The plane of Karfuul
Often called Ugahl by planeswalkers, due to the huge wasteland that most visitors often find themselves landing in. It is a post-apocalyptic world, one which has largely moved on from the event that brought down its previous civilization. However, the wasteland created then still exists, and is regarded by natives with fear and curiosity, for most have forgotten what caused it.


The Viashino of Karfuul: JanRaga (Dragons of Jan)

In the North-Eastern reaches of Ugahl, where the wastes reach closest to the coast, lie the Jan mountain range. These are mountains of bedrock that reach out from the ground, halting the wastes from advancing further. In these mountains reside the proud brotherhood of warriors known as the Janraga. Limber and muscular reptilian humanoids, they identify with the stories of the Dragons that once ruled the skies, as well as (to a lesser extent) the lizards that also home in the crags and caves in the mountains.

They are a fiercely loyal peoples, forming bonds quickly and readily laying down their lives for those in their 'brother-' or 'sisterhood'. Often displays of power are enough to win their admiration, though to be accepted into the brotherhood, one must have a certain sense of character that they identify with. Upholding your word, whether or not you are in the right, is looked upon as greater than trickery and silver-tongued conversations. This emphasis on personal relations is especially apparent in their culture. A newborn Janraga is often cared for by all the 'brothers' and 'sisters' of the mother, and it is not uncommon to find a mountain climber with a babe in one arm. It is this trust that defines the Janraga, and gives them their reknown as great partners to anyone who risks their lives for their job, like reclaimers.

Their love of physical challenges is also unrivaled across the plane, making them the most successful and most numberous mountain climbers in Karfuul. Coming from the Jan mountains, this means that many Janraga make frequent climbs, loving the challenge of the climb and finding the view incredible, especially at sundown. This love of challenges also makes them the most famous and productive, if not most numerous, reclaimers. If not in the Jan or some other mountain range, you'll most often find a Janraga in a reclaiming town, forming the backbone of exploring parties. It is not unheard of for a group of all Janraga to form a reclaiming party, but it is not so common a sight, since travelling Janraga often form a new brotherhood with those they meet of other races.

A people of enchantments:

Given the common and highly unpredictable climate shifts of Karfuul, many peoples have developed a dependence on long-lasting enchantments to keep any permanent settlement. Without these environment-changing spells, most civilized settlements would fall completely within a single year. These enchantments most often take the form of automatic restorative spells (for combatting the creeping effect of the wastes) or fertilization spells (to protect against the climate shifts). Thhis is, in fact, the only reason the reclamation settlements are able to exist; being built on the edges of the wastes.

An example of the former is the reclaiming town Dermu (literally translated as "City of Steel"), the oldest such town in Ta-Ugahl. Built on the edge of Ta, where the mana-rich dusts still permeates the air, Dermu is a highly successful town which has withstood several encroachments of the wastes, growing asymmetrically and haphazardly as it utilized the metal the reclaimers brought back. On the other end of the spectrum is Zegsanil, built in the highlands of Utakahn, which has little to worry about other than a change from tropical to tundra conditions. While this is not something quite so trivial, the climactic stabilization barrier upheld around the agrarian city keeps such changes from affecting the city.


Sirens, those lovely enchantresses:

Existing on the plane's numerous far-flung islands, Sirens form a sort of mythical race in Karfuul. They are the living remnants of the waste's ancient civilization, and retain their abilities and knowledge from those times. Their songs carry all the hypnotizing magics as they themselves used to weild, and now they beckon travellers to their lonely shores. They are a dwindling people, no more than a few dozen living on even the largest island, Talhgein.

Those of the far-flung islands of the Shaol sea, however, prove to be lonely more often than not. They lure in travellers not to kill, but to form relationships that stave off the loneliness of their existence. These sirens will often let the ships that dock on their shores go, taking but one or two sailers to learn of the outside world and to have a partner for their lives.

Sirens reproduce semi-magically; they become pregnant, but need not copulate to do so. A siren which has entered a 'fertile' phase, which is completely at the time of their choosing, must choose an individual* from another species to develop a child. They borrow the genetic variances from their partners to create true children, not clones. This can be achieved with minimal physical contact, thus a siren can concievably stay chaste forever while still birthing children. Fendul sirens are malicious, and care little of what partners they choose; they often take advantage of someone who survives their enchanting song. Sirens of the ocean are more gentle, often forming a true bond with their partner before choosing to have a child with them (though this is not why they do choose partners).

*note: A siren can develop a child with a female of another species, as well.

Acolytes of the Old Order:

A small community of humans survived the destruction of the ancient civilization of Ugahl. They had formed a monastic order off the mainland, on the largest island in (W of Sagme). Slowly, they grew in number, mostly through converts who saw the peace afforded by the Order.

Regions:
Jan: The small coastal region in the NE of the main continent, and the mountain region that keeps the wastes at bay.
Sagme: A large forest that gives way to swamps at the coast in the W of the main continent. The forest is reffered to as Deep Sagme, as its coverage moves with the climate changes. It is currently a jungle, and houses the Nantuko of Karfuul.
Ta: A large expanse of plains, in the SW that meets Deep Sagme in its northern reaches. It is now a series of grasslands, dotted by many small communities.
Fendul: The coastal region in the SE, reffered to as the Fendul Coasts because of the innumerable small islands and keys just off the mainland. Sirens make this one of their homes, the ones that are more malicious. Fendul is well known for powerful storms that wrack the coast regularly. The keys and coastline are full of swampland at the moment.
Utakahn: Highlands in the NW of the main continent, full of large rocky hills and small plateus.

Nantuko - G - Deep Sagme & spread lightly
Humans - WUBRG - spread
Viashino - R - Jan & spread
Sirens - U - oceanic islands & rarely spread
Giants - GW - Sagme, Utakahn, & spread
Medusae - BG - Southern Jan everglades, Fendul coasts, & spread


White==Loxodon, kithkin, leonin, aven, kor

The Ugahl wastes: a giant swath of lifeless wasteland, covering most of two continents and encompassing two-thirds of the world's land mass. The Ugahl wastes are characterized by a distinct lack of mana from the land itself. A massive swath of ruinous remnants of an ancient yet advanced civilization, the Ugahl wastes are covered with the rusty memories of the bygone times. Amid a desert of rust rises mountains of twisted metal and forests of crumbled buildings. Water evaporates quickly in the wastes, and what little exists stales quckly in the shade. Despite this variance of geography, there is still no mana attached to the land, as it does elsewhere in Karfuul. However, the dust whipped up from the wastes often hold some of the suspiciously absent mana from the wastes.


The secret of the wastes:

Unknown to most of the inhabitants of Karfuul, including the inhabitants of the various reclamation towns, is that the Ugahl wastes do house a single species of creature. With no native name for these creatures, various planeswalkers who have witnessed them have given them the name "Arachnoid". These creatures are, in truth, the reason beneath the wastes, quite litterally. They are an artificial, metallic race of creatures with minimal intelligence that go through a metamorphic life cycle and feed on mana directly. They do reproduce, but do so in a finite amount, in accordance to the amount of mana available. However, they store the mana they feed on in their bodies, so canabalism keeps their numbers in check as well.

Life cycle of the Arachnoids:

Stage I: The Dust
Is the point where these creatures 'begin' their metallic lives. They start off no larger than a speck of dust, and are birthed en masse from final stage arachnoids. Stage I arachnoids are completely mindless feeding machines, gathering energy and mass to grow.

Stage II:
Can be considered when the creatures reach the point when they differentiate. When reaching a noticeable size, about the size of your fist, they metamorhpose. Shedding that which is not useful, Stage II arachnoids begin to vary in shape depending on their environment. Typically, a Stage II arachnoid will have several spindly legs (though the amount varies), and a body arranged in a way to allow for tight fits.

Stage III:
Is reached upon the next metamorphose, around the time when size begins to be an issue in mobility. Stage III arachnoids are usually between half to the full size of a human. Growth is usually centered around the abdomen during Stage II, so a second metamorphose is undertaken to disperse the mass. Since this is when the arachnoids start feeding on smaller arachnoids, their metamorphose will become more specialized depending on diet and environment, focusing on mouthpieces and digestive system as well as mobility.

Stage IV:
Arachnoids never really stop growing, so they must undergo another metamorphosis after they become too large for their environment. This varies, but seems to be tied with the amount of mana available. Typically between the size of a horse and an elephant, though there are certainly exceptions. The metamorphosis here usually focuses on support for the body, and so adds more legs and increases the sturdiness of them. This is also the time when they seem to gain a certain measure of intelligence, overcoming their previous instinct to feed on each new food source as they find it. This does not tie in to any higher intelligence, but they will pass over mana sources small for their size, that would not support them for long.

Stage V: Queens
The final stage in an Arachnoid's life is also the shortest. After having gained a considerable amount of bulk, an Arachnoid goes through one final metamorphosis, adding a new feature: they gain an ability to spawn. Using the mana stored within their bodies, they convert their own mass into Stage I Arachnids. While typically only doing this while feeding, the conversion rate greatly surpasses the rate at which it can feed, leading to holes and 'wounds' where its body is being used.

New creature type
Artifact creature type
Feeds on mana
Like robotic vampires - keep living as long as it feeds
Many and varied legs (3+ legs)
Larger forms support themselves with more legs
Larger ones also have feeding apparatus (small legs)
Not capable of swimming or flying
Live in the Infinite Underground of the Ugahl wastes
Nocturnal
Made of an incredibly light metal, that melts easily
Instinctively run from light (while smaller), since it can and does kill them
Instinctively dig down, to escape the sun
Carved much of the Infinite Underground, as millennia of generations have dug through the earth to escape the sun and find food
Much of the Dust stage die in the sun; they carry the mana in their bodies on the wind
Cannibalistic tendencies arise around Stage III; feed on Stage II mostly
At Stages I-III, will instinctively abandon food source if larger one appears
Stages IV and V often skip over sources too small to support them
Do not (practically) lose any energy in their life cycle, so a single queen could conceivably spawn an infinite cycle of ___s, ignoring deaths through light exposure
Through feeding needs and nocturnal cave-dwelling lifestyle, mostly blind, sensing mana instead
NOT as deadly as Eldrazi
Do NOT attain humanoid form
Usu. in spider-like or insect form
Do not have normal 'head',
Responsible for modern maps of the world, which place the large wasteland they created at the edges, encircling all.

Reproduction
The final stage of growth - the "queen" stage - allows these creatures to reproduce. Queens can arise from any stage IV ___, after it has gained enough mass. Queens have no sway over their smaller counterparts, and are simply named so because they are the only kind to produce 'offspring.' Though, that word is not quite correct, either, since these creatures do not so much breed as replicate. A 'breeding' female produces replicas of itself in miniature, shedding them like flakes of skin, as it feeds. A breeding female can produce thousands of identical offspring in minutes, as long as it is feeding. However, a peculiarity of the queens is that they can go into a hibernative state; and that allows them to live longer. A typical queen's lifespan is a few weeks long, a large of that spent in hibernative sleep between meals.

I used the following cards when imagining the new creature type:
[deck]Arachnoid
Dross Scorpion
Epochrasite
Memnite
Phyrexian Revoker
Psychosis Crawler
Runed Servitor
Sludge Strider
Spinal Parasite
Hex Parasite
Hedron Rover

In addition, I used these as visual references for the wastes pre- and post-apocalypse