Glassed Expanse

Tucked between the Kneeling Giants and the Evereddy Sea is a curious region known as the Glassed Expanse. The breadth of the silica-rich desert, east to west and north to south, has now been transformed into glass by the battle between Embrek-Yed-Al (the first of the Winged Tyrants) and the Wyrmstalkers, the organization created to destroy them.
The Wyrmstalkers managed to bind Embrek-Yed-Al to the ground, eliminating the dragon's greatest asset: flight. A great melee ensued, with the dragon fending off dozens of the Wyrmstalkers' knights. These brave warriors - champions of blade and bow - beat down the beast for nearly three hours, while another hundred casters performed a communal ritual to heat up the land beneath them. The sand in the battleground eventually reached its melting point, fusing together for at least a mile in every direction. Embrek-Yed-Al, unable to fly, slowly fell into the molten pit of glass. However, he did not fall alone; the knights who fought him were entombed with him, caught in the same trap, a sacrifice so that all sapient peoples could live free from the tyranny of Embrek-Yed-Al.
Since this event, some say that the Glass Tomb of Embrek-Yed-Al is still molten, maintaining the heat despite over four centuries having passed. This is a case of what we have begun terming an "Imbued Enchantment." In each case that we have studied, when the Wyrmstalkers used their unique magics to kill one of the Winged Tyrants, the blood of the dragon had mixed with the magics and caused massive unintended consequences. Though only a square mile or so of the desert was affected by the initial casting, the area surrounding this small patch began to convert into glass by itself. Interestingly, however, it doesn't simply melt - it freezes in whatever shape it was when affected. Thus, rather than a relatively smooth sheet of glass, giant crystalline formations can be discovered in the shape of sand dunes, and the slightly wavy texture of the ground was preserved.
This crystalization event has led to some new and unique dangers. High winds and storms will occasionally blow into the Expanse, creating cutting winds full of shards of glass. Smaller pieces can be accidentally inhaled or embedded in the skin. Large boulders of glass have been broken off by lightning strikes and now cut swathes through the flatter areas. When they shatter, they break into thousands of tiny shards that blend in with the rest of the ground, creating dangers to the feet any who travel through the region. Furthermore, the crystaline structures reflect, refract, and focus light in dangerous ways. An incautious researcher might glance the wrong direction at the wrong time of day and be blinded by a particularly bright light. The glass surface can be too smooth to properly walk across without slipping. It is recommended to wear spiked metal boots, entirely cover any exposed skin, and cover the eyes with polarized goggles. In fact, it's generally recommended to stay away from the area altogether.
Though it is currently an inhospitable wasteland, recent survey teams and the oral history of firenewts - refugees from the area - seem to agree that it once housed a beautiful and peaceful society. The firenewts say that it was once a golden paradise, dotted with oases around which small communities formed, trading fairly between one another. This oral history is somewhat dubious, considering the length of time that it has been passed through the people. For this civilization to have existed before the Winged Tyrants, it must have been thousands of years ago, and rarely do stories continue unchanged across such a timeframe. If true, however, it could help scholars discover precisely where and how the Winged Tyrants came to this continent. More research needed.

Type

Desert