The Dragonwastes
"It is impossible to express the catastrophic power of a dragon to those who have not seen it. The old songs of the Empire speak of their beauty in flight, their majesty. But when you see the Wastes, you understand what they truly are. Whether they were ever anything other than monsters, I don't know, and I don't care. Now they are a blight on this world, an incarnate apocalypse."
~ Kyrylo, Zhaporian trader
~ Kyrylo, Zhaporian trader
Geography
The Dragonwaste extends from the north shore of the Bay of Ashes. Once upon a time, this was considered some of the best land in the empire. Rivers flowed through the region and the hills were full of mineral wealth. Since the fall of the Empire, no one has ever mapped the wastes fully. A few adventurers who have gone in and come out again have noted landmarks, and the archives at Mordâd pay richly for anyone willing to attempt a survey of regions within the Waste. Those who survive say there are still rivers, but they do not follow the courses marked on old maps, and the ponds and lakes are no longer good to drink from. It is a land of hills and barren moors covered in short tough scrub grass and scattered with the scorched remains of ancient cities and forests.
Localized Phenomena
For the reckless soul that will risk life and limb in the hopes of lost riches, there are things to beware of.
Ashfall
The Dragonwastes exist under a near constant rain of ashes. Some part of the waste is always on fire, and clouds of ash drift from the sky like grey snow. While the phenomenon is not itself harmful, long exposure breathing the ash can cause illness, and the ash forms a sludge on top of water which must be cleared before water can be reached.
False Suns
Explorers have long recorded the strange phenomenon of seeing more than one sun in the sky. The haze that covers the Waste allows only a weak and dreary sunlight through, and explorers tell of a second sun suddenly blooming in the sky among the haze. This is a warning to take cover and remain still. The 'sun' is actually a gout of flame from the throat of a dragon in the air.
Ashfall
The Dragonwastes exist under a near constant rain of ashes. Some part of the waste is always on fire, and clouds of ash drift from the sky like grey snow. While the phenomenon is not itself harmful, long exposure breathing the ash can cause illness, and the ash forms a sludge on top of water which must be cleared before water can be reached.
False Suns
Explorers have long recorded the strange phenomenon of seeing more than one sun in the sky. The haze that covers the Waste allows only a weak and dreary sunlight through, and explorers tell of a second sun suddenly blooming in the sky among the haze. This is a warning to take cover and remain still. The 'sun' is actually a gout of flame from the throat of a dragon in the air.
Fauna & Flora
The generations since the dragons burned the empire have seen life of a sort return even to the Dragonwastes. Hardy short grass grows here and there is water. Thorny bushes and scrubby trees have replaced the mighty forests whose charred remains can still be seen. And so there are animals as well. Large dragons will hardly bother with smaller non-humanoid prey, and so ironically many small animals live here with no fear of the great Wyrms. The animals that live here are wary, adapting for speed, and dwelling in hidden burrows. Hunting in the Wastes is extremely challenging, and a wise adventurer - if anyone entering the Dragonwastes can be called wise - will bring as much food as possible.
Natural Resources
Supposedly there were many old mines in the hills of the northern Empire, but it would be impossible to operate them. Those who have gone in report old mine shafts either collapsed or occupied. Wild beasts, monsters, and even smaller dragons have made their lairs in them. Some of the riches tekros mines were in the north, and anyone able to get away with even a small load of the stuff could make a fortune selling it.
History
The northern districts were the industrial heart of the empire. Rivers provided irrigation for crops and power for mills. Large factories produced goods that traveled across the empire or were exported beyond its borders. Rich mines provided mineral wealth to fuel prosperity, and some of the Empire's riches cities were here.
Even Mordâd and Emberhold do not preserve detailed records of how the land became the Dragonwastes. No one understands why the largest and oldest of the Dragons made their lairs here once the towns had been burned and the people fled, nor why none of the largest wyrms flew farther south or west. The presence of truly mighty dragons in the Wastes is both deterrent and lure, as adventurers assume the great wyrms must be guarding mighty hoards of treasure plundered from the cities. Many have followed this lure over the years. Few have returned.
Even Mordâd and Emberhold do not preserve detailed records of how the land became the Dragonwastes. No one understands why the largest and oldest of the Dragons made their lairs here once the towns had been burned and the people fled, nor why none of the largest wyrms flew farther south or west. The presence of truly mighty dragons in the Wastes is both deterrent and lure, as adventurers assume the great wyrms must be guarding mighty hoards of treasure plundered from the cities. Many have followed this lure over the years. Few have returned.
Alternative Name(s)
The Wastes, The Ashlands
Type
Wasteland
Related Ethnicities
Inhabiting Species
Related Professions
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