RIFTSPINE PEAKS
Divider of the Vale

The Riftspine Peaks divide the westernmost third of the vale from its eastern and central regions.  This serves as a major dividing point between Hartfell on the west and Solstice on the east.

There are handful of roads which cross the mountains at various points, the most notable is a tunnel known as the Spinebreaker Depths.  This was created millennia ago by the Eltari Empire.  It remains an efficient and often used trade route, but it traverses a number of natural tunnels and hasn't been fully mapped.

The mountains themselves are considered to be dangerous to cross for most civilians outside of checkpoints that are regularly patrolled by members of the Winter Knights.

This ten mile tunnel was once known to the Eltari as a major part of the the "Road of Western Conquest" in honor of early military victories that led to the unification of the Eltari Empire.  This name has been soundly rejected by most Valians, especially residents of Hartfell.  

Now this passage is known as the "Spinebreaker Depths", a term that includes both the tunnel which is a part of the Western Tradeway, and the network of underground caverns it connects to.  This can be a bit ambiguous at times, but when someone references "The Spinebreaker" they typically mean the tunnel.

These connected caverns and ruins have been explored in pieces, but never fully charted. Efforts have been made over the last decades to restore and maintain this passage, but it isn't uncommon for dangers to their way in.