Cursed Desert

The Cursed Desert is a harsh environment with a pounding sun and very little water. As such, it is home to some of the toughest humanoids and some of the toughest monsters. Though the locals use the term to refer to what passes for wilderness more than the entire region, it is easy to see why these lands are known to outsiders as the Cursed Lands.

Sub-regions

The Cursed Desert is divided into a few sub-regions, each with a unique climate.

Desert

The central desert region is a plain of scorching heat, rolling dunes, and ever-shifting sands. Very little vegetation can grow here. Thus fauna struggle to survive and those that do are fearsome beasts. The humanoid inhabitants are similarly rugged in order to survive the harsh environment.
With few natural resources, the inhabitants must rely on trade to survive. With little else to trade, they have been forced to produce exotic artwork or goods resulting from hunting the local super-fauna.

Cursed Coast

At the boundary between the desert and the ocean is a thin band of fertility. The sands from the desert clump somewhat into dirt and combine with water from the nearby sea which gives rise to green leafy trees and succulent fruits. Many permanent settlements call the Cursed Coast their home and are known for the thriving trade industry. With easy access to water, permanent settlements, a few exotic resources of their own, and proximity to the desert (whose inhabitants provide an incessant need), trade is constant and prosperous for the people of the Coast.

Foothills

The Foothills see more incoming water than the central Desert (though less than the Coast), and thus provide the majority of the water for the Desert in the form of a single large river racing toward the sea. The runoff from the Shield Mountains nearly makes up for the lack of rain and can make the valleys surprisingly fertile. The inhabitants of the Foothills tend to provide natural resources to the people of the Desert and occasionally to the Dwarves of the Shield Mountains.

Type

Desert

Location under

Athos