The Scarred Sands

**The Scarred Sands** is a country south of the States of Belator and west of Vrachodis.

## Geography

The Scarred Sands themselves are mainly covered in open fields of sand and has an arid and dry climate, which has led to a scattered population, despite the number of people, which means most of them live in one of the three cities.

### Climate

The Scarred Sands is a barren desert wasteland with little precipitation and lots of sunlight. Though sprinkled across the desert are small oases and mountain ranges along the coast.

## Population

The Scarred Sands is a mix of a variety of races, most traveling into the country illegally or hiding out there. Its diversity makes it hard to get a specific percentage of what lives there, but a majority of its population is made up of Lizardfolk, Yuan-Ti Purebloods and Tieflings. Originally, only these three races inhabited this area because of the intense climate and wildlife. However, through the advances of technology and terrible border control, many people have slipped into the country, unknown.

* Cities
	+ **Malkovia**
		- Home of the biggest and most well-known casinos in Orlanthea- the Oasis- Malkovia is one of the flourishing cities of the Scarred Sands. A mostly neutral city, crime is nearly non-existent due to the ever-watchful eye of the great Lady Luck who resides there, Blackjack. Outside of the casino, the lives of the people there are blessed with ever-running streams of water that weave through its city and rich soil. The city itself is small but has a plentiful population of mostly retired criminals, people in hiding and the yuan-ti who have been on Malkovia's ground for generations. This is considered one of the neutral zones in not only the sands, but Orlanthea as Lady Luck who resides there wishes to keep the city safe and her casino free from outside concerns.
		- Within the Oasis, it's a chaos-filled area where time is meaningless. It's a place open to anyone, as long as Blackjack permits you to be in there. To most, it's known as a turbulent mess of drugs, alcohol and gambling, but to some, it's where they call home. Many who fear for their lives or have no other place to go come under the protection of Blackjack and are taken care of. Her only wish is that you abide by the deal you create upon taking her protection.
	+ **Khauling City**
		- Beneath the surface of the Scarred sands are tunnels and caves that are filled with all sorts of dangers and hostile wildlife. In one of these caves is Khauling City, otherwise known as the Home of the Sand Wyrm Raiders. A criminal hub in the Scarred sands, the people who live here have learned to become one with the beasts that burrow throughout the desert.
		- The people who live here have adapted to life underground and are born with markings that glow to help them navigate through the dark. The more detailed the designs, the more beautiful you are considered to be, regardless of race or gender. These markings come in a variety of colours, blue being the most common and yellow being the rarest. Most children start with one or two tattoos and as you get older and experience more with your life, more markings will appear. When outsiders wish to join their city permanently, they must undergo the trial of the sands, where they must prove themselves worthy or earn the wyrm's respect. Once successful in their feat, the wyrm will brand them and stay loyal to its master and said outsiders will slowly gain their tattoos. Aside from the tattoos, another way to distinguish the locals from visitors is the strange accessories and fashion they wear. Clothes are made from animal hide and bones, usually the more extravagant the better.
		- Currently, the city doesn't have the main deity or any real laws, more like guidelines people heavily abide by. However, like most of the people in the Scarred sands, they acknowledge Blackjack and Venisha as one of the main people worshiped.
	+ **Delphone City**
		- What used to be a grand city, blessed by the sun deity has now been turned into one of the biggest slave cities in Orlanthea after the city slew one of the Immortals. It used to be run by religious figures of Venisha and powerful Paladins, however, after being raided and pillaged multiple times, it has turned into a city with the heaviest of feudal systems. The rich living on the mountain and the land above it and the poor living in the ravines that circle the city. The system there is heavily reinforced and the situation for the poor keeps becoming more and more difficult. Most live their entire lives never seeing the sum. Though, one of the areas down in the ravines provides solace to many. This area is called 'Home for Hoes/The Grand Madam’s Emporium of Fine Delicacies, Treats and the Exotic'.
			* A huge brothel exists in the red light district of the ravines, no other district existing above the ravines exists because they usually end up in the slave area anyways. The Red light district is like many others, but the Grand Madam's Emporium is where many go. Run by Bingo, she protects those who come into her care as long as they work for her. The people who work in the Emporium are usually given better living conditions and livable wages off of what they do. This is possible because of Bingo's connections to Blackjack, along with a secret she hides within the walls of the brothel.

## Wealth

The Scarred Sand’s wealth is distributed unequally since some parts of it thrive and others stay the barren waste land it is. For places like Lady Luck’s Casino and the City of Slaves, they are prosperous.

## Culture

The Scarred Sands has no one culture. It’s a mixing pot of all sorts of desert related cultures. There’s a general agreement on the worship of snake and snake like entities though as well as a respect for them.

## Appendix

* It’s well known across the Scarred Sands that the sun deity hates them.

* Bartering and Gambling are most effective in the sands since this is where Lady Luck resides. Everyone is just kinda an asshole as well.

* While crossing the sands, you will get robbed by sand bandits probably.

* Archeologists believe there might be an ancient civilization buried beneath the sands. Several old texts found lead to this conclusion, but no conclusive proof has been found.