Desert Zone

The **Desert Zone** is the eastern inner zone of Patchlantis, accessible after unlocking the east exit from the base camp. It has two sub-zones, each separated into two areas.

Sandamander, Shamprew, Clawtress, Croakamel, and Folare are native to the Desert Zone, though all can also be found in other zones. There are fourteen Desert Zone patch pins.

The Desert Zone is connected to the Hills Zone, Coast Zone, Fossil Zone, Volcanic Zone, and Rust Zone.

## Overview

The Desert Zone is themed after a dry desert, filled with desert plants and buried ruins. Dangerous cacti are found across the entire zone, making the Cactus Crawler ability useful for traversal.

The Cactus miniboss may be found anywhere in this zone.

### Base zone

The base Desert Zone is sandy, dry, and surprisingly soapy. Besides cacti, this zone is also covered in pools of sticky mud. Clouds of itchy dust may be blown across corridors, and several types of critters live here.

The Bat Shrine is located in this zone.

### Windswept Passes

The Windswept Overpass and Windswept Underpass are two parts of a windswept sub-zone. Besides the reddish sand, they are distinguished by the powerful sandstorm that blows across both areas, limiting mobility and visibility and blowing away bullets. Paying attention to the direction of the wind can be helpful to the player, to avoid projectiles and more effectively attack.

Sandweed and dried skulls are plentiful in this zone, but succulents are far rarer. Otherwise, the terrain is similar to the rest of the Desert Zone, with Itchy tumbleweeds blown around by the sandstorm and the occasional pools of Sticky mud and patches of cacti.

### Cactus Patch

The **Cactus Patch** is a sub-zone split into two areas. They appear in the corridors connecting to the Bat Shrine either above or below, and the player is required to pass through one of the patches in order to reach the Bat Shrine. Both areas are overgrown with a variety of cacti, capable of hurting the player if they do not have a suitable mount for traversal.

### Notable locations

* The Bat Shrine is found in the east of the Desert Zone. A Jumbo Bombat inside the shrine guards a treasure - the Bat Idol.
	+ Clearing the dungeon opens the Eastern Speedway shortcut in the west of the zone.
* The Cactus microboss can be found in multiple locations anywhere in this zone.
* The Volcanic Speedway is opened in the west of the zone after clearing the Molten Chapel.
* The Rust Zone Gateway is found in the south of the Desert zone. When the Sunset Idol and Sunrise Idol have been collected, the door to the Rust Zone will open.
* A cavern in the Tar Pits unlocks a shortcut to the Desert Zone.

### Critters

* Lines of Beetles are found across the entire zone.
* Rings of flying Bats can be found in the base zone and the Cactus Patches.

### Ambient hazards

* Patches of prickly cacti are found across the entire zone.
* Pools of sticky mud are present in the base zone and the Windswept Passes.
* Puffs of itchy dust in the base zone.
* Large, tumbling itchy tumbleweeds in the sub-zones.
* Smoke pressure plates summon a ring of smoke around them. They are found in the base zone.
* Thunder pressure plates summon bolts of shocking sparks from the sky that burst out after hitting the ground. They are found in the Windswept Passes.
* Arrow pressure plates summon a formation of downwards-flying arrows when stepped on. They are found in the Cactus Patches.

## Monsters

### Base zone

Sandamander (common)Shamprew (common)Clawtress (common)Croakamel (common)Folare (common)Roladillo (rare)Velostrich (rare)Combusdile (rare)
### Windswept Passes

Roladillo (common)Sandamander (common)Clawtress (common)Triantula (common)Velostrich (rare)Croakamel (rare)Bombat (rare)Coppra (rare)
### Cactus Patches

Shrubhog (common)Sandamander (common)Shamprew (common)Folare (common)Clawtress (rare)Croakamel (rare)Coppra (rare)
## Patch Pins

### Base Zone

Alloy VeraArmachokeAttaktusBomb TotemCactowerCactuftCacturretDungoFlufftusLava TotemPaddle PlantPalimeSkeletreeSnapdashSnot TotemSoapalmStar TotemSucculettuce
### Windswept Passes

ArmachokeAttaktusCactowerCactuftCacturretDried SkullPoweroseSandweedSkeletree
### Cactus Patches

Alloy VeraArmachokeAttaktusCactowerCactuftCacturretDried SkullFlufftusPaddle PlantThristle
## Lore

* The Desert Zone lorestone details its origin:

>
> *On a barren Desert island, our resourceful ancestors fashioned pins from the bones of ancient beasts. And so we pinned many new Patches to this land.*
>
>
>
>

This indicates that the ancient civilization used the resources of the Desert Zone as a source of bone to fashion the first Pins.