The Teeth
Domain of the Kami
The hermit sighed as the odd trio flew away on a bizarre mechanical serpent, perfectly horizontal as it ascended higher and higher up the mountains. Jagged fangs of ice curved from the mountain, ready to ensnare anyone foolish enough to enter its maw of their own volition. As he walked back into his lonesome yurt, he pondered on their likelihood of returning with the root he sought - he did so hate to rely on his fiery companion to get it from the cliffs, and it had grown difficult to make the ascent alone over three decades ago. The footholds were crumbling and frost-ridden, slick to the touch and trivial to lose your grip on... but it honed your focus and conditioning like nothing else. It was also important to strain your hearing, lest you fail to hear the rattling and snarling of spirits over the freezing wind snapping at your ears and mind, and if that happened... well, not even being able to fly could save you.
Geography
The Teeth is a mountain range containing some of the most treacherous peaks in Zamzara, some of which are more than 3 miles above sea level and rise up in terrible spikes and pillars that earn it its namesake. It is found south of Green Gullet and The Curious Savannah, and north of Cape Hope and The Wasting Bog. Using cutting-edge geographical surveying techniques, the scholars of Sagara Nagara have separated The Teeth into two different zones along the fault line: the northern section is composed primarily of basalt, while the southern zone has far greater diversity (though basalt is still the primary rock). This has led them to theorize that one or more of the spiked mountains are actually dormant volcanoes.
There are numerous springs in the area that provide the surrounding regions with much of their natural fresh water, but there are 3 major ones of note, from west to east: Widow's Cascades, haunted by Kami born of centuries of suicides, the Hermit's Source, which is controlled by Patrala Nagara since it creates the Hermit's Stream, and Dawn Rainbow Falls, where the King of Birds died and was reborn over 1000 years ago. Near the center of the mountain range is Anguish's Ravine, where the elevation suddenly drops nearly three miles towards the sea level and the chill of the mountain is blown away by heat and humidity. There is only one confirmed entrance to The Nashya directly south of the ravine.
Fauna & Flora
Amazingly, there are few monsters in these mountains, possibly due to the abnormally low amount of underground entry points. The climate seems to have little to do with it: Ice and Rock-element monsters thrive here, as well as warm-blooded monsters with enough cunning to overcome the elements. While monsters are known to eat one another for food, travelers often note the high number of monster corpses out in the open as a warning. As a result, almost nobody will dare travel through The Teeth without some manner of ward or prayer.
These warnings are left by the true inhabitants of The Teeth: a vast swarm of powerful Kami, stretching across the range as they have for the past 1000 years. Some spirits are native to the land and jealously guard it against trespassers, while others wander in search of some lost purpose. The land is considered cursed because of this, and many believe that simply dying here will cause your soul to become restless and trapped within Zamzara until the end of time. Many of these wanderers kill anything that moves, but some landbound Kami are still sought out for their supernatural wisdom and power, or more often... to dispel curses and diseases.
Natural Resources
Due to the environment and copious level of monsters and Kami alike, there are currently no major resources being drawn from this region by Humanity. The natives of Patrala Nagara control access to the Hermit's Source, but very rarely go there themselves. They also have a small gold mine located at the base of the range, closer to Green Gullet than The Teeth. There is little here in the way of plant life, but oracles highly value the Lotii Root that grows just above the snow line for its trance-inducing properties.
Comments