Alimir Mountains

The Alimir Mountains served as the eastern border of Calimshan and were once the home of a great horde of beholders.

Geography
The Alimir Mountains composed the southern end of the Iltkazar Range, the same chain of mountains containing the Omlarandin Mountains, the Kuldin Peaks, the Snowflake Mountains, and the Giant's Run Mountains. The mountains ran down into the Lake of Steam in the east and extended into the Shining Sea in the south in what was known as the Alimir Peninsula.

The Alimirs were not surrounded by gradual foothills as were the more northerly mountains in the Iltkazar Range; they exploded out of the ground with steep sides. After a few thousand feet in height, most of the trees gave way to exposed rock, and the steep slopes began to level off only after around 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) on average. The majority of the peaks had summits above 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) over sea level.

The two tallest peaks were Mount Kahdas (7,800 ft or 2377 m) and Mount Phevos (8,500 ft or 2591 m), which were located in the middle of the range. The sheer faces of these two peaks were known as the Eye Tyrant Cliffs, for here was the site of an epic battle between the humans of Calimshan and an army of beholders in the ancient past. The cliffs were carved with intricate artwork depicting the battle, which could be seen from a great distance away.

The Maridflow began its course in the Alimirs, springing from a large cleft in Mount Ulaarn, near Mounts Kahdas and Phevos, and cascading downward at Azure Falls.

The Alimirs were not rich in mineral content, and so they were not usually mined for ore by the humans. An exception was iron of a particularly dark hue, which was used to craft shoonrings with combat or defensive properties.

The upper elevations were covered with snow in the winter months.

Inhabitants
Historically, the Alimirs were inhabited by beholders. The Alimir Hive had long been a thorn in Calimshan's flesh, ever since the Second Age of Calimsham. While by the time of the Ninth Age of Calimshan, the beholders were maintained, they had never been driven from deep under the mountains since their arrival.

The lower slopes of the mountains and their sparse foothills were populated by mountain goats and other animals found in high elevations. These were preyed on by a variety of wild cats, pumas, panthers, and even displacer beasts that had migrated south from the Omlarandins.

The peaceful galeb duhr were also known to inhabit the lower elevations.

Most of the life in the mountains, however, was literally in the mountains. The caverns of the Alimirs were full of all kinds of monsters, the slaves of the beholders who used to reign over Calimshan and still thrived in the darkness in the depths of the mountains.

Dragons occasionally sought out lairs in the southern reaches of the mountains, but with the beholder presence, these rarely became more than temporary hoards.

Trails & Byways
There were no good trails through the Alimir Mountains, since the mountains were not mined and because it was easier to sail a boat around the Alimir Peninsula or to pass north through the gap between them and the Omlarandins. Besides this, the mountains were so steep that blazing a trail over them would be near impossible. Moreover, even if one could ascend the slopes, the mountains contained many treacherous crags.

A single trail was the exception, known as the Pevadaas Trail. There was also an infamous canyon, the Echoing Canyons of Kush, that could be traversed. Both routes were the source of countless tales of the bloody deaths of hapless travelers who risked the journey.

History
Circa &minus;11,000 DR, the first holdings of what would become Deep Shanatar were founded by the dwarves in the Alimirs.

The beholders of Alimir Hive arrived in the Second Age of Calimshan in the month of Tarsakh, &minus;2381 DR. They arrived on three beholder colony ships, which crash-landed during a storm. The surviving beholders founded the City of Orbs, Zokir, and soon overran Calishite garrisons in the area. The Tavihir Dynasty successfully drove the beholders back, sending them to seek strongholds in the mountains, where they remained until they were able to grow in strength.

The Alimir Hive sought its revenge in the Third Age of Calimshan. With an army of goblins and ogres, they overran both Calimshan and Iltkazar, ultimately reaching Calimport and turning Pasha Violir IX to stone. The beholders would rule Calimshan from &minus;1428 DR until &minus;1402. The eye tyrants were finally driven back to their strongholds in the Alimirs by the Drakhons of Calimshan.

A second war with the beholders was fought around the Alimir Peninsula from &minus;1280 DR until &minus;1080 DR, which helped establish the extent of Calishite rule in the area and halved the beholder population.

The third and final major war against the Alimir Hive lasted four years and began in the Year of Many Eyes, &minus;170 DR. Known as the Orb Marches or the Eye Tyrant Wars, the war required an alliance of Calimshan, Tethyr, and Iltkazar to push the eye tyrants back to their homes in the mountains for good.

Notable Locations

 * Allyn's Anvil : This ancient stone circle was located in the northern mountains and was said to be used in forging many artifacts. It was sacred to the Church of Tyr.


 * Janessar hideouts : The Janessar maintained an outpost within a series of secret caverns in the Alimirs northeast of Almraiven.


 * Monastery of St. Fanal : This monastery to Ilmater in the western foothills was also a school and library. It was located off the Pevadaas Trail.


 * St. Wityn's Hospice : This Ilmatari hospital was located on a plateau west of Allyn's Anvil and was isolated and surrounded by mountains.