Betumi Cruft (bae-TOO-MEE KR-uft)

Demographics

Very few people currently live in Betumi Cruft. It's mostly researchers and their families.

Defences

The main defense of the ruins is its remoteness. It is very far into the east of the Fair Dunes and takes many weeks of journeying via Sadi to reach it from Deefin Gate. There is also a natural bowl of rock that creates an shelf around most of the ruins, protecting them from the worst of the sandstorms.

Infrastructure

"There's nothing quite like stumbling across those great, sharp monoliths that make up the ruins of Betumi Cruft. I could spend the rest of my life investigating those ruins." --Retired Explorer Max Jamison

There are lots of buildings above ground which appear to be made of stone, steel, and glass, though much of the glass has blown out. There is also a series of underground tunnels that connect the buildings together. There is a small cistern that captures water from the seasonal ephemeral streams nearby that is the main natural water source for the people living in the ruins. They have also put up water catchers along the sides of the surface buildings since the air has a higher relative humidity than elsewhere in the Fair Dunes. Researchers suspect there is a large body of water somewhere nearby to the east of the Ruins.

History

The ruins of Betumi Cruft were recently discovered. While at first only researchers were interested in studying the ruins, the population has started to grow. Researchers discovered that some of these buildings appear to have climate control systems that regulate the internal temperature and moisture of the building. While they are still trying to understand how the technology works, optimists believe it could be key for Numab to live predominantly on the surface again. A faction that believes the ruin's technology holds the key to advancing the Numab living standards have dedicated their time, resources, and talent to unraveling the mysteries of the ruins. They have also attracted more and more like-minded individuals to make the journey out to the ruins to join the efforts. However, there are others who believe that this would soften the Numab and lead to the loss of the lessons they've learned to survive the Wastes and break away from Piromere.

Geography

The ruins sit in a natural depression that is protected along the western edge by a bowl-like outcropping of rock. This rock protects the ruins from the raging sandstorms that have a tendency to pick up in the surrounding area. It also seems to capture a little pocket of increased relative humidity, which makes it easier for water catchers to pull the excess moisture out of the air for drinking water to support the growing population. While no one has yet found a large body of water, one is hypothesized to be to the east of the ruins, deeper into the Fair Dunes.

Natural Resources

There aren't many natural resources in the area. However, there is some plant life that grows along the surface and the sand in the surrounding dunes are full of metals and minerals that make for exciting glass blowing. This has attracted a small group of Arglissima who are working to refit the ruins with glass windows tinted to reduce the harshness of sunlight during the day.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
Fall of Chog

Location under

The Fair Dunes