Flora and fauna of the Anvil Range

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.

Flora

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A Methel Bloom

Ashbraid Creeper

A tough, fibrous vine that clings to rock faces, weaving itself into braid-like formations along cliff sides.
Its dark gray, soot-colored bark helps it blend into the mountains, making it nearly invisible unless inspected closely.
The plant absorbs trace minerals from the rock, making it slightly metallic to the touch, and is sometimes used in Minthari rope-making.

Iron Thistle

A low-growing, deep-rooted thistle that thrives in rocky soil and volcanic ash.
Its thick, spiny leaves are dull bronze with sharp serrated edges, deterring herbivores.
Produces a bitter, resinous sap that the Minthari use as a natural adhesive in stoneworking and leather sealing.

Ember Moss

A resilient moss found in geothermal caverns and along steam vents, thriving in high heat.
Appears charcoal-black when dormant, but when exposed to warmth and moisture, it unfurls tiny, rust-colored fronds resembling embers.
The moss is highly absorbent, used by the Minthari in water filtration and moisture retention in underground tunnels.

Bell Shrub

A dense, gnarled shrub with pale yellow, bell-shaped seed pods that release a strong sulfuric odor when crushed.
Grows near mineral deposits and geothermal fissures, tolerating extreme soil acidity.
The pods deter most herbivores, but Minthari alchemists extract trace compounds from them for metal-toughening treatments in forging.

Latch Fungi

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Ember Moss
A pale, root-like fungal network that grows just beneath the surface of rocky slopes.
It produces thread-thin, wiry filaments that latch onto passing creatures, spreading its spores through underground tunnels.
The Minthari consider it a living hazard, as it can clog ventilation shafts and create hazardous fungal dust if disturbed.

Bromthorn Cactus

A squat, thick-stemmed cactus with dense, spiral-patterned thorns that break off easily when touched.
Its flesh is tough and fibrous, but inside, it holds small, sponge-like pockets of water, allowing it to survive long droughts.
Minthari scouts and travelers occasionally extract its water in emergencies, though the bitter taste makes it a last resort.

Scourge Bramble

A low, tangled shrub with razor-thin, hooked leaves that latch onto anything that brushes against it.
The leaves dry out and detach in the wind, drifting across the rocky slopes like tiny, bladed tumbleweeds.
Minthari use dried Scourgeleaf fibers to create abrasive tools, and some warriors weave them into defensive barricades.

Melthel Bloom

A creeping groundcover plant with thick, sinewy runners that coil tightly around rocks, slowly splitting stone apart over years.
Produces small, pale blue flowers that bloom only once every several years, giving it an eerie, ghostly presence when in season.
The Minthari believe its ability to break apart rock is symbolic of patience and inevitability and often carve its image into ceremonial tunnels.

Voidgrain Tuft

A hardy, short grass that grows in small, isolated clumps, often between cracks in the stone.
Unlike most plants, it absorbs almost no light, appearing as a patch of unnaturally dark, featureless void against the rocky terrain.
Used by Minthari scouts to camouflage their burrows, as its matte-black appearance disrupts natural shadows.

Astak Fern

A delicate, thin fern that grows in the shadowed crevices of high-altitude cliffs.
Its silvery-gray leaves curl and unfurl with changing temperatures, creating an illusion of drifting smoke when seen from a distance.
The plant is almost impossible to cultivate, making it a rare and revered sight among the Minthari.

Fauna

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A Dhorax emerges

Dhorax (Burrowing rock serpent)

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.

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.