Frozen Horn Mountains

The Frozen Horn Mountains is a harsh and bare mountainous wasteland of ice and snow with little to no vegetation. It stretches from the tip of the Aeron dragon's horn to the beginning of the upper fang. In the middle of it is a glacier, known as the Black Ice Glacier, named after its ice that appears to be black. The only creature able to live there is the millennia-old Glacier Wyvern, the ruler of the Iced Horn Mountains.

The short growing season during the months of bloom and sun would allow for some plant life to emerge, although it is limited in diversity and distribution due to the harsh climate. Cold-resistant plants like mosses, lichens, and some hardy shrubs and trees are the primary producers, providing the foundation of the food chain.
The herbivores, such as Snow Grazers, Peak Jumpers, Ice Browsers, and cold-adapted rodents, play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They feed on the limited plant matter available, utilizing various strategies to find and access vegetation. Their feeding activities help control plant growth and shape the distribution of plant species.
The predators in this ecosystem, such as Ice Dragons, Snow Wyverns, Frost Wyrms, and Snowflake Dragonets, would primarily feed on the herbivores. They are at the top of the food chain, regulating herbivore populations and maintaining ecological balance. Their presence would prevent herbivore overgrazing and promote the survival of the fittest among the prey species.
In this challenging environment, scavengers and decomposers, such as Snow Ravens, Frost Foxes, Frozen Beetles and some cold-resistant funghi, play a vital role in recycling nutrients. They break down the remains of both plants and animals, returning essential nutrients to the soil and supporting the growth of the limited plant life.

Rain Season:
This season, characterised by continuous snowfall, has the least noticeable impact on the ecosystem. Organisms continue their adaptations for cold and snow, with predators still hunting and scavengers scavenging, as food availability remains low.

Leaf Season:
As the weather becomes colder, the herbivores start seeking out remaining plant matter and preparing for the harsher seasons ahead. Some migrate to lower altitudes or more sheltered areas to find food, while others rely on stored energy reserves.

Frost Season:
With the onset of freezing conditions, many organisms hibernate or enter a state of reduced activity to conserve energy. Predators like Ice Dragons and Snow Wyverns rely on stored fat and energy reserves during this time, as hunting becomes challenging due to reduced prey availability.

Bloom Season:
As the weather slightly warms, the short burst of plant growth triggers a chain reaction. Herbivores emerge from hibernation or reduced activity to feed on the newly sprouted vegetation. This leads to a burst of activity and energy expenditure among the herbivores.

Sun Season:
During the warmer months, the flora and fauna experience a period of heightened activity. Creatures procreate and raise their young, taking advantage of the relatively abundant food. Predators are also active, hunting the increased number of herbivores for sustenance and their young.

In the region of the Black Ice Glacier, there is a harsh blizzard blowing almost the entire year. This storm is conjured by the enormous amount of magic energy stored within the Black Ice Glacier.

The Frozen Horn Mountains is a frozen wasteland, which is usually overcast and snowing all year round. During the months of bloom and sun, the flora has a chance to grow, but not for very long. Around the Black Ice Glacier, there is usually a heavy blizzard due to the ancient ice magic contained within the glacier.

Flora
Trees:
The Frozen Horn Mountains are a difficult place for plant life to grow and prosper. However, some hardy trees such as needle trees and star-leafed trees have made the bottoms of the mountains their home.
Small Plants:
In the shelter of the trees, some cold-resistant shrubs and mosses have managed to grow and populate the ground.

Fauna
Herbivores:
The herbivores of the Frozen Horn Mountains are tough and have found a way to survive the harsh conditions and the predators. Snow Grazers live in large herds around the bottom of the mountains and feed on the shrubs and lower parts of the trees. Peak Jumpers populate the tops of the mountains and make do with the little vegetation that grows there. Ice Browsers majestically move in pairs through centimetre-thick snow in the valleys between the mountains. They are the only known herbivore of the Frozen Horn Mountains that will fight their attackers.
Carnivores:
Dragons are the only predators of the Frozen Horn Mountains. Ice Dragons are the largest predators of the region and the only ones capable of taking down Ice Browsers with minimal injury to themselves. They usually hunt in pairs and claim one entire valley as their territory. Snow Wyverns are the second-largest predators and are mostly found on the peaks of the mountains hunting Peak Jumpers. They live in small groups of two to three pairs of wyverns and they help each other with raising young and hunting prey. Frost Wyrms are the only ground-dwelling dragon of the Frozen Horn Mountains, most often found in the woodlands at the bottom of the mountains. They clump together in packs of up to ten members and hunt their favourite prey, the Snow Grazer, well-coordinated. Snowflake Dragonets are found anywhere their favourite food is found. They love to hunt families of rodents and run them through the snow. Being as small as they are, the Dragonets are often found in groups of up to twenty-five members.

The Frozen Horn Mountains were only a barren wasteland before the first dragon arrived millions of years ago. A Sun Dragon had ventured from the Sunneva Volcanoes over to the Black Ice Glacier out of curiosity. She then got turned into the Glacier Wyvern by the magic contained within the glacier. At the time of her transformation, the Sun Dragon was carrying eggs. When these hatched, it was the birth of the first Ice Dragons. Over time, the Snow Wyverns and Snowflake Dragonets evolved from the Ice Dragons, occupying their own ecological niches. A few million years later, the Frost Wyrms joined the growing dragon population after their ancestors adapted to the harsh environment.
Before the emergence of mammals on the continent, dragons fed on other larger reptiles. This quickly changed, with the Ice Browsers, Snow Grazers and Peak Jumpers evolving in the Frozen Horn Mountains.