View source for Pinnacles of Azor'alq

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'''The Pinnacles of Azor'alq''' are massive stone spires found in the [[Dramidj Ocean]], some 50 leagues (150 miles) from the mainland between [[Ekbir]] and [[Zeif]]. Reports vary as to their exact number; some say there are 40, while some have mentioned 100 of them. They form an irregular cluster in the ocean, with none more than two miles from its nearest neighbor. They are infrequently found, perhaps because of the dense fog that normally conceals them (often even when the surrounding waters are clear). Few have seen the Pinnacles, even at a distance, and sailors who have seen them regard them as an ill omen. Superstitious sailors will not even speak of the Pinnacles of Azor'alq, except when on shore, and then only rarely.

==History==
The Pinnacles of Azor'alq have been part of [[Baklunish|Bakluni]] legend for upwards of 3,000 years, since the time of the near-mythical [[Baklunish Hegira]]. They are named for [[Azor'alq]], who is said to sleep in the Pinnacles to this day with his paladins, the Thousand Immortals. During the time of the [[Baklunish-Suloise Wars]], the hero [[Zuoken]] journeyed to the Pinnacles, where he passed the various tests required to allow him to join the gods as a demigod in his own right. It's said the last royal house of the Bakluni Empire fled to the Pinnacles from the [[Invoked Devastation]]. The ''[[Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar]]'' are sometimes said to reside in the Pinnacles as well. 

==Description==
Each spire is perhaps a quarter mile in diameter at the base, rising upwards in a series of stiff cliffs, towering over 1,000 feet above the water and sinking beneath to unknown depths.

The Pinnacles are very difficult to land on. The flat shelves between cliff faces are usually found tens or hundreds of feet above sea level, forcing travelers to scale the cliff faces and there are seldom easy places to dock a ship. 

The rough terrain, mists, many waterfalls, and thick vegetation conceal the fact that the Pinnacles of Azor'alq are not natural formations. They're actually composed of titanic but artificial blocks of stone. There are rare doorways leading into the constructions, with broad stair-ways leading into the dark interiors.

==Ecology and inhabitants==
The lower portions of the spires are heavily forested, with some of the coniferous trees at the base rising over 200 feet tall. These are mixed with smaller trees, ferns, mosses, and flowers, some of them clinging to the cliff sides. Above these is a cloud-forest of odd, fleshy-leaved plants and rare orchids. At the highest levels of the forests, sea birds of many kinds shriek and caw: puffins, eider, albatrosses, and others less familiar. Bats haunt the doorways leading into the Pinnacles' interiors. Certain orchids and birds-of-paradise are rare enough to be considered treasures.

What the Pinnacles of Azor'alq are most known for, however, is [[dragon]]s. Dragons of all sorts and sizes dwell on the Pinnacles, from tiny dragonets to titanic coiled beasts. "[[Roc]]s, [[giant eagle]]s, and a [[phoenix]] or two" may also exist there.{{csb|GA|90}} All these winged creatures live in relative harmony, foraging for fish, whales, and even going to the mainland for the occasional meal. They are united in preserving the isolation of their community, and they will strand or kill intruders if they can. 

Within the Pinnacles, the guardians and treasures are powerful, and possibly undead. The exterior inhabitants do not wish them to be disturbed. The Pinnacles of Azor'alq may also have human inhabitants, but this is uncertain.

== References ==
=== Notes ===
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=== Citations ===
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=== Bibliography ===
*[[Jason Bulmahn|Bulmahn, Jason]], [[James Jacobs]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007. 
*[[Gary Holian|Holian, Gary]]. "Paladins of [[Greyhawk]]." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #104. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2003. 
*[[Reynolds, Sean K.]], [[Frederick Weining]], and [[Erik Mona]]. "Blood of Heroes." ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #3. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
*[[Moore, Roger E]].  "Greyhawk Mysterious Places." Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1999. Originally in TSR's America Online folder as a 2e update to ''[[Greyhawk Adventures]]'', moved to Wizards.com. No longer live, but available via Web Archive: [http://web.archive.org/web/20030404041109/http://www.wizards.com:80/Greyhawk/DnDGreyhawkMysteriousPlaces.asp] Archived, April 4th, 2003.  Accessed September 8th, 2019.
*[[Ward, James]]. ''[[Greyhawk Adventures]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1988.
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[[Category:Mountains]]