Dragon Wastes
Geography
A region of Beraca, the dragon wastes are considered difficult to traverse even by the harsh standards of that hot and dry continent. Tall mountains loom over deserts of sand and plains of rock, and what little water there is tends to be tainted. Temperatures reach near unbearable levels on a daily basis, before dropping to freezing at night.
In the middle of the wastes is the tallest mountain on the continent - Oron Calcamorna, said to be where the last battle of the War of Scale and flame took place. The region is also home to several deserts including the Sands of Despair amd the Hygethas Desert. Sand storms are a regilar occurance in these deserts which are especially deadly in the wastes as magical forms of navigation are rendered useless by waves of unstable magical energy whic hsweep through the area.
There are few settlements in the wastes with those there are concentrated on the southern coast. Run by the dwarves these settlements rely on the output of the mines for their existence. Small groups of explorers also use these settlements as their starting points for expeditions into the wastes in search of draconic remains and artefacts.
Fauna & Flora
Anything that survives in the wastes is tough and usually deadly to the average traveller. Plants and animals that would be no more than an annoyance in other lands have been changed by the magical storms that sometimes plague the region, making them larger and more dangerous than normal. Many of the plants have become able to process water that is tainted with poiso or acidic enough to burn through the flesh of regular creatures. With little rainfall some of the plants have also found alternative means of acquiring liquid, like draining the blood from any creatures that move into reach.
Natural Resources
The wastes have some of the largest known deposits of adamantine in the world. There are also sizeable deposits of diamonds and other gemstones, but there are easier places to get these so the main focus is on adamantine ore.
Fresh drinkable water is the rarest commodity in th region, with the only reliable sources being the swarven settlements or what travellers bring with them. Clerics spend more of their time making sure water is clean than healing the sick in the wastes as having clean water available is likely to save more lives.
Surface crops are difficult to grow, with the exception of plants native to the wastes. While some are similar to maize or corn, they require special preparation to remove the poison they normally contain.
History
According to legend, millennia ago the wastes were supposedly no worse than any other part of Beraca, but they were destroyed during the events of the War of Scale and Flame. Traces of that legendary war can still be seen in the dragon skeletons dotted around the landscape.
The region is renowned for it's deposits of rare metals such as adamantine which is what lured the dwarves here during the first age. Two settlements were created on the southern coast where there are sufficiently deep harbours to accomodate large ships. While parts of these settlements are above ground, the majority are carved into the rock, which provides security from raiders and protection from the harsh climate. The larger of the two settlements is Ogarin, which is both a port and a mine. Port Methrina is a smaller settlement that only exists to load the outputs of Chogrin Hall onto visiting ships.
During the first and second ages, various countries have attempted to lay claim to the Dragon Wastes and seize the dwarven mines. These attempts have largely been thwarted by the landscape, with armies rapidly running out of food and water and the troops suffering constant attacks from the highly dangerous plants and animals that make the wastes their home.
Maps
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Dragon Wastes
A map of the region of Beraca known as the Dragon Wastes
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Related Ethnicities
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