Abbor-Alz Mountains

• The Abbor-Alz are old mountains, weathered into sharp ridges, narrow passes, and broken plateaus.
• The northern slopes gradually fade into the central Flanaess, but the southern faces drop steeply into the shimmering Bright Desert.
• The range is largely arid, save for scattered highland springs, oases, and seasonal runoff that gives rise to hidden valleys with tenacious vegetation.

Notable Features

1. Copperplate Cliffs
These reddish-orange escarpments, rich in exposed metal veins, shimmer at sunset and give the illusion of burning hills. The area was once home to dwarven and gnome mining operations, now abandoned or overrun by strange creatures.

2. The Stone Wombs
Scattered throughout the high valleys are cyclopean ruins built by unknown hands. These vault-like chambers, carved directly into cliff faces, are filled with ancient burial relics and forbidden inscriptions, often watched by stone guardians or desert spirits.

3. Highwatch
A solitary fortress-monastery built by the Silent Sentinels, a reclusive sect of monks who observe the desert for signs of arcane upheaval. They believe the Bright Desert is waking from a long slumber, and they watch the horizon like it might blink.

4. The Dragonspine Ridge
A winding ridge shaped like the spine of some long-dead titan, said to be the burial site of a gold dragon slain by a fallen hero. Superstitious locals claim the dragon’s spirit still guards the high trails, bringing misfortune to those who tread without purpose.

5. Zirnakaynin’s Scar
An enormous gouge on the eastern edge of the range, left by a cataclysmic spell during the reign of the archmage Rary. The Scar pulses faintly with magic, and strange weather patterns hover near it year-round. Some say it leads to buried arcane chambers or a dormant planar rift.

Inhabitants and Hazards

• Gnoll tribes, manticores, and griffons prowl the heights, especially near remote passes.
• Mountain lions, giant eagles, and basilisks have carved out small territories.
• Ruins and caves may host undead miners, elemental echoes, or rogue constructs left behind from forgotten wars or experiments.

Small bands of independent prospectors, exiled sorcerers, and wandering sages sometimes take refuge in the range—though few last long without protection or allies.

Cultural and Historical Role

• The Abbor-Alz has always been a natural barrier, especially during the Sueloise migrations and the Baklunish wars.
• In ancient times, the mountains were believed to house hidden libraries and sealed temples—many destroyed or lost after Rary the Traitor made his bid for dominance.
• Oral traditions from surrounding nomadic peoples describe the mountains as the bones of the world, sacred and not to be mined without offering tribute.

Modern Relevance

• The archmage Rary, now based in the Bright Desert, has been sending expeditions into the mountains, searching for artifacts, ruins, and weapons from a bygone age.
• Agents of the Circle of Eight, desert nomads, and treasure hunters regularly clash in the shadows of the peaks, often unaware of the older, deeper powers that stir beneath.