The Southlands contain many mysteries yet to reveal themselves, but even in the short time the Expeditionary Coalition has operated in the region some common elements have become quite accepted aspects of life in the Southern Reaches.

It's clear from the scars on the land that some great war took place here, who the belligerents were, how many factions were at play and the source of their conflict remain unknown, however, trace elements of the struggle are common. The wilder areas are rife with magical beasts, and many areas feature large numbers of undead. While magical items are not common, the things found in the Southlands are often wildly different from those found in the Lakesht, other continents. Perhaps most puzzling are the presence of sentient, living automatons known as the Warforged, assumedly crafted for this war, though the surviving entities hold no clear memories of the past. Many Warforged have integrated into the growing society of The Mouth though some remain distrustful of the Expedition.

Exploration efforts have been further hampered by the high levels of residual mana in the area. Scrying from external locations is haphazard at best, often causing the spell to fail unexpectedly. Astral Projection similarly has issues, where oftentimes the world of the Astral plane does not accurately reflect the material realm, causing some areas to be inaccessible even then. The increased presence of leylines is believed to contribute to these anomalies, however it seems equally likely the multiple nexus of leylines empowered extremely potent spellcraft that have left a mark on the region. Further, these elevated levels of mana also effect the membranes between worlds. Magic scholars familiar with the planeswalker spark note evidence of spelljammer moorings, the remnants of time manipulation and the leftover threads of interplanar travel. On rare occasions things from other planes do slip through however, though it is often difficult to tell with the myriad alien magics and technologies of the region.

A few of the non-hostile locals are afflicted with some kind of wasting malady. This affliction seems resistant to magical healing, though if it isn’t fatal to the afflicted it seems natural healing can eventually restore them. As yet it’s unknown to the Expeditionary Coalition as to why some of the diseased recover while other slowly wither and die, regardless of the care given. Oftentimes this wasting disease appears in clusters as if by some kind of miasma, though other times only certain members of a group will be affected. The symptoms of the wasting sickness are varied and seemingly unconnected. Rumours persist of local remedies to the illness, but nothing of the kind has been confirmed.

Recent events have had Expedition Coalition members make contact with ghosts from some time before Sundering the Veil, hinting at a wider conflict that took place some time in the past.

Too specifically timed to be a coincidence, a new form of power has risen since the opening of the Southlands. Both natives to the region and expeditionaries find themselves discovering strange new powers unfolding from within. Some of those so gifted can shape these abilities into something truly fearsome.

A few examples of unusual flora can be found in the region, with glass lillies growing in the surrounding area of the Stonegraves somewhat prodigiously. Like their name implies, they superficially resemble lillies but with a stiff, almost brittle translucent flower with visible vascular systems. The lillies slowly turn to face nearby heat sources which seem to enhance their growth. Additionally there is a somewhat rare type of tree the locals call ivorywood which grows primarily in the northwestern region. Pale grey to white in colouration, ivorywood has a smooth exterior and minimal leaf coverage. Notable for having a surprisingly hard interior "skeleton", ivorywood is very receptive to being shaped by magic craftsmen common in the Bone Khans whose legends say they are the bone spurs of an ancient sleeping god below the earth, along with the mysterious members of the Harmonious Resolve, who fashion magical foci from the twigs and smaller branches.

Among the sands of the central-eastern parts of the Southern Reaches there is a minor phenomena the locals call skitterglass, the remnants of desert sands turned to glass by supernal effects. The resulting shards cluster together and form elaborate crystalline structures all on their own, often shifting shape and layout entirely on their own. Though seemingly without any use beyond aesthetics, they have proven a popular accent to equipment for Stonebloods and find a home amongst Astropathy Cult crews who fashion the crystals into strange orreries.