Dark Lands (WAR Lore)
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The Dark Lands, sometimes known as the Great Skull Lands are a large stretch of land between the World's Edge Mountains and the Mountains of Mourn. East of the comparatively civilised The Old World and west of the Oriental Empire of Cathay, the Dark lands are largely devoid of the settlements that mark the Old World and Cathay. The Dark Lands border the Sea of Dread to the south, but ships rarely stop here, as the coast is wild and dangerous, and there are no established ports. The Dark Lands are inhabited by Beastmen, roving Greenskins - particularly Hobgoblins who have large territories in the Eastern Steppes to the east of the Dark Lands, and the Chaos Dwarf empire which has it's centre at Zharr Naggrund in the north of the region.
Overview
Much of the Dark Lands is a stark place where nature has rent the ground and burst the mountains apart. Amongst the peaks volcanoes spew black smoke into the sky. In the plains the stench of tar pits and oil pools hangs heavily in the air. Steaming lava from beneath the earth's crust covers the ash wastes with a blanket of bubbling magma. As a result it is almost impossible for anything to grow in these harsh and unforgiving conditions, the dim light and polluted air ensure that nothing except for a few thin black thorns can thrive there. The volcanoes and pits bring up all sorts of minerals and gems as well as sulphur, oil and tar - things that the Chaos Dwarfs long for above anything else. The south coast of the Dark Lands is covered in thick forest, the exception the the previous rule, as are the foothills of the World's Edge Mountains and the Mountains of Mourn.
The Plain of Zharrduk
The Chaos Dwarfs inhabit the area of the Dark Lands known as the Plain of Zharrduk and their main city, the monstrous Tower of Zharr-Naggrund, rises up here and can be seen through the thick air for miles around. All around the city, mines have been sunk to allow the Chaos Dwarfs to search for the gems and minerals which they covet so greatly. In the depths of these mines, great steam powered engines were built and powered by the heat of the rocks themselves. The coal dug out is piled into huge mounds and the oil and tar that is drilled out of the ground is stored in huge pools which dot the land. Stone from the mountains is used to make roads to connect all the lands together so that all the riches can flow into the enormous city.
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