Dust

Dust (North Africa and Arabia) is split into two nations, the nation of Ib and The Shining Kingdoms. The nation of Ib is a theocracy, with priesthoods ruling the populace. All gods are welcomed but they do favour the deities of Dust (Egyptian gods). The churches here are free of corruption, but due to it being such a religious place, cults have formed, aiming to undo the work of the churches. Though smaller than The Shining Kingdoms, it sees a lot of footfall as people go on pilgrimages to Ib from all over the world.With Dust being one of the cradles of civilization, it's understandable that it would be a popular destination to learn about, with its myths, legends and more.

The Shining Kingdoms on the other hand are sultanates, city states run by nobles with ultimate rule. Each one is different, with personality to it based on its ruler. The divide between the rich and the poor is very noticeable here. Bazaars selling produce and interesting trinkets can be found here, though how useful some things may be during your stay is up for debate. Large towers jut into the sky, with magic and experimentation being much more commonly accepted. Crime here is based much more on who you are, with punishments being dependent on your standing.

There is however one city that has a reputation for being a little less than pleasant, The City of Daggers, a city where the poor rebelled against the sultan, taking the city for themselves and being run by a number of crime lords.

The deserts are home to scorpionfolk, gnolls, snake like individuals, sand worms, thri-keen and other desert indiginous races. Druidic sects may be found too, due to them tending the land.

## I wish...No you don’t!

Dust is ancient, with ruins claimed by the sands, waiting to be rediscovered along with whatever lurks within them. The land is scarred from the results of an ancient war, The Wish War, an event that has made people revere and fear the damage of wanton use of high level magics. Happening back when even the elves were young, Dust used to be a beautiful land ruled by Djinn, genies from each of the elemental plains. The Djinn of Air, the Dao of Earth, the Efreet of Fire and the Marids of Water. It was time of high magics, with these creatures at their most powerful.

The usage of Wishes being granted by these powerful elementals was commonplace, and the natural disagreements of the elementals culminated eventually in war breaking out. Multiple wishes were being cast, warping the fabric of reality at a whim, which had a devastating effect, with reality being ripped apart and rebuilt over and over. The veils between the Prime Material and Somewhere Else became so thin that Things that shouldn’t could come through. It got so bad that the Gods had to intervene, sending champions and even themselves to try and put a stop to it, before all became undone. While this was achieved, it was not without cost, the land becoming heavily scarred and turning to dust.

While it has stopped for some time, with many of the genies of the elements refusing to cast Wish for mortals any longer, there are rumours and prophecies that one day they will reclaim Dust as a battlefield and the Wish War will begin anew, until it consumes all of the world.