White Eye Dunes
The Blinding Expanse of Kartagis
Few dare to wander the White Eye Dunes, and those who do are forever marked by its curse. It is a land where the sun rules supreme, its golden glare burning down upon endless waves of sand, sculpting the landscape into rolling, shifting dunes that whisper secrets only the wind understands. But it is not the heat nor the treacherous terrain that has given this place its dread reputation—it is the affliction that steals one's sight, leaving wanderers with milky, clouded eyes, robbed of their vision forever.
Founding and History
Though no kingdom or people lay claim to the White Eye Dunes, whispers of its origins persist. Some say it was once a thriving land, a jewel in the heart of Kartagis, before being swallowed by the desert as punishment from the gods. Others tell of an ancient empire whose sorcerers sought forbidden knowledge, only to have their hubris answered with divine retribution, cursing the land and its inhabitants with an affliction that still lingers. Ruins, half-buried beneath the sands, suggest that life once thrived here, though what remains of those lost people is unknown.
Geography and Environment
The dunes stretch as far as the eye can see, their ever-shifting forms creating an untrustworthy landscape where no landmark remains for long. The desert heat is relentless, and the winds carve the sand into cruel shapes—spires and ridges that loom like silent sentinels over the weary traveler. Strange rock formations, smoothed by centuries of storms, emerge like the bones of a long-dead leviathan, their presence only adding to the sense that this land is a graveyard of forgotten things. The nights bring little solace, for the cold can be just as cruel as the heat, and the winds whisper eerie, unintelligible voices across the dunes.
The Curse of the White Eyes
It is the affliction of the dunes that keeps even the most hardened wanderers at bay. Prolonged exposure to this place results in the gradual loss of sight, a creeping darkness that overtakes the eyes until they are left as pale, unseeing orbs. Some scholars believe it to be the work of an ancient spell, still potent after centuries, woven into the very grains of sand. Others claim it is a natural phenomenon—microscopic crystals that, when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, accumulate in the eyes until blindness is inevitable. Whatever the truth, no cure has ever been found, and those who lose their sight here never regain it.
Survivors and Myths
Legends abound of those who have braved the dunes and returned, though none come back unchanged. Some tell of blind nomads who navigate the dunes by sound and touch alone, their senses sharpened beyond human limits. Others whisper of spectral figures glimpsed in the distance, ever just out of reach, guiding—or luring—travelers deeper into the desert's heart. A few claim that beneath the sands lies an ancient city, untouched by time, where the secret to undoing the curse remains hidden. But such tales are often met with hollow laughter, for if such a place exists, why has no one ever returned with proof?
Legacy and Impact
The White Eye Dunes serve as a grim warning to those who seek to conquer nature. Even the most intrepid explorers and powerful mages have found themselves humbled by its relentless grasp. The affliction that haunts this land remains one of Deuslair’s great mysteries, its origins lost to time. Whether it is a lingering curse, a natural horror, or the work of something unseen watching from beneath the sands, none can say for certain. But all agree on one thing—once the White Eye Dunes take something from you, they never give it back.
"Beware the sands that whisper and the wind that sees, for the dunes do not forgive. You may enter with open eyes, but you will leave in darkness."
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