Infernal Expanse
Basic Knowledge of the Expanse
Not a whole lot is known about the Expanse, as no one has been able to get passed a certain point. Some believe that deep into the expanse lies a lush wonderland full of massive creatures and rich in natural resources. They have come to call the "Oasis" Elysium, but no concrete proof of its existence has ever been found. The Dwarven Artificer clan known as the Tainted Immortals have settled most of the southeastern parts of the continent it lies on, only being able to kiss the base of the Expanse with civilization. Many, many civilizations have come before the Immortals, but all have met an untimely death in a very short period of time, most of which leaving no evidence of their existence. Over the course of 300 years the clan has done fairly well in the area, making use of sister cities in the southeast, to move materials out of the city and to bring in more water. They have also done extensive research of the area and have a vast knowledge of the past civilizations that lived here, and the kinds of flora and fauna you will find in the area. They are the only ones to find anything that even hints at Elysium, and even they have been unable to pass the horrible challenges the Expanse presents. Because of the need to traverse massive areas of desert, the Locals learned to tame local beasts that they call, Sand Striders. Long legged beasts that resemble a cross between a camel and an Emu, with large, "natural saddle", humps that hold large amounts of water they collect from local cacti. The Sand Striders are able to reach speeds of up to 50 miles an hour, and some of the large ones can carry more then one person at a time. But even these fantastic beasts are not enough to traverse the entire expanse. As far as the Tainted Immortals can tell, nothing is able to make it further than the Hellish Steppes. These twin dunes are hundreds of feet tall, getting steeper towards the top. As you ascend, the weight of anything walking up the dunes, seams to trigger some sort of sand avalanche and non of the Immortal's scientists have been able to figure out why. All attempts to climb the dunes has resulted in the loss of most of parties involved seaming to be swallowed by the hills themselves, never to be recovered. The attempts to go around the dunes has proved to be all but useless finding there to be massive, miles wide, and seamless bottomless canyons flanking the dunes. A handful of attempts have been made to climb down the canyon walls, but none of these parties have returned. There are members at the head of the clan that are convinced this is the work of magic, that Elysium does in fact exist, and the dunes are the entrance. East of the Hellish Steppes, is the Littered Wastelands. They, in conjunction with the Steppes, form an impassable wall splitting the expanse in half. In the wastelands, are more massive, seemingly bottomless canyons. Crisscrossing for hundreds if not thousands of miles off into the distance. The average canyon in the wastelands is 3 miles wide, so all attempts to bridge across have been all but halted, causing the Immortals to focus their efforts on air travel. For now the crafty artificers still are unable to fly, but have started to develop vehicles in order to traverse the dunes in a more effective way. Both the Hellish Steppes and the Littered Wastelands have claimed many lives in the region, however, equal to blame is the strong sand storms and terrifying predators that also roam.Geography
Thousands of miles of massive sand dunes, sandstone mountains, and scattered sections with large cracks and crevices miles wide. The harsh terrain has been sculpted over the course of millions of years, first by the massive ocean that was once here, and then by the harsh winds that have plagued the land for centuries. Massive skeletons of prehistoric creatures can be found scattered throughout the landscape. Some say the Expanse is the final resting place of the Titans that shaped Kleallelas, pointing to these skeletons as proof. No full skeleton has been found, but one of the specimens has been turned into an outpost for the dwarven people as a haven for the mine workers.
Even though much of the Expanse is wasteland on the surface, underneath the ground lies mass amounts of all sorts of ores and minerals. The Immortals have found ways to craft powerful machinery using ultra lightweight steel like material called, Staisium. (see natural resources for more)
Ecosystem
Most of the time the Expanse is covered in a thin cloud of sand and debris. Winds whip through the valleys of dunes and rocks creating vicious whirlpools of air that can throw even the heaviest of adventurers into pits or off dunes. The air is extremely dry and hot, making it hard to breath without the proper equipment.
In the deep sands, massive sandworms roam around eating just about anything they can find from plants to dwarves. (See Flora and Fauna for more) Most of the deep sands is void of any plant life, but there are a few species that thrive in these conditions getting their water from deep in the earth, and cycling nitrogen from the air into a deadly, but quite useful gas they release back into the air. The last thing to worry about in the deep sands, is the massive sinkholes that form seemingly at random. These holes can swallow entire travel parties in seconds and then all but vanish.
In the shallow sands you will find lots of cacti, carnivorous vine plants, sand striders, and sand crocks. The crocks being the most dangerous, can live for up to 7 months with only one single meal, but will happily eat anything they find including but not limited to, mine workers, wandering adventurers, and sand striders. The sand striders on the other hand, while needing more food, can easily find everything they need by sifting through the sand and eating the bugs and critters inside. They also love to extract water from inside the cacti they find along the way. Both species steer clear of the Vine plants, but have been known to wander to far and fall pray to the unnatural things are the vine plants. These living creature plant hybrids can live for years without eating. They grow massive vine through the desert dunes seeking water from deep underground. Anything that crosses one of these vines triggers the response of the plant which injects the target with a nasty venom causing it to pass out and inch closer to death. After the target is knocked out the Vines will start pulling the target through the sand to the bulb in the middle of the plant, where it ingests its prey and slowly dissolves it over time. No one is certain how long a creature will take to dissolve, but some Immortal scientists have estimated that the plant will dissolve the entire creature over the course of a few months. rendering the rest of the vines "inactive".
The wastelands hold no signs of life other than a few desert plants scattered around on the various "islands" in between the caverns, and the few species of birds that live on the flowers and waters of said plants.
And finally the mesa mountains and low drylands, this is the most abundant life in the expanse. The tall mountains house rich thick desert trees, many birds, lizards, beasts, and most of the Tekar Empire. Many deposits of fresh water, lots of minerals, and plenty of animals to use as livestock such as colossal Armadillo like creatures known locally as Stone Mammoths! The area was starting to dwindle to nothingness when the Immortals started to settle. They noticed that over the years natural springs had started to get plugged from the crumbling rocks around. After releasing a few of these springs, the area boomed with life once again! Fauna from around the area began coming back and creating a strong ecosystem the likes the area hadn't seen in thousands of years.
Ecosystem Cycles
Most of the expanse sees nothing but hot and airid temps never cooling down, however, much of the southeastern region of the area, does cool down slightly during the winter months. During the winter you can expect to see large flocks of foreign birds from colder regions trying to catch some warmth. Some of the more temperature sensitive creatures will lay down for a nap during this time as well. Including many of the lizards who require the hot temps of the rest of the year to keep them alive.
Fauna & Flora
Trap Worms
The Trap Worms are easily one of the most deadly creatures in the Expanse. 4 rows of razer sharp teeth, with the adults growing to 40ft in length. The trap worms can survive 9 months without food and and for the most part they only live that long anyway, but they breed and tunnel around just kind of existing. A lot like June bugs and mosquitos. They don't add anything to the ecosystem but instead are huge pests. When they do find food, the trap worm will circle the creature creating whirlpool of loose sand that sweeps creatures off their feet, allowing the worms to swoop in for the kill. Their favorite food is sand striders.Sand Striders
Sand striders are interesting creatures. Resembling a cross between a camel and an emu, sand striders are fast beasts that are essential to everyday life in the expanse. They feed on the flowers of the cactus plants and the water inside, these animals are able to go 6 months with just the water stored inside the humps on their back. Their long legs allow for quick travel in the loose sands, capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 miles an hour. Their wings don't allow for flight, but instead allow them to climb the steep dunes easier with sharp talons adorning each wing. Sand striders are not hostile, and are used as a horse substitute in the deep and shallow sands. Sometimes packs of 3 are used to pull large sleds of materials and goods to and from the city. The striders don't do great on terrain that isn't sandy.Roamer
These massive rock creatures roam the deep sands often looking deposits of a mineral found in the dunes. For some unknown reason, they have been known to become aggressive when approached. The dwarves have studied them for years trying to get a glimpse of one of the deposits. None have been found. The only evidence that even suggests it to be true are the tiny flakes of it left in the creatures excrement. One smith found that a knife he coated in the flakes, was sharper then any material they have pulled from the rocks in the mines. No one knows how long they live, but it seems they don't need to eat for many years at a time. The problem with studying them is they frequent the deep sands, and getting anywhere near them is impossible. As far as the dwarves can tell, the mineral deposits are hundreds of feet beneath the dunes.Grave Mite
Giant, terrifying, ant like creatures, with massive mandibles. They inject venom into their victim, then carry them back to the nest. In the nest the grave mites slowly eat away pieces of the flesh and plant eggs inside. This feeds the creatures and gives them strength to continue laying eggs. Their entire existence is to lay their eggs and die. They are able to smell a host from more then 10 miles away, and are incredibly aggressive. The bigger the host, the larger the amount of offspring the creature will create. Solo creatures, they don't need a mate as they are asexual. The grave mite is able to produce anywhere from fifty to one hundred offspring from a single host, and will easily take five to six hosts in its lifetime. The offspring only take a short amount of time to develop before they are dangerous, sometimes using their own brothers and sisters as their first host.Stone Mammoth
Stone Mammoths are large, grizzly bear sized, armadillo like creatures. The shell on their back is rough, resembling mountain stone, and protects their soft bellies from not only the elements, but also predators. When not rolled up, stone mammoths spend a lot of time digging the sand for bugs to eat, but can easily roll up at a moments notice. The locals have found ways of training the creatures to roll up on command, and use them for both travel and cargo transportation. When rolling the stone mammoths can reach upwards of 30 miles per hour even with a full cart of ingots. Unfortunately, they lose all forward momentum when trying to navigate the loose sands of the deep deserts, so they are mostly used for short cargo runs. Stone mammoths can also be used for food and dairy products. The meat is tender and milk produced is slightly sweet. Most of the products produced from these gentle beasts is used for special occasions. They are not consumed on a regular basis, as to not dwindle down the population.History
The history before the Immortals is unknown. Things have been speculated and the city scientist have done their best to piece together the past, but nothing is concrete. The only thing that is for sure, is that millions of years ago these valleys and canyons were filled with water. This is evident in the way the dunes were made, and the erosion that is evident even after all this time on the rocks.
As for after they got here, the clan has done quite a bit in the 300 years they have inhabited the area. Most in charge today are fifth generation and have no memory of anything that came before. The memories they do have is their fathers and grand fathers building these cities with their bare hands, the oldest of which being, Voldarohm. Voldarohm, founded by the five forefathers of the Immortals, known as the great ones, has been a staple on the continent for longer than almost everything. The tomes of old describe the great ones traveling from the southwestern area of the continent up to the Expanse in hopes of finding a fabled city of gold and eternal life. Elysium. When they traveled north through the Expanse, they noticed the air was thicker and the sand was getting deeper. The journey was rough just from the conditions, but the wildlife made it worse! In the midst of travel, the great ones were attacked by a juvenile sandworm and were almost killed in the process. One of the brothers begged and pleaded with his god to spare their life. In a flash of bright light, Orus, The god of Life and death appeared! Orus asked the brothers why they should be spared, and without hesitation the oldest brother says, "For we are destined for greatness. Feels such a waste to let that go!" Orus laughed and thunder boomed overhead. Rain clouds formed as the god started laughing uncontrollably, keeling over from the laughter. Then a strange snort came from his nose and the sky opened up with rain! Pouring on the now battle torn dwarves. They were able to use the water from the rain to pack in a shelter in the sand. It wasn't the safest thing from the worms, but it was a huge help from the elements. Orus had given them a second chance at life simply because they were able to make him laugh. All he asked in return, was to be welcomed back into their lives when the time was right. The great ones agreed!
After the rain that day the dwarves started working on making the area livable. Orus informed them that below this spot, was a massive limestone cavern filled with water and resources. Sure enough, as they dug down they found the cavern and started working. Mixing sand with water, and the extreme temperature, the great ones were able to craft buildings from sand bricks. Inside the caverns they discovered a cave plant that grew in basically total darkness and was just as hardy as any meat they've eaten in the past. But as soon as this plant gets exposed to to much sun, it bursts into flames. They were able to use "Boom-Shrooms", as they called it, to create fire to survive the freezing cold nights, and started building forges. Before they knew it 30 years had passed and with the dwarves they recruited and saved from around the realm, Voldarohm was a buzzing mining city! Living for so long in the horrible wasteland that was thought to be the Expanse, the Elf king of the Northwestern part of the continent, dubbed them the Tainted Immortals! Naming them so because the only way they could have survived in this environment, would be to make a deal with the death bringer himself!
In time, Orus came back to the great ones explaining to each one it was their time, and that they must accept his embrace. All of them did so willingly joining Orus in the great beyond, where they are said to be treated like kings! It has long been believed that Orus still brings the dwarven people into the great beyond, although no one has seen him for over 200 years. Modern ceremonies commence in a large way with a huge death party, before being buried in the spot where Orus saved the great ones. Days later, the body is gone, and they have traveled to afterlife. Or so most believe. Others, who are not to keen on the idea of Gods, believe the bodies are just being eaten by the Sandworms of the area. Either way it is a ceremony the whole city can enjoy to remember their fallen brethren.
Today the dwarves control the entire upper region of the continent, exporting expert weapons, rare materials, and even organic materials from some of the local beasts. One such organic material is an immensely strong and delicious ale made from a local insect. Sweet Fly Ale, named so after the Sweet fly, has been brewed for over two centuries in the mesa area of the Expanse. Sweet Fly breweries often breed the insects in house, causing the brewery to take on a more greenhouse structure then a traditional brewery. As delicious and lucrative the brewery business is, the dwarves really make their money selling armaments and technologies. They have become adept at building machines and forming raw materials into beautiful works of war art. Most blacksmiths across the entire expanse will tell you that no one makes better gear then they do, weather that is true is up for debate. One thing that is for sure, is it all the gear that comes from the expanse, is leaps and bounds better then almost anything you can find in all of Kleallelas! The current dwarf king has been making advances towards flight steadily over the last decade or so, getting closer and closer every day with each design. Already in his reign he has quadrupled the amount of ground one dwarf can make in a single trip thanks to the Dune Gliders he invented. He was also able to expand the water infrastructure with a tiny bit of magic and a lot of ingenuity, creating expansive pipe networks buried deep bellow the sand. Tekar Stonebeard is not only extremely smart, but still has all the dwarven strength and blacksmithing skills you could ask for!
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Desert
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