Dust's Edge

Dust's Edge is a sprawling, chaotic collection of hide-tents and scrap-wood hovels huddled against the base of a jagged ridge. It sits less than a league from the Dreadspire Fortress, the seat of the Lich King Malakor. Despite the proximity to such darkness, the camp is a hub of desperate activity. People from a dozen fallen kingdoms trade stories and scrap metal, unified by their shared loss and a stubborn refusal to simply perish in the wastes.

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Refugee Camp

Dust's Edge

A spark of life within the long shadow of eternal death.

TypeRefugee Camp

Population1,200 displaced souls

WealthPoverty-stricken

GovernmentAd-hoc Council of Elders

ReadinessConstant high alert.

“The air is heavy with woodsmoke, anxiety, and the rhythmic chanting of protective wards.”

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Connections

Geography

RegionThe Ashlands

ClimateDry and windy with frequent dust storms.

TerrainBarren scrubland flattened by centuries of marching armies.

Travel Links

The Bone-Wagon TrailThe Whispering RavineThe Silt Road

Culture

Communal resilience and a fierce hatred of the necromantic arts.

Races

HumanHalf-OrcTieflingGnome

Religions

The DawnfatherThe Raven QueenThe Hearth Mother

Arts & Entertainment

Puppet theater depicting the Lich's eventual downfall and somber communal singing.

History

Founded three years ago following the fall of the Silver Basin, the camp began as a handful of survivors hiding in the 'Dead Zone' where the Lich's necrotic pulses are naturally dampened. It has since grown into a permanent fixture as more displaced villagers flee the expanding undead borders. The site was chosen because ancient ley lines in the soil offer a natural, albeit thin, shield against scrying and magical blight.

The RisingThe Great MigrationThousands of survivors converged on the plains after the sacking of the capital.

The Siege YearThe Midnight SkirmishA skeletal vanguard was repelled by the camp's first makeshift barricades.

Government

LeaderElder Kaelen

Ad-hoc Council of Elders

Key Laws

No open flames after sundown.All scavenged metal must be offered to the smiths first.Practicing necromancy results in immediate execution.

Problems

Poisoned Wells

The main water source is being tainted by necrotic runoff from the fortress.

Economy

Industries

ScavengingBone-carvingAlchemy

Scarcity

Clean water and medicinal herbs.

Wealth LevelPoverty-stricken

Exports

Scrap IronDried Cactus Fruit

Imports

Fresh WaterCereal GrainsSteel Weaponry

Defenses

ReadinessConstant high alert.

Fortifications

A perimeter of sharpened bone pikes.Hidden pit traps filled with holy water.Scavenged ballistae mounted on scrap towers.

The Hollow Guard(150 volunteer fighters)

Grim soldiers armored in boiled leather and reinforced scrap metal.

Law & Order

crime Level: Moderate theft and black-market trading.
enforcement: Informal patrols by the Hollow Guard.
typical Punishment: Hard labor or exile into the Lich's territory.

Elder Kaelen

NPC

Council Leader

An old man with a beard like iron wool and eyes that have seen too many fires.

Vara the Hammer

NPC

Blacksmith

A muscular woman covered in soot with a missing left tusk.

Milo Thistle

NPC

Scavenger

A small man wearing a vest made entirely of brass clockwork parts.

Sister Martha

NPC

Healer

A woman in tattered white robes with hands stained by herbal tinctures.

The Scrap Heap

Shop

General Store and Smithy

A semi-permanent structure built from the hulls of old wagons and sheet metal.

The Last Drop

Tavern

Scavengers, soldiers, and desperate travelers.

A large, dugout tent reinforced with timber where the floor is packed dirt.

The Unbroken

Faction

Resistance Cell

A secretive group of mages and warriors operating from a hidden basement.

The Bone-Bound

Faction

Malakor Loyalists

Infiltrators who believe Malakor's victory is inevitable.

The Black Gate

Point of Interest

The massive, pulsating obsidian entrance to the Lich's fortress visible from the camp.

The Silent Well

Point of Interest

The camp's only water source, guarded heavily against saboteurs.

The Sun-Bleached Ribs

Point of Interest

The skeleton of a gargantuan beast that refugees use as a marketplace shelter.

Calendar of Events

Full Moon of Deepwinter

The Festival of Lanterns

Residents release paper lanterns to guide the spirits of the unburied away from the fortress.

The lanterns' heat attracts flying undead predators from the spires.

Secrets

The Lich was once a beloved king whose brother is currently an elder in the camp.

RegionalAn old royal signet ring found in Kaelen's private chest.

The camp is built on the ruins of a temple that holds a weapon capable of hurting the Lich.

LocalFaded carvings beneath the floor of The Last Drop.

Rumors

Malakor is preparing a spell to raise every corpse in the camp at once.

Milo found a way into the fortress but is too scared to use it.

The water isn't poisoned by runoff, but by a spy in the council.

Plot Hooks

The Traitor in Our Midst

Find the person responsible for poisoning the Silent Well before more people die.

InvestigationElder KaelenA pouch of rare gems and a permanent room in the camp.

The Scavenger's Secret

Escort Milo to the drainage pipe and secure it for a resistance strike team.

InfiltrationVara the HammerA masterwork weapon forged from scavenged steel.

The Relic of the Sun

Retrieve the Sun-Spear from the collapsed catacombs beneath the Memorial Cairn.

Dungeon CrawlSister MarthaBlessings from the Dawnfather and a holy artifact.

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