| Just SurvivingHinterlands introCopyright © 2000 by Olga The Hinterlands have long been a source of mystery and fear for even the most seasoned bloods throughout the planes. The biggest reason for this is the whole idea of the unexpected and ever changing. Even Chaosmen like to be prepared – well, sometimes. A berk goes to Arborea and he'll find Sensates, Eladrin and Bacchae. Body goes to Baator; she'll find baatezu, contracts, and the will of the nine lords. With the hinterlands, it doesn't matter if you enter near Ecstasy or Hopeless; there's no predictability on what you'll find. Either way, it's simultaneously lawful and chaotic. Many travelers cannot handle the sheer mental impact of it and perish. Most of those would be incapable of fending against a kobold anyway. Real adventurers manage to make it in and out, even though they'll be half-starved and naked by the time they do. There have been a few travelers who've documented trips to the Hinterlands. Mag Flenok, Jak K`kziel, and the goblin known only as Matuk are well known for their published journals frequent use of sensory stones. These and others have documented many sites, but others have stumbled only upon the ones written by Mag Flenok. The character of the hinterlands does depend on where you enter. A sojourn near automata will undoubtedly be tailed by a lawful streak, while if a body enters near Xaos, it will be (as any bubber knows) chaotic. The thing to ask about the hinterlands is "What's more good than perfect good" and "What's more evil than pure evil" (regarding Elysium and The Waste, respectively). In this fashion, the Hinterlands remain undefined even by the most seasoned Guvner graybeards. The lands found may be akin to those encountered when scaling the staircase alone, or they may be the worst nightmare of a god. Some have likened this to a dreamscape. They are forgetting to lann something; everything in the Hinterlands is real. No question about it, berk. Be Careful out thereMarcus Bleckbo. | 
