WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0105 0105
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Chapter 5: TRAVERSING THE WASTELANDS
and electrum, though not quite yet. Anyone forging
platinum or electrum into tools and weapons does so
purely out of need. Gold and silver exist but remain in
use more as decoration or coin, given their rarity, value,
and poor strength in comparison to steel objects. Copper
and tin remain abundant, making their alloy bronze a
reliable, common metal used for everything, and reliant
only on a sufficiently stable civilization where it can be
mined, smelted, and forged. In an ever-widening swath
of Khitus, many now lack the infrastructure or materials
to do this. They turn to obsidian, bone, and chitin substitutes for their tools, weapons, and fittings, all easily
gathered and fashioned by the unskilled.
The iron virus’s origins are the subject of much speculation. Most accept that all the world’s iron came from the
body of an ancient iron god; thus, the virus stems from
that god’s demise. Others suggest a change more essentially psionic in nature that perhaps the Dragon Kings
held at bay during their reigns but which runs rampant
in their absence. Regardless of the cause, the cure is at
hand, albeit in an unexpectedly dangerous locale: a remote valley in the depths of the Krikis Hivelands.
Ganshyer, the Black Steel
Ganshyer is a new Khitan alloy of steel and “bright
lode,” a brilliantly reflective metal dug exclusively from
a single immense deposit at the bottom of an unmapped
valley somewhere in the Krikis Hivelands. What little
bright lode exists outside the “bug lands” comes from
the corpses of Krikis warriors or traded willingly by the
few Krikis who know human languages and approach in
the folded-claw gesture of peace.
Alone, bright lode is a brittle metal that is difficult to
work. However, smelting it in combination with steel creates the black metal called ganshyer, which is equivalent
to steel in strength but immune to the iron virus. Ganshyer resists the virus completely even with only a 10 percent
alloy, so even a small amount of bright lode can protect
far larger quantities of vulnerable steel. Those who know
how to create the alloy jealously guard their valuable skills
and the wealth earned through them. The Krikis seem to
have no knowledge of ganshyer, and most humans prefer
they never learn of it. Regardless, the human demand for
bright lode will no doubt make them curious.
As far as anyone knows, the Krikis hold an unwitting
monopoly on bright lode, which drives many efforts
to either wrest control of it from them or initiate diplomatic relations with the strange, alien society. Their
“Megha Stone,” the rich deposit from which all bright
lode is mined, cannot be easily reached by outsiders. No
known non-Krikis has viewed it and lived to tell the tale.
Bright lode and its alloy ganshyer offer a promise of
great wealth, as the most sought-after materials on
Khitus, at present. No city, merchant prince, or caravan
master has yet laid claim as the material’s predominant
concentration. Quiet speculation suggests the first to do
so may come to dominate the entire world.
Persistent Dangers
The rigors of the wastelands chill brave men’s hearts.
Staying alive there demands more than carrying enough
water. Each area and each danger has a unique way of
leaving its marks upon an adventure or encounter.
Dust Wells
Dust wells gather and fill a rut or ditch, making them
appear solid. They are a clear hazard to ground travel.
Shallow wells can twist an ankle or break a leg, whether
man or beast. Deeper wells can submerge victims in an
instant, trapping someone beneath its surface where both
breathing and escape are especially difficult. Dust wells
are among the most dangerous yet common features of
the open wastelands, claiming victims unfamiliar with
the local terrain. Intentionally dug or built dust wells are
very common defenses, gouged out to protect a camp or
well and rarely refilled with solid earth after construction.
Mud Geysers
Moisture hides beneath the surface of the wastelands,
collecting in deep shafts and vents that reach far underground. They are especially common near the Pock and
the Scab. Baked by the relentless Khitan sun above and
the roiling near-surface lava flows below, the resultant
mud eventually boils and unleashes its tremendous energies in the only direction available to it—straight up. Geysers gather energy over time—between a day and a week,
depending on the size of the deposit—before expending
their towering gouts of boiling-hot mud. Some of these
natural geysers are obvious, marked by steaming, bubbling pools and ringed by accumulations of mud and clay.
Some can be dangerously hidden beneath otherwise unremarkable terrain.
Geysers erupt with little or no warning and enough of
a blast to knock a man off his feet or topple a wagon at
the very least. The largest eruptions can spray several
tons of mud over a wide area, enough to bury unwary
man-sized creatures beneath scalding layers of mud.
Far more dangerous than the mud is the heat that
scorches unprotected flesh to the bone. Where there is a
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