Glimmer Mountains

The Glimmer Mountains rest along the south east of Westemär, separating the nation from Caspia. This large stretch of great snow-capped mountains is home to the tallest summits on the continent. On a sunny day, the icy peaks shine and gleam in the light, which may be why they have their name, but a more likely reason is the large deposits of silver, gold, coal, and gemstones. When the dwarves first returned to the surface, they built some of their first citadels along the peaks. While few remain occupied today, many dwarven communities remain in the foothills.

Ruins of Glitter Peak

The most glorious and famous dwarven keep was built on Glitter Peak — a massive stone-carved city protruding from the pinnacle of what was once the tallest mountain in the world. If the dwarves ever had anything resembling a true empire, Glitter Peak was certainly its capital. The city was home to thousands, and was said to descend deep through the mountain and miles into the earth below. Brilliant dwarven engineering constructed a vast net work of pipelines, levers, and tunnels that established wondrous water-based lifts stretching down the mountain, which allowed the dwarves to easily haul mined ores from dizzying heights. Dwarven greybeards tell how the entire side of the mountain was carved out to house foundries, workshops, and homes. Even the lower valley was part of this great dwarven realm, which fought bitterly to maintain its independence against the Arcane Empire.

Today, however, the great dwarven city lies in ruin. Glitter Peak collapsed in a massive landslide which destroyed the city over a thousand years ago. Accounts differ on what exactly caused the disaster. Many claim dwarves grew greedy, and hollowed out the mountainside to a point where it could not sustain its own weight. Others believe the city was destroyed by a magical earthquake conjured by a vengeful sorcerer-king. Either way, since the city’s destruction, the dwarves no longer live high in the mountain, and instead keep to the lower valley and foothills. Others moved to communities spread throughout the continent and adopted more traditional lifestyles as smiths or masons. The ruins of Glitter Peak now stand as a grim reminder to the dwarven people of their lost glory. Who can say what untold treasures and wonders of dwarven engineering lie buried beneath the mountain?