The Desolation Striders Begin to Patrol the Blighted Lands and the Wastes

Civil action

With no actual organization or government oversight, a civil movement made of individuals began to take shape. This rag tag amalgam of individuals from all walks of life took it upon themselves to learn to live in, adapt to, and defend the Wastes. These stalwart few quickly became the subject of all manner of stories and even legends, though few who do not know their ways can separate fact from fiction.

The Wastes of Cairne had long been fringe territories inhabited by only those desperate or foolish enough to brave the dangers that plague those lands. Few beyond the relic hunters, criminal elements, and the occasional scholar could be found in the small boom towns that would spring up from time to time and then fall away, the Ventrytes even barely holding on to the few small settlements they maintained. Seeing a need and a niche to fill, a small few individuals began to take it upon themselves to roam the Wastes, patrolling the edges of the Void in an attempt to stand against the encroaching darkness, and to bring some sense of security and order to the chaos. Very quickly, many of these intrepid souls made names for themselves, becoming local folk heroes in many smaller settlements where they were welcomed and treated as such.   As word of these brave souls spread, urban writers became enamoured with the idea, and a number of popular pulp style writings began to appear and circulate, filled with often exaggerated tales of lone warriors standing against the horrors of the Void, acting as a bulwark against the darkness, and uncovering ancient mysteries and forgotten relics. This draw increased the numbers of would be adventurers, and of course, increased the number of fatalities related to the lifestyle of those dubbed, Desolation Striders.   In reality, most were close to being criminals themselves, though this did not stop them from assisting those in need and bolstering spirits in the fringe territories. Over time, through exposure to the energies that permeate those lands and through learning advanced methods of survival in the harshest of environments, these individuals changed over time, adapting and even embracing life at the edge of oblivion, and coming out stronger for it.