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Taniya Mountains

Taniya
Despite snow coverage of the mountains year round, the air at higher altitudes can be considered dry and bitter cold. When snow falls, it tends to blanket in large, gusting blizzards before returning to its dry calm. During the rainy season, blizzards are more common at the foot of the mountains, leaving snow soft and powdery a couple of feet deep. This thick blanket makes the area prone to avalanches. During the dry season, the mostly sunny, cloud-free days melt and refreeze the snow into thick layers of ice, making the area a slip hazard with large crevices that could swallow a tokota whole.
Description:
The Taniya Mountains are a huge and daunting quartet of upwarped mountains, each thousands of feet high, with many caverns, tunnels, and flattened areas upon their surfaces. This place is not where those faint of heart go to travel, though the rewards for doing so can be great. The Taniya Mountains is home to many legends. With the [Ridge of Elders] to the southeast and [Nihla Village] to the northwest, many hikers and mountain range hunters pass through the Taniya Mountains. Home to lynx, bear, mountain goats and mountain lions the Taniya Mountains has an abundance of resources, if someone in the know is looking. Auroras are seen frequently throughout the mountain range, keeping travelers bathed in light and dark spirits at bay.
Landmarks:
  • Slumbering Mother Ridges: An alternate name for the Four Main Peaks with auroras winding around them during the summer months are the primary landmarks of the Taniya Mountains. These peaks are seen by locals as parts of [Great Mother]’s body, namely their tail (Northwest most peak), their rump, their shoulders and their neck (Southeast most peak), with the [Ridge of Elders] seen as their head where they speak to those that seek their wisdom.
  • Emergency Huddle Caves: This network of caves is often passed by mouth to youths of the neighboring tribes that hunt the mountain for resources. Due to the unpredictable nature of the mountain’s weather and whether Aippaq is slumbering or awake, the locals seek refuge in these small pocket caves to brave out bad weather. As is tradition, what you use from these caves must be replaced when the next season arrives with Aippaq blessing those that contribute more.
    “While a solo hunter can take down a moose with patience and time, a pack can take it down faster. When we all contribute, we all prosper.” - Local Tribe Chieftan
  • Shrines of Safe Travels: A few shrines of rough stone are scattered along the main hiking trail from the west side of the Taniya Mountains to the east side. These shrines are not dedicated to one deity, but any that will listen to the pleas of the travelers seeking safe travel. Many offerings left at these shrines are from the base of the mountains or are parts of fresh kills.
  • Taniya Rapids: Between the center two peaks is a vast moving river fed by melting snow and ice during the summer months where snow fall is less. These rapids are referred to as the Taniya Rapids and is teaming with trout during the thaw with many species of salmon using the river as a nursery, leaving a plentiful salmon run for fishers and predators in the area. This river feeds directly into [Lake Aok Imiq].
Lore:
  • “Be warned of walking the Taniya Mountains at night. The winds of the night are the [Dark Spirits] screaming, looking for sacrifices to end their own misery. It is best to start a fire and stay within its ring of light or you will be dragged to their caves!” - [Rainwater AF8] after investigating with her owner after a string of unusual disappearances. While disappearances were more frequent during the tug of war of light and darkness of 2019; disappearances are still being blamed on the Dark Spirits that wander the mountains, looking to please their dark aligned masters.
  • With its proximity to the [Borga] worshiping [Nihla Village], travelers often report seeing Borga standing on glacial peaks. Some have reported Borga purposely stomping his feet on smaller peaks and in the sparse crops of evergreen trees to start avalanches to threaten adventurers that whisper ill of him. It is best not to repeat any rumors of Borga while in the area.


  • Original location inspiration by ciarwitch
    Location art by KirasDarkLight