The Wastelands

Divergent Theories

The Wasteland is a desert that separates the Dolan Forest from the rest of Costrus. Sand stretches from one edge of the forest to the other and passing through it is said to be nearly impossible. For a great deal of its existance it was thought that no life could be supported in the unforgiving environment. The discovery of the Staelies Fox proved that there were enough species to support a predatory species. These foxes are still considered the top predator in the Wastelands, but they must be sustained by prey species yet to be discovered.

In addition to divergent theories on life in the Wastelands, there is no consensus over its creation either. No scholars have been able to prove their theories since none have been able to get into the Wastelands to study it's vast landmass and how it came to be.

Planned Attack

The yildae maintain that the Wasteland was created out of malice and jealousy by humans. They claim that the humans' fear of the power and strength the yildae possessed drove them to use great amounts of magic to wipe out a large swathe of the northern Dolan Forest. The loss of this land and the separation of the species has done little to improve relations between the kingdoms.

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Natural Disaster

Some scholars argue that the amount of mana that would be required to maintain a spell that size is simply unsustainable and the Wastelands would have reverted back to their forest state long ago. This is the most widely agreed upon theory, even if the same scholars can't quite explain the natural forces that would have been needed in order to create such a large desert and in the location it is in.

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Terrible Accident

There is also another widely accepted theory that the Wastelands were the result of a great magical disaster, much like the formation of Lake Ransa. Again, those who reject this idea cite the need for great amounts of mana over an extended period of time as a reason to discredit this theory.

Other Methods

For those decendants of Alferno, the Last Grand Magus there is a secret letter within their tomes that hints at the possiblity of the Wastelands being created on purpose. Mana Stones easily solve the problem of providing mana in a constant supply to maintain a spell, but none will ever openly admit that this could be a possibility. Instead mages who have come across this letter send correspondence and gather to discuss the many phenomenon across Costrus, developing their own theories supported by this material that could power any number of permanent spells.

You know what, I think they're all wrong. I mean, what if it wasn't an attack, an accident, or created by nature? Imagine if it was created to keep humans and yildae from constant fighting and losses on both sides? I think everyone working together could find a solution to the mana problem if they tried hard enough. We don't know everything they knew back then, how far into your tome are you?

— A magus on the topic of the Wastelands