Barrier Peaks
Rising like a wall of shattered stone from the western edge of Old Keoland, the Barrier Peaks are a forbidding and largely unexplored mountain range. These rugged highlands form a natural border between the Flanaess and the unknown lands to the west. Towering, snow-draped summits, deep alpine valleys, and shadowed canyons define this wild region, making travel difficult and settlement rare. But what truly sets the Barrier Peaks apart is not their geography—it is their unnatural secrets.
The Barrier Peaks are not merely mountains—they are a threshold between worlds. Here, the natural and the unnatural blur, and the bravest who enter may find wonders beyond imagining—or horrors never meant to be seen by mortals.
For those willing to risk their minds and their lives, the Barrier Peaks offer both mystery and marvel. But in these heights, knowledge can be more dangerous than ignorance.
Geography
The Peaks span hundreds of miles, their icy ridges and forested lower slopes forming an impassable barrier between Keoland and the distant west. Sheer cliffs, deep ravines, and constant storms hinder travel, and few passes are known—fewer still are safe.
- Perpetual fog and lightning storms plague the higher altitudes.
- Glacial runoff forms swift, cold rivers that cut through valleys below.
- Fey-touched groves and eldritch rock formations hint at long-forgotten magic—or stranger origins.
Though the range is technically part of Keoland, it is only loosely held. Most Keoish maps simply mark it as “Wilderness—Unclaimed.”
Fauna & Flora
The Barrier Peaks are infamous not just for their deadly terrain, but for the strange and often alien monsters said to dwell within. Unlike the giants or dragons of other mountain chains, the creatures here seem out of place—wrong, even by the standards of the wilds.
- Locals whisper of metallic beasts, floating constructs, and plants that bleed light.
- Some travelers report smooth-walled chambers buried beneath the peaks, lit by cold fire and filled with incomprehensible machinery.
- Aberrant horrors, mutated fauna, and creatures with no place in any natural order are said to haunt the higher slopes and hidden valleys.
Such rumors are often dismissed as madness—until one sees the unnatural glow cresting a ridge at night.
Natural Resources
Though inhospitable, the Barrier Peaks hold strategic value for Keoland and its surrounding realms. The few accessible passes are watched by Keoish border forts, mostly to prevent incursions by monsters or otherworldly forces.
- The Duchy of Geoff and Gran March keep distant watch, wary of the strange dangers.
- Some noble families fund exploration missions or seek to recover “sky-metal” artifacts rumored to exist within.
Still, no permanent settlement has ever taken root beyond the foothills.
History
Perhaps the most enduring tale tied to the Barrier Peaks is that of the crash. Centuries ago—long before Keoland’s rise—something immense is said to have fallen from the sky and struck the mountains with a thunder that shook the world. Some call it a celestial chariot, others a fallen star, but the stories agree: it brought strange metal, alien power, and the monsters now found nowhere else.
Adventurers who delve deep enough speak of sealed doors, metal corridors, and machines that think, though few return unchanged—if at all.
Tourism
The Peaks are a magnet for scholars, treasure-seekers, and madmen, all drawn by stories of:
- Artifacts of alien origin
- Vaults of lost power
- Ruins of a civilization not of Oerth
But with every promise of treasure comes deadly risk: gravity-defying beasts, mind-warping energies, and environments that defy magic itself.
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