Izean Wastes

The northern portion of Izea nestled between the Dead Hills and the Izean Range is a wasteland where only the heartiest of creatures and plants are able to survive. It is a cool desert, with daytime temperatures being somewhat temperate and the nighttime temperatures falling well below freezing.   The wastes likely would be uninhabited if it were not for a few lucrative minerals which can be mined from the bottom of the craters which pockmark the surface of the terrain here. The riches in the ground have ensured that a few clans of Desert Dwarves have chosen to put down roots here. The rest of the population is more transient as it is far from civilization and there is a certain lawlessness that goes hand in hand with living in a land with few comforts just trying to make some gold. Thievery and other such mischief are far more common here than in the less harsh environments to the south.   Despite the the lack of arable land and the rather deep wells which provide the limited water supply, there are some plants and a few animals who survive and even thrive here. The White Desert Ray is one of the most fearsome beasts in the world and can be found almost exclusively here in the wastes. The plants one might encounter are mostly succulents which can withstand the long stretches without precipitation, the freezing nights, and the periodic storms which dump large amounts of snow or rain in very short periods of time. Deep-rooted grasses are also quite widespread near rocks and other partially sheltered locations.