**Discovery and Naming**

The first explorers to reach the area around Mount Corbreck set out from [Tarvovesta](wiki:Tarvovesta) to see if they could discover the highest peak in the western range of the [Doribatt Mountains](wiki:Doribatt-Mountains). The expeditionary group left the [Castine Coastal Region](wiki:castine-coastal-region) and traveled east into the mountains. The heads of the expedition was a woman named Louisa and her younger brother Caine. The two had been charged by [University Of Tarvovesta](wiki:University-Of-Tarvovesta) to chart the mountain range as well as catalog the flora and fauna of the region. The university’s expedition team further consisted of local guides and hunters who lived in the area and agreed to help them to the peak. The western portion of the [Doribatt Mountains](wiki:Doribatt-Mountains) at the time were mostly devoid of permanent settlements, only a few seasonal hunting and trapping camps were in the mountains themselves. Once past these scattered camps, the group traveled deep into the mountain passes, marking trails, making maps and taking note of the wildlife wherever they went. One of the places they set up camp for a short time was a highland pastor that eventually became the small town of [Auburn](wiki:Auburn). From their base camp there, they first saw the peak of Mount Corbeck. Louisa is credited with the naming of the peak and Caine was sent with a small team to attempt the first summiting of the mountain. Caine and his small team were able to reach the summit and planted a small flag at the mountain top. It would be nearly three decades before anyone else would summit Mount Corbreck again but it was reported that the flag Caine had left up there was still there.

**Topography and Geology**

As the tallest peak in the western range of the [Doribatt Mountains](wiki:Doribatt-Mountains), Mount Corbreck creates its own weather patterns and generally speaking, has some of the most unpredictable weather in the region. The mountain is snow capped year round, but most of the snow retreats in the summertime, leaving only trace amounts near the summit. Several major rivers run off the mountain range, flowing their strongest during the spring thaws. The lower reaches of the mountain range are wooded but after a certain altitude, Mount Corbreck is devoid of tree cover, making it dangerous to ascend in certain weather. Several caves can be found all over the area but are typically avoided by those that travel in the area as they are rumored to be filled with dangerous creatures. The area around Mount Corbreck is rich with mineral deposits however, due to the mountain’s remote location, most of these resources are yet to be claimed or even fully explored. The notable exception was the nearby iron ore mine that was operational for decades in the small, now abandoned; village of [Auburn](wiki:Auburn). The soil in the area is incredibly furitle, however very little of the land is suitable for farming and the short growing seasons in the region has also made the area very limited in its potential for farming communities to ever properly take root.

**Flora and Fauna**

Starting with the very first expedition lead by Louisa and Caine, researchers from all over have tried to catalog the very dangerous creatures that call the region around Mount Corbreck home. The mountain range is home to very apex predators such as various species of bears and large cats. Some of the largest variations of grizzly bears and mountain lions can be found in the lower altitudes of the mountains and prey upon smaller animals that are found in the mountain valleys such as rabbits and mountain goats. Small scale animal grazing has been achieved in some small communities in the region, but for the most part their numbers are small. For plant life, the majority of the forests of the mountain chain are alpine in nature, with very little in the way of foragable foods. What little food is available would be small amounts of highland berries, nuts and honey. The region as a whole lacks the venomous snakes, reptiles and insects of other regions but sightings of large, hulking monsters trickle back to civilization from this area. Hunting parties in the area regularly go missing and only the boldest and most experienced of woodland explorers travel to the higher reaches of the mountain.

**Folklore and Mythology**

The larger public interest in the region around Mount Corbreck has waxed and waned over the years. Once seen as a mysterious and remote location, for a short time, the mountain and its surrounding area was viewed as an up and coming region of industry and research by the people of the [Castine Coastal Region](wiki:castine-coastal-region). With an established rail line, mine and research station in the nearby village of [Auburn](wiki:Auburn), some hoped that the wild and rural region of Mount Corbreck would soon become a major settlement. The area however proved to be far too much for significant civilization efforts, and the area was never really settled fully. Regardless of how built up the area around Mount Corbreck got, it remained dangerous to anyone who traveled near it. Hunting parties and exploration teams would seemingly vanish without a trace on a nearly regular basis. The most famous incident to befall the trails of the mountain was the [Dondella Pass Incident](wiki:Dondella-Pass-Incident) where a hiking team attempting to summit Mount Corbreck went missing and wasn’t found for months. Locals in the region would tell stories of haunted passes and grizzly discoveries in caves and valleys and it was generally considered unsafe to travel in the area alone and without proper protection and guidance. The area is known to have occasional instances of [Spirit Fog](wiki:Spirit-Fog) banks. The fog typically hangs in lower valleys but is sometimes seen obscuring the summit of Mount Corbreck. The fog doesn’t usually linger for long, but was blamed for the mass disappearance in the village of [Auburn](wiki:Auburn) where in one night, nearly the entire town’s population went missing and the village was abandoned completely soon thereafter. In modern times, only a few expeditions a year make it even to the base of Mount Corbeck and rarely is it scaled at all. Those who do hunt or explore in the area are very careful to avoid thick banks of the [Spirit Fog](wiki:Spirit-Fog) in general and generally regard the majority of the region as incredibly haunted. 

**Related articles:**

[Auburn](wiki:Auburn) - A remote abandoned village near Mount Corbreck

[Tarvovesta](wiki:Tarvovesta) - The largest city in the [Castine Coastal Region](wiki:castine-coastal-region).

[Doribatt Mountains](wiki:Doribatt-Mountains) - The largest mountain range on the Ihlanathian continent 

[Castine Coastal Region](wiki:castine-coastal-region) - A thickly settled region between the [Thamasan Ocean](wiki:Thamasan-Ocean) and the [Doribatt Mountains](wiki:Doribatt-Mountains) in the nation of Gaolund                

[Dondella Pass Incident](wiki:Dondella-Pass-Incident) - An incident where nine hikers from Auburn disappeared under mysterious circumstances 

[University Of Tarvovesta](wiki:University-Of-Tarvovesta) - a Major educational center for Gaolund 

[Spirit Fog](wiki:Spirit-Fog) - A strange supernatural weather condition

**Real world inspiration:**

The Lewis and Clark expedition - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition

The Dyatlov pass incident - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident

Mount Washington - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington

**Final fantasy inspiration:**
 
Mount Nibel - https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Mt._Nibel