IThe Lost Sea © Alex Ries 2012

ndustrialisation of Chriirah has had a dramatic effect on many of the planets’ ecosystems. The equatorial zone of this world, dominated by a vast superheated region named the Kiln, has seen perhaps the most extreme changes as the desert continues to expand.

Agricultural needs necessitated the damming of several major rivers to provide irrigation for Kiln border areas, and the lakes these rivers once fed began to evaporate. Ultimately most of these lakes vanished, leaving behind shallow sandy basins and ghost towns.

Unable to afford relocation, or unwilling to spare the expense, shipping companies left their craft to rust on the dry lakebeds.