A jagged range of peaks separating The Glog from the eastern coastline, named for the constant, keening sound the wind makes as it tears through the exposed rock formations. The Screech is not particularly tall by Dragon's Spine standards, but its geology is distinctive, with countless spires, arches, and wind-carved channels that transform every breeze into an eerie symphony of whistles, moans, and shrieks.
The Sound
The Screech never falls silent. Even on calm days, some part of the range catches enough wind to produce sound. During storms, the noise becomes overwhelming, a cacophony of frequencies that drowns out speech and makes navigation by sound impossible. Veterans of the range describe learning to "read the screech," using the pitch and rhythm of the wind-sounds to predict weather changes and locate their position.
The acoustic properties vary by location. Some valleys produce deep, resonant tones that can be felt in the chest. Some ridgelines generate high-pitched whistles that set teeth on edge. Some particularly complex formations create sounds that seem almost like words, syllables that repeat with unsettling regularity, as if the mountain is trying to speak.
Local superstition holds that the sounds carry meaning, that the wind speaks prophecy or warning to those who know how to listen. The plainer explanation is natural acoustics. Neither makes the experience less unnerving.
Geography
The Screech runs roughly north-south for about sixty miles, bounded by The Glog forest to the west and a narrow coastal strip to the east. The peaks reach six to eight thousand feet at their highest points, lower than the Shasalassere Mountains to the south but steeper and more technically challenging to climb.
The distinctive rock formations result from softer stone eroding around harder cores, leaving pillars, arches, and elaborate natural sculptures that wouldn't survive in a wetter climate. The southern Dragon's Spine is cold but relatively dry; the wind that makes The Screech famous also preserves its dramatic landscape.
Three passes cut through the range:
Shriek Gap is the northernmost and most commonly used, connecting The Glog Road to the eastern coastal villages. The passage takes about two days on foot. The wind here produces particularly loud, sustained tones that give the gap its name.
Whisper Pass crosses the central range at higher elevation, useful when Shriek Gap is blocked by weather. The wind here is quieter but unpredictable; sudden gusts can knock travelers off narrow ledges.
The Singer is the southernmost crossing, rarely used because it passes close to the Shasalassere slopes and the subterranean lakes where the cave mermaids dwell.
The Eastern Coast
Beyond The Screech, a narrow strip of land borders the sea, too exposed for significant settlement but useful for fishing and smuggling. Cogspit Lakes dot this eastern coastline, a chain of brackish pools connected to the sea by underground channels. The name comes from the mechanical clicking sounds the rocks make when waves withdraw. Locals claim it sounds like gears turning, though there's no artificial mechanism involved.
Murky Lakes lie further south along this strip, genuinely murky rather than merely named. Sediment from the Shasalassere slopes clouds the water year-round. The lakes support surprisingly abundant fish populations despite the poor visibility, or perhaps because of it, since the murk protects them from airborne predators.
Wildlife
The Screech hosts several species adapted to its acoustic environment:
Screech owls (locally called "wind-readers") have evolved to hunt despite the constant background noise. They can filter the mountain's sounds and detect prey movement through vibration rather than hearing. Their own calls are pitched to cut through the ambient screech, a distinctive two-tone cry that carries for miles.
Wind-singers are small, bat-like creatures that seem to enjoy the mountain's acoustics. They gather at particularly resonant formations and add their voices to the wind-sounds, creating complex harmonic patterns. Whether this serves a purpose or is simply play remains debated.
Rock drakes nest in the higher spires, large winged reptiles rather than true dragons, hunting by dropping on prey from above. The wind noise masks their approach. Travelers learn to watch the sky.
Settlement
Shriek Gap Station is the only permanent habitation within The Screech proper, a fortified way-station that provides shelter and guides for travelers crossing the range. The station's operators have spent generations in the mountains and claim to understand the wind-speech better than anyone. Their guidance doesn't come cheap.
The eastern coastal strip supports a few fishing villages, most notably Cogwheel at the northern end of Cogspit Lakes. The village trades fish, salt, and the occasional smuggled good with ships that anchor in the deeper waters offshore. The villagers are insular and suspicious of outsiders. Too many visitors mean too much official attention.
Hooks
The Speaking Stone: A natural formation in the central Screech has begun producing sounds that multiple listeners agree are recognizable words, fragments of an unknown language, repeating in patterns that suggest meaning. Scholars want to study it. The Shriek Gap operators want it destroyed before it attracts worse attention.
The Wind-Singer Colony: A particularly large gathering of wind-singers has formed at a formation near Whisper Pass, and their combined song is interfering with the acoustic navigation methods locals rely on. Someone needs to disperse them without killing them all; wind-singers are considered good luck, and harming them invites bad fortune.
The Silent Gap: Shriek Gap has gone quiet. Not reduced, but completely silent, despite wind conditions that should produce constant sound. The operators at the station have stopped responding to signals. No one knows what could silence a mountain.