Dragon-Teeth Mountains

Environment

The Dragon-Teeth Mountains are what you would expect from a large mountain range, however, maps rarely are accurate about this region. Large peaks, unforgiving rough terrain and low valleys make up a large portion of this barbaric area, however, there are quite large sections of flat and fertile terrain with their own water sources from the same mountains. The terrain makes it nearly impossible for an army to move effectively and any attempt to bring one would be seen coming on predictable paths leading into devastating ambushes. The orcs are a plague over the mountains and come down and out of them in vast hordes to raid and pillage what communities do live within the mountains. In large enough hordes they will even attack the giants, often suffering massive losses in the process, not that they really care.
The areas that can sustain life tend to be shielded from the otherwise bitter and biting winds of the mountains and can become a rather comfortable temperature-wise. Winter is still an issue but there are growing seasons for the communities there. Outside of these areas however the howling and biting winds can cause hypothermia or blow unsuspecting off the sides of mountains to fall to their doom. Furthermore, the lack of vegetation and trees in most of the mountain peaks makes air thin and little to help give cover should one of the many storms that get trapped in the mountains hit while you travel.
Most would never know but within the Oasis of Norhesh in the center of the mountains is where the Tyrannus keep used to be, this open area having numerous geothermal pools and vents that keep the temperature comfortable year-round. It is an oasis amid the mountains in terms of weather, and what food it can produce as wild animals and farms grow healthy and large in this verdant paradise. There is a peace of sorts between the Giant tribes, Human Barbarian clans, and Khaldran Dwarves with all parties having hunters, the humans have farms, while the giants hunt and raise larger creatures like mammoths or dire goats. The dwarves provide their metalworking skills. The races work together mainly because of a defensive pact that sees them ally against the threat of the orc tribes and other threats

Geography

Treacherous mountains that reach high above the tree line, from the peak of one of these mountains on a clear day you could see far over the rest of Savorah. Rainwater and snowmelt from higher peaks form into lakes in various places with their own streams connecting them. These waterways and drinking holes are dangerous places as all manner of creatures rely on the water of these lakes. Most creatures have some form of non-aggression pact while drinking at the water, the orcs, goblins, trolls and some other more violent monsters do not and will attack any near the water if they re easy prey.

Fauna & Flora

Khaldran Exiles

After a Dwarf has their surname stripped and they and often their family are cast out into the surface of Hammerock and told never to come back. There are elements within the city that are sympathetic to these outcasts as many times their exile was due to a slight given to the wrong person or by a family member. In these cases of undeserved exile, the Rustbeard family often tries to help them out either by bringing them into a new family or sending them into a fortress long abandoned by the people of Hammerock. This fortress is Khaldran and the original purpose was to stand against orcs. For many generations, the Rustbeards have sent exiles to the fortress to repopulate the fortress and make it into a new home. The Khaldran Exiles trade with the local human barbarian tribes for foodstuffs providing their expert metalworking and masonry skills.
The Khaldran Dwarves have shed many of the traditions and customs of Hammerock in order to survive, the biggest being the use of magic. While many are still wary of magic, they have discovered the ancestors that lived in the fortress infused armor, weapons, and the fortress itself with magic to make it more formidable. The Dwarves of Khaldran have wizards, alchemists, artificers, and other forms of mages, they rarely produce sorcerers and their Khelthad tend to have darker stone features like the mountains that shield Khaldran.
Hammerock has heard the rumors that the exiles have taken up residence in the old fortress but are unwilling to commit forces to force them out of the fortress figuring the orcs, giants, and other threats will do that for them.

Barbarians

The barbarian tribes of the north are resilient and stubborn and must be for where they live, despite the Oasis of Norhesh being a relatively safe place for them at least compared to places like Ursand they must contend with the constant threat of the orcs, goblins, and trolls. Some tribes have learned from the giants how to defend themselves and even arm themselves these are the Jotun tribes who use weapons far above what their size should be able to use while being fierce berserkers. For the most part, these people live isolated from the rest of the world in simple farming and hunting villages and training for the next time their way of life is threatened by some nefarious force. They have been known to send convoys to Ursand mainly to gather those willing to teach magic to their more magically gifted people. The people of Ursand often help as they view these tribes as one of the bulwarks keeping the orcs and their hordes out of Ursand, which already has more than enough dangers.

Orcs, goblins, and trolls; oh my.

The most numerous of any known species, no one is quite sure how the orcs can have so many numbers when their primary food source seems to be each other. Orcs are known to eat goblins and their own, and trolls are one step higher than that eating orcs and goblins.

Orcs

The orcs are a vast tide that lives in the Dragon-Teeth mountains bent on fighting constantly most of the time this is among their own to establish dominance. They often follow their leaders in raids to other races, depending on the size of their band they can raid the barbarian tribes, the giants, or even begin pushing south. Generally, only a truly powerful leader can amass enough numbers to pour south in a truly threatening way, such events happen at least once an age, it is a dread fact that the orcs are overdue for their attack south. Some feel that perhaps their numbers are too great for one leader to truly manage in the ways of the past and that infighting is what has spared the south.

Goblins

Goblins are the brains behind the orcs brawn and have a rather intense fascination with alchemy. They are clever and wicked but also very frail and small, this makes it difficult for them to earn any place of strength within the loosely defined society they find themselves apart of. Given the vast numbers of orcs and goblins when a goblin alchemist wants to experiment with a new tonic, potion, or other forms of brew they give it to an orc and watch the results, this is the reason distant explosions are common to hear throughout the Dragon-Teeth Mountains.

Trolls

Trolls are perhaps the least intelligent but strongest of the races associated with the orcs, renowned for their regenerative capabilities they are very tough and brutal fighters that for the most part have no fear of death, this changes at the sight of fire or acid, however.
There are some infused with more profane energies that can resist both of those elements and should those be encountered they are notoriously hard to kill. Trolls have no real society they simply exist just barely above the bar to be considered intelligent they know only the most primitive of skills for tools, weapons, and cooking.

Giants

The giants are broken up into six types cloud, fire, frost, hill, stone, and storm each having their own mannerisms and desires that are often conflicting among their kind, and these differences often cause them to brutal battles. However, they do also know when to put aside their conflicts when they are being overrun by the tide of orcs or other more urgent threats show themselves. For the most part, there are two variations to their cultures that are the standouts worth mentioning.
The frost giants of Greggor’s peak near Ursand, northeast of Rel’Taris they have grown to moderately appreciate the Ursandian humans, they maintain a distaste for other examples of humanity but those of Ursand amuse them as they feel that the tiny humans are trying to be like them. These frost giants have been known to trade with the Ursandians and even help fight off firebears or other massive threats that are valuable to the giants for pelt and meat.
Fire giants of Firaxan, these fire giants have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of crafting fully almost akin to a monk order with the dedication they put into the crafting of anything from armor to statues and anything in between. They have a close relationship with the dragons and often work in volcanic forges and love the challenge of making something for such demanding creatures to whom the smallest imperfection is unacceptable. These giants work to better their skills and will work for anyone if they deem the project worth their time and effort.
The giant-human accord is a treaty that marks the central fertile lands known by the locals as the Oasis of Norhesh as neutral grounds and divides up areas for hunting and farming. It however is largely there to outline the aid the races are to provide in the event of a sizeable invasion. They are loosely enforced by most; however, the fire and storm giants tend to be the most involved in making sure the accords are honored by the other giants for their own reasons.

Natural Resources

Vast amounts of stone and metal ores.

History

The mountains have a long and bloody history, the orcs and their ilk wage constant war amongst each other, the former seat of the Draz Tyran power was in these mountains and the bloody business of its downfall can sometimes still be seen as scars on the mountains where dragons fought against each other each trying to become the new ruler as they became further and further divided.

Tourism

The only possible reason one would want to visit this area is to see the Oasis of Norhesh, and even then the danger of even getting there would turn most away.

Type

Mountain Range

Included Locations

• Oasis of Norhesh

Included Organizations

• Sundorag