The Singing Sands
The desert along the Eastern side of Castille is known to be a harsh place full of burrowing monsters, sudden and violent sandstorms, and ruins of a mysterious, ancient race that some claim may have come from another plane.
History
Rumors and Tales
• There is an oasis town on the edge of the desert that trades in crafts, cactus fruits, and a gem called a Desert Pearl, which can be found in the dunes from time to time. No one really knows what they are or how they appear in the sands.
• Many alchemists come searching for Desert Pearls, as they are said to be magically conductive and have certain chemical properties that alchemists can use.
• At night, the sandstorms shift the wind in a way that creates almost melodic tones, giving the desert its name.
• Clusters of creatures that have come to be known as 'ant lions' have grown to be very large. They live in colonies and eat whatever prey they can trap. They can go for weeks without food or water.
• The desert is home to one of the most venomous vipers in the world--the Castillian Sidewinder. It is nocturnal and its venom is priced highly on the black market
• Legends say that there is a lost ruin that is home to a vast treasure trove. No one has found it yet and those who have tried have either turned back or died in the dunes and sandstorms.
• The sandstorms are, at least partly, an elemental phenomenon caused by a combination of air and earth elementals joining as one. When this happens, sandstorms are formed.