The Beliard Mountains

The Beliards are a mountain range that marks the Eastern border of Dredaria that separates The Dredarian Empire and the Kingdom of Thrane. It is the longest mountain range in Waylia and is known for being remote and unforgiving for those who try to cross the border by way the mountain range.

The range houses a few ecosystems, mainly large swathes of coniferous forests speckled with highlands and craggy outcroppings of rock before petering out into the frozen peaks. Wildlife of all kinds can be found here, and the forests are often teeming with hearty game perfect for the hunting parties of Dredarian nobles who frequent its base. A smattering of small hamlets, crossroad villages, and hunting lodges dot the edges of these forests, with nobody daring to settle any large amounts of people further into the mountains. Only a few hermits, rangers, and survivalists claim the heart of these forests and crags home. It takes a considerable amount of naturalistic knowledge to survive off the land here as it is too high in altitude and low in temperature to sustain crops. Small cave systems dot the mountains, most naturally formed from the crags and canyons in the mountains, others burrowed out by creatures big and small over the millennia.

From the crags and up the mountains seem to be in a perpetual state of winter, warming only marginally in the spring and summer, and the snow never truly melting off its peaks and passes. The coniferous forests experience their seasons, though it can be hard to tell the passage of time from spring to autumn except for the local flora.

There are hidden pockets of surprising warmth in the mountains if one knows where to look. Some say centuries ago, nomadic tribes lived in the mountains, surviving the chill of winter with salted and cured meats placed in cold frontward-facing caves, along with what little vegetables and fruits could be grown or foraged throughout the seasons. Their survival is rumored to have been helped greatly by the presence of hot springs in the mountain caves and deep within the forests, providing a source of warmth in even the most brutal cold snaps. Such hot springs and geysers are hard-pressed to be found nowadays, and if any locals have discovered them, they keep them a deeply guarded secret to try and keep the wilderness from being overrun with haughty nobles from the lowlands.

Upon the mountainous crags, there is an ever-present freezing wind. The gusts are near constant, making climbing above the crags an incredibly dangerous pursuit. Snow always blankets the peaks, and the upper reaches of the forests are blanketed in snow every winter. The yearly thaw in spring fills the waterfalls, rivers, and lakes that fill the large forests at the base of the mountains. The weather becomes more manageable for mountain climbing in Spring and Summer, and those desperate enough to try and cross from Dredaria into Thrane often try to cross during the warmest months. However, the threat of avalanches and ice shelves breaking under a traveler's weight is enough of a deterrent to keep most from trying.

Above the crags, very little grows, but the forest itself is lush and teeming with life. Very few settle in the forests on the southern edge of the Beliards, and they remain one of the few places mostly untouched by humanoids. The woods are thick with animals and plants, and the forest is said to be inhabited by ancient, primal forces. There are patches of woods where the Fey and Mortal realms blend together, resulting in an unusually high amount of living plants, monsters, fey creatures, and other phenomena to grace the forests. Enclaves of druids and fey creatures gather in the forests, living in harmony with nature. Inhabitants of Thrane respect the power of the woods and often leave tributes at altars placed on the edge of the forest. Particularly haughty nobles hunt within the forest, killing the magnificent, sometimes odd, creatures of the woods for mantle trophies. This has led to a strained relationship between the forest denizens and the Kingdoms surrounding it.

The forests at the base of the Beliards provide nearly any natural resource imaginable. Many rare herbs and botanicals grow in the deepest parts of the forest, drawing herbalists and naturalists from far and wide. Rare animals and monsters stalk the woods, their pelts and trophies coveted by nobles in Dredaria who wish to flaunt their houses' wealth. The ancient woods have many rare trees for those brave enough to try and chop them down, and crystal clear waters fill its streams and lakes.

The range has a history shrouded by time and lacks properly cited and written lore. What little does exist often contradicts itself. Many of the stories that were put to paper were passed down by the oral tradition of the small villages and tribes who used to live in the mountains, and then those travelers passed it further down, resulting in a muddled half-truth of the mountains, the forest, and their glory. The most recent and well-documented memories, however, are from the amount of dragons who used to roost in the range. For as far back as the Empire goes, Dragons flocked from far and wide to nest and lair in the ranges, caves, crags, and peaks. Brave nobles from Dredaria would arrange hunting parties to track down and slay the beasts before they could become nuisances in the villages of their lands.   This led to a rise in the popularity of Dragon imagery, art, and architecture, with slain dragons often being carefully dragged back to civilization to be skinned and broken down for parts. Scales were incorporated into armor, jewelry, clothing, and home design, and horns were mounted on walls and stuffed heads if they had the space. Each part of the dragons was used in some way in Dredaria either for art, food, medicine, or materials, creating a renaissance for the Empire. Dragons from all over would be found flying hundreds if not thousands of miles to make it to The Beliards, though curiously few hoards were found. Scholars theorized that the sudden high concentration of Draconic inhabitants and the poor wealth of the surrounding villages led to dragons suddenly being without much to boast about except for lairs and lots of snow. All colors, chromatic and metallic, would flock yet curiously would not spar each other for territorial gain. The dragons in these mountains acted more like dumb beasts than the legendary cunning drakes of yore, often behaving more like a large bear would, gorging on wildlife and hibernating.   Eventually, the centuries of Dragon hunts led to a steep decline in the population, with the few remaining dragons fleeing elsewhere or going into hiding. As such a proper Dragon hunt has not been led in a few decades and dragon parts are considered highly sought after treasures for citizens of the Empire. Noble families have brought out their old draconic trophies and show them off at parties as a way to assert their wealth and power, and dragon-scale jewelry and armor are considered the height of fashion. The region's natural flora and fauna have prospered in great numbers once more without a horde of dragons to interrupt their life, and expeditions to try and map the range have resumed once more.