Katawani Desert

The Katawani Desert makes up the majority of the Katawani Peninsula, located in its center. Surrounded by all sides by powerful nations, the desert is larger than any one of them. Around five hundred miles at its widest, the desert has been cursed by the gods according to myth, doomed to never bear the fruits of anything beautiful. The region is far from uninhabited however, and is home to many different tribes and monstrous creatures. While crossing the desert would prove fatal to most who attempt it, the resident yuan-ti, orcs, and lizardfolk have adapted to the harsh climate. There are also ruins in the area, some of which may date back to Prehistoria, many have long gone untouched simply because they were buried under mountains of sand. Venturing out to them is nearly suicidal due to the climate and the hostile inhabitants of the land. While mostly comprised of sand dunes, there are also dry mountains to the north and west, as well as deep canyons to the south. Despite being surrounding by civilizations, it remains one of the most poorly explored areas of Vadovass.

History

Myths dating back to the Age of Immortals say the area was once fruitful, but its inhabitants somehow earned the wrath of the gods, cursing it as a result. The region has since been a burden to those traveling in or out of the peninsula, many of whom go around to avoid the desert. The blowing sands show that these myths once had truth to them, with sandstorms sometimes uncovering whole cities made of stone. Some of these ruins may even date back to Prehistoria, being the only known ruins that are known to be from the era. However, the sandstorms are just as likely to cover up ruins as they are to unearth them, and many archaeological sites have been buried under mountains of sand, to be once again unearthed in days, or even millennia. Even during the reign of the giants, few went here, their leaders seeing it as a barren wasteland and only patrolling it occasionally for the blue dragons that are partial to the climate. Not all cities in the region are buried under sand, however. Along with several small towns around oasis, there is the city of Senatoc, which was near the center of the desert. Built sometime before the first cataclysm, it disappeared along with magic, but has since been rebuilt and turned into a prosperous city state. Traveling to Senatoc and resting there is one of the few viable ways one can cross the desert alive. While some go straight across, it requires a guide who knows what they are doing. Even then, there is no sure way of knowing if one will make it, the three to five hundred mile trip taking sometimes a month for hardened adventurers.

Inhabitants

The city of Senatoc is the only large settlement in the desert, and is famed for having generous access to magic. Many mages go here to see what they can learn from the city or the surrounding ruins. The ruins themselves have their own inhabitants, mostly in the form of the insectoid thri-kreen who wander the deserts. However, yuan-ti, lizardfolk, and orcs have adapted to live in the region with the yuan-ti believed to have set up small civilizations of their own beyond the prying eyes of other humanoids. Additionally, many monstrous creatures reside in the desert, including lamias, bulletes, gnolls, dragons, and sphinxes. The southern desert is the only part inhabited by larger groups of humans, elves, dwarves, and other humanoids who live around the great Domahaim Canyons, which contain rivers that flow south. Many of these people live in tribal societies and mostly avoid interaction with outsiders.

Type

Desert