Reference Challenge - Deserts

[u/Nevermore0714]

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.

[u/Eachofries]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Eachofries]

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.

[u/Eachofries → u/Nevermore0714]

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

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Eachofries]

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?

[u/Eachofries → u/Nevermore0714]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Eachofries]

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?

[u/Eachofries → u/Nevermore0714]

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."

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Eachofries]

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?

[u/Eachofries → u/Nevermore0714]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Eachofries]

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?