The Western Hinterlands

“You are not clutch. You are not pack. You are not kreen. And you are not welcome.”
—Klut Takcha, Jhol-kreen huntmaster

Beyond the Ringing Mountains and the Forest Ridge, an unexplored region of flat plains seems to go on forever. This area, the Western Hinterlands, has no cities, no known villages, and few ruins or ancient sites—only a handful of shy and suspicious herding tribes, which stay out of the way of the similarly scarce packs of thri-kreen and vicious bands of gnolls. Like the desolate wastes beyond the Endless Sand Dunes to the south or the broken badlands of the Barrier Wastes to the north, little of the Western Hinterlands is occupied.

Although one might go days or weeks without encountering signs of permanent habitation in these lands, explorers are drawn into the remote region. Adventurers looking for undiscovered ruins and refugees seeking a haven beyond the grasp of the sorcerer-kings cross the Ringing Mountains and head westward. The boldest or most desperate dune traders lead caravans southwest around the mountains or north through the Barrier Wastes, searching for thrikreen to do business with or new resources to exploit. Eventually, most traders abandon such notions and return to civilized lands.

Western Hinterlands Backgrounds

The sporadic people of the western plains are tough, independent, and wary even by Athasian standards. The hinterlands have no walled cities or powerful armies to defend against the monsters and savages of the deserts; security depends on your own wits and strength.

Hunting Tribe: Your tribe lives off the land, keeping no herds and tending no fields. Life in the wilderness is hard, and death is never far away. Did some disaster befall your people, leading to your departure? Perhaps you grew curious about the ways of village dwellers and city folk and decided to see the civilized regions of the world. What led you to set out on such on journey?

Outcast: You were expelled from the tribe of your birth, and all the world is against you. Did you commit a crime against your people, or were you driven out by the lies of a rival or an enemy? Do you hope to prove your innocence and return to your people, or are you content to leave them behind and seek your fortune elsewhere?

Feral Foundling: You were abandoned in the hinterlands and would have died if not for merciful spirits of nature. Why did they save your life? What creatures did they use to raise you? How did growing up in the wilderness shape your personality and outlook?

February 25th, 2021

Exploring the Western Hinterlands

The known hinterlands can be divided into roughly three regions: the Empty Plains (west of the Ringing Mountains and the Forest Ridge), the Jagged Cliffs (marking the end of the plains), and the Crimson Savanna (which lies beyond the cliffs).

February 25th, 2021