A jagged mountain range running roughly northeast to southwest across Petrona Septia Island, dividing the landmass into distinct regions. Ios occupies the southwestern slopes, Rilyn sits in the Puma Wood on the northeastern side, and Moigos spreads across the lowlands to the north. The peaks are not especially tall, none reaching above the treeline for more than a few hundred feet, but they're steep, broken, and difficult to traverse.
The name comes from the creatures that inhabit the upper reaches: flying predators whose hunting calls echo across the peaks at night. The sound is distinctive, a rising shriek that carries for miles, and gives the mountains their grim reputation.
The Screechers
The creatures that give the peaks their name are a species of large, bat-like predators that hunt by night. They're roughly the size of a large dog, with leathery wings spanning eight to ten feet, and they hunt in packs of three to seven individuals. Their shrieking calls serve multiple purposes: echolocation for navigation, communication between pack members, and, most disturbingly, terror tactics against prey.
The screechers hunt goats, deer, and anything else they can carry. They've been known to attack humans, particularly lone travelers caught in the high passes after dark. Deaths are rare but not unknown. The standard advice for crossing the Screech Peaks is simple: travel by day, find shelter before sunset, and don't make camp in the open.
The creatures are most active in the upper elevations, above where the forest thins. The lower slopes and passes are relatively safe, which is why Todakres could be built against the mountains without constant predation. But anyone venturing higher (prospectors, hunters, travelers taking the difficult routes) must contend with the screechers.
Geography
The Screech Peaks formed from volcanic activity in the distant past, though no active volcanism remains. The rock is dark basalt in most places, with occasional veins of lighter stone and mineral deposits that have attracted prospectors over the centuries. The mountains trap moisture from the eastern winds, creating wetter conditions on the Rilyn side (where Puma Wood grows) and drier terrain on the Ios side.
The range contains three significant passes:
The Calentia Pass — The primary route between Moigos and Ios, connecting the town of Calentia to the upper Dipindre valley. This is the easiest crossing, relatively low and well-maintained, used by most legitimate traffic between the states.
The Eastern Traverse — A higher, more difficult route connecting the Nioplenese valley to the approaches to Rilyn. Rarely used except by those specifically traveling to or from the Splinkreen city-state.
The Shepherd's Path — A series of connected trails through the middle elevations, used by those who graze animals in the mountain meadows. Not a true pass, but knowledgeable locals can use it to cross the range if necessary.
The Peaks and Ios
Todakres is built against the southwestern slopes of the Screech Peaks, using the mountains for defense and the rivers that flow from them for water. The relationship is ambivalent: the mountains protect Ios from easy invasion but also limit its connections to the rest of Petrona Septia.
The quarries at Petras are located in the foothills, extracting stone from the mountains for construction. The specialized stone once used for the stone dolls allegedly came from a specific deposit higher in the peaks, now exhausted, though undiscovered veins may remain in the more remote areas.
The Peaks and Rilyn
The northeastern slopes of the Screech Peaks are gentler, descending into the Puma Wood where Rilyn is located. The Splinkreen have little reason to venture into the high peaks, since their culture is oriented toward forests rather than mountains, but they maintain the trails through their territory and occasionally guide travelers to the Eastern Traverse.
Dangers
Beyond the screechers, the Screech Peaks present standard mountain hazards: unstable slopes, sudden weather changes, difficult terrain, and the simple danger of getting lost in unfamiliar country. The passes are safe enough for experienced travelers in good weather. The higher elevations are dangerous for anyone.
Rumors persist of other things in the peaks: ruins from before any current settlement, cave systems that descend into darkness, creatures stranger than the screechers. Whether these stories are true or simply the embellishments that accumulate around any wild place, the Screech Peaks remain largely unexplored above the treeline.