Vulgnor's Range

Vulgnor's Range is a colossal, jagged spine of mountains stretching across the heart of the continent of Elastar. Towering peaks claw at the sky, their summits often crowned with thick layers of snow and ice, while the lower slopes are blanketed in dense coniferous forests and scattered alpine meadows. The range is named after the legendary dwarven hero Vulgnor Stonefury, said to have carved the first tunnels into the mountains’ heart during the Scarring to escape the magical blasts and broken pieces of the moon crashing into the world.

At the northernmost tip of the range looms Kazad’Zar, an awe-inspiring volcano, its smoldering peak casting an ever-present glow upon the clouds above. Rivers of hardened black basalt flow from its sides, remnants of ancient eruptions, and deep chasms vent sulfurous steam into the sky. The volcano serves as the heart of the dwarven industrial network, providing both danger and incredible power through its molten veins.

Beneath the surface, the mountains are a labyrinthine underworld of vast dwarven cities, glittering crystal caverns, and roaring subterranean forges. The deep mines of Vulgnor's Range are said to yield not only iron, gold, and precious gems, but also rare and mythical materials like Living Steel—a metal tempered in volcanic heat and nearly unbreakable.

The Range is home to the following people

• The Constitutional Monarchy of Khazad'Zar - a Council of Clans with democratically elected representatives share power with the High King Thaldrak Ironmantle. They are the most numerous under the mountain and have settled the most cities. Officially they're a Protectorate of The Empire of Mori and long standing allies of The Deep Republic of the Sverfneblin.
• The Deep Republic of the Sverfneblin - a technocracy of both elected and tenured Deep Gnome scientists, engineers and experts. The Leader, Grand Councilor Vilarin Stoneshaper, currently leads the Republic. They have been the scientific force behind the Dwarfs and have contributed many inventions to improve their industry and expand their holds in the mountain.

Deep under the mountain there's an entrance to the Underdark, a vast network of caverns that is said to span the entire world. Monsters and horrors inhabit these caverns and prey on any unlucky soul that enters their realm.

Legends also whisper of forgotten ruins buried deep within the mountain cores, remnants of civilizations even older than the dwarves. While the dwarves and gnomes have carved out their dominion within the range, the deeper tunnels are said to be haunted by ancient evils and shadowy creatures lurking in the dark.