Anor Mountains

These large densely forested mountains represent a difficult challenge for anyone moving from the east coast into the central plains of Miran. The range run all the way from the southern coast to the north forcing anyone that wishes to move from the east coast to the central plains to either sail around or cross over.

While the peaks are not as high as the Iron Mountains, overall the land is higher and the mountain range far wider. This means that any traveler must spend more time moving up the mountains and down into the valleys, which is why it is so difficult to cross. There are two large passes through the mountains, one near the north and the other in the middle. In addition there is a long a twisting path near the southern tip, but it is considered almost more dangerous that simply crossing along the peaks because its western opening in in the middle of the Shifting Sands desert.

This is the largest pass which has its eastern opening just south of Kresh and its western opening just a few days ride from the northern coast. During the summer months this is the preferred pass to use as the weather is temperate and the rocky pass easy to move along even during a heavy rain. In addition the river that runs through the pass is easily navigable in many places. However, during the heavy spring rains the river often over runs its banks and people have been swept away by the now rapidly moving river. Finally the pass itself is frequently closed during the winter as large snowfalls can block the pass and the danger of avalanche is ever present.

Named by the Turanian traders that move along the Iron Road to western markets chiefly loaded down with saffron and other aromatics. This pass is not that large and takes a curvy path through the mountains, but it does not suffer the problems of the larger White Pass to the north. Guarded on either side and patrolled heavily but the Turanians there is very little road found anywhere on Miran that would be as safe. This safety does have a cost in that the fees to enter the pass can be quite high for smaller caravans.

This narrow pass is not simply dangerous because of the land itself, but because most of it is passes through land claimed by the Blackheart, a tribe of orcs that live in the southern range of the mountains. In addition, the Turanian army only patrols this pass twice a year with the intention of driving the orcs back rather than actually open it up for trade. To make matters worse, the western opening of the pass is right on the eastern edge of the Shifting Sands desert. Even with all of these difficulties there are still people that use this pass as this is the only pass where the Turanians do not collect a tax on goods.