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For instance, you might have your heroes cross this patch of grass:
You descend from a slight rise into a broad, flat valley. The stems of the grasses hide the ground, so you are surprised to discover that the valley is actually a couple feet deeper than
it appears. Rather than rising to your [your horses’] knees, as they have
been, the grasses rise hip high. The stems are taller than a man’s arm is long, with upward- pointing leaves. The leaves are as wide as a man’s finger at the base and as much as a foot long. They are stiff, with
sharp edges, and make a brittle rustling sound as the wind blows. You have to be careful as you travel through the area; the grass leaves may be sharp enough to cut exposed skin [though horse hide should be safe]. The ground here is also slightly softer; perhaps the wind cannot reach it to suck the moisture out.
[Note: slough grass is found in lowland prairies. The leaves are sharp enough to cut skin (similar to a deep paper cut) and possibly draw blood.]
Or, they might find out that a prairie in the winter can be a very unfriendly place:
It is a grey day and bitter cold. As you pack up [travel] large flakes of snow begin
to accumulate on your sleeves. They are an amazing kaleidoscope of shapes, not one alike. They taste wet upon your lips and tongue. They are falling faster with each moment, covering the ground, and the wind is picking up. This
may be a bad day for travel. [Travelers should decide quickly whether to set up camp again or try to outrun the storm.] From the skies, you can see no end in sight to the clouds that crest the horizon. The wind is
whipping faster now and the snow has changed from soft flakes to stinging barbs against your cheeks. You can now no longer see across your campsite [or: more than a stone’s throw away]. The wind builds to a full roar, buffeting your body and stealing your breath. In a matter of minutes you may no longer be able to see your hand in front of your face. Blizzards come on fast
in these open spaces. [Blizzards are difficult to predict. They are characterized by falling or blowing snow with 35 mile-per-hour winds for periods exceeding 3 hours in length. Whiteouts involve blowing snow and can be so
severe it becomes impossible to distinguish the air from the ground.]
However your characters encounter the wide open spaces, we have descriptions to help augment your imagination and enhance your gaming experience.
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