The Churning Wastes - How Mages Keep their Power

In Autauga's southwest, beyond the southernmost mountains of the Juniper mountain range, there is a massive area where neither flora or fauna is known to survive. The Churning Wastes got its name because the area's shape is said to change and reform frequently. In one spot,  observers describe what appear to be sand dunes when they look through telescopes atop the nation's foremost observatory, the Juniper observatory. Two decades ago, there was only moving sands. In another location, an active volcano has formed that observers swear wasn't there ten years ago. The most astounding claim is that there are great undulating rocks that were small mountains half a century ago.   The Juniper Observatory was built atop one of the smaller mountains of the Juniper mountain ranges, the largest chain of mountains in Autauga nearly a century ago. Little exploration west occurred because of the natural but very imposing natural barrier of the Juniper mountain range itself. Before the turn of the century, however, two explorers discovered gold in the mid-range. Jorge Helf and Marcus Merriwether, so the story goes, swore to keep their discovery a secret while they mined the gold from what is now known as Eureka Peaks.   Helf and Merriwether had a falling out, each blaming the other for not keeping their lucrative find quiet. A trickle of similarly minded explorers turned into a deluge and the gold rush was in full swing. Within a decade, the gold was, for the most part gone. But that didn't stop hearty and hopeful explorers from searching for gold throughout the Juniper range. It was these hearty hopefuls that discovered the Churning Wastes. Before the lure of gold attracted explorers of all kinds, there is no evidence that people had explored beyond the mountain range.   As reports came back to more civilized areas of the continent, the stories caught the attention of a consortium of mages newly graduated from the Doubtful Knight's School of Magic. There were 8 members of the consortium who, because of their similar interests, were deeply drawn to understanding the magics thought to be derived from nature in Autauga. The 8 Mages formed an expedition. The Juniper Observatory was the eventual result.   The Consortium has thrived and observers have been detailing the Churning Wastes for almost a hundred years now. Though the observers are sworn to secrecy, a sketch or notation has, on several occasions over the years, found its way into the hands of the public. Passing the tantalizing information by word of mouth and poorly made copies of notated sketches has created the myth that the Churning Wastes is a giant mass of dark, dangerous seething magic.   The mythos surrounding the Churning Wastes has grown among a loosely organized group of citizenry that span several cities. They have formed a 'secret society' that meets irregularly on Wednesday evenings in the basements of local public houses. They drink and form expansive and wild conspiracy theories, then spread them. They call themselves the Churn Hunters. Their stories have made their way to the wider public. The latest claim by the Churn Hunters is that the Mages know how to harness the magic of the Churning Wastes in a deliberate plot to keep those who do not have magic abilities ignorant of how to get them.