The Eastern Mountains

Iquai is bordered on the east by a curving mountain range, separating the cool, rich farmland of the north and the warm southern grasslands from The Valley.

The Eastern Dwarves are a bit more lively than their Western cousins, and while they are still avid miners and rugged mountaineers they also excel at the art of brewing. The finest ales and whiskeys in Iquai come from the Eastern Mountains. For thousands of years these dwarves have irked out a prosperous life, in the highest peaks of these dangerous mountains and down to the forested western Highlands leading down into Human lands. The Dwarves here are friendly and welcoming to any human they meet, and readily trade with them for food and textiles.

On the eastern side of these mountains live a much more rugged sort of Dwarf. They are more nomadic and temperamental than most Eastern Dwarves, but they still enjoy treating guests whenever they happen upon a wayward traveler. They are viewed with some superstition due to their frequent treks into the desert sands separating the mountains from The Valley, searching for the rare plants and ores to be found there. Journeys into The Valley are extremely dangerous and most try to conclude them within one day, out of fear of ghosts. These Dwarven Nomads claim not to fear the ghosts- but they still wear charms and carry rings of Iron to sleep within if they must stay out on the dunes overnight.

Humans also reside in these mountains, and as a result of living in close proximity to Dwarves for thousands of years they speak with soft accents, similar to that of the Dwarves. The people here have their own language, though they mostly use it in song and in terms of endearment, curses, and common phrases. The mountain folk have a somewhat different culture from the rest of Iquai, due to the environment. They wear scarves and veils to cover their necks, hair, and faces when traveling in open sandy areas, or when the wind or sun are strong. Their skin is slightly tanned to protect them from strong sun, and their hair is usually dark in colour.

The humans of the eastern mountains use the desert areas on the edge of The Valley as a form of punishment for their criminals. Criminals are placed in cells there and left to suffer the madness being within The Valley brings.

The Elyde is not very concerned with the people of The Eastern Mountains, and The Rorgh are very uncommon. Still, most towns have a few orcs to oversee their human and dwarven police forces.