:: Random Location—Haf, Desert Settlement ::

The desert offers you nowhere to hide; the sun pounds down upon you without mercy. From a good many miles away, atop a tall mesa, you see the ruins of Haf’s signature henge, marking the burial grounds of the settlement’s most notable leaders. The desert’s dry, brown desert brush began to all look the same to you when suddenly it turns lush, green, and vibrant. Only now do you realize that—besides being terribly hot—the air has now grown steamy. Your mount kicks up less dust as you get closer, and the trail signs are noticeably cleaner.

The path dips downward into a delve that guides you further into the settlement. Just before you lose sight of the horizon, you feel a cool rush of wet air rise up to meet you. Only as you enter the settlement do you begin to hear the roaring waterfall that you were told would be waiting for you inside the rock formation—a cool, welcoming, subterranean oasis. A certain calm settles over you as you ride between the rounded adobe domes, half of which are built into the side of the mesa. Curious owlfolk peek out from their curtained windows—it is not yet night, and your entry is disturbing their sleep.

:: Random Location—Pillars of Qilak ::

Pillars of Qilak

by Wm Jay Carter III, 6/24/15

a seraph

Monument: Henge

Nation: Seraphim

Condition: Wild, Elaborate

Weather: Thunderstorm

Color: Light Brown

Keyword: Awesome

After strapping the pirium-wrapped bracers to your arms you tighten the pirium-toed boots on your feet to ensure they don’t fall off mid-flight. The company of seraphim surround you, caked in the light brown mud significant to their religious rituals. The lead escort gives you the nod to activate the levitation gear. Doing so, you rise with them into the night. Lightning flashes in the distance and the thunder soon follows, cracking and rumbling across the cloudy sky as if in recognition of the seraph who lies dead high above.

The funeral site is composed of a levitating henge of pirium pillars encircling the sacred space, blue electricity infrequently snapping between them. In the center hovers a pirium bier, bearing the body of the slain. All around, the attending seraphim don their pirium circlets, glowing brightly in the night, making the scene feel somewhat like a candle-light vigil in a human cathedral. When all have gathered an elaborate ritual begins, thunder rolling after each plea to the Strangers of Darkness. At last, all seraphim close their eyes and the pirium henge is lit up by a web of blue lightning. When you look again, the body of the deceased is gone.