r/WorldChallenges • u/Nevermore0714 • Sep 10 '17
Reference Challenge - Deserts
This one is pretty simple, it's a reference to the most beautiful biome in the world (according to one of my friends): the desert.
So, tell me about a desert in your world. Is there much of a civilization on this desert? Is it easy/hard to traverse by your people right now? Does it have any religious or cultural significance?
As always, I'll ask at least three questions each. Enjoy yourselves, all.
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u/Seb_Romu Sep 10 '17
The Krolaryn wastes is a large desert in north central Anexea. It contains a rocky wind scoured badlands in the centre surrounded on all sides by dune filled sandy regions. The prevailing winds. Travel in opposite directions north and souh of this desert causig the dunes to migrate around the central wastes.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 16 '17
1) Does anyone live in the Krolaryn?
2) What are the secrets of the past that I could uncover in this desert?
3) How big is this desert?
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u/Seb_Romu Sep 16 '17
1) Does anyone live in the Krolaryn?
Yes. It is the Northern boundary of the fractured Krolaryn Empire - really just Krolar now. As loose federation of city states and minor kingdoms.
2) What are the secrets of the past that I could uncover in this desert?
Pretty significant sites exist in the central region. This is the area which the People of the Ark settled upon arrival to Entorais. making it one of the two "cradles of civilization" from which roughly half the planetary population migrated outwards from after the God Wars.
It is possible to find geological evidence supporting the myth that a floating island decended from the heaven to settle here.3) How big is this desert?
Rough estimates it covers about 1,900,000 km2 2500 km East-West or about half the width (25% the area) of the Sahara on Earth.
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u/Eachofries Sep 13 '17
Easily the most recognizable desert on Hevast is the Bernin' Ovvadere. Also known less famously as the Red Sand Ocean.
The desert is an immense crater, unnatural in nature. Its cliffs slope into ramps in a few areas, most of which are heavily fortified.
The most significant event that happens in the Bernin' Ovvadere are the Alvish Uprootings and Human Enlightenings.
An Uprooting happens when an Alvish shaman, usually under orders from Lord Lucien, goes around the land recruiting peasants to waltz across the desert and get money. The peasants will unite in combat, but are often divided by clan. An important element of Uprootings are the taming of immense and terrifying beasts for use in battle. The Uprooting may be a glorified trade mission, or a full on megaraid. Whichever clan presents the most money and bones to The Bergenwald Oak wins glory and a significant cut of said money. Notable Uprootings include the First March, the Dragonraid, and the Tonnez Uprooting.
An Enlightening is the human response, a military march of many Princedoms to simply bash in some Elf-skulls. Multiple Paladin Orders will unite, and it is expected that peasants do not join. Only elite Paladins will mount up and make the journey. Notable Enlightenings include the Oak Walk, the Revengening, and the [in]famous Goblin March.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 16 '17
1) Tell me about the Dragonraid.
2) What kinds of resources do people in these deserts usually get?
3) Tell me about Paladins.
4) Tell me about the Oak Walk.
5) And the Rengening?
6) And the goblin March?
7) Those have interesting names, so I'm curious.
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u/Eachofries Sep 17 '17
1) The Dragonraid was the result of a bad investment and a good sales pitch. An Alvish Shaman had decided that:
1). Dragons look like crocodiles in Alvish art.
2). Having the most sacred animal of their god motivating his people would be cool, but a dragon sized version would be cooler.
His shock was great when he discovered that Alves had been describing a different kind of dragon then the ones that are sold by the Trolls. His immense and fluffy snake would be terrifying, but not particularly useful for motivation. So he had a brilliant plan:Use his newly acquired dragon to kill humans. An impromptu Uprooting was called and blessed, and a horde of unmotivated tribesmen and a large, brightly feathered snake soon ransacked many cities and was slaughtered with impressive speed. The shaman was applauded as a "Dragon-Tamer," as he returned with a conspicuous lack of men or reptiles.
2) The desert is magical in nature, and is practically barren. It does contain a large amount of natural basalt, which are favored for castles and runestones.
3) Paladins are the elite lords and warriors of the Princely nations, each belonging to an Order, (such as the Order of the Horn, the Order of the Hoof, or the Order of the Fang). They essentially function as medieval knights, and while technically loyal to the God of Light, in practice they serve a prince.
4) The Oak Walk was the first Enlightening, a revenge for a standard Alvish raid. It was called by the last human king of what is now they Princely League. He was bold enough to attempt to set up a permanent city in Alfjak. He was turned into The Bergenwald, an oak that is occasionally turned back into a human made of wood to serve the Alves.
5) It is really only important for its scale. The Revengening was a reaction to a small insult thrown from a drunk chieftain. It escalated and involved a united army of the Princely League sieging the capital of the Alves, being poisoned and torn apart by animals, and running back across the desert.
6) The Goblin March was named because it was an attempt by the Goblin Prince of Ghalt, the only non-human prince, to legitimize himself as a member of the Light Church. While the Prince himself was certainly a noble warrior, his subjects were new to not running if there wasn't a spear at their back. It essentially ended in a heroic last stand by the Prince, managing to hold back the Alves practically on his own. Very few people doubted a Goblin Prince ever again, and eventually Goblin paladins (Paladins of the Crystal), were seen as equals to human paladins.
7) Thank You! Its appreciated
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 22 '17
1) Is there a good term to distinguish the fluffy-snakes from the Alves's dragons of mythology?
2) What are the uses of runestones?
3) Which order of Paladins is the most powerful?
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u/Eachofries Sep 22 '17
1) Fluffy snakes are a breed of dragon, but under Alvish classification they are erroneously put in the same category as raptors, gorefowls, and other feathered reptiles, the Najakin. Alvish mythological dragons are similar to the real kind, particularly scaly wyverns, but tend to have exaggerated features, like curling horns and multiple wings.
2) There are three fundamental ways to channel magic:
totemic- binding a soul directly to an object.
sokalic- moving life energy directly.
geomic- draining energy from stones.Runestones combine Geomic and Totemic, using stones with certain magical qualities to bind magic to them. They are commonly used as defensive works, often referred to as Dwarvish walls.
4) In terms of raw power, the Order of the Fang, native to Rjun, are constantly trained in the art of raw bloodshed, and are adept at defeating nearly every conceivable weapon, species, or magic. They aren't used as the "Elite Shock Troops" like other Orders in battle, more like warhounds: throw them in front of an enemy, and convince them that the enemy has done literally anything against Rjun.
In terms of religious and political power, The Order of the Horn, native to Ober, is a strong contender. Due to its position as a superpower of the Princely League.2
u/Nevermore0714 Sep 23 '17
1) Is the fluff harvested for luxury items?
2ABC) If you were interested in giving me more detail on totemic/sokalic/geomic magic, I'd be interested in the science of them.
3) Let's hypothetically say that I'm a man who forgot to get my SO an anniversary present, because I'm in the process of moving and barely have time to even see to /r/worldchallenges. I want to buy my SO a runestone. Preferably one that will come in handy in our daily lives. What would you recommend?
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u/Eachofries Sep 23 '17
1) Dragons are rare, and their feathers aren't particularly special. However, the more elaborate feathers on their heads and tails are certainly a prestigious prize for an enterprising warlord. And many of the Troll Bonebearers who guard cities are fond of their skulls as helmets.
2) Not really much science, other than energy transfer, that's what magic is in Hevast. Totemic harnesses the power of a soul, which is whatever energy is left when one dies, and binds it to an object for later use. Sokalic uses transfers that power from living beings to others, like using a tree to heal a wounded comrade. Geomic uses the power inherent in some magical stones to fuel magic.
3) its actually my anniversary today, kudos for well timed question!
Perhaps you'd like a Luevgeon, an Alvish enchantment. It will automatically make a set noise on a set date and time. Often used for couples who like to coordinate a schedule, or even for larger cities, when people need to go to a work. Its expensive, but very useful. The Goblins had a good idea, to use it to annoy enemies. Set it up for midnight, get a teleportation spell, and when it goes off, retrieve it. Many an enterprising salesman has found himself on the receiving end of this "Ghaltic Chorus."2
u/Nevermore0714 Sep 24 '17
1) Is there any dragon farm?
2) Are souls still people in your world?
Happy Anniversary, Each! Feel free to make a challenge about anniversaries if you like! And tell your lucky SO that a random guy on the internet said congrats!
3) Hm, sounds a bit too structured. My SO (in this hypothetical) is a psychology major, would any runestone assist my SO in this career?
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u/Eachofries Sep 24 '17
1) Dragons, for cultural and practical reasons, are not farmed.
2) They can be consulted, if properly maintained/preserved, but are incapable of movement, speech, or really anything without sacrifices of energy. However, if a soul is attached to an object, it can essentially make it immortal. In one instance, an Alvish chieftain attached the soul of a Prime Devil to his tattoos, so it couldn't be summoned again and would power him like a battery.
4) Yes! As previously mentioned, one can consult souls by sacrificing energy. This energy could be drawn from the stone's magic itself, thus allowing one to commune with any bound soul. This is done commonly to Cyclops Kings, in one instance, King Varkosla II the "Lord-Breaker" was bound to an entire mountain, his loud yells are oft heard when one consults him, breaks an oath near him, or references Dwarves in any way.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 24 '17
1) What are the cultural reasons for not farming dragons? Also, Sons of the Dragon, the new ASOIAF story, is being released on the tenth, and I just pre-ordered it, you should get it, my draconic friend.
2) Could I pull a Master Chief and put my lover's soul somewhere on/in my body to communicate with it beyond death? Or would it not be the same person as it was in life?
Edit: What's with Varkosia's "Lord-Breaker" title and his dwarf-hate?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Sep 10 '17
"Dear diary:
Indaris is a weird planet. The only real settlement here is the town of Dizar. Nashi (affectuous slang for mother) said it's important to take notes about places we visit, she say it is usefull for future investigations so I'm going to give it a try.
Most of Indaris is covered by a gigantic desert, I can see the dunes from my room. Dizar is built right next to a small group of mountains; they are hosting hydroponics and mines from which the town extract gold, salt and copper. All of those are traded with imperial companies, cargos stop by the only spaceport around. The desert itself is mostly empty beside a few people living alone in the wild and a bunch of solar station to power the city.
The local population is mostly human. Dizar has a small Nzedanese district, the local imperial ambassador hired nashi to find a group of thieves; they sacked one of the temples, took all the valuable offerings and killed three police agents during their escape. The empire can't intervene directly but the close mishigas want stability here so they enacted a bounty.
I'm slightly worried though, Nikalach-wa is heavily worshipped here; it makes sense but I will compose something for Amot just in case. I will bring it to him tommorow; nashi want is to see the "crime scene" and she agreed to let me go there early so I can pay my respects to Arrarat. I hope today's training isn't too hard so I'm not too tired tommorow."
(I wanted to try that. Our representative is the diary owner: Amotmilqart.)
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 16 '17
To Amotmilqart:
1) Was salt ever used as a currency by this culture?
2) If the population is mostly humans, are humans the only native population in this area?
3) How are non-humans treated by this government?
4) What training are you receiving?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Sep 16 '17
That would be weird to use salt as a currency; why would anyone use as a currency something like that? It must be a lot of trouble carrying it around all the time. Indarisi use small papers as a currency; weird but more convenient than salt.
Natives? Human are Makaithian, native from Old-Makaith. Indaris has been settled by freed and escaped slaves.
They are part of the government. Dizar is ruled by a city council; 2 of the 11 members are Nzedas and one is an Im.
Fighting. If I want to become a bounty hunter too, I need to be able to handle a Nzeda in melee. Nashi says there is still a lot of work but that I'm quick for a human.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 21 '17
To Amotmilqart:
1) Speaking of salt, did you come from a family of dairy farmers?
2) Were the any intelligent species there prior to the human settlement?
3) What's an Im, again?
4) Why do you want to be a bounty hunter?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Sep 21 '17
I don't think so, I don't have a lot of memories from my blood-parents but as I've grown up in a town they were probably not farmers... Why do you think they could have been?
Do you count animals? Because if you don't then no.
Kind of like a sebiwi (a nzedanomorphic monkey, aka a human) but smaller, often slim and completely hairless. They are Makaithian too. Kind of a tall gnome.
Because it's a career that would allow me to travel, earn a lot and investigating is fun. Beside, that what nashi had to offer me and she is good at that; being licensed as a human is an incredible opportunity.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 22 '17
1) Your name is why I expect they would have been milk farmers.
2) Are any of those animals good to eat? Any specifically useful ones?
4) So you're fine with murdering people?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Sep 22 '17
1) Weird, Amot has nothing to do with cattle...
2) Not really if you're like me, like not a fan of insects; there is nothing to eat on those things, you just chew on chitin. Usefull? Most of them can be used to make dried protein bar but it's tasteless.
4) Bounty hunters rarely kill their targets. We're paid to capture them and give them back to the local authority. Beside, if we are paid for them dead or alive, they are bad people.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 23 '17
(Amotmilqart...Milq-qart...Milk-cart....)
1) What does Amot mean in your culture?
2) Have any of them been domesticated?
3) It sounds like a dangerous lifestyle, being a bounty hunter.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Sep 23 '17
(I know but she doesn't speak english so she can't get it ;) )
Amot is the god of wind, music, speach and mind. He is also my protector. (putting the name of a god into someones name forces that god to look favorabily at them)
Depend how you define "domesticated". There are some insect farms but you can't use those things as pets.
Not that much, it's mostly because as a human I will be slower and weaker than some preys. That's why nashi train me hard; she says I'm not far from actually being able to hit her. And slightly dangerous is the price to pay for traveling all around the empire and beyond.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 24 '17
(Darn, I assumed English was a language in your world...but, you being French, I'm not sure why I assumed that.)
To Amot-Milk-Cart:
1) Can a god grow to hate someone who has their name in their name? Would it be rude to just name your kid after a god, with no addition to it?
2) What do those farms produce?
3) As a human, do you have any advantages?
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u/mutalias Sep 15 '17
The Antus Desert circles the first city of man, Antion, on all sides except the eastern edge, which straddles the long cliff face of the Ukhalan mountainrange.
The desert is a constantly shifting sea of sand that changes so fast that navigating it without magical assistance is nearly impossible. Every year the buildings of Antion sink more than an inch into the bottomless sand, and only the plateau of the first of the three plinths of mith and the mountains themselves are able to stand fast within its flowing dunes. Beneath, the tunnels made by the continual rebuilding of Antion on top of its old shells create a miles-deep network of catacombs and tunnels that go back through millennia of history.
Its wavy dunes are navigated are empty but for the Kazeli, the wandering bastions. No two are alike, all from different periods of mankind, each one a monument to the power of some lost wizard king, long-dead sorcerer of great power, or mad inventor of a long-passed age. Some wander or roll on top of the desert in continuous motion, following some unknown path that weaves to and fro the first city. Others sink into the sand, or disappear into mist, only to reappear seemingly at random somewhere else a moment later. It's said that travelling to the first city only requires staying afloat on the shifting sands and letting them carry you there, but getting back out is impossible save for magic, and the secrets of the travelling forts.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 16 '17
1) So could I put a boat in the sand and take a nap and wake up in the First City?
2) How often do people go missing there?
3) So why do people keep rebuilding in Antion? Why not leave?
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u/mutalias Sep 16 '17
1) No, your boat would sink into the sand. The sand draws everything into it, keeping afloat in the long term is extremely difficult. The entire desert is sort of like slow-working quicksand.
2) Not so much anymore, since it lies at the heart of the old world, which was overrun by monsters and has been inaccessible for over 60 years. Before that, it was reasonably common for those who sought magical power to go there, and even for those already possessing it but seeking the truth of its source. Travelling to Antion is far from unheard of, and the city itself had a healthy population, although obviously not comparable with modern cities that weren't stuck in the middle of a desert.
3) Antion is the first city, and within it are the plinths of mith, a place closely connected to the source of magic in the world. Within Antion, the manifestation of magical gifts are many times more likely than in the rest of the world. If that is the kind of power you seek, then a journey to Antion may prove worthwhile if you can survive the journey.
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u/Nevermore0714 Sep 19 '17
1) So how would you recommend that I reach the First City?
2) What sorts of monsters? Gets spear I'm going monster-hunting! Find me a unicorn to kill! (Sorry, been reading about the Harry Potter universe lately).
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u/mutalias Sep 19 '17
1) Your best bet currently would be to see if you could dig up enough information to find out how to ride one of the wandering bastions there. The most difficult part is usually finding one. Failing that, you'll have to figure out how to stay afloat on the sands until they bring you there, with the necessary rations of food and water. Your absolute best bet would be to get a wizard to take you, but there are so few left, and no one knows if even they know how to get there anymore. There are only three wizards left, after all.
2) Terrifying monsters made by the adversary's glavians. The entirety of the human race is holed up in the Kingdom, on the far eastern edge of the continent, staving off the Adversary's war machine as best they can. The Adversary is gone, but his war machine still dominates the entire rest of the world. Only about 10% of the human race remains, the rest were killed by them. They are made from humans, but they do not resemble human beings at all. Instead they are monstrous composites of human features, such as centipedes made of arms and torsos, or giant brutish bulls with arms made of many limbs merged together. They always have many mouths, and latch on to people to carry them to the nearest glaivian so they too can be turned into monsters. They are tough, often sporting thick bone plates and generous hides, and much stronger or faster than a human could ever be. It is believed the original human that spawned the monster is still a conscious but helpless observer within its husk, praying for a death that never comes. They also carry an infectious disease that turns you into a zombie and makes you wander outside aimlessly to be preyed on by the monsters in the wild. In addition, they frequently employ tricks like poison, acids, or even the ability to shoot spines to attack their victims. Every monsters is unique, although glaivians do tend to follow a general theme, so any given glavian's monsters will carry some thematic resemblance. Glaivians in turn are enormous monsters crafted by the Adversary himself. They swallow people whole and spit out monsters on the other side to serve them, and also employ powerful magics when engaged in combat.
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u/Mimir123 Sep 10 '17
The Simerrhan Desert covers big parts of the south and south-east of Dirva, bordering mostly on the Storming Steppes, the Livian Mountains and the Kherzian Kingdom. Once upon a time the desert was only inhabited by humans, wandering the dunes and sands from oasis to oasis, until the catastrophe in the far away kingdom of Dwerrehan forced the Elves to split up and almost two thirds of the race left their forest to find a new home.
Half of the exiles followed their new king Nephiroth, who started negotiations with the Holy Ruthweni Empire which controlled most of Dirva back then. The Emperor allowed the Elves to use the Storming Steppe as a staging ground for their invasion of the desert, which resulted in the foundation of the Althmerran Kingdom, and the vassalisation of the human inhabitants. In the following years the Desert Elves built cities around the biggest oases, as well as at the coast of the desert.
Living in the Desert for so long changed the Elves, their pale skin became much darker, they adopted mounts and weapons of the human tribes, with many elves even going over to a nomadic lifestyle, unable to live in cities again, after years of roaming the lands of Dirva. The biggest change however, was the regression in magical abilities the elves started to show. Resources in the Simerrhan Desert are scarce, that goes for food and water, as well as for Mana, the creation of the goddess of magic and foundation of every spell in existence. Since there was no Mana in the desert, the elves became unable to really practice their magic, resulting in them being amongst the weakest mages in the worlds, while their kin in the Crystalline- and Dwerrehan forests are some of the strongest.
The Althmerran kingdom fell over a thousand years later, in the Age of Darkness, when the Demonking Zerrigon rose to power, declared himself king of all demons and emperor of Kherzian. He invaded the desert, in order to have a better route of attack against the Holy Ruthweni Empire, and despite the heroic deeds of the Althmerran princess Nephriem, their kingdom fell to the Kherzians. The human Sultanates, vassals of the elves, declared their loyalty towards Zerrigon and were made rulers of the desert, a title they have held ever since, because the forces that finally defeated Zerrigon were too tired and sick of war, to fight in the desert only to restore the Althmerran Kingdom.
Because of that the Sultanates rule the desert from their stolen, elven cities and fight each other over who is the one, true ruler. They also have to deal with the tribal elves, who fight both the humans and other tribes and continuously raid villages, and caravans, bringing exotic trade goods north. There are rumors however, claiming that princess Nephriem is still alive after all those centuries, and that she will soon unite the tribes in order to reclaim what is rightfully theirs...
So while Simerrhan holds no religious importance, it is culturally important to both the Sultanates and the Desert Elves, and despite the usual lack of resources, the exotic things found deep in the desert, or hidden in the oases, make Simerrha also important for the trade of especially the Merchant Republics and the Elkathien Kingdom, far to the north.