The Thinking Range

In the north of Dow is a relatively lightly-forested mountain range, rocky and precipitous in places, which forms many branching strings of mountains that divide the nearby forest into sections. Infused with neuron essence, the range is sentient, immensely powerful, and enforces certain rules of neutrality for their inhabitants (with landslides for extreme infractions), as well as creating navigable roads, convenient shelter-caves, terraces for houses/farming, and so on. As such, the Range acts as a cosmopolitan mixing pot for the relatively isolated surrounding areas.

As a vague telepath, the range cannot stand to feel death within its boarders, and as such prevents violence. It also organises a grand annual sporting/gladiatorial competition between the neighbouring territories, in an attempt to make peace between the orders.

It has only been sentient for 350 years or so, and in that time it (and the championship it organises) has largely reshaped the cultures of the area - there are those that resent this, and seek its destruction.
the origins of the neuron-infused rainstorm that created the mountains' sentience is unknown.

Geography

In each of the areas around the Range, a different infusion dominates and a different order of adepts masters an associated arts. These groups are all intensely opposed to each other, and only the neutrality of the range keeps them at an awkward peace.
adjacent regions:

• Pulmonary forest, home of the windsages. Lung-infused, where the wind blows regularly back and forth and the airy groves is form the end-points of branching networks of paths. The windsages are able to manipulate the air around them, creating blasts, whirls etc – they feel recoil from their wind that lets them to perform athletic jumps. Some can also manipulate their size, growing to giant size. Their order is organised around decentralised, nested cells that group upwards into clusters and then into lobes. Each cell is based around communal extended families and live together. They sleep in a single shared room where relaxation/recreation is also carried out, so they can hear each other's breathing. Songhorn rams live in this area.
• Ukcho ("Blackfrond", possessive Ukchoo), home of the leafdancers. Leaf-infused, with giant trees whose leaves are large enough to build houses on and bromeliads the size of normal trees. The leafdancers live in the canopy, whereas underneath, in the gloom, tribes of aye-aye infused humanoids stalk among the enormous black-fronded ferns of the forest floor. The leafdancers are organised into roaming groups each led by a charismatic leader whose word is final. Lacquered-leaf shields are a common item here.
• Floodroot, home of the water-archers, a flooded forest with giant archerfish. The locals channel this in order to fire jets of water with cutting force. Their training model is "1 master, 1 pupil", and the attitude is very dog-eat-dog, with almost wild-west gunslinger vibes.
• Scorch-shiver groves, home of the heat-bridgers, infused with both fire and ice. The heat-bridgers have the ability to heat one object, but they must simultaneously cool another (and vice versa). exists in a single large and centralised organisation.

Fauna & Flora

Thinking Range heroes dedicated to peace, working "for" the Range.

• Inical, Male water-archer - "fastest shot in Floodroot". has brother, Unahi.
• Ehal, Male water-archer/leafdancer - sniper.
• Evessei, Female Windsage - expert at enlargement. has sister, Alavei.
• Ohojji, female heat-bridger - cactus-infused, bald, sometimes mistaken for Sremic.

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

Dow