The Ash Peaks
The Unclaimed Heights of Faulmoor
“The
AsholdestPeaks?tunnelsAdolandnotoffollowuntamedthebeautyore.andMinersforgottencallhistory!themEveryfailedridgeworkings,hidesbutafailedstory,workingseverygenerallycavebeginwhispersbyoffollowing somethinglostworthtodiggingtime.toward.”
The fools call it treacherous—I call it an open invitation. There’s glory to be found in those peaks, if one has the courage to claim it.
—EldrinVeydrithVarrow,Serrin,ExplorerLucentof the UnknownEndura
RisingThe in jagged defiance at the heart of Faulmoor, the Ash Peaks are a rugged and inhospitable mountain range borderingin theFaulmoor, capital.rising Whilenear not the tallest peaksValkenheim in thea land,region theyof dark rock, steep ravines, caves, misted ridges, and difficult passes. They remain only lightly controlled by House Valkenmar and are treacherousavoided enough to make passage through them perilous, forcingby most travelersordinary to take longer routes around. The mountains are composed of dark, craggy rock, their slopes veined with deep fissures and shadowed gullies, carved over centuries by relentless winds and cold, biting rains.travel.
Mist
Overview
The range is not exceptionally high by the standards of distant mountain country, but it is difficult to thecross. upperLoose ridges, often rolling down into the valleys below like a slow-moving tide, swallowing entire sections of the landscape in a suffocating fog. The peaks are crowned in jagged, uneven formations, some resembling the broken teeth of a long-dead giant, others standing tall and thin like the remains of a forgotten fortress. Cracked ravines,shale, hidden sinkholes, deep fissures, sudden fog, cold rain, and treacherouspoorly shalemapped depositsroutes make even theshort mostjourneys well-plannedunpredictable.
Natural unpredictable,caves mix with older cut tunnels and manyabandoned whoworkings. attemptSome towere maponce theused regionfor findmining, theirwhile pathsothers shiftinghave asno ifclearly theremembered mountains themselves are unwilling to be known.purpose.
Geography & Isolation
The Ash Peaks arehave riddlednever withsupported cavesthe kind of settled authority found in Faulmoor's lowlands. Small groups, isolated camps, prospectors, refugees, and forgottentravelers tunnels,may enter the range, but no power maintains dependable control across it.
History
Mining and exploration brought people into the Ash Peaks long before the Rotmire Blight. The Sveerla Mines were once an important excavation site before collapse, flooding, or abandonment ended large-scale work there.
The range also accumulated stories about ruins, buried chambers, and objects older than the institutions of modern Faulmoor. The lack of reliable maps has helped those stories survive because few expeditions can conclusively prove or disprove them.
Present Day
The Blight drove some natural,refugees othersinto carvedthe mountains in search of isolation. The peaks offer distance from heavily affected lowlands, but little food, difficult shelter, and no reliable protection.
Whether the Blight has established a lasting presence deep within the range is not publicly settled. House Valkenmar maintains little effective military presence beyond the more accessible approaches.
Explorers and relic-seekers continue to enter despite the risks, particularly those drawn by handsstories longof dead.old Amongmines these isand the legend of the Hollow King.
Notable Locations
Sveerla Mines,
The aSveerla thrivingMines excavationare siteabandoned forworkings valuablewithin mineralsthe range. Portions are collapsed or flooded, and metals.their Now,deeper itextent liesis abandoned, its depths flooded or collapsed, its wealth nothing but a memory. Those who venture into its ruined passages do so at great risk, for the mountain does not give up its secrets easily.uncertain.
At the heart of the range lies the
Valley of Ash,
The Valley of Ash is a desolatebarren stretch of land where the winds carry fine gray dust,material coatingis everythingcarried constantly by the wind. Its origin is unknown in asurviving dull,public lifeless sheen. The valley is said to be the result of an ancient calamity, though no records remain of what could have caused such devastation. The soil is barren, incapable of sustaining life, and travelers who pass through speak of an unnatural silence, as if the very air holds its breath.accounts.
High above the valley, jagged peaks give way to
The Shattered Spires,
The seriesShattered ofSpires toweringare tall, irregular rock formations thatoverlooking rise like broken fingers grasping at the sky. Some believe they were once the foundations of an ancient stronghold, now eroded beyond recognition. The wind howls eerily through the gaps in the stone, producing a sound that some claim is the whisper of long-dead voices carried on the air.
With the risepart of the Rotmirerange. Blight,Some desperatetraditions refugeesclaim fledthey intoare natural remnants; others interpret them as the mountains, seeking shelter from the horrors below. But the Ash Peaks are no sanctuary—the land is harsh, food is scarce, and those who call the peaks home must contend with predators, both mortal and otherwise. The Blight’s presence, if it has reached the mountains,eroded remains unconfirmed, but if the infection festers within the peaks, no one will be there to warn the lands below. The military presence of Housesomething Valkenmar does not extend here; the mountains are lawless, claimed only by those strong enough to endure them.constructed.
Rumors & Legends of the Ash Peaks
The Ash Peaks are steeped in mystery, their depths harboring tales of vanished explorers, ancient tombs, and spectral horrors. Few who enter return unchanged, and those who do whisper of things best left undisturbed.
The Hollow King Sleeps
Among the most enduring myths of the Ash Peaks is the legendStories of the Hollow King, describe a forgotten warrior whoseor throneruler stillconnected liesto a hidden chamber somewhere withinbeneath the mountains.peaks.
One ago,version of the tale claims miners inonce thefound Sveerla Mines stumbled upon an unnatural chamber—a black throne of strangeunfamiliar metal, carveddeep withbelow runesthe noSveerla scholarMines couldbefore decipher.the Theroute throneto it was empty,sealed butor those who laid eyes upon it claimed they felt an overwhelming presence, as if something was waiting to return. Shortly after, those miners vanished, and the tunnels leading to the chamber were sealed, ensuring that none would disturb what slumbered beneath the stone.lost.
The Crown of the Hollow King (Rumored Relic)
Those who have sought the relic have either vanished or returned empty-handed, speaking only of wrong turns, dead ends, and an unnatural sense of being watched. Some say the Hollow King’s power came from the crown itself, whilepower; others claim it wasserved merelyas a symbol,seal or symbol rather than a mark of his legend. Whether it grants strength, wisdom, or something far darker remains unknown.weapon.
ManyNo whopublicly hearverified therecovery legend dismiss it as folly, yet the whispers persist. Perhapsof the crown is stillknown, buriedand somewherestories deepabout beneathits thepowers mountain,differ untouchedwidely.