Hellgrass Reach forms the major Drylands dominion of Derzak, which otherwise owns only lands along the One-River and the Ice hills. The name is also applied to the wide plains of Razor Grass and white sand that surround the town, which are rich in Copper, Tin, Silver and cattle.
Hellgrass Reach is a sprawling town built into the sides of many circular sink-holes that dot a wide expanse of sand and grass many Klegs Daywards of Nistray. For this reason little can be seen of the town from a distance other than the wooden gantries used to raise and lower goods into the smaller sink-holes, and the fortified central tower rising like a finger above the rest. The deep sink-holes are riddled with caves and passages, many of which hold reserves of water, although when large military units are stationed here these resources can be hard stretched. The central and largest sink-hole surrounds a deep stone-lined pool. Although the water level here can fall dramatically concentric steps and ledges always allow access to the water edge.
There are limited routes in and out of Hellgrass Reach, which was built with defence in mind. Strong forts guard the main ramps down into the town, and the buildings are designed to provide shelter from bow shots and falling rocks alike. The surrounding plains are filled with small mine workings, many abandoned, and Ancient ruins. Derzak depends heavily on the reach for metals and grain, and constantly garrisons many troops here. Border skirmishes with Nistran soldiers from Darkin are common, although a vast reach separates the two towns.
Last Home sits on the edge of the Plateau of the Twilight Lands, overlooking the Drylands, at a point where the cliff down to the plains is particularly shallow. This is, naturally, the route that most travellers take down to the plains. Tax expeditions set out from here towards Darkin, Hellgrass Reach and Harradum. The town is heavily geared towards travellers, with many inns and corrals for Crdlu, as well as a thriving market where Twilight Merchant Satraps exchange goods with plains Caravans. The walls here are of earth reinforced with wood, forming a broad circle around the town. Gatehouses of dressed stone guard the roads in and out of town, while farmland presses close. The heart of the town is the crowded Suk, while temporary rulers and Bonded Ones make their home in the House of the Setting Sun.
Two main routes enter Last Home from the Nightwards, the Corn Road that leads across the plateau to Nistray and the Lion's Path that runs down into the forest and turn turns towards Ur. Ningaur's Steps run Counter-Daywards towards Darkin, while, The Lesser Road runs parallel to the One River, through the Plateau lands. Once The Reachway ran Turn-Daywards towards Hellgrass Reach, but most now join the road upriver at Sword Landing.
Last Home is the main gateway to the Drylands for most traffic from the river valley, and as such is ruled by the Orders of all four great cities. The town is overburdened with officials, Mages and Bonded-Ones, who devote far more time to jockeying for power with each other than they spend on running the town. So long as they do nothing to upset the public appearance of calm and the trade through the town the local Merchant Satraps can do much as they wish. Defence of the city is generally relegated to the town's own force of soldiers, distinctive with their white shields and capes, although armed forces from each of the Cities serve as a supplementary guard for the nobles and Mages. These out-town soldiers change every season, rotating through the four cities over the course of a Short Year.