Ashen Peaks

The Ashen Peaks are a vast and volatile mountain range on the southern edge of the Shattered Frontier. It is a place of jagged obsidian ridges, deep volcanic rifts, and valleys laced with unpredictable tectonic movement. The landscape constantly shifts: lave tubes collapse, new fumaroles emerge, and once-stable trails vanish in the span of weeks. Many peaks smoke with residual volcanic activity, and earthquakes ripple though the region almost daily.

Key Landmarks

The Emberhearth Caldera: A dormant volcano housing a subterranean temple used by mystics.

The Ferrizite Mines: Can be found here.

The Shifting Pass: A narrow, ever-changing route used by nomads to traverse the peaks.

Despite the harshness, the ecosystem of the Ashen Peaks is robust, relying heavily on extreme adaptation. Hardy, thermophilic plants and fungi grow in mineral-rich soil, while certain predators, like the Scorch Serpent, can thrive in geothermal vents. Many of the Ashlanders have domesticated certain resilient creatures like smoke lizards for warmth and protection.

Adaptability is key: plants open their fire-resistant leaves during cooler dusk hours, and animals burrow deep into the arm earth during seismic flare-ups.

The ecosystem goes through three cycles every year.

• Ashfall Season: Thick, choking ash blankets the region for months.
• Sulfur Bloom: A sudden eruption of geothermal gas causes sulfur-based algae and bacteria to spread across crevices and lakes.
• Quake Season: Massive tectonic shifts change the landscape, destroy settlements, and reveal new resources or buried ruins.

Skyfire Storms: Electrified ash clouds spiral through the mountains, igniting anything flammable and forcing inhabitants into deep shelters.

Magnetide Winds: Periodic magnetic storms disrupt navigation, arcane compasses, and even interfere with memory.

Whispering Rifts: Rumored to be the mouths of ancient spirits, these crack emit haunting voice during tremors. Mystic consider them omens.

The Ashen Peaks are volatile with an ever-changing climate. It's been shaped by intense geothermal activity ad sporadic magickal interference. While lower slopes experience dry, rocky winders, the upper reaches are subjected to a chaotic mixture of icy hail, scalding heat waves, and sudden electrical storms.

Temperatures can swing dramatically from subzero nights to blistering midday heat within a single cycle. Thick ash clouds often obscure the sky, muting light and creating a permanent overcast glow, tined red or gray depending on volcanic vent activity. Magickally charged storm, known as "Sky Rifts", are common during the Sulfur Bloom season.

Ironvine: A semi-metallic plant used for wires and tools, absorbing minerals from the soil.

Ashroot Bloom: A luminous fungal growth that provides warmth and light, often grown in shelters.

Scorch Serpent: A magma-dwelling predator resistant to heat and attracted to movement.

Glarebats: Nocturnal flying creatures who photosensitive wings that nomads use to forecast volcanic activity.

Regular Ferrixite Ore: Harvested year-round in the low ranges.

Obsidian Shards, Sulfur, and Elemental Ash are also gathered, often by Ashlander guilds or Order-sanctioned prospectors.

Conflict over these resources is common, especially when The Order of the Silver Dawn feels others factions are getting the upperhand.

The Ashen Peaks were once part of a vast, fertile mountain belt before a series of cataclysmic eruptions reshaped the region centuries ago. The Ashlanders believe their ancestors struck a pact with elemental forces for survival, while official histories suggest the land was abandoned after failed mining operations.

The Sundering March: An Order expedition tried to tame the peaks but was lost—some say absorbed by the mountains themselves.

The Ashen Peaks attract only the bold.

• Scholars seek geomantic data.
• Mystics visit the Emberhearth for visions or to enter communion with elemental forces.
• Thrill-seekers climb unstable ridges for glory, though many are never seen again.

Most tourism is highly regulated. It is advised to have a guide and survival wards due to the region's unpredictable hostility.