The Wastelands
The Wastelands are death to all who enter. No one knows what lies at the center of the wastelands because no one ever returns. The edges of the wastelands are dry, cracked desert. Well funded and experienced explorers have been paid to explore the wastelands, but every one of these expeditions has vanished. Ruskovich claims ownership of the Wastelands, but no one knows why.
Do not enter The Wastelands.
History
Rumors and Tales:
• The Tower of Bone - There is a rumored tower made completely of bone, unfinished and shining white in the wastelands harsh sun. It seems to be unfinished but slowly...slowly...grows taller.
• People say that centuries and centuries ago, the Wastelands were a vibrant, verdant place. Then a disaster of some sort occurred, cracking the earth and obliterating everything living there.
• It is whispered that the reason Ruskovich claims ownership of the wastelands is because they believe there is some sort of powerful magic artifact buried beneath time and sand, and that whoever finds it will achieve glory and prosperity. Whether this is true or not is uncertain, though many agree that this alleged artifact in the Wastelands is likely something that will bring only ruin.
• Some adventurers say that the land itself is personified in the form of a collective mass of undeath, dirt, and suffering. It roams the wastes, destroying anything it finds and that is why no one returns. This is, of course, unconfirmed.
• It is known that the Wastelands used to be inhabited. Some think that a small kingdom once occupied the lands. This small kingdom, hungry for power and full of dreams of expansion and conquest, bartered a deal with a demon or god or something far worse in exchange for power. When they could not deliver on the deal they made, the being destroyed them utterly, salting their
lands and cursing the very earth.
• It's rumored that a caravan of merchants once tried to travel through the Wasteland, trying to find an Iron Gate not guarded by Ruskovich soldiers so that they would not have to pay tariffs and tolls. They were apparently carrying something incredibly valuable but of course, they were never seen again.
• There is a small settlement at the edge of the Dire Marches whose whole purpose seems to be to discourage adventurers from going into the Wasteland. Most heed the warnings. Those who insist on traveling further in are asked for their names so that the settlement can put up a memorial headstone for them when they inevitably vanish. This cemetery has grown steadily over the years.