The God's Teeth Mountains
The former domain of the gnomish species and current location of the Culvarkt Empire, these mountains have a rich and storied history. They remain some of the tallest peaks in the world, atop which now reside the dwarves of Culvarky in their rich splendor. From here they dominate the skies of Cairne with both their military might and their aerial trade routes. The peaks of the mountains pierce the gloomy veil of the miasma that blankets the world due to the Void rich, blighted region over the Isle of Seanachai, and as a result grant the dwarves that call the skytop domain home clean air and regular sunlight, although it is tempered by extreme winds and freezing temperatures. Further down, the lost tunnels and caverns of the now extinct gnomes are teeming with the horrors of the Void and the slopes of the mountain range are a deadly place rife with all manner of dangers both environmental and otherwise while at the base of the mountains, where they meet the sea, rests the stalwart city of the Hiversteadians, Stonebridge.
Geography
Steep inclines of frost covered slopes range high and far within this massive range of mountains. From the foothills that dip into the Ventryte lands and edge along the borders of the former Gaul Do Shah empire, to the stark cliffs that line the water's edge along the Ephemeral Sea, these imposing peaks can be seen for many kilometers. The tops of the mountains pierce the sky and many tower above the clouds offering a rare glimpse of sunlight and the strong winds that carry clean air. The mountains themselves are filled with winding tunnels, caves, and similar anomalies that remain largely unmapped and undocumented due to the gnomish isolationism and the inability to safely explore them since the Blight washed the entire subterranean location with Void energy.
Ecosystem
Life upon the slopes is such that only the heartiest of creatures can survive it for any length of time, the barren stone offering little in the way os safe shelter or sustainable flora. The life that endures these conditions remains locked in a constant struggle for survival, the majority of it being carnivorous hunters that stalk one another in a never ending cycle of violence. Flesh Monger warrens hide within crevices and surface caves and set snares and traps for the unwary or unwitting humanoid or beast that is unlucky enough to get caught in them, while numerous pockets of undead ley buried in ice and snow, just below the surface creating deadly pitfalls that can claim the lives of explorers who traverse them.
Localized Phenomena
It is believed that the homeland of the Gnomes has been isolated from both the exterior of the mountains as well as from Underhome below thanks to the engineering of both factions of the dwarves. The resulting isolation has created a unique environment where mutations within move and change independently from the rest of the Void touched domains. The results are many unique and twisted aberrations that cannot be found elsewhere nestled deep within the rock. While only glimpses of such things and the associated rumors that spawn from them are all that exist to prove these occurrences, there is no reason to doubt them as these types of shifts are not uncommon in Void filled territories.
Climate
The ice cap climates at the peaks of the central mountains remain at a fairly constant below freezing temperature, resulting in there being no naturally occuring flora that can survive the environment and the lands there existing as only rock and ice. Further down around the three thousand meter mark and below, the alpine climate is not as harsh though still extreme enough that not much can exist here without significant work and effort, and structures to contain the efforts such as the unique methodology developed by House Skealt for the cultivation of the crops they specialize in. The lower regions do endure more fluctuations from season to season, but between the harsh winds and permafrost, even these locations are locked into a state of permanent winter year round.
Fauna & Flora
Aside from the concentrated efforts of House Skealt , almost no native flora exists on the mountains, any trees that may have grown in the lower altitudes destroyed by the Blight and now standing as hollow and dead reminders of the location as it once was. The fauna of the region is another matter. While mutations abound there are many mundane species of animal that remain and survive. Among these are goats, ibex, possums, shrews, and hares. A large amount of constantly changing insect life persists here as well in the forms of beetles and the rather annoying glacier fleas.
Natural Resources
Within the mountains remains a vast untapped amount of mineral resources. While the Culvarkt and the Fouvienian clans are both able to make use of these to some degree, the majority of these resources remain buried within the Void filled regions of the Mountains internal biomes, and far too dangerous to mine.
History
Dating back as far as 3000 AR, the God's Teeth mountains have been inhabited by the dwarven people in one form or another. This has always been held as a place of significant presence and power for their cultures. When the gnomes and dwarves enjoyed a more unified existence in those ancient times under the watchful eye of Zevrhan , they moved through the stone and shaped it to their will using powerful magic and a keen knack for understanding the nature and needs of their domain. The mountains and the earth below was utilized to its fullest, many times by the hand of the god himself, and for thousands of years the dwarves and their kin maintained and grew a powerful and sprawling empire that rivaled all others. While the gnomes slowly isolated and cut themselves off from the outside world, the dwarves of Underhome grew more and more involved, eventually forming a compact with The Sovereign Empire of the Bechtlarites to engage in highly lucrative trade and mutual defense pacts. This all allowed the dwarves to maintain their power over their domain while adding the benefit of having a dedicated outside source to play their goods and skill for a substantial profit.
While a large contingent of dwarven forces were mobilized in the blockade of the Seanchaisian territories when the Blight was called down, there remained a vast majority of their armies within the confines of Underhome at the time of the initial impact. The dwarven marines were lost entirely as the ships used in the blockade were destroyed, but much to the dwarves credit, they were able to mobilize quickly within their realm to muster a defense against the creatures that swarmed up and out of the Void that was quickly filling the outer tunnels and caverns of their home. For four days the fighting below the surface of the mountains raged, with the dwarves utilizing every tool and soldier in their arsenal to defend Underhome, however, sadly it was a lost cause as the shadowy horrors of the Void spread through their vast domain from all directions and quickly overcame the majority of their forces. The Blight Born terrors pushed the dwarves back to their capitol city beneath the mountains of Grundhome and it was there they made their stand and held the line, temporarily pushing back the throng of ceaseless and hungry creatures that had dominated the area. Sadly, in the midst of this the gnomes in the heart of the mountains above were left with no way to escape the onslaught and were wiped out in a short matter of time, though no one can say for sure how long they held out.
The mountains remained as the lives of those that lived within it ebbed and slowed and fell away, and as the dwarven clans split, it was once again to the mountains they came, the Culvarky making their way to the highest peaks and beginning to construct their empire, which eventually became one of the largest economic powers in the world.
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Mountain Range
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