Crimson Savannah

The lowlands beyond the Jagged Cliffs are made up almost exclusively of a vast, seemingly endless grassland called the Crimson Savanna. Tall grass bursts from fer- tile red soil, reaching nearly 8 feet into the sky. The heat of the day turns a fine layer of the topsoil into dust, which the wind carries everywhere. This dust clings to the blades of grass and hangs in the sky, painting the area red and giving the savanna its name.

Temperatures across the savanna aren’t as sweltering as those in the highlands. It rarely gets hotter than 110°F, and never rises above 130°F. Besides the abundance of thick, lush grass, water is more readily available. It’s not as wet as the Jagged Cliffs, but the savanna experiences more rainfall than the highlands, has a few wetlands, and even has some rivers coursing through its jungle of grass.

It rains an average of twice a month across the savanna. None of the violent Tyr- storms make it past the Jagged Cliffs, but that doesn’t mean that every rainfall is idyl- lic. Some storms on the savanna produce flash floods, or turn the soil into thick, sucking mud, or carry a frenzy of lightning that dances from sky to ground with destructive force and often sets the grass aflame.

The savanna endured more of the Great Earthquake’s jolting power than the Tyr Region did, mainly because it lies closer to the quake’s epicenter, located hundreds of miles to the west. The aftershocks and tremors continue to shake the grasslands, but luckily there aren’t as many places or things to be destroyed. What has sustained damage (and in some cases massive amounts of it) are the cities and villages of the Kreen Empire. This collection of civilized insect-men has a few frontier communities near the Jagged Cliffs, but the heart of the Empire is farther to the west.

The savanna sustains many types of grazing creatures and the usual variety of predators they attract. While there are mammals, birds, and reptiles, the majority of creatures living in the grasslands are insectoids. From the highly civilized kreen to giant k’cin crawlers to tiny clear-wing fliers, thousands of insect species fill the sky, the tall grass, and the red soil below.

Methods of Travel
Because most of the grasslands are flat, travel isn’t all that difficult. The tall grass and patches of soft dirt and mud can make it tough for wheeled vehicles, but walking isn’t too much of a problem. Travellers can also find paths stamped through the grass by the large grazers that inhabit the area, and roads main- tained by the kreen that connect their cities and villages together. There are hazards that could end a trip very quickly if a traveller isn’t careful. The grass limits visibility, growing in thick clumps that rise to heights of 6 feet or more. It hides unfriendly creatures, mud sinks, and other dangers behind its curtain of red and green. When the wind blows, the jungle of grass sways and ripples, making it difficult to hear predators moving nearby. The wind also coughs up clouds of red dust, making it even harder to see for any distance. Those walking through the tall grass must also watch out for rainstorms. They can appear without warning, scorching the ground with lightning and possibly producing a flood of water that could wash travellers away in a slide of mud. In these situations, drowning is a very real possibility.