Spine Mountains

The Spine Mountains are a large mountain range bisecting the continent of Arad roughly from southwest to northeast, the very southwest end dwindling into foothills in the Karnath region. At their highest the mountain slopes are brutally steep and treacherous, the air so thin and cold that the very act of breathing is a painful challenge. Many legends state that the mountain range was risen up deliberately by design of the Immortals (the work typically credited to the Mountain Giants) in order to keep eastern and western Arad separated for some now-unknown reason.

There existed a single traversable pass within the southwestern range, situated between the regions of Khaldea and Aetgard, that was historically utilized for travel and trade between the peoples on either side of the continent. However, in modern times the pass has been blocked by a large glacier.

The only remaining means of passing the mountain range are either by sea, or by traveling through the foothills of Karnath at the extreme southwest end. Due to the latter being a region within the Quarantine, it is not an option for those in the outside world.