Geography
Towering above the Taurius Mesa is a natural wall between the land of the Beastkin and the villages of Lilivia. It is a vast mountain range that both separates and connects the Penumbra Woodlands, the Western Golden Dunes, and the Taurius Mesa with one another.
From its lush lower passages and expanses, to the spines from which the rivers run, to the thundering peaks enveloped in snow and darkness. It is a region which can turn from paradise to a treacherous hellscape with a single wrong turn.
Resources are abundant here. The Spines of the Lifegiver got its name from the thousands of rivers that course down its heights like veins. Flowing freshwater into the lands below, that has made the surrounding regions hospitable in spite of the desert borders.
It is also a source of rare gems, iron for blades, copper for tech, and lead for bullets. Turning the Spines into a hotbed of conflict between the three neighbouring factions, and the resident goblin tribe.
Climate
The climate of the spines is wholly dominated by altitude. Its lower reaches are pleasantly warm all around the clock, with stable weather that has daily downpours, around morning and midday.
The upper reaches are temperate to cold, with irregular hails, the rare blizzards, and constant thunderstorms that wreck the peaks around seven to ten times a day. Lasting between seconds, to three quarters of an hour.
These changes in the Spines climate is what gives most of the upper reaches an abundance of life, while also causing fires that burn down alcoves of trees. Hence, why one wrong corner can take someone from a natural pleasure garden, to dancing around thunderbolts through burning woods.
Factions
Children of the Bloodsun
Traitors of the Golden Empire. From the Penumbra Region, the Penumbra X Nightfall Legion seeks to expand their domain. To them, the Spines are a crucial strategic frontier to conquer, as it would allow them to strike deep into the Empire’s territory. While at the same time protect their borders.
The Golden Empire
The Golden Empire seeks not the resources or the bounties of the Spines, but to control the region and establish a safe route for their airships to strike into Penumbra. If they would succeed in their claim of the Spines, a far less suicidal route into the heart of Luciano Penumbra’s domain opens.
The Taurius Conclave
Drawn to the current conflict,
Mordgore the Bloodaxe has led his horde to conquest of the Spines. His goal is to dominate the entire region, to expand the domain of the Beast and process the valuable materials within. If it means he has to crush some human skulls along the way, the more the better.
Stormwire Tribe
Local to the Spines, the Stormwire Tribe finds themselves caught in the middle of the escalating conflict. To them, the warfront is not just a threat to their home but also an opportunity. Their goals range from experimenting on live captives with their weapons and tech, as well as gathering slaves for the mines.
Conflict
The conflict began with the Nightfall Legion moving into the region. Crushing the goblin tribal settlements and processing the copper of the region. With the metal, they made massive spires and cable networks to channel the thunder into their machinery. The storms were also weaponized against the Golden Empire aerial flotilla.
As a direct invasion into the Penumbra Region would result in countless casualties, the Empire sent a contingency of the Imperial I Indomitus Legion to occupy the spines. Led by Primus-Legatus Aurelius Caesar, the Indomitus Legion engaged in several smaller skirmishes with the Nightfall Legion. When it became clear that they were barely winning any ground and that the goblin threat was far worse than a meager annoyance, the Vougliano VIII Harbinger Legion stepped in to assist.
The brutal methods of Dominus-Legatus Vladmyr Hydrus swiftly turned the tide for the Golden Empire. As his mountain specialist forces swiftly crushed the Nightfall and Stormwire forces in the lower southeast of the Spines.
As the conflict escalated, the bordering Taurius Mesa found themselves fascinated with the nearby battles. While the spines had not been attractive to them before, as they believed its peaks ruled by a malign thunder deity, things had now changed.
Mordgore the Bloodaxe brought his horde to the fight with the belief that the filthy gods of mankind would slay the wicked deity.
In a matter of days, the minotaur warlord had conquered vast swathes of the mountains and won several surprise skirmishes against the pigskins. Burning their camps and bases, as they came over the mad technology of both the Children of the Bloodsun, but also the Stormwire Tribe’s experiments.
As the Beast’s honour dictates, the Bloodaxe now had a deeper calling to conquer the mountains. To restore the sanctity of nature and crush the appalling experiments of the goblins.
He would however suffer the consequences of overextension early into his new crusade. Caught between both the Nightfall Legion and the Stormwire tribe, a large portion of his forces were divided and conquered. Pushing him out of the peaks.
With the factions now weakened, it was time for Megagoban the Megamagnificent to enact his vengeance. Striking from caves and tunnels, the goblin warboss conquered most of the peaks and even defeated an army led by Luciano Penumbra himself, in the field.
With footholds all over the mountains, the four factions quarrel for the ultimate price of the Spines. To hold all the thunderspires, so they can wash out their enemies.
Flora
The Spines have one of the most outrageous ecologies of any region that is untouched by magic. In the south, palms and acacia trees dominate the foot and lower reaches of the mountain range. In the north, especially around the peaks, it is filled with pine and birch trees. With the odd oaks scattered throughout the mountains.
In the south, grass, shrubbery and cacti patches with flowers dominate. Providing a plethora of food for local herbivores. Meanwhile, the north of the mountains is more barren and filled with dirt patches and the odd thorn bush. A lot of berries still grow here.
At the peaks, the land is mostly covered in snow. A rare assortment of flowers and herbs still grow here, often with properties that can counter frostbite and burns.
Fauna
While countless animals roam the Spines of the Lifegiver, some are far more famous either due to the danger they possess or the uses they have to the locals.
The most famous beast of the ranges is the Staghorned Goat. A wooly creature that both clothes and feeds the mortal inhabitants. The second favourite is the Penumbral Hardhoof. A large and majestic steed that are tamed and bred for the Nightfall Legions armies, as well as that of the Beastkin raiders of the Taurius Mesa.
The skies here are infamous for being hostile. Beyond the many species of gryphons that roost in the mountain, the basilisk is a creature that can singlehandedly make airships suffer if they come too close. They see the crews and ships' pantries as prey for the taking. The second problem for air traffic is the cacus. A winged sub-species of cow, that somehow grew a pallet for cannibalism and flesh of all kinds, along with firebreathing.
Among predatory species that scour the ground, one of the most common menaces is the greenhaired cougar. A large mountain cat that has evolved camouflage to sneak up on the goats and cacus of the region. The other is the grumbler. A creature similar to that of a stone golem, with an appetite for horsemeat - and their riders.
The grumbler pales in comparison to the apex of the Spines though. Here, one of the rarest breeds of pegasus exists. Known as the nightmare, or mare of night. A flesh eating monstrous horse with a semi-mortal intellect and magical abilities.
It is also rumoured that Luciano Penumbra rides one of these apex creatures into battle, after dominating it in a duel.
Artwork AI generated by: Midjourney
Article writen by: Tonarus
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