Mountains and Highlands

Vareth’s mountain systems are separate but connected through broader uplands, foothills, and watersheds. The northwest contains the continent’s highest and most heavily glaciated terrain; other ranges are lower, more broken, or climatically distinct.

Northern Crown

The Northern Crown, known in Dwarven as Keldthur, is the great mountain mass of northwestern Vareth.

It contains the continent’s highest peaks, broadest alpine country, and most severe permanent glaciation. Multiple ranges, high valleys, passes, plateaus, and basins make up the system rather than one continuous wall.

Keldthur combines Dwarven keld, “cold” or “frost,” and thur, “crown,” “summit,” or “dominant high ridge.”

Keldvarn Glacier

The Keldvarn Glacier is the largest major glacier within the Northern Crown and remains visible at continental scale.

Its ice fields and descending tongues feed valleys and river headwaters on several sides of the mountain mass. Keldvarn combines Dwarven keld, “cold,” and varn, “wall” or “barrier.”

Westwall Mountains

The Westwall Mountains extend southward from the Northern Crown along the inland side of Vareth’s western coast.

They are narrower and generally lower than the Northern Crown, but remain a major barrier between the fragmented western maritime country and the northern-central interior. In places they approach the coast closely, producing steep shores, narrow valleys, rocky peninsulas, and sheltered bays.

The range ends north of the broad western marine corridor and never connects across the western opening to the Stormward Highlands.

Its Dwarven name is Ornvarn, from orn, “old” or “enduring,” and varn, “wall,” broadly “Enduring Wall.”

Northeastern Spine

The Northeastern Spine is a separate mountain system east of the Northern River Country and northeast of the Mereth Sea.

It is narrower and less severely glaciated than the Northern Crown, with more extensive valleys and passes. The range runs toward the northeastern projection and divides northern watersheds from several eastern river systems.

The Dwarven name is Keldrann, from keld, “cold,” and rann, “ridge” or “mountain chain.” The Trollish name is Gorthar, an old mountain name built around gorth, “stone,” “mountain,” or “hard ground.”

Greyspine

The Greyspine, known in Dwarven as Morrann, is a smaller eastern-to-northeastern mountain and upland system.

It is separate from both the Northern Crown and the Northeastern Spine. Weathered ridges, rocky uplands, wooded slopes, and river valleys connect it closely with the broader Greywood country.

Morrann combines Dwarven mor, “grey” or “weathered stone,” and rann, “ridge” or “mountain chain.”

Stormward Highlands

The Stormward Highlands, traditionally Calvaren in Merethi, occupy the western end of Vareth’s southern arm, south of the broad unnamed marine corridor and the Selvaren Narrows.

They include mountains, uplands, rocky basins, valleys, and exposed maritime slopes. The western side is wetter and strongly ocean-facing, while interior basins become progressively drier toward Serenar.

Calvaren combines Merethi cal, “high country” or “rugged upland,” and varen, “coast” or “land facing the sea.”

Southern Interior Mountains

The Southern Interior Mountains are a descriptive Common umbrella for the broad broken mountain belt south of the Central Plains.

They consist of several ranges, uplifts, volcanic districts, valleys, passes, and lower gaps rather than a single continuous chain. Together they form a major climatic divide between temperate central Vareth and the Southern Drylands.

Two of the most important named components are the Redstone Ranges and the Thaliren Range.

Redstone Ranges

The Redstone Ranges, known in Orcish as Gorazan, form a western-to-central component of the Southern Interior Mountains.

They contain Vareth’s most important southern volcanic and geothermal country. Red and iron-rich stone, exposed volcanic formations, dry uplands, and broken ranges characterize much of the system.

Gorazan combines Orcish gor, “stone” or “mountain,” and azan, “red,” “scorched,” or “marked by heat.”

Thaliren Range

The Thaliren Range forms a greener eastern component of the Southern Interior Mountains.

Its slopes and valleys receive more moisture than the Redstone country and feed several eastern and southeastern river systems. The range weakens toward southeastern Vareth, allowing broad river valleys and greener lowlands to reach the coast.

Thaliren is Elven, based on thalir, “wooded height” or “forested hill,” with an older geographic formation preserved in the name.