Overview
The term 'Tharsis Plateau' refers to a large, relatively flat geographic area characterized by its dry, desert-like climate and terrain. Hosting three enormous shield volcanoes, the plateau is an area of natural beauty, desolate isolation, and numerous threats. Forging through the area is the long-abandoned MM-35, a long and wide stretch of road which once connected Tharsis and the rest of Mars to Kasei Delta in the East.
Wildlife thrives in the Tharsis Plateau, almost entirely free from humanity's influence and ability to contribute to the circle of life without interruption. Of course, this does not stop trade caravans, nomads, or even bandits from traversing the highway in the search of riches or glory. Still, traveling underprepared can be deadly, and such journeys should only be undertaken for justifiable reasons.
Climate and Geography
The Tharsis Plateau is a notably dry region of Mars, possessing a relatively hot Mediterranean climate during the warmer months and a cooler climate during the colder months. Severe dust storms are common, and although local wildlife has adapted to the semi-regular storms, they still pose a notable threat to human travelers. Even mild dust storms can injure unwary travelers, as small deposits of minerals and crystals can be picked up and transported with strong enough winds, colliding with and tearing skin and weak materials.
The shield volcanoes Ascraeus, Pavonis, and Arsia are perhaps some of the grandest natural formations on the surface of Mars, and their heights can be seen from a great distance away, making them useful landmarks for orientation and navigation. Apart from the MM-35 and the shield volcanoes, the Plateau is relatively barren bar some long-abandoned service stations and moisture farms.
Natural Resources
The abundance of volcanic features in the area makes Tharsis a resource-rich area, as evidenced by the large amount of resource extraction sites that now lie abandoned. Although a majority of these sites lay abandoned, a few automated extraction points remain, most directly or indirectly belonging to the Mandate of Heaven. Magnesium, Aluminium, Titanium, Iron, and Chromium, as well as other ores once found in abundance on Earth, are relatively common. Even though most of the abandoned extraction sites have been looted, scavengers still regularly venture to some of the less-visited, more isolated sites.
Dangers
The primary dangers to travelers are natural, with both dust storms and local wildlife proving deadly if underestimated. The distinct lack of settlements also makes it almost impossible to restock on supplies, unless one is lucky enough to copy across a trade caravan or party who is willing to barter. When these elements are combined, even well-prepared adventurers can find themselves overwhelmed and isolated as the elements take their vitality and, in the worse cases, their lives.
The area also serves as a perfect staging point for raiding parties and highwaymen, who often ambush caravans and convoys to claim their goods and wealth. It is ill-advised to travel down the MM-35 alone, and those who dare do so usually only travel at night, finding shelter during the day both from the oppressive sun and hostile creatures, both sentient and not.
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