The Sea of Sand

**The Sea of Sand** is the large, prominent desert that occupies much of the Valtoran continent. It is best known as the native homeland of Loxodons, a race of nomadic elephantine humanoids.

### The Wandering Oasis

The Sea of Sand's only notable and reliable source of water is the Wandering Oasis, a magical lake-like body of water that is constantly changing locations but is always present somewhere in the Sea of Sand. The Wandering Oasis is a prominent reason why so many animals, as well as Loxodon societies, have evolved to be highly mobile and nomadic. When encountered, it has a mystical aura of calm and peace, and most animals there tend to have an unspoken truce of at least begrudging tolerance; violence and predation in the Wandering Oasis becomes aversive to even consider.

### Coinfall

The Sea of Sand is home to a unique, unexplained weather phenomenon called "Coinfall." Occasionally and at irregular intervals, The Sea of Sand experiences periods of heavy precipitation where rather than rainwater, coins and magic items fall from the sky.

### Sand Worms

Much of the native wildlife has been shaped by the ubiquitous threat of Sand Worms, the apex predators in the region. Similar to the Sarlaacs indigenous to Nymeria, Sand Worms are blind, subterranean carnivores that detect the presence of prey at the surface through vibrational sensors. However, unlike their Nymerian counterparts, Sand Worms are small, measuring no more than a foot or two at adulthood, and typically swarm in groups of dozens to hundreds to cooperatively tear victims to shreds like piranha.

## Culture

The Sea of Sand is most prominently inhabited by Loxodons. No other sentient and/or humanoid races are known to inhabit the region in large enough numbers to contribute significantly to the local culture.

### Societal Beliefs

Loxodon culture heavily centers on age relations: generally speaking, the older, the more respected. The lengthy (300+ years) lifespan of Loxodons is culturally divided into five broad categories: childhood (1-30), coming-of-age (30-60), young adulthood (60-120), maturity (120-250), and elder (250+). As a result, many Loxodons tend to view the shorter-lived races with pity or condescension, quite literally viewing them as “immature” for most of their lives. The belief that a creature is not fully mentally mature until around the second century of life is inherent in their culture.

At present, Loxodon culture is at the verge of a slow but dramatic shift, as more and more Loxodons express a desire to pull away from traditional lifestyles in the Sea of Sand and towards something more urban and modernized. Cage the Loxodon is one of a few at the forefront of this cultural movement, raising awareness of other cultures to Loxodons and vice versa -- whether he cares about his influence or not.

### Religion and Magic

#### Dominant Beliefs

Loxodon belief systems are somewhat distinct from the religions dominating the rest of Valtora. While others may follow the Dwarven Pantheon or a sect of the Nymerian faith that has been steadily imported through Port Oasis, Loxodons have a more loosely-defined, vaguely pantheistic religion where rather than discrete deities to worship, they believe in an all-encompassing divinity that pervades the entire world and its inhabitants. They see “god” — the word for it being “*Sayudi*” — in flora and fauna, in the wind and the sun, in artwork and craftsmanship, in customs and celebrations, in birth and death. Traditional rituals and festivals are therefore of great importance to Loxodon culture, ranging from the annual Goldensnake Festival to the daily blessing of food and drink.

“*Sayudi*,” which can also be translated as “spirit” or maybe “soul,” is also at the center of the Loxodon belief in reincarnation. Life is cyclical according to Loxodons; after death, the *Sayudi* in someone is not extinguished, but transferred and rekindled to some other living thing.

#### Druidry and Clerichood

As “god” is not strictly personified in Loxodon faith, the line between clerichood and druidry tends to be blurred; indeed, in the Loxodon language, they are both called “*vladesh*.” The next closest word that could be used to mean the typical Aurelian “cleric” would also be translated as “channeler” or “conduit,” or possibly “apprentice,” signifying some kind of relationship with a more powerful being — a word that could just as easily be used to describe warlocks.

Druidry is one of the most highly esteemed forms of magic in Loxodon culture due to their ability to make almost any wild locale more habitable — a valued trait in a nomadic people. There is rarely ever more than one fully-trained druid in a Loxodon parade; many parades have none at all. As they age, druids will eventually be visited by a spiritual vision that tells them to prepare for their imminent death, after which point they will begin to pass on their knowledge and craft to a younger member of the parade, raising a new druid to take their place. This is known as "the Overturning," and happens extremely rarely, due to druids' tendencies to age slowly and Loxodons' tendencies to live long.

The sacred druidic art of Wildshaping —of altering one’s own form into that of a wild animal — is valued as the highest mastery of *Sayudi*-based magic, and is, strictly speaking, what sets a druid apart from a cleric. A “*vladesh*” that cannot Wildshape is therefore of a lower rank than one that can — though of course, both are still deeply respected by their parades.

Loxodon clerics, then, are *vladesh* that have a special relationship with a specific subsect of the natural world. That usually means Nature Domain, but can also include Life, Grave, Light, Twilight, and Tempest clerics. Rather than a War Domain, Loxodons refer to it as the Hunting Domain. Each Domain is added as a suffix to the title of “*vladesh*” (for instance, a Grave Domain cleric in Loxodon would be “*vladeshismersh*”). If a parade is without a druid, there is usually at least a cleric. Again, they are all still referred to as “*vladesh*” -- so in other words, most parades have one *vladesh* of some kind.

Druids don’t typically require a suffix, but in cases where a distinction needs to be made, the full word for a druid is “*vladeshiprau*,” translating essentially to “true *vladesh*.”

#### Miscellaneous Beliefs on Magic

Things like Sigil artifice is considered “forbidden” under this belief system, as it is interpreted to mean that the divine presence is being bastardized or manipulated, “trapped” within Sigil technological devices.

However, as Sigil’s influence continues to grow, Loxodon traditionalism has had to adapt. While some parades still harshly criticize Sigil artifice and shun it (with some extremist groups going to deliberate lengths to destroy devices or otherwise hinder their progress — with limited success), other parades have modified their beliefs to accept some Sigil devices as permitted. This has created some schisms in the Loxodon tradition as of late.

Finally, sorcery, the last of the known ways that a Loxodon could use magic, is generally considered a rare gift given at birth. The most common interpretation is that a sorcerer is born with unusually strong *Sayudi*, able to manifest it physically and manipulate the latent *Sayudi* in other objects or creatures. They are usually viewed with both awe and apprehension, respect and unease.

## Flora and Fauna

### Flora

#### Crackleweed

One of the most abundant plants in the Sea of Sand, Crackleweed is a grassy plant named for its appearance aboveground, where it appears in formations that look like “cracks” or lightning forks. Though possessing only unsuspecting leaves and blades above the surface, these parts can harvest water directly from the atmosphere and store them below the surface in their “waterfruits.”

These waterfruits are believed to be how Sand Worms stay hydrated in such large numbers. They would be an excellent reliable source of water in the desert if not for the fact that they are almost always infested with Worms. In exchange for the water, the Sand Worms spread the Crackleweed seeds all over the desert when the infestation bursts, which is also likely why Crackleweed is so abundant.

#### Lumbering Cactus

A cactus with humanoid anatomy, the Lumbering Cactus is capable of photosynthesis but walks around in search of water. They are generally no larger than a dwarf, but there have been sightings of Lumbering Cacti the size of full trees. They are not considered sentient, but have enough intelligence to detect and understand basic concepts like danger. They are noteworthy in their ability to seemingly predict Coinfalls by taking shelter before they happen.

### Fauna

#### Goldensnake

One of many snake species living in the arid desert, the Goldensnake holds a particular position in Loxodon culture. As they have been fully domesticated by now, Loxodons will keep Goldensnakes around for companionship and for their ability to keep away smaller pests like Snaphoppers. As Loxodon parades also make for excellent defense for a Goldensnake’s eggs and young, it is not uncommon to find parades of Loxodons that have traveled with and grown alongside generations of Goldensnakes.

#### Gallonmander

A very large salamander, large enough to stand on (though it wouldn’t like that). Retains immense volumes of excess water, most evident through bulging sacs along its side and underbelly that fill up as it drinks. Their symbiotic relationship with Loxodons affords protection from predators in exchange for water storage. Depending on the parade size, a parade might have anywhere from two to six mature Gallonmanders at the ready.

Domesticating Gallonmanders is somewhat challenging due to the fact that they need to be fully submerged in water during their early newthood; newts are usually deposited into the Wandering Oasis first for early growth before being held in one of the sacs of their father (the most likely evolutionary reason for their existence). The water in that sac then is not safe to drink, as 1) the newts will deposit waste into it, and 2) the fathering Gallonmander will be fiercely defensive of its young. Newts slowly grow until they can no longer fit in the sacs, at which point they have matured enough to survive in the desert heat. They must then be nurtured for a few more months before they develop sacs and become useful to a parade.

#### Sandskate

A manta ray-esque animal that swims through sand, similar to Sand Worms. The Sandskate is blind, but senses its surroundings with Tremorsense. They feed on precious metals, either in the form of Coinfall or actual mineral deposits deeper below. Generates a thick mucus coating around its body that is non-toxic but distasteful to the Worms. The mucus is also a decent source of fluid in a pinch, though a little gross to consume.

Sandskates rarely show themselves on the surface, but when they do, Loxodons consider it a blessing, as their utility for survival in the Sea of Sand cannot be understated. Domesticating Sandskates is nearly impossible; planting gold or silver into the ground to attract them is the next best thing. When Sandskates appear, a parade must be careful not to spook them, as they do tend to be fickle creatures (extra-sensitive to the hefty tremors of Loxodons).

#### Giant Frillneck

Even among animals considered “giant,” the Frillneck is a behemoth of a lizard that can put up quite a fight. Their thick scaly skin protects them from most Sand Worm attacks. They appear to have sufficient intelligence to negotiate with parades, and thus are viable mounts for Loxodons if the parade protects them and treats them well. Keeping one well-fed and happy, however, can be a tall order. As such, tamed Frillnecks are a rare sight, usually reserved for very large and powerful parades. Legends tell of solitary *vladesh* without parades, symbiotically tied to a Frillneck mount, roaming the desert on their own.

#### Rotglider

Large, solitary birds that fly for miles over the stretches of sand on the air currents, Rotgliders fly these long distances in search of the Wandering Oasis as well as to stop around the remains of carcasses scattered around the Sea of Sand, picking off what leftovers the Sand Worms have not cleaned off. Their large wingspans are great for gliding, but poor for hunting. Rotgliders can lock their wings into place to even sleep as they fly on the wind.

For the superstitious, spotting one overhead can be a good omen, indicating the direction of the Oasis...or a bad omen, representing death and decay. A *vladesh* could tell you which.

#### Snaphopper

Snaphoppers are tiny carnivorous rodents with large ears that hop around the hot desert surface. They are named so because they snap and hop. They usually travel in packs and prefer to hunt at night, generally feeding on lizards that they bring down through group effort, but can also tear off bits of flesh from carcasses they find. They have a bad tendency to mistake slumbering Loxodon bodies as such carcasses.

Thus, as far as Loxodons are concerned, they are irritating but not really threatening unless they specifically carry a dangerous disease through their bites. Their light weight and footsteps keep them from alerting most Sand Worms, and even if they encounter a swarm, they can often outrun it.