Red Steppe
As you walk south, the grass gets sparser. Soon, the earth is replaced by hard red rock, and the wind drives grains of red sand into your fur. There are rocky outcroppings around you, but the most striking are the two sandstone pillars in front of you. They stand proudly against the darkening sky. They would provide good shelter, and you begin heading towards them.When you get closer, you begin to hear voices. Clearly, you were not the only wolf who thought the pillars would provide a reprieve from the stinging sand. You round the corner and see them: a dozen or so wolves gathered between two large rocks, some shaking sand out of their fur, others deep in conversation.
"Welcome to the Pillars," one says, rising to greet you. It's an elderly brown wolf, and a fanged necklace brushes her coat as she moves. "How were your travels?"
And suddenly you find yourself in conversation. Most of the wolves are hunters from House Wu, a pack located in the swamp farther south. One young wolf is an aspiring hunter, she says, looking to explore beyond the House's territory. She radiates curiosity as you describe your own pack. Two other wolves are herbalists and seemingly good friends with the elder that greeted you. They discuss a place to the southeast called the Pass, where rarer herbs thrive. One herbalist flicks his ears with annoyance as he describes the feverish sickness that has spread through his pack. You listen, and you wonder how much the House Wu wolves know from listening to the news of travelers.
When you wake in the morning, the winds have died down at last. The elder points you south if you want to visit the House, and you go on your way.
⬆️ Head north to the prairie
⬇️ Head south to the wetlands