Wild Wild East - Part 2

Czumak Ox Train

In yesterday's post I mentioned the idea of using a central Asian setting to get some of the same openness and edge of the wilderness tone that is largely based on the fictional American West and that is the typical setting seen in D&D. 

Today's post on Dariusz caballeros on the Czumak peoples contains a bunch of great images of Czumak wagons and ox carts winding across the steppes that would enhance a Wild East setting.

The top image gives me the feel of the vast expanse of the steppes. I like how the artist includes so much of the sky so that it feels like the sky is thing of immense weight hanging over your head.

I really like this painting. Seeing a caravan of bright red ox carts like this appear out of a snow covered steppe is an evocative and colorful image that would stay with the players.

And it seems my speculation in the comments for Udan's post was correct. The steppes did have windmills. See the shadowing mill on the far left in the painting below.

And to give credit where credit is due, the artist of the above paintings is Ivan Aivazovsky.