Shattered Range

The ancient mountains of the Shattered Range, also known as the Shattered Peaks, in southeastern Garund stretch like the spine of the continent from the little-known lands southwest of Geb, to the center of Nex's western border with the Mwangi Expanse. There they trail off in highlands known as the Ndele Gap.

Passes

The Shattered Peaks are notoriously hard to navigate, and can only be passed with any ease at two points. The first has already been mentioned above, Ndele Gap, which lies between the mountains' northern reaches and the southern foothills of the Brazen Peaks to the north. It is the most traveled of the mountain crossings, connecting the flat, open plains of western Nex to the headwaters of the River Bdonge and the far-eastern jungles of the Mwangi Expanse. Here traders make the treacherous crossing, bringing goods to and from the city of Kibwe in the Expanse or the settlements of Oenopion and Bug Harbor in Nex.

The other, less frequent pass through the Shattered Range is Vangeline Pass. It lies hundreds of miles south of the Ndele Gap, connecting the empty lands of southwestern Geb with the similarly scarcely-populated lands of the Lakusa River valley in the south-eastern Expanse. Travelers are warned that strangely warped creatures from the Mana Wastes occasionally migrate south, in addition to the unnatural denizens which feed on the runoff produced by the necromantic workshops of Geb.

Inhabitants

The only known inhabitants of any number who inhabit this great mountain chain are the citizens of the western Mana Wastes, who reside in a spur of the mountains' eastern foothills called the Western Ravage. The city-state of Alkenstar stands tall atop the Hellfallen Cliffs on the banks of the Ustradi River, whose own headwaters, Lake Ustradi are found in the mountains west of the city. The settlements of Dongun Hold, and Martel lie on this river as well.

A xenophobic kingdom of cloud giants who long-ago withdrew from the world is said to dwell within the Range as well, although this has never been proven. It could simply be a rumor caused by the discovery of empty mountainside tombs covered in runes of the language of the cyclopes, or the conflation of stories of the ancient flying cities of the Shory Empire.

A loose confederation of cliff giants dwells in the Shattered Range, as do griffons.

The range encompasses the domain of the green man Kzininn, demigod of prickly and defensive plants.

Flora and fauna

The Shattered Range are known to be the only place in Garund where rust monsters can be found with any frequency. The undead beast Ulgrem-Axaan is said to roam the region exacting vengeance against any undead creatures it finds.

Ruins

Mysterious ruins of long-abandoned Mwangi cities lie strewn throughout the jungles at the base of the forlorn mountains, as well as at least one ruined flying city of the legendary Shory.

At one time, the mountains were home to the Taralu dwarves, until they migrated to the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse for reasons unknown. Their former cities remain as ruins.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.