The Vasir Mountains loom as a titanic wall, cleaving Ralador from the unexplored continent to the south. Its apexes soar to breathtaking heights, vanishing beyond the reach of mortal eyes. Only the hardiest of creatures can dare to eke out an existence in the frigid, oxygen-starved peaks, many adapting and evolving to the abundance of mana the mountains seem to emanate. No intelligent life is known to exist here, though humanity has only barely grasped parts of its daunting domain. Yet, despite the treacherous and unforgiving terrain, there remain those who still hunger to explore it. Only the strongest of adventurers can endure the brutal cold and scale the perilous cliffs, and even if one can withstand the forces of nature, it is the unknown dangers hiding among the snow that pose the greatest challenge.
As few find themselves a match for the already demanding threats at the mountains’ base, even fewer ascent into the uncharted and unpredictable peaks and valleys beyond the edges of what little civilization has been established there, and for good reason. Most who brave the venture are never seen again, suspected to have either frozen to death or died an unknowable death to one of the mountains’ many features or creatures. Although limited, the few explorations that have returned with a degree of success have only added to the mystery and intrigue. Some tell of new types of magical flora and fauna both spectacular and terrifying, while others tell of vast networks of caves of both natural and seemingly crafted means spread out like a labyrinthine web. But regardless of the tales told about these snowy peaks, few proclaimed findings have had the luck to be verified beyond anything past mere rumor or guesswork.
Overall, little remains known about the mysteries the Vasir Mountains holds, but if there is one fact that most who turn their gaze toward the mountains are convinced of, it is of its wealth. Rare minerals and materials have been found in considerable quantity for how minor exploration of these peaks had been, perhaps the most significant of which being glittering crystals of solidified mana. Even at the mountain’s base, presence of these crystals has been identified in some caverns, growing on and in the very stone itself. Driven by the promise of this wealth, a handful of mining enterprises have dispatched expeditions into these subterranean passages only to meet with swift and grisly ends, sharply deterring future attempts. Crystalline golems and wisps, creatures fueled by the potent mana that suffuses the mountains, guard these depths with lethal ferocity, cutting down miners and geologists alike who are unprepared for the rigors of combat. A couple underground mines have managed to find mild and sustainable success, but for the danger they necessitate, expansion and further research into them has been stifled. And for any who wish to ascend these peaks instead of exploring their insides, knowledge greets them with a chilling embrace.
