What Everyone Knows What Everyone Knows Ten things (which may not even be true) everyone knows about the Western Reaches. 1. The Reaches are ancient. They've been here since the sun first rose over the western shore. Some say the land came up out of the sea, or the gods sculpted it all out of clay, or the dwarves hammered it together on anvils. Nobody really knows. But there's plenty of old stuff all around that must have been built ages ago. 2. There are faraway lands. They say the Reaches stretch all the way up to a frozen land of endless night, and all the way down to deserts so hot they'll cook you alive. There's even a big city on the coast. City of Masks, they call it. Most people don't travel too far, though. Too risky. 3. It's dangerous out there. Nobody's going to come riding to your rescue! These are lawless lands full of bandits and thieves. Wild beasts and trolls. Evil spirits. You'd better not go alone. 4. The world ends at the Last Sea. There's nothing else west of the coast. Just the Last Sea rolling on and on into mist. Some say if you keep going, you'll eventually arrive at the shores of the gods' realm and you can ask them for one thing. But you'd never make it back from there anyhow. 5. No king has ever ruled all the Reaches. Sure, some have tried. But the Reaches have no king, not now, not ever. There was a queen long ago who almost conquered it all from top to bottom, but her heart was dark and the gods cast her down. Every child knows the song: Rise and fight, sun from night, dark queen tumbles out of sight. 6. The gods are distant. The gods don't walk among us anymore. And they don't intervene. There are a few rare folks like priests who can channel their power. That's how we know they're still watching over us, for good or for ill.

7. Ancient spirits and beings dwell here. There's all kinds of strange demons and ghosts lurking around in the wilds. You've heard of the Willowman who comes to scare children who don't listen. He's real! And there are other things like him. 8. Magic is terribly dangerous. Most folks don't trust a wizard, I'll tell you that. Only a madman lets a wizard cast a spell in his house. You'll get yourself blown up that way. Even touching a magic sword has half a chance of cursing you blind! 9. Non-humans aren't very common. Elves, dwarves, you don't often see them. We do get a traveler from time to time, and the kids always want to ask them a barrel of questions. 10. Most of the Reaches are unexplored. You'll hear a couple tall tales from sailors, but most folks haven't seen much farther than the ends of their own noses. Hard to believe half the stuff those sailors say, anyway. None of them have even been to the south. Can't sail a boat over the desert, can you?