The area immediately around the Spire is little more than a barren waste. A fine, black dust covers the ground - a mix of ashes and sand which, when kicked up by footsteps, can sting the eyes and clog the throat. Nothing grows here - the air tastes dry with death. There is no birdsong, no insects, no life. An obsidian tower dominates the very core of this place, striking at the sky like a black needle. The walls are smooth but for a square outline at the base of the structure which might be a door. The top has been blown open when our characters managed to make their way into the Spire, releasing the Voice from where she was held prisoner

The ruins immediately around the Spire have been tamed by the new arrivals, creating a refuge in the chaos. Buildings have been renovated, repairs have been made to the streets and there are even a few rudimentary attempts to decorate.

Temple:

• Infirmary Situated at the back of the temple, the infirmary consists of a few rudimentary treatment rooms, a primitive ward and a large study.
• Rathskeller Situated in the Temple cellar, this is the name given to the makeshift tavern that has been set up there. It can be accessed via the Temple but also through cellar doors outside which open into a short tunnel, and then the Rathskeller proper.

Domiciles: What was once a well-established hamlet is now in fairly poor shape. As well as in the Fields and the Woodlands, the Naturals left inside of the bubble dwell here. The foundations of most of the homes are crumbling, though there are a few communities that seem hospitable with a little work.

Old buildings on the verge of collapse, winding, empty streets, skeletal structures and hidden lanes and alleyways. Ruins dominate the city and make up the majority of its landscape. Exploration is dangerous…but it might be rewarding, too.

The Underground: One of the streets has buckled inwards. Clearing the rubble away has revealed the entrance to a hidden cave system.

The Bonebridge: Composed entirely of stones so white and cracked as to appear like bones, this bridge stretches across an expanse that seems always bathed in mist. To fall into the gorge below would mean almost immediate death.

The Labyrinth: Once clearly the pride and joy of the Hollowed Grounds, now the Labyrinth stands as a deadly reminder of what nature can do when left on its own. The hedges have grown so wild that at times it is hard to see the sky from inside. Thorns grow from some of the hedges and it seems entirely unclear whether or not the bushes actually remain in the same place

The Settlement : The Settlement is perhaps the only area of the Ruins that looks moderately habitable and not completely run down. This is where the Naturals do most of their trading and where merchants and other peddlers set up their wares for sale and trade.

The Outskirts might once have been an extension of the fields, but are now clearly demarcated by the ring-like shape of absolutely barren land. Once a magical barrier separated the Grounds from the rest of Caido, but it has since been removed. Now there is only a barren scar in the earth that indicates where it once was.

Fields: While the Outskirts are the most dangerous of the areas around the Spire, there is also fertile ground here. Soft earth and vegetable patches abound, making it an attractive place to grow crops. There are also a few herds of animals roaming.

Woodlands: The dense trees in the Woodland seem to stifle all sound making them unnervingly quiet. In some places the foliage is so thick that almost all light is barred from reaching the ground.

A small spot of completely natural beauty sits in the shadow of the Spire. So completely at odds with this desolate wasteland, the Glade boasts a circle of fragrant trees and a rolling expanse of sweet grass. The sound of birdsong and distant, babbling water suffuses the place.

Oasis: The Oasis is like a piece of paradise in an all but ruined world. A stream rushes out from between the face of two rocks, producing a pool of water which is deep and calm and serene. Some even say that it has healing properties.

Dozens of hidden pathways seemingly lead to this safe haven, though only those with keen eyes and knowledge of the area will be able to follow them. The thriving heartland of the Fae, much of the ground area is used for communal purposes. A marketplace shields one edge of the village, and the centre boasts a beautiful square which is open to the skies above. The trees are filled with homes of the Fae, suspended as if part of the forest itself. In the evening, their light suffuses the branches with a warm glow.

The Observatory: Delicate stairways and ladders cover the trunk of the tallest tree in the village. Nestled in its topmost branches lies the Observatory, where Fae might read the skies or hope to catch a glimpse of Star Whales.

The Bodega: A picturesque market of individual stalls set on the bank of a crystal clear river.

Undercroft: Deep beneath the roots of an ancient oak, things are not what they seem. This warm, dry underground space contains troves of information; grimoires, tomes and tales of the Fae.

The name of this fast-flowing river comes from the oddly shaped rocks which jut out from its depths. When the water and air rush through them the river truly sings in a soft and haunting melody. But whilst life is abundant here, it is as treacherous as it is beautiful.

A dense and eclectic maze of trees, the clue is in the name for the Wildwood. It is easy to get lost or turned around, and travellers will often find themselves right back where they started. Brimming with life and illuminated by Will-o-Wisps, this place truly is a wonder to behold.

Ludo's Wood:There exists within the Wildwood a thicket of trees where the Fae bury their dead. Lanterns are buried with the bodies so that, in the afterlife, the dead might find their way to Mort and his herald, Ludo. These woods are almost certainly haunted, and the trees grow in a reddish colour with a texture like old skin.

Crimson Cataract: A waterfall that begins as a clear trickle plummets from the mouth of a cliff into a vast pool that is entirely crimson. Due to a species of lichen that grows at the bottom, the water appears a dark ruby colour. The lichen is quick to attach to any surface and multiplies quickly.

Mathair: The oldest tree in the Wildwood. Notoriously difficult to find, it is said that this is not really a tree at all, but a goddess in her own right. The tree is rumoured to bleed when cut, and bears fruit capable of staving off hunger for days.

An icy jewel in a frozen and unforgiving wasteland, the Citadel is the single thriving civilization within Halo. The city walls are steep and the people are hard and untrusting. One message pervades this society above all else: Stay warm. Stay alive.

Palace: Situated in the centre of the Citadel, with spires and turrets piercing the sky for a view that spans miles in all directions, one would not be blamed for thinking the Palace was made of ice. A structure of clear, sharp lines, glass and stone and snow, it is the largest edifice in the Citadel by far, and home to Halo's seat of power.

Snowcloak: Bustling around the Palace like an embrace, the town of Snowcloak boasts the majority of the citizens within the Citadel. Hunters are all but considered heroes, bringing back meat and fur and fuel for the people - a people who know better than to trust easily. It is considered a crime to allow a fire to burn out, here.

A haunting wasteland of snow and ice. Once hospitable, the Tundra is now a world of death preserved on ice. What will kill you first? The elements? Snow-blindness? Or the monsters that roam the endless cold

Sea of Glass: A frozen sheet of water covers this inland sea. Though it appears sturdy, elementals frequent the area and are wont to crack the ice beneath a wayward traveller's feet. Beneath the surface, rumours of lurking gargantuan creatures abound, but the water is too cold and the ice too thick for anyone to have verified this.

The Fangs: The mountains that crown Halo are sharp and unforgiving, earning their predatory name. Within lies an endless labyrinth of tunnels and abandoned mines; the wind howling through them causes the Fangs to sing, and their melody can be heard right across the Tundra. There is hearsay that Mageglass may be found here.

Whitebrim: Once home to a large tribe of Tundra natives, Whitebrim is naught more than a frozen shell. Now an outpost in the midst of snowy ruin, the settlement does still host a few inhabitants - all of them exiles from the Citadel. Their motivations are questionable. Meat is meat. Run.