Akavia's Peak (ah KA vah)
the Iron Mountain
The second talest of the three major mountains of the Areian Peaks, along with Pier’s Peak and Soun's Peak, Akavia's Peak stands at just under twenty thousand feet. The mountain is named for Akavia, a leader the Elf people after Dragonfall. She is famous for set up the foundation that would become Zalpula.
Akavia's Peak is called the Iron Mountain by Humans through history. The mountain said to be dotted with mines. This name is false on two points; first, there are no mines on the mountain itself, though mines can be found in the hills east, and mountains north of the peak; second there are no iron deposits in the region. Copper, however, is plentiful. These copper deposits are one of the major resources of the Lhakamed region, having, and still being, a primary source of revenue for every nation that has controlled the land.
The most famous feature of the mountain is its terraced sides. The mountain, like many of the western peaks of the region are steep and rocky. To make the region habitable, the elves of antiquity carved with terraces on Akavia's eastern and southern slopes. These terraces go all the way up into the snowline, with large wide terraces to protect against avalanches. As one decends the mountain into the Nuna Hills the terraces thin and are designed to spread snow melt waters for crop growing. The Terraces giving the mountain an artificial block-built feeling to some. The first terraces are thought to be from the era of the Areian Nations, but construction reached its zenith in the days of Zalpula when the Nuna Hills was the center of western elven culture. While today most are abandoned, overgrown or buried by the mountain, some are still maintained by nearby villages of the mountain folk dwelling among them.
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