The High Wastes of Karokan

Sitting between two ranges of the Spine, Karokan is a high plateau at an altitude of roughly 14,000 feet. The plateau is essentially a high altitude desert with a large dry lake lake bed covering significant portions of the Plateau. The lake is usually referred to as the Bitter Lake. During the summer the lake briefly fills with a few feet of brackish water which mainly evaporates leaving a crust salt in early fall. The Plateau's vegetation consists tough grass and low wind tortured scrub. The area has no known settlements although a mysterious tower known as the Tower of the Wind King is the region's most prominent landmark.

Geography

The Plateau is surrounded on all sides by high mountains that form the northern and southern ranges of the Spine. The area is cut across by a number of seasonal water courses feed by melt water during the late spring. The seasonal waterways feed into a salt encrusted basin which become a shallow, brackish lake during the summer months. Evaporation and seepage usually drain the lake by the early fall leaving a crust of salt. The plateau is often strewn with boulders and in some areas it has drifting dunes.

Fauna & Flora

The Plateau is covered with dry brownish grass and low scrub. No trees grow here. Hardy Yaks wander here living off the vegetation and occasionally falling victim to the White Mountain Tigers that hunt here. But the top predator here is strange, winged humanoids that with black skins that are referred to as the Wind King's Children.

Natural Resources

A few hardy prospectors have been able to pan gold dust from the seasonal rivers that feed into the Bitter Lake.

Alternative Name(s)

The Plateau of the Bitter Lake

Type

Plateau

Location under

The Spine

Included Locations

• Tower of the Wind King