Esstad Desert

Long sweeping desert dunes, and tall, red rocky plateaus and cliffs dot the landscape of the Esstad desert. Home of the Embershard Ogres, the ruins of Esstad Castle, and the Egronian towns of Silverwatch, Earthwell, and the border town of Rockpond. The desert has valuable minerals, animal parts and rare and exotic flora growing under the burning sun, but comes with many dangers of the slaving Ogre bands of Thrayncar Rock.

## History

Rumors hold that the land of sand and rocky outcrops were not always so, and that a long time past Esstad Desert was a large swathe of jungle. When, one day a meteor crashed into the far eastern portion of the desert, causing devastation and destruction to the surrounding land, that has been irreversibly damage. The land was ripped and torn apart, mountains leveled, and the ground its self shook apart as it the rocky cliffs sprouted from the calamity and others would come crashing down to ruin.

## Geography & Ecology

Large seas of sandy dunes with islands of tall, red, cliffs. The land is hard and brutal, a blazing sun to cook any who dare tread across it with out impunity. Anyone wishing to enter the desert and stay for a length of time would be fortuitous to stock up well on water and food, far between and few are the oasis in the desert, and are known traps for the slaving bands of Ogres to lay in wait for weary travelers to approach. In tandem with the ogres are many beasts on the desert sands, giant scorpions, ant lions and basilisks name just a few dangers over the burning hot sands, searching for their next meal in the brutal desert landscape. Amidst its many dangers, there are believed to be valuable treasures in the ruins dotting the landscapes, most notably of Esstad Castle but many whose name is lost to time lay throughout the realm. As well as the very real mineral deposits, rare animal parts, and exotic plant life that warrant the fortune seeking, or foolhardy, to venture into the dunes.

## Places of Interest

**Thrayncar Rock-** Located in the middle of Esstad desert, surrounded by lakes and sweeping dunes where small villages and hamlets rest outside of it lays the massive mountain mound of Thrayncar Rock, where the Embershard Ogres hold their capital. clustered in between three tall plateaus acting as natural defenses, atop the central rock of a tall, twisting outcrop lay a black stone of mystical power, revered by the ogres as their deity's tool.

**Esstad Castle-** On the western side of Esstad desert, lays the ruined and smote castle of Esstad, once ruled as Egronians strongest footholds within the desert, now lays lost, forgotten. Regularly looted for its stone and what little treasures may yet be left unfounded from its rubble, no one can remember how it fell into ruin, as many castles have faded into the obscurity of history.

**Silverwatch-** A large town held in the name of House Rose, named after its many silver mines to the south. Silverwatch is prosperous due to its trade, making many would-be mercenaries either rich or dead with the many trade caravans through the desert to Egron proper with regular shipments beset by bandits, Ogres, and worse.

**Earthwell-** A town ruled under House Rose, genuinely regarded as one of the most dangerous areas due to its location further into Esstad desert with trade caravans passing through. The town is the first to use specialized irrigation methods to begin holding some farmland within the border of the desert, turning some of the inhospitable land into something that a city can form under, though that does not mean life is by any means easier, monstrous beasts and ogres constantly threaten their land and have in return they have somewhat fortified themselves against the raiding slavers.