Post by Litharia on May 13, 2010 15:38:57 GMT -8
Above: A view from the edge of the Slave Trader's Oasis (informally claimed). Do not try using those rock walls as landmarks! They all look the same and the desert can be a tricky foe.
There really is no reason to willingly enter the desert. Unless you were banished for being too vile of a creature to exist within your society. Or maybe you banished yourself because you are, well, too vile of a creature to exist within your own society. Or are you too innocent for that? Well then, you must be a slave. More slaves are kept in the Southern Boil than anywhere in all of Litharia.
And if you do happen to be an adventurous or lost traveler, I feel sorry for you. Even when you exclude the thread from raiders and those vile villains mentioned above, there is still the weather to think of. During the day, the sun beats down relentlessly. The average temperature is 120 degrees year round. The only time it ever feels remotely close to nice is in the early morning or late evening where it can cool to 86 degrees before dramatically dropping to below freezing. Even then, the humidity is very uncomfortable.
Sandstorms are common and often deadly. Aside from the suffocating winds and sharp sands and rocks lacerating your flesh, it changes the landscape so that it is nearly impossible to get your bearings if you do happen to survive. Without a map that details everything (from the position of the sun and stars to the tiniest and easy to miss landmarks) your chances of survival are hardly a hair above zero.
If you do happen to make it an oasis, you are lucky. At last you can drink, eat, and cool off in the natural springs. Oh wait! Each oasis is inhabited by bands of gypsies, raiders, criminals, slave traders, and every other shady profession you can think of. If you don’t have anything to offer and are unable to hold your own in a fight, you’d best keep moving. These inhabitants can be as deadly as the weather.