The Araji Desert

The Araji Desert is a massive desert in the center of the island of Araj. Araj itself is located north of Irongate, west of Telra. Though it once was a lush, flora-filled environment, deforestation as well as some cutthroat tactics during the Hundred Years War led the island to become arid and dry. Despite this, the island-nation still retains a handful of inhabitants, though much lower than it once had.

Geography

The Araji desert is a massive desert, encompassing nearly all of the island. Throughout the barren landscape, sand and dry rocky environments paint the surroundings. There are several mountains devoid of any flora, and thousands of rolling sandy hills. There are no remaining natural water features on the island, though there are some pools of toxic water and still-water oases that still stand. What little habitation of the island resides largely on the eastern coast, where several fishing villages have survived for hundreds of years. Despite the harshness of the island, thousands of people every year travel to the center of the island, where the ancient ruins of the Kalva-Rai empire once stood. Several archaeological digs have been set up, though progress is slow, requiring caravans of food and water to constantly be brought in to the 120F+ degree heat of the day, and the 45F degree nights (not accounting for wind chill).

Fauna & Flora

Very little flora still exists in the desert. What one may commonly find consists of plants that are highly resilient and have adapted to the heat, such as; sunseed plants, undari tubers (a potato-like plant that resides deep in the ground near the poisonous waters. It is inedible), several species of cacti, daggerball plants, and acid pot plants (a carnivorous plant).
Insects, arachnids, and reptiles are incredibly common in the desert. Kalva sidewinders, dragon-toothed lizards, scorpions, lava-tail hornets, white-backed beetles, skull-faced lizards, sandsprinter ants, antlions, blue-winged Delvari (a very thin bird species), and sandwurms are among the most dominant species, and some of the most dangerous. Due to a unique dependency, skull-faced lizards are the only known animal that eats undari tubers, and allows the seeds of the plant to be spread elsewhere.

Natural Resources

There are not many resources that remain in the Araji desert. Though the dry mountains are full of ores and gems, they remain untouched due to the harsh nature of the desert. What remains available largely consists of archaeological relics that contain gold, copper, telaurium, paelite, and ancient technology. Though most on Folterra would consider this to be a scrupulous method of income, many of the ancient Kalva-Rai empire artifacts are sold on black markets, or stolen from archaeologists and scientists wishing to keep them intact and preserved for educational purposes, or to be returned once the island becomes more habitable.

Alternative Name(s)

Araj, the Great Desert, Kalvakas

Type

Desert

Characters in Location

• Saffa the Enlightened