Connects to: 04.05, 05.04, 06.06, 07.04 and 08.03.
Rocky fractured terrain emerges from the alluvial silt to the southwest, and extends to the rocky tor where the Castle of the Poor Brothers (07.04) lies. These badlands have no road, no proper name, and few visitors. The elves call them “where the beetles dwell.” Most of the species encountered here are giant stag beetles which grow up to 4 feet long; these Abdul, proprietor of the Glass River Winery (05.04), includes on his menu as a delicacy when the opportunity arises. Properly spiced they taste vaguely of pheasant. However, the stag beetle population is threatened by a species of parasitical fire beetle which eat the stag beetle’s young. During a recent outing one of Abdul’s men – Dag the Scarred – fell into the fire beetle tunnels; though severely burned he claims to have seen a massive cache of buried gold before being rescued. Most dismiss it as the ravings of a man with fire beetle poison in his veins.
Besides Abdul’s men and the occasional elven scout, the only one to visit the badlands is Lady Lativa Delasar (07.04). Though she claims to visit the place her first husband died, it is no secret that when she travels to the badlands thunder shakes the earth and lightning storms wrack the tor on which her home lies. She always enters the badlands with only a mute bodyguard and a drunkard carriage driver; inquisitive travellers might learn from the carriage driver that she brings a chest of spell components out to the badlands when she goes. No one knows what goes on there, and few want to.
There are occasional sightings of firebirds (04.05) dancing over the badlands on springs nights. Sages conjecture that it is some kind of mating ritual, and the firebirds feed on the beetles to sustain their energy during the aerial courtship dances.
Connections:
- The fire beetles were purposely introduced by Dagmar (06.06).
- Ogwyn Egglurs (08.03) has bred homonculi from the beetles of the badlands and has even taken one has his wife.
Hooks:
- What is Lady Delasar up to? Is she waking the dead? Are the thunderstorms in fact linked to her magic-working?
- Is there really gold buried in the fire beetle tunnels, or is it something organic that just resembles gold from a distance?
- What draws firebirds from their verdant pool to the badlands?
