Trône des Rocs Mountains

Geography

The Trône des Rocs region is, without contest, the largest chain of mountain in all of Achaea and acts as an important natural border which splits the Seilurid Empire at its center. Larger than entire countries of respectable size, the mountains sit at a pivotal location between the ancestral Bourguignon lands to the west and south, those of the Seelie to the north, and the vast expanses of the Lande des Titans to the East, which house the bulk of Sibir populations.
As of now, no true path exists either above or through the Trône des Rocs mountains and they must be circumvented, an endeavor that spans a hundred kilometers at best, and a thousand at worst. For this reason, the region is largely unexplored due to the sheer difficulty in getting to its central areas, let alone engaging in any productive activity there. While the outlying mountains are relatively accessible with lower heights and more forgiving temperatures, the central mountains grow taller and colder, with much of the peaks being coated in a permanent layer of snow. Contrasting this frozen peaks, several volcanoes are present throughout the mountain chain, the most famous of which is Mount Orodruin, the highest peak of the entire area which can easily be recognized from afar due to the smoke and soot it exhudes.

Ecosystem

The Trône des Rocs region is a difficult environment due to its sharp, jagged peaks, cold temperatures and low oxygen, but it is far from devoid of life. Numbers of small mammals and lizards live across the several height layers of the mountain chains, subsisting on persistent shrubbery and grasses, while larger trees can be found wherever the mountains flatten somewhat to create the occasional plateau. Avian species are quite numerous, preying on the smaller creatures, while various species of mountain goats can also be found throughout the entire region.

Localized Phenomena

The tectonic activity below the Trône des Rocs is quite intense, which results in several active volcanoes sprinkled throughout the region. These erupt in a somewhat regular fashion, and though the molten flows are rarely an issue due to the area being largely uninhabited, the smoke and ashes periodically create large clouds. These hot clouds often mix with colder snowdrifts, creating hot-cold contrast that create strange, mixed storms of snow and ash and frequently coax lightning to strike due to the fluctuating disparities.

Natural Resources

Due to its immense scope and size, the Trône des Rocs mountains have vast and extensive quantities of mineral resources, both in the diversity of said resources, and the amount of each individual type. It is the mineral heartland of the entire Seilurid Empire and contains both precious metals and industrial metals each with their own exploitation. Among precious metals are the ubiquitous gold and silver, which are exploited on the large scale, but these are also complemented by smaller-scale exploitation of gemstones of many kinds, including but not limited to rubies, saphires, amethysts, emeralds, obsidian, opals and diamonds.
Industrial ores harvested vary just as much, though the most common by volume is by far iron ores, which have been extracted for centuries. Copper, tin and zinc have also been known and prospected for a large proportion of Seilurid history in lesser amounts. More recently, aluminum has been sought out in ever greater quantities as this new material is in ever higher demand, and alongside it nickel, tungsten, magnesium, platinum and molybdenum are all coming under increasing scrutiny for their use in alloy-making.

History

While the bulk of its riches remain inaccessible and untapped, the Trône des Rocs chain of mountain has been a vital part of the economy of both the Bourguignon and Seelie people, as a great proportion of their respective mineral wealth and resources came from the outer reaches of the mountain chain. As such, control of the access to the mountain and its iron, gold and coal has been important part of strategic thinking during the wars between the Bourguignon and the Seelie, with the former often attempting to target and occupy the Seelie town of Écarmine, in a westwards-extruding branch of the mountains.
The name of the mountains stems from the sheer, imposing majesty of the formation, which has awed and mystified people since the ancient times. For thousands of years, the mountains have been believed to be the seat of the very gods, completely inaccessible by man, yet readily within sight and regularly expressing its displeasure at perceived human failures through its eruptions. Monotheistic religions often viewed it as the gateway to heaven itself, while Animists have rather seen it as the embodiment of the very spirit of the earth itself, hence its Francien name.

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

Achaea

Included Locations

• Mt. Orodruin

Owning Organization

Seilurid Empire