Why are the high elves avoiding the mountains of Ulthuan?

Ulthuan_Volcano · February 14

The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?

veresh1989 · February 14

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?

Savan of Tiranoc was one of the few pupils of Caledor the Great not to perish during the creation of the Great Vortex. It was he, more than any other, who ensured that Ulthuan's legacy of magic was not lost with Caledor, for he undertook the tutelage of many students in the decades following his master's sacrifice.[1a]

In time, Savan found Ulthuan to offer fewer and fewer challenges that matched his wisdom. Casting aside his duties as a scholar, he traveled the world, seeking the lost treasures of the Old Ones, and communing with the ancient Slann of the southern jungles. Finally, he returned home to Ulthuan to undertake one last exploration - he would ascend the Annulii Mountains and seek the gods who lived upon the summits.[1a]

When Savan finally returned, all who saw him were shocked to see that his hair, once jet-black, was now white as snow. Worse, where his eyes had once been, there were now only scarred and empty sockets. Savan offered no explanation - indeed, he never spoke thereafter. For the rest of his days, Savan never again attempted so much as a cantrip, and refused all attempts by others to learn of what had occurred beyond the clouds. Finally, after years haunted by terrible dreams, Savan climbed to the top of the tallest tower of his mansion, and threw himself from its balcony. In his death, Savan left one last puzzle. Whilst many servants saw him fall, his body was never found. Whether he was rescued before death, or his corpse taken after - and by whom - was never discovered.[1a]

Ulthuan_Volcano · February 14

veresh1989 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
Savan of Tiranoc was one of the few pupils of Caledor the Great not to perish during the creation of the Great Vortex. It was he, more than any other, who ensured that Ulthuan's legacy of magic was not lost with Caledor, for he undertook the tutelage of many students in the decades following his master's sacrifice.[1a]

In time, Savan found Ulthuan to offer fewer and fewer challenges that matched his wisdom. Casting aside his duties as a scholar, he traveled the world, seeking the lost treasures of the Old Ones, and communing with the ancient Slann of the southern jungles. Finally, he returned home to Ulthuan to undertake one last exploration - he would ascend the Annulii Mountains and seek the gods who lived upon the summits.[1a]

When Savan finally returned, all who saw him were shocked to see that his hair, once jet-black, was now white as snow. Worse, where his eyes had once been, there were now only scarred and empty sockets. Savan offered no explanation - indeed, he never spoke thereafter. For the rest of his days, Savan never again attempted so much as a cantrip, and refused all attempts by others to learn of what had occurred beyond the clouds. Finally, after years haunted by terrible dreams, Savan climbed to the top of the tallest tower of his mansion, and threw himself from its balcony. In his death, Savan left one last puzzle. Whilst many servants saw him fall, his body was never found. Whether he was rescued before death, or his corpse taken after - and by whom - was never discovered.[1a]

so there is something on those mountains that break all the elves who mount up there, did any other elf ever climbed those mountains and returned?

yolordmcswag · February 14

For the same reasons humans in real life don't tend to live on the top of mountains. It's cold, few resources, harsh terrain, and really nothing good. The high elves already sit on some of the best land in the world for agriculture, so why would they live in the least hospitable parts of their realm? The high elves are also far from overpopulated, even some of their major cities are half-empty.

As for defence, there is really nothing to defend there. Why would anyone attack a mountain?

And lastly, there are plenty of monsters there. Ulthuan is lucky enough to have no skaven, beastmen or greenskins, but there are wild beasts like Griffon, Manticore etc. in the Annulli mountains.

veresh1989 · February 14

Ulthuan_Volcano said:

veresh1989 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
Savan of Tiranoc was one of the few pupils of Caledor the Great not to perish during the creation of the Great Vortex. It was he, more than any other, who ensured that Ulthuan's legacy of magic was not lost with Caledor, for he undertook the tutelage of many students in the decades following his master's sacrifice.[1a]

In time, Savan found Ulthuan to offer fewer and fewer challenges that matched his wisdom. Casting aside his duties as a scholar, he traveled the world, seeking the lost treasures of the Old Ones, and communing with the ancient Slann of the southern jungles. Finally, he returned home to Ulthuan to undertake one last exploration - he would ascend the Annulii Mountains and seek the gods who lived upon the summits.[1a]

When Savan finally returned, all who saw him were shocked to see that his hair, once jet-black, was now white as snow. Worse, where his eyes had once been, there were now only scarred and empty sockets. Savan offered no explanation - indeed, he never spoke thereafter. For the rest of his days, Savan never again attempted so much as a cantrip, and refused all attempts by others to learn of what had occurred beyond the clouds. Finally, after years haunted by terrible dreams, Savan climbed to the top of the tallest tower of his mansion, and threw himself from its balcony. In his death, Savan left one last puzzle. Whilst many servants saw him fall, his body was never found. Whether he was rescued before death, or his corpse taken after - and by whom - was never discovered.[1a]
so there is something on those mountains that break all the elves who mount up there, did any other elf ever climbed those mountains and returned?

Only Savan is known in history, although there may have been others. In addition, the spawn of chaos live in the mountains, such as manticores, hydras, etc. It is impossible to live there for a long time, these monsters constantly raid from the mountains

KrocodileKrew212 · February 14

yolordmcswag said:
For the same reasons humans in real life don't tend to live on the top of mountains. It's cold, few resources, harsh terrain, and really nothing good.

Nothing except the view. And that's why we invented hiking.

But for real, the mountains are a buffer against outside threats. They don't need to be fortified because anyone trying to climb them is going to have a bad time.

NemoTheElf101 · February 14

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?

So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.

Draxynnic · February 14

NemoTheElf101 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.

This. One of the side effects of the Vortex is that the peaks get REALLY saturated by magic before that magic gets pulled into the Vortex.

Even without that, though, the mountains are extremely difficult to navigate just by geography. They're like the Alps, or possibly higher - it's only really practical to cross them at specific passes, except in the southern kingdoms like Eataine and Caledor. You might be able to get their by flight or magic, but even that is dangerous because of the heights and the weather, and you wouldn't want to live there. Even manning the fortress-gates is dangerous.

It is worth noting, however, that in the fluff, there are mountain cities in Caledor, and while it's not represented ingame, Caledor is one of only two kingdoms that is present on both the inner and outer coastlines. Largely because, while the mountains there are fairly rugged, they're not as impassible as those on the northern side of the annulus, and between dragons and deposits of ithilmar and other valuable ores, it's worth it.

ladymissfit · February 14

they're scared of heights

veresh1989 · February 14

ladymissfit said:
they're scared of heights

Therefore, they fly on dragons, pegasus, eagles. It is logical.

ladymissfit · February 14

veresh1989 said:

ladymissfit said:
they're scared of heights
Therefore, they fly on dragons, pegasus, eagles. It is logical.

they keep their eyes closed

veresh1989 · February 14

ladymissfit said:

veresh1989 said:

ladymissfit said:
they're scared of heights
Therefore, they fly on dragons, pegasus, eagles. It is logical.
they keep their eyes closed

When they fight in the sky, they swing their stumps at random, it is logical

ladymissfit · February 14

veresh1989 said:

ladymissfit said:

veresh1989 said:

ladymissfit said:
they're scared of heights
Therefore, they fly on dragons, pegasus, eagles. It is logical.
they keep their eyes closed
When they fight in the sky, they swing their stumps at random, it is logical

as if the mount isn't doing all the work

lucibuis · February 14

NemoTheElf101 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.

Shouldn’t there be random invasions from the mountains in game then?

ladymissfit · February 14

lucibuis said:

NemoTheElf101 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.
Shouldn’t there be random invasions from the mountains in game then?

demons aren't implemented yet

Maedrethnir · February 14

lucibuis said:

NemoTheElf101 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.
Shouldn’t there be random invasions from the mountains in game then?

There should be. Also Eltharion's campaign should be plagued with Daemons. The more mists you spread the more Daemons should pester you.

veresh1989 · February 14

lucibuis said:

NemoTheElf101 said:

Ulthuan_Volcano said:
The High elves never built anything atop the moutains of Ulthuan, I understand that they won't live inside because they are not dwarves but why not build settlements or outposts atop them? They have dragons and eagles to reach these quickly if needed and they could have easily defendable positions in case of an attack. So why don't they go up there?
So much magic runs through them that the Annulii are almost like the Chaos Wastes, meaning that time doesn't flow right, magic is extremely unpredicatable, and all sorts of monsters and daemons appear in the area. When Ulthuan isn't fighting off raiders or invaders, it's containing abominations that come down from the mountains.

That said, Caledor is mostly mountain so its Elves likely live on and in mountain peaks, and Cothique's Elves live in underground cities.
Shouldn’t there be random invasions from the mountains in game then?

Yes they should, the invasions of chaos monsters and chaos demons.

DwarfMasterRace · February 14

yolordmcswag said:

As for defence, there is really nothing to defend there. Why would anyone attack a mountain?

*coughs in Skaven, Goblin, Orc, Dragon and Dwarf*

BECAUSE ALL THE SHINY THINGS!

LordTorquemado · February 15

The magic corrupts all sort of monsters in there. The land is oversatured with magic from the Vortex up there, and it attracts creatures of magic... and worse things when the conditions are set up.

And of all the creatures and monsters, there are two among them who are feared by the elves of Ulthuan. Two creatures which are able to regenerate their mortal wounds and spit acid vomit from their mouths. They are known as Veresh and Lucibuis.

Niggey · February 15

Very interesting! So when WH3 comes around we may expected chaos demon stacks in Ulthuan for the ME2 map?
That would spice things up quite a lot. Is there any lore about which type of demons are attacking?
More Slaneesh or Tzeentch? Or all of them?

I hope they will be implemented as events or small chaos gates or similiar. I could see some frustration if your two HE stacks are sailing the world and a surprise khorne stack razes your home cities. But it maybe makes the easy HE campaigns a little bit more difficult.

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Why are the high elves avoiding the mountains of Ulthuan?

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