Sea of Dust

No one has ever fully mapped or described the wasteland left in the wake of the Rain of Colorless Fire. Those who venture into its depths rarely return, and the few accounts that exist are contradictory or woefully incomplete. Yet, despite its desolation, the Sea of Dust holds the remnants of a once-great empire, long buried beneath its shifting dunes.

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The Landscape

The Sea of Dust stretches westward from the Hellfurnaces, where volcanic ash continually adds to its barren expanse. This gray, powdery ash buries the land, forming vast dunes and concealing whatever remains of the Suel Imperium. Water is scarce, seeping into limestone bedrock, and any exposed sources are fiercely guarded by the few who dwell here. Strange creatures, birthed in the depths of the Hellfurnaces, prowl the wasteland, using hidden gateways beneath the dunes to rise and hunt.

To the north, the wasteland is somewhat less choked with ash, revealing ruined fortresses that once guarded the passes of the Sulhaut Mountains. Further south and west lie the shattered remains of Suloise cities, some still boasting towering, high-angled architecture, a style echoed today by the Sea Princes and the Lendorians.

The central region is the most hostile and alien. Here, the dust is white, caustic, and deadly—it scours flesh, blinds the unprotected, and, when mixed with water, forms a burning lye. Glassy craters, rumored to mark the locations of obliterated Suloise cities, pockmark the landscape, making it nearly impossible to traverse safely.

In the southwest, rainfall is rare but sufficient to sustain nomadic tribes. The soil here, unlike the ashen wastes, is rich and fertile, hinting at the once-prosperous lands of the Suel. Yet even in these less hostile parts, dangers lurk beneath the dust.

Inhabitants and Dangers

Most of the Sea of Dust is uninhabitable, yet life clings to its hidden recesses. Beneath the dunes, tunnels and caverns hold creatures that have adapted to the darkness. Among them lurk boring beetles, bulettes, giant centipedes, derro, myconids, and purple worms. Meenlocks and osquips stalk the deep shadows, while ankhegs and giant rats tunnel unseen just beneath the shifting surface.

To the east, near the Hellfurnaces, fire newts and fire giants claim dominion, while a mysterious short, stocky human people, possibly the Hek of legend, protect themselves from the caustic dust by coating their bodies in foul-smelling wax.

In the southwest, nomadic tribes move between scattered wells, some of which dry up unexpectedly. These tribes are a mix of Suelish descendants and a tall, curly-haired people with blue-black skin, their origins traced to lands far south. Though rich in gems and gold, they value livestock and crops above mere ornamentation.

Among the most fearsome predators of the wastes are massive burrowing worms, exceeding 50 feet in length, and insect-like monstrosities, resembling a cross between a mantis and a centipede, that grow as long as 20 feet. These creatures are drawn to movement and moisture, making them a deadly threat to the unwary.

Mysteries of the Wastes

One of the most remarkable phenomena of the Sea of Dust are the "dustlakes," or Ktosor-hep as the nomads call them. These vast pools—ranging from half a mile to six miles across—are enchanted dust, transformed into a fluid-like state that can support boats and swimmers just as water does. Unlike water, the dust allows air to pass between its grains, making it somewhat breathable with the aid of fine cloth masks. Yet, to dive into these lakes is to risk encountering burrowing monsters, strange fungi, and the abhorrent "osid-mrin,"—a nightmarish race rumored to capture and transform outsiders into their own kind.

The Forgotten City, once the capital of the Suel Imperium, is said to lie somewhere within the wasteland, buried beneath its deadly dunes. Only its tallest onion-domed minarets may protrude above the surface, serving as faint markers for those daring enough to seek its secrets.

Ancient texts also speak of The Null, a portal of immense power hidden deep within the Sea of Dust. A universal gate to all known planes, it is said to be guarded by golems, summoned entities, and enigmatic stone sphinxes, testing the wisdom of those who seek passage.

A Legacy of Destruction

The Sea of Dust is a grim reminder of the hubris of the Suel Imperium. Once a mighty civilization, their empire was brought to ruin by the Baklunish mages, who unleashed the Rain of Colorless Fire in -422 CY. The infernal storm burned the land to ash, obliterating cities, and leaving behind this lifeless desert.

Though its rulers were long ago reduced to dust, the wealth, knowledge, and arcane secrets of the Suel Imperium may yet lie buried beneath the shifting sands—waiting for the bold or the foolish to uncover them.