by Royal Frazier
The Cataclysmites are a massive mountain range on the largest continent, Krahnis. They wrap two-thirds of the way around the planet, some 14,000+ miles and reach from the north pole to almost 6,000 south, passing the equator in Western Krahnis.
The width of the mountains has forced divisions between the coasts of Krahnis, eliminating most overland passes through the mountains. This has contained some violence and empirical expansions. There are some known paths. Mastiph Impass is an ancient city-state carved into the cliffside of a mountain. It holds a path through the mountains, but this tomb of an underground nation is a dangerous trek. The Paths of Agathon leads through the eastern cataclysmites, but the 1,000 mile journey is through a maze of false paths. The Underjungle Pass is near the equator and a high rain forest winds between mountains and over lower rises. The rain forest here grows year-round and there are different climates at different heights.
The gargantuan mountain range reaches heights of over 40,000 feet above sea level. At heights over 10,000 feet, the Icilian Ill Winds affect a significant amount of people. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, disorientation, and delirium increase with height. Icil the Mad Sailor travels the Southern and Northern oceans on an ice barge. At great heights, the cold winds of his homelands spread high over Urth. His winds are said to make men sick and even drive them mad. At 15,000 feet about half of all people will fall ill. After 20,000 feet, only creatures whose bodies are accustomed to living at that height do not become ill (for instance: Goliaths) By 30,000 most creatures die, gasping for breath with ice inside their chest. It is said that even white dragons can not reach the highest peaks.
Deep within the cataclysmites are the Dragonlands. A series of high mesa, beautiful valleys, rivers, and lush forests flourish where they should not. These are the land of the ancient wurms and dragons. They rule here, each dragon as their own kings. The isolation of their kind from the world is welcome. Too many of them already bring terror to the world. The ancient wurms are like gods unto themselves.
Lore says that they were created during the last cataclysm when evil forces mastered magic so powerful that they broke both Urth and the sky. Entire continents fell beneath new oceans. The mountains rose into the sky in a ring around the world, like jam from inside a sandwich.
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