The Wildfire Wastes
The Wildfire Wastes are what happens when pre-Fall plantations are given centuries to mutate without human interference. The eastern reaches of Lorado, east of Mile High City, have become vast jungles stretching tall and wide, the largest concentration of flora and fauna in the region and the most dangerous. Thick root networks as wide as they are long rise above the earth like veins. Insects the size of iron horses live among the roots and low branches, their chitinous shells coveted as armor. Thick leaves block out the sky overhead, plunging the jungle floor into permanent twilight.
Every summer, the Burners torch swaths of jungle to push back the Overgrowth and reclaim land. The ash left behind creates fertile farmland where new villages are born, and Pure Blood communities have begun moving in to produce livestock from the mutated wasteland creatures. The ever-expanding cleared zone at the jungle edge draws scavengers and Jones who find work prying up ancient treasures and machines buried under vines. The Burners' fires cause spikes in Cinder activity across the region, a consequence that grows worse each year. New horrors unearthed from deep within the jungle add to the danger, and the jungle grows back faster than expected.
The Saw River is one of the only reliable transportation routes through the Wastes. River boats travel through the jungle canopy for days without seeing sunlight, surrounded by the sounds of creatures in the branches above and fish in the dark water below. The river provides fish, wildlife, and rare metals washed down from the mountain slopes. The smoky taste of the air and the gray, ashen earth left after the annual burns give the region its name: a place where fire is the beginning of everything, not the end.
Every summer, the Burners torch swaths of jungle to push back the Overgrowth and reclaim land. The ash left behind creates fertile farmland where new villages are born, and Pure Blood communities have begun moving in to produce livestock from the mutated wasteland creatures. The ever-expanding cleared zone at the jungle edge draws scavengers and Jones who find work prying up ancient treasures and machines buried under vines. The Burners' fires cause spikes in Cinder activity across the region, a consequence that grows worse each year. New horrors unearthed from deep within the jungle add to the danger, and the jungle grows back faster than expected.
The Saw River is one of the only reliable transportation routes through the Wastes. River boats travel through the jungle canopy for days without seeing sunlight, surrounded by the sounds of creatures in the branches above and fish in the dark water below. The river provides fish, wildlife, and rare metals washed down from the mountain slopes. The smoky taste of the air and the gray, ashen earth left after the annual burns give the region its name: a place where fire is the beginning of everything, not the end.
Geography
The Wildfire Wastes occupy the eastern reaches of Lorado, east of Mile High City, where pre-Fall plantations have mutated into vast overgrown jungles. Thick root networks rise above the earth, insects the size of iron horses inhabit the roots and branches, and thick leaves block out the sky. The Burners clear swaths of jungle each summer, leaving fertile ashen earth behind in the expanding Burnlands. The Saw River is the primary transportation route, with river boats traveling through the jungle canopy for days without seeing sunlight. The smoky taste of the air and gray ashen earth left after the annual burns give the region its name. The cleared zone expands annually, drawing scavengers, farmers, and Pure Blood livestock operations.
