Geography
The Sand Reach Mountains are the vast central mountain range of Upoceax, positioned south of the Sand Reach desert. This is an extensive mountainous region containing several states and serving as the geographic heart of the continent.
Boundaries and Position
- North: The Sand Reach desert
- East: Extends toward Sequestria and the eastern coast
- South: The Giant Lands and Wycendeula
- West: Intersects with the Kelder Mountains (the north-south range)
Relationship to Other Ranges
The Sand Reach Mountains bisect the Kelder Mountains where they meet on the western side—the Kelder running north-south, the Sand Reach running more or less east-west. This intersection creates a complex mountain junction in the western interior of Upoceax.
Climate Effect
The mountains act as a rain shadow, contributing to the desertification of the region to their north. They trap moisture on the southern side, leaving the northern Sand Reach desert parched and barren.
Terrain
The Sand Reach Mountains are an extensive system containing:
- Multiple distinct ranges and peaks
- Several states within the mountain territory
- Passes connecting the desert north to the forested south
Major Sub-Ranges
- Drystone Mountains: Central east-west range containing the state of Breia
- Lyagnadarr Mountains: Eastern range bordering Siquestrya, home to Svorinthak the dragon
- Scarlet Peaks: Southeastern mountains containing the fortress Viktryapos
- Caffas Mountains: Southern range home to rival force-user and fire-user tribes
- Hills of Gezzeri: Western hills inhabited by the water-starved Gezzerin who hide from giants in cliff dwellings
- White Hills: Home to the Thrygun orcs
- Dnykuul: Hilly region south of Breia, home to the Cendelle
Political Climate
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What Makes It Interesting
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What Will Go Wrong
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Deadman's Lake
A large lake in the southwestern foothills where the Grognil Mountains descend toward the White Wastes. Deadman's Lake earned its name from the bodies—the water is cold, deep, and for reasons no one fully understands, corpses that enter the lake don't decompose. They sink to the bottom and stay there, preserved indefinitely.
The Depths
Fishermen who've worked Deadman's Lake describe seeing bodies on the bottom in clear water—some recent, some ancient, all perfectly preserved. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands. Some appear to be victims of violence; others look like they simply lay down and drowned. A few wear armor and clothing styles that haven't been seen in centuries.
No one knows why the lake preserves the dead. Some theorize it's connected to the proximity of the White Wastes and whatever curse affects that region. Others suggest the lake sits on a minor void or time leyline that arrests decay. The locals don't speculate—they fish the lake because the fish are plentiful, and they don't swim in it because they're not stupid.