The world exists as a vast, cold desert, dominated by sand swept into dunes and plains that stretch toward jagged rock outcrops and solitary mountains, rising like islands in a motionless sea. Temperatures around the equator are persistently low, though not freezing, lending a brittle, muted clarity to the air. The sky is dimly lit by two weak stars, casting long, pale shadows and bathing the landscape in a constant twilight.
Wind drifts through the dunes, gentle but steady, carrying fine metallic dust and grains of sand. Rain is non-existent; nearly all water is locked in polar icecaps, with only trace remnants remaining far from these reservoirs. The atmosphere is technically breathable, but there is no life sustained within it—no flora, no fauna.
Automaton settlements are rare and were concentrated around sources of energy. Dust storms and the landmarkless shifting sands present constant challenges to anyone attempting to travel, while remnants of automata structures offer occasional shelter or resource nodes. The environment is unforgiving, stark, and ever-changing, demanding ingenuity, restraint, and careful stewardship from those who survive within it.