An infamous maze of rivers and roaring waterfalls, the Diamondback Rapids offers a swift route from Rondhol to the northern reaches of Lendu. Yet few are foolish enough to risk this shortcut, for the waters of the rapids are filled to the brim with fist-sized shards of rock as sharp as razors. Those unlucky enough to be swept away are flayed alive in the course of a few agonising moments. Natives of the region believe the rivers of the Diamondback to possess a particularly vicious sentience, for they seem to change course at a whim, dashing travellers against the canyon walls or smashing down upon a vessel to swallow its crew.
Middle of the road
‘Sigrid stood at the gates to the inner city, clutching her gun tightly as the people gathered around before the regiment. They all looked rabid and malnourished as they clutched makeshift weapons. They yelled things and threw objects at the gates. The crowd grew louder and larger, and they threw more stones and loose pipes. Until a gunshot sounded, and a man in front of her fell. The crowd roared, and she was swept up in a flood of bodies.’
