The Ulisian Desert (you-LIZ-ee-an)
Bordered by the Nara Range of mountains in the north and the Serpentine Mountains in the south, the deep basin known as the Ulisian Desert is one of the driest places on Aotra. As harsh as it is, it still has a small population of inhabitants, most notably the Ulish orcs, for whom the desert is their ancestral home.
Geography
The Ulisian desert covers hundreds of square miles of the southwest lands of Oristhane. It lies in the rain shadow of both the Nara Range and the Serpentine Mountains, so it receives near zero precipitation, and any rain it receives comes only in Nightwinter. The Lower Reservoir Chain of lakes form an eastern border and mark where the rain shadow of the Nara Range ends. To the west, a cluster of rivers flowing off of the western Serpentine Mountains end in a scattering of lakes, and the lowlands at the edge of the desert fall off into swamps and marshes. The Ulisian desert is equatorial, so it experiences oppressive heat even during Nightwinter, and during Aotra's solar summers, that constant heat becomes blistering.Ecosystem
Because of the intense heat, life in the Ulisian Desert exists almost entirely underground. Cave systems dot the landscape, some covering miles upon miles. The creatures that make their homes within these caves make up an ecosystem entirely unique to this region; many are not found anywhere else. Notable among these are a species of large hive insect referred to as "kri'thik" or "spear crabs" because of their sharp-pointed forelegs. Because of their impressive tunneling ability, these burrowing insects are cultivated by the Ulish people who dwell in the caves, who also use the insects as a food source (reportedly, they taste just like crab). The Ulish orcs exist as a vital part of the Ulisian ecosystem as cultivators of plants and animals in their underground domains. Aboveground, the desert is near-bare of plant and animal life, by virtue of the fact that for many creatures, exposure to the Ulisian Desert's summer temperatures can be lethal in a matter of minutes.
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