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Introduction.

We recently went on a hike to Mount Frog, which is not far from the city where we live. The ascent to the Frog turned out to be quite steep. To take the remnant by storm helped steps from the roots of trees, sharply protruding from the ground. Spruce, Kuril bamboo, raspberry, wild rose, blueberry and other plants grow on this mountain slope. We had to climb through the forest, but suddenly the forest ends and an object from three big stones. Remaining Frog. The remains of the Frog is a group of rocks. from the western and east sides their silhouette in its external form resembles a sitting frog, preparing to jump. This is a high eight-meter rock. According to legend, the Frog was revered by the ancient Ainu as a temple of Wisdom, here the information flow is open like nowhere else. That is why here you can get answers to questions that have long been of concern, as well as make a wish or be inspired by a new idea. Yes, and modern psychics unanimously claim that the remnant is not just a beautiful rock, but “its essence manifests itself through three levels: heavenly, terrestrial and underground, like the life of the frog itself: it is born in water, jumps on the ground and burrows for the winter deep in the mud." Its unique properties make it interesting for ecologists and geologists. The surrounding nature, as it were, emphasizes border of the ordinary world with a place of power, surrounded by an energy aura: near rock sculptures the nature of the vegetation is changing from trees to grasses and shrubs. The higher you climb the rocky slopes, the lower the bushes become. Here you can find different herbs: hawkweed, krasnodnev, orchis, reedgrass, wheatgrass and others. On the talus - cat's paw, immortelle and fireweed. A lot of different things happen here: someone sees aliens, and someone sees messages left by ancestors who lived millions of years ago.

How did nature decide so: you walk through the forest, but you find yourself on a rock? Or is there really no magic here?

My parents and older brother and I love to travel around our island of Sakhalin. I especially like to conquer new Mountain peaks. You climb the next mountain, climb with all your might and it seems you are ready to give up and turn back ... when suddenly a breathtaking view opens up in front of you. An endless blue sea, a winding river glittering below, or an emerald forest in a valley. As if you are flying over all this beauty. This time we went to the Peak Courageous. Peak Bold is located on Mount Duet in Tikhaya Bay, the top of which is located at an altitude of 232 meters. Climbing the peak and the way back takes about 2 hours. Mount Duet is quite steep. Stone walls seem to hang over the bay - waves and pebbles carved their foot, forming bizarre shapes resembling the paws of huge monsters. These giant stone boulders rolled down a long time ago during the seismic activity of the earth and froze like guards at the water's edge. There are grottoes, cracks, longitudinal sections and niches along the coast line, it is interesting to walk and listen to the silence here. The coast is covered in black volcanic sand, among which one can see white quartzite pebbles. On the way you will not meet a single tree or even a bush. Only huge boulders, stones of various shapes, colors and sizes. And also rocky sheer cliffs with toad skins. We made this ascent in winter, so we could enjoy an extraordinary spectacle: the waters of small streams flowing down the steep slopes of the Zhdanko ridge and falling from a height freeze, forming magnificent pictures - large and small icicles up to 30 meters high in the form of various frozen icefalls. From the top you can enjoy beautiful view mountain range running further south, overlooking the Tikhaya Bay and the island "Zametny", the Zhdanko ridge, the coast Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

And the main hill of the island is Mountain Air. The place where it is now located ski resort. "Mountain air" can be seen from almost every window of the city. Yes, that's how close it is: a few minutes drive and you're already at the foot of Mount Bolshevik (this is the one where the complex is located). Bolshevik Mountain, Chekhov Peak, Russian Mountain - they all guard our city. Majestic, important. Huge pines alternate here with oaks and maples, dark needles - with quivering greens of birches and mountain ash. A funicular goes to the top of the Russian, but it's better to go on foot. The local forest is like an extension of the park. Ayan spruce in it coexists with Manchurian ash, Sakhalin fir - with cork and maple. The second level is lower trees: Sakhalin cherry, elderberry, giant stalks of Kuril bamboo. And all this is intertwined with vines - grapes, hydrangea, actinidia. At the very bottom, a fern lurked. The most remarkable are the so-called giant plants, ordinary grasses that here take on Martian dimensions. Sakhalin bear pipes, silkworm, kakalia, mountaineer grow up to 5 meters, butterbur (looks like burdock!) has leaves up to 3 meters in diameter, and local buckwheat-weirich is crowned with such a stunning crown that it is not only eaten, but also used as an ornamental plant. In the thickets, creepers from exotic families of gourds and gourds are not uncommon. There is also a climbing hydrangea, included in the Red Book of Russia. In September-October, the hills are the most beautiful - there are clear and warm days, and the hills in crimson and gold attire are beautiful. They are like huge giants protecting our city.

But why?

Why are the mountains so different even on our island? Some are steep, stony without a single blade of grass, others are completely covered dark forest and gloomy, and the third gentle, on which it would be easy to walk, if not for the grass above human height?

The purpose of my project: to find out why the mountains on our Sakhalin Island are so different?

Based on the goal, the task was set: to study the structure of various mountain systems.

The hypothesis put forward by me is as follows: if the method of origin, climatic conditions, area of ​​​​location change, then the mountain itself changes.

The practical significance of the project will be as follows, I will learn about our island Interesting Facts, about the origin of the Earth, about the structure of mountains.

The origin of the mountains

From information sources, I learned that on Sakhalin the predominant form of relief is low and medium high mountains, occupying at least three-quarters of the surface of the entire island. According to the nature of the relief, the island can be divided into two regions - the southern mountainous and the northern plains.

The island has two mountain systems located in the southern and middle parts. southern mountains these are two ridges, the West Sakhalin Mountains and the East Sakhalin Mountains. The West Sakhalin Mountains stretch for 650 km along west coast from the middle of the island to its southern tip. The East Sakhalin Mountains are a complex system of ridges that filled eastern part Sakhalin. The length of this system is 350 km. Mountains stretching along the coast from south to north, with the highest peak Mount Lopatina (1609 meters above sea level). In the south of Sakhalin is the Susunai Range with peaks over 1000 meters above sea level and a length of about 50 km. In the northern part there are small heights.

The composition of the rocks of the West Sakhalin Range includes mainly: shales, sandstones, conglomerates and igneous rocks. They also contain coal seams. A East Sakhalin Ridge It is composed mainly of metamorphic rocks, that is, altered igneous rocks. Here there are a complex of building materials, and in the central part and placers of gold.

So if we are talking about igneous rocks, the origin of mountain systems is the same - volcanic. The origin of volcanic mountains speaks for itself. Volcanic magma breaks out and cools down to form new rocks. These rocks eventually accumulate around crevices and turn into cone-shaped volcanoes. Sometimes there is a union of several volcanoes located close to each other, thereby forming volcanic ridges. Or maybe it's the work of underwater volcanoes, we live on the island.

Conclusion number 1: the mountains on Sakhalin were formed in one way - volcanic, and this does not affect the difference.

Mountain structure.

The first view I have considered is a mountain with sharp peaks, steep ascents, sharp ledges, consisting of hard rocks. On such mountains there is no grass, let alone trees. At the top of such a mountain there is a strong wind and they are located on the seashore, where the vegetation is already scarce.

The second type of mountains are mountains with gentle slopes and rough vegetation. On Sakhalin locals they call them hills. The meaning of the word SOPKA comes from the word to pour , hill, hill, earth embankment. But it’s true, a hill always has a fertile layer, which is why trees, bushes, and grass grow on it. The forests of Sakhalin are characterized by the predominance of spruce-fir, green forests. The flora of the region is rich and varied. Here, as in a huge botanical garden, coexist in close proximity larch and polar birch, spruce and wild grapes, cedar elfin and velvet tree. On the hills you can find tree-like yew, lemongrass, actinidia, grapes. It is on the hills that the inhabitants of the island gather berries and mushrooms. It is noteworthy that you can find plants such as burdock, oxalis, hogweed growing taller than human height, turning some areas into a kind of jungle. Through the bamboo thickets, which cover almost all the slopes of the hills, it is extremely difficult to pass - one plant is so tightly pressed against another.

Conclusion #2: The appearance of a mountain depends on its structure.

3.Location of mountains.

The mountains located on the coast, for the most part, do not have vegetation. The slopes facing the sea consist of stones, boulders and rocks. High mountain ranges in some places come close to the coast, which rises above the water with a steep and low cliff. At the foot of the cliff there is a small excellent sand beach, which at high tide can be completely flooded and cut off the path home. In some places mountain range comes directly to the shore and steep, often completely impregnable rocks, breaks off into the sea. The coast is replete with high rocky capes with rocky peaks of a conical shape, rising 600-700 m above the water.

In this section, the coast is completely impassable. In some places, at low tide, a small flat strip of land is exposed, but traveling along it is dangerous. At high tide sea ​​waves they hit right on the coastal cliffs and woe to those who do not have time to go to a safe place.

The huge expanses of water surrounding the island have a great influence on the coastal mountains. In winter, cold air from the mainland rushes to the ocean through the Sakhalin mountain range in a northwesterly direction. And in summer, the cooled air moves back, enveloping the East Sakhalin Range. The eastern ridge serves as a barrier protecting the island from cold winds blowing from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Therefore, the slopes of the mountains facing the sea look more severe. At the end of summer and autumn, typhoons invade Sakhalin - strong destructive winds with a large amount of precipitation test mountain peaks for strength.

The cliffs that form the cape fall vertically into the sea, and a chain of underwater rocks lies parallel to the shore. Here the sea is always raging and foaming. Ships avoid approaching these rocks, where only seabirds live.

The mountains recede further and further from the coast, and gradually lowering, merge with the surrounding lowland. The mountains located along the edges of the valleys, on the contrary, have rough vegetation. Their slopes are overgrown with taiga: larch, spruce, cedar elfin. The vegetation here is unusually lush, tall and very dense. It is very difficult to pass through the bamboo thickets, which cover almost all the slopes of the hills. Some plants reach a height of 3-4 meters. The stems of the bear's angelica are not thinner than young trees. Burdock leaves often reach a diameter of 1.5-2 meters. You can also find Eleutherococcus and Magnolia here. Wild berries are diverse: redberry, lingonberry, cloudberry, blueberry, raspberry, currant. On the southern slopes of the hills you can see bright blue carpets of wild irises, meet thickets of orange lilies or amazing Glen lilies with one and a half meter stems, from which beautiful salad-yellowish flowers the size of a glass hang.

Conclusion No. 3: in a harsh area, where strong winds blow and the sea surf whips, there is no vegetation and a fertile layer. And in places where the climate is not so harsh mountains have lush vegetation.

4. The height of the mountains.

If we consider mountains with the same position on the ground, we can see that there may be no vegetation on their peaks. The higher you climb, the rarer the forest becomes, then shrubs and dwarf pines remain. And then only low-growing grass, mosses and lichens. Therefore, if you go to the forest for mushrooms, you can collect them at the foot of the mountains, and if you go for berries, you need to climb higher. There are also loaches in our mountains. These are treeless mountain peaks rising above the upper border of the forest, which are characterized by bare peaks and stony placers, high-altitude, so-called bald vegetation (by its nature of the mountain-tundra type), formed by mosses and lichens, thickets of undersized birch and elfin cedar. Why is this happening? Temperatures in the mountains drop by about 0.6°C for every 100 m of elevation. The disappearance of vegetation cover and the deterioration of living conditions high in the mountains are explained by such a rapid drop in temperature. Cold winds, cloudiness and hurricanes also contribute to lower temperatures. If you watch the mountains at different times of the year, you can see that in spring, when trees are already blooming in the valleys, the grass is green on the tops of our hills, there is still snow. And even in June, when the guys are already starting summer vacation, at Chekhov Peak it is still winter with snow. And in autumn, when my friends and I are still riding bicycles, the hills around the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are covered with snow caps.

Conclusion No. 4: the vegetation cover of mountains depends on their height.

Conclusion

The appearance of mountains in the same area will depend on its environment. If this is a harsh sea coast, then the mountains look the same, with rocky impregnable slopes. If this is a flowering valley, then the mountain is dressed up in a multi-colored outfit. The height of the mountain is also important. Rich and beautiful below, it can become dull and lifeless at the top near the clouds. But having conquered any mountain, each person is rewarded with an amazing spectacle and unforgettable impressions.

And what about our three mountains, which I spoke about at the beginning.

First, our giants - Bolshevik Mountain, Chekhov Peak, Russian Mountain. They are located in the center of the island, far from the sea coast and do not experience the force of sea winds and sea surf, and therefore their outfits consist of a whole variety of flora our island. The height of Bolshevik Mountain is 601 meters above sea level, the Russian Mountain is 1609 meters and the Chekhov Peak is 1045 meters. Relative to the world giants with a height of more than 8500 meters. Our fells may seem like hills. But from the foot almost to the very peaks, they are always beautiful and elegant. And only closer to the clouds do they show their warlike and stone heart.

Now Peak Bold. Despite its small growth of only 232 meters above sea level, the Bold Peak is always harsh. He won't meet you bright colors or stormy vegetation, because it is located on the shores of the harsh Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk. Both in winter and summer, strong winds blow here, sometimes with rain, and sometimes with snow. The vegetation here and on the shore is stunted, bizarrely bent by the winds. And even less on the slopes of the mountain. The location of the mountain completely determined its "inner world" and appearance.

And finally, our most mysterious friend is the remnant Frog.

It is located far from the harsh sea forces, and therefore its appearance is beautiful and diverse. Not the smallest among our heroes - 310 meters above sea level. Well, its stone top leaves us a mystery: is it a scientifically based change in the plant world, taking into account changes in height and, as a result, climatic conditions; whether the witchcraft of an ancient shaman who keeps the secrets of the world; Or the tricks of aliens.

And yet, as scientists say, the formation of mountains never stops. Mountains grow from about 1 to 7 cm per year, and wind and water change them beyond recognition over time. So, returning to the old and familiar mountain, you conquer a new peak.

Bibliography:

A popular geographical sketch of SAKHALIN ISLAND SL Lutsky.

Bosom Sakhalin region Editor-compiler A.V. Tarasov, 2013

The mineral resource base of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands at the turn of the third millennium V. Evseev, 2000.

Sakhalin Kuriles website https://skr.su/news/post/4443/

Website Go to the forest https://idilesom.com

Website of the Sakhalin regional public organization Boomerang Club http://boomerangclub.ru/

All that day we made our way through the forest to the north under a gray sky, from which small snow pellets began to fall in the late afternoon. By this time, all the major villages were behind us, but here and there - as the news spread - from village to village up to the most remote, almost inaccessible outposts - columns of smoke still rose up, containing questions and answers.

But these messages had the opposite effect, for fat puffs of smoke revealed the location of our enemies, and Hayonwata read the signals and told us about the almost complete destruction of the City of the Serpent and the general confidence that arose in connection with the disappearance of a large number of fishing boats that we had gone down. along the river to the south.

This delusion proved to be a salvation for us, since the fortresses located along the northern border of Tlapallan carried the night watch insufficiently vigilantly. We passed them so close that we saw the dying embers of the signal fire, near which there was not a soul, and slipped into the wild lands of the Chichamecas - we, fifty and five warriors, walking in column one at a time and making no more noise than would produce the same number of foxes. And let there be few of us left! - Merlin was with us, who alone was worth a whole army!

By morning, after a twenty-four-hour march without food or sleep, with only brief stops, we, feeling relatively safe, began to think about a halt and a thorough rest. But Hayonwata, indefatigable as always, led us forward and, seeing that our aged seer did not protest, we continued to walk with a slight sense of shame, although all our muscles, weakened during the time of imprisonment, ached and ached.

At the very dawn, our detachment came to the shore of a small lake, in the middle of which there was an island overgrown with forest. Here, under the direction of our leader, we built rafts and loaded on them all our weapons and equipment.

These things we transported to the island, and Hayonwata and ten of his warriors returned to the forest and spent a long time there, destroying our traces and leaving false ones. Then they returned to the shore of the lake and, having previously destroyed their last traces, entered the icy water - and soon joined us, half dead from the cold.

But until the onset of darkness, we did not dare to make a fire. And then we were warmed only by a tiny tongue of flame in a shelter made of boulders, from which not a ray of light broke through. Moreover, certain types of wood were carefully selected for this fire, which do not give smoke, the smell of which could reach the opposite shore. So, without supper, we went to bed, and the next morning we found that all the traces left after us were now reliably swept up: for our huts were covered with a thick snow cover, and the snow fell until evening.

The snowfall was followed by frost. The whole lake was frozen over, with the exception of a polynya twenty feet long on one side of the lake, where, disturbing the black water, a spring spouted. Fishing was great here. And in the forest there were hares and fat birds with magnificent plumage, which, after dark, could be collected with bare hands.

Nevertheless, there was not enough food for everyone, and if it weren’t for a happy meeting at our very shelter with a handsome deer, accompanied by his entire retinue (he got to the island on ice, fleeing from wolves), we would be forced to look for food in another place, possibly risking their lives.

Twice we saw Tlapallan scouts in horned helmets, and once a group of warriors heading south with fresh scalps and captive Chichamecs.

Our food supplies had not yet run out, and Merlin and Hayonwata decided to continue on their way - and we moved further into the depths of Chichameca, overcoming snowy spaces on flat oval boats that are tied to each leg and prevent bogging down in the snow. These boats, woven from willow branches, are almost weightless, but learning to walk on them cost us a lot of work, stretched muscles and many curses.

In winter, due to the difficulty of crossings, tribes rarely wage big wars. Therefore, we considered this time the most favorable for attempts to establish peaceful relations.

One fine day we met a small detachment of Tlapallics, and when they settled down for a halt, they shot all the warriors from behind the trees. We did not suffer any losses and freed several captured women, who immediately attacked the dead bodies of the enemies with curses and would certainly have mutilated them if we had not intervened. True, Merlin ordered us to cut off the heads of the dead and take them with us.

This meeting turned out to be a happy one for us, for the liberated women were from the Hill Folk, Hayonwata's native tribe, and some of them remembered his mother, Tiohero. Therefore, they willingly accompanied us to their relatives, saving us two days of travel. Having made friends with these people, we became for a time part of the tribe and wintered in reliable log buildings in a village surrounded by a strong palisade - albeit not as reliable as the Tlapallan fences.

Every day we taught archery to our friends, and these tall inhabitants of the forests became skilled archers, which favorably affected their hunting activities and increased the likelihood of survival in the fierce struggle with Nature and the numerous enemies that constantly annoyed the tribe.

As spring approached, Merlin became increasingly withdrawn and retiring.

The elder had smoked and preserved the heads of the slain tlapalliks, and now at night he studied the stars, and in the light of day he did something in the house allotted to him for personal use, from which various bad smells came from time to time, suffocating smoke poured and sheaves of multi-colored sparks flew out.

Merlin often talked with Hayonwata and the leader of the tribe: he got acquainted with local legends, superstitions and fears - and hatched some plans.

We have attached ourselves to the People of the Hills with all our hearts and have felt first their deep reverence, and later their friendliness and cheerfulness, although we have not yet had time to get acquainted with the natural ferocity that manifests itself in battle.

One day in early spring we decided it was time to do it. The men began to paint the bodies for the war. Teenagers and young men followed the example of adults, and the leaders of different clans sent word from other villages to the main village of the Onondagas that the people were ready for war.

But Merlin prevented these plans, and soon after a long secret meeting, to which an old man was admitted from among us, a detachment of warriors left the village - well-armed, but without war paint - and headed for the nearest village of primordial enemies.

Among the Onondagas was myself, with ten armed Romans.

After a few days' journey, with great precautions, we approached the largest village of the Flint Keepers. Stopping far enough away from it that we did not detect our presence, we stripped the bark from a large birch and fashioned from it a mouthpiece longer than the height of a man. Then, at dusk, we crept to the very edge of the cleared space in the middle of which lay the village, fixed the horn on a tripod, and waited for total darkness.

When the clearing fell into thick darkness, two of the most agile youths among us grabbed the four smoked heads of the Tlapallic by their long hair and rushed towards the village. There they threw these heads over the palisade, each of which grinned in the most terrible way with wrinkled shrunken lips, and noiselessly returned back.

Immediately after this, a disturbing murmur came from the village, which grew into a loud rumble as our trumpet blared in the night.

The Flying Heads gather in the forests and mountains to exterminate the once mighty people of the Ongai. Taron and the Dreambringer have asked me to rise from my sleep and drive the enemies away like crows from your cornfields. But with so many, I can't handle it alone!

Ganeagaono! Keep listening. I rebelled in the midst of their chatty council. And, having broken their teeth on my stone limbs, the enemies fled away. They come together to devour you, tribe by tribe, one by one - for the mighty Ongai people, capable of repelling their attack, no longer exists.

Owners of the Flint! Listen! Look at these Flying Heads: I have struck down the enemies who have come here to spy on your weakness and eavesdrop on your rooftops as you plot to kill your own brothers! At sunrise send your messengers with belts of peace to the People of the Hills. Set a day for peace council. I will warn other tribes. You will meet all of them at the onondagas!

The deafening roar is silent. Merlin gave me a long trumpet in my hands and brought a smoldering ember to its upper end, from which a powerful fountain of sparks instantly erupted. With wide strides I stepped out from behind the trees—a groan of horror like wind among bare branches swept over the crowd gathered at the palisade—and a fireball shot high into the air from a chimney, throwing blood-red reflections at me.

The strong men whined piteously in awe. Clad in full battle armor and standing well over six feet tall, in this inaccurate light I must have appeared much taller than a normal mortal.

For a few moments I stood in a shower of fiery sparks, and then gave a full Roman salute, turned as the trumpet spat out a jet of green flame - and in this ghostly illumination I slowly retreated back into the forest.

We immediately extinguished the fire chimney.

In a fit of joy, Merlin hugged me.

- Perfectly! Perfectly! he muttered. Do you hear those screams of horror? Oh, if only other tribes could do the same!

Hayonwata was already giving brief orders, and, guided by him, we returned back to our forest village.

One after another, other expeditions returned. All of them were successful. The other four tribes were also panic-stricken, and at sunrise messengers appeared in the village of the Onondagas from the Flint Holders we had warned. A little later came envoys from the People of the Great Hills, and still later, couriers from the People of Granite and the People of the Foul Lands. The Onondagas, well prepared in advance, met these breathless heralds of peace with a magnificently acted horror from a nightly visitation that allegedly took place with them. Messengers hurried back with a notice of the day of the secret council - and in less than a week all the tribes met at the lake, which everyone wanted to own, and the surroundings of which had been a theater of military operations since the split of the Ongai people.

And there they met, a great multitude of people - and innumerable columns of smoke rose from the slopes of the nearby hills; met, experiencing mutual fear of an imaginary enemy, although the only real and dangerous enemy was not enough for them to unite into one people.

We Romans, in full military gear, stepped out of hiding, led by Merlin in formal robes and a stately headdress found in the sea, whose long green feathers hung low along the old man's back.

At the sight of this spectacle, a disturbing murmur ran through the crowd before us. However, in spite of the fright caused by the clanging of our weapons (for at first glance we must really have been taken for the true sons of the rocky mountains), the redskins quickly mastered themselves and regained their usual greatness and dignity, because these people are proud of their ability maintain composure even in those cases when they experience the strongest physical suffering.

And so, the faces of the redskins became completely impassive, and nothing in their expression spoke of fear, or even amazement, experienced at our unexpected appearance. But the hands clenched nervously on the handles of axes and knives, and gloomy glances, clearly indicated that the attention of this crowd was fraught with danger and the beautiful valley of Tendara could become a battlefield once again.

We walked towards the Onondagas and stopped about fifty paces away. Merlin stepped forward, and Hayonwata came out to meet him with a long, feathered pipe, lit and smoking.

They began to perform a solemn ritual, during which we felt how many penetrating eyes fixed on us gradually recognized in us beings much more earthly than it seemed at first sight.

We were all seized with anxiety. Finally Merlin spoke loudly.

“Ongai people!” Order your women to put out the bivouac fires!

The redskins looked incomprehensibly at the old man, and he repeated:

- Right now. Until the last ember.

Several teenagers got out of the crowd and hurried to the shore of the lake. Numerous jets of smoke dissipated and disappeared.

“Just as you extinguished many scattered bonfires on earth, each of which was lit by a separate family from the once powerful Ongai people, so I, the great Tarenyavagon, will extinguish the Great Fire. Look!

He raised his hands to the sky, and a groan of sorrow swept over the crowd. A black shadow crawled over the edge of the sun!

Before the fear of the redskins turned into a desire to kill us to save the sun, Merlin raised his voice:

“The people of the Ongai! I see a lot of people in front of me. They all look at each other with hatred and suspicion. However, they are all brothers. They have the same skin color and the same division into clans and communities. They speak the same language, like the same food and play the same games. These people are brothers!

My sons! Can brothers kill each other when the roof of the house is burning over their heads, set on fire by an enemy torch? Can brothers be at enmity when their father, mother and small children are captured or are already suffering under the whip of ruthless enslavers?

Behind the door of every dwelling, an enemy lies in wait for you, more cunning than a tree cat, more furious than a bear, and more dangerous than a pack of hungry wolves. Alone, a person is helpless: a separate tribe can repel an attack and run away. But if all the brothers unite, they will be able to drive the enemy far from their doors!

By this time, the black shadow covered almost the entire sun, except for a thin arc. However, no one grumbled or tried to run.

"People of Granite!" Peoples of the Great Hills and Mudlands! Take a look around! Owners of Flint, listen! Your enemies are not the Flying Heads or the tribes gathered here. Each of you has a brother standing next to you, ready to fight for you and cover you in battle. He will help you and will stand up for you if you answer him the same. Throw away the old black thoughts, and let them dissolve in the darkness that has enveloped us now!

The sun has already disappeared completely.

Let one darkness consume another. Shake hands with your neighbor and publicly call him brother.

The most disturbing moment has come. Merlin had only a few seconds to complete his carefully thought out plan, which was now on the brink of collapse, as the redskins continued to stand motionless, eyeing each other warily. Everything had to end before the appearance of the sun - otherwise people would understand that the extinction of the luminary is just a natural celestial phenomenon.

Finally, the aged, feeble chief of the nudawaons hobbled over to the equally ancient chief of the Onondagas and took his hand.

The crowd roared, and waves of fraternization began to quickly spread through it. Hayonwata's signal conch cut off the noise of many voices, and Merlin spoke again:

- My children! Don't forget your feelings today. Old sorrows and grievances, not healed by time, will still return to you, and new disagreements will arise among you. Neglect them or resolve them with the help of council members. You have one powerful enemy. Tlapallan!

A deafening, furious scream interrupted the old man. Pale and agitated, he waited for the restoration of order, counting the seconds remaining at his disposal.

“Keep listening, my children! Honor the old men, do not leave them in the forests to be eaten by wild animals. Take care of them like your children. Are you not better than the Maya, who see in the old man only a body destined for a painful death for the glory of a bloody deity?

Be kind to each other and merciless to your only enemy. Thus you will find peace and be exalted. Thus, you form a union in which you will know power and strength - and united, plant a tree with four roots, the branches of which stretch to the north, south, east and west. And you will rest in peace and friendship under the shade of this tree, unless your enemies succeed in cutting it down!

In the shade of its branches, in this valley, you must build a sacred Long House in which everyone can live. And the mighty tree of the Union will rise above the House - a symbol of your unity and your eternal Guardian!

I light a new fire for your hearth.

The elder knocked out a red-hot coal from the ceremonial pipe to the ground. There was a hiss, and a scarlet snake of fire ran across the grass, a cloud of white smoke rose, something like a thunderclap crashed, and a few feet from the center of the open space where the seer and trumpeter stood, tongues of red flame shot up.

And at that very moment, the bright edge of the sun peeped out of the darkness!

“Light your torches and return to your wake-vaums—and revere this place from now on as the Council Bonfire Site. And from now on, be called not Ongai, but Hodenosauni, People of the Long House.

I said everything.

Merlin returned to our squad. In well-coordinated formation, we retreated to a shelter built for us in advance by friendly onondagas, and managed to notice how people with torches, strips of cloth and reeds surrounded the sacred fire in a tight wall, protecting it from the wind.

However, do not think that after the speech of the elder, all the bad feelings accumulated over the years disappeared in one day.

But this speech marked the beginning of a long council, at which mutual accusations and bitter reproaches sounded - but always, preventing these skirmishes from developing into serious conflicts, Merlin intervened in the conversation, and the dispute died down before its participants had time to understand how everyone difficulties became so easily solved.

The council lasted four days. Formally, Merlin was numbered among the Flint Folk and held high place on tribal councils. Hayonwate was also granted the title of Royanek (council member) and, if I wished, I too would have been honored with a high rank.

But I did not need barbaric servility, and, of course, Merlin accepted signs of flattery against his will - for fear that otherwise his hymens of the spring campaign would be upset. For the old man passionately dreamed of going to the southwest in search of the Land of the Dead.

Finally, the council ended with a result that suited everyone. The five peoples - weak alone against the overwhelming might of Tlapallan - now united into a great forest force.

The mighty young giant stretched his muscles and longed for war, wanting to try his strength, but his brain (fifty chosen by the people of Royanek) told him to wait for a favorable moment and gain strength in the meantime.

And so, during the spring, the People of the Longhouse learned the use of the bow and became skillful archers, dangerous to the enemy. And at the end of that season, we decided to raid the Path of Miners and, if necessary, strike at the border fortresses of Tlapallan.

• Huge, Giant, Neutral
• Armor class: 17 (natural armor)
• Hits: 126 (11d12 + 55)
• Speed: 40 ft.
• Saving Throws: LOV +5 , TEL +8 , MDR +4
• Skills: Attentiveness +4 , Athletics +12
• Feelings: dark vision 60 ft., Passive mindfulness 14
• Languages: giant
• Danger: 7 - 2900 op.
• Source: « Monster manual»

• Capabilities

  Stone camouflage. The giant has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

• Actions

  Multiattack. The giant makes two mace attacks.

  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

  A rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/240 ft., single target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone.

• Reactions

  Catching stones. If a stone or similar object is hurled at the giant, the giant can, on a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, catch the projectile and not take bludgeoning damage from it.

• Description

  Stone giants are reclusive, quiet and peaceful as long as they are not disturbed. Their granite gray skin, emaciated features, and black, sunken eyes give stone giants a stern expression. They love solitude, hiding their lives and art from the world.

  Inhabitants of the stone world. Secluded caves serve as a home for stone giants. Cave networks are cities, rock tunnels are roads, and underground streams are waterways. Mountain ranges are their continents, with vast expanses of land between them, like oceans, which stone giants rarely cross.

  In their dark, silent caverns, the stone giants silently work on intricate carvings, measuring time with the echoes of water dripping into underground pools. In the deepest chambers of the stone giants' settlements, far from the noise of bats and cave bears allied to the giants, are holy places where silence and darkness are perfect. Stone takes on the holiest qualities in these cavernous cathedrals, and their buttresses and columns are so beautifully carved that they shame legendary dwarven stonecutters.

  Carvers and prophets. Among the stone giants, craft is considered the greatest asset. They create intricate murals on cave walls, paint these murals, and engage in other forms of art. They regard stone carving as their greatest skill.

  Stone giants strive to reveal forms from raw stone that they believe reveal meaning inspired by their god, Scoreus Stonebone. The giants appoint the best carvers as their leaders, shamans and prophets. The holy hands of such a giant during work become the hands of a god.

  Graceful athletes. Despite their large size and musculature, stone giants are lithe and graceful. Skilled stone throwers occupy a high position in the ordnung of giants, testing and showing their ability to throw and catch huge boulders. Such giants are at the forefront when the tribe needs to defend its home or attack its enemies. However, even in combat, the main thing is skill. Rock giant throwing is a display of not just brute strength, but stunning balance and athleticism.

  Dreamers in the open. Stone giants perceive the world outside their underground dwellings as a realm of dreams, where nothing is truly true or real. On the surface, they behave as humanoids may behave in their dreams, with little awareness of their actions and never fully trusting what they see or hear. A promise made above the earth need not be kept. An insult can be made without an apology. Killing prey or a sentient being does not cause guilt in an open-air dream world.

  Some giants, lacking the grace of athletes or artistic prowess, live on the fringes of society, serving as border guards or wandering hunters for the tribe. When intruders penetrate too deep into the stone giant clan's mountainous territory, these guards greet them with flying boulders and a shower of shattered stone. The survivors tell stories of the brutality of the stone giants, never realizing how little these dream-world brutes resemble their quiet, artistic lineage.

• • The material is taken from the pdf version of the translation "Monster Manual" from the studio

• Huge, Giant, Neutral
• Armor class: 17 (natural armor)
• Hits: 126 (11d12 + 55)
• Speed: 40 ft.
• Saving Throws: LOV +5 , TEL +8 , MDR +4
• Skills: Attentiveness +4 , Athletics +12
• Feelings: dark vision 60 ft., Passive mindfulness 14
• Languages: giant
• Danger: 7 - 2900 op.
• Source: « Monster manual»

• Capabilities

  Stone camouflage. The giant has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

• Actions

  Multiattack. The giant makes two mace attacks.

  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

  A rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/240 ft., single target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone.

• Reactions

  Catching stones. If a stone or similar object is hurled at the giant, the giant can, on a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, catch the projectile and not take bludgeoning damage from it.

• Description

  Stone giants are reclusive, quiet and peaceful as long as they are not disturbed. Their granite gray skin, emaciated features, and black, sunken eyes give stone giants a stern expression. They love solitude, hiding their lives and art from the world.

  Inhabitants of the stone world. Secluded caves serve as a home for stone giants. Cave networks are cities, rock tunnels are roads, and underground streams are waterways. Mountain ranges are their continents, with vast expanses of land between them, like oceans, which stone giants rarely cross.

  In their dark, silent caverns, the stone giants silently work on intricate carvings, measuring time with the echoes of water dripping into underground pools. In the deepest chambers of the stone giants' settlements, far from the noise of bats and cave bears allied to the giants, are holy places where silence and darkness are perfect. Stone takes on the holiest qualities in these cavernous cathedrals, and their buttresses and columns are so beautifully carved that they shame legendary dwarven stonecutters.

  Carvers and prophets. Among the stone giants, craft is considered the greatest asset. They create intricate murals on cave walls, paint these murals, and engage in other forms of art. They regard stone carving as their greatest skill.

  Stone giants strive to reveal forms from raw stone that they believe reveal meaning inspired by their god, Scoreus Stonebone. The giants appoint the best carvers as their leaders, shamans and prophets. The holy hands of such a giant during work become the hands of a god.

  Graceful athletes. Despite their large size and musculature, stone giants are lithe and graceful. Skilled stone throwers occupy a high position in the ordnung of giants, testing and showing their ability to throw and catch huge boulders. Such giants are at the forefront when the tribe needs to defend its home or attack its enemies. However, even in combat, the main thing is skill. Rock giant throwing is a display of not just brute strength, but stunning balance and athleticism.

  Dreamers in the open. Stone giants perceive the world outside their underground dwellings as a realm of dreams, where nothing is truly true or real. On the surface, they behave as humanoids may behave in their dreams, with little awareness of their actions and never fully trusting what they see or hear. A promise made above the earth need not be kept. An insult can be made without an apology. Killing prey or a sentient being does not cause guilt in an open-air dream world.

  Some giants, lacking the grace of athletes or artistic prowess, live on the fringes of society, serving as border guards or wandering hunters for the tribe. When intruders penetrate too deep into the stone giant clan's mountainous territory, these guards greet them with flying boulders and a shower of shattered stone. The survivors tell stories of the brutality of the stone giants, never realizing how little these dream-world brutes resemble their quiet, artistic lineage.

• • The material is taken from the pdf version of the translation "Monster Manual" from the studio

There are many places on our planet, the origin of which a person is not able to fully explain.

Around such objects, many legends and tales are born, explaining what is difficult to rationally explain.

Kigilyakhs, or kisilyakhs, are one of such objects. They are high pillars formed from rocks that are usually located on the tops of rocks during weathering.

It is not surprising that high pillars, resembling the frozen figures of giants, have become the heroes of many legends in Yakutia, where they are located.

The history of the formation of Kigilyakhs

Most a large number of Kigilyakh pillars is located in northern Yakutia, the most impressive stone figures are located on the New Siberian Islands, this is where most tourists come.

It is interesting that from the Yakut "kisily" literally translates as "a place where there are people", since the very word "kis" - "man".

It is known that the Yakut kisilyakhs arose about 120 million years ago. Approximately at this time, the Verkhoyansk and Chersky ridges were formed as a result of the collision of the North American continental plate with the Eurasian one.

It was after the formation of folds on these ridges that kigilyakhs began to form.

True, they owe their origin to weathering, which, in conditions of frosty weather and location (tops of rocks), forms stone pillars.

The material of which the kigilyakhs are made is hard rocks, mostly granite.

There is another version of the origin of these rocks, which, as usual, is associated with otherworldly forces.

The legend says that once the earth was not yet covered with snow and permafrost, then people lived mainly in mountainous areas.

But over time, the climate also changed, the dwelling in the rocks became unsuitable, as a severe cooling began.

At the moment when life became completely impossible, people decided to move to the south, to descend from the mountains. But during the crossing of the Kisilakhsky Range, many of them, unable to withstand the cold, froze.

Over time, they turned into stone pillars, which, being covered with more and more layers of stone, reached their real sizes.

Location

Kigilyakhs are quite common all over the world, they are in Kazakhstan - the Koitas massif is known, there are mountain ranges in Transbaikalia.

AT different countries stone pillars are called differently, somewhere - "stone monks", due to the fact that they resemble frozen praying clergymen.

In Russia, the most famous kigilyakhs are located in Yakutia, where tourists interested in magic stones come every year.

The most famous locations for stones are the Kisilakhsky Range, the Medvezhy and Lyakhovsky Islands.

In general, the word "kigilyakh" itself began to be used by geologists all over the world relatively recently, this happened after the discovery of the Lyakhovsky Islands, when Cape Kigilyakh and the peninsula of the same name were discovered and named.

Two islands that are part of the Lyakhovsky group - Chetyrekhstolbovoy and Stolbovoy - are located mainly in the Laptev Sea.

One more famous place The “habitat” of the Kigilyakhs is Mount Kisilyakh-Tas, it is located 100 kilometers from the coast of the East Siberian Sea, on the banks of the Alazeya River flowing through the tundra.

It is on this mountain that the Kigilyakhs form the so-called ridge, since a ridge of pillars stretches along the entire top of the mountain.

It is also important to be able to distinguish kigilyakhs from nunataks (from the Eskimo "nun" and "tak", which literally means "lonely peak"). These various stone pillars are very similar, nunataks are rocks that stand alone, or rocky peaks that form on the surface of a glacier.

This is their main difference from the Kigilyakhs - nunataks are formed not only as a result of weathering, their appearance is also influenced by rocks collapsing by the glacier.

But if the ice around disappears and the nunatak remains standing on a bare rocky surface, you will hardly be able to distinguish this stone pillar from the kigilyakh. Perhaps only geologists can accurately determine the cause of the formation stone pillars.

Kisilakhsky ridge

The Kisilakhsky Ridge is one of the most scenic spots habitat of the Kigilyakhs, it is located on the watershed of the Adycha and Yana rivers. Besides, in mountain system Chersky, this ridge is one of the smallest. Its length is about 80 meters, and the most high peak reaches a mark of 1548 meters.

The ridge consists of many different rocks, which allows us to consider it complex, it includes: shales, Jurassic sandstones, mudstones and other minerals, scientists believe that all these granitoids belong to the Cretaceous period in age.

It is these sedimentary rocks that form kigilyakhs, some of which can reach a height of 30 meters. They are located on the main crest of the ridge and, in addition, stretch along the entire watershed.

Interestingly, it is on the Kisilyakh Ridge that the Kigilyakhs sometimes form impenetrable walls or labyrinths with small passages between the pillars.

The lower the kigilakh is, the lower it is, but at the same time, perfectly even pillars are located on the top, and below they acquire interesting and bizarre shapes.

Kigilyakhs are assigned the same strange names, which talk about what the pole looks like. In general, many tourists consider it their duty to somehow unusually name their favorite kigil.

Therefore, if you read travel notes different travelers who have visited the same place will not find the same names of stone pillars. Everyone will give them names at their discretion, focusing on what the stone reminded them of.

The Kisilyakh range is covered with many cracks and crevices, and its northern side is completely covered with lichens and mosses.

Many researchers note another feature of the Kigilyakhs - the presence of a leg.

The well-known geologist G. Meidel wrote in his research that the foot of stone pillars is a base as tall as a person, while it is slightly thinner than the kigilakh itself. At the same time, the exact age of the stones remains unknown: how many scientists, so many guesses.

Expeditions to study Kisilyakhs

Many scientists at different times made expeditions to the islands of Yakutia in order to find out the true origin of the Kigilyakhs. So, in 1921–1923, F.P. Wrangel conducted an expedition during which his group explored the Bear Islands, which are located in the East Siberian Sea.

The group of these islands included the island of Chetyrekhstolbovoy, it was on it that Wrangel discovered the Kigilyakhs for the first time, in his notes on the campaign he sought to find out the reasons for their formation.

“It can be concluded that the three now separated stones were once one large cliff: gradually splitting and collapsing from the force of frost or other physical problems, it lost its primitive appearance,” he wrote, the first to note weathering as the main factor in the formation of new kigilyakhs.

And in 1935, geologist S. Obruchev arrived on the same island with a new expedition, who also explored the Kigilyakhs. In his memoirs, he described not only the theory of the formation of stones, but also told the story of their discovery.

According to him, the Bear Islands were discovered as early as 1702 and first visited in 1720. Another fact noted by him is interesting: the pillars collapsed very quickly.

Obruchev wrote that if in 1720 there were four pillars, then in 1935 only three were found, and the fourth turned into a stone placer and lay at the foot of the rest.

At the same time, the geologist notes that only 200 years are enough for all the kigilyakhs on Chetyrekhstolbovy to be destroyed. But Obruchev's research was not taken seriously, as he made too many inaccuracies in his notes.

So, in the same 1935, another expedition visited the island - the researcher Vorobyov, who discovered and described all four kigilyakhs.

However, on this moment it is known that the pillars located on the Kisilyakh Range are covered with vertical cracks and therefore are rather unstable.

But, despite the existing danger of collapse, local residents since ancient times consider kigilyakhs the best place recreation. Sitting with them, according to legend, you can gain mental strength and peace of mind.

And in 1986, at the foot of the Kisilakhsky Range, archaeologists discovered more than 68 sites of ancient people and a burial place. These finds indicate that the mountainous area of ​​Yakutia was quite densely populated in ancient times.

And perhaps the locals are right, believing that the Kigilyakhs carry the powers of their ancient ancestors.

Dec 3, 2014 Lydia