Blazing Ridge (Blaezihng Rihj)
Geography
Blazing Ridge is a mountain range, with five main mountain points standing out above the rest- Golden Spire, Autumn Summit, Painted Cliff, Jackson's Volcano, and Flaming Steep, while there are dozens of smaller mountains with names differing from town to town. Blazing Ridge gets it name from the angle of sunlight during sunrise and sunset- Locals say that during these times, it looks like the range is on fire. Another possible reason it gets its name could be from the mountain of Autumn Summit, where the trees are red year round, for an unknown reason.
Blazing Ridge is the largest mountain range in Beland, and it runs from east to west, almost cutting the landmass in half horizontally. with The Dread Tides to the west, and Billowing Bay to the East.
Ecosystem
While Blazing Ridge has a relatively low amount of animals compared to other areas, such as the forests of Denvar, it does still have a varying ecosystem from mountain to mountain. For example, Golden Spire is well known for its wyvern nests, which like to hoard the gold deposits which gave the mountain its name. Autumn Summit has a rich ecosystem of different woodland creatures, especially foxes and bears. Painted Cliff is home to some of the most colorful falcons in Beland, which like to swoop down into nearby villages for mice, dogs, and sometimes small children. Flaming Steep is home to several fish and salamanders, which like to reside in its hot springs. And Jackson's Volcano is nearly devoid of life, except for the red dragons which enjoy making lairs in the volcano.
Ecosystem Cycles
Interestingly, Blazing Ridge is not affected by seasons at all. It is autumn year round, as you can tell by the trees. Some scientists predict that Blazing Ridge may actually be affected by seasons, but due to its natural seclusion, it does not experience them as heavily. Another theory scientists favor is that the leaves in the trees are naturally red and orange, and it goes through seasons normally, but the trees keep their red leaves.
Localized Phenomena
Blazing Ridge is known for some of it's more hot locations - Jackson's Volcano and Flaming Steep, to name a few. Interestingly, Golden Spire sometimes reaches sub zero temperatures, contrary to beliefs that Blazing Ridge is always hot. Blazing Ridge also experiences its own unique phenomenon - Mountain Shifts. Every once in a while, the mountains will move by a few meters, almost like an earthquake just in the mountains. Scientists have not been able to find a pattern with the movements, and still have no explanation.
Climate
Blazing Ridge is thought to be hot and lava filled by many, although the only areas that are truly scorching are Jackson's Volcano and Flaming Steep. In some parts of the year, Golden Spire can even reach sub-zero temperatures, and Autumn's Summit can become frosted. However, the climate again varies from mountain to mountain- Golden Spire is almost always freezing, especially in the winter - Autumn's Summit is always cool, and occasionally varies by a few degrees. Painted Cliffs always have a summer temperature, which goes back to normal the farther down the cliff you go. Jackson's Volcano is always scorching, of course- and Flaming Steep is always coated in a heavy steam from its hot springs.
Fauna & Flora
The Flora & Fauna vary from mountain to mountain, but to summarize:
- Golden Spire has wyverns of all sorts, and sometimes snow leopards. There is no known flora, save moss.
- Autumn's Summit has the usual woodland animals- Wolves, Bears, Foxes, Squirrels, Deer, Etc. It also has a rich flora environment, with trees, grass, bushes, flowers, and even fruit.
- Painted Cliffs has a very unique bird residing there- the shimmering falcon, renowned for it's distinctive colorful markings. There is also rich flora- especially growing along the waterfalls.
- Jackson's Volcano is nearly devoid of life, save for red dragons.
- Flaming Steep has a unique ecosystem as well- There are unique lizards and fish which have adapted to the hot springs, and they live nearly without threat, save mountain climbers and poachers. Because of the lack of danger, they are very friendly and willing to be touched by humans.
Natural Resources
Blazing Ridge is a great natural resource for Beland, and hosts quite a few different materials-
To name a few,
- Minerals, especially from Golden Spire or Flaming Steep.
- Metals, especially from Golden Spire, Jackson's Volcano, or Painted Cliffs.
- Strong Wood, especially from Autumn's Summit or Painted Cliffs.
- Fresh Water, especially from Flaming Steep or Painted Cliffs.
- Exotic Animals, especially from Golden Spire, Flaming Steep, Jackson's Volcano, or Painted Cliffs.
Tourism
Blazing Ridge gets many adventurous tourists- especially on Autumn's Summit, or the Painted Cliffs. They standardly stay at a small tourist village- Ridge Resort. Ridge Resort lends cabins and rooms to tourists, where they stay for up to two weeks at a time. Due to the sensitive fauna of Flaming Steep, however, they only allow a select view on that mountain, and no guests are allowed on Jackson's Volcano or the Golden Spire.
Alternative Name(s)
The Mountains
Type
Mountain Range
Included Locations
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