The Great Basin Desert

The lands to the west of the Inland Sea include the homelands of three races of the Folk of Cartyrion: the Orcs in the north, Feliseans in the south, and the Chittiki in between. Most Orcs and Feliseans live outside the ring-wall formed by the Eastern and Western Basin Wall mountain chains, but the Chittiki homelands lie within the huge basin formed by these mountains. When they were first Awakened, the ratfolk found this land challenging, but it did provide for their needs. Since the Drying, which happened during the Great Strife, though, this region has become one of the most inhospitable places on all of Cartyrion.

Geography

Flora, Fauna, and Population

Few things can live for very long in the desert. There are a few varieties of succulent plants that grow roots long enough to reach down to deep underground water reserves. A few insects and small reptiles survive by feeding off these plants. Only two larger, predatory species can be found: the One-Frilled and Two-Frilled Sandrunners. The aforementioned Spitters near the central lake, are said to subsist on the acids and minerals of the lake itself.

There are no permanent settlements in the desert. The Warrens, the Chittiki homelands can be found where it meets the Basin Wall along its eastern edges, and most of the ratfolk do not venture into the wastelands. There is, however, a subculture of Chittiki - the Sandfolk that live a nomadic life in the open expanses of the great desert, herding and hunting Sandrunners, and harvesting Spitter Spit to trade. Within the mountain ring in the southwestern corner of the desert, the Dwarven Delve known as the Sandhold

Climate

Since the Great Strife, the climate of the Great Basin Desert is the drier than anywhere else on all of Cartyrion. The magic responsible for the Drying apparently still remains in force; it has not rained within the basin in over two thousand years.

Unique Weather Phenomena

The northern gap between the Basin Wall chains provides a narrowing passage which funnels the prevailing westerly winds of the Cold Lake and Lanlokan regions into the Basin. Once inside, large, counterclockwise swirling wind patterns establish themselves. This hot, dry wind of approximately ten miles per hour is more or less perpetual, though it does fall calm sometimes at night. Conversely, windstorms do occur from time to time which lead to the most dangerous conditions the desert has to offer.