Amatl Dreadwastes

Generally described as a mixture between an arid rocky region and a vast expansive desert, the Amatl Dreadwastes are home to many creatures, big or small. From the numbers of savage Wildkin that patrol the wastes, the mighty Mokobeasts that prowled in the arid plains, and even the great salt-snakes that stalk the golden desert sands beyond. To protect from the dangers of the hostile region, tribes of **Endless Spears** have patrolled the area for time immemorial as they hunt, cull, and repel any incursions of the creatures into the Venswood. That isn’t to say the other **races of the Vens** were not present, as some small towns of hardy **Cuthail** and **Hjen** had set up in some of the only passages to and from this hostile border region. Not to mention the **Kihai** attuned to the arid-flora that could be found in the red rock canyons, mesas or rare oasis.

## Geography

### The Toba Expanse

The Toba Expanse, incredibly flat stretches of patchy grass and the occasional clump of sparse trees that run along a length of the Vennsboarder. As it stretches to the Venswood, it gradually becomes more hilly and with vast seas of dry amber grass. If you know where to start looking, countless small animals and creatures make this place a vibrant ecosystem that encourages only those fastest to escape predators and catch prey to survive. Some say this is where the Spears first found the horses that they were known for.

Some of the greatest threats of this seemingly empty region are the Mokobeasts; hulking monsters, reptilian in nature, that tower over nearly every other species. That isn’t to say they are all predators, many of them feast on the sparse vegetation and insects relying on only thick hides or wicked spines to ward off hunters. These however are still preyed upon by the plains’ apex predators, such as the brutish Tirani which has a roar to shake the grounds for miles around. Towards the Vens proper, the Toba Expanse starts to become incredibly hilly or even Mountainous in regions, leading into the **Kwaungmo** and the **Abiral Range**. These highlands and mountains are suspected to be suffocating the entirety of the Amatl Dreadwastes of the bountiful moisture beyond.

### The Boneyards

The Boneyards rest between the Toba Expanse and the Amatl Badlands, not a true border but consistent enough that a traveler should expect to find them. The first sign you're entering the lands will be as the plains slope downwards below sea level before the land itself splits apart to reveal dry craggy fissures cross crossing just below the dusty surface. The craggy, sand blasted rock faces and canyons have frequently been the final resting place of many a lost hunter.

Famous for its red sandstone and hardened colourful clay vistas which can mimic at times the swirling of ocean waves, they seem to stretch on for an eternity. One valley can lead into a canyon which leads into a passageway, that leads into another canyon until you are horribly lost in the twists of the Boneyards. Lost Spear Hunters are not the only bones littering the sandstone floors, as great beasts of yore are often found fossilized in the sides of rock walls and jutting down out of the ceilings of caves.

Wildkin hordes are said to wander the endless halls of these red rock mazes, congregated around springs and hidden spots of nature where easy game can be found. Though even they stick to their known paths, passed down from generation to generation. Many attempts were made to map the region, though only the immediate area around many Spear villages were known for certain. It is unknown what mysteries lay deeper within the Boneyards, and how many passages led out to the Toba Expanse or out to the golden sands of the desert beyond.

### The Badlands

Beyond the Toba Expanse, past the Boneyards, are the true Dreadwastes. The Amatl Badlands, the truly endless desert that was universally known to be uncrossable. Golden sand as far as the eye could see, piled in great dunes as the ever present wind swept the landscape and changed it slowly, subtly. So that year by year, the location of dunes would shift and change. Nowhere is time’s mark seen more than in the dunes of the Amatl Badlands, as the creatures that call this place their home are forced to adapt with the shifting of the dunes.

Sometimes when one digs at the lowest point of the sand dunes, they can find large deposits of salt and even, if one is lucky enough, the presence of dampness. Salt-snakes are predators by nature, and seek out any form of life on the surface as they tunnel into the sand. Attracted to vibrations by crawling, jumping, and most importantly footsteps.

Wildkin hordes are often found traveling the desert as well. Here they live in extended family units and travel from one watering hole to the next. It is only when an oasis dries up, even if only temporarily, that they unite together into what could be traditionally called a “horde” and attempt to strike into Spear territory. The rule of surviving out in the Badlands is simple, keep your waterskin close and if you do get into a fight, finish it with the least energy possible. Every useless movement is a drop of water wasted.

## Inhabitants

The people of the Dreadwastes are a diverse bunch, reflecting the regions of the lands they call home. Differing tribes of Endless Spears inhabit all of them, though the Badlands’ Spears only live at the very edge of it. Oftentimes, the tribes of the Expanse migrate with the prey, as game clears in one area they move on to the next. Many Spear villages in the Boneyards sit at the crossroads of passageways and trails, usually with a straight path leading out of the region.

Some Kihai set off on a pilgrimages from the Expanse to the Boneyards and back, attuning to the plants they find along the way and bringing cuttings back to nurture at home. At their Oases they are fiercely protective, as the loss of the Oasis means the loss of all the plants for which they care.

Plenty of Hjen have settled in the lands of the Toba Expanse, although some groups prefer to travel from place to place, divining the Weave in the ever rarer clouds, stopping at the Oases for celebrations and to stock up on valuable water. The Hjen of the Dreadwastes use thinner lines for their tattoos with less variety in colour, with those closer to the Badlands foregoing tattoos entirely and using scars instead.

Most Cuthail living in the Dreadwastes stick to the Toba Expanse, although some have set up their burrows in the more frequently visited passages of the Boneyards, where trade keeps their hearths burning and hardy vegetables keep their bellies full.