The Highlands

The Highlands are to the northeast of the Great Continent of Ascari.

Description
In the Highlands, it rains iron and rock. Meteors hurl themselves from the sky, smashing into this blasted landscape. The ground is covered in craters and the shattered remains of civilizations long forgotten. Some people say that the meteors are because of an ancient curse, others say it is the wrath of a god. Either way, the surface is near uninhabitable. Ash storms provide camouflage for deadly beasts that stalk the night.

Most have taken refuge in large pillars of rock shielded by magic. These great pillars are home to sprawling cities. Below the shattered surface are warren cities and expansive mines for "black gold".

Geography
The ground level of this region is dominated by a barren, infertile wasteland. The earth is scarred by countless meteor strikes and fires. In some places, plants struggle to grow, but are often wiped out by another meteor.

The habitable area of this region is made up of a series of stone pillars that reach into the sky. Multiple cities have been built into these pillars, which are inhabited by several different races. Each pillar has its own name, and some have bridges between them to facilitate trade. There is a single pillar that is taller than all of the others, so much so that it is visible from all of the other countries of Ascari.

The Four Pillars of Heaven
The four largest of the stone towers, these gigantic monoliths house the largest cities in the Highlands. They are known as:
 * Ayalum
 * Caelum
 * Elyum
 * Qerum

Present Day
In the present day, Caelum is the dominate pillar. Each year, representatives from the other Pillars of Heaven converge at the hall in Caelum to report on the goings-on of the Wastes.

Demographics

 * Aarakocra dominate most of the pillars, ruling the skies. Other races inhabit the lower levels of the pillars.
 * Dwarves have built their cities underneath the surface, mining the remnants of these meteors and looking for "black gold".
 * Large monsters stalk the surface, lurking in the ash clouds and storms that drift over the surface.