Day 27: Tomes of warfare

Magical destruction wiped ancient cultures from the earth, leaving only a wasteland where they once flourished -- and a bevy of powerful artifacts. Now, forces clash for control of four mysterious books that pinpoint the location of these devices, and their scouts and reconaissance teams battle over the magical creations in an unforgiving wilderness.

When the empires of old fell to their final battle, they ensured that none would survive to record a history of it. Mages, bloated with arcane power, summoned fell forces and spun earth-shattering spells to level their foes. The end result was a complete devastation of the landscape -- where once verdant fields and tended crops grew, only desert was left. What buildings withstood the onslaught stood starkly against the white sands in mute memory of the once earth-defining civilizations that used to exist.

The rest of the world carried on, content for some time to be free of the imperialist nations; however, the allure of such powerful magic eventually drew in pillagers. Among the first discoveries were the Four Pillars -- one each of basalt, granite, ivory and salt. Atop each of these rough-hewn spikes of rock sat one of the Four Books. Each is filled with diagrams of ancient magical constructs; more importantly, each is filled with maps of the constructs' locations. Early explorers found that the books were immovable, chained by unseen force to their pillars; however, pages could be copied. These plunderers made maps and uncovered the artifacts; some sold them for coin, others used them for conquest, while some used them to forge new socities or uphold old ones.

However, it soon became apparent that the treasures were far too powerful for other nations to ignore. Armies were sent in to establish camps; the books became the centers for sprawling fortresses. Fierce battles are still fought for control of these resources; even in periods of relative peace, armed contingents stare at each other uneasily during protracted, de facto sieges.

The wastelands don't have it much better. Maps are ferried out of the fortresses in dozens of clandestine ways; reconaissance teams and scouts stealthily move through the desert, pinpointing the artifacts and attempting to spirit them back to their patrons. Sometimes, such teams go rogue and sell the devices; more often, they're killed by the unforgiving environment or in frenzied encounters with enemies. Sometimes, one of the devices is smuggled out into the outside world, where it inevitably changes the strained balance of power.