The Dusts of Doom

[Nina]

Spoiler

This tale uses the D&D5e rules and the Last Wizards Hack by John Wick.  Character can be 3rd-5th level and follow the RAW except for where the Last Wizards differs. It is a post apocalyptic end of time setting. sort of the Dying Earth meets the Road. It is not a pretty place.

 

 

We murdered the world…

 

When the magic became too great for the world to bear, the world simply broke.

 

Shattered. Fell apart. The skies turned to poison, the deserts ate the forest, and

the oceans turned to dust.

 

They say the horror of living is something we hide from ourselves, and that is you

must eat life to live. We could no longer hide from that horror any longer.

 

Since their crime, wizards have cobbled together small communities. They are the

only ones with the magic. There are no warlocks nor sorcerers. Only wizards. We

do not know where the gods went and the priests and priestesses went mad in the

silence. And the only magic that is left is on scrolls. No more books. Just scrolls.

The wizards who knew how to make more are gone, so that is all that is left.

 

All of that was only ten years ago. I think. Time is hard to follow now. There are

no calendars or clocks. You measure time by the moment, by the hour. Is it day or

is it night? That is really the only question you can ask. When the sun rises, it

tries to kill us with its heat and light. The night is all dark. No moons, no stars.

 

All dark.

 

Semia adjusted the mask which covered her nose and mouth and stared out from the edge of the cliff. Below her the dunelets gathered pushed by the harsh winds from across the Sea of Dust. It had once been a mighty ocean of blue green water full of life, beautiful to behold, wet and cool to swim in. She had swum there many many years ago. Now it was just dust. the sealife gone, replaced by deady burrowing things that gave no nourishment only sought to take life from any that dared sail the dust.

 

A sound behind her brought the wizard back from her musings. Grey stood silent a few yards away he watched her watching the dust. At the sound both looked back to see Kasey, the youngest of them climbing toward them. “Camp is set. Stew will be ready, such as it is, in a little while. But this is the last, all we have left are some hard bread, and then only enough for a couple of days. Waters going to become a problem too.”

 

Kasey was 17, she was thin as a rail, gaunt, and tall for a girl at almost six foot. Her hair was cropped short making her look more like a boy than a girl. She was dressed in commoners clothes and carried a long knife on her belt. She was barefoot. She had joined Semia as a companion after Semia’s lasr companion had retired due to injuries. Grey had picked her from the half dozen volunteers back at the compound. Semia wondered why, the girl would not have been her choice, she was too young, hadn’t looked very strong or even capable. But in this, Semia, as always, deferred to Grey and Grey saw things differently than others.

 

“How much water do we have?” asked Grey his low voice almost a whisper yet still audible even through his mask.

 

“One full skin and a third of another, six and a half, maybe seven gallons.”

 

Grey nodded, his eyes betraying no emotion as he calculated their dwindling resources. "We need to ration it carefully," he said, his gaze moving back to the Sea of Dust stretching out before them. The sun was setting, casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape.

 

Semia turned to Kasey, her expression grave. "We'll have to find a source of water soon, or we won't survive much longer out here." She glanced back at Grey, who had already started down to the camp.

 

Kasey looked down at the dust swirling below, her young face set in determination. "I'll scout ahead tomorrow," she declared, her voice firm despite its softness. "There must be some hidden springs or wells left untouched by the devastation."

 

Semia nodded in approval. "Be careful," she warned, placing a hand on Kasey's shoulder. "The Dust is unforgiving and filled with dangers we can't even imagine."

 

 

[Nina]

The night had been cold and with the rising sun, a burning orange orb, a mist rose along the ground where heat met cold and battled for dominance.

 

They set off walking to the east following the cliff. Grey had recalled seeing a settlement on a map that lay that way. They hoped to find water there.

 

As they walked through the desolate landscape, Semia couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding creeping up on her. The wasteland seemed to stretch endlessly before them, its shifting dunes whispering secrets of long-forgotten civilizations. Kasey led the way, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of life or water.

 

After hours of walking under the scorching sun, they finally caught sight of a cluster of buildings in the distance. The settlement lay nestled at the foot of a towering cliff, its structures weathered and worn by time. As they approached, a sense of unease settled over Semia like a heavy cloak.

 

Grey, ever vigilant, signaled for them to stop as they neared the outskirts of the settlement. He motioned for Kasey to scout ahead and report back with any findings. With a nod, Kasey disappeared into the shadows cast by the crumbling buildings.

 

Semia and Grey waited in tense silence, their eyes scanning their surroundings and the ruins.

 

As the minutes stretched into a seemingly endless wait, Semia's unease grew, gnawing at her insides like a hungry beast. She couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched, that unseen eyes were following their every move. The silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the distant howl of the wind as it whipped through the crumbling structures.

 

Just as Semia felt her patience waning and her hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of her dagger, Kasey reappeared from the shadows, her face pale but determined. She hurried towards them, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting pursuit.

 

"There's water," Kasey announced breathlessly, relief evident in her voice. "I found a well near the center of the settlement, still clean and untouched."

 

Semia let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifting off her shoulders at the news. Water was life in this desolate world, a treasure beyond measure. Grey's stony gaze passed from Kelsy to the ruins,”Untouched and clean?”

 

“Yes, the well looks to be very deep. I drew some and tested it the way you said. I also checked the nearby building nothing but dust, the place is abandoned.”

 

Grey never took his eyes from the crumbling buildings, he saw nothing, but his experience gave him warnings. His thirst gnawed but still…,”We should keep clear of this place,” Grey's voice was low, a hint of caution in his words. “There may be more than meets the eye here.”

 

Semia cast a wary glance at the dilapidated structures looming around them. The settlement seemed to be frozen in time, a ghostly reminder of the world that once was. Despite the promise of water, an ominous feeling settled in Semia's gut. “Grey, we need the water. I don’t like it either but its here as you said it would be and Kasey found the water.”

 

Grey scanned their surroundings once more before nodding. “Alright, We'll fill our skins at the well and then move on. It's best we don't linger here any longer than necessary.”

 

The trio made their way cautiously towards the center of the settlement.

 

The old well stood at the heart of the abandoned settlement, its stone walls weathered but sturdy. Kasey led the way, her steps echoing in the eerie silence that enveloped the area. Semia followed closely behind, her senses on high alert as she scanned their surroundings for any signs of danger. Grey brought up the rear, his eyes constantly roving, watching for any movement or hidden threat.

 

As they reached the well, Kasey knelt down and dipped a makeshift rope into the darkness below. The sound of water echoed back up, a welcome melody in the desolate place. She carefully filled their skins, taking care not to waste a single precious drop. The water was cool and clear, a stark contrast to the dryness that pervaded the Sea of Dust.

 

Semia kept watch as Kasey worked, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. The feeling of being watched lingered, sending shivers down her spine. She couldn't shake off