The Tinderlands
The Tinderlands are not a true desert, since they lack sand and dust, but the distinction means little to anyone dying of thirst on the flat, arid plains. Dry scrubby grass stretches from horizon to horizon, and the primary survival challenge is water. Sources include the well at Old Wives Town, underground springs (rare), and squeezing moisture from the spongy scrub grass found across the region. Winds whip dry snow across the plains during winter, making the Tinderlands inhospitable for months.
Despite the harsh conditions, the Tinderlands support a surprising diversity of wildlife that functions almost like a temperate savanna. Massive elkhorn deer travel in vast herds. Elephant-like tuskhorns wander the open ground. Prairie lions stalk the grass line. Eagle Hawks soar overhead with wingspans that seem to block out the sun. Devil Beasts, large game animals traveling in enormous herds, attract seasonal hunters from across the region when summer arrives and the land briefly becomes hospitable.
Old Wives Town serves as a small trading post known for its well and big game trade. The Shell, an underground Lascarian complex, hides beneath the plains. Tent Town, the mobile encampment of the nomadic Fortin Clan Rovers, can appear and vanish anywhere on the flats. The Poisoned Hills roll at the far reaches, where toxic plants have driven out all animal life. And somewhere in the featureless plains, difficult to find without a guide from the Fortin Clan, the Stone Circle waits with its rumors of speaking stones and hidden doors.
Despite the harsh conditions, the Tinderlands support a surprising diversity of wildlife that functions almost like a temperate savanna. Massive elkhorn deer travel in vast herds. Elephant-like tuskhorns wander the open ground. Prairie lions stalk the grass line. Eagle Hawks soar overhead with wingspans that seem to block out the sun. Devil Beasts, large game animals traveling in enormous herds, attract seasonal hunters from across the region when summer arrives and the land briefly becomes hospitable.
Old Wives Town serves as a small trading post known for its well and big game trade. The Shell, an underground Lascarian complex, hides beneath the plains. Tent Town, the mobile encampment of the nomadic Fortin Clan Rovers, can appear and vanish anywhere on the flats. The Poisoned Hills roll at the far reaches, where toxic plants have driven out all animal life. And somewhere in the featureless plains, difficult to find without a guide from the Fortin Clan, the Stone Circle waits with its rumors of speaking stones and hidden doors.
Geography
The Tinderlands occupy the western portion of Skatchen Land, a semi-arid environment of flat plains covered in dry scrubby grass. Not a true desert since it lacks sand and dust, but water is extremely scarce. Sources include the well at Old Wives Town, rare underground springs, and moisture squeezed from the spongy scrub grass. Winds whip dry snow across the region during winter. Summer is the most habitable season, when hunters and traders arrive. The flat plains eventually give way to the rolling Poisoned Hills in the far reaches, where toxic vegetation has driven out all fauna. Notable settlements include Old Wives Town, the Shell (an underground Lascarian complex), and the mobile Tent Town of the Fortin Clan.
