The Waste

"The Waste" is an expanse so desolate and inhospitable that it stands as a testament to the raw, unforgiving nature of Nehwon's more remote landscapes. Lying to the northeast of both The North and The Tundra, it marks the boundaries of what many consider the known world, a region where the earth itself seems to reject the notion of life. In this stark terrain, the very air carries a chill that seems to seep into the bones, and the land is a vast canvas of barren, rocky plains and towering dunes of cold, grey sand.

Geography and Climate

The geography of The Waste is a monochrome of greys and whites, broken only by the occasional jagged outcrop of rock or the deep crevasses that fracture the earth, hiding shadows that see but a few hours of light each day. The climate here is an extreme of cold not found elsewhere, with howling winds that carry stinging sand and snow, sculpting the landscape into ever-changing patterns of desolation.
Despite the seemingly endless expanse of lifelessness, The Waste has its own stark, inhospitable beauty. The night sky is a riot of stars, unobscured by the lights of civilization, spanning the heavens from horizon to horizon in a breathtaking display of the cosmos's sheer vastness.

Fauna

Against all odds, life finds a way to assert itself even here. The Waste is home to the woolly mammoth, a colossal beast that roams the icy plains, its thick, shaggy coat a testament to evolution's response to this harsh environment. These creatures, along with a few other hardy species, form the basis of an ecosystem that is as sparse as it is resilient.

Humanoid Interaction

There are no permanent Humanoid settlements within The Waste, the land deemed too harsh and resource-scarce to support sustained habitation. However, it is not entirely devoid of Human presence. Hunting parties, drawn by the allure of the woolly mammoth and other great game, venture into The Waste's frigid expanse from the more temperate lands to the south. These hunters are among the hardiest of Nehwon's inhabitants, equipped to survive the extreme conditions and navigate the treacherous terrain in pursuit of their quarry.
These expeditions are not taken lightly; they are well-planned ventures that require preparation and respect for the deadly beauty of The Waste. The hunters come for the mammoths, seeking their meat, fur, and the prized ivory of their massive tusks, resources that are rare and valuable in the markets of the south.

Legends and Lore

The Waste, for all its hostility to life, is shrouded in legends and tales that speak of ancient times when the land was different, perhaps not always the barren expanse it is today. Stories of lost civilizations buried under the ice and sand, of gods who walked the earth and shaped its form, are told in hushed tones around campfires in the lands that border this great emptiness.
In the lore of Nehwon, The Waste serves as a boundary, both physical and metaphysical, marking the edge of the world of men and the beginning of a realm that belongs to the earth itself, untouched and untouchable. It is a place of challenge, of beauty found in the bleakest of conditions, and of the eternal struggle of life against the elements.

The Waste by Chad Watson

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Region