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--- desert_side [2025/03/21 08:29] – [Known Regions of the Desert Side] admin
+++ desert_side [2025/11/28 03:40] (current) – [Climatic Conditions & Geography] admin
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 ====== THE DESERT SIDE ======
+{{:desert_side_illustration_scenic2d.png?direct&600|}}
 ===== Overview =====
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 The Desert Side has an area of approximately 72 million square kilometers, making it about 1.7 times the combined size of North and South America on [[the_earth|Earth]]. It is the most extreme and inhospitable region of the planet.
-Like the Dark Side, the majority of the Desert Side remains unexplored. During the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], [[the_humans|Exohuman]] expeditions primarily focused on the Habitual Belt, searching for habitable zones and potential settlements. The extreme conditions of the Desert Side made extensive exploration nearly impossible. In the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], the restrictions imposed by the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] with the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribes]] further limited Exohuman movement, leading to even less knowledge about the region.
+Like the Dark Side, vast portions of the Desert Side remain unexplored. During the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], [[the_humans|Exohuman]] expeditions primarily focused on the Habitual Belt in search of habitable zones and settlement opportunities. The Desert Side’s harsh climate and extreme conditions made large-scale exploration nearly impossible. In the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], movement became even more restricted due to the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] with the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribes]], further limiting Exohuman access to the region.
-To this day, only the border areas near the Habitual Belt and a few scattered locations, such as the petrified Lea Gha Elashe (Forest of the Dead), have been properly examined. The most notable of these borderlands is the [[tijonara_region|Tijonara Region]], the most thoroughly explored area of the Desert Side, which borders the [[asari|Asari Region]] of the Habitual Belt.
+Geological studies suggest that the Desert Side was once home to two separate continents divided by an ocean, which has since evaporated. This ancient sea left behind immense salt basins and fossilized terrain features—clues to a time when the Desert Side may have supported a more hospitable, hydrated environment.
-It remains unknown what hidden landscapes, lifeforms, or ancient ruins may lie beneath the endless dunes and salt flats.
+To date, only the outer edges of the Desert Side — those closest to the Habitual Belt — have been examined. The most notable of these is the [[tijonara_region|Tijonara Region]], which borders the [[asari|Asari Region]] of the Eastern Equatorial Section of the Habitual Belt. As Asari is the most thoroughly explored and densely inhabited area by Exohuman settlers, the neighboring Tijonara Region became the most accessible part of the Desert Side. It is also the only region within the Desert Side that was officially named by Exohuman explorers.
+What lies beyond the salt flats and endless dunes remains a mystery. Unknown landscapes, undiscovered lifeforms, and forgotten ruins may yet lie buried beneath the scorching sands.
 ===== Climatic Conditions & Geography =====
+{{ :kivara_gg_scenic_2d.png?200|}}
 The general temperature ranges from 40°C to 70°C, with the transitional zones near the Habitual Belt being slightly less extreme. Since the Desert Side is exposed to continuous solar radiation without atmospheric protection, conditions are extremely dry and hostile. Survival for most mammals is impossible without specialized adaptations or artificial protection. Vegetation is scarce, and water sources are nearly nonexistent due to high evaporation rates.
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   * **Shifting Sand Dunes –** Vast expanses of wind-sculpted dunes that are constantly reshaped by scorching solar winds.
   * **Salt Flats and Evaporated Lakes –** Dazzling white plains formed by the evaporation of ancient ocean basins and lake beds, rich in mineral deposits.
-  * **Rocky Plateaus and Canyon Networks –** Particularly in regions like [[tijonara_region|Tijonara]], rocky steppes and winding canyons offer rare shade and microclimates.
+  * **Rocky Plateaus and Canyon Networks –** Particularly in Tijonara, rocky steppes and winding canyons offer rare shade and microclimates.
-Geological studies suggest that the Desert Side was once home to two separate continents divided by an ocean, which has since evaporated. This left behind immense salt basins and fossilized terrain features that tell the story of a once-hydrated world.
 The only exceptions to this barren environment are found in the transitional zones near the Habitual Belt. Here, temperatures are lower, and remnants of ancient forests — now completely petrified — still stand. These "fossilized forests" formed when plant material was rapidly mineralized under extreme conditions, preserving them as stone replicas of their original form.
-The most well-known of these is the "Lea Gha Elashe" (Forest of the Dead), located in the Region Tijonara, south of the boundary line, on the eastern shore of [[lake_arla|Lake Arla]]. The [[the_natives_tribes_of_voi_700_d|Native Tribes]] of the bordering region [[asari|Asari]] consider this forest sacred, believing it to be the resting place of their ancestors' spirits, where they can seek wisdom and guidance. This forest transitions into the "Gha Sol Shaol" (Gate of the Gods) mountain range, a towering formation that extends over 100 kilometers, serving as a natural barrier between the Habitual Belt and the Desert Side.
+The most well-known of these is the "[[Lea Gha Elashe|Lea Gha Elashe]]" (Forest of the Dead), located in the Region Tijonara, south of the boundary line, on the eastern shore of [[lake_arla|Lake Arla]]. The [[the_natives_tribes_of_voi_700_d|Native Tribes]] of the bordering region [[asari|Asari]] consider this forest sacred, believing it to be the resting place of their ancestors' spirits, where they can seek wisdom and guidance. This forest transitions into the "Gha Sol Shaol" (Gate of the Gods) mountain range, a towering formation that extends over 100 kilometers, serving as a natural barrier between the Habitual Belt and the Desert Side.
 ==== Known Regions of the Desert Side ====
-  * **[[tijonara_region|Tijonara Region]] –** Located along the border with the Asari Region of the Habitual Belt, Tijonara is the most thoroughly explored region of the Desert Side. It is defined by its rocky plateaus, canyon systems, and the presence of [[lake_arla|Lake Arla]] — a rare desert oasis
+  * **[[tijonara_region|Tijonara Region]] –** Located along the border with the Asari Region of the Habitual Belt, Tijonara is the only thoroughly explored region of the Desert Side. It is defined by its rocky plateaus, canyon systems, and the presence of [[lake_arla|Lake Arla]] — a rare desert oasis
 ===== Flora =====
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 ===== Fauna =====
+{{ :borr_gg_scenic_2d_04.jpeg?direct&200|}}
 While most of the Desert Side is inhospitable to life, some regions support highly adapted creatures:
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 ===== Native and Exohuman Population =====
-The Desert Side is largely uninhabited due to its extreme conditions. However, a small human subculture has emerged:
+{{ :desert_people_illustration_scenic2d.png?direct&200|}}
+The Desert Side is largely uninhabited due to its extreme conditions. However, a small exohuman subculture has emerged within the Gamma Age:
   * **[[the_desert_people|The Desert People]] –** A renegade group of Exohumans who have abandoned civilization, choosing to survive in the harshest regions of VOI 700 D. They live in small, hidden enclaves and have developed techniques to endure the relentless heat.
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 ===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====
-The Desert Side is a brutal, high-risk environment that rewards creative problem-solving and survivalist thinking. Dungeon Masters can use the Tijonara Region as a more accessible introduction to the Desert Side before sending players deeper into unknown regions.
+The Desert Side is a brutal, unforgiving environment that challenges players to think creatively, act resourcefully, and survive against the odds. Its relentless heat, scarcity of water, and ever-shifting terrain make it ideal for high-risk, exploration-heavy campaigns centered around endurance, ingenuity, and the raw will to press forward.
+Dungeon Masters can use the Tijonara Region as a narrative staging ground — a relatively accessible and partially mapped area that offers a foothold before players venture into the vast, undocumented interior. Its proximity to the well-settled Asari Region allows for supply routes, political intrigue, and early story arcs before the group sets out into the great unknown. Thematically, the Desert Side is a land defined by absence — of water, of shelter, of safety, of certainty. It provides fertile ground for stories about:
-Worldbuilders should keep in mind that the Desert Side is defined by absence — of water, shelter, law, and certainty. It is a perfect setting for stories about isolation, endurance, and forbidden exploration. While much of the region remains unmapped, its harshness allows for near-complete narrative freedom. Ancient alien ruins, solar cults, lost technologies, or mutated wildlife can all be justified by the planet’s extreme conditions and the lack of verified records.
+  * **Isolation and mental strain under the blazing sun**
+  * **Forbidden knowledge and relics of civilizations long buried beneath the dunes**
+  * **Moral ambiguity, where laws no longer apply and survival dictates choices**
+  * **Solar cults, mutated wildlife, or technologies altered by centuries of exposure**
-When designing locations, consider layering your settings with mystery and mirage — landmarks that shift with the wind, myths born from dehydration, or structures visible only during certain solar alignments. The Tijonara Region in particular, as the only well-documented zone, can serve as a narrative anchor — a last known checkpoint before the players descend into the blazing unknown.
+This region offers nearly unlimited narrative freedom due to its unexplored nature and extreme environmental conditions. The lack of verified maps or records allows Dungeon Masters to invent entire biomes, societies, and ancient sites without contradicting canon — as long as these inventions stay grounded in the technological and ecological limitations of VOI 700 D.
 ==== Beta Age (2625–2631) – The Era of Exploration and Survival ====