Ash Desert is a bizarre wasteland created from objects that become monumental at the characters' altered scale. A colossal broken ashtray dominates part of the barren ground, a cup of water rises like a precious reservoir nearby, and scattered tents show that the otherwise empty expanse is not completely unoccupied. Smaller discarded objects become rocks, walls and landmarks across the ash-covered surface.

The map works because familiar clutter becomes survival terrain. Open ash leaves travelers exposed, while the huge objects provide the only reliable cover and orientation across the desert. In Strength of Thousands: Shadows of the Ancients, this scale distortion helps sell the strangeness of the setting without requiring conventional fantasy scenery. A GM can use it for a crossing, camp encounter or pursuit in which the next piece of shelter is literally an object that would normally fit in someone's hand.