Cadogan Mountains

Appearance
The Cadogan Mountains are a series of peaks that surround the Selva on the Northern and Eastern edges. A forbidding wall of grey and white, the mountains are treacherous for those who don’t know the safe paths through the endless peaks and ravines. Further north the slopes are covered in snow, while in other places the ground is thick with pine trees. Further to the north the mountains get higher and covered in snow, home to Frost Giants and White Dragons. To the east the mountain range continues for miles before eventually flattening out towards the coast. These eastern mountains are full of Dwarves, Stone Giants and Goliaths. The mountains are also home to nomadic tribes of Orcs and Birdfolk, eking out a living on the harsh slopes.

Economy
On the surface, for those living on the slopes the ‘economy’ is one of barter, with roaming tribes trading with each other for essentials. With life often on a knife edge, these exchanges are not always peaceful and theft is common. What trade there is consists of pelts, preserved meats and crafted stone and wood weaponry.

Under the ground in the extensive tunnel systems, Dwarves mine for precious metals and gems that they craft into weapons, armour and other pieces of art. Exported goods are usually traded for foodstuffs as there is little to no agriculture outside the grandest Dwarven cities, which have their own systems of fungiculture to feed their citizens.

Culture
The Mountains are notorious for being a dangerous place to travel, especially alone. Trade caravans do move through them, but they usually either use the well mapped ancient travel paths or pay extra to the Dwarves to move through their tunnels. Otherwise the culture is dependent on the people you move with, but everyone in the Mountains is just a bit more cut-throat than they might be elsewhere.

The under/over nature of the Mountains, with civilisations living literally on top of each other, also bleeds into language and attitudes - in the Dwarven mining caves outsiders may be called 'Uppers', a somewhat condescending way of marking those unfamiliar with living underground. Those living on the surface may call those who live below 'lurkers', or 'burrowers', and surface

Dwarves can be particularly cutting about others of their kind who never leave their caves, calling them "Erôthhiem" (literally - earth-brain).

History
No-one has ever truly owned the Cadogan mountains. Various people have tried in the past, with the most recent being Strixath the White Dragon. 50 years ago he took up residence in one of the most travelled passes and demanded tribute from any who wished to pass. This continued for some years before a united group from Amaroth and Cadogan Weir marched into the mountains and drove him away. Under the ground the history is more complicated, and there is more than one library chamber in the Dwarven stronghold of Khorn Burheim filled with tablets detailing all of the minor Dwarven clan wars and incursions in the tunnels. A stalwart traditional Dwarf would tell you the Mountains are ruled by their Grimstnzborith, the Dwarven monarch. But the truth is that there is a growing rebellion against the strict rules of traditional Dwarf culture, which has led to several holds renouncing the monarchy entirely. Other holds have changed hands between races over the years as well, with several outposts now overrun with Goblins or worse. The loosening of the Dwarven controls has also lead to an influx of new trading partners into the deep tunnels, bringing fresh eyes to ancient caverns.