Galena Mountains

The Galena Mountains, or simply the Galenas, was a massive and forbidding mountain range that formed a natural border around Vaasa and Damara in Northeast Faerûn. Some scholars referred to the western arc of the range as the West Galena Mountains, though this distinction was more commonly encountered during the 15 century DR.

Description
The range was about long and not more than about, forming a ring around Vaasa from the west to the east in a counterclockwise direction. The range was extremely jagged and permanently topped with ice and snow.

Resources
The mountains were rich in valuable minerals, including bloodstone, iron and silver. Despite the danger from their hostile inhabitants, people came to the mountains in the hope of mining their way to riches, especially the dwarves, who had set up the Bloodstone mines, Hillsafar Hall and Ironspur in the area in order to cultivate the ores. There was an ever-present danger of tunneling into the Underdark beneath the mountains and unleashing the evil creatures within.

While the western Galenas were just as rich as the rest of the mountains to the east, they were largely ignored by outsiders for quite some time. Only local miners and the native dwarves of the region knew of these additional sources of wealth.

Geography
The Galenas created the border that separated the lands of Vaasa in the west, and Damara to the east.

Geographic Features
Due to the extremely impassable terrain that constituted the majority of the mountain range, the Bloodstone Pass was the only realistic crossing point for humanoids across the western arm for quite some time, though the High Walk to the north was also an option.
 * Passes:

The Galena Snake was a winding river that flowed south from the northeastern edge of the range, before turning southeast and joining the Icelace River. There was a meltwater surge every spring but it was otherwise unnavigable. The Goliad River was located just a ways south, situated near the High Walk path along the eastern slops bordering Damara, and the Beaumaris River was south of that, flowing down either franks of the peaks into both its neighboring realms.
 * Rivers:

Nestled in the southern arm of the Galenas was the Winterspear River, that wound through the foothills north of Thar before emptying into the Moonsea lake, and the Telstang Brook and Naed Creek, a pair of streams that snaked through the Ride to form Lake Longreach.

Trade
As the Galena Mountains were a source of natural wealth that could bring great riches to people, many people ventured into into its mines every year. It was said that successful miners could mine out millions of gold pieces worth of valuable miners.

History
When the War of Vaasa broke out in the Cold Lands during the mid–14 century DR, absolutely chaos erupted throughout some areas of the Galena Mountains. During the conflict, the Grandfather of Assassins began for him his army of bandits and instill fear in the people living in the lands to the east.

In the, the mountains played host to a council of metallic dragons, called forth by Lareth, Sovereign of the gold dragons. Lareth proposed that they collectively begin to enter slumber, in order to avoid the effects of the Rage of Dragons that was driving their kind to acts of great destruction.

During the late 15 century, the eastern Galenas became a place of conflict once again. King Yarin of the Kingdom of Bloodstone led mercenaries from foreign lands to defend the region from the Warlock Knights of Vaasa.

Notable Locations

 * Landmarks:
 * Cave of the Whispering Wind,
 * Citadel of Assassins, the mountain fortress that housed the mountains' infamous assassins guild.
 * Dragon Necropolis,
 * Falls of Ixce,
 * Granite Tower,
 * House of Hurk,
 * Pillar of Fire, a cavern deep beneath a peak that was linked with the plane of Elemental Chaos.
 * Sanctuary of the Sleeping Wyrms,


 * Mines:
 * Bloodstone Mines
 * Justin's Mine,


 * Settlements:
 * Bloodstone Village, the largest of the Galena's mining communities.
 * Hillsafar Hall,
 * Ironspur,
 * Talagbar,
 * Wyrmsmoke Keep, an abandoned cloud giant fortress that was taken over by a cell of the Dragon Cult.

Inhabitants
The mountains were home to numerous dwarven communities, and its peaks were the domain of many goblinoids, orcs, and even giants. Deep beneath the mountains was a city of the drow, called V'elddrinnsshar.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Caledon Kierney, a rugged former adventurer from Bloodstone that wandered the mountains providing aid to those traveling throughout.
 * Riordan Parnell, the wandering bard that spent his time seeking out the trills the Galenas had to offer.