The Anvil Range is a land of extremes, where life has adapted to the harsh, arid conditions of the mountains and the deep, subterranean tunnels of the Minthari. The region’s flora consists of resilient, mineral-hardened plants, many of which rely on deep roots, geothermal heat, or symbiotic relationships with the rock itself to survive. From the braided vines of the Ashbraid Creeper to the ghostly blooms of the Methel Bloom, the plant life of the range is as rugged and unyielding as the land itself.
The fauna of the Anvil Range is just as tenacious and specialized, with burrowing serpents, cliff-dwelling predators, and subterranean beasts dominating the ecosystem. Creatures such as the Dhorax, a massive rock-armored serpent, and the Vorkirn, a silent hunter that navigates with subsonic echoes, have evolved to thrive in the darkness below and the unforgiving terrain above. Each species, whether plant or beast, plays a role in the delicate, hostile balance of life in the mountains, shaping the world of the Minthari just as much as the tunnels they carve through the stone.
A massive, scale-plated serpent that slithers beneath the rocky ground, sensing vibrations through its horned skull.
Its layered stone-like scales provide natural armor, making it nearly impervious to conventional attacks.
Minthari superstition holds that a Dhorax’s shed skin can be used to reinforce tunnel walls, making them resistant to collapse.
Vurthak (Chisel-Fanged cliff beast)
A stocky, four-legged predator that scales sheer rock faces using its hooked claws and crushing jaw strength.
Its chisel-shaped fangs are capable of splitting stone to carve out nesting hollows.
The Minthari believe that seeing a Vurthak hunting at dawn is an omen of great fortune or terrible disaster, depending on the beast’s direction.
Zelkirn (Lantern-winged cavern moth)
A giant, bioluminescent moth that drifts through the deepest tunnels, emitting a soft amber glow from its translucent wings.
Its dust-covered scales are mildly hallucinogenic, and Minthari ritualists sometimes inhale the dust to induce visions.
Attracted to heat sources, leading them to cluster around forge vents and geothermal fissures, making them a sacred symbol of fire and knowledge.
Gorthul (Stone-Tusked Tunnel Grazer)
A broad-backed, tusked beast that excavates deep roots and fungi from beneath the valley floor.
Its gravel-colored hide camouflages it against the rocks, and its massive, forward-curving tusks are used to scrape away loose stone.
The Minthari do not hunt the Gorthul, believing its burrowing keeps the tunnels aerated, but they occasionally tame them for underground transport.
Tharnak (Ash-Winged Canyon Drifter)
A winged scavenger that glides on massive, leathery wings, using the valley’s updrafts to soar for days without landing.
Its ashen-gray feathers are almost indistinguishable from the surrounding cliffs, making it nearly invisible in flight.
Feeds on exposed carcasses and bone remains, sometimes following Minthari hunting parties in hopes of scraps.
Kaervak (Chitinous Tunneler)
A massive, segmented arthropod that drills through rock using serrated mandibles, creating narrow burrows across the Anvil Range.
Its outer shell is reinforced with trace metals, making its discarded carapaces prized among Minthari for lightweight armor plating.
Considered both a nuisance and a resource, as its tunnels can destabilize rock, but its shed chitin is invaluable for crafting.
Drivnok (Fire-Blooded Ridge Lizard)
A muscular, thick-scaled reptile found near geothermal vents, absorbing heat into its blood-like circulatory fluid, which glows faintly beneath its scales.
When threatened, it expels superheated breath, scalding potential predators.
Some Minthari tame Drivnoks to serve as living torches in the darkest tunnels, as their bodies radiate warmth and dim red light.
A Vorkirn
Vorkirn (Echo-Horned Night Hunter)
A solitary, four-legged predator that hunts by emitting subsonic vibrations, which bounce off cavern walls to locate prey in complete darkness.
Its curved, spiraling horns amplify these signals, making it one of the most silent yet deadly hunters in the range.
Minthari warriors etch symbols into Vorkirn horns, believing they can enhance echo-based communication and sound-based tracking.
Skraval (Spined Dust Ambusher)
A flattened, many-legged predator that buries itself beneath the loose scree and dust fields of Minthal Valley.
When prey approaches, it erupts from the ground, its rows of needle-thin spines paralyzing anything it latches onto.
The Minthari avoid disturbing the valley floor at night, fearing the silent ambush of a lurking Skraval.
Rathkir (Cave-Roosting Carrion Feeder)
A hairless, bat-like creature that roosts in high cavern ceilings, descending only to scavenge from the remains of fallen beasts.
Has translucent, sagging skin, allowing Minthari scholars to see its organs pulsing faintly in the dark.
While considered filthy and foul-smelling, its glands secrete an enzyme that the Minthari use to break down tough ores in metal refining.