unyasi [Lore] The Mwamba

[Bellosh]

The Mwamba - The Majestic Highlands

 

Comprising the northwest of Unyasi is a range of tall mountains dubbed by zebras the Mwamba. The product of geologic uplift, these highlands are dotted with numerous volcanoes that fortunately remain dormant for the time being. While not among the most densely populated areas in the southern continent, the Mwamba rewards considerably bounties to those who do.

 

As the Mwamba forms a nearly undivided line of mountains between Clawifax and Taraju, its most prominent effect on climate is casting a considerable rain shadow over much of the northwestern savannas. The rain shadow is not enough to create a desert, but the semiarid conditions of the leeward side of the highlands can make the area somewhat inhospitable to live in. And so zebra tribes here adopt a remarkable migratory pattern; they build temporary earthen hamlets wait out the dry season up in the cooler mountains, and return back to the lowlands for the bountiful rainy season.

 

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Mwamba is the snow-capped Mount Vukizo, the tallest mountain in Unyasi. Vukizo is a dormant volcano like its highland brethren, but indigenous zebras regard it the most for the ‘Shrouded Lake’, a body of warm water fed by a boiling river heated by magma. As zebras found these waters to possess incredible powers of rejuvenation, it’s a common site to see residents from all corners of Unyasi flock here in search of relief from various ailments.

 

Other folks however find this region to be more valuable for its vast mineral wealth. Griffons and urbanized zebras come northwards from Clawifax to work in vast open-pit mines, where resources such as coal, granite, and numerous ores can readily be extracted from the earth. These raw materials are then sent by wagon back to Clawifax, although plans of building a railroad through the Mwamba to facilitate speedier commerce are in the works. To reduce complaints from local tribes about the disruptive effects of these mining endeavors, every effort is made to rehabilitate abandoned mines back to their former state.

~Unyasi and its Mysteries: A Pony's Guide