L O S T
Mountains of Draidori:
Daamias, The Ice Mountains
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Located along the easternmost reaches of Draidori, Daamias is the largest mountain range on the continent and is set in an almost complete state of twilight. Said to be the specific origin of Solein's name, given the ever-orange hue to the region's sky, it is one of the oldest and most defensible positions in Draidori - possibly all of Solein - and once housed not only the Province's Jarl but a former High King of Draidori itself. The climate is bleak, as though set in an eternal winter, with frozen caps atop each peak.
While there are various minor settlements dotted along the mountain range, albeit mostly at its base, the only significant one is Govoldeim, a vast Citadel nestled into the snowy peaks. It is so ancient and impenetrable that its people deem Govoldeim and Daamias itself another Province entirely. Whilst the rest of Solein refuse to acknowledge this claim, there has never been a successful attack on Govoldeim to assert Draidori's hold over it.
You may think that the cold climate would be enough to starve them out, but the people of Daamias have developed methods to remain self-sufficient over the years. Despite the frigid landscape that Govoldeim is set into, it houses numerous glass structures which utilize the ever present dusk sun to its full potential - heating up the air within to allow for optimum conditions in which to grow crops and in turn farm animals.
Noushath, The Eastern Crag
When compared to its counterparts across Solein, Noushath is somewhat insignificant with very few peaks and weathered-out regions that make it appear more like a skeletal structure than an actual mountain range. Having its own beauty, Nousath is home to a variety of still lakes that seep between its valleys; it is also deemed an adventurer's dream, being a natural treasure trove of caves and coves.
It is filled with a vast array of wildlife including some marine animals drawn in from the eastern coast. Due to its proximity to both the harsh northern snows and southern heat, it's not unheard of to see a large range of migratory species' depending on the time of year, with the most notable summer editions being the Khallik and the Beph. The only settlements around Noushath are fishing communities which take advantage of the climate's various species' to make a living.
It is filled with a vast array of wildlife including some marine animals drawn in from the eastern coast. Due to its proximity to both the harsh northern snows and southern heat, it's not unheard of to see a large range of migratory species' depending on the time of year, with the most notable summer editions being the Khallik and the Beph. The only settlements around Noushath are fishing communities which take advantage of the climate's various species' to make a living.
Mountains of Xaizhaim:
Sciakkeik, The Red Hill
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While its name is partially deceptive, the Red Hill is indeed made up of dusty red sandstone and granite which leaves it crumbly in parts and dense in others. Sciakkeik literally splits the nation in two and sets borders between the Provinces of Qomdet and Zekram that have existed for millennia. Perhaps the most solid origin of its name, Scaikkeik is home to an active volcano - Ryttiph - that erupts once every fifty years.
The river of lava it produces runs down granite channels in the desert to Ostan's Waste, which is a wide open gorge in the ground that houses a constant pool of magma several feet beneath the surface. During the eruption, the lava which is added will bring the pool closer to the surface - yet in the decades which follow it slowly settles back down with the shifting of the planets tectonic plates. The first few years of each cycle make Ostan's Waste especially dangerous to travel close to.
Naturally, no settlements have been made near Ryttiph, however there are still Cities that reside close to or even hewn into the mountain range itself. The most notable of these is Mhastuedd, the central hub of Xaizhaim's trade. It is deemed a neutral City, with inhabitants owing their allegiance purely to Xaizhaim's Emir rather than either of the Provinces' Mirza. Naturally, it is the formal home of Vylloux Oshuyk, Emir of Xaizhaim, and tends to be the only area of the Emirate that outsiders get to visit.
Qeikrern, The Serpent's Pass
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Acting as a natural border between Xaizhaim and Mhosmuirr, Qeikrern's twisted path across the continent is all that stops the spread of the Mhosmuirri's dreams of expansion. Dubbed the Serpents Pass, due to its treacherous landscape and reptilian wildlife, its presence in Qomdet makes it the Emirates strongest position and greatest weapon against potential land invasion. The desert heat blows great sandstorms north, making a southern descent perilous without pre-knowledge of the mountain range's paths.
The lack of any visible water source along the viable travel routes can prove just as deadly to the untrained wanderer than the heat or snakes alone, and many of the seemingly safe sources that can be found have been contaminated over time due to stagnancy. When the Mhosmurri Province of Khenti was apart of the former Xaizhaim Empire, caravan trails had been set up for ease of passage. Now it is punishable by law to escort outsiders through the Pass, with offenders facing anything from imprisonment to death.
Former watchtowers and travelers rest stops lay abandoned, yet within a far enough distance from one another that finding your way through the mountain range by using them is almost impossible - and being the longest range Solein has to offer, it's difficult to find another way through or around them by land. Don't be deceived by how thin they might look on any hand drawn map - these mountains are miles wide.
Mountains of Mhosmuirr:
Trismir, The Eagle's Summit
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Aptly named, Trismir boasts the highest peaks and summits of all Solein's mountain ranges. With the tops lost to the clouds, it's no surprise that few have ever ascended to the top - with fewer still making it back down alive. Historically Trismir was housed within the former Xaizhaim Empire, however its Province - Scouhl - was the first to fall to the Mhosmurri and as such it has become more firmly rooted within its customs than any of the other Provinces, excluding Thuldis.
Carved into the face of one of the lesser - but still just as imposing - peaks is one of Solein's greatest and most distinguished locations, Vomrahl, a white-stone Citadel that would put Govoldeim to shame. The largest structure ever created upon Solein, it is noted as almost disappearing into the rock it was made from if viewed from a certain angle. It houses the Emperor of the Sun and is said to be where the majority of Mhosmuirr's military forces are trained.
While Vomrahl is accessible, the majority of Trismir has not been explored, owing to the fact that there is little to attract individuals to the western face where nothing save a few small yet hardy villages and the coast lie. It is said that Vomrahl, and in turn Trismir, has become the central hub of Solein, and the known paths leading towards the Citadel are some of the most heavily policed in all the land.