Mount Delphinus

Mount Delphinus, named for the wise and powerful Delphinus II, is the tallest mountain on all of Vesarca . The central peak of the frigid island of Charax, Mount Delphinus has captivated the Vesarcan imagination since its discovery in Vesarca’s age of exploration. Its prominent and dramatic profile have long graced the heraldry of Altaringian noble houses; it is not uncommon for battles to be fought with each side flying their own stylized representations of the mountain.

Like many awe-inspiring natural wonders, in ancient times, Mount Delphinus was given a divine character. Specifically, it was said to be the home of the gods worshiped by the old Altari people, who are now commonly known in modern scholarship as the “Delphinic” pantheon. Ruman, the Father of Frost, was said to rule from a palace at the very peak of Delphinus, and the Altari made lavish offerings to him not for his blessing, but to withhold his terrible, cold wrath. His lesser children were said to dwell in palaces below his, though still well above the clouds.

The interior of Charax is remote from civilization, as well as cold and inhospitable much of the year, so it is often preferred to view the mountain from more temperate isles in the nearby Sea of Charax. The mountain’s immense size and prominence over the surrounding area make it quite visible from hundreds of miles away. Nonetheless, small bands of intrepid mountaineers regularly attempt to summit the massive peak, and many intrepid mountaineers regularly die. The extreme heights of Mount Delphinus are supremely hostile to human life, and surviving them requires specialized gear not dissimilar to that needed in vacuum. The mortality rate has improved dramatically in the last century, but the undertaking is still exceptionally dangerous.

The first known mountaineer to successfully summit Delphinus was the serf Beynish ov Jaaklu, a servant of Count Velorum of Jaaklu. A seasoned mountaineer who had worked scouting mines in the mountains of southern Iphigea, Beynish was hand-picked as Velorum’s personal guide for the count’s third expedition to Delphinus. Velorum would not survive the third attempt to summit the mountain, dying a few hundred meters beneath the summit. Though custom demanded that Beynish turn back, so as not to “steal” a glory thought reserved for a member of the upper classes, he pushed onward and crested the mountain a few hours later.

Celebrated by his fellow guides and porters when he returned to camp, Beynish found no such warm welcome when the survivors of the expedition returned to Jaaklu. The new count, Velorum’s son Vega, had Beynish arrested on three charges: stealing the glory of the nobility, failing to save Count Velorum, and failing to retrieve Velorum’s body. Outraged serfs rose up in a revolt that quickly spread to neighboring counties. In an attempt to cow the rebels, Vega had Beynish publicly executed, but this only served to galvanize the rebels further, and it was not long before they stormed the count’s estate, executed him and his entire house, and burned his holdings to the ground. The Duke of Okautha appealed to the Listeners for their intervention. The Whispers of the Menhir advised pardon for the rebels, much to the duke’s surprise, and a peace was brokered. The county was given to a new noble family - with assurances regarding the treatment of the serfs - and Beynish’s family were granted fief, his eldest son made Baron of Yauns. Some time later, a town was established at the foot of Mount Delphinus, and the Duke of Altaring - a mountaineer and admirer of Beynish - named the town in his honor. Beynish Point stands to this day, and most expeditions up the mountain begin their trek there.