Serpent Sands
The desert located in Royaume du Terdiore that borders the Ridgeback Mountains. It is the ancestral home of the Nomadic Tribes of Trystire.
Anciently, the Serpent Sands was a large swampland named Aztilah. According to legend, a great civilization - from whom many of the roving tribes are descended from - lived here and served the old Primal Gods. Their great empire spanned the entire modern-day desert from the north near the Smoky Mount all the way down South past where Jalwarat is today. Their civilization was destroyed with the banishment of the Old Gods during the War of Ascension.
For his role in banishing the Old Gods, The New God of Fire Imix was given the swampland. Imix caused the Smoky Mount to explode. The sun grew hot here and rains ceased to come, and Aztilah quickly dried out and became a desert.
The Sages are interested in excavating several sites to learn more about the Azti people and their history and magics.
Geography
The majority of the Serpent Sands is a valley on the leeward side of the Ridgeback Mountains. The basin is generally flat and dry although large dunes tend to travel around with the wind. The Smokey Mount in the northern side of the desert can be seen from miles around, and the Feriq Oasis is located near the desert's geographical center. On the edge of the desert flows the Life Spring, the largest naturally occurring water spring that provides Jalwarat its water.
Fauna & Flora
The desert is home to an abundance of wildlife, monsters, and sentient creatures. Travelers traveling along the Burning Road that traverses the desert are often on the look out for giant scorpions, giant vultures, and bullets. However bands of gnolls and hobgoblins are known to roam and scavenge desert at their leisure. The Fire Newts claim the Smokey Mount as their home in the north and generally avoid other humanoids. Caravans have also sighted Brass and Blue Dragons although their numbers are unconfirmed.
Not much flora thrive in the Serpent Sands. The majority tend to grow near the oasis in the center or the Life Spring in the south. The desert is known for its tall barrel sized cacti that can grow up to 20 feet in height. It is also prized for its desert rose which is culturally important to the Nomadic peoples.
Type
Desert
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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