Alimir Mountains The Alimir Mountains served as the eastern border of Calimshan and were once the home of a great horde of beholder s . Geography . The Alimir Mountains composed the southern end of the Iltkazar Range , the same chain of mountains containing the Omlarandin Mountains , the Kuldin Peaks , the Snowflake Mountains , and the Giant ' s Run Mountains . The mountains ran down into the Lake of Steam in the east and extended into the Shining Sea in the south in what was known as the Alimir Peninsula . The Alimirs were not surrounded by gradual foothills as were the more northerly mountains in the Iltkazar Range ; they exploded out of the ground with steep sides . After a few thousand feet in height , most of the trees gave way to exposed rock , and the steep slopes began to level off only after around 4 , 000 feet ( 1 , 200 meters ) on average . The majority of the peaks had summits above 6 , 000 feet ( 1 , 800 meters ) over sea level . The two tallest peaks were Mount Kahdas ( 7 , 800 ft or 2377 m ) and Mount Phevos ( 8 , 500 ft or 2591 m ) , which were located in the middle of the range . The sheer faces of these two peaks were known as the Eye Tyrant Cliffs , for here was the site of an epic battle between the humans of Calimshan and an army of beholder s in the ancient past . The cliffs were carved with intricate artwork depicting the battle , which could be seen from a great distance away . The Maridflow began its course in the Alimirs , springing from a large cleft in Mount Ulaarn , near Mounts Kahdas and Phevos , and cascading downward at Azure Falls . The Alimirs were not rich in mineral content , and so they were not usually mined for ore by the humans . An exception was iron of a particularly dark hue , which was used to craft " shoonring s " with combat or defensive properties . The upper elevations were covered with snow in the winter months . Inhabitants . Historically , the Alimirs were inhabited by beholders . The Alimir Hive had long been a thorn in Calimshan ' s flesh , ever since the Second Age of Calimsham . While by the time of the Ninth Age of Calimshan , the beholders were maintained , they had never been driven from deep under the mountains since their arrival . The lower slopes of the mountains and their sparse foothills were populated by mountain goats and other animals found in high elevations . These were preyed on by a variety of wild cats , pumas , panther s , and even displacer beast s that had migrated south from the Omlarandins . The peaceful galeb duhr were also known to inhabit the lower elevations . Most of the life in the mountains , however , was literally " in " the mountains . The caverns of the Alimirs were full of all kinds of monsters , the slaves of the beholders who used to reign over Calimshan and still thrived in the darkness in the depths of the mountains . Dragon s occasionally sought out lairs in the southern reaches of the mountains , but with the beholder presence , these rarely became more than temporary hoards . Trails & Byways . There were no good trails through the Alimir Mountains , since the mountains were not mined and because it was easier to sail a boat around the Alimir Peninsula or to pass north through the gap between them and the Omlarandins . Besides this , the mountains were so steep that blazing a trail over them would be near impossible . Moreover , even if one could ascend the slopes , the mountains contained many treacherous crags . A single trail was the exception , known as the Pevadaas Trail . There was also an infamous canyon , the Echoing Canyons of Kush , that could be traversed . Both routes were the source of countless tales of the bloody deaths of hapless travelers who risked the journey . History . " Circa " −11 , 000 DR , the first holdings of what would become Deep Shanatar were founded by the dwarves in the Alimirs . The beholders of Alimir Hive arrived in the Second Age of Calimshan in the month of Tarsakh , −2381 DR . They arrived on three beholder colony ship s , which crash - landed during a storm . The surviving beholders founded the City of Orbs , Zokir , and soon overran Calishite garrisons in the area . The Tavihir Dynasty successfully drove the beholders back , sending them to seek strongholds in the mountains , where they remained until they were able to grow in strength . The Alimir Hive sought its revenge in the Third Age of Calimshan . With an army of goblin s and ogre s , they overran both Calimshan and Iltkazar , ultimately reaching Calimport and turning Pasha Violir IX to stone . The beholders would rule Calimshan from −1428 DR until −1402 . The eye tyrants were finally driven back to their strongholds in the Alimirs by the Drakhon s of Calimshan . A second war with the beholders was fought around the Alimir Peninsula from −1280 DR until −1080 DR , which helped establish the extent of Calishite rule in the area and halved the beholder population . The third and final major war against the Alimir Hive lasted four years and began in the Year of Many Eyes , −170 DR . Known as the Orb Marches or the Eye Tyrant Wars , the war required an alliance of Calimshan , Tethyr , and Iltkazar to push the eye tyrants back to their homes in the mountains for good .