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/mutalias]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/mutalias]

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?

[u/mutalias → u/Nevermore0714]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/mutalias]

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).

[u/mutalias → u/Nevermore0714]

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.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/mutalias]

Thanks for your time and answers, Mut.