Mearedes is the guardian of the island of
Shault. She is a weather beaten human of 60 who enjoys
the physical condition and health of someone half her
age. She understands how precious Shault is, and she has
spent her life nurturing the isle. The island was slowly
dying before she came to it; now it is strong and green
again. Mearedes is a friend to the giants of the island,
who are happy to help her in her task. If anyone threatens
her, dozens of giants leap to her defense. They call her
“little grandmother” and treat her like a member of their
clan.
The Isle of Shault lies east of Lake Island, far out in the Sea of Silt. Frequently hidden by blowing dust and virtually inaccessible by silt skimmer, Shault holds a secret: a thriving lowland forest. Except for a range of small mountains along the southern edge, the entire island is thickly forested with bizarre, exotic, and sometimes dangerous trees, the likes of which have been forgotten by the rest of Athas. Shault's fertility stems partially from its geography (the forest is protected on three sides by tall cliffs that block the searing winds from the silt, and numerous springs feed up from below the surface) and partially from the primal magic of the half-giant druid Mearedes, who protects the island. If visitors can persuade Mearedes that they mean no harm, she and her three apprentices tolerate the intruders. However, the druids' hospitality comes at a price. The halfgiant is determined to ensure that knowledge of Shault's existence and location does not spread, lest unscrupulous types plunder the island. She insists that all visitors be subject to a ritual that compels them never to speak of the isle. Mearedes and her apprentices attack all who refuse, with full intent to kill; she does not revel in violence, but she considers the preservation of Shault more important than any individual life. In addition to her apprentices, Mearedes can call on some forty giants of varying kinds at need, all of them fiercely loyal to the druid. In the heart of Shault's jungle, far from Mearedes and the homesteads of the giants, an ancient city has been ravaged by the march of time. The press of the jungle has torn down chunks of the walls and collapsed buildings as the greenery grows over the stone. Neither Mearedes nor the giants of Shault know who built the city or why; the murals and carvings that survive display script in an unknown language. Since the island receives few visitors and the druids avoid the ruins, its vaults and tombs remain undisturbed. Mearedes doesn't mind if adventurers explore the city – assuming that they prove cooperative enough for her to tolerate their presence at all – but she warns them that dangerous beasts lair within the ruins.