Chanob Desert

Located just South of the Bulwark Mountains the Chanob Desert stretches for miles without end.

Geography

The desert is a vast and unforgiving area of danger and anguish. The demons seemed to have drawn great inspiration from their home plane of Hel when they transformed the landscape into what is today known as the Chanob desert.
The majority of the desert's surface is rock and sand. Where there was once rolling green hills only sand dunes remain. Some larger boulders can be found scattered throughout the desert. The shade they provide is of little solace, however, as the desert itself emanates heat. This is due to all of the latent chaotic magical energy trapped within the earth itself throughout the area.
Water is incredibly scarce and can mostly be found in the oasis's that are dotted on the otherwise barren landscape. At these areas of sanctuary a few trees and plant life can be found.

Ecosystem

Surprisingly, even here among some of the harshest conditions in The Mortal Realm life finds a way to exist. Organisms gigantic and microscopic can be found eking out an existence between the dunes.
After centuries of magical warfare during the Realm Wars the ground itself has become saturated with both chaotic and divine magical energy. The flora and fauna that survive in the desert have adapted to absorb this energy in some or other manner to sustain themselves.
Creatures and plants that feed on the divine energy of the area have mutated to become beautiful and tend to produce fruits with fantastical magical properties. The lifeforms that feed on the chaotic energy, on the other hand, tend to have grotesque mutations and are much more violent than their counterparts. Some even consume a mixture of the two magics and in this case will display a combination of the two influences.

Climate

The temperature in the desert is mostly uniform throughout the year: hot.

History

Before the Realm Wars the place that is now known as the Chanob desert was covered in lush fields and rolling green hills. It was the place that the Gods had chosen to settle in the Mortal Realm. As such pure divine magic flooded the area and plants and creatures grew in abundance and lived long, healthy lives. The inhabitants of the Mortal Realm built vast temples to the gods in this land and the sound of worship could be heard all around. Many settlements sprung up around the temples and the land became increasingly populous.
During the Realm Wars the demons specifically targeted this area for their initial attack. They tore open the inter-planar rift known as The Drop on the border of the landscape where the gods resided. Their initial onslaught was bloodsoaked and devastating to the peaceful farmers and merchants living in the area. The gods were taken by surprise and by the time they had rallied and partially fought back the attackers almost half of the area had been decimated and the fields burned.
During the few hundred years that followed these plains were the main battleground for the war between the gods and the demons. As such it was bombarded continuously with magical attacks and weapons of war. Slowly the ground became increasingly infertile and the hills laid bare. Fortresses were erected and destroyed, forming large stone piles of rubble that would be eventually attacked again transforming them into large sandy hills.
When the war was over the area was entirely baren.

Tourism

While the combination of deadly creatures mutated by chaotic magic and a unhospitable landscape would suggest the desert to be mostly avoided by sentient life, that could not be further from the truth.
The Chanob desert forms the divide between The Kingdom of Duchel and most of the other nations. As such it sees a tremendous amount of merchant goods being ferried across. This happens mostly in the form of Stone Barge's. However, smaller, less affluent merchants cannot afford the steep cargo prices of the flying craft and therefore are forced to make the dangerous journey across the desert. This usually entails hiring a company of bodyguards and guides to help ensure their goods reach the other side of the desert intact.
In a lawless country frequented by merchants it is inevitable that you will encounter bandits and highwaymen. These criminals tend to have a special connection with the desert after having lived there for so long and therefore avoid detection with ease.
Besides the merchants, the desert is a treasure trove for adventurers that are willing to take on the risk of searching for hidden artefacts and riches beneath the treacherous sands.

Type

Desert

Vehicles Present

• Stone Barge

Location under

The Mortal Realm

Included Locations

• Floating City of Hashmot
• The Drop