THE STORMCRAGS
The most extensive mountain range in the known continents, The Stormcrags run across the center of the northeastern continent from its western coast just north of Duskmire, to the far east, where it fills most of the available land. As a natural barrier, they form the border between several nations. In the south, the mountains form the northern border of the Kingdom of Orelia, Yhord, and Khexstin. In the north, they form the southern border of Kaldrheimr and the Barbarian Kingdoms. This northern section across The Stormcrags is also considered a death trap to all but the most experienced explorers as it is filled with Giants, Ogres, Trolls, and all other manners of dangerous beasts. The mountains are also populated by Dwarves, Frost Elves, and Wood Elves, though most of these races reside in its far eastern reaches. And not originally native to the region, Orcs now infest the Eye of the Storm, a remnant from the Green March that once moved through the area.
In addition to the abundance of creatures living along its mountains, The Stormcrags have abundant natural resources. Silver, gold, iron, and even adamantine are found in various mines, with even magical resources like waterstone, wizardstone, blightstone, and mithral being common when they are scarce in other parts of the known world, adding to the riches of the nations that border the range.
Thol Dharum: The citadel of Thol Dharum has a troubled past, having changed hands several times throughout its history. Initially created and owned by Dwarves for a mining operation, it was taken over by Frost Giants, returned to Dwarves, taken by Orcs, and recently returned to Dwarves once more. While the constant changing of hands may bring into question its fortifications, it took decades and tremendous forces to take it each time it did fall eventually. Currently, and for the past several centuries, it has returned to Dwarven hands after one of the last remaining parts of the Green March was removed from it. Since then, a sense of normality has returned to the citadel. The Dwarves quickly rebuilt and repaired its structures and restarted the vast mining operation that winds through several mountains. While now a much more stable place, travelers from the outside are still rare, and most of its trade is actually done with Barak Virr instead of the much closer Kaldrheimer or the Kingdom of Orelia, though some small trade with both is not uncommon.
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Barak Virr: The first thing visitors to Barak Virr see are the massive iron curtain walls of the city, proud reminders of the glories of Dwarven architecture and engineering at their peak. However, once through the tunnels that provide the city's only access, one finds only trade and crafting chambers with low ceilings and few above-ground dwellings. Instead, the vast majority of Barak Virr lies below the surface, with the ancient foundation of the metropolis winding through the entire mountain before its tunnels finally enter the fortress-city most people refer to when they speak of Barak Virr. This fortress-city is the most populous of Dwarven citadels and is also known as the King's Crown; and Dwarves throughout the known continents regard Barrak Virr as the center of their culture due to its historical significance, and they would all march to its aid if it were ever under attack. This has made Barak Virr one of the oldest cities in the known world as it has never been taken, and if Dwarven lore is to be believed, it was the location that their race first dug up to the surface many ages ago. Whether true or not, today, Barak Virr stands as a metropolis and trade center rivaling New Eldor, Mirador, and the Well of Heaven.
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Thael Ennore: The oldest and most prominent Frost Elven city on the northeastern continent. Thael Ennore was built several thousand years ago, allowing several generations of frost elves to slowly expand and improve on its beauty until little else could match it in at least its visual spectacle. This, however, is a beauty that few outside of the race has ever seen, as the city is atop one of the largest and tallest mountains in the Stormcrags until the only visitors they ever receive are occasionally dwarves from Barak Virr wishing to do a bit of trade and the Frost Elves are quite content with this isolation. While there may not be many other peaceful visitors, the lands around Thael Ennore are filled with brutal and dangerous wildlife, with linnorms, frost worms, and frost giants attacking quite often. Still, the city's defenders are long since used to such threats. The magic they bring to bear against such enemies has made it so even the unintelligent ones naturally consider their territory a dangerous area and only attack when finding food elsewhere is impossible.
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Sylaserin: Though marked as a single city on most maps, there is actually no single city or village named Sylaserin; instead, it is the name that the Wood Elves use for the entire region of heavily forested mountains along the southern portion of the eastern Stormcrags. Throughout this area, Wood Elves have many interconnected small villages high up in the trees that all survive and protect the nature and wildlife that supports them, with Orcish threats being the most common. While usually, all of this would generally make a race relatively isolated, wood elves look back at failure after failure of ancient elven empires. They feel that their aim should be compassion and humility rather than political or military strength. Unlike many of their kin, Wood Elves feel that their fates are inextricably tied to those of the world's other races and make no effort to pull away or isolate themselves. So it is quite common for other races to visit the region and for wood elves to take up mentoring those wishing to learn their ways and become closer to nature.