Great Gyatsoshin Desert
The largest, most expansive desert across all of Zheng-Kitar, full of dangerous monsters and demonic windstorms
Geography
As one might expect of the largest hot desert on all of Zheng-Kitar(Even dwarfing the lands of the Kingdom of Tarthus-Tetsu for sheer size and scale), the geography of the Gyatsoshin Desert is one of massive, rolling sand dunes that stretch for hundreds of miles that can easily stand at heights of more than 1,000 feet above the average "floor" of the desert. However, in addition to these massive rolling sand dunes that blow and shift with the wind, massive plains of sand and rocky gravel break up these towering dunes alongside massive rocky plateaus that can reach thousands of feet into the air off the desert floor - giving the Gyatsoshin Desert a distinct trio of geographical styles that each blend together seamlessly to create the world's largest, most inhospitable geographical location known to the races of the land.
In spite of this inhospitable geography, the Gyatoshin contains a large number of desert Oasises sustained by a variety of factors - most commonly in places where underground water pockets sustain a surface oasis - such as anything from the extremely occasional rainshower across the desert, underground water resevoirs, and so on. These Oasises form the backbone of the wandering nomadic populations of the Giyaani people and the countless dangerous monsters of the area - and are thus one of the most common places travelers in the Gyatsoshin can find others during their travels.
Perhaps most the most unique and interesting facet of the geography of the Great Gyatsoshin Desert is the extreme abundance of the unique glassy-material known as Fulgurite that dots the entire landscape of the Gyatsoshin Desert more frequently than any other location on all of Zheng-Kitar and even in greater sizes than anywhere else, as well - these towering spires of smoky glass stand like smoking trees during the aftermath of the area's notorious cinderstorms(Described below under "Localized Phenomena"), and are quite the sight to behold in the aftermath of those very same storms.
Ecosystem
As perhaps the most brutal hot desert environment on all of Zheng-Kitar and its surrounding areas, the ecosystem of the Great Gyatsoshin Desert is one of immense scarcity and vicious struggles for survival - most everything that dwells here is nomadic in one sense or another, from the wandering Giyaani nomads to the Desert Elf Natives, to even the burrowing Desert Lamia, considered one of the most lethal variants of the species in all the world, and more; all but the absolutely mightiest dwellers here can afford to remain stationary, as moving with the desert's scarce rainfalls and between the various Oasises is key to the survival of many of the land's inhabitants.
Aside from this mobility, death is a fundamental part of life to all who dwell in the Gyatsoshin - moreso than anywhere else in the world, as all creatures compete with each other for the right to survive within the desert's harsh climes, whether for water, food, or even territory. Even the plants that survive in the desert here brutally outcompete one another in survival of the fittest type competitions - ruthlessly strangling the roots of nearby plants to drain them of water to help themselves survive that much longer in a microcosm of the ecosystem of the desert as a whole.
In a word, the ecosystem of the Great Gyatsoshin is simply brutal - nothing can survive here that does not work its hardest to claim that survival with its own two hands, or that does not band together to supplement its own weakness with strength in community and numbers(Such as with many Giyaani). Here, no resource is wasted, no death is overlooked, and almost nothing is too extreme if it means one's own survival.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Great Gyatsoshin Desert has really only two "seasons": mild, dry winters and a hot dry season preceding variable summer rains. Outside of these two "seasons", the Gyatsoshin remains a timeless place where its residents chase the passing of the seasons for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the resources that appear or disappear as those same seasons come and go: with the coming of the small but noticable summer rains, life emerges anew to compete for this scarce resource and all the flora and fauna that crops it as it passes, and with the mild, dry winters life emerges eager to take advantage of the mild climate to either raid their enemies or claim resources for their own survival.
Localized Phenomena
As with its nearby "sister" locale that separates its northern edge from the rest of the continent, the Tripalm Spine Mountains, the Great Gyatsoshin Desert has been indelibly shaped by the presence of one of The Six Husks who had, for thousands of years, lain imprisoned beneath the sands of the desert's sprawling dunes: the terrible breath-stealing demon of choking flame known as The Enenra. However, unlike The Husk of Water, The Judazhai, The Enenra is both infinitely smaller(Never being described as being much larger than the likes of the Othraka) and free of its confines.
Where exactly this legendarily evil and terrible demon now dwells is unknown - as is the exact location of its original prison within the Great Gyatsoshin Desert - but the fact remains that the desert has been indelibly changed by not only its presence within its prison, but even more intensely since its escape long ago in such a way that several interesting local phenomena have become increasingly commonplace across the land(Though not all trace their roots to The Enenra).
- Cinderstorms: A unique meteorological phenomenon that has become increasingly frequent(Rising from an incredibly rare phenomena unique to a specific area of the desert to an area-wide weather pattern) in the time since The Enenra escaped from its prison to unleash its evils upon the world, the Cinderstorms are sand or dust storms that have become in some way infused with the choking power of The Enenra - transforming what would normally be a massive but relatively expected threat that the desert's denizens are equipped to handle into a nightmarish hellstorm that not only blows sand and dust across the dunes so quickly as to shred skin after only minutes of exposure, but which carries a deep heat that can easily set fire to unprepared settlements or, more dangerously, evaporate water concentrations in seconds if they are not properly warded and secured. Essentially sandstorms mixed with nasty thunderstorms and infused with terrible, hellish heat, Cinderstorms are the only known source of the hellish "Black Lightning" whose touch is said to instantly vaporize most materials and kill most creatures in extremely short order - a fact of life for the desert's denizens, the Cinderstorms have become a weather pattern that has become better understood in recent years as they have been theorized to form when normal sandstorms pass over excessively large "Fulgurite Fields" or, even more quickly when passing over spires of Enenranite left laying across the desert. These storms, perhaps tellingly, are one of the largest sources of the desert's plentiful Fulgurite spires - created when the storm's lightning and Black Lightning strikes the sandy dunes to create spires of flash-fused glass.
- Fulgurite Spires: A material that, while not strictly limited to the Great Gyatsoshin Desert, is most plentiful and sizable within its borders. Created when bolts of desert lightning or Black Lightning from a Cinderstorm strikes a pure sandy dune, these towering spires of smoky sand-glass are beautiful and alien structures that are often utilized and studied by a vast number of creatures from Othraka Glassblowers to Arcane Mages to even simple Scholars studying the material's uses for the common man. More terrifyingly, the material known as Enenranite is categorized as a terrifying variant of this material - formed only when an Othraka overtaken by the energies of The Enenra uses its Wind-Controlling Horn to unleash a Cinderstorm of unfathomable potency - typically at the cost of its own life. For this reason and due to recent concerns that Fulgurite Spires, left unchecked, may give rise to Cinderstorms, these spires are typically pruned and cut down and trimmed by the desert's dwellers and harvested.
- Chokewinds: A unique phenomenon that arises at points across the Great Gyatsoshin Desert where at least two different kinds of winds collide(Hot and Cold, Dry and Wet, North and South, Etc), Chokewinds arise out of these windy nexuses to create a baleful wind that blows across the desert surrounding these nexuses, leaving areas where those who travel through it find themselves hard or short of breath. These winds, while dangerous, don't travel far from the points at which they are created and thus are typically well known of and avoided by those native of the area, who tend to keep maps of known and suspected "Chokewind Corridors" where these winds are most likely to or have appeared in the past. They are otherwise poorly understood both scientifically and magically.
- Glasslands: A phenomenon that does not draw its roots in away from The Enenra but rather than towering, devilish titanesses known as Eldragi that stalk the sands, the "Glasslands" are a slang term coined by the desert's denizens for the fields of perfectly smooth glass left behind by the passing of an Eldragi - whose body temperatures are so astronomically high that the soles of their feet fuse the sands in an instant into a perfectly smooth glass pane. These Glasslands, thusly, are divided into two broad categories: Temporary Fields that are caused by the passing of a single or handful of Eldragi outside of their typical routes, and Permanent Fields typically caused by repeated travel of such towering titanesses for one reason or another. Both are dangerous, though - for the smooth glass created by their footsteps is initially smooth, it fragments quickly under the desert winds and scatters razor-sharp glass across the area that can seriously injure or kill those who pass nearby. For Temporary Fields, thankfully, the desert winds will quickly scatter and carry away the glass of these areas in a matter of days - meaning that the threat quickly passes. For permanently fields, however, the threat is far greater - and while avoiding them altogether is preferred, for the times there is no feasible means of avoidance they require incredibly careful travel techniques and methods to move across without grievous bodily harm. Of course, most dangerous of all is the third type of field - the Hellglasslands around the fearsome Glass Cities of the Eldragi tribes that dwell in the deepest and most inhospitable areas of the desert, so thick that it does not splinter but burns with a hellish heat.
- Sinkzones: Another local phenomenon that does not draw its roots from The Enenra, the Gyatsoshin Desert's notorious Sinkzones are unlike any other phenomena in that they are well-known to be created intentionally by the various desert Lamia that inhabit the dunes and sands - these hyper-dangerous areas are also known as "Quicksand", and are created intentionally when Desert Lamia with their burrowing talents move beneath the sandy dunes in such a way as to create softened areas that sink in with the touch of other creatures, bringing them down beneath the dunes where they are either deposited into the waiting jaws of a Lamia or simply drowned beneath the sands, their bodies left to be eaten at a later date. Especially massive Sinkzones are known to be hyper-lethal especially for larger beings, and those who live within the desert's reaches are quick to spot the signs of a Sinkzone and avoid them like the plague wherever they are found.
Climate
As expected of one of the largest hot deserts on all of Zheng-Kitar, the climate of the Great Gyatsoshin Desert is that of utmost extremes - extremely hot temperatures during the day and extremely cold temperatures during the night. These temperatures vary somewhat between the mild winters and the hot summers the area experiences, but do not fluctuate overmuch.
Otherwise, the area sees intense winds that whip up sand and duststorms, but little precipitation - the breezes are universally hot and arid with almost no moisture, and humidity is almost nonexistent.
Fauna & Flora
Contrary to what many many assume, there are regions of the Gyatsoshin Desert that possess plantlife(usually those that experience at least some rainfall or have water access), and they happen to be some the hardiest in all of existence - the various flora in the desert tends to be that of several types of trees and extremely hardy shrubs. Of course, however, little to no flora grows in the deep desert alongside the massive sand dunes where no moisture ever falls or can be found - though around Oasises, many varieties of plantlife can be found and even some flowers, all carried by migratory birds to the Oasis's edge over centuries and cultivated by the nomadic Giyaani tribes native to the area.
As for fauna, the Great Gyatsoshin Desert has some of the most lethal fauna in all of existence - from Eldragi, Othraka, Lamia, Urqet, to more mundane races such as Humans, Desert Elves, Kobolds, Orcs, and more just among the monstrous and more civilized races that call the are home. Most terrifyingly, the legendary Worms that prowl beneath the desert are some of the most feared megafauna in existance - though just as terrifying are the unnamed hundreds of unique fauna that calls the area home, from Dust Devils to sandy salamanders to errant elementals to more.
The Big Three
Among the denizens of the Great Gyatsoshin Desert and those who frequent its sandy pathways(Most commonly traders from the Ustanan Concord and the City-State of Sakhrad), there exists three groups of monstrous creatures that stand above all other denizens of the desert as the three biggest threats that dominate the landscape of the entire Desert; three enormous "factions" that all who roam within its dunes must know if they hope to survive.- The Eldragi: Though their mates the Othraka are also dangerous, the Eldragi themselves get special ranking on the big three as the most dangerous faction in the desert - these towering titanesses are notorious slavers(Such that their Glass Cities are said to have entire populations of generational slaves), and dwell exclusively within the mind-shattering depths of their Glass Cities constructed out of material similar to Hellglass in architectural patterns that defy mortal imagination as they trace their architectural roots to Malefacta, home of Devilkind. These towering she-devils give no quarter and are a natural predator of most all other life in the desert - where they walk, all tremble, and often capitulate with tribute and offerings rather than face their full wrath. Reclusive and Tribal, they make little contact with the outside world unless raiding or accepting tribute from passing merchant caravans who wish to secure safe passage through their tribal lands - though all know to fear their name, and fear their approach even more. The least approachable and most powerful of the "Big Three", they make contact only to collect tribute or raid for plunder, and live in some of the only permanent aboveground residences in the entire Desert.
- The Urqet: The least populous but the most approachable, the Urqet as a people are a welcome relief to both travelers and natives alike - though they exclusively dwell around ruins and other forgotten structures within the desert far from civilization, they are a friendly enough people who are more than willing to accept others into their fold if they pull their weight and prove themselves true enough companions, honest and hardworking. These mighty scorpion-men and women are a fearsome force with reasonable and kind hearts that belie their fearsome fighting power - enough to handily thrash even the most concentrated assaults from the Desert's Lamia tribes(Whom they are the natural predator of) and, while not as easily, to fend off the Eldragi and Othraka of an area. Abiding the simple maxim "live and let live", these reclusive scorpionfolk happily trade with others and live in and around the ruins they protect, making them a welcome sight for those in fear for their life.
- The Lamia: Occupying the lowest strata of "The Big Three", the Lamia are the Desert's craftiest predators and often the ones with the largest access to the desert's water supplies - though they cannot hope to match the unbridaled power of the Eldragi nor are they are kind and welcoming as the Urqet, they make up for these deficiencies with wiles and guile. Tricksy and ambush-based predators, the lamia of the Great Gyatsoshin are a far cry from the bossy, dominent breeds that inhabit other lands such as the Yudao Rainforest - living far beneath the ground in warrens adjacent to underground water pockets, these lamia are the faction that travelers in the desert make deals with most frequently as the tribute demanded by the Eldragi is typically astronomical and the Urqet are too reclusive and not populous enough to be easily found and dealt with. Fearsome predators who happily lay in wait beneath the sands to gobble down unsuspecting travelers whole, the cunning Lamia Desert Clands are bandits to the core, but know the value of diplomacy - they trick and connive for every inch of ground and often make deals to protect traveling trade caravans or even simple travelers in exchange for offerings and tribute of some kind. One will never see them coming, typically - their propensity for burrowing means they are ambush predators to the core, creating Sinkzones or laying in wait underground to ambush and trap their foes before striking. Ironically, though the Urqet can deal with the Eldragi, it is often the Lamia who are their best counter - their wiles and natural abilities allowing them to outthink and ambush the devilish titanesses quite effectively.
Natural Resources
The Great Gyatsoshin is rich in natural resources - the greatest and most plentiful of which is, ironically, water. However, with most of the water of the desert trapped far underground, it is mostly inaccessible - reachable only to burrowing creatures such as the Lamia(Who are notorious Water-Baronesses).
Additionally, it is believed to be one of the greatest and most naturally wealthy locations on the entire planet of Ea - not only in water, but in a vast amount of various minerals and even seemingly the strange Blackwater used by the Bonesmolder Tribe which burbles up at incredibly rare locations across the desert.
However, the simple climate of the desert makes these resources all but unreachable with modern abilities - making it an untapped treasure trove.
History
The Great Gyatsoshin Desert was believed to have been a thriving ocean or inland lake of some kind many thousands of years ago before the rise of the Tripalm Spine Mountains and the sealing of The Enenra beneath the desert's(then, a thriving lake or ocean) depths - though a combination of The Enenra's influence and the creation of the Tripalm Spine Mountains is believed to have caused the formation of the Desert as the water dried up over the course of many hundreds or thousands of years from these influences.
Many believe that one of the reasons for The Enenra's escape from its prison is somehow related to the evaporation of the water which once used to flow freely in the land that is now the Great Gyatsoshin Desert - that somehow the dessication of the landscape broke a "seal" or weakened a "seal" on the beast's prison, allowing it to eventually worm its way out. If true, the entire cause for the desert's existence may well be the fault of The Six Husks - both The Judazhai for aiding in the water's evaporation and The Enenra for furthering it along once it escaped.
Tourism
The Great Gyatsoshin Desert is a place few travel to unless they are required to - seeing travel mainly in trade caravans that run between the Ustanan Concord and the City-State of Sakhrad. Few others venture into its sandy reaches aside from Adventurers, Explorers, and the like who seek to find riches or visit some long-forgotten locale.
Alternative Name(s)
The Great Desert, The Sands of Soshin, The Demon's Cradle
Type
Desert
Contested By
Related Myths
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