The stories The Voyage to the North and South, The Last Night of Fort Ghafan and Drakas were written as in-universe books by the same character and refer to the different events of the same round.
The Voyage to the North and South
by Wendelin Wirz
It is common knowledge that the world is a harsh and cruel place, full of threats to human life, from the capricious nature and its elements to vile and wicked men. The advance of civilization is slow and requires a great effort. And even though I am writing this in the warmth and comfort of my modest house, it is only a short walk from here to the wild territories, where hundreds of bears roam free and claim lives of careless travellers.
Ever since the recent breakthroughs in the methods of transportation, I had harboured a desire to see other lands and countries, hoping to discover developed cultures, intricate architecture and awe-inspiring cities. With this purpose in mind, I had worked towards acquiring a small sailing craft, and once it was ready, I departed my residence, feeling a mixture of hope and anxiety.
This is an account of my experiences on two continents that lie to the north and south, across the seas from my homeland.
North
As soon as I set foot on the snow-covered soil, I immediately understood why local people sought to leave these inhospitable lands. Astounding as it is, but snow never melts completely in these parts, not even in summer (blessed be this fine season!) Those who still live there lead a harsh existence among rocks, ice fields and snow dunes. The harvests are small, the crops are crude, and the cattle is lean and constantly killed by vicious white wolves. Even in this age the local populace is mostly restricted to the cave systems wherein people make their dwellings. There are barely any decorations in these stone halls and corridors, lit by innumerable lanterns and torches. The air is heavy with smoke despite the extensive ventilation in the form of shafts. Certain areas can't even be visited without protection masks due to the coal dust. The health of these people, surprisingly, is much better than could be expected in such conditions.
Several centuries ago two large groups of Northerners sailed south and settled on my home continent, creating a de facto single nation. As far as I understand, they actively foster migration to the southern lands and only a handful of population remains in the North, working the rich mines.
I had a rather unpleasant encounter with one of the workers there. I suppose I might have entered an area not supposed to be visited by the outsiders, since in many ways it resembled a weapons manufacturing facility, but I tried my best to act tactfully and courteously. My lack of knowledge of any of the local languages doubtlessly contributed to the incident. At any rate, the worker was apparently angered by my presence, and he reacted by grabbing a gun next to him and firing a shot in a random direction. Needless to say, I retreated in great haste, completely forgetting that I had a coat in my hands, which I had picked up to examine the fabric. This I only noticed upon leaving the compound, and then, to my horror, I saw the worker chasing me, brandishing the gun. Fortunately, as soon as I had returned him the coat, the man seemed satisfied and left me in peace.
Before I finally left the frozen continent, I had visited a spot inhabitated by truly awe-inspiring creatures. Imagine a live mound of thick brown fur towering above you like a hill, as tall as three humans put together, with massive tusks about fifteen feet in length. Some believe these mammoths, as they are called, used to live in other parts of the world. In the past eras it was a common way to test a warrior by sending him alone to slay such a beast. I was shown rather graphic pieces of rock art which demonstrated what happened to those who attempted to take down a mammoth by brute force... I think the word "squish" is the right one to describe it.
South
Imagine, dear reader, a land almost completely buried under white sand. Only with great difficulty will you find a lush green leaf, most likely near one of the shallow lakes, which are few in number. In hot months, when the sunlight is enough to make your blood boil, the basins dry up, revealing their barren bottom, and in wet months voracious reptiles make these lakes their home, devouring any unlucky human or animal that comes near. Lifeless crags rise from the sand here and there, polished and eroded by furious sandstorms that strip bare flesh off the bones.
Nevertheless, there are marvels under this merciless sun. You are most likely familiar with the treasured oil, which is at the core of our recent technological innovations. There are crops which serve us in medicine and entertainment and which hail from Sahwadar, "blinding land", as it is known to some. Many peculiar animals roam the expanse of the continent in the South.
While I have read that the deserts had a much more numerous population in the past when the first contacts between the nations across the world were being established, upon my visit I came upon just a few scattered settlements and even most of those were abandoned. It is still unfathomable to me as to what could have happened to the people there, for I could not discover any trace of cities of old, nor signs of recent wars and plagues. Again, my contemptible inability to converse with those I did meet certainly did not assist my exploration. Unfortunately, no one of those involved with the oil expeditions could accompany me at the time.
To shelter themselves from the scorching heat, people settle in caves or dig out underground chambers with a few openings to the surface. Over the centuries the Southerners have mastered farming in the mountain shades and around the aforementioned lakes.
I was shown a camp which appeared to be a lair of either deranged bandits or maniacal cultists. The cave was full of deformed and twisted human bones and disturbing carvings on the walls; the air almost smelled of blood. Near one of the walls lay a literal pile of what I assumed to be falanges. I was told that this gang, for there had been more than one, had been terrorizing the lands a few years before my visit but had not been heard from since, after suddenly stopping their attacks.
I think that it is understandable, that, upon learning that such people could be encountered among the sands, I decided to return home as soon as possible.
These two journeys I have undertaken have left me with ambiguous and uneasy feelings. On one hand, I could not but admire the will with which humans persist in the bleakest circumstances. On the other, I could not help but ruminate whether the civilization will prevail and at what cost, or it will crash and break and crumble one day.