The Wastes

The Wastes
The Wastes begin by most reckonings at the edge of the Kadrak, a giant plateau upon which the Empire rests. It is home to very few souls, and each can trace his or her story back to exile or flight fro the Empire. These pitiful people call the land 'Waien', meaning "Meager Lands", which is a fairly generous name. While the Kadrak has a few rivers and enough rainfall to support a hardscrabble existence, Waien is little more than hard-packed sand and clay. Within a day's ride of the Kadrak, one leaves behind the last outposts of civilization and begins a trek into the bleak landscape.

Few creatures live in Waien, and plants only spring up in the few oases scattered around. During the day, the Sun cooks the desert surface, requiring creatures to dig underground to protect themselves, or grow hard carapaces to reflect the burning sun. At night, temperatures plunge, so creatures have to be hardy enough to survive the chill. Altogether, the bulk of the creatures that operate in the Waien do so from the edge of the Karak, from Oases, or from the sparse mountain ranges that harbor patches of scrubland.

The greatest terror among the Desert Fauna are the Great Lizards. While their comportments vary, the worst of these predators can stand taller than a house and eat a man in one bite. They can match a horse for speed, and are active during the dawn and dusk hours. Some hunt in packs, others are solitary predators. Their bones litter the desert, and often serve as guideposts for the intermittent trade tracks.

Through history, the Waien cities have had populations of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Con-Vipa, Mooglins, Halflings, Quarterlins, Gobbos, Fetches, and any other type of creature pitiable enough to have to eke out an existence in The Waste. The ruins of these once-great cities can be found strewn out upon the flat hardpan, reminders of the foolishness of attempting to build a life in the merciless Wastes. There are even a handful of cities where people manage to persist, and in these far-flung refuges, one finds all manner of folk-- refugees, idealists, iconoclasts, and simple folk just looking to die free. Each city is unique and fiercely independent from the next; sometimes they are as unaware of each others' existence as the Empire is of theirs. It is a society of hidden and insular peoples; cooperation is rare, and trade is fraught with danger and apprehension within and without the cities.

If one leaves from Cinneraque and travels north, passes beyond the Kadrak, and continues on the road as it dwindles into an intermittent trail for a week into the Wain, they will behold the first city of the Wastes, the Gate City Alabasthir. If travelling West, after a month's travel, they would reach the settlement of Narun.