The Sither Expanse, Empire of Clan Morgris

The forbidding peaks of the Sither Expanse are riddled with crumbling tunnels and topped with ruined skybridges from the time when Dwarfs ruled the region. But that era has passed, and only a handful of determined clans remain to defend their ancestral holds, such as Khaz Morgris and Khaz Zengir being two of the largest still standing. The mountains and the tunnels beneath them are now overrun with Orcs and Goblins, Mountain Trolls, and worse. While this makes the Sither Expanse especially dangerous, many claim the fallen Dwarf holds hide treasures lost to time, so the foolhardy and desperate are drawn to the ancient halls like moths to a flame. Few survive their greed. Clinging precariously to the craggy edge of the Sither Expanse, the Dwarven Lords have depleted many mines seeking to extract the significant mineral and metal wealth of the range. These are protected by lone watchtowers and high fortresses that stand guard against attack from the mountains, each surrounded by the rubble of older fortifications that failed. So high is the glacial spine of the mountains that it is all but impassable, forming a near impenetrable border between the Republic of Idland and the nations in Dolene and Harrowheart to the east. Only two reliable passes pierce the frozen heights: the well-defended Axe-Bite Pass guarded by the fortresses city of Khaz Morgris, and the winding Grey Lady Pass. Both passes are heavily patrolled and taxed, leading some impoverished merchants and smugglers to hire mountain guides to lead them across less protected passes such as the Crooked Corridor guarded by the volatile Castle Sullencross, an undertaking few would recommend.