Sea of Silt [Freshwater Inland Sea]
Formed long ago by the blockage of underground rivers, the Darking Sea has slowly filled in a crater-like, dusty depression in the center of the Lesser Barrier. Home to rich fishing waters, the fresh water of the Darking Sea gave rise to the Talgoth River and Talgoth Forest, creating some of the richest farmland in the Grand Dutchy of Karanuk. Eastwards, the Darking Sea feeds Blackwood Forest, and may well be responsible for the faster growth of that cursed wood in recent years.
The Darking Sea is one of the few places where one can find Dwarves willingly working on ships. They harvest the waters' bounty in competition with similar fishing vessels from Arya. Confrontations between Aryan and Dwarven vessels over choice fishing areas are not unheard of.
[Desert]
The Desert of Dreams is cooler than the Ash'ainhal firther east. It is named for the strange dreams that plague those who travel its sands, as well as the dreamstalkers that prey on those who brave its powdery dunes. Towards the its northeastern reaches, frost sometimes forms on the ground in the early mornings.
There is a large rocky area near Ha'rissk, the northeastern portion of the marsh. This outcropping is unusually dry and hot, perhaps heated by underground volcanic activity.
The Dwarves' Lament [Stone Wall, Constructed]
Constructed in a past age before the Cataclysm in a last-ditch effort to keep the tribes of Aryan barbarians out of the fertile Karanuk hills, Dwarfgate was a massive fortress built with Dwarven labor and Dwarven magic. It withstood the clashes of the First Racewar. Its doom was final when the humanoid hordes invaded from the south.
Unprepared for the waves of goblins, orcs, and ogres that swarmed the farmed hills between the Lesser Barrier and the Hellsteeth, the Dwarves nevertheless fought a massive war. Using Dwarfgate as a bastion to launch counterattacks from, the defenders were winning against their enemies on both sides of the massive wall... until an ancient darkness, welled up within the fortress' halls, and slaughtered all the defenders but a few who managed to flee.
No one knows for certain what evil lurks within Dwarfgate. Perhaps some ancient prison was accidentally breached by the industrious Dwarves, or maybe they were betrayed by one of their own, or overcome by some foul Teshian magic. No one knows.
Wise beings avoid Dwarfgate. A few have travelled its grand out halls in the centuries since and told stories of strange, deadly creatures with multiple arms, bearing weapons and armor nearly the equal of Dwarven-forged goods. Or of weird lights, as if the ghosts of those long-ago defenders were still cooking their meals or making their patrols.
For certain, the Dwarves left great wealth in Dwarfgate. It was the greatest stronghold they ever built, with cunningly devised traps and vaults. The place still draws foolhardy explorers to their doom.
[Plateau, Mountain Range]
The Escarpment is a sheer wall of solid rock, miles high in most places. Those rare explorers who have ventured to the top report that it is a bleak, scarred place of constant hurricane-force winds where nothing lives. Caves that lead to the interior are often home to monsters and creatures normally found deep beneath the earth. Some areas of the Escarpment contain rich veins of minerals and ores. Others are home to mighty Dragons. The staggering size of the plateau frequently attracts explorers, a few of whom even return to tell their tales.
[Mountain Range]
See also: Arya | Dwarfgate | Hartland | Krai Nal Plains | Lake Country
A vast expanse of tall mountains stretching the full length of Hybrana, the Hellsteeth Mountains are nearly impassable without magic. There are only a few known passes: Ven's Pass, Tiger Pass, and Darsin Pass. Caldin's Gap, where the Perhadese came through ages past, destroyed the Sandar nation, and founded the Empire of the Hartland, is the largest break in the range.
The Hellsteeth includes many snow-capped, sky-piercing mounts as well as active volcanos. It is generally divided into northern and southern parts by Caldin's Gap. In the northern Hellsteeth, giants, dragons, Eloch'kal, and other monsters claim large stretches of the range as their home. The Empire of the Hartland has been unable to clear out the southernmost stretches of the range. Instead, the Empire has fortified the settlements around the southern Hellsteeth and uses them as a training ground for the illustrious Grey Company.
Only a few nations border the Hellsteeth - Arya and the Empire of the Hartland. The Hellsteeth separate Arya from the Lake Country and provide a natural fortress for the ice giants that occupy its northern reaches. The range actually passes through the latter nation, separating it into eastern and western halves. Near the Hartland-Arya border, the Hellsteeth pass very close to the Lesser Barrier. Long ago, the Dwarves built a massive wall, Dwarfgate, to keep humanoid armies of long-ago Karanuk at bay. Now, that ruined edifice prevents any easy trade route between the Aryans and Hartlanders.
Heart of Iron, The Twin Kingdom [Mountain Range]
See also: Twin Kingdom
The IronHeart Mountains, located west of the Kathnyri Empire. [DM Note: the north pole is located straight up from the Overun River on the map, so the preceding statement is correct, even though the map might be misleading.] These ancient, mighty peaks are the ancestral home of the Dwarves and Mraas. Ages ago, the titans and giants drove the Dwarves away and enslaved the Mraas. Millenia later, the Dwarves returned, and with the aid of Garrod selDraco, the Kathnyri, and many of the Mraas, retook their ancient home and restored it to its former glory. Most areas of the range are heavily patrolled by Mraas and Dwarves. There yet remain peaks, valleys, and delvings unexplored by both races. And every so often, a patrol disappears without a trace...
The northern edges of the Heart of Iron border on the wild magic unleashed long ago by the Teshian and Kathnyri wars, then further damaged by The Illithid War. Strange beasts and foul perversions roam those areas, kept in check by the ferocity of Mraas warriors and strength of Dwarven axes. These mountains also host a wide variety of volcanic activity. Some volcanoes and lava flows are believed to be home to red Dragons. But as yet, the Dwarves and Mraas have left them in peace.
The Heart of Iron is rich with a seemingly inexhaustable supply of metal, mineral, and gem deposits. Truly, this place is blessed by Moradin and Clangedin. With so much abundant wealth, the Dwarves have renewed ancient trade routes with the Kathnyri, even somehow extending that trade as far east as Chakka-Luk and even further to Chakka-Kandr. It is said that no Dwarf ever truly feels at home until he sets foot in the Heart of Iron.
Copyright 2000-2001 by Guardian.