WOrlD Of ArOkA

Sandsea

Crumbling spires of metal and stone jut from the ever-shifting sands, tempting the brave and foolish to see what treasure may be claimed beneath its grains, though most will end up swallowed by it instead. The Sandsea is believed to have been a great nation that dominated central Duva. If that is true, all that remains are the towers that have not crumbled beneath the relentless erosion of sand and wind and the rare glimpses beneath its earthen waves of the halls and streets of the buried civilization.

The only exception to this is Gravestone, the menacing city of tiers and towers built into the side of the eastern mountain range, keeping watch over the barren expanse that likely fueled its construction and wealth. The riches of this city have long since been removed, though many still search every dark stone within it for secrets yet to be revealed. Apart from those thinking something worthwhile can still be hidden in this bastion above the sands, Gravestone has become a hub for adventurers, mercenaries, thieves, and traders seeking fame and fortune beneath the Sandsea.

If the sands and bandits were not enough, the Sandsea has also cultivated a unique set of threats. Great Serpents and Sandsharks will lie in wait beneath the sands, either lurching upward to crush a poor soul in their jaws or propelling themselves in the air to dive down upon them. In either case, the victim has little time to comprehend their fate, much less prepare for or even contemplate an escape. Camouflaged Dunecrabs will wait until nightfall to steal morsels of food or drag off a drowsy guard or particularly heavy sleeper. Even if one of the desert’s many predators doesn’t end you, Carvers circle overhead in wait for the lost to finally succumb to the elements.

Even the sapient peoples of the Sandsea have found ways to use this indifferent land to their advantage. While many of the local populations dwelling within the sparse pillars of stone and spires of metal are generally peaceful as long as you do not threaten their tenuous livelihood, some have chosen to lie in ambush just beneath the sands to either pluck trinkets off of their unsuspecting victims or slit their throats before they have a chance to cry out. Some have more of a flair for the dramatic, descending upon their prey from Skyfarers and Windfarers to snatch what they can then fly off beyond the reach of the sands and those that are bound to its surface. No matter the cause of death or dismemberment, the desert claims all that sit still for too long on its dunes, quickly burying them and adding their bones to the countless that tumble amidst the rolling sands.