Shiara Desert

Desert

Vast sea of sand near the equator.

Vary between villages.

Gold, silver, bronze, salt, bartering, zenny (only on The Caravan)

Desert, Common, Thievescant

2.5 million people

Sand surfing, soccer

Hot and dry, rain is seen as a sign from above.

Vast desert, filled with ancient artifacts inland and towns near the coast.

Northern part of the continent, falls right on the equator.

The Great Wyvern War

The Shiara Desert was formed millions of years ago when volcanic activity caused the surrounding landscape to become barren and desolate. The area was already dry, and wind erosion over millions of years caused the land to become a desert. Where the volcanoes once were, black sand from the volcanic glass remains.

The black sand is extremely hot, making even the area around patches of black sand entirely uninhabitable and impassable by sand ships. Temperatures can give humans third-degree burns, and wooden ships will catch fire.

All civilization lives on the outskirts of the desert, where water can be found in varying amounts. The bigger the city, the more water there is. The city of Bahron runs on geothermal power, with water being pumped from deep underground. The aquifer that runs to the well comes from the sea, meaning that there is infinite water, for all intents and purposes. Other villages are much smaller due to their limited access to water. Water pumps are standard for everywhere, but the number of pumps determines the wealth of the village.