Firelands

Choked with ash, skies darkened by clouds of soot, land crisscrossed with scorched trails of burning elementals, the Firelands stand isolated in the Northeast corner of the continent. Utterly alien to humans, the Firelands have stood apart from the rest of Lasair since the days of the Giants' fall.

Geography

The Firelands are a highly volcanic region in the Northeast corner of Lasair. Partially created by the cataclysm that brought an end to the Giants' dominion over Lasair, the Firelands are squeezed in between the Stonetooth Mountains and the Eastern sea. The southern portion of the region is dominated by a trio of enormous volcanoes which have, over millennia, created a significant range of mountains. The southernmost of that range forms an intimidating wall (named the Scorched Bulwark by outsiders) that blocks most access to the region. That range leavs only a narrow pass through which the Ashcloak River flows, carrying what little moisture falls in the area out to sea. The northern half of the region - the Ashen Sea - is a barren plain. The ash that plumes into the sky from the larger volcanoes tends to blow over this area, and it falls like snow. Laying flat and smothering or blowing into drifts like powdery sand dunes, the ash chokes most mortal creatures except those traveling with magical assistance.
The Firelands as a whole are not entirely barren, though. The Eastern volcanic ridge is high enough to prevent as much ash from blowing over them, and the warmth from these volcanoes (and other geothermal vents) combines with the wet ocean air to create a rich jungle teeming with titanic life forms, from humongous trees to gigantic reptiles.

Life

Taken as a whole, the Firelands are almost entirely inhospitable to mortal life. Whether Human or Elven, needing to breathe air is a major detriment to survival in the choking miasma. However, magical life thrives. Fire- and Earth-based creatures of all kinds fill the land, from fire wurms slipping through lava tunnels to phoenixes rising from volcanic peaks. Some elemental beings are intelligent, and these have built some semblance of culture within the darkened lands, even building a single city at the Northern base of the volcanic range. This city, named Fier'tor, mostly serves as a gathering point for revels (fire creatures are notoriously passionate about life) though a small section of the city has a magically-created "clean air" sphere for visiting Mages who travel here to research Fire and Earth elemental magic.
The Nublar Jungle, by contrast, is full of enormous natural life. Dinosaurs rule the thick jungle, stomping through the trees and undergrowth with abandon. Lizardfolk inhabit the swamps along the coast, mostly foraging in the tidal pools, occasionally journeying south to a settlement at the mouth of the Ashcloak River when they discover anything of worth. Coastal traders can periodically be found there, seeking out rarities from expeditions into The Desolation or the jungle.

Landmarks

Scorched Bulwark - referring to the east-west wall of mountains that blocks most access to the region

Ashen Sea

Ashcloak River

The Brothers (Big Brothers and Little Brothers) - the two volcanic ranges that straddle the region

Adventure Opportunities

For the most part the Firelands are extremely inhospitable to mortal adventurers. However, with sufficient magical protection, it is possible to journey into the region. Some reasons why it might happen are:

• A Mage desires a particular reagent which can only be found from a creature that lives in the Firelands
• A smith wishes to create an extremely potent weapon and journeys into the Firelands to negotiate with Earth elementals for an exceedingly rare metal
• A phoenix from one of the peaks has ranged farther afield than normal, threatening settlements on The Great Plateau

Firelands

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