So you decided to come back and hear the ramblings of an old man? Cant blame you, as much tragedy as this place gives, the lessons it gives even better. Now where did I leave off yesterday? Oh right, finished explaining the first five Districts and Oasis, that makes six total so you can see how this might go on from here, thirteen more to go. It's good that most of the later ones don't really do much so explaining what their purpose is won't be too much trouble for an old timer like myself.

Now onto District 6, Duneburough. Not much there except the failing fields that those who live there give their all to try and keep functioning. Duneburough is one of a few farming districts, they are the worst district at it but they manage to feed their own, not much after that however. District 6 is in a pretty decent spot all things considered, they got Greater New Mastia to their west, and their fellow farming Districts, those being 7 and 8 to their East. They also got 9 to their North, and 10 to their South.

The crops they try to grow rotate every few Cycles, don't know why they do that, and neither do they, just been hows it happened since forever ago. They grow something called maize, and several different kinds of beans, dont know what they are called but I do know that if the harvest is good enough, then they have mighty fine meals. In a bid of fortune Duneburough sends any left overs of their food to the first three Districts, prioritizing The Shafts and leavin The Pits with the scraps.

They do this in hopes that when, if it comes down to it, for one of those Districts to turn on the rest, that they would still get what they need to survive, which isn't actually much coming from those Districts. They have a sort of peace treaty with Greater New Mastia but it's really a protection order from the Reapers. The Reapers make sure thier deliveries get to where they need to be on time, and in exchange the Reapers get a little bit extra water from Duneburoughs' Cycle, which is a mighty fine deal if you ask me.

Going on to the next District, District 7. Good old Luxenschaff, the home of the drink for all of Hydrexen, and this ain't water im talkin about. They grow all kinds of things used to brew and craft up those tasty life enders. Im talking of course about alchohol, and a whole heep of it. Of course they just grow the stuff needed, the plant stuff anyhow, then they ship it off to another District where they refine and create the many different elixirs that are sure to numb you of this place.

Luxenschaff grows potatoes, these things called grapes, and also hops. They use the potatoes for the stronger of the drink, grapes for those more fancy and hoitey toitey folk, and the hops for your all purpose working mans drink. The way I see it, if a man can drink from sunup to sundown then he should be just fine enough to survive this planet and all the shit it has to throw at you, well all the shit it does throw at you, seems like it ain't even trying half the time, it just does it.

Now for District 8, Craton. Craton is an interesting District to say the least, not much goes out of there except their crops, and they only have two, wheat and something called alfalfa or whatever the hell its called. They send that stuff off to one of the other Districts as well so it can be turned into food or other things, things im not so sure on, but then again maybe after all these years the drink is starting to catch up to me.

Now which District is next 9? Yeah 9 is the next one alright, Freeman. Freeman is just as it would sound, its free. Theres no law, and every man has a right to everything there. So many troublemakers and outlaws leave there to search for more, even though they get killed pretty easy by the other outlaws from more savage Districts. Not really sure what the Freeman do for the other Districts except provide a buffer between the more savage parts and the more, classy Districts if you could even say that. There really isn't much too exciting about 9, it's just kinda there.

Now onto District 10, Ashenwood. Ashenwood is actually a pretty nice District all things considered, and they have one main job, wood. It seems fitting with the name and all but they have been growing, and attempting to grow trees there for a long time. Some smart guy way back in The Old World found out a way to grow trees in really harsh environments, maybe not as harsh as the ones that are around now but they seem to be doing just fine. All the wood is charred black and grey though, damn fine decour if you're into that kind of thing, and the richer Districts love their Ashwood.

Ashenwood is fairly large and is in a good spot, they aren't bordered by any of the Wilds so they are better off than most, I've been over that way a few times and I must say, trees are something to see, not many places left with them other than Oasis, but haven't been there, and don't care to anytime. Ashenwood loves to try and sell their wood all across Hydrexen but they aren't so lucky when it comes to their Westerly Districts as they are with those to their East.

Now onto 11, The Heights. Now this district is one to be seen if you ever get the chance to go, nothing but mountains, the entire District. The Heights has the remains of one of the Old World cities right smack in the middle and those that live there have even been able to keep the machines there running after all these years. Doesnt do any good though, Oasis takes most of what works and uses them for their own. There are a few though who are able to hide from Oasis, but not for long usually, Oasis is very thourough.

The Heights is very beautiful, at least, as beautiful of a place as you can get in this place. I've been only once back when I was a younger man, eager to see the world, grew out of that habit really quick though. The years around here begin to blur together when you have nothing much to do, or able to do, and the years sure have been a blur for me. Maybe its the drink doin it to me now that I think about it, sure makes for interesting story telling though don't it? Now back on track before I drone on about how dreary life round these parts has been.

The Heights, such great scenery, the mountains and all. Even seing the remnants of the city in the midst of storms and all kinds of other shit going on. When the skies do clear as they eventually do, but not for very long, it is a sight you will never forget. The bright sun shining out across a massive valley, mountains towering on all sides, and a single city standing amidst the Hell that surrounds it and consumes it, what I would give to see that again.

Now that you know about the farmin Districts I feel it's time to explain just why they do what they do, and to be honest I have no clue why they keep trying to bribe Oasis for more out of each Cycle, never works but they keep doing it, it's whats made Oasis as rich and lavish as it is, and whats left the rest of us scrounging and struggling to get by. You see, way back when, couple hundred Cycles ago or so, the farms got hit with a famine of sorts.

This famine killed all the crops and sent many there mad. Lots of folks there died and no one really knows why or how, just that it happened. Stories go around of what happened but Im fond of only one of them, as based on what the rest of the world is going through it seems the most likely. The story goes that one of The Old World weapons was left behind nearby in the Wilds and it went off. Now I haven't seen anything like a weapon that could mess with things hundreds of miles away but on this planet crazy is a day to day thing.

So with that weapon goin off the crops became sick, sick like most of the world did after the war, so much changed so fast from what I've heard. What weapons could've done this to a world though I wonder, and how many others are left out there, just sitting around waiting to be set off? Anyways, after it went off I guess it spread it's sickness across the land, even changed the life around Greater New Mastia, cause here, even of how far away we are, things changed around that time.

We used to get some birds that hung around but after the famine happened, the birds stopped showing up and the skies have only had dust and heat blowing about them. Its a shame because some of those birds made for good eating too. Not sure which one of us came up with those weapons but they sure do their job, killing and infecting everything that they touch and are near to, and pretty much everything is near to them as it would seem.

Some say to have even saw the damned thing go off, but they soon died after from a sickness that couldn't be helped. They described it as a flash almost brighter than the sun at midday, and a shockwave that knocked them on their asses. What a blast that must have been, and what a sight to have seen, an unfortunate one for sure but one to see all in all.

They said after they got back on their feet they looked at where the blast had come from and all they saw was a massive cloud that shot into the sky, they had to strain their necks to see the top of the cloud it made.

It only took a matter of months for them to become sick. The sickness they had was a miserable one. Their skin turned a shade of green and they broke out in blisters and boils, most of them died of infection and not the actual sickness. They threw up violently, and they did that fairly often, some of them even threw up chunks of their insides, and those are the less gruesome ones if you could believe it. Those miserable sons of bitches had one hell of a final moment on this planet, and hopefully wherever they went to after they died is a much better place.

It would seem that those who created those weapons created something that even they would most likely fear. Makes sense seeing how the world has gone since the weapons went off all over the world, not much left, at least, not much of value save the water. Even though the water seems to be fine some find small lakes and ponds but I wouldn't trust drinkin that more than I would the black waters of the damned swamps of the Blackmarsh.

Sowly but surely the farms began making food again, and it was a hard journey to reach where they are now, which is a damn sight less than before they got hit by the famine. They are tryin their asses off, no doubt about that, and its good that they are, the only thing we need just as much if not more than water is food, its what gives a man credibility round these parts. A man is made by how much food he can provide for himself and his own, sadly, the merits of honor dont get you very far anymore.

Youd think that for all the work that some men go through to keep them and their families bellies full would catch the eyes of those who have the power to solve these issues altogether, but the ones who can solve these issues, dont have them. Oasis is what Im babblin about of course. They have no shortage of food or water, and they are more than just happy to let the world fall even further and further to ruin while they enjoy the spoils of their priviliged lives. I wait for the day that someone comes along and tears down their pillar of lies and corruption, but sadly, the only man I knew of that mettle was lost many cycles ago.

Who am I talking about? Oh thats not the point of the story just yet, still gotta tell you about the world, and lest I forget, the other Districts. Then again I guess I could humor you with a little peak of the man that nearly took down Oasis, oh I cant remember how many cycles ago exactly, more than forty since he dissapeared. How do I explain him without giving too much away? To start, he was born and raised right here, in Greater New Mastia, and he was a Reaper. His story is more cruel and wrong than most, but as I said before, sometimes this world spits out more than just a man, it spits out a legend.