The Great Salt Desert

The Great Salt Desert is a vast, almost perfectly flat, white salt flat that is all that remains of what was once the largest inland sea in the world. The general climate of the region has been becoming dryer for thousands of years, and all of the rivers that once fed the great sea have long ago dried up or been diverted. Anyone attempting to cross the desert must be sure to carry plenty of food and water for both themselves and any draft animals, and should only travel at night when it is cooler and there is no sun to glare off the white salt.

Geography

The Great Salt Desert lies in a great basin surrounded on all sides by mountains. The almost perfectly level, white expanse of salt is eerie, and often disorients travelers attempting to cross it. Mirages often make it appear as though there are large pools of water sitting on the desiccated plain. On the very rare occasion that rain reaches the desert, it creates a mirror like pool, generally only a fraction of an inch thick that perfectly reflects the moon and stars. If anyone attempts to cross the desert when wet, they will quickly sink into deep, sticky quicksand.

Fauna & Flora

Almost nonexistent. Occasionally animals will wander out onto the salt flats, but they are likely to perish if they cannot find their way back. No living creature is known to live permanently in the Great Salt Desert.

Natural Resources

Tons upon tons of salt, but not much else. To top it off, the sat from the Great Salt Desert is widely considered inferior to most other salt sources due to the presence of a number of unpalatable minerals besides salt. Some people do still harvest salt from the desert, since it is relatively easy to mine a massive amount quickly, but it is mostly used as a cheap preservative for those who either cannot afford or do not want to pay for something better. Consuming salt from the Great Salt Desert regularly is associated with a number of health issues, including possibly irreversible neurological damage.

Type

Salt flat