Obsidian Wastes
The Obsidian Wastes is a desolate, shattered expanse of scorched earth and jagged black glass that stretches across the southern reaches of the Noctavian Empire. Once a fertile land of rebellion and defiance, it was annihilated by magical fire and divine punishment. Now, it is a region of broken histories and whispered curses—a forbidden zone where only the dead and damned find purpose.
The air is thick with ash, and the sky is often veiled by smoke and ember storms. Lightning occasionally crackles through the clouds, striking glass towers left half-melted in the blast that birthed the Wastes. Heat shimmers off the obsidian plains during the day, while unnatural cold creeps in at night.
The Obsidian Wastes are declared a restricted zone by the Noctavian Empire. Entry is forbidden without express imperial sanction. Nonetheless, scavengers, cultists, and seekers of lost lore sometimes sneak in. The Bleeding Spire maintains remote outposts along its fringes, and rumors suggest that Empress Malvera Noctara occasionally communes with the spirits bound within.
Geography
- Obsidian Glass Plains:
Miles of terrain covered in razor-sharp volcanic glass, some of it etched with burned-in runes from the rebellion’s final incantations. Travelers must wear enchanted footwear or float above the ground to avoid being shredded. - Ash Dunes:
Shifting dunes of fine, cursed ash that sometimes take the shape of former cities or screaming faces when disturbed by wind or footsteps. - The Shard-Forest:
A petrified wood turned entirely to black crystal during the cataclysm. Trees of glistening obsidian stretch like knives into the air. Their trunks hum with residual magical energy, and spirits are said to dwell within their hollows. - The Hollow Pyre:
The epicenter of the devastation, now a smoldering crater where time and reality warp. Fire still flickers over the surface in slow, unnatural motion. A broken statue of a faceless goddess, melted by divine fire, lies half-buried here.
Localized Phenomena
- Burning Echoes:
Ghostly screams, shadows of falling cities, and battles long past play out under the moonlight. Some say they are illusions; others believe time loops within the ash. - Glassfire Storms:
Tempests of burning glass and arcane lightning that sweep across the plains without warning, leaving behind crystalline sculptures and scorched bones. - Soul Whispers:
Those who linger too long in the Wastes report hearing voices in their sleep—calls from the dead, fragments of rebel leaders, or something older beneath the surface.
Fauna & Flora
- Imperial Constructs:
Golems and war machines of obsidian and silver left behind by the Empire to ensure the dead region remains uninhabitable. They patrol ancient boundaries and crush any trespassers. - Soul-Bound Guardians:
Once rebels, now cursed into eternal servitude. These spectral warriors wander the Wastes, bound to ancient oaths and unable to die. Some whisper prophecy, others attack in silence. - Glass Revenants:
Beings made of shattered obsidian and hatred. They form from the land itself, driven by vengeance and warped memory. Striking them only spreads their fragments.
History
- The Forgotten Rebellion:
Generations ago, a coalition of secessionist provinces rebelled against the Noctavian Empire. Their uprising was so widespread and potent that the Empress herself invoked a divine pact, calling down a punishment that erased their cities, leaders, and very names. - Erasured Legacy:
All records of the rebellion were purged from Imperial annals. The Obsidian Wastes stand as the only testimony to its existence—a message to all who would rise against the Empire.
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