The Valkizek Mountain Range is a mountain range in the southwest of the island of Elysia. The range is named for the three former Elysian states of Valmir, Kiba, and Nezzek, which had portions of the range within their borders.
Geography
The Valkizek Mountain Range is home to a number of peaks, the tallest of which is named The Hammer's Head Mountain, after the Hero of Elysia and former Emperor Hestia Ardonos. It is said that their remains are entombed within the mountain, alongside those of their spouses. Those who have climbed the mountain have claimed that the view is better than even that of the former royal palace, suggesting that this place was chosen to grant Hestia a view of a world he helped improve, despite their own self doubt.
The Valkizek Range is also home to the Crystal Sickle Caverns, a vast expanse of caves named after Daniel Menderes, a close friend of Emperor Ardonos who was lost in this cave system. To commemorate his fallen ally, the Emperor decreed the cavern be named after his nickname, "Sickle", which he had earned during his days as a parole officer. The overarching structure of the caves itself resembles a sickle's curved blade, making the new name a fitting one.
Local Environment
The peaks of the mountains are covered in near-constant snowfall, with the rest of the range being barren and devoid of life as a result of the Age of Collapse. What animal life can survive on the island has adapted to the harsh climate, with thick hides covering solid bone. These beasts barely resemble the animal life that once inhabited the island, appearing more akin to the prehistoric creatures that roamed the world of Yrnath millenia prior.
