Post by Head Moderator on Jan 28, 2012 4:32:43 GMT -5
The desert that make up Thanes was once covered with trees, but the water dried up, the trees died off, and the sands covered everything. The desert dunes are shaped by the winds. The center of the desert is extremely arid, with little vegetation. The edges of the desert butted against the sea have areas of sparse grassland and desert shrub, with small trees and taller shrubs in wadis where moisture collects. Most of the shoreline is rocky cliff faces.
Thanes Tribes
There are seven major bedouin tribes in the Thanes Desert, and many, many minor tribes.
House Badr (Moon)
House Asad (Lion)
House Chamis (Sun)
House Jasham (Eagle)
House Najma (Star)
House Fahd (Leopard)
House Numair (Panther)
House Badr is the most powerful, and largest tribe of the desert. House Asad is the only tribe with a female sheikh and is mostly settled around Asad's Rest. House Chamis herds sheep. House Jasham who are great hunters and traders. House Najma are camel herders. House Fahd are raiders, slavers and fighters. House Numair is the smallest tribe, and mostly setted in and around Healing Lanterns.
"In the desert of life the wise person travels by caravan, while the fool prefers to travel alone." -- Desert Proverb
IMPORTANT CITIES & VILLAGES
ASAD'S REST
A small settlement halfway across the desert to Healing Lanterns, where a beautiful oasis is located. The Asad Tribe is settled in this region. Asad's Rest is notable for very beautiful and intricate handblown glass items that are made there.
HEALING LANTERNS
This is the only major city in the Thanes Desert and considered the capital of Thanes. It is a lovely paradise on the coast, with lanterns hanging throughout the streets. It has been carved right out of the very cliffs against the sea, and stairs take you to every level, and down to the small beach and docks area.
The leader of Healing Lanterns is known as the Vizier, and is voted into office every five years. The Vizier has a council of five that assists him or her.
Market Plaza
Sandskimmer Inne & Tavern
Black Crescent Trading Company
Sand Runners - Local Rogue's Guild
BLACK MESA
Black Mesa is an out of the way city built at the base of a tall mesa that juts out of the desert floor. The city is actually built into the mesa itself, carved right into the rock all the way to the top where a grassy green expanse grows. This tends to be a haven for draconic races of all sorts.
AL-SIWAJ
Al-Siwaj is a small oasis town south of the Plain of Jars, on the rocky coast. The town itself sprung up around the natural water source after it was discovered resting directly between the Temple of the Desert Wind and the coast, it is often used as a resting spot for travellers who visit all of the wonders of the Thanes Desert.
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As the town is relatively isolated and they lack the farming skill of the Mbizi, they rely heavily on goods imported from other cities and towns and greatly welcome the merchant caravans that brave the dangers of the desert. Because of this isolation, they have developed considerable skill in the realms of weaving and embroidery, purchasing the wool gathered by House Chamis’ flocks of sheep and turning them into exquisite works of art that they sell onto the merchant caravans in exchange for other necessary goods and are eventually found within homes across Thanes. They produce thick lavish carpets, large decorative and informative tapestries, comfortable rugs and even elaborate pillows fit for a Sheik.
It is believed that the legend of the flying carpet was born in Al-Siwaj, as one day a particularly foolish merchant attempted to swindle an honest weaver and traded a set of carpets detailing Ahalya’s defeat of the Mad One for a fraction of their true value. It is said that the merchant made it as far as the Plain of Jars before a massive sandstorm erupted from behind the dunes, destroying his caravans, scattering his camels and sending his entire stock of carpets soaring into the air. They were taken across Thanes by the wind beneath their threads, and one caught the interest of a House Sekani Sheik. Convinced that it was powered by magic, he stole it up and leapt from his home. Though badly wounded he did not die, it became an obsession and he would not rest until he found a mage capable of granting his carpet flight.
GADAMI
Gadami is known as the "Pearl of the Desert" because it is a city of pure white architecture and buildings, streets, and attire of the occupants. It is a beautiful port city and one of the most exotic places in the world.
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EMI KUSSI
Emi Kussi is one of the largest of the Oasis Towns within the Thanes Desert, and is unique in that it is dedicated purely to farming. Full of lush fruit orchards and a few plots of grain it is managed carefully by the Mbizi as the balance of water fed by the Ma'a River beneath the rocky soil keeps the land irrigated and the plants fresh. The system employed by the Mbizi appears complex to outsiders but is in reality very simple, with large wind powered watermills positioned strategically along the orchards and fields that allow the water to flow beyond the confines of the original Oasis and moisten the land without overpowering them. The fruit grown within Emi Kussi are dates, figs, olives apricots and wolfberries, while the grains consist mainly of wheat.
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Middling sized simple stone structures have been built surrounding the precious orchards in the form of a crescent to allow the potential for growth in the future and easy access to the fruit. The thick stone absorbs the vicious suns heat during the day, keeping the occupants cool inside while the sun is high in the sky but retaining that heat to keep the nights comfortable. The only occupants of these buildings are that of the Mbizi, and very few outsiders are permitted to stay within the confines. Those who do are often married into the House itself as their secrets are guarded jealously, even those towns and cities that hold regular contracts with the Mbizi are only permitted a passing tour of the grounds themselves.
House Mbizi: A lesser house not even considered by the others as an official tribe given their propensity to farming rather than any of the more traditional pursuits. They are not warriors by any means, and hold an interesting partnership with more powerful Houses as a percentage of their best yields are offered to the strongest tribe of that year as a Tithe to buy their personal safety and ensure that Emi Kussi can enjoy another year free of raiding. Despite their farming status, they do hold a degree of power given that they are the only House with the working knowledge of their orchards and should any of the more powerful Houses choose to take over Emi Kussi it would likely fall to ruin in the desert.
The current head of House Mbizi is Rhanaln, a stern but fair man who expects much from his family but is not afraid of hard work.
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Shar en Kur Market: Not all members of House Mbizi are dedicated farmers. A subsection of the House have dedicated themselves to maintaining a market just on the outskirts of the residential area of Emi Kussi itself in order to arrange the sales of the various yields, along with any other items the scrupulous merchants may have acquired in trade. Those picked to run the markets are prized for their ability to haggle prices, resist intimidation and stand up to the largest of opponents to glean deals even sweeter than the fruits and spices they sell.
Date Palms: Considered the most important of the fruit trees, it reaches heights of 23 meters with great leaves offering shade to the land below so that other plants might grow without burning in the heat of the powerful desert sun. The fruit is sweet, the sap can be harvested for wine or syrups, the seeds ground up for animal feed or used in the same manner as coffee beans, whilst the leaves may be woven into mats, fans or screens – with some even using them as thatch for housing.
Olives: The olive tree is an evergreen short and squat tree and varies between 8 and 15 meters in height. The fruit is processed into an oil, though the bitter olives are often eaten fresh.
Figs: The fig trees reaches between 7 and 10 meters in height with fragrant leaves, smooth white bark and lush fruit, a hardy plant capable of taking root in the most inhospitable areas. It is most often made into a sweet jam, though the fruit can also be eaten fresh or dried.
Apricots: The apricot trees grow as high as 12 meters tall with a dense spreading canopy. While the matured fruit is sweet and juicy, the Mbizi also dry the harvested apricots and sell them on to be made into a drink called amar al-din.
Wolfberries: The wolfberry tree is the smallest of all the Mbizi trees and only reach 2 meters in height, they produce a bright red berry that is quite striking in appearance. They are often used to create healthful teas and wine, though can be eaten cooked. Young shoots and leaves are also eaten as a vegetable.
Wheat: This is a cereal grain, one of the most common upon Arith though relatively scarce within Thanes itself. It is used as forage crop for livestock, the grains milled into flour for baking while its straw can be used as thatch for housing.
MARAKECH
While the Healing Lanterns is the capital of Thanes and rests on the eastern coast of the Desert, Marakech is a slightly smaller city that dominates the west. A wealth of colour and culture, the city is bustling with life and extravagance and is a popular spot for travelers who venture west.
Marakech is prized for its architecture. If Gadami is the Pearl of the Desert, Marakech is a glittering emerald amongst links of the purest gold as the wealthiest of the city have spared no expense in adorning their homes with exotic coloured tile that twinkle from sunrise to sunset that stands out against the gold of the desert sands. Unfortunately this has given the city a reputation amongst some as being a place of style lacking in substance, but while the municipal is like a strutting peacock on the surface there are things that run much deeper than that.
Khan Hayfa: The Khan of Marakech is a genie of earth known as a Dao. This is known only to a select few, but it is why the city has thrived so easily yet is not considered as vast as the Healing Lanterns. Khan Hayfa has ruled Marakech for generations carefully steering its wealth and using his various skills to locate gem and mineral deposits around Marakech and beyond whilst protecting the city from raiders. He is incredibly strong and possesses the natural charisma of all genies, his skin is the shade of wet sand and physically appears to be in his early forties though he is infinitely older.
The city is also home to schools of magic, the most prominent of that being a school of illusion, where the students are taught to inflame and deceive all mortal senses to the best of their abilities. As a result, the bazaar is home to the most canny of merchants quicker than most to test the strength of your gold.
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INTERESTING PLACES
"End of Journey"
Many people believe that the secret garden is only a myth. However, Journey's End is more than just a fairy tale -- it is a real place that a dedicated (or extraordinarily lucky) traveler may one day find. It is not listed on any maps, and the few who know the most about it actively discourage anyone from attempting to find the garden.**It is located in the center of the Desert. It's located in a valley so that even looking across the horizon one does not spy it's location. The entire oasis has been blessed in some way to be a boon to a traveler from the water, the fruit that grows there and even the trees themselves.
Plain of Jars
This very strange area of the desert is covered in various sized clay jars sticking out of the hard sand. No one is quite sure where they came from or what they were used for, though some scholars believe they collected rain water. Many of the jars are big enough for a man to fit inside.
Rainbow Geyser
Very few have ever seen Rainbow Geyser as it is located well off the normal path and known only to the region's bedouin drifters. This amazing geothermal geyser spurts hot water constantly into the sky forming the unique and magnificent appearance of the geyser. The colors are due to dissolved minerals slowly intensifying and then piling up. This created the embankment upon which the geyser sits and it is what gives the whole structure its size. The multiple spouts mean that a single cone of enormous size has not been able to develop. The strange coloration of the mound also comes from the fact that it is covered with thermophilic algae which as a heat tolerant microorganism thrives in this sort of hot environment.
Temple of the Desert Wind
The Thanic people are no stranger to hardship. In making their homes within the harsh Thanes Desert they truly understand that only the strong will survive, only the cunning may partake of the fruit of the world, only the wisest can read the signs in the wind and follow the paths to safety.
This is why they are among the few who dare to worship the Queen of the Storm.
The Temple of the Desert Wind is a colossal structure dedicated to Ahalya the Queen of the Storm, a Goddess the Thanic people fear and respect in equal measures. Legend has it that when Ahalya strode forth to destroy the Mad One, the winds she called to her side swept the very water from Thanes into the Ma’a River which created the desert and tore through the massive rock face that would later become the base for the Temple of the Desert Wind. Miles high with thirteen floors the Temple towers over the desert carved from the very rocks that survived her wrath, and while most of the structure retains the image left by the Goddess the Thanic people have over the decades chiseled it into a thing of beauty.
Ahalya is described as a multi armed Goddess of great beauty and wrath whose very footsteps shatter the world upon which they tread, each sway of her arms giving rise to massive sand storms that the bedouin tribes must weather.
The Temple itself is filled with curving passageways and even the interior steps are devoid of harsh corners. This is because the Acolytes of the Temple believe that the wind should be allowed to flow freely throughout the Temple as it does through life, bending to its strength as a willow does, with any resistance only causing destruction. To this end there is not a single wooden door within or without the entire Temple as to do otherwise would be against their beliefs and would result in a waste of valuable resources. The Acolytes are freer than most, but in those few cases where privacy is required semi opaque curtains are hung to deflect prying eyes whilst allowing the air its freedom of passage.
Great statues and wall carvings decorate the Temple exterior depicting the Queen of Storms destruction falling down upon Thanes to create the desert and Her battle against the Mad One. It also goes on to tell how when the swords were shattered, their pieces were scattered all across Arith with each resulting in a natural wonder upon the world: and the belief that should they be found again and the swords reforged, the Mad One has returned to destroy Arith or Ahalya Herself will once again remake Thanes. Which result it could be is never completely clear, but the Acolytes are certain that destruction will fall in one way or another.
Each year some of the leaders of the bedouin tribes make the trip across the desert to the Temple in order to break bread with one another on neutral ground to discuss the coming year.
Acolytes of the Storm: With the exception of a few servants who take care of the more menial tasks of the Temple, the occupants are male and female monks who have devoted their lives to the understanding of the Storm and how best to navigate it and the Tempests that beset Arith and Thanes, in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
Tempest Guard: A subsection of the Acolytes are the Guards. On the surface these are people chosen to defend the Temple in times of strife, given that their Temple is open to the elements it is universally understood that they need someone to watch the doorways. What is not universally shared however, is that the Tempest Guards are training specifically to assist Ahalya during the battle should the Mad One walk Arith once more, with Guards dispatched to deal with any individual the Head of the Guard feels is His agent working to sow chaos.
The Stone of Sighs: At the highest point of the Temple stands the Stone of Sighs, a series of stones wreathing the Temple that are riddled with holes. It is believed that the holy men of the temple use these Stones to interpret the will of Ahalya; when the wind is a gentle breeze across the desert face they sigh with musical contentment, but whenever Her wrath is made plain they shriek like banshees and can be heard for miles around, vibrating in the bones and threatening to shatter them.
Shard of Ahalya: Within the Temple there is a shard of metal the size of a grown mans torso. The Acolytes believe it is one of the pieces of Ahalya's swords, destroyed in the battle against the Mad One. One of their treasures, it is buried deep within the vaults with only the highest of Acolytes or Guards permitted access.
Palace of Time
This ornate and opulent palace is out of place in the desert, and unkept and cluttered from years of neglect and abandonment. It has all the feel of an old haunted house, but it is not haunted. Time moves differently inside it's walls, and though a person might spend but a night inside, when he or she emerges, their body has sometimes aged by decades, and many have entered to succumb to old age and perish inside its walls. The rooms inside are cluttered with the legacies of the dead and the forgotten, as well as their leathery mummified corpses. Some whisper that even getting too close to the palace can age a man by a handful of years. It is even said that sometimes, people come out of the palace that have never even lived in our world, as if it is a conduit to another time and another place.
The Shattered Ziggurat
Sitting in forgotten splendor, a ziggurat is slowly crumbling. It is the sort of place that heroes would love to delve into with hidden passage ways, traps, and untold treasures to be found. The Ziggurat is not undefended however. The mummies of several orcish shamen defend the place, commanding a small army of stylized orcish warriors carved of stone and armed with large well crafted stone axes and swords. Each defender functions as a large earth elemental, and the shamen are competent magi, using a variety of magics, ranging from necromancy to elemental based attacks. The shamen are well aware of what occurs in the lands around them, and are seldom taken by surprise.
The Ghostflame Tower
A pillar of stone standing in the desert is the site of a strange phenomenon. At night, fire and lightning dance around the top of the stone spire, taking humanoid shapes, like the gods and the devils dancing some macabre dance. There are merchants who claim to have been chased by phantoms of light and fire, only barely escaping. The denizens of Ghostflame Tower are storm elementals who feed on the rich natural energy that wells up from the top of the stone spire. If they notice travelers that attract their attention (IE anyone with magical relics and items they can consume) they will dance around the would be victims, draining the items of magical power, and sapping magi of power. Mundane folk have their willpower sapped, and animals panic and flee.
Salt Lake
This small body of water is so infused with salt that you float.
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Ma'a River
The Ma’a River is Thanes largest water source spanning across the entire desert, feeding in from the Thunder Sea and emptying into the Thanes Gulf. This river is the primary source for most of the oasis’ within the Thanes desert, travelling beneath the sands in a network of caves most of which remain untouched by man. The river itself is wide and strong and teaming with life: fish, crocodiles, hippopotamus and various snakes make their homes in and alongside the great river and provide an additional food source to the bedouins who travel there and are strong enough to confront the beasts.
While the river is large enough to support the life of creatures inside of it, it isn’t stable enough to provide farming lands for the bedouin tribes who may camp nearby. Each year the Ma’a River stands the risk of flooding over its banks and destroying the crops as the sea swells with rainwater that does not nurture Thanes. Some years lengthy droughts plague the desert when the rains fail in other parts of Arith and the Ma’a River shrinks beneath sustainable water levels and it is only the oasis’ and their own cunning that keep the people alive.
Each year after the river has flooded tradesmen often come down to its banks and collect a fine clay that has sometimes been deposited along the sand, and it is said that pots and ornaments made from the clay of the Ma’a river are particularly delicate whilst retaining a strength that makes them hard to break. This clay is particularly prized for its durability and can be found decorating the homes of the wealthy.
Despite the risk of floods or drought the Ma’a River is still a popular ceremonial site during the rest of the year, the most powerful tribes taking to its water in a celebration of life and survival. Over the years it has also become a favourite of newlyweds who can afford the journey to spend their first night together on the sandy banks of the Ma’a in the hopes that its fertile waters will bless them with many strong sons and intelligent daughters, furthering their tribe and empowering their bloodlines.
Aside from ceremonial uses it is also a useful travel hub, experienced river boatmen taking passengers up and down the Ma’a who wish to avoid travelling the treacherous dunes or need to travel long distances within the rivers reach.
