February 11, 2011

Zone: Barren Valley

New zone added to the SB: Planet Desia page!


Barren Valley

Sandwiched on three sides by lush forests, the Barren Valley is a peninsula of desolation jutting out into a sea of life. Like its neighbor, the Searing Sands, the Barren Valley has difficulty supporting basic life. This hasn't stopped the Dredgers from making it their home, however; directly beneath the center of the valley lies Ooreahi, one of the largest Dredger cities ever built. Its vast underground network of tunnels sprawls for miles, and the Dredgers have managed to cultivate vast fields of bio-luminescent fungi that dwell far underground, providing an endless supply of food and light.

The Barren Valley has seen a relatively conflict-free past; it has little to offer in terms of resources, and the extreme temperatures at the surface are nearly unbearable to endure. However, the Berskerkers find this type of region quite appealing because of its danger. And once the Stonefangs took over Mount Arua, the Berserkers simply couldn't stay away. They had to get in on the action. A bastion of a few hundred berserkers migrated to the Barren Valley over the past half-century to show off their prowess in fighting against the Stonefangs around Dianttua. It is said that whichever Berserker can manage to get into the hollowed-out mountain and come out alive will have eternal glory. No one has succeeded as of yet.

While the Ascendants from the region were grateful for the Berserkers' help, the Berserkers weren't interested in politics; they simply wanted to fight things, and the endless legion of Stonefangs provided the perfect opportunity. The campfires marking the Berserkers' temporary settlements dot the northern region of the Barren Valley to this day, for it seems that as long as the Stonefangs are holed up in Dianttua, the Berserkers will be close by, engaging them in bloody combat.

Some of the Berserkers have had difficulty staying focused, however, because a new temptation has arisen just to the south. As the Progeny was falling out of orbit, pieces of debris (or perhaps escape pods) plummeted to the Barren Valley like a steel hailstorm, decimating whatever they impacted. The shock waves from the impacts caused Taluiq Mountain, the largest mountain in the zone and a previously dormant volcano, to burst open and spew lava all over the southern portion of the region. This has caused a split in the Berserker tribe, as many of the more insane individuals have been coaxed to go for a swim in the newly-created lava pools.

The lava flows pervading the zone have caused untold damage to the Dredger city of Ooreahi, and the rumbling from the debris has caused much of their infrastructure to collapse. It seems that several thousand Dredgers may be trapped below with no clear means of escape. One thing is certain; this once peaceful desert has become a literal hotbed of dangerous activity. Tread with caution.

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