Enclave of Escos

Escos, a different kind of apocalypse

Written by OctoGod

I remember the old days, when the cities were bigger than any forest, when the buildings reached the skies. Even then, people were just trying to survive. But then, well, magic came back, and then the Shades appeared... It's certainly different now. I'd call it a clusterfuck, but maybe that's just me.

— Cole, Childe of the Nightworth vampire clan.

Escos used to be a powerful country, protected from outside influence by the majestuous mountains surrounding it. Its capital was a flourishing bastion of science, backed by a mysterious organisation as well as its own governement to discover every secret the world had to offer. Nowadays, it is a shadow of what is used to be: magic returning to the world should have been a blessing, if only it hadn't soon been followed by a strange new kind of monster: the Shade.

Geography

Escos is divided in seven vastly different regions, all with their own typical geography, although there is one permanent feature: no matter where you find yourself in this place, the ground will be red.

Final Falls

Final Falls is the north-western region in Escos and is one of the least populated. Few plants grow there without help and most of the fauna natural to the region ended up rabid because of the Shade Corruption. Final Falls earned its name because the attemps to escape the Enclave by climbing the mountains surrounding it have all resulted in death. The region is also one of the rare places in Escos where you can find pure water, as well as snow in the harsh winters.

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The Fiery Grasslands

The Fiery Grasslands is the region situated in the far north of Escos, well-known for its grass stained in a reddish hue. Legends go that it's because the Corruption started there, and that the colour of the grass is a reminder of the bloodshed that took place during this disaster. The Grasslands are a vast plain, with a few trees growing here and there, and, like the Final Falls, are a region difficult to live in.

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The Lake of Purity

The Lake of Purity, isn't exactly a region. It is actually the biggest source of water in the Enclave. Originally named the Putrid Lake after the Disaster, back when it was polluted and corrupted, like the rest of Escos. A few decades ago though, the birth of a new Deviant Shade changed the environment and allowed inhabitants of the region to find hope again. Some parts of the lake, as well as most of the ground surrounding them are free of the corruption, purrified and fed by the Deviant itself; the "Spirit of the Lake" or, as it came to be known as, "The Living Island". Furthermore, as all Deviants are known to eat their own kinds, the area is mostly free of Shades, which makes it an ideal location for people to live in... And a deeply coveted territory for the leading organizations.

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The Moaning Cliffs

No one knows exactly what's wrong with the Moaning Cliffs. This Eastern region is cut by a row of dangerous cliffs leading directly into the Acid Lake, whose giant waves regularly come clashing against the rock walls, slowly but surely reducing them to dust. Ice and snow meet plages of shiny pebbles, surrounded by the mesmerizing colours of the Acid Lake. From what the curious could gather, the region is mainly populated by fishers and hunters, sorely disinterested with the affairs of the world, who use the chilling beauty of their region to drive out potential invaders, having learned how to survive on their own.

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Withermarsh

The sinister swamps of the South East, home of mysterious ruins[Withermarsh Ruins] as well as quite a few poisonous, venomenous and, in general, dangerous fungi and critters. Hot, moist and covered in acidic and polluted water, the region is not for the unprepared. It is also the lair of the most dangerous Deviant, the Flying Shade, who attack any being intruding in its domain: even undead aren't safe from it, and because of this, Withermarsh is probably the only region where absolutely no sentient species live anymore.

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The Red Wastes

The Red Wastes is the main region, and also probably the biggest. Located in the center of Escos It stretches from the west, near the Final Falls surronds the Whispering Desert as well as Withermarsh, and is only stopped by the beginning of the Acid Lake, on the South, the Moaning Cliffs on the West and finally the Lake of Purity on the North. While in most of the other regions, some plants managed to survive and adapt to the corruption, the Red Wastes can only offer a red ground, filled with dust, ashes, and burned bones. It is speculated that because the Acid Lake is even more dangerous near its source in the South, and because there is no cliff protecting the land, the acid must have contaminated the ground; along with the corruption of the Shades and the natural repercussions of the Disaster this led to this dead desert.

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The Whispering Desert

This desert has earned its nickname because of yet another Deviant, this one living underground: while it doesn't quite "whisper", it communicates with screeches and clicking sounds. Underground, or carried by the cold wind of the night, it can make it seems like the sand itself is talking to you. Strangely enough, this region based in the South-West is perhaps one of the most welcoming of all. Several oases can be found in the Whispering Desert, and although the climate is hot and dry, there is still enough wildlife to hunt and some hardy plants grow on the sandy dunes.

Fauna & Flora

The presence of the Shade has changed much of the local ecology: Shades attack any being they deem to be "alive" or "with a soul" and as such, the animals incapable of hiding themselves were the first to go, whether they were prey or predator. What's left is mutants and feral animals, poisonous flowers, and very few healthy trees. Scientists and mages alike have been trying to find a way to make the world feel alive again - so far, without success, not with the Shades roaming free on the land.

Natural Resources

Most if not all of the natural ressources that can be found have either died out or mutated and have to be intensively studied before being deemed safe. In the meanwhile, people scavenge and recycle what they can find in abandonned villages, cities or the multiple ruins that can be found all around Escos.

The Grieving Fire

Type: Enclave; Ex-Country;

Maps

• 

  The Enclave of Escos

  This is is one of the usual map explorers use when they decide to tempt fate and to go out of safe warded zones. The map is fairly recent, and has all the current known Deviants' territories added to make sure not to travel through them.
  

  Honestly, what are we even going to do with a map! It's not like it'll tell us where the Shades are, or where we're going to find some kind of edible food.

  — - A disgruntled hunter.

Included Locations:

• The Lake of Purity

• Final Falls

• Moaning Cliffs

• Fiery Grasslands

• Whispering Desert

• Withermarsh

Type

Wasteland

Included Locations

• The Red Wastes

Escos has no actual leading organisation or official government, hence why most beings no longer call it a country. The few exceptions are usually the Old Blood vampires who were already alive during the few years between magic returning and the Disaster. Local villages rarely need guidance, but there are a few notable organisations, such as:

• The gangs fighting for the control of Karma in the Red Wastes, notably including Bleeding Snowdrop.

• The Pro-Humanity extremists from Victorsville in the Red Wastes.

• Elysium and its Old Blood vampires

• The Harmony town which is one of the most coveted areas in the whole Enclave, despite its peaceful inhabitants.