, which sacrificed himself to hold up he heavens.
Frankly put, the tallness of the mountains here is not to be understated in any measure. Even the renowned Seer Aresen and mapmaker Alredus Vidertes has admitted to thus far have been unable to divine the top of the tallest peaks saying:
Frankly put, the tallness of the mountains here is not to be understated in any measure. Even the renowned Seer Aresen and mapmaker Alredus Vidertes has admitted to thus far have been unable to divine the top of the tallest peaks saying:
"The tribes might well be right. Climbing the Yorai may very well throw you into a different world or the heavens themselves. If not reaching by the top, then because you die trying."In addition to their vast altitude, the mountains are also found reaching all the way to the northern pole. As such no other place on the world is remotely capable of approaching such low temperatures. The sheer cold has claimed many who dared to set foot into its barren territory, freezing their blood in mere minutes without proper asaeic protection. Even with potent charms and infusions it does not take long for the frost to seep into your very bones. While some credit these frozen lands to have some sort of supernatural aspect in their nature, given their ability to seemingly dispell warming and fire spells, no evidence has thus far been found.
It's just really bloody cold up there.The mountain range is also the most expansive on a footprint basis as well, reaching from the Warre Mountains in the south of Ardget to even the northern reaches of the Bjali kingdoms. Its inhospitable nature acts as a wall to the rest of the continent further north, which has yet to be explored. Numerous years ago, a single expedition was able to make their way through the mountain range by taking the lowest passes. Nonetheless, there was only one survivor, out of the fourteen which set out. What exactly he saw beyond the wall of the world has so far remained a mystery, though it seems to have been traumatizing enough to make the man permanently mute. Mind spells were cast upon him, though the procedure was stopped by the head mage shortly before the truth was revealed. Since then, no attempts have been made to cross the mountains.
Fauna & Flora
The Yorai are barren, cold, frozen. Simply, inhospitable. There is but a single life form which makes this strange area their home, that being the Yorai Flower. This mysterious plant seems to be able to resist even the coldest of temperatures, continuing to photosynthesize even as the water in its cells should be crystallizing into ice immediately. Not only does it make its home in the most inhospitable region of the planet, but it also chooses high peaks and especially windy and exposed locales to spread its roots. How it is that the plant came to be, and how it remains alive even during the endless blizzards and immense cold is a mystery. It is theorized however, that the plant is capable of casting a highly advanced warming spell upon itself. As such, in addition to be very difficult to acquire, the flower is greatly valued by those wishing to research infusions as well as those simply wishing to show off their wealth.
Natural Resources
The only flora in the region is in itself a very valuable natural resource. Being white, it is almost invisible to the naked eye among the snow and ice. The situation only becomes worse as the blizzards rage for months on end through the mountains. However, it is theorized that using a single petal from the Yorai flower one can create highly potent elemental fire infusions or even use it as a material component for highly potent and specialized fire spells.
In addition it is theorized that the mountains themselves hide vast deposits of metals and germs. However, any sane civilization would leave it precisely where it is and not commit the hilariously foolish mistake of attempting to expand and claim the Yorai mountains, not to mention setting up mining there.
Alternative Name(s)
Wall of the World
Type
Mountain Range
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