Oler Mountains

Oler Mountains

The Oler Mountains were a mountain range located in the northeast corner of Rislandia, lining the kingdom's eastern border with the neighboring Atrebla Kingdom. The range constituted a significant geographical feature of the continent of Areth, demarcating the eastern edge of Rislandian territory from Atreblan lands. In addition to their military and political significance, the mountains held deep historical importance as the crossing point through which the ancestors of the Rislandian people passed when they departed the ancient empire to found their new nation.

Overview

As described in The Fight for Rislandia: "The Oler Mountains lined our border with the neighboring Atrebla Kingdom." In The Steam Knight, the range was explicitly situated at "the very northeast corner of the kingdom." The mountains lay approximately two hours' flying time from Rislandia City by airship, and the difficult terrain made landing an airship there a considerable challenge.

The foothills of the Oler Mountains were home to Highview City, which was described in The Steam Knight as "a place in the foothills of the Oler Mountains at the very northeast corner of the kingdom." The mountains were also situated near a lakeside retreat, and in The Steam Knight, James Gentry contemplated disappearing into the mountains around the lake and never returning.

In The Iron Wedding, the mountains were referenced in relation to Rislandia City as a source of cool air: "a breeze blowing the cool air from the northwestern Oler Mountains." This passage places the range to the northwest of Rislandia City during the events of that novel.

Spoiler: The Steam Knight 2Click to reveal

Note: The novel-based account on this page describes the Oler Mountains as lying along Rislandia's eastern border (consistent with The Blood of Giants and The Fight for Rislandia), and The Steam Knight places them at the northeast corner of the kingdom, while The Iron Wedding situates them to the northwest of Rislandia City.

Oler Pass

Within the Oler Mountains lay the Oler Pass, a mountain pass constituting the primary crossing point between Rislandia and Atrebla. The pass was the only viable route for caravans seeking to reach the Atreblans from Rislandia, and control of it carried significant strategic weight during the Nightmen conflict.

History

Role in The Blood of Giants

In The Blood of Giants, the Oler Mountains were depicted on the topological maps displayed in the war room, underscoring their strategic importance to Rislandian military planning. During the conflict with the Wyranth Empire, two primary enemy fronts were identified: one traveling along the western coast, and one running along the Oler Mountains on Rislandia's border with Atrebla. As stated in the text: "one traveling along the western coast, the other along the Oler Mountains along our border with Atrebla."

The range's position made it a critical corridor for Wyranth military movement and a focal point of Rislandian defensive strategy during the war.

Role in The Fight for Rislandia

In The Fight for Rislandia, the Oler Mountains served as the destination of a mission undertaken by the crew of The Liliana, who were tasked with escorting King Malaky XVI to the royal family's retreat located within the range. The mountains lay approximately two hours' flying time from Rislandia City, and the difficult terrain made setting down the airship a considerable challenge.

During the flight, the mountains' proximity was used as a marker signaling the journey's end. As recorded in the text: "The Oler Mountains wouldn't be far. It would mean the end of our journey." The range was described as not far from the ship's position when crossing a hilly area along the route, and their approach confirmed that the mission was nearing its conclusion.

Role in The Iron Wedding

In The Iron Wedding, the Oler Mountains were noted for the cool air they produced during springtime, with a breeze carrying that air described as reaching the vicinity of Rislandia City. The mountains were characterized in this context as lying to the northwest of the city.

Role in The Steam Knight

In The Steam Knight, the Oler Mountains were described as occupying the northeast corner of Rislandia. The foothills of the range were home to Highview, and the mountains lay near a lakeside retreat. James Gentry contemplated disappearing into the mountains around the lake and never coming back, reflecting the range's character as a remote and isolating wilderness on the kingdom's northeastern frontier.

Role in The Steam Knight 2

In A History of Rislandia

According to A History of Rislandia, the Oler Mountains are a geologically active range, featuring hot springs, geysers, and occasional tremors, with the sourcebook noting that "The Oler Mountains are geologically active, with hot springs, geysers, and occasional tremors." This volcanic character is attributed to deep underground activity, and the bible adds the legend of Volcareth, a dragon said to sleep beneath the mountains — a detail absent from the novels. The sourcebook also notes that the mountains are home to mountain goats and eagles, and describes them as taller and more rugged than the Wyranth Mountains.

The bible places the Oler Mountains in the northeast of Rislandia, consistent with The Steam Knight, and confirms that they form a natural barrier with the Atrebla Kingdom. According to A History of Rislandia, the mountains also border the Iberanth Peninsula, with Atrebla described as bordering that peninsula via the Oler Mountains — a geographical relationship not addressed in the novel-based account on this page.

The sourcebook identifies several named features and settlements within or near the mountains not previously recorded on this page: the High Peaks and the Sanrel Mountains are listed as sub-ranges or features contained within the broader Oler range; Highstone is described as a mining town in the Oler Mountains producing iron and copper; and Brighton is described as a fortified town near Oler Pass guarding the route to Atrebla. The King's Retreat is placed high in the mountains near the Atrebla border, consistent with the novels. The sourcebook also identifies the Oler Mountains as the source of the Tilway River in the eastern part of Rislandia.

The Exodus and the Frozen Hell

According to A History of Rislandia, the Oler Mountains played a catastrophic role in the founding exodus of the Rislandian people. The sourcebook records that when refugees fled westward — described as crossing the mountains to reach lands beyond, including the Iberanth Peninsula — they traversed a high pass, the only route large enough for their wagons and numbers. This pass is identified in the bible as the origin of the alias "the Frozen Hell," with the sourcebook using the phrase "the Frozen Hell of Oler Pass."

Scouts reported the pass as treacherous but passable. The crossing began in early winter of approximately Year 539 Before Present. During the crossing, a blizzard struck and trapped the column. Of the original 21,500 refugees, approximately 10,500 died in the pass, with the sourcebook recording that "the pass was a graveyard" after the crossing. The survivors — roughly 11,000 — carried with them the memory of civilization and the ideals that Jory Malaky would bring to the founding of Rislandia, with the bible stating "the ideals Jory Malaky brought over the Oler Mountains." The refugees who later built the Crystal Spire are among those said to have crossed the Frozen Hell.

Spoiler: The Crystal ConspiracyClick to reveal

Indigenous Peoples and Folklore

Goblins

Industry and Later History

The sourcebook records that the Oler Mountains became a site of coal mining during Rislandia's early industrialization under King Malaky X, adding an economic dimension to the range's history not covered in the novels.

Note on "Oler" Region

The sourcebook contains a separate entry for "Oler" as a region distinct from the mountain range itself, describing "stone valleys and mountain caves of Oler in the south of Atrebla" and identifying it as the place where humans of the Central Landing region emerged. This places an "Oler" region geographically within Atrebla rather than on Rislandia's border, which may represent either a broader use of the name or a separate location sharing the name. This relationship is not clarified in the bible.