Fields of Ash

The Fields of Ash are an expansive geographical area surrounding a volcano in Equis. They are home to the Blackened Tribes, survivors of the Reign of Fire and followers of Ephereos.

History
The Fields of Ash used to be grassland surrounding a dormant and basically inactive volcano in Equis. When Hamann, the first Immortal of fire, was overtaken by the will of Ephereos, he went to the dormant volcano and made it active with terrifying High fire magic. He then threw himself into it, allowing Ephereos to incarnate in the material plane as a colossal red dragon.

This event, beginning the fire god's incarnation in the material called the Reign of Fire, caused flames to sweep the grassland for miles around, reducing them to ash and killing most of the nomadic tribes that lived there. The survivors banded together in three distinct groups, forming what came to be called the Blackened Tribes. They worshiped Ephereos, whom they called Shul'bak ("razing king") mainly out of fear but sometimes out of respect. This reformation began their ritual of burning newborns, giving rise to their distinctive deformed appearance.