The Stoutspires
The Southern Stoutspires rise between Stoutswale Moor and the Shivefrost Plain, their granite ridges sheltering forests and mountain meadows from the worst of the crystal winds. Old roads climb through country Sarnath’s soldiers could never fully control, leading towards an abandoned fort and a summit celebrated in the city’s songs.
The Sheltered Valleys
Streams run through pine and birch woods, crossing open pastures before descending towards the valley. Shepherds once brought their flocks into these hills, while timber crews worked the groves that supplied settlements below. Old fire pits and paths still mark their camps, most of which have been abandoned as travel has grown more dangerous.
Stout bears descend from the higher slopes, Goruk raiders strike from the east before retreating towards Fellmarch, and Bittun scouts watch the forest edges without often showing themselves to travellers. Though the sheltered ground is fertile, few outsiders now stay long enough to make a living here.
The Shivewall Ascent
Deros Road leads north from the Woolback Crossroads to a weathered statue of Deros Quince holding a building in his open palm. Beyond it, forest switchbacks climb towards the fort he built above the plain, with retaining walls and cut stone steps marking the work once put into keeping the route open.
Shivewall Ridge catches most of the crystal dust blowing from the south, but above the fort its sheltered paths give way to exposed ledges and bare stone saddles. Mist hides the old cairns, ice coats the shelves, and landslides can break a familiar trail. Travellers familiar with the ascent can cross safely, though an old map offers less certainty.
The Fort Left Behind
Fort Deros was built to bring the mountains under Sarnath’s rule and take control of the prized sperenweave trade. The Bittun attacked its builders and supply parties, resisting a garrison that intended to tax the very goods its soldiers needed to survive the Shivefrost.
In time, the fort became a neglected checkpoint. Merchants bought influence over its officers as patrols lost men and pack animals and soldiers deserted. Two years ago, the Black Keep recalled the surviving garrison, describing the withdrawal as a consolidation of the Iron Ring. The men were given too little transport to carry everything away.
Possessions and records remain in the barracks and command tower, where trade ledgers trace private favours, letters reveal the demands of distant commanders, and hunting notices record expeditions that never returned. As well as offering shelter on the ascent, the fort’s abandoned rooms preserve stories that followed the survivors back to Sarnath.
Goruk Raiders
Small Goruk warbands range into the Stoutspires from Fellmarch, crossing the eastern ridges to attack shepherd camps and supply caravans. They favour speed and sudden violence, striking with crude, poison-soaked weapons before retreating into the mountains. Patrols sent after them have fought skirmishes along the ridges without finding where the raiders gather.
Fort Deros recorded increasingly frequent attacks during its final years, and with its garrison gone, travellers have fewer patrols to rely on. Around Lake Gloam, abandoned fires and butchered animals mark recent Goruk camps, close to paths the Bittun use to move through their own territory.
Erron’s Peak
Erron’s Peak takes its name from the fifteen-year-old Quince heir who, according to Sarnath’s songs, climbed the mountain and slew a rebellious Bittun king. Soldiers sang of his victory in the barracks below, while the Bittun remember the defeat that drove their people back into hiding.
Visible across much of Sarn Valley, the granite crown offers views west over Stoutswale Moor and south across the pale Shivefrost. Reaching the summit means crossing steep shelves where the wind rarely stops and thin ice makes each step uncertain. Old accounts of an enormous bear trouble those who attempt the climb, and Fort Deros eventually ordered its men to stop patrolling near the peak.
Lake Gloam
Beneath the peak, Lake Gloam fills a high basin enclosed by forest and steep stone slopes. Its water looks almost black against the shore, spilling through narrow rock channels to become the River Globurn. The river begins here, far from the siege at the crossing below.
Elk, wolves and bears leave tracks along the banks, with signs of recent Goruk camps interrupting the quieter animal paths. The basin lies within Bittun territory, where watchers keep an eye on anyone approaching the water and have good reason to notice strangers passing through.
Those Who Stayed
Near Lake Gloam lives Lorn Oggerkin, an eccentric guide who once hoped to make his fortune leading wealthy men into the mountains. After nearly dying there, he changed his loyalties and now speaks on the Bittun’s behalf, settling disputes and seeking people willing to help them. He knows the paths and their dangers, but shares information carefully, especially with anyone interested in taking sperenweave out of the Stoutspires.