DARKTIMES: The Silver Mountains
There is no silver in this mountain range. There is, however, a substance within the high peaks that gives off a remarkable silver glow when illuminated by sunlight. Here dwells a proud people. It was eight hundred years ago that the sons of King Idril — monarch of the Vymar Delta — turned on each other after both sought the hand of the same woman. Her name is lost to history but, when Prince Edron’s forces defeated those of his younger sibling, Prince Edril was forced to flee his home.
With him, however, were six hundred loyal soldiers and their families. For many months, this ragged procession followed the displaced prince north, looking for somewhere to settle and establish themselves. In the forests north of Vymar, they were pursued endlessly by bandits, primitive folk and wild creatures, losing a third of their number. Every family lost someone and this harrowing journey is still spoken of in verse and song. Eventually, they came to the base of the Silver Mountains, climbing to Edril’s Plateau: a stretch of land between two of the range’s highest peaks.
Though cold and unsuitable for farming, the plateau had a ready supply of fresh water from above and enormous stocks of timber close by. In readiness for their first winter, the refugees carved out a series of caves that they used to shelter from the worst of the snow and ice. Those caves are now sacred places for the Mountain People because they signify the beginning of their extraordinary history. Domesticating several breeds of hardy creatures and establishing farming communities to the south, they expanded their population a hundred-fold.
Edrilstead is the name of the city upon the plateau and there are five more between it and Carlsmeadow, some two hundred miles away. Most of the Mountain People dwell in these cities or close to the road that connects them. And although trade with the other realms is rare, they have created a prosperous, enduring society from virtually nothing. As well as their roads, they also use streams for transport and rivers to move timber downstream.
But this is an unremittingly harsh environment and they still face many dangers. Edrilstead has twice been almost destroyed by avalanches and the cities to the south still face occasional raids by the bandits that dwell within the northern forests. Their hiding places are so isolated and remote that the Mountain People have never been able to wipe them out. However, some have been brought into their fold, preferring the safety and stability of the settlements above life in the wild. The Prince’s Rangers are the fighting force here and it is they who patrol and protect.
The other realms were evidently surprised that anyone was able to thrive in the harsh north and it was the Low Places where the Snow-kings earned the name they have now adopted. Tarikal IV is the current occupant of the throne, which was carved out of rock within the largest cave: also known as the Hall of the Snow-Kings. The one thing these people still have in common with the Vymar Delta is the worship of a single deity: Zya, Goddess of Creation. They took their holy scriptures with them and religious practices in the two realms remain remarkably similar.
The inhabitants of the other realms were also stunned to learn that the Mountain People had been able to tame the ice-bears of the north. These creatures can stand ten feet at the shoulder and weigh as much as two horses. They have no natural predators and are exceptionally aggressive. It was a master herbalist who — three centuries ago — struck upon a combination of flowers and seeds to create silisap, a substance beloved by the ice-bears. If captured, they can be controlled through the silisap and expert handlers are able to unleash them against enemies. The sight of an ice-bear is enough to deter most attackers.
The Prince’s Rangers are peerless riders and use horses to cover the vast distances of their territory. They carry shields and lances, both made with an exceptionally durable hardwood called makkis. When cured and treated with a highly secret compound, the wood becomes almost as strong as some metals. Though they also use swords and knives, it is the shields and lances that the rangers are known for. The Prince’s Rangers — and indeed their whole people — believe that they have brought civilisation and wealth to a backward region. Those who occupied the lands before them don’t see it that way.
Tarikal IV is very proud of his people’s achievements and has continued the work of his father and grandfather in reaching out to the other realms. Envoys have been sent to the Low Places, the Coast of Bones and even further afield to The Salmark, The Golden Plain and the Three Fjords. Tarikal’s primary aim is to develop trade with the other realms and enrich the Mountain People. So far, he has established improved communication with The Salmark, The Coast of Bones and the Three Fjords. The leaders of the Low Places and the Golden Plain are proving less enthusiastic.
As for the Vymar Delta, no one in either realm can recall the last time an envoy was sent or received. The truth is that the two peoples remain as divided and hostile as ever. To the descendants of Prince Edron, the inheritors of his brother’s distant realm will always be traitors and outcasts. The Mountain People no longer have any reason to seek their amity or approval; they aim simply to surpass their rivals in wealth and influence.
Tarikal’s subordinates also sent an envoy to the Darklands. With this experienced diplomat went a company of Rangers, for the king knows of the region’s reputation. Weeks have passed and all in his court feared the worst. But now the envoy has returned — with ill tidings. Apart from the fact that several soldiers were lost to the perils of the Darklands, he relays news of the Red Order and the fighting competition. The king is glad to hear that there is now some kind of power structure in the Darklands. He knows that there will be no shortage of volunteers to represent the Silver Mountains and that establishing a presence in this chaotic land might bring further opportunities.
Times are changing ⏳
