Ctelm

From Almeopedia

The Ctelm [ktɛlm] mountains divide Eretald from Sarnáe. High and rugged, they have historically have been an essential barrier between Eretald and the ktuvok empires to the east. The mountains are only easily penetrable in three places: the Novok plateau where the Ctelm mountains meet the Řilë Mišicama; the Taucrēte Pass at the head of the Serea, and the Kešvare plateau.

Verdurians apply the name also to the mountains which extend southeast from Kešvare to the Lenani plataeau, forming the southern boundary of Dhekhnam. To the Xurnese, however, this mountain chain is the Gortor Bormei.

Presently Dhekhnam occupies the entire north and east of the mountains. Facing it on the other side of the mountains, north to south, are Érenat, Azgami, Verduria, Caizura, Melináe, Hežina, the Kešvareni, Lelm, Qey, and Cuoli.

Geologically, the chain begins in the mountainous spine of Kebri, and continues east through the Telinsava and Karimsava to the Qarau sea. The entire northeast of the continent thus forms a tectonic plate which is colliding with the bulk of Ereláe.

In prehistoric times the elcari occupied the Ctelm mountains, with the chief settlement at Khakrôpmîqhridd, the 'city of obsidian walls', still visible as ruins east of Hežina. The entire settlement reinforced the elcari west of Eretald in their last major war with the múrtani, c. -3000.

Etymology: Meť. Gauthmene 'hills of dawn', Keb. Geṫmene, Cuêzi Gaumê, Caď. Caeťmene, Ver. Ctelm, Ismaîn Ceşmene, X. Ximen; Munkhâshi Pakdhe ‘barrier’, Dhekh. Pâdhe, Sarroc Paďe.