Kaalakiota Peaks

The Kaalakiota Peaks is a mountain range on Caldari Prime, running down the center of the Tikiona continent, the largest landmass on the planet. It holds great significance in Caldari history and culture, believed to be the sanctum of the divine entities known as the Winds, as well as being the original home of the Raata people, ancestors of the modern ethnic Caldari. Today, it remains home to various Caldari tribes that were never assimilated over the generations, as well as hosting the ruins of a Federation military base known as Vielle de Tempete, destroyed by orbital bombardment in YC 110. The Kaalakiota Corporation is named after this mountain range.

History

According to ancient Caldari historical and religious text, the Kaalakiota Peaks mountain range was home to an ethnic group known as the Raata, who were divided into a myriad of different tribes, while also being the divine sanctuary of the Wind entities. Some time after the emergence of civilization on Caldari Prime, a people from the west of Tikiona attempted to invade the Kaalakiota Peaks and uproot the Raata people living there. Two leaders emerged from the conflict, known as K’vire and Deteaas, who (according to the text) received the tutelage of the divine figures known as Cold Wind and Wind-of-the-West. The Raata emerged victorious, and it became clear that the Kaalakiota mountains would no longer be an appropriate home for the future prosperity of the people. K’vire led the Fuukiuye tribes north to the barren tundra of Tikiona, while Deteaas headed with the Oryioni eastwards to the coast.

The tribes returned to the Kaalakiota Peaks generations later, this time united as houses, each under their own nation known as the Fuukiuye and Raata-Oryioni empires respectively. Each empire had begun expanding outwards finding themselves at the mountains as their final destination. Both peoples considered the region to be holy ground, claiming the area for their own. Not recognizing their joint origins due to generations of separation,a conflict ensued over the territory.

It is believed that the climatic battle between the two empires ended due to what was perceived as divine providence by the Winds. Long into the battle, after many casualties had been inflicted, a sudden and torrential blizzard made it impossible to fight, with many perishing from the extreme cold. After only a few minutes, the blizzard ended, though the battle did not resume. Instead, many of the soldiers, who could not identify the enemy without the symbols of their respective houses, had to assist one other in surviving the aftereffects of the blizzard. This event was key in ending the conflict and unifying the two empires into the Raata, as well as establishing the survivalist mindset of the Caldari that would remain apart of their culture for centuries to come.

In the post-Raata and contemporary eras, the Kaalakiota Peaks overlap the borders of many nation-states on Caldari Prime. Its significance in Caldari culture and history meant that it was never developed other than the construction of a few military outposts. Instead, the mountains became home to various tribes that remained unassimilated by wider society. Even during Federation rule and the current Caldari military occupation, these tribes have remained undisturbed by the modern world. The exception came in YC 110, ten days after the lightning invasion of the world by the Caldari State, where a Federation military base known as Vielle de Tempete was victim to orbital bombardment, after a day of bloody fighting against at least two Gallente infantry regiments. Though there was little collateral damage, the violation was enough to be notable, if only because it was the only one of its kind in recent history. There are also many hideouts in the mountains that are used by Gallente resistance members and special forces, who sometimes seek to blend in with the tribal groups there.

Geography & Climate

The Kaalakiota Peaks are fold mountains that straddle two major tectonic plates, starting from northeast of the Tikiona continent and running down to the south. It is home to some of the highest mountains on Caldari Prime, and has the highest elevation on average of any other range on the planet. The terrain is mostly treacherous, which has generally discouraged widespread settlement over the years. Earthquakes can be common, displacing the tribal inhabitants to other areas away from faultlines, mostly by trial-and-error.

The climate is extremely cold and inhospitable, moreso than other areas of Caldari Prime. Torrential winds and blizzards are frequent, and snow coverage can be yearlong in some areas. In areas with lower relief, the summer months can barely be called mild. There is an elaborate cave system that runs through and beneath the mountains, though these are often reorganized during earth tremors, making it dangerous for habitation. The mountains are also home to the kresh trees, which is the key ingredient in the preparation of Caldari tea.

The Kaalakiotas naturally block winds and convection currents that flow westwardly across the Tikiona continent. As a result, the flat lands to the east of the mountains are composed of rich, expansive forests, as well as plenty of what would pass for arable land on Caldari Prime. Meanwhile, the west of the mountains are barren and windy, and generally has a smaller concentration of settlements as a result.

See Also

• Notable planetary locations - Unique interstellar sites
• Caldari Prime
• Caldari State
• Chronicle: Cold Wind