Miltor Sketches/Lore (Patreon)

In BTB, the main baddies lord over a whole nation, and since they're about to get a whole heap more screen time, I've been sketching some concepts for the place and people.

Miltor's most apparent feature is the volcano blanketing the country in an immovable toxic smog, diffusing sunlight and leaving the place in a dim green haze. Ancient and magical in nature, it can only be 'lived with' not cured, so traversing the land is very difficult, requiring not only skill but specialized equipment to aid in breathing. Lungsacs filter the air and allow long stints in the wastes of the country. 

One of the creatures best adapted to survival in the country's volcanic wastes is the Zalukan. Replacing the traditional horse, they're a highly mobile, feathered reptilian species with a lifespan pushing 60 years, a deep sense of loyalty to those they bond with and a very high intelligence that almost rivals dominant humanoids. All these traits make them excellent pack animals and mounts for those looking to traverse the wastes.

Cities and towns are equipped with filtration systems that keep air clean within the confines of large walls. This leads to very isolated living conditions, with many Miltorans living entire lives and dying within the same town. Travel between settlements is incredibly difficult, not only due to the toxic air, but also the unpredictable, violent weather and equally cranky wildlife (like the Ashland Sand Worm). All these factors make it quite an expensive venture, and many citizens don't have the spare funds to travel regularly, if at all.

Miltoran nobles, on the other hand, operate quite freely throughout the whole country. A luxury that, when combined with their frequent exploitation of resources and people, very often makes them the target of angry citizens' fury. Numerous rebellions and riots in the past led to them to adopt the masks to obscure their individual identity in public, instead visually becoming pieces of whatever whole they're born into.