The Lortmils, although a lesser range than the Crystal Peaks and the Griffs, are still an impressive range. Absent are the widespread volcanoes of the Hellfurnaces and the massive glaciers of the Griffs, for the Lortmils are much older than any of these ranges.

Her peaks are weathered with age, and few are those that remain snow-covered throughout the summer heat of the lowlands. Some would say that with age comes wisdom, and if so, the Lortmil range is the proud matron of the Flanaess, watching carefully over her many progeny. Indeed, there are more than a few secrets kept close within her canyons and plateaus, and older tales than those of the Suel speak of the wonders - and the terrors - of the Lortmils.

The dwarven loremasters believe that the Lortmils are beloved of Berronar, and that she guided the earliest clans to build their forges within the peaks. However, the rock gnomes of the Kron Hills speak of the first manifestation of Ulaa on Oerth as being within one of the earliest and deepest mines within the mountains. The gnomes cling to their belief that Ulaa is the protective force of the peaks. The gnomes point to the fact that when the dwarves arrived, they found large tribes of orcs and hobgoblins already present within the peaks and that Ulaa sent aid to the demi-humans during those long-ago battles. They also point out that the lesser Power Bleredd, husband of Ulaa, was originally a Flan miner within these same mountains when Haradaragh still stood.

The orcish shamans, however, claim the peaks as part of those given to Gruumsh after being 'tricked' out of his rightful share. The later arrival of the dwarves in this orcish homeland was clearly a test sent by the One-Eyed. Even though the vast majority of humanoids have of late been driven out of the Lortmils into the Pomarj, the shamans still urge the re-conquest of the sacred lands.

The Lortmils are clearly receiving more than a usual share of attention by some magical Power, although its exact source remains unknown. Portents and omens are more common to the faithful than within other lands. Although the dwarves and gnomes are now the beneficiaries of this increased attention, the shamans of the Pomarj remember the tales of the increased power of their ancestors when Gruumsh's Eye fell upon them.



The Lortmil Mountains

Topography

The Lortmils do not contain any known active volcanoes, although there are signs of past volcanic activity, as well as several sources of subterranean heat within the depths of the mountains. To a casual observer, the entire chain seems to have arisen through the slow, patient forces of nature, rather than the sudden and cataclysmic forms such as those found in the Hellfurnaces, for instance. However, appearances can be deceptive, and the range guards her secrets well. A handful of the more majestic peaks are in fact dormant volcanoes which have not erupted in living memory. Large deposits of ash are noticeably missing, and the ancient lava flows are long eroded into soils. When the gnomish scholar Gerdan Hillnamer of the Kron Hills explored the region in CY 223-241, he was led to believe that the entire range was 'a region of quiet stone', with no signs of activity.

The volcanic evidence that eluded Gerdan's pick was in fact deep underground. As the dwarves have long known, the rock here is mostly metamorphic rock such as granite; stable and well-suited for mining. The exceptions are the veins of igneous rocks which are literally sparkling with crystals of various nature, from semi-precious to extremely valuable. The absence of sudden, massive volcanic activity has had several direct and beneficial impacts on the Lortmils.

First, the number of oerthquakes recorded over the centuries can still be numbered on one's hand, and those few have been only minor tremors. Second, the crystals found within the rock matrix deep below the surface are unusually large - a sign that the rock was never exposed to rapid cooling as would be present on the surface. Obsidian deposits, for instance, have not yet been discovered by any mining operation. This has made mining for gemstones extremely rewarding, as the gems found here are larger than those found in most other mines. Lastly, the veins of precious ores found within the mountains are deep, wide and of high quality, rather than being mixed in with less valuable ore. This eases the task of refining and smelting once the raw ore has been excavated. It is small wonder that the dwarves consider this as their rightful lands, given the mineral wealth to be gained. Gold, silver, electrum, copper and precious gems are all in abundance - even after centuries of steady mining. When the first dwarven miners discovered the wealth awaiting underground, they were convinced that this land was meant to be theirs forever.

The Lortmils contain several peaks of significant size, although these are the exception and are rare enough to have been named by the early Flan inhabitants. Most of the higher peaks are within the northwestern end of the chain.

Among these peaks are Abharclamh (elev. 13,200) located near the descent of the mountains into the Lorridges. Treunsgian (elev. 11,400) located along the southern borders of Veluna and nearby Leistaugh (elev. 10,600). Several other peaks within the Celene highlands reach above 7,000 feet, but those are exceptions as the Lortmils descend into Ulek.

The Lorridges, adjacent to the highest peaks of the Lortmils, are a mixture between the harder granites of the mountains and softer sandstones and limestone. This combination has encouraged erosion of the softer rock, leaving starkly carved canyons and ridges (much like the Badlands of the American Dakotas). The gold and silver ores here are more dispersed than those in the Lortmils, and the rock more treacherous underground.

Still, the patience and skill of master dwarven and gnomish miners has eked out a living for the few clans here. Without the greater wealth and resources of the highlands, however, the clans are forced to offer more favorable trading terms to their neighbors.

The Kron Hills, blending between the Lortmils and the Welkwood and Gnarley Forests, do not have the great abundance of precious metals as do their dwarven neighbors, but are still possessed of considerable deposits of silver and electrum, gemstones and mundane ores such as iron and tin, as well as rock quarries that supply high-quality granite and marble. The hills here are older than those of the Lorridges, and more worn and rounded with age.

Several passes have been charted through the lower portions of the peaks. Among these are the Trail of Tears (so named for the terrible losses suffered during a battle to clear the pass during the Hateful Wars) leading between southern Veluna and the Duchy of Ulek; the Silver Path leading from the hills above Tringlee to the western branch of the Jewel River in Celene; and the Hidden Road, winding between Enstad and the central foothills of the County. Of these the Trail of Tears sees the most traffic, as Celene has closed its borders to all 'outsiders' and does not allow passage along either of the latter two trails. The Hidden Road is so named because for much of its length it is beneath overhanging ledges and even travels in underground grottoes for a short portion. The path appears to be magical in nature, as those who have dared it also claim that the name refers to the fact that the road appears to vanish into, and emerge from, solid rock faces, but these tales are unsubstantiated. The Trail of Tears was notably used during the Greyhawk Wars when the armies of Keoland and volunteers from the Ulek states finally marched north through the mountains to aid Furyondy.

Flora and Fauna

The Lortmils run roughly northwest, from the Lorridges bordering Veluna and Bissel, to the foothills of the Principality of Ulek on the shores of the Azure Sea. The diagonal central ridge divides the ecology of the chain into three parts; the northeastern slopes (which include the southern lands of Veluna, the Kron Hills and the lands of Verbobonc and the upland borders of Celene), the peaks and plateaus of the central ridge itself, and the southwestern slopes (which contain the uplands of Bissel, the Gran March and the Ulek states). They cover an area of some 60,000 square miles, plus that of the surrounding foothills.

The northeastern slopes are the most heavily wooded, with cool, mist-bound forests of roanwoods in the Celene highlands giving way to poplars and then firs at higher elevations. These roanwood stands are nearly devoid of undergrowth, as the taller hardwoods have shaded out lesser trees. The size of the trees also dictates that the woods are easily traveled, as the trees themselves are well spaced, with their lower branches some 30-50 feet in the air. As the foothills clear and flatten into the lands of Veluna, the foothills become drier and more sparsely covered, with isolated copses of pines in protected valleys.

The central spine is fairly barren of plant life, although areas protected from the winds and northern exposure will have small copses of birch and fir. The temperature here rarely reaches above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the hottest of summers, given the effects of altitude and increased winds. On a winter's night, death by exposure to the sub freezing temperatures is a legitimate threat to the unprepared traveler.

The southwestern portions of the range, blessed with greater warmth, light and the tropical moisture brought by storms from the Azure Sea, host a denser woodland than those of the cooler northeastern slopes. Large stands of maples, beech and yew cover the lowland slopes, giving way to scrub pines before thinning out at higher altitudes.

Tangled underbrush, encouraged by the favorable conditions, makes direct travel through the woodlands more difficult, and restricts vision. During the later weeks of Harvester, the slopes are ablaze with the colors of the season. Well-established trails are the most favored route when climbing these slopes and travelers are well-advised to keep to them.

Peoples of the Lortmils

The Flan

The Flan peoples, who had settled in the lands just west of the Hellfurnaces in what is now the Sea of Dust, eventually fled their homelands to escape the persecution and threats of their warlike neighbors, the Suel. Traveling under the protection of their patron Powers Beory, Pelor and Rao, they crossed the Hellfurnaces en masse in SD 3,250 (2,265 years before the crowning of the Overking in Rauxes) and entered the lands of eastern Oerik. These were the first humans to enter this part of the continent, and they made contact with several demi-human lands, particularly those of Celene.

The demi-humans were wary of the humans, as memories of the betrayal by the Suel were still fresh. The Flan were not allowed to enter the demi-human lands of what is now present day Celene, and instead were restricted to the areas that would later be known as Geoff, Sterich, and parts of Keoland and the Gran March. One tribe continued its travels and entered the Lortmils after a vision received by an elder priestess of Beory showing a new Flan capital in the higher peaks. This was the city of Haradaragh, founded in SD 3,365, the first great Flan city of the Oerik. With its founding, the Flan became more than a nomadic people and marked the occasion by starting their own calendar, abandoning that of the hated Suel.

Other Flan tribes continued on and founded other lands, such as the Kingdom of Sulm, as well as notables such as the wizard Galep-Dreidel who built Inverness nearly two centuries later, but those are for another tale.

The Flan of Haradaragh found that their presence in the Lortmils was left unchallenged by the elves for a simple reason -- the existence of the orcs and goblins of the central peaks. The humans had nearly a century of relative peace in which to build their great capital. During this time, the human miner Bleredd led several explorations of the deep caverns below the mines, and on one such occasion, was ambushed by a goblin scouting party. Separated from his companions, and facing a howling band of goblins, he prepared for his death at their spears. He was amazed to discover that he was no longer fighting alone; a strong faced matron battled at his side with her hammer, slaying the goblins as easily as the most skilled warrior. When the battle was over, Bleredd turned to thank his rescuer and found he was alone again. He there swore an oath that he would find her and repay his debt, unto his dying days if need be. Long and far he traveled, and terrible were the hardships he endured to follow his oath -- all of which have been expounded upon elsewhere.

Although no written descriptions of the city of Haradaragh have survived, there are cryptic fragments of songs still sung among those of Geoff, Sterich and the County of Ulek who count themselves of Flan descent. These tell of the spectacular visions of sunrise in the high plateaus of the mountains, the great wide boulevards and plazas of the city, the many-stepped pyramids devoted to the Sun-God, the agricultural terraces of the slopes, the labyrinthine walls protecting the city, and the tremendous wealth brought from the mines below. The more tragic lyrics sing of the last days of the city, when the mines boiled forth with rampaging humanoids who slaughtered all who would stand against them.

The humanoids had known of the presence of the humans within a few decades of the Flannae arrival, but the goblin shamans urged the tribes to wait until the portents were favorable. The goblins and allied orcs patiently waited for the humans to drive tunnels deeper into caverns that the goblins had already reached via other passages. Present-day goblin shamans recall only small fragments of the victorious battle chant, but it speaks of the spear of Maglubiyet waiting in the darkness for the humans. Whether this was an appearance of the avatar, or an epic exaggeration by the shamans, is unknown.

Although the songs are quite descriptive of the birth and death of the city, they leave out any clear description of its exact location, other than that it must have been among the highest peaks of the range. The mountain dwarves who have roamed the peaks in the centuries since have found no ruins of any such city, and have tunneled for miles without encountering other mining tunnels -- active or abandoned.

With the destruction of their great city, the few survivors fled into the lowlands, and reverted back to a more simple, nomadic life. The leaders that later emerged among them forswore any return to the cursed mountains, or any attempt to build great cities again, citing the wrath of the gods.

When the waves of Oeridian and Suel refugees arrived in the Sheldomar valley region some 1,500 years later, the descendants of the Lortmil Flannae were completely absent of any signs that they had the skill, knowledge and daring to have built a city on the very peaks of the mountains.

The Dwarves

The dwarves of the Lortmils, although currently masters of that range, originally held only a small portion of the peak under their control, and were confined to the lower elevations now claimed by the Principality of Ulek. The stronghold of Balnorhak was the primary settlement of those mountain dwarves native to the Lortmils. Their primary enemies were the orcs of the eastern Lortmils and the bands of trolls and hill giants that threatened the lower elevations.

Although the priests honored all the Powers of the dwarves with traditional respect, the worship of Berronar was practiced on a wider, and more active, scale than would be considered normal. Given the dwarves' deadly struggle with their enemies, the worship of Moradin and Clangeddin would seem more likely for increased attention. Indeed, Balnorhak crafts-priests devoted to Moradin constructed the fabled "Anvil of the Lortmil Mountains" to aid them in their battles. The priestesses of Berronar would only say that they felt 'closer' to their patron here.

The majority of the massive strongholds of the mountain dwarves, now home to princes of tremendous wealth and influence, were built shortly after the Invoked Devastation, when the dwarven citadels in the Hellfurnaces were cast down by the Suel and the Axe of the Dwarven Lords vanished from dwarven knowledge. Although most of the clans chose to stay near their homelands by founding new forgehalls in the Good Hills, a few clans chose to follow a vision received by a dwarven priestess of Berronar, which showed shining veins of gold below and a secure hearth above. The first advance parties of these emigrant clans entered the foothills in the winter of SD 5,315 (some 200 years before the crowning in Rauxes) and within 10 years had built the first great hall in the Lortmils, Gilmorack (beneath a neighboring mountain of Abharclamh). The next several decades were spent defending the foothold against the onslaught of the goblinoid hordes.

However, unlike the Flan, the dwarven leaders were much more careful in their mining operations, and thwarted the humanoids' traps on numerous occasions. Within a century, a rough stalemate had emerged, with a fiercely contested no-man's land between those claimed by the descendants of Durin and the followers of Gruumsh and Maglubiyet. The great battles in the deep passages are re-chanted with honor by the current residents of that hall, describing the wave assaults of the goblins and the staunch defense of the dwarves.

The turning point in the struggles of both citadels came when scouting parties from one encountered those from the other; a common strategy put the humanoids on the defensive, caught between the two strongholds - as a dwarven historian put it, "between the hammer and the anvil". Within a century of this meeting, the humanoids were reduced ambush and raiding parties, rather than massive assaults. These guerrilla tactics by the humanoids continued until the Hateful Wars finally drove the humanoids from their subterranean caverns.

Once the immediate problem of the humanoid assaults had at least been diluted, the newcomer dwarves began to expand through the northwestern Lortmils, building citadels and mining the tremendous wealth. Their leaders turned an indifferent eye to much of the affairs of humankind for centuries to come, and expected the humans to return the favor.

When Keoland attempted to attack Furyondy by sending troops through the Trail of Tears during the Small War, the dwarves refused to allow them through, blocking the pass with landslides. Notable exceptions to this policy were the participation in the Hateful War and the Battle of Emridy Meadows (CY 569). It is rumored among some human courts, though, that the dwarves only agreed to send troops to the latter after certain trading concessions were granted by the rulers in Verbobonc and Dyvers.

The Esmerin

The Lortmils have always been famous for their gems and precious metals, and stories abound of hidden settlements in which the dwarves, gnomes, or halflings are as rich as kings. Some of these have a firm basis, though in fact the wealth of the inhabitants is greatly exaggerated gems and gold are worth a good deal less near their source of supply, and the expense of safe export is high, even since the Hateful Wars of CY 520. Nevertheless, one of the more extravagant tales may have been true after all.

In Growfest of 556 the simple riverfolk of a river that flows into the Jewel south of Courwood discovered a bronzewood casket of exquisite workmanship lying on a sandbar. When they opened it they found the body of a young halfling, with unusually handsome and noble features, preserved in a sweet-smelling resinous liquid. He was clad in silks and gold brocade worked with emeralds, and wore armlets, rings, and necklaces of gold and emerald, together with much other treasure. Perhaps because of elvish influence the rivermen of that region are not as other men. They took each a single ornament, as it is their custom that pallbearers are entitled to an item from the gravegoods, and buried the casket in a secret place, each swearing never to reveal its location. Nevertheless the story spread up and down the river like wildfire, and soon listeners as far away as Gradsul and Highport were speculating as to the casket's origin.

These events reawakened a tale long dormant set down by Pontus Hardiggin, a Halfling traveler who ranged widely about the world between the years 350 and 390 before retiring to write his memoirs. Among other stories, some obviously fabricated, Hardiggin described a visit to an idyllic land in which halflings and giants lived in peaceful cooperation, blessed with fertile soil, health, and a great deposit of gold, emeralds, and useful metals, and most of all with concealment from the outside world. Hardiggin placed this land in the Yatils, but this may have been intended as a joke, or simply to protect the inhabitants of that happy land. There are a number of surprising coincidences between his account and the story of the casket: the nature of the halflings (tallfellows, unusually handsome), the nature of the land's treasures (silk, gold, emeralds, resins), and even funeral customs (placement in a cave in a bronzewood casket). It seems unlikely that simple riverfolk could perpetrate so elaborate a hoax as to duplicate an old tale no longer widely known, or so expensive a hoax (two of the emerald ornaments have since surfaced in jewelers' shops on the Wild Coast, and they are flawless and of distinctive design).

Nevertheless it is difficult to see how the land and people Hardiggin described could go so long undetected. His descriptions make the entire valley at least ten miles across, and in any case a large settlement including giants is hardly inconspicuous. There may be, however, a number of contributing factors. The slopes of the nearby mountains as Hardiggin describes them are foggy and thickly clad in dense forest, and the only passes require one to scale sheer cliffs or seek out secret passages hollowed into the rock. In either case the high altitude is debilitating, and the entire way is guarded. The only other means of entry to the land of Esmerin is by means of a river which flows through underground caverns after disappearing near a whirlpool in Esmerin's eastern quarter.

This is certainly a route even more difficult. As for views from the air, only the giant eagles and the aarakocra are likely to gain such, and these were described by Hardiggin as allies. Last but not least the land of Esmerin is described as protected by the magical power of a huge emerald "as big as a giant's head," which stands in a pavilion at the center of the chief settlement. Hardiggin described this emerald as having the power to alter the appearance of a land as seen from the distance. He also attributes powers to control the weather and various other matters to this agency.

According to Hardiggin, those who somehow stray into Esmerin are compelled by the inhabitants to remain. The charming Hardiggin narrowly escaped the imposition, or at least delayed it long enough, to escape by a perilous route down the caverns running alongside the underground river that leaves Esmerin, past the burial chambers, and through several siphons (one wonders why so foolhardy an individual lived to write his memoirs). It is possible that somehow, with the exception of Hardiggin, all outsiders have been deterred or detained.

Whatever protections Esmerin may have, it most surely has need of them. Hundreds of fortune seekers have traversed the Lortmils in search of it over the past two decades, and many are of a dire and evil nature. Certain well-equipped expeditions from the Pomarj have made incursions into the Lortmils via the Suss forests, for instance. So far none have returned with any report, but this may well be only a matter of time given the hard evidence of the emerald ornaments. One hopes, too, that the casket will not be discovered and its contents (and possibly the spirit of the corpse) examined.

The Gnomes

The gnomes are the most recent newcomers to the Lortmils, arriving only well after the dwarves had defeated the massive humanoid assaults. The mountain dwarves react coolly to the gnomes, citing the lack of gnomish involvement in the early struggles with the humanoids. The gnomes are concentrated in the lower peaks near the Kron Hills, the Lorridges and the uplands of the County, and have not constructed any settlements within the deep mountains.

The Aarakocra

This avian race claims the highest peaks as its own, sharing them only with the giant eagles. They do not concern themselves with the affairs of the dwarves or the humanoids, although the birdpeople have been here since before the elves were among the trees of Celene. They remain vigilant in their observations of the mountains, but keep their own counsel. When Haradaragh fell, more than a few of the tribal elders were relieved that the humans were gone.

The Hateful Wars (CY 498 - 510)

This war was aptly named, as it was nothing less than an attempt to exterminate the humanoids of the Lortmils, once and forever. As such, it was a failure, as it only resulted in the humanoids escaping and re-grouping in the Pomarj. Each of the lands around the Lortmils claims the leadership role during the war, and each graciously acknowledges the limited role played by the others. Truth be told, no one race or land held the predominant role.

Although the dwarves in their citadels had planned this war of extinction since the first stone of the first stronghold was cut and placed, they did not have the force of numbers to drive out the humanoids, even with the assistance of the gnomes. Realizing this, they turned to the humans of the lowlands, breaking their long isolation. Even the elves of Celene were contacted, although the meetings were frosty and often in danger of falling apart due to racial tensions.

The dwarves were confident of an easy victory - they had spent patient centuries mapping passages in the deeper mines, and were the most familiar with the locations of the goblinoid citadels.

However, when fighting finally began in 498, the dwarves found that their maps constantly led them into traps and ambushes. There are also rumors that during the years of battles, magical forces of unknown origin constantly deflected or distracted those of the elves. Humanoid warbands would appear as if out of thin air to strike unlikely targets in the lower elevations, and vanish before a retaliatory force arrived. Elven and human wizards attempting to scry the plans of their opponents found they were blocked, or worse, that a false vision would be gained.

It was clear that the humanoids had magical assistance far surpassing the ability of their shamans and witch-doctors. Elven chroniclers hypothesize that one of the elder liches of Oerth, such as Lerrek of the Vesve, could have lent assistance to the cause of the humanoids. They discount any possibility of the participation of a goblinoid avatar, as their own Powers would have alerted them of the danger. They also doubt that it was simply a mortal mage, for the sheer intricacy and skill of the defenses encountered.

After years of futile effort, the magical onslaughts of the elves finally broke through whatever magical defense had shielded the humanoids, and the rout was on. Citadel after citadel was left populated only by dead goblinoid warriors. The shamans, realizing their imminent defeat, urged a massive break-out attempt to escape the encircling circle of death. Some tribes, as noted by others, attempted to flee into the Yatils and were caught and destroyed. The vast majority of the tribes raced through the tunnels of the southeastern Lortmils, towards the Pomarj. A diversionary force was sent to besiege the city of Jurnre in 506 in hopes that any pursuit would be thrown off of the main body. The tactic worked - enough of the Ulek forces abandoned their positions in the foothills to defend the city that the humanoid army was able to sweep through without serious resistance and overrun the Pomarj.

The final chapter has yet to be written on this subject; even now, the latest war leader, Turrosh Mak, has once more forged the tribes into a united force, and the humanoids again have magical support. Items such as the Goblin Shield of the Pomarj are beyond the power of the shamns to construct, yet this is only a sample of the new power flowing into the hands of the humanoids.

Selections by Sobhrach (Oerth Journals) and Greyhawk Adventures.