ortal

the ortal mountains separate the melissa coastal lowlands from nachria and lisand to the east. the mountains are highest in the south, near the strait of corcalos. in the central portion near where the lindje rises, the mountains are less rugged. the juniper pass is here. the far northern mountains are steep again.

the western face of the mountains drops off more steeply than the eastern face, which descends more smoothly into the cold sanach plateau. the western face receives high precipitation, feeding the great rivers of melissa, while the plateau is in the rain shadow of the mountains. most of the peaks of the ortal mountains are glaciated, but hiking is common in the foothills.