The Arkosian Wastes

The wastes lie at the far eastern edge of the Galore Desert, and even though two rivers flow through it, the land remains mostly parched and inhospitable. Traveling across this flat wasteland feels as though water is being leeched from your body with every step, and there are so few settlements in the area since trying to scratch a living in the dirt here is a fool's errand. The land immediately in the flood plains of the rivers has relatively fertile land, but there are almost no oases in the deserts due to unique nature of the sands that some say are cursed; therefore, water is valued more than gold. The wastes meet the Galore Desert at the Draconian Pass were the area is plagued by sandstorms and rare beast that prey on the caravans brave enough to venture through the trade routes. The western border of the wastes backs up to the Bladespine Mountains, which offer even rougher terrain than the desert.

Many strange phenomena affect the wastes:

• The Black Blizzards--as with all deserts, dust storms are frequent, but these are more violent and punishing, slowly eating away at any exposed flesh.  In addition, the black clouds of dust blot out the sun to make one think that night had invaded the day.
• The Dead Mists--a name with more local flavor than actual effect, these mists form around some of the old ruins which dot the desert.  The moisture of the warm stone mixes with the cool temperatures of the night to produce a thick fog.  Due to a trick of the light, travelers tend to say that a fel green glow colors the mists as they rise.  Other travelers say that the mists represent the last dying breaths of a thousand draconian warriors angry about their lost glory.
• Seismic activity--the wastes, especially the area close to the mountains is prone to earthquakes.  These can range from mild tremors to massive quakes.  Larger quakes have been more frequent in recent years prompting some soothsayers and cultists to assume that Tiamat stirs beneath the peaks.

Only the heartiest of plants and animals can survive in this desolate landscape.   The plains are dotted with various species of scrub brush, brittle bush, and a strange species of tree that only seems to grow in this region.  The tree resembles a gnarled olive tree, but they have a sickly appearance and do not bear fruit.  Indeed, most plant life in the region has a poor humor about it, so travelers should not count on the local plant life to provide much sustenance.     The animals in the region tend to be desert insects, rodents, and small serpents.  However, if one is looking for larger game, look no further than the ankegs, who nestle in the sands like ant-lions, or large wyverns who nest in the mountains and prey on caravans.  Some say that ancient dragons still sleep in the mountains rimming the wastes, and that they only wait for the call of their masters to reignite the Dragon Wars.

There are veins of minerals like irons, zinc, and nickel that can be easily accessed, and some even say that precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum can be found in or near the mountains.  There is no appreciable source of lumber, and the local plant life does not bear much in the ways of edible fruits; however, the rivers are wide and navigable, though the water is somewhat putrid, but the plentiful source of fresh water does grant some fertile farmland in the floodplains.

Much of the wastes' history is lost, but the legends endure. Aeons ago, before the Great Empire of Asturius, the true Age of Empires existed. Great nations helmed by humans, devil, Yuan-ti, and Draconians wrestled for dominance across the globe. The fighting was fiercest on the continent of Astur where the Ophidian Empire (Yuan-ti), the Diabolical (devil-kin), and the Arkosian Empire (Dragonborn and Draconian) waged a seemingly endless war against one another. The Yuan-ti were the first to fall as theirs was a land that was universally hated, and their forces were routed and thrown back into Akkad. Next, the Devilkin were turned to ash by a relentless assault of dragons, wyvern riders, and the onslaught of the Draconian phalanx. Without the two largest empires to keep Arkosia in check, it was free to expand across the Galore desert and beyond the Badlands to the borders of what would become the Asturian Empire. The expansion might have gone unchecked had the cult of Tiamat not taken control of the empire. In order to ensure that that dragon goddess did not rise from her diabolical prison, the kingdoms and nations of the continent united to crush the Arkosian Empire. The fighting became so fierce that whole swaths of Arkosian land were laid waste in torrents of magical fire and dragon breath. After the Arkosians lost, what remained of their great cities were torn down, their farms sown with salt, and their shrines desecrated. This was to ensure that the Dragon Empire would never rise again, and to this day, nothing has been able to revive it. The Arkosian Waste exist as a vast graveyard to a lost empire.

Few would ever want to vacation in the wastes, but there are a few groups who travel there on pilgrimage.  There are shrines set up to the great dragon gods, Tiamat and Bahamut.  There is even a small temple complex at the river confluence to the dead god All-Dragon.  Acolytes from around the southern empires bring their offerings and pray.  Some have even been known to dig around in the wastes looking for the lost ruins of the Arkosian Empire.