However, giants often make use of the packed silt roads further below and can be seen wading chest-deep through the silt. The silt actually becomes hard-packed a few metres below the surface, but this is of no help to a human as the level within the first two metres is extremely loose and fine. A strong wind from the Silt Sea can cause people from nearby villages to have to remain indoors all day, though with a certain amount of water some people often make use of a mask-like object called a silter which is placed over the mouth and nose and kept wet in order to help the user breathe.
The silt is incredibly dangerous as it is not capable of supporting the weight of humanoid creatures, and the particles themselves are extremely fine and get into the lungs quite easily. In the place of an ocean, the world of Athas, due to defiling magic, has a sea composed entirely of silt. This makes the prospect of going west across the mountains a near impossibility. Not only are the mountains nearly impassable (the name Ringing Mountains refers to the lightheaded feeling one feels from lack of oxygen when traversing them) but the Forest Ridge is the home of halflings, which in the Dark Sun world are small creatures that live in tribes in the forest and do not hesitate to capture and eat intruders to their realm. Water has long since ceased to flow on the surface and can only be found in the last sea, some oases, tiny lakes and streams, as well as west of the Ringing Mountains in the Forest Ridge. In such a world as Athas, a death by natural aging is considered to be a great achievement and an event worthy of celebrations. In such a harsh and unforgiving land, even the most mundane of creatures have developed psionic abilities in the constant struggle of survival of the fittest. The natural resources have been depleted and a lack of metal has resulted in the use of wood, obsidian and bone for weapons, tools and common equipment. It is a sun-burnt land forsaken by the gods, water, and hope. Once a blue planet teeming with life, Athas has since been stripped of its fertility by the use of corrupting magic known as Defiling, and the decay of its sun.
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