The mythical ‘Mountain Men’ are a rarely seen, reclusive people, who have chosen to live their lives deep in the bowels of the mountains. But they have not always chosen this way of life.

 

After the Rift a large group of humans settled in the mountains, spreading themselves out among the various valleys and vales. The lands there were lush and fertile and filled with wildlife. And relatively safe. The primary threat came from the Mountain Trolls that lived high in the mountains, occasionally coming down into the valleys to feed. It was also not unknown to also see the odd Giant Troll ambling through from time-to-time. Life in the valley during Spring and Summer was good, despite the threat of Trolls. The weather was warm and pleasant. It was Autumn & Winter that was the problem, the weather becoming cold and inhospitable. After struggling to survive all year round in their valley homes, the people of the mountains came up with the idea that life inside the mountains during the dark parts of the year would be a better option. They would be protected from the worst the seasons could throw at them as well as providing a level of safety from the roaming Trolls during the dark months.

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And that’s how life continued for a long time. In early Autumn, they would pack up their belongings and disappear deep inside the mountains, protected from the biting cold and the deadly trolls. Only to then emerge in Spring and descend back into the valleys. And this way of life worked well. But as is the way, all good things eventually come to an end.

 

One early Autumn day, a large settlement located deep in the mountains packed up their belongings and trapsed up the mountain-side and into their winter retreats. As they had not seen a Troll in that area for many years, they had grown lax and over-confident. Not one person covered their tracks or checked to see if they were being watched. Which is exactly what was happening!

 

Unbeknownst to anyone, a small gaggle of Mountain Trolls watched on as people moved backwards and forwards, up and down the mountain, moving belongings and livestock, into the opening on the side of the hill. Eventually the last person made the journey and disappeared into the mountain-side. The Trolls followed them in. It was a massacre. 90% of the settlement was lost.

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News of the disaster travelled quickly through the Mountain communities, who resolved to learn lessons from this awful event. If they didn’t, then the mountain dwelling humans were in danger of being wiped out.

 

So it was decided that the safest thing to do for all of the Mountain people would be live deep inside the mountain permanently. They would not return to the valley in the Spring, instead choosing the live their whole lives inside the mountains . This would be their home now.

 

To protect themselves from future attacks and keep the Trolls out of their new home, they constructed huge stone doors and narrow passages. They found ways to grow crops using minimal sunlight and took drinking water from the huge underground pools they found. For years they stayed isolated from the rest of the world and the world forgot them. And then then one day, the Mountain Men discovered Ore!

 

Mines were created, along with smelters, forges and smiths. They perfected the production of the finest metals and from those metals they made tools, weapons and armour. After many years isolated underground they re-entered the outside world, keen to trade their shiny goods for things they had long gone without; exotic meats from the Pure Bloods, wools from the Nomads and fish from the Nordmenn.

 

But it was only when they came face to face with the other factions that the realisation hit them that life underground had had a profound effect on them as a people. They were shorter and stockier than the outside people, the lack of sunlight had stunted their growth. Such was the price of safety.

 

They now only emerge from their mountain homes for two reasons; to trade and to fight in the Battle Arena.