Great Furnaces
Rugged mountains conceal a civilization beneath towering peaks, with glowing forges illuminating once-dark caverns carved within the behemoths. A chill fills the winding tunnels until a city comes into view, warming the air and bringing excitement to those who travel. The world beneath the mountains is a labyrinth, twists and turns carved delicately into thousands of tons of dark stone, all for the purpose of a home, one that has been claimed by the same people for as long as they have walked the land. These people named the mountains after their own exploits, carving more than just rock as the centuries have passed.
The mountains were given their name due to what they are to us. Within these caverns, we have built homes and forges, creating a civilization of craftsmen beyond what was thought possible. These crags are our divine right.The Great Furnaces are one of two great mountain ranges that cross the Northern Continent, but they are by far the most forgiving. Throughout the centuries, the mountains and forest above have remained unchanged. At the same time, a maze of caverns, tunnels, and other areas has been carved away by expert hands to create the Dwarven Kingdom and the best forges found throughout the world. Reaching from the Cradle of Clay in the north and the Little Greenwood in the south, the Great Furnaces cover a large portion of the eastern edge of the Northern Continent, separating the Great Plains from the sea. While considered a confusing mess to many, the areas beneath the Great Furnaces are probably the most well-mapped area of Vóreios due to the incessant need of the Dwarves to gain knowledge and create better. Because of this, the Great Furnaces is a name used to describe the mountain range, but refers more to the land below, while the Timbers of the Furnace is used to describe the forest and areas of the surface. Traveling through the Great Furnaces is much like entering a new world, one that is separate from both the surface world and the Great Tunnel and Káto even farther below.
Geography
The Great Furnaces cover hundreds of miles near the eastern edge of the Northern Continent. Stretching from the Cradle of Clay to the Little Greenwood, the smaller range separates the Great Plains from the sea. Only small waterways originate here, named by the Dwarves that live close by.
A forest known as the Timbers of the Furnace covers the entire range and spreads eastward at the base towards the sea. Because of the heat of the forges below, this forest is not like others, and few venture there. The geography of both the mountains and the forest keeps a great deal of people out of the Dwarven Kingdom.
Beneath the mountain, the climate ranges from warm to cool, based on one’s proximity to the large forges that are often found in villages in cities. Larger cities may have multiple forges that cause warmer temperatures and even their own winds. Tunnels farther away from settlements are relatively cool, but do not often drop below freezing unless near an opening on the surface.
Localized Phenomena
The weather of the Great Furnaces is not dictated by what occurs on the surface. While areas near openings
Great Furnaces
Great Furnaces
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Landscape via Artbreeder, created by RiverFang
The Great Furnaces are home to the Dwarven Kingdom, a kingdom that prefers winding tunnels and large caverns to the openness of the surface. Most cities of the Dwarven Kingdom are beneath the peaks of the mountains, but a few can be found at the bases of the mountains or hidden within the Timbers of the Furnace.
Fauna & Flora
Spicedfur Bear
Spicedfur Bears are commonly found in areas surrounding the Dwarven Kingdom in the Great Furnaces. While not subterranean bears, these creatures prefer the caverns and caves that are often dug out along the Dwarven tunnel system to make their homes.
The Great Furnaces are home to a number of flora and fauna, above and below ground. Above ground, it is common to find a variety of Bears, Wolves, and other predators that call the Timbers of the Furnace home, while below ground, cave-dwelling creatures, such as Weasels, Raccoons, and other small rodents, are more common. The Dwarves keep a number of different animals as pets, such as the Mine Canaries, but these creatures were either bred specifically for their assigned task or are not native to the Great Furnaces.
Natural flora is sparse in the caverns below the mountains. Mushrooms and other fungi are the most common, but the Dwarves have attempted to add greenery to their homes as much as possible. Many of the plants scattered throughout their cities come from the Great Tunnel and Káto, from depths that have no access to sunlight. These plants thrive in the tunnels where artificial sunlight is not used, but may struggle in cities where Mages are employed to bring the effects of sunlight to the underground.
Because of the viability of most plant and animal life in the caverns, the Dwarves rely on the Clay Giants to the north to supply items that normally come from livestock, such as meat and leather. Exotic animals used as pets are traded from the Silver Elves and Gem Dwarves in Káto, while medicinal herbs and other plants are imported from the Elven Forest and Fairy King's Wood. Measures have been put in place to allow more plants and animals to flourish in the conditions, but over the centuries, the Dwarves have found that trading and importing animals and plants for certain uses is more economical than cultivating them in the harsh tunnels.
Type
Mountain Range
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