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Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain

The city state of the Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain was an incredibly important trade capital due to its environment. Located just north of Hohm's continental center, The Snowy Mountain harboured a civilization that originated from a group of Corgathian colonists long ago. A long and bloody war sparked between Phovezila and Corgath over dominion of the Snowy Mountain, to which the cold-accustomed people of Corgath won.

For the first few decades, the mountain was renamed to Mount Krindal, after the reigning king of Corgath at that time. However, once the Corgathian settlers gained independence from Corgath, they reverted the title of their lands to its modern name in an act of apology to Phovezila. In addition to this, the People of the Snowy Mountain opened their borders to accept people from Phovezila who wished to join them. These acts were enough to gain the forgiveness of Phovezila, and cleared the air between the two states in order for business to begin.

As the Snowy Mountain was an enormous, hollow glacier, it harboured tons of room for the people who lived “beneath” it (although more accurately it may be described as within); and also acted as an enormous refrigerator. Merchants and businesspeople from all across Legere would make annual trips to the Snowy Mountain’s cold storage to deliver and retrieve products that would spoil if stored anywhere else. This made excellent business for the People of the Snowy Mountain who tasked themselves with organizing, arranging and maintaining the storehouses and the goods within.

Demographics #

The denizens of the Snowy Mountain were from all across Legere. The majority of the population were Corgathian, and then Phovezilan, due to the settlement's history. A large population of naga also inhabit the city, after moving in from the caverns below.

On occasion, Mountain Stoff settled in the city as well, although typically in the form of illegal nests bored into the walls along busy streets. Such creatures were rarely evicted from their homes, unless they were threatening to compromise privacy or structural integrity as they expanded their burrows.

Defences #

The Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain's fighting force, the White Archers, defended the city and its stored goods at outposts within and around the city.

Industry & Trade #

The Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain was a heart of trade within Legere. Merchants from across the world come here to trade exotic wares. The mountain settlement's famous cold storage caverns preserve perishable goods for as long as needed. Ice from the glacier was also used to package perishables, to preserve them on long mercantile journeys.

Geography #

The city of The Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain was built into natural forming meltwater hollows of a great glacier, The Snowy Mountain. Most of these caverns began naturally, and have since been carved to include buildings and pathways.

City Layout #

![[_attachments/AI/Snowy Mountain Concept Art.png]]

Main Entrance & the Sapphire Hall #

The primary entrance to the interior was found near the peak of the South side of The Snowy Mountain. The entrance was guarded by White Archers and lined with various kiosks where the bureaucracy of trade could transpire.

Beyond the doors was the true entrance to the Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain - the beautiful Sapphire Hall. This hall was a natural meltwater tunnel with walls of smooth blue ice. As light from outside shone through the thick ice, it appeared to give off a faint glow, which added to the breathtaking beauty of this tunnel.

Past the Saphire Hall was a wide cavern made mostly of stone. This entrance cavern acted as customs for the Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain, with the merchant's storage registry, stables, and White Archers barracks being located here. In the center of the cavern was a large wooden cargo elevator, used to transport goods between caverns. A descending stairwell was also carved into the outer walls of the cavern.

Caverns #

The Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain was divided into multiple districts, known as Caverns. These caverns were partially formed naturally and were carved out further. Each cavern had a different purpose, for business or residence. The names of each main cavern were based on the ideals of this multiethnic settlement - Unity, Strength, and Hope.

A White Archer Captain's Map of the Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain

Unity Cavern #

The large Unity Cavern was The Snowy Mountain's economic hub. This cavern was a mixture of stone and ice walls, with buildings and streets carved into the rock formations. Wooden platforms and stone bridges provided additional walkways and platforms. This cavern was full of industry and trade, from blacksmiths like The Kirnack Anvil, to inns like The Hollow Hearth.    This cavern was always busy with local vendors and wayward merchants trading their wares, although some travelers have chosen to settle down permanently here:

Ice Cave Cold Storage #

This ice cave was where the first of The Snowy Mountain's famed cold storages were located. Goods that needed to stay cold, such as fresh produce, were stored here. The ice walls of this cavern were frequently packed to the brim with crates and barrels of goods. The two entrances to this cavern from the Unity Cavern were highly guarded, and only staff of the merchant's storage registry were permitted to enter for the addition or removal of goods.

Strength Cavern #

This large stone cavern was a mixture of residential and mercantile areas. It was frequented mostly by locals, such as merchants and Frostbite Crystal miners. This cavern had access to the Frost Dome Deep Storage, and the mines. Cargo elevators descended into this cavern as well.

Frost Dome Deep Storage #

This domed cavern was a mix of stone and ice, and was accessible by the Unity and Strength caverns. This location was for the long term storage of goods. Goods stored here were often kept for longer time periods, such as years at a time. Some goods that required higher security are also stored here; this cavern was heavily guarded.

Frozen Cave Long Term Storage #

This tall but narrow cavern of ice was used for storing goods for the foreseeable future. These goods, such as very old wines, were admitted to storage until they were retrieved years or even decades later. This cavern was only accessible by the Frost Dome Deep Storage.

Frostbite Crystal Mines/Frostbite Quarter #

These branching mines were used to harvest Frostbite Crystal, the Snowy Mountain's rare, exclusive resource. These highly coveted crystals led to a constant surveillance of the mines by the White Archers.

When frostbite crystal harvests grew thin, the mine would be fully excavated and transformed into a residential area known as the Frostbite Quarter. 

Hope Cavern #

Hope Cavern was the Snowy Mountain's primary residential district. Stone homes were nestled tightly in this fully stone-walled cavern, which gave this area the feeling of quaint underground suburbia. The cargo elevators descended into the Hope Cavern, but it rarely needed to travel this deep. Instead, a smaller elevator or stairs were used for pedestrians. Among the many residents here lives the seer Old Lady Uridis.

Deep Entrance #

The Hope Cavern was the deepest part of the Land Beneath The Snowy Mountain, but it only scratched the surface of the underground world. Tunnels below, frequented by Vish'hisal naga, twisted their way deeper into Legere's heart. The Deep Entrance was a small fortification to monitor naga traffic in and out of the city. In the city's early days, there were minor conflicts with the naga, and this entrance became the first line of defense.

During the height of the Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain's existence, relations with the Vish'hisal Kingdom were good, so for majority of its life the Deep Entrance's checkpoint was more of a formality than strict guard post.

Destruction #

The Land Beneath the Snowy Mountain would be destroyed after the events of the Legerian War. In a horrible act of destruction, the demonic cyborg Vec would use The Pentalaser to melt The Snowy Mountain, killing hundreds of thousands of people by trapping them under the collapsing ice.