The endless sand dunes cast long, round shadows as the sun sets in the eastern sky, silhouetting the barely perceptible shape of a majestic city. As the starry host glimmers overhead, a chill wind blows across the desert in stark contrast to the blistering heat of the day. A falling star streaks across the velvet expanse as the crescent silver moon hangs silent in the still night air. Miles away, a vast, proud city stands on golden sands against the shimmering backdrop of twilight. Sparkling metal domes sit atop its round stone walls, washed white by ages of exposure to sand and sun. Windows, cornices, and doorways intricately articulated with colored tile garnish the buildings that line the city’s tight streets. Tonight, like all other nights, the intrigue, ritual, and mystery of this city do not sleep; the city is as awake and alive now as it was by day. As the sun sets across the vast deserts of Ishtar this scene repeats itself in countless other towns and cities. When day returns to Ishtar, it will bring with it the beginning of the next cycle, turning a new page on this land of day and night, life and death, beginnings and endings.
The majority of Ishtar’s geography is comprised of a vast desert which spreads out from the center of the continent in all directions. There are oasis and mountainous regions within the desert, many of which host great sprawling metropolis within their shadows. Geographically, the desert is defined not only be vast tracts of sand, but also by bleak, bare mountains, rocky valleys, and canyons like deep scars in the landscape. The edges of the desert give way to scrublands which eventually become savannahs inhabited by a great diversity of plants and animals. At its southernmost tip, Ishtar even has a handful of tropical rainforests where wet winds from the coast blow storms and heavy rains across the thick canopy of leaves.
Indeed, there is more diversity in the geography and local flora and fauna than one would expect from a continent dominated by desert. Birds, beasts, reptiles, and insects all perfectly adapted to life in the desert flourish in the arid environment. Hawks soar over the cliffs, snakes slither across the sands, and a surprising variety of desert creatures call the dunes home. Among these creatures are the infamous Sandworms; giant burrowing sightless worms which hunt using vibrations felt through the ground to ambush prey from below. They are notorious for attacking caravans, livestock, and even landboats indiscriminately. Ishtar also boasts species of enormous scorpions which dwell among the crags and rocky outcroppings whose venom is so potent, one sting can kill a man a hundred times over.
The dangers of Ishtar are many. It is said amongst the Misrahi who live there that Ishtar was created among the gods of pain and death in a contest to see who among them was cruelest. Scorching heat burns the day while biting cold freezes the night. There are rainless lightning storms which form out of nowhere, swirling pits of quicksand, hordes of carnivorous locusts which can devour the flesh from a creature in seconds, and ferocious sandstorms which can blow for weeks at a time. As many wonders as there are to behold in Ishtar, there are twice as many dangers.
The majority of Ishtar’s geography is comprised of a vast desert which spreads out from the center of the continent in all directions. There are oasis and mountainous regions within the desert, many of which host great sprawling metropolis within their shadows. Geographically, the desert is defined not only be vast tracts of sand, but also by bleak, bare mountains, rocky valleys, and canyons like deep scars in the landscape. The edges of the desert give way to scrublands which eventually become savannahs inhabited by a great diversity of plants and animals. At its southernmost tip, Ishtar even has a handful of tropical rainforests where wet winds from the coast blow storms and heavy rains across the thick canopy of leaves.
Indeed, there is more diversity in the geography and local flora and fauna than one would expect from a continent dominated by desert. Birds, beasts, reptiles, and insects all perfectly adapted to life in the desert flourish in the arid environment. Hawks soar over the cliffs, snakes slither across the sands, and a surprising variety of desert creatures call the dunes home. Among these creatures are the infamous Sandworms; giant burrowing sightless worms which hunt using vibrations felt through the ground to ambush prey from below. They are notorious for attacking caravans, livestock, and even landboats indiscriminately. Ishtar also boasts species of enormous scorpions which dwell among the crags and rocky outcroppings whose venom is so potent, one sting can kill a man a hundred times over.
The dangers of Ishtar are many. It is said amongst the Misrahi who live there that Ishtar was created among the gods of pain and death in a contest to see who among them was cruelest. Scorching heat burns the day while biting cold freezes the night. There are rainless lightning storms which form out of nowhere, swirling pits of quicksand, hordes of carnivorous locusts which can devour the flesh from a creature in seconds, and ferocious sandstorms which can blow for weeks at a time. As many wonders as there are to behold in Ishtar, there are twice as many dangers.
Nations & Regionsclick the banners below for more information on each region
Built upon the fertile banks of the Tiber river delta, Ankhatet is a mighty empire which has endured since the dark ages of the Apocalypse. From their seat of power in Nekhamen, the Ramun-Ka Dynasty commands legions of well-trained soldiers, countless slaves, and one of the most powerful economies in all Thera.
A vast savannah teeming with wildlife and beautiful natural vistas, Caldun is a wilderness region inhabited by nomadic hunter/gatherers and bold frontiersmen settling small villages and trading posts. Opportunities for adventure abound in Caldun, among the twisting paths of the savannah or buried in vast ruins beneath the plains.
The rolling hills and farmlands of Odain have been ruled by the iron fist of the Hadraman Dynasty since the reign of the Alvian Empire. Lately however, a rebellion led by a shadowy figure called the Drakul has seen great unrest and the beginnings of a civil war with nobles and Hadraman loyalists being impaled in the street.
The great dunes of Simbala stretch across the horizon further than the eye can see. The desert of Simbala is ruled by nine great cities, each a unique jewel among the sands. A great many dangers lurk within Simbala, both outside and within the alabaster walls of the mysterious desert cities. |
