The Glass Desert
North of the Steadfoot Pass, and separated by the Savage Divide is the Glass Desert, a dune-dotted desert region that gets its name from the large glass monoliths seemingly formed out of the wrath of nature itself. The yellow-tinted glass structures are jagged, sharp, and can focus the sunlight to a lethal level. The various plants and animals have adapted to this unique danger, but travelers not local to the area should beware of random, blinding beams of intense sunlight.
Despite this, settlers and acolytes have gathered to take advantage of the river that flows southwards and settle, enjoying relative safety from the usual dangers one might expect in a usual situation. The dunes provide cover from the strong winds that blow from the Mosstein Bay and deter invaders from taking the difficult trek.
Travelers can expect to find various races settling or travelling the desert, the most common being desert-dwelling Yuan-ti and humans.
Geography
Contrary to the Steadfoot Pass southbound, the Glass Desert is the "Habitable Zone" nurturing life despite the intense heat. Rivers from the north merge with streams from snow-capped Mount Toroyama to form a large, central river flowing towards the Mosstein Bay. This river travels southbound through the three major settlements, splits to form the Sape Oasis, and gradually declines into the Canyon Of The Golden-Winged Snakes. Though water in the middle of a desert may seem like a blessing, it is not without it's own trifles. The dry season brings about troubles to the south, as the rivers begin to shrink and the water supplies steadily dwindle.
In the Northwest resides the Garden Of The Goddesses, a wonderous location often made pilgrimage to by the religious peoples in the surrounding area. To the Northeast lies the range of strange, snow-capped mountains commonly known as "Mount Toroyama" which help provide water to the Sape Oasis as well as the major settlements in the Glass Desert. Southeast holds the tip of the Maggiore Mountains, which extend south into the Savage Divide before gradually declining back into the earth. Finally, to the Southwest, the Mosstein Bay encroaches on the desert, opening up vital trade routes to the sea.
Sand dunes pepper the landscape, providing shade and protection from the harsh, skin-burning spires and spikes of glass that give the Glass Desert it's namesake. These glass gargantuans are found uncommonly throughout the desert, and are presumed to be formed by lightning striking the sand with such intensity that it instantly turns to glass, preserving the shape of the lightning in a fragile but just as deadly glass monolith. Respectively, travelers must be aware that the glass towers can create intensely focused beams of sunlight depending on the time of day, and should be avoided during cloudless skies-- as the light can and will burn through skin if one is unfortunate enough to be caught in the glare.
Ecosystem
Thanks to the rivers flowing from the north and the bay from the south, condensation allows scarce amounts of plants to grow. These plants attract small prey, which in turn attract large predators, which in turn attract huge predators, etc. Skeletons of these large beasts are useful landmarks for the weary traveler, having long been picked clean by scavengers of all shapes and sizes.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Glass Desert regularly experiences dry seasons, wherein the rivers recede and the water supply shrinks ever smaller. The Mosstein Bay provides just barely enough moisture for some plants to grow along the shores, but not nearly enough to sustain a food supply. The settlements within the desert struggle greatly during the dry season, often relying on the mercy of the mountains to trickle down melted snow, lest they be abandoned.
Localized Phenomena
It rarely rains in the Glass Desert, but thunderstorms from the Mosstein Bay do occasionally roll in. These storms strike and scorch the earth, and local folk tell tales of the lightning turning sand into glass in an instant-- thus forming the large glass spires that give the desert it's namesake. Sandstorms can occur before or after these storms as a result of the abnormally high winds.
Fauna & Flora
Due to the abnormal amounts of flora and water, a significantly more diverse group of animals have managed to call the Glass Desert home. Although most of it is composed of small, agile herbivores, there are also an insignificant amount of carnivores that have come to survive off of them. Of course, there are also large carnivores that eat the smaller carnivores, and even larger carnivores that eat the large carnivores, and so on.
One can expect the usual reptiles, birds, and mammals of the desert, just in a much higher quantity than the drier deserts of Dopamirosa.
As for flora, the high water content has allowed for various types of plants to grow. Subsequently cacti are few and far between, unable to survive with such an abundance of water in a normally dry region. A traveler might encounter shrubs, grasses, and small trees dotting the landscape, providing somewhat-dry food for herbivores and-- if luck is on your side-- some fruits.
Natural Resources
What lies below the desert sand is mostly unknown, with excavation efforts being few and far between. Pockets of common minerals, such as copper and iron, but not in large enough quantities to be worthy of mining operations. The main reason prospects visit the Glass Desert is to collect the yellow-tinted glass that peppers the dunes and gives the desert it's name. This glass is strong, yet beautiful and unique, making it very popular among jewelers and decorators.
Type
Desert
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