So I have developed and adjusted a map for the kingdom that my players are currently in, and after some fine tweaking I have made some special locations to entice and intrigue them. I am currently having difficulty coming up with a concept as to a location in my map called the "Iron Highlands", which is some high and rocky terrain, but I want there to be a reason for the name, if I could get any ideas that would be helpful. Thank you.
My immediate thought is that the highlands are a rich source of iron ore, but that's not the type of detail that would be very intriguing. But building off of that and what DxJxC said:
Perhaps the Iron Highlands are a site of frequent meteorite impacts, and it's meteoric iron that gives the place its name. The high and rocky terrain is littered with a number of dramatic, deep craters caused by these impacts. This meteoric iron has unusual magnetic properties that play havoc with compasses and divination magic and that draw in unusual creatures. The presence of the meteoric iron might even lead to other unusual phenomena, like the "floating landmasses" DxJxC described, or other magical effects. The meteoric iron is extremely valuable, but between the treacherous terrain, the magnetic drift, and the monsters in the area, few are willing to brave an expedition into these blasted highlands to recover the precious ore.
If you wanted to go full homebrew, you could put a race of iron golems that live in the highlands. They're rarely seen, but legends and tales speak of them often enough that the area got named for them. Otherwise, it could just be called the Iron Highlands because it's so hard and inhospitable, to live there you would have to be hard as iron.
Thank you all for the suggestions, the area is currently in the middle of some grasslands with a few towns surrounding it; it would be great to get some ideas as to what kind of creatures and monsters could be drawn to this land.
Iron giants. Stone giants with considerably more iron content than normal, so their skin is darker and more shiny. Just use the stone giant's stats. Could be living in the remains of an old dwarven mining city they destroyed (you know, cos a dwarf stuck a pickaxe in a sleeping giant's ear, causing a brief and one sided war).
It could have been the site of a major battle, where the dead on both sides outnumbered the living to a point they couldn't retrieve all the bodies/arms and armor, so for years after you could regularly stumble across a pile of rusted swords and armor that had to be left behind. And in the fog or morning you can sometimes still hear the clashing of arms as the spirits of the long dead continue their eternal struggle beyond death.
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So I have developed and adjusted a map for the kingdom that my players are currently in, and after some fine tweaking I have made some special locations to entice and intrigue them. I am currently having difficulty coming up with a concept as to a location in my map called the "Iron Highlands", which is some high and rocky terrain, but I want there to be a reason for the name, if I could get any ideas that would be helpful. Thank you.
When I read "iron highlands" I pictured floating landmasses from magnetism magic.
My immediate thought is that the highlands are a rich source of iron ore, but that's not the type of detail that would be very intriguing. But building off of that and what DxJxC said:
Perhaps the Iron Highlands are a site of frequent meteorite impacts, and it's meteoric iron that gives the place its name. The high and rocky terrain is littered with a number of dramatic, deep craters caused by these impacts. This meteoric iron has unusual magnetic properties that play havoc with compasses and divination magic and that draw in unusual creatures. The presence of the meteoric iron might even lead to other unusual phenomena, like the "floating landmasses" DxJxC described, or other magical effects. The meteoric iron is extremely valuable, but between the treacherous terrain, the magnetic drift, and the monsters in the area, few are willing to brave an expedition into these blasted highlands to recover the precious ore.
If you wanted to go full homebrew, you could put a race of iron golems that live in the highlands. They're rarely seen, but legends and tales speak of them often enough that the area got named for them. Otherwise, it could just be called the Iron Highlands because it's so hard and inhospitable, to live there you would have to be hard as iron.
Thank you all for the suggestions, the area is currently in the middle of some grasslands with a few towns surrounding it; it would be great to get some ideas as to what kind of creatures and monsters could be drawn to this land.
Rust monster comes to mind.
Lava child or zorbo might be drawn there.
Multiple types of Oozes and Elementals would be appropriate.
Iron giants. Stone giants with considerably more iron content than normal, so their skin is darker and more shiny. Just use the stone giant's stats. Could be living in the remains of an old dwarven mining city they destroyed (you know, cos a dwarf stuck a pickaxe in a sleeping giant's ear, causing a brief and one sided war).
It could have been the site of a major battle, where the dead on both sides outnumbered the living to a point they couldn't retrieve all the bodies/arms and armor, so for years after you could regularly stumble across a pile of rusted swords and armor that had to be left behind. And in the fog or morning you can sometimes still hear the clashing of arms as the spirits of the long dead continue their eternal struggle beyond death.