The Araen Wastes
Long ago, in the time of the first Keepers, the Araen Wastes were home to the vast empire of Ara. But time and darkness sowed chaos across all lands. By the time the Dreamers were defeated, Ara had been turned from a verdant land into a barren desert. Now, millennia later, the Araen Wastes provide a barrier between the western ikayal nation and the human land of Axu.
Across the Dunes
The Araen Wastes occupy the heart of the southern continent. They stretch from north to south coasts, though their intense heat lessens near the sea. To the east are the ikayal cities of Liyru and others; to the west is the human nation of Axu. In the southeast of the desert, the Wastes come up against the Westerwoods, where the climate changes drastically. The land is flat, although there are large rock formations most often found where the cities once stood. Water is scarce, mostly found in oases or ruins where the Sunborn once lived.Notable Locations
Nox's Spears
These gigantic rock formations may be older than the desert itself. Rumoured to be made by stars that fell to defend Nox, the Silent Duskfall Wolf, these pillars are really frozen impact points - stone crystallised and ruptured by heavenly forces. They tower up to the clouds and repel any creatures of the Midnight through the latent power at their cores. In ages long gone, those whose will transcended simple desires would travel here, hoping to pass through the barrier and catch a glimpse of the Great Wolf.The Old Craters
Main article: The Skyward Vaults
The floating cities of Ara were suspended by great feats of magic. But as the empire fell, so did its settlements - though not stars, they too crashed into the earth. Over time, the buildings and walls of these cities collapsed, exposing the giant crystals that kept them afloat. Most of the other valuables in the craters have been looted, but the gems remain - their broken enchantments interact with the strange magic of the Wastes, creating poisonous magical radiation that can easily kill the unprepared. However, some desert folk believe that the biggest crater, created by the capital city, was intentionally made - that they used it as a seal for some sort of great evil.Other Information
Ecosystem
During the day, as with most deserts, the Araen Wastes are incredibly hot and arid. What few animals and plants there are hidden away during this time. At night, the temperature drops sharply, allowing for life to flourish. Aside from the weather, there are also currents of wyr which travel between cities, causing wyrbeasts to be born along these paths. All the animals in the Wastes are pale-coloured, even the now-extinct Sunborn.
Most animals live around the oases of old Ara, or within the rock formations of the old cities. These massive, windswept pillars and barriers provide shelter from both sun and wind. Some animals have evolved to be able to make their own tunnels through the rock, thus making many of these formations dangerously unstable.
Localized Phenomena
Due to its high concentrations of copper and okai, the Araen Wastes have a uniquely muddled magical atmosphere. Many places are so charged with wyr that it can trigger involuntary casting, while others are almost bare of it. Any items infused with sky or ocean runes must be kept away from wyr hotspots - it is too easy for them to trigger sandstorms or downpours.
Natural Resources
Perhaps the greatest resource of Ara was its massive biodiversity. Many of the plants grown in the Gardens were unique to the area, and few were saved from destruction as the empire descended into anarchy. The intrepid few who venture into the Wastes often look for this. The Sunborn also had access to large amounts of okai, copper and quicksilver. As copper amplifies wyr, okai absorbs wyr and quicksilver is rumoured to be aligned with the stars (this is a deadly untruth), almost every nation in Wyral would love to control the region
History
Ara is one of the oldest nations in history. Its citizens were a race of ikayal who have been lost to time, known as the Sunborn. These ikayal, from their inscriptions and art, had leonine features and even prehensile tails, speaking to their forested environments. In those days, the Westerwoods extended for much further than today, around a hundred miles into the desert. Ara was also known for the Gardens of the Oasis, mentioned in several other cultures. This collection of rare plants and animals thrived in the tropical climate and was considered to have wyr-focusing properties.
This peace did not last. When the Dreamers rose on the northern continent, Ara became a place of solace and protection. But not even this great empire could last against the Dreamers. Then, in 1323 B.E, Telum Starspeaker found a Great Stone in a tomb beneath the Gardens. With this, he and the other Keepers fought back against the Dreamers. But the power of the Stones and Dreamers was so great that much of Ara was rendered barren. After the war, Ara descended into anarchy. The Gardens withered from lack of maintenance, and over the millennia, the entire civilisation was consumed.
Tourism
Very few people visit the Araen Wastes. The ikayal consider it haunted, while the Axuan people view it as a necessary barrier between Axu and Liyru. Those who do explore it usually hope to find the lost temple of Nox, or discover the ancient resting place of the Diamond Snake and gain one of her glittering scales. Some search for wondrous flora to cultivate at home. If they travel far enough, they might take shelter in the border strongholds of Ara. But these places are no longer home to the sapient races, and after the wyrbeasts which once attacked the Westerwoods, few dare to step within the ruins.
Type
Desert
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Inhabiting Species
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