Northknife Pass

Northknife Pass was a mountain trail leading across the Dustwall, from Raurin to Bralizzar.

Creatures
Besides bandits, there were bugbears, wolves, yeti, worgs, mountain goats, mountain lions, and grizzly bears, some of them hostile. The Hetmann of Bralizzar hired a hill giant at least once to keep the path cleared of rocks.

Description
The pass lay approximately away from Bralizzar.

The pass rose abruptly from the valley where Bralizzar lay. The Dustwall mountains around the pass were gray with red streaks reminiscent of wounds. The mountain tops disappeared around misty clouds. It followed the course of a mountain stream, which zigzagged its way down the mountains, ascending slowly. Near its start on the side of Bralizzar lay Sweepaway Ford. The trail crossed two natural stone barriers, one tall and one even higher, closer to Raurin. Both were crossable only by paths too narrow to allow for more than a single file; they one closest to Bralizzar was known as Breakheart Cleft, and the one further up the road was Giant Step Cleft. Ambushes were likely in such spots; a small stream of water formed the left side of both passes.

Near the highest point of the pass lay a spring known as Resurrection Spring. Between it and the highest point in the pass, there was a cave about 40 feet up on the face of the mountain, often used for refuge by passing travelers. It was a total of above the trail itself. There was an impressive view from the top of the pass: at dawn and dusk, the polished sides of the pyramid of Amun-Re were visible, flashing in the desert. The distant Hinjaz could also be seen from there.