Amarak Desert
"Distance and size is something that one tends to take for granted when traveling in the more vibrant lands of the world, but here, in this vast emptiness, one can only ponder how mortal beings could ever imagine such ideas of size, scale, and distance. For here the dunes rise and fall much like the tides of a great ocean, but unlike an ocean these great mountains of sand can be scaled and viewed from untold miles away, and what may seem like a small hill when seen upon the horizon, can become an insurmountable mountain with no visible peak, when viewed from the base. But it is not just the scale of this vast blazing expanse, but the sheer brutality and uncompromising nature of its environment. As if the very air itself is an assault upon the health of those who walk upon the scorching surface, and as you walk endlessly upon blazing sands, beneath the merciless beams of an uncaring sun, your very mind is intruded upon by the mirages which lead you astray and deeper into the endless nothing of the Amarak." -Thornton Hale
Geography
The Amarak is broken into several smaller regions, each with their own unique terrain features and size variations. The eastern coastline of the Amarak is dominated by two regions, the first and largest is the Scarlet Coast, a stretch of beaches and coastal dunes of white sand that run from the north eastern edge of the desert down until it folds into the Serpent’s Head, also called the Serpent’s Head Peninsula or the Serpent Peninsula. It is a large rocky patch of coastal dunes and beaches that resemble the head of a serpent looking south east toward the island of Sorlige, with a small lake at its center called the Serpent’s Eye.
Westward from the Scarlet Coast is the first of the inland regions of the Amarak, this region is home to the kingdom of Estafoer and as such retains the name of the kingdom it birthed, The Estafoeran Heartlands is a shaped like a large dagger blade that points north, the heartlands of Eastfoer are distinct from the other regions as it is the only region that has access to fresh water in the form of the Amber River which flows from its northern origin to the southern coast of the Amarak, and the Great Eastern Oasis, the largest single source of fresh water within the desert. Along the shores of these sources and the subsequent neighboring dunes grow several different types of fauna that lightly coat the region in a veil of vibrant green, against the otherwise light orange sand or the inner desert.
The southern coastal dunes of the Amarak is dominated by a large mountain range of bone white, jagged stone, resembling the spine of a gargantuan create. The Spine as it is called runs parallel to the southern coastline, creating a narrow but long patch of dunes and beaches called The Parapets, marred by a spattering of rock formations of varying sizes and textures, but all of which are bone white in coloration. The Spine itself is home to the ancient and reclusive dwarven kingdom of Gatholzahar.
The inland dunes of the Amarak are split into two halves the eastern half is home to the halfling trade kingdom of Kdosh, and thusly is referred to as the Kdosh heartlands. It is considered the heart of the desert and as such is the most desert like of all the regions, large mountain sized dunes, and endless waves of sand. The western half is home to no countries only outlaws, barbarian tribes, and the goliath herd known as The Cabal, this region has come to be known as The Blazing Sea, as it is the most inhospitable part of the Amarak, its scorching winds and large dunes make travel through this land almost unbearable, and lethal to all but the most prepared.
The final and western most region of the desert is the Ruby Coast a long strip of coastal dunes and beaches that stretches from the Amarak’s north western fringes to the very tip of the western coast with the Narrow Sea. This region is named such due to its rust color and the large layered deposits of minerals and gemstones that dot its beaches and dunes, a small mountain range lines its southern beaches and pierces partially into the southern dunes of the Blazing Sea, this range is called The Pillars, and is home to a small monastery, which houses the monastic order of The Pillars of Stone. The minerals and gems of this region coalesce upon the beach heads to form a ruby red sand that turns the neighboring surf a vibrant bright red.
Localized Phenomena
The typical desert phenomena occur within the inland dunes of the Amarak, sand and lightning storms, dust devils, and mirages.
Tourism
Three kingdoms make the Amarak their home, to the far east upon the Scarlet Coast is the trade kingdom of Eastfoer. Neighboring it is the small halfling kingdom of Kdosh. And to the of these nations is The Spine, a mountain range that stretches across the south western coast of the Amarak and is home to the dwarves of Gatholzahar.
Alternative Name(s)
The Amarak
Type
Desert
Related Ethnicities
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