Following the aftermath of Salica's retribution for the War of the Gods, Akis' imperial capitol--now known as Midania--has long since had a featureless landscape in which the only people that can live comfortably are the sai'mul. Since the sai'mul have no need for anything but social interaction, all civilization on the once vibrant island have condensed to a handful of coastal cities. This leaves most of the inland space in Midania largely uninhabited. But an empire once thrived here, which explorers frequently note as the cause of their interest in the island. Those who go searching for the ruins of Old Akis, however, must pass through a desolate landscape of gravel and stone. While it is generally agreed by those who've flown over the area that there is little to see here, there has proven to be much to experience here nonetheless for those who walk upon it.
A Katrinean explorer by the name of Mortimer Baltar chronicled his experience in this land in the year 2E274. His journal documents an incredibly surreal month out on what he dubbed "the Fever Plains."
Day 19
The unbearable heat seems to have let up today, but my thermometer disagrees. Could I be getting used to the climate or is this another symptom of my delirium? I can barely read the words I've written on this page. I've found shelter in a cave that is mercifully empty, but it's not the heat that's blurring my vision. There's something in the air. It's not only hindering my vision; it's causing the sights I can discern to be joined by impossible features. I thought I saw a tree near a pond this morning. I was only just thinking that a tree would be the last thing I expect to see out here and there it was. Or so it seemed. When I reached the pond, I saw nothing there but a pile of petrified wood splinters. It was like I was seeing this bit of land back when it was still alive.
What Mr. Baltar saw was an early, yet relatively mild example of the Fever Plains' most notable feature. Those who camp in the region tend to discover that the wildest figures of their imagination consistently appear as hallucinations. These vivid images can expose travelers to the sort of adventures that only they can conceive of. While it isn't widely understood how this is possible, experts have since come to attribute the cause to a layer of magical energy that rests higher off the ground than it would naturally occur. It is said that inhaling these particles causes them to eventually saturate the brain and project images from both their conscious and subconscious minds. While many are led to ask why this only seems to happen in Midania, there are far too many possible explanations to cover in this guide. For a comprehensive listing of the many theories surrounding the nature of the Fever Plains, we recommend Dr. Rolf Whitetree's book, Natural Mysteries of the Land.
Regarding the adventures one can experience in this place, however, we can safely assume that the only limit to what one can see here rests within the traveler's imagination. However, the Midanian government has asked that we warn travelers not to visit these lands without a guide, which can be hired in any of the island's cities. Sai'mul are immune to the hallucinatory effects of the island's ambient magic and so are the only people who can help you should you begin to lose sight of yourself. While extended stays are a difficult undertaking in a place without fauna or vegetation so far from civilization, it is still recommended that no one with a living brain stays longer than a month, as the effects of pure magical energy on the brain aren't widely understood. Despite this, those who spend a week living out their wildest fantasies in the Fever Plains often come back with a plethora of memories that persist even as the magic wears off and their minds return to normal.
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