Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains dominate the northern part of the continent, stretching from the Lands of Ash in the west to Scalados in the east. The northern Blue Mountains make up most of the territory of Terrónsta, while Erdelan and Draxhaven occupy much of the rest of the range. The northern border of the Dreibach Empire and the westernmost border region of the Kingdom of Scalados abut the mountain range's southern and eastern edges, respectively. In the north, the mountains rise to unclimbable heights; somewhere beyond this, they become the Elemental Plane of Earth.   Many rivers and streams begin in the highlands of the Blue Mountains. Major rivers with their source in the Blue Mountains include the Lüdda River, the Aikovaski River, and the Ilduinë River.

Ancient legends say that the Blue Mountains grew out of the Elemental Plane of Earth to form around Bahamut and Tiamat, as a nest from which to raise the first metallic dragons during the Age of Audacity. When Bahamut left the nest at the behest of Corellon Latharien, his former companion raged across the continent creating the chromatic dragons; of the five known colors of chromatic dragon, one (the white dragon) originated in the Blue Mountains, within the glacial caves of the Thermocline Grotto.   Though the first ancestors of the modern Dwarf predate the Blue Mountains' formation, the mountains have become the heart of the Dwarven homeland over the millennia. The mythos of central Erdelanian culture holds that the shattered bones of Ýmir, the fallen Titan father of the dwarves, are the source of the mountains' rich, varied, and abundant mineral resources.   At the end of the Age of Anxiety, Scala I traveled deep into the Blue Mountains to climb Caelestë-Materiae, the highest peak known to the elves, and beg for mercy from the gods of the Wild Dynasty. The resulting negotiation, while certainly not the only factor in the end of the age, led to the formation of the Kingdom of Scalados and its dominant religious practice.   After Bahamut's ascension to godhood at the beginning of the Age of Integrity, the Dragonborn are said to have appeared at the precise site of his initial nest. This is located deep within the heart of the dragonborn-controlled regions of Draxhaven and kept a closely guarded secret to all but the Golden Guard.   Effective crossing of portions of the Blue Mountains has proved a key challenge, and often a key turning point, in a number of international wars across history. The defense of Dodiöu Réijmí in the Skårlanvuori War, though mainly reliant on the city-state's technological superiority, was greatly helped by their advantageous position in the mountains in relation to the inexperienced overland fighters of Erdelan. Several thousand years later, the resurgent Kingdom of Erdelan used their much-improved knowledge of the mountains to great effect in the War of Great Sorrow, securing them victory in the Siege of Bjália.