Essence Desert

Just as water flows across the earth so does the Essence of Crestion move with the streams of the dragon lines. I haven't yet given it a name, but I am imagining a place in the wastes of the south where the dragon lines run as thin as the empty riverbeds and the cloudless sky. Mechanically one would not normally respire Essence in this region. Even the flow of power from an embedded Hearthstone might slow to a trickle. Most stones would only grant their rating in motes per day. Earth stones might grant twice their rating in motes every day. Solar stones might give their rating in motes once at dawn, once at noon and once at dusk. Fire stones might give their rating in motes once per 5 hours. If there are any demesnes in the zone perhaps those particular spots grant full motes but they would surely be weak rating 1 places and Manses probably require incredible maintenance just to deal with the broken dragon lines.

Worse yet the harshly Essence-dry area costs a person 3 motes per day. Those without Essence or who run out must spend 1 Willpower per day or suffer one die of lethal damage. Willpower is still recovered as normal. Even an Essence-barren zone cannot automatically crush the spirit so easily.

Those rare beings who live here are adapted to the harsh environs as best they can. They are creatures of high Conviction and Willpower, willing to do terrible things in the name of survival. Some are assuredly mutants whose might comes from their form rather than any supernatural power.

Perhaps this lies somewhere "near" the First and Forsaken Lion's realm and an Abyssal occasionally searches for some lost thing there, managing to brave the Essence desert by consuming the rare lives that survive there.