The Poisoned Hills
No birdsong. No animal movement. No herds visible in the distance. Only a low hum of insects breaks the silence of the Poisoned Hills, rolling terrain deep within the Tinderlands where the scrubby plains give way to exotic vegetation that is entirely, thoroughly toxic. The absence of fauna is not a mystery; every animal that could leave has left, and every animal that could not has died. What remains is a landscape of beautiful, lethal plants and the insects that feed on them.
Bloodbane Root produces a red sap capable of eating through skin on contact if not quickly removed. Desert Nightshade has leaves that cause a painful skin rash lasting weeks. Devil's Flower is relatively harmless most of the year, a deceptive mildness that ends in spring when its pollen, if inhaled, causes paralysis, seizures, and death. No one has successfully weaponized the Devil's Flower pollen yet, though the interest is persistent. The Purple-Spined Caterpillar feeds on Devil's Flower leaves and produces a similar toxin in its back spines, metamorphosing into a butterfly that retains the poison and teaches predators to avoid it through near-fatal encounters.
Despite the danger, the Poisoned Hills attract those who see opportunity in poison. The Fortin Clan visits annually to harvest plants for brews, liquors, and subtle poisons that they sell to interested buyers across the wastes. Most of their concoctions are lethal: poisons that can be slipped into drinks or injected to cause death, painless or otherwise. The Fortin Clan walks where others fear to breathe, and they profit handsomely from the courage.
Bloodbane Root produces a red sap capable of eating through skin on contact if not quickly removed. Desert Nightshade has leaves that cause a painful skin rash lasting weeks. Devil's Flower is relatively harmless most of the year, a deceptive mildness that ends in spring when its pollen, if inhaled, causes paralysis, seizures, and death. No one has successfully weaponized the Devil's Flower pollen yet, though the interest is persistent. The Purple-Spined Caterpillar feeds on Devil's Flower leaves and produces a similar toxin in its back spines, metamorphosing into a butterfly that retains the poison and teaches predators to avoid it through near-fatal encounters.
Despite the danger, the Poisoned Hills attract those who see opportunity in poison. The Fortin Clan visits annually to harvest plants for brews, liquors, and subtle poisons that they sell to interested buyers across the wastes. Most of their concoctions are lethal: poisons that can be slipped into drinks or injected to cause death, painless or otherwise. The Fortin Clan walks where others fear to breathe, and they profit handsomely from the courage.
Geography
Rolling hills deep within the Tinderlands where the flat scrubby grass of the surrounding plains gives way to exotic, highly toxic vegetation. The terrain is devoid of animal life due to the concentration of poisonous plants. No birdsong, no animal movement; only a low hum of insects breaks the silence. The lack of fauna is directly caused by the concentration of toxic flora including Bloodbane Root, Desert Nightshade, and Devil's Flower. The Purple-Spined Caterpillar is one of the few fauna species that thrives here, feeding on Devil's Flower leaves and retaining the plant's toxin.
