The Exiled Lands

Welcome to the wonderful world of Conan Exiles. I won't be bringing my old story stuff over from the old forum. I'll be giving you new stuff once I get playing again. For those who like to see all the old screenshots, don't worry - they're all here in my album:  https://ibb.co/album/zXk4G9

You know the drill, click thumbnails to see the fullsize screenshots. I will shortlink screenshots I cannot thumbnail here due to their nature. Have fun and enjoy.

The heat, the sand. She was left here to die. Zamira, thief and lady of the streets of Zamora, what a cruel fate it was to die here in an unknown land...



The sandstorm was approaching fast. There was no escaping it...

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The sandstorm had passed. Somehow she was still alive. But Zmira was thirsty and hungry, and the sun was baking her naked skin...

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Someone had left a waterskin, still with some water left in it... and a note. Zamira quenched her immediate thirst, but she was still hungry...

 

There were dangerous creatures here. Fortunately, the winged demon took flight as she approached. The leather journal added nothing new she did not already know, and the clothing the corpse was wearing was tattered and drenched in what must have been saliva from that bat demon. Nothing for Zamira to salvage here...

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Zamira knew she would have to make up a fire to ward off the wild creatures. She gathered dry wood, plant fiber and ssome rocks as she wandered on...

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The sun was setting but Zamira could see fires in the distance. It was a sign that there wre other people around - but where they friend or foe? Her surroundings were getting lusher, a sig that there was water nearby, and she thought she could see a river...

Surviving on the insects she had found in the vegetation, Zamira had lived through her first night. The next day she had to fight for her life for the first time when a strange little creature attacked her. Zamira had only her fists and feet to protect her but it was enough to slay this pitiful creature.

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There were larger creatures here, too - Shalebacks...

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Fortunately for the Zamorian, the Shalebacks didn't follow Zamira into the river. The cool water was also a welcome reprive from the scorching sun. Zamiria quickly learned how to handle these creatures. Their nests held eggs - a very valuable source of nourishment. And they were easy enough to kill with a good branch or a couple of well-aimed rocks to their head...

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She spotted the Exile camp from a distance. Seemed a male was camping there. He would make good company, Zamira was more than willing to offer her body up in exchange for things she needed. But she was taking a risk. Back in Arenjun, the city in Zamora where Zamira was born, men on the streets would gladly beat up and rape a lonely woman. But they would leave her breathing. There was no guarantee this man wouldn't kill her when he was done with her, but if Zamira made it clear she was offering herself to him willingly?

These Exiled Lands were nothing like the streets of Arenjun. He came at her with a crude spear. Zamira turned to run, but another man was coming from behind - her escape was cut off. It was clear that these men were not interested in having their way with her and then leaving her to the wind - they were bent on killing her. Zamira tossed a rock she had in her hand. It struck the spear-wielding man in the head. Then she grabbed a branch from the ground to defend herself...

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Zamira came out victorious. She made best use of what they were using. Their stone weapons had broken during the fight so so they were of no use to her. However, their clothing could be turned into soome threads to cover her own body. And branches, plant fiber and some twine could be used to make a primitive torch...



Further down the river bank, Zamira came across two female Exiles. She casually approached them hoping the women were smarter than the men. Zamira was born in a brothel. She learned to sell her body early, years before she even came of age. If the women in the brothel had not known the ways of herbal drinks and concotations to ward off conception or induce spontaneous abortion of a fetus, there would have been a lot of extra little mouths to feed. Zamira knew how to please men and women long before she had her first period. And she was taught how to make use of herbs as birth control. She could have continued to live like that in Arenjun, but fate had it she moved to Shadizar...



The woman attacked her with twin blades made from stone. Zamira didn't budge. The Zamorian fought back with a branch as her weapon and beat her attacker. Those daggers were in good condition. Zamira picked them up and it was a good thing - the other woman came at her, too. Zamira spent the night at the Exile's camp, eating their food and sleeping in one of their bedrolls. 



Stumbling across another camp, having defeated the hostile Exiles, Zamira found a wooden chest. It contained a few useful stone tools - a pick and a hatchet. Zamira could craft these herself, but it was much easier to just take these from her enemies. Zamira could not stop thinking back on her life in Arenjun. She missed it. It may sound strange, but she enjoyed being a prostitute in the brothel. Hopefully there would be someone out here, not bent on killing her who would actually appreciate her skills in the arts of Derketo, Goddess of Pleasure and Death. Well, she was hoping to meet someone to please with her extensive knowledge of the arts. She was lonely and longed for another's warm body - be it a man's or a woman's.

Zamira continued to explore the river bank. The ancient dark structure drew her attention...



The Zamorian woman's climbing skills came in handy. There were more of those hideous creatures around but they were easy to defeat with her stone weapons. Zamira had a look around...



She saw a camp and some ghosts. It was bewildering at first, but they soon disappeared. Zamira approached the camp and found a journal...

Crossing the sweltering desert was an exercise in discipline. We came across a small encampment, seemingly abandoned. Wary of the possibility of an ambush, we approached the smoldering embers of the campfire but whomever had been there before us were nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, without food to cook, we could simply stare at the embers and dream of smoking slabs of meat. To raise the mood, I described to my companion the beautiful noblewomen of Ophira. Braga crossed his arms and told me that I talk to much and that he wasn't interested. I offered to describe the sheep of my homeland instead... Braga thinks that we ought to travel north from here, across the bridge. I mumbled my agreement through a mouthful of broken teeth.

Zamira spotted the ghosts again. She decided to follow their lead to see where they went...



There was no way she could follow them. If she really wanted to know where they went, she'd have to cross the river and search the other side -- a task for another day. Zamira took in the view from this vantage point...



The shalebacks and those ugly little creatures were enemies, and both of them would attack any Exiles coming too close. It was something Zamira could take advantage of...



She had not seen them before, but it was just a matter of time before a crocodile would try to make a meal out of her. Out of the water, though, the crocodile was out of its element and Zamira had the advantage. She felt pride in the accomplishment having slain the scly creature.



Further exploration along the river bank brought Zamira to the Sentinels. She spotted a well-dressed man in the distance. He was quite different from the other Exiles she'd seen so far. Cautiously, she approached...



"Another new one, eh? I can smell it on you. Veterans tend to smell just a little more like despair. I'm Arcos, once a sailor, now a wanderer. You didn't think you were the only one, did you? Hah! You should go north, there's whole cities of Exiles up there. In the beginning there were just a few of us. But now... seems like fresh faced fools are showing up every week. Not all of them are as friendly as I am, mind you. Watch your step - there are a lot of desperate people out there," he said. 
It was very resfreshing to meet a man who didn't try to kill her. Zamira was a bit disappointed that he didn't make a pass at her. She would more than willingly have endulged in all the carnal pleasures of the body had he just taken the first step. Zamira tried to gain more information about her situation...
"The bracelets? You can't remove them. Saw one fool cut his arm clean off trying to get rid of it. He bled to death right there on the sand. Nasty business. Leave it on. You'll start to hear the voices soon enough. Then you'll start seeing ghosts. I don't think the voices are for us. Not for us here and now. I think they were talking to somebody else. Back then. Wherever it was. Whenever it was," Arcos said. 
Zamira didn't know what he meant by voices, but she had definitely seen the ghosts. She had also seen those great pillars in the desert when she first survived the sandstorm...
"Those pillars keep us confined here. Some call it the cursewall, or the ghostfence or just, the boundary. Doesn't really matter what it's called, does it? I walked all the way around it once. Had to be careful not to cross it, o course. Once, in the north, I saw a few people on the other side. Wearing bracelets just like ours but with gems of amber. It makes you wonder... I'm no scholar, but I've met a few who passed through. They all have mad theories about what thes ruins scattered around here are. Lemurians, Giant-Kings, Khari, Valusian Serpent men - do those names mean anything to you? Never mind. It's my experience that men who have their minds in the past get eaten by crocodiles in the present," he said.

Darfari, these cannibals were all over the desert. 



Zamira braved the Narrowneck Span camp but there was nobody home - probably for the best.



A stick of charcoal and a few leaves will have to serve as my diary in this god-forsaken place. Perhaps my words will be of use to some unfortunate soul in the future. And this seems to be a land of lost souls. Once I escaped my bonding to the cross, I found that I was not alone in my fate. Two other poor fools had been crucified nearby – a dead Zamorian and a glaring barbarian. He looks like one of those savages that haunt the northern borders of fair Aquilonia, a Cimmerian. His piercing eyes and the sullen look on his face gave me doubts but I decided to free him anyway. This is no fate for a man. Braga, as he is called, is gruff and uncouth. He offered to travel with me in order to pay my debts. He is severely wounded – unlike the leather bonds that bound me to the cross, Braga had been nailed there. We have spotted a bridge to the northwest. Bridges mean water, a resource we lack.

Zamira continued exploring...



There were small camps all around the river mouth...



The Skittering Cavern... Zamira decided not to explore it - she had enough of spiders. Not far to the north, there was another Dafrari camp. There were several cannibals inhabiting this place...



Zamira collected all the valuables she could carry and continued north...

Zamira's luck was about to dramatically change...



Stumbling across this building was a stroke of luck. It was unfinished, missing a roof, but it had the necessary crafting stations. The area was ripe with iron so Zamira could just smelt it down and start making iron tools and weapons. She could also make leather from her hides and potions from her aloe. This was a game changer...



Rocknoses - these wird rock creatures not only produced rock but also crystal and brimstone. The crystal could be melted into glass and brimstone mixed with tar from making leather would make steelfire. The source of brimstone was far from enough for a steady supply of steel though. 



It was a big step forward to say goodbye to her stone tools and start using iron. Zamira also finished laying the ceiling. She had a great start here. Now all that was needed were some thralls under her command. Zamira certainly knew where to find a few, but finding good and skilled craftsmen and women would not be an easy task. She would also have to craft a truncheon and some bindings, not to mention a wheel of pain to break her thralls on. All in due time...

Zamira headed back south along the river...



The Exiles best stay out of her way lest they end in a wet red puddle. It was a good time to stock up on aloe for potions, and raid a few shaleback nests for fresh eggs...



Exploring, Zamira spotted the mother of all crocodiles. She did her best to avoid the huge beast, but not enough. The crocodile had spotted her, too, and set it's hungry mind on the Zamorian woman. Fortunately, Zamira ould fairly easily outrun the beast, but the croc didn't give up easily and chased her a surprising distance.



Zamira avoided the bigger Darfari camps, but when a few fools gave chase, she didn't back down from a fight and show the cannibals who was the best fighter.

Sinner's Refuge... Zamira had found a cave where many Exiles had taken up residence. The place also was a source for brimstone - which she needed to make steel. The Zamorian woman mined what she could without being detected by the main populace. She would have to come back, though -- not only to mine brimstone, but also to catch some thralls...



Zamira had found a journal during her outing. It is not certain it belonged to the man she had recovered it from, but that did not matter to her...

I know not for what reason I have been cast out of Tarantia, but it seems clear now that I will never leave this place -- wherever this place is. There are others here, but even from a distance I have glimpsed their savagery, so for nowm I am alone. I have managed, so far, to outsmart starvation and keep from the notice of marauding bands of Exiles. I think I will begin my work anew, here in this Gods-forsaken place, and record my thoughts in this journal. It is not the last, great writing I hd in mind for myself. But we are not guaranteed what we want in life -- only that we will live, for a time.
- Gregor Finnacus, the Wintner in Exile



Zamira expanded with some new workstations. 

Zamira has spotted them before, from her side of the river. This time shhe decided to hunt the half-sized creatures for their hide...



It took no effort to find where they came from. The cave was teeming with the creatures - more hide for crafting. The cave was also full with crystal. This was a great opportunity to stock up.



Over the next period, Zamiria's camp expanded with Ciria the Mad, an Exile woman she rescued from the Darfari. She also employed a new smelter and a cook.

Zamira had new armour fitted for her. Then she let the Darfari taste her wrath, many times...



The camp needed wood - not only to make into shaped wood for all kinds of tools and items but also to dry. The dried wood could then be used as fuel or to make insulated wood for building and more...



Zamira's camp experience its first Purge...



... an avalanche of rocknoses.

Being a young and sought after prostitute in Zamora, Zamira could never dream of one day being left to die in an alien world. But here she was - surviving, and thriving, leading her clan of survivors. 



Cannibal savages. I have made my way here, as it seems they will not come close to this area. But the wretched bastards have beaten me still. Something courses through my veins, not the fiery visions of the lotus or the blissful dreams of the poppy, but a dark swirling maelstrom of pain that hovers beneath a tentacled shadow. I should never have drunk their infernal concoction. It is becoming difficult to move. Xath take them! I see them now what the dream foretold. A premonition. I go to the embrace of Zath willingly. Perhaps in his afterlife, there are beds of finest spider silk...



Having read the harlot's journal, Zamira recalled her own past. She remembered the day she left the capital city of Zamora forever. Zamira had only known the life of a prostitute and she had learned the sacred arts of Derketo at a very young age. When she came into her teens, Zamira was already a woman - in both aspects of the meaning -- she had started laying with men at the young age of twelve. Only months later had she had her first period. The young girl quickly became very popular among the rich merchants and nobles. 
If had not been for the knowledge of contraceptives, Zamira would have tasted motherhood many times over, but the priests who ran the brothel fed her the contraceptives in her food. Zamira had turned eighteen when she and four other women were brought into a room. This was the common way customer chose their girls. But this time was different because the merchant wasn't picking a girl to lay with - he was buying one. Apart from Zamira, there was a fifteen year old girl, five months pregnant, another teen and two women in their early twenties. The merchant immediately turned away the pregant girl. He then eyed the other up and down. They were all completely naked for the merchant's perusal. He smiled when his eyes fell on Zamira's ample breasts. Her were the biggest of the lot. Zamira remembered his comment that her voluptious breats were well-suited for feeding offspring. Then he commented on the women's hips all beeing nice and broad - perfect for childbrearing. It was then it was obvious whoever was bought was meant for breeding. 
The merchant walk up to Zamira and caressed her breasts. Her nipples quickly turned rock hard to his delight. His hand found its way between her legs. Zamira was quite wet. The man did the same to the other women, too, but he soon was back at Zamira's side. The merchant's fingers slipped inside her, his rubbing and fondling quickly driving her to climax. Zamira ejaculated out of lust - a reason why so many men sought her company. 
The merchant then decided on her and Zamira was sold.

Zamira led her men along the river...



This place was certainly full of mysteries. There were land-locked pirates brandishing the flag of the Black Hand. And there were hideous creatures in the sand - though their eggs were a prize, if you dared rob their nests. Those pirates had a base on a rockformation that very much looked like a huge ship.



There was no chance they would survive an attack on the base itself, but the Black Hand had more than one encampment around the place. And these encampments varied in size. Zamira's team could easily raid one of them under cover of dark...

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The Black Hand had prisoners in cages. When the sun rose, Zamira's raiders had freed an entertainer. She had been stripped naked and been tossed into a cage. Hungry, thirsty and afraid she was very grateful to be rescued.



Some of the clothing from the dead Black Hand members fitted the freed prisone well. She was delighted to join Zamira of her free will.



Another raid on the Black Hand yielded a much needed blacksmith and alchemist.

Zamira's exploration of the outskirts of the Unnamed City was brief. She found someone's camp...



We have set up a temporary camp at the black walls. Even Braga seems taken aback by the ghostly sounds coming from within the ruins and he is only slightly more expressive than the stone itself. I have firmly declared that I have no intention of exploring them. My companion sighed at my cowardice but agreed to head further north. Perhaps we can find an opening in the wall that will not lead to certain death. That would be much preferred.



Another day they discovered Muriela's Hope. The friendly Mitra worshipper shared her religion with the visitors. The also found another of the Ophirean journals...

I feel ill at ease here. I do not know what happened to the builders that began this project but I cannot imagine their fates being pleasant. Braga climbed the scaffolding and threw himself onto the back of an antelope, which he killed with a brutal wrench of the neck. Tomorrow we will continue our journey west toward s the ruins but tonight we feast like kings!



The nearby oasis was home to a monstrous rhino. The king of the beasts attacked as Zamira and her party neared. It was a long and hard-fought battle, but in the end they stood victorious after the rhino king had been skewered on a spear.



Looting the chest - using the key they found in the belly of the beast - Zamira found a legendary sword.

When they returned to base a project to expand the living quarters was started...



Their numbers were bolstered by a group of sherpas...



Their expedition came across Dogs of the Desert among the ruins...



Zamira's expedition left no treasure untouched...

Another Purge...



Zamira loved her new sword. It cut through her enemies like a hot knife through butter. Even tough scales or armour was no obstacle for her wicked blade...

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Zamira surveyed the damage -- there was none. Everyone had come out of this Purge unscathed, save a few minor ailments, but no one was seriously hurt. 
"It's nice when the hide comes to you, is it not," she chuckled. 
Their tanner would be busy for a while...

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During another expedition north to the savannah, they discovered Mek-Kamoses's Spire.

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"No closer, Exile, lest I blast your feeble skin from your bones! I am Mek-kamoses, of the Black Ring. In another place and time, I would command your obeisance, but for now I would speak of matters that are of mutual interest. You have the look of the lost, stranger. Abandoned, exiled and adrift in purpose. Fool. You need to forge a purpose for yourself in this place. These bracelets we wear sap at our will, supress our true powers. They are designd to make us meek and pliable. Do not allow your thoughts to be trapped. Resist it! I was a sorcerer of the Black Ring, before my exile. But I opposed the rise of a sorcerer called Toth Amon. He was powerdul and ambitious, made doubly so by an artefact called the Serpent Ring of Set. He was also... political, forging alliances with King Cstephon of Stygia. I found myself swept aside for my opposition. Perhaps you think it was foolish of him to le me live? This bracelet suppresses my sorcerous abilities. I am thoroughly trapped. It is somewhere in these lands that Toth Amon discovered the Serpent Ring of Set. I only glimpsed it once, but there is a similarity between the paterning of the bracelets and the ring. It follows that the Giant Kings who ruled this place created other such artefacts. That is the purpose to which I have dedicated myself, I will scour this land in search of the artefact that will restore my sorcery. And then there shall be a reckoning such as Toth Amon has never imagined! Many mistakenly believe that sorcery comes from some innate power. It is true, that the more corrupted the soul, the more kinship one will find in the creatures of the Outer Void. But the power to summon comes from knowledge, and that knowledge can be taught. If you find a way to restore my sorcery, I will teach you the words written in the Book of Skelos. I will proved you with access to a power that you have never known before. Together, we will raise an army and march forth to take our vengeance!" he said.



Upon returning to base, Zamira ordered the construction of a shrine to Set. The God's favor would come in handy...



To gain the continous favor of the God, sacrifices were required - human hearts. And where better to find those than harvest those from the bodie of her slain enemies, most preferably Darfari...

Getting thick hide was the focus, but there's always time for a raid if the opportunity arises...



Obtaining the hide they wanted was the eay part. But to really make the best use out of it all, they needed alchemical base. A lot of it. And to make that they needed gold and silver in great quantity...



On rare occations, a rare rocknose would appear in their base, an opportunity to get gold or silver ore from its carcass. A fluid pres was installed to gain oil from fish mainly, but there were also other uses. And they had gotten themselves a pet...



It was time consuming, but they got their pen up and running and filled with rare rocknoses. Over time they'd get ore and crystal from feeding these creatures rock. 

The Broken Basin... it was a suitable spot for a new outpost...



Before long the operation was set up. From here, they had very close to the Savannah where they could get all the thick hide they wanted. And it wasn't too far from the Black Galleon, either - good for raiding. And from here they could launch forays and explore the north...

Zamira's raiding party left a bloody wake as the swept through the black Hand encampments...



On the homefront, there was another Purge...



A priest of Set had now joined them and their outpost had build stables...

Zamira and her party had ventured into the Unnamed City and reached the obelisk...



There was an intriguing building nearby...



"Do not be afraid, bonded one. I am just a shadow, a whisper of what once was. Before the fall, when my people raised nighted pillars of black rock to the sky, I was called the Archivist. Have you come to seek a way free of the bonding bracelet, human? There is only one chance and a very slim one at that. You must assemble the items of power that were present at its creation. The Diadem of the Giant-Kings, the Mask of the Witch Queen, the Tears of Two Races, the Star of the Champion, the Heart of the Sands, the Shinng Trapezohedron and the Serpent Ring of Set. I fear I set you an impossible quest, human. The Diadem of the Giant-Kings was once worn on the brow of the Priestking. He fell in battle with Tyros the Deathbringer, in the battlefields of the north. More than that I cannot say. The Priestking was the most passionate and the most volatile among us. I fear his downfall will not have been a simple matter. The Witch Queen of Lemuria was our great enemy, in the dying days of our race. Her people came to as as refugees, but even as they took our succour, they plotted our downfall. She was present at the creation of the bracelets, lending her powers to ours. Her gate is unknown to me, but she always ruled from her city in the swamp to the east. The Tears of Two Races were simple enough to obtain when we performed the ritual. We simply took our tears and combined them. But who is left to weep for both races? Although... tales persist of Tyros the Deathbringer. He was born of both races, our blood mingled with theirs. Perhaps his tears could be enough to fulfill the requirement. Obtaining them would be quite the feat. The Star of the Champion lies beneath the sands of the arena to the east. I remember well the day that Tyros killed the mighty dragon. He wept to defeat such a noble creature. He placed the Star on its brow. As far as I know, there it remains. The Heart of the sands, or smimply the Scourgestone, was an artefact of power. The Priestking used it to create a eapon, the sandstorm, that he swore would be our salvation. He gave it to the Warmaker to unleash upon our enemies. As far as I know, it was destroyed in the attempt, but perhaps the Warmaker has more insight. The Serpent Ring of Set... it was our most powerful artefact. It was kept in a tomb beneath this city. And then one day... a human came. He ha all the words and signs of power. He passed through every ward and trap we had put in place. He took the Serpent Ring of Set and he left. If you wonder why you wear the bracelet, wonder no more. It must have been this man, who called himself Thoth-Amon. Dedicate yourself to recovering the other artefacts. You will not recover the Serpent Ring as long as you are trapped in this empire. Perhaps.... pergaps it will be enough. When you have the artefacts, you must place them on the receptacle, north of here. Once you have filled the vessel with the artefacts of power, it will create a keystone. To remove your bracelet, all that is required is to touch it with the keystone. And then, mortal, you will be free. How did I die? I was betrayed by your kind. In a place called the Circle of Swords, I went in good faith to meet the Witch Queen. She had promised peace. I was cut down. My bones were left to rot in the wind. And yet, my spirit has always belonged to the archives, human. And so, I am here. And here I shall remain."

"Here is the place that has been set aside for your people, Bonded One. Here you can find rest and succor between errands. Breeding is encouraged. We can always use more servants."



Zamira and her party avoided the Red Mother in the Spawning Pools.

After a long walk they had found the city of the Relic Hunters - Sepermeru...



They entered the city at the Temple District...



... And before they knew it - much to Zamira's dismay - her followers had provoked an attack by the locals. Defending themselves, Zamira and her part brought about a bloodbath. The Zamorian would've wanted to explore more of the city, but it was best they left, before the city guards came running in droves.
Meanwhile, the outpost they had set up was developing...

Zamira's next expedition led her team to the North...



They found a cave. It was infested with montrous bats.



This was really the last place they had expected to find dragons. but here they were. Thse were just the little ones. They dreaded to encounter their mother...