Sereskalen Mountains

The Geography of the Sereskalens is constantly changing due to seasonal snowmelt-fed rivers, glaciers, avalanches, and more. The Sereskalen Mountains averaging nearly 15,000 feet with its tallest peak being 19,700 feet tall. Annually, the drastic snowfall and rain that pummels these mountains leads to avalanches, rockslides, and snowmelt which constantly shifts and changes these mountains, making some roads impassable while others may still be able to cross. The roads through these mountains are always at risk and many advise that you travel light and through the summer for the best chance to survive. Besides that, the rivers often shift, cutting through new rock and new caves that emerge. Not only that, but the Sereskalen Mountains are on an active fault line, meaning they are constantly growing and are prone to earthquakes and possible volcanism.

The climate of the highest points of the Sereskalen Mountains is frigid and snowbound nearly year round, but its deep lower valleys are often filled with dense evergreen forests and alpine meadows, as well as small creeks and streams that feed the icy mountain lakes. Much of the rain that comes to these mountains often comes from the eastern side, and much of the rivers that cover Azora begin from the snowmelt of these mountains. On the opposite side, the vast dry steppes of Drausk are a direct result of these peaks preventing much of the rainwater from reaching them, creating a vast plain with some deserts in many places.

Much of the narrow valleys of the Sereskalen Mountains are filled with the black-barked Serask Pine Trees, which are narrow conifers and are resistant to the cold and rot. Their wood and bark are often used in housing from the locals, as well as mountain shrines and woodposts that help keep the mountain traversable. It is also home to Rock Thistle, a small purple flowering plant that used in medicinal tinctures due to their natural numbing toxins.   As for animals, Silver Ibexes are often common in the highlands, using their silver white fur to blend into the snow and their large horns to defend from predators like the Cave Lynx and Ice Drakes. Cave Lynxes are large, solitary cat-like creatures that live in the large glacial caves and are known to attack its prey at great speeds. The Ice Drakes are one of the few dragons that still survives in the Sereskalen Mountains as many were driven to extinction by early Adrausii wanderers. Ice Drakes are a flightless dragon that can glide using leather skin-flaps, almost like a squirrel, and are known for their speed and dexterity which is provided by their narrow body and long tail.