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 Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 3:32 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 3:36 pm
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, ravaging earthquakes and scorching oceans collectively known as the Splinter destroyed the majority of life on Earth. From the heat and ash, smaller, hardier creatures evolved to repopulate an Earth barren of green life. One creature grew slowly in the shadow of a large mountain range known as the Hearth, claiming the grounds of the range’s active volcano, and declared itself the Sentinel of the Hearth. The Hearth was once a highly active volcano that formed the peak of the mountain range; however, as time progressed the volcano slowed and frequent earthquakes split the volcano into a deep fissure. Now, the Hearth spans north-to-south the majority of the range’s peak and sluggishly oozes molten lava down into the land below. The basin to the west of the Hearth mountain range is known as Hearthside, and is home to the majority of sentinels. A large lake, called the Boiling Lake for its hot, tempestuous waters, is located on the western outskirts of the basin. Hardy but scraggly trees line the banks of the lake, and many smaller prey make their living devouring the quickly spreading grass. The grooves of an ancient riverbed, long made dry by the arid climate of Hearthside, stem from the lake far into the reaches of the Hearth. The northernmost reaches of the Hearth, known as the Northern Cliffs, are divided in half by the river’s path. The air is cooler, although not cold, and gnarled trees decorate the sheer landscape. Prey is rich in the Cliffs, but so are predators, and sentinels are wary to venture too far into the steep and treacherous canyons without a dedicated hunting party. West of the cliffs and northeast of the lake, the land slowly turns to sloping plains and tall grasses, hiding both the roaming herds of giant bulls and hunting cats. To the south of the river’s path through the plains, the scorching, fierce winds strip the earth of all but the sturdiest of plants and animals, leaving the land ragged with exposed rock and low, spreading succulents. The majority of sentinels make their homes throughout the plains, crafting their territories through rock and grass. East of the Hearth, the wind that drives from the south has left the earth desolate, hot, and barren. The desert stretches for as long as the eye can see, and only the lean, devouring shifterbeasts make their way through the endless sandstorms and scarring wind. Only the most vicious and most foolhardy sentinels ever make their way across the Hearth to venture into the Shifting Deserts.
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Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:28 pm
 [ Setting Descriptions ] The Hearth is the collective name for the mountain range that separates Hearthside from the Shifting Deserts, but is also the name for the fissure that splits north of the tallest peak. Nothing lives near the Hearth, but Sentinels will occasionally attempt to brave the mountainside and bring back a token to prove their worth (and foolishness).
Climate: The eastern side is buffeted by the Desert's winds and temperatures can reach upwards of 160 F (70 C), but the western slopes are slightly cooler. Temperatures can exceed 300 F (150 C) when approaching the center of the fissure. Despite the height, no rain falls on the summit for the temperatures are too extreme; rather, clouds will condense and form heavy, heated fogs during the winter months.
Native Life: Supposedly, none to be found except the bones of foolhardy Sentinels.
[ The Boiling Lake ] The Boiling Lake is a massive, once-sulfurous lake to the west of the Hearth. Long ago in its history, it was a much smaller, deadlier lake that consisted of vapourized sulfuric acid and superheated gas that killed all that dared aproach it. After centuries, however, the cooling external temperatures evaporated the majority of the acid, leaving the lake habitable to creatures once more. Presently, sturdy trees and shrubs surround the lake now rich in nutrients. The lake does "boil" in places where gas has continued to accumulate and is unpredictable in its explosions. Many smaller creatures live near the lake and use its water; however, nothing grows in the too-acidic water except for the smallest of microbes.
Climate: Temperatures are the coolest on the shores of the lake, ranging between 80 and 90 F (27 and 32 C) in the summer months. Winds are generally mild, but the air is abrasive with sulfur and poisonous fogs can settle in during the night when the temperatures cool. The Boiling Lake does receives the most rain during the winter and spring.
Native Life: Although nothing of import grows in the lake itself, plenty of thin, mangrove-like trees draw roots into the shores of the Boiling Lake. Small creatures like groundlings, rodents, and hunting birds live in these sparse forests, making it an excellent hunting ground for Sentinels.
[ The Riverpath ] The empty riverbed has long dried up. It once led from the Northern Cliffs to supply the Boiling Lake, but now is merely a landmark to divide the Hunterlands from the Winddroves. The ground is gritty and sand-like and is littered with bones and long dead things. Its winding design makes it home to the largest migratory path of prey and predator every winter and spring.
[ The Hunterlands ] Also known as the northern plains, the Hunterlands stretch from the Riverpath to the borders of the Northern Cliffs. The savanna is moderately flat and features grass as tall as an adult Sentinel and taller trees. Although lacking in water, the mild winds make the Hunterlands excellent territory, if not for the roaming predators that give the plains its name.
Climate: Temperatures are moderate for Hearthside, ranging a steady 95 to 100 F (35 to 38 C) even in winter. It is protected from the wind by the cliffs to the north and the lake to the west. The Hunterlands receive the same amount of rain as the Boiling Lake, but the majority of it sinks deep into the earth.
Native Life: Plenty of roaming flocks of flightless birds and burrowing mammals make their homes in the Hunterlands, and following behind them are large, aggressive hunting cats. Sentinels that live in the Hunterlands learn to fear and avoid the Hunters, lest they become prey themselves.
[ The Winddroves ] Also known as the southern plains, the Winddroves are tundra-like but extremely hot. The wind of the south buffets the land and the eastern cliffside daily, changing speeds at the drop of a hat and lending to extreme temperature shifts in its southernmost reaches. There are plenty of exposed rock outcrops, but little actual cover by way of plants. The ground is instead covered with spreading moss and succulents.
Climate: The Winddroves have polar seasonal weather with drastic temperature shifts from 95 to 115 F (35 to 46 C). The winds are constant and almost always from the south-west, but speeds can vary during the day. There is little to no rain in the winter, as most of it is blown northwards.
Native Life: Most life burrows deep into the earth in the Winddroves. For the creatures that must survive on the surface, the outcrops provide the only shelter against the wind, and so territory battles are constant and vicious. By far the most numerous species is a variant of the lake groundling, with sharper claws and thicker coats, that lives underground in vast tunnel networks. The wind is the alpha predator in these lands.
[ The Northern Cliffs ] The Northern Cliffs extend from the Hearth is great tumultuous sheets. The landscape is sheer and shaky; landslides are common in the bowels of the Northern Cliffs. Although perilous for the inexperienced Sentinel, the Cliffs closest to Hearthside can make a prey-rich and sheltered home. Prey swiftly becomes scarce as one moves closer to the Hearth and the Shifting Desert, however...
Climate: The Cliffs are by far the coolest lands in Hearthside, with temperatures dipping to 75 F (24 F) in the winter; the exceptions are the regions of the Cliffs that border the Hearth and the Shifting Desert, where temperatures can range upwards of 100 F (38 C). Winds at the lower heights are mild, but raging storms in the upper atmosphere can lead to unexpected heated storms. Rain falls consistently in the winter at the highest reaches of the Cliffs.
Native Life: The cliff deer is the dominant prey species, although several smaller mammals also live in the caverns that speckle the cliffside. Tough, thick trees and berry shrubs cling to the landscape. Although the prey is abundant in the western regions of the cliffs, it is extremely dangerous for Sentinels to live unprotected here, for the largest and most dangerous predator, the ambushing harpy, reigns with an iron claw.
[ The Shifting Desert ] Little is known about the desert to the east of the Hearth, other than it is certain death for lost Sentinels. The air is dry and tears the lungs with sand that becomes shrapnel at the hint of a windstorm. No rain falls on the desert, and all life here is subject to the whims of sudden death.
Climate: The Desert is exceedingly hot during the day, ranging upwards of 120 F (49 C) at midday, but can become freezing cold during the night. The winds are extremely dangerous due to their high speeds and their ability to turn sand into shrapnel that will shred a sentinel in minutes.
Native Life: Giant horned scarabs make their home here as well as the Shifterbeasts, large, hulking venomous creatures with armoured skin and dripping teeth. Little plant cover survives the tearing wind and heat. Very few sentinels can truly survive in the Desert.
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