A practical handbook with a worn leather cover and sand embedded in its binding. Several pages have been repaired with different paper, suggesting heavy field use.
PREFACE: READ THIS FIRST
If you are holding this book, you are either a scholar studying from the safety of a library, or a fool preparing to enter the Deadlands. For the scholars: I hope this provides useful context. For the fools: may the gods have mercy on you, because the desert will not.
I have crossed the Deadlands seven times. I have lost three companions to its hazards, two fingers to frostbite (yes, frostbite—I’ll explain), and most of my optimism about human resilience. What follows is what I learned. Pay attention.
GEOGRAPHY
The Deadlands stretch east of the Pale Mountains, a vast expanse of desert, scrubland, and twisted rock formations. The land is scarred—literally. Three thousand years ago, this region was a battlefield in the war against Taelkor the Unmaker. Divine fire and void-magic clashed here, and the earth has never recovered.
The terrain includes:
- Cracked hardpan that stretches for miles without feature
- Twisted rock formations, some natural, some… less so
- Patches of scrub brush and thorny vegetation that somehow survive
- Ravines and canyons carved by ancient catastrophe
- Occasional oases (note: not all oases are safe)
Lusteris, the only major city in the region, stands in the northern Deadlands where ancient springs provide water. If you are entering the desert, Lusteris should be your starting point and your refuge if things go wrong.
CLIMATE
The Deadlands will kill you with heat during the day and cold at night. This is not exaggeration.
Daytime temperatures exceed what any reasonable land should experience. The air shimmers. Metal becomes too hot to touch. Exposed skin burns in minutes. Travelers must rest during midday or die of heat exhaustion.
Nighttime temperatures plummet. The desert holds no heat once the sun sets. Without proper shelter and warm clothing, you will freeze. Hence my lost fingers—I underestimated a clear night and paid the price.
Carry water. Carry more water than you think you need. Then carry more.
HAZARDS (NATURAL)
Sandstorms: They appear with little warning. Visibility drops to nothing. Sand fills your lungs, your eyes, your equipment. Shelter immediately or die.
Flash floods: When rain falls in the distant mountains, water races through dry ravines with devastating force. A clear canyon can become a death trap in minutes.
Predators: Giant scorpions, sand serpents, and worse hunt the desert. Travel in groups. Post watches. Do not assume anything is dead until you’ve checked twice.
Dehydration and heat exhaustion: The most common killers. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already in danger. Drink regularly even when you don’t want to.
HAZARDS (UNNATURAL)
The Deadlands remember what happened here.
In certain places, reality is… thin. Travelers report visions of ancient battles, whispered voices promising power, and patches of ground where magic behaves unpredictably. Avoid these areas if possible. If not possible, move through quickly and do not engage with anything you see or hear.
There are ruins in the deep desert. Do not explore them alone. Some are merely old; others are actively dangerous.
The local population—those few who live outside Lusteris—do not discuss certain things with outsiders. If they warn you away from an area, listen.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
- Travel at dawn and dusk. Rest during midday heat and midnight cold.
- Hire a guide in Lusteris. Yes, they’re expensive. You cannot afford not to.
- Bring multiple water containers. If one breaks, you need backups.
- Light-colored, loose clothing reflects heat. Dark, tight clothing kills.
- Learn to read the sky. Dust on the horizon means a storm is coming.
- If you become lost, stay put. Moving randomly wastes water and energy.
- Trust nothing that seems too good—oases, shelters, friendly strangers.
FINAL WORDS
The Deadlands are not a place for casual travel. They exist because gods fought here, and the land still bears those wounds. Respect that. Prepare thoroughly. Move carefully. And if the desert decides to claim you despite your preparations, at least you’ll know you did everything you could.
Good luck. You’ll need it.
—Compiled by Maren Dustveil, Desert Guide (Retired), Year 1253