Kune Desert (ANB)

## Regions

### The Kunic Sea

The Kunic Sea is the largest sand desert in the known world, and as such also one of driest and most hostile. It consists almost entirely of an endless sea of dunes, from which it derives its names, some of which can reach up to 400 meters. Occasionally the dunes are broken up by a flat basin, covered in a mosaic of dried clay and saltcrusts. They are mostly broken up by blackened and dead trees, of which occasionally a few will sprout fresh leaves. The Kunic Sea is like a shadow behind Cloud City, and any moisture in the air will have to pass it before making it to the Kunic Sea. As a result of that this desert only experience rainfalls every second decade, and is increadibly dry. There are few to no places where one can find water or plants here; with the exception of a few oasis and fertile valleys. The Underpath in this desert is flooded with sand in many areas, leading to only a few muddy passages that are safe to travel.

### Southern Badlands

Just below the Worlds End Mountains lie the Southern Badlands, a dry and infertile mountainous region. The land is dominated by colorful stone mountains and hills surrounded by plains of dust and arid vegetation. While rain is much more frequent here than in the rest of Kune, the soil is extremly salty and can barely contain moisture or plantlife. That compared with the constation erosion and eridation creates very harsh enviroments with specially adapted shrubs, cacti and desert lichen. Occasionally the barren landscape is broken up by rivers, vast steppes or muddy spring marshland. The Southern Badlands remain almost entirely unexplored, and there are very few humans and forsaken that inhabit or traverse it.

At the eastern edges of the Southern Badlands, enclosed by valleys and highland, lie the Petrous Forests. Once thriving jungles, the aridation of the land, the chemical pollution and the frequent dust storms have caused the local forests to petrify. Now these towering monuments function as refuges for local animals and as sacred places for the naitives.

### The Dustlands

The Dustlands form the entry to this deserted region when approaching from the southern steppes. Here temperature and soil quality rapidly shift. While the Dustlands are fertile and covered in vegetation, for most parts of the year they are covered in a thick layer of orange-red dust. In the summer the heat and dry weather become so extreme that most annual plant life dies off, which combined with western forest fires, extreme droughts, continous erosion and the qualities of the soil leads to large duststorms that rage across the entire area. They often carry the curse and pollutet materials with it, and are so engrained in the strong winds that every traveler requires some form of breathing protection to safely traverse them. The local fauna and flora has adapted itself to these conditions. Most of them are rodents of all shapes and sizes, which dig through the dust to find the dust to find the plants and roots burried underneath, or build vast tunnelsystems and nests. Many of them have become eusocial, engaging in a perpetual war for territory. The Dustlands are also regularly visited by large herds of herbivores since the offer refuge from the aggressive ticks and bloodsucking insects that thrive in the autumn steppes.

In the protected highlands vegetation can grow unobstructed, leading to vast red steppes and open forests. The hillsprings usually are safe to drink, but any source of water in the lowlands carries the same pollutants as the dust itself. Sometimes water gatheres in valleys or depressions, mixing with the sand and creating perilous mires filled with muddy water and quicksand, surrounded by amphibious plants and tree ferns.

### The Grey Wastes

The The Grey Wastes are the gateway into the Ashlands, the only division being a set of mountainous highland. The air above it starts cooling down drastically, leading to a thicked of clouds and mist descending onto it from the north. The Wasteland is one of the most humid parts of the region, but since the soil can contain almost none of it the vegetation here is sparse and spaced out. Most of the Wasteland is covered in grey and black gravel and stones, from which trees or bursh sprout up which are covered in thickets of sharp throns. It is a bleak land with little to no color. The sky is usually greyed out by fog or the smog of the Ashlands, and there are few colors on the ground besides grey and brown. The vegetation appears almost hostile, entirely covered in thorns and barbs. An eery silence dominates the wasteland, as there is little to no wind aswell as a strange abscence of fauna that could produce sound. Some believe it is the dismal landscape, others claim it is the air pollution or a strange substance in the fog; but those that wander these lands for too long will experience a condition known as "Wasteland Madness", which leads to depression, anhedonia and apathy. It is as though the life is slowly drained from those that dare to intrude upon it.

The Grey Wastes contain by far the most Precursor structures in the region. Many of these are build into the mountainside or underground, but its largest, the Grey Tower, can not be overlooked. There are no naitive tribes that live in the Wasteland, its only inhabitants are a few isolated groups of Forsaken that occupy the ancient monuments. However, Hollows are sighted frequently in these lands; leading travelers to believe the Veil between the lands of the living and dead grows very thin here.

### The Underpath

The Underpath in the Kunic desert is almost entirely flooded. The reason for this is that the tunnels and shafts build where designed to function under a steppe, not a desert. The extreme shift between heat and cold, and the soils inability to contain humidity, has caused water to form around the tunnels, freezing and melting every day and thus breaking open and corroding the outer walls. By now the kunic Underway contains most of the deserts watersupplies, and depending on the time of year they are either entirely flooded or only covered in kneedeep water. However, this water is far from drinkable. The Underway often breaks open and these holes can be seen from far away through the evaporating mist, but they represent a trap for thristy travelers. Despite its high mineral and mud content it is contaminated with various chemicals and pollutants aswell as aggressive bacteria thriving in the unsanitary enviroment. In some areas the Underpaths waters even carry the curse. Drinking from these waters will result in heavy infection, intoxication, hallucination or outright death. It takes skill and a complex filter system to be able to drink this water; which naitives acomplish with animal bladders and sand.

The Underpath is home to many aquatic or amphibious animals. The most common of which are slugs and waterworms which feed of the bacteria, fungi and algea growing in the polluted waters. There are even some species of highly adapted fish that inhabit the many tunnels, of which are less blind than their southern and eastern relatives. These fish can provide a good source of food, but are highly toxic. They need to prepared by a skilled butcher capable of extracting their digestive system without spilling. The largest animals, and by far the greatest danger, are the carniverous amphibians that inhabit the tunnels. They are ambush predators, hiding in the muddy debts of the tunnels and biting the legs of their prey to drag them down to drown. They are similar to crocodiles in appereance, although their skin is soft and slimy, and they are faster swimmers. Another danger to intruders are the various parasitic leeches that swim in these waters, and the larvae of various desert insects that grow in here.

Many plants have developed deep and strong roots in order to reach down into the Underpath. This leads to belts or strips of fertile green reaching across the desert, and signaling the passing of the Underpaths uppermost tunnels. The nomadic herbivors of the desert often travel along these lines, feeding as the walk, while the vegetation regenerates in their absence. Most of these plants are desert shrubs and cacti, but there are also species of grass and colorful flowers growing there. Since they contain or have absorbed various harmful substances they make for good poison, drug or medicine.

#### Desert Oases

At larger openings, where the water is either still or cycling, an oasis will from. Countless plants, from shrubs to large trees, will grow around and into the opening. Some of these oases are fairly small and only situated around a small opening, others can grow across many achors, These oases are the lifelines of the desert, and in many parts the only source for food and water. While the water within the oasis will not be safe to consume, the various plants and cacti filter it safely into their trunks; which a skilled forager can extract with a sharp metal rod and a hammer.

Some oases have even began transforming the soil around them, making it more fertile and capable of containing humidity. This means they can grow beyond the reaches of the Underpath and expand across the desert.

## Notable Locations

* **The Old Road:** Winding itself throug the Chemdesert and Northern Wasteland, the Old Road is one of the only percursor roads that has survived until the modern day. It rises roughly 10 meters above ground, resting on steel pillars that contain a disfunctional monorail sytem. Above, a thick and mosaic layer of asphalt and dusts leads travelers from the Riverlands deep into the desert. The Old Road is frequently used by slavers, traders and explorers, but it is not a safe path to take. Raiders and scavengers have set up camps along the way, waiting for travelers that have too little protection or temporarily leave the road to seek water. There are even some predators that have taken notice of the frequent occurance of easy prey here, lying in wait in abandoned supply stations and observatin decks.

## Flora and Fauna

### Fauna

* **Oasis Gliders** are a type of fruit bat that inhabit the entire kune desert. They function as pollinators and feed on various fruits/flowers growing in the oases. They fly between them in strict annual patterns, often traveling up week with little food or water. Those that spot these bats can use them as a guide towards the next oasis. But since they only travel at night it can be hard to spot them.
* **Mud Toads** are a group of amphibians that can only be found in the desert and come in various colors, shapes and sizes; some of them growing as large as a human head. They thrive in muddy and swampy terrain but have low resistance against direct sunlight. They will bury themselves below the sand, hybernating in wait for the next rain season, before jumping out of the fresh mud; a strategy they share with various newts and lungfish. During the rainseason these toads breed at a rapid pace, being able to double their population in little more than 2 weeks. Lucky for desert scavengers and humans they are not poisonous, making them a great source of food during the dry months when one digs at the right place.
* **Desert Insects** are very common in every part of Kune. Alot of them grow as larvae in the moist tunnels of the Underpath and fly to the Overworld once they have matured. These include countless species of flies, beetles, neuroptera and sabre wasps. Alot of them are extremly colorful, signaling their poisonious nature to careless predators. The greatest danger to their larvae are the various species of isopod that inhabit the underpath and the area around its openings.

Predators

* **Desert Dragons** are a landdwelling crocodiles that have adapted to hunting across the vast desert planes. They can grow as tall as a human and up to 6 meters long, and are very dangerous sprinters across short distances. Their scaly skin protects them from most injuries and their bite is strong enough to crush bones and armor. They are only vunerable at night where the low temperatures make them slower and sluggish.
* **Raptors** are by far the most common predators and scavengers across the desert. Most of them are way smaller than their southern cousins, but they hunt in packs and even their smaller variants can become dangerous to humans; although they are mostly looking for carrion. The largest ratite in the desert is the Maskrunner, whose front beak covers up his head and mouth in a way to protect it against storms and cursed dust. They are especially common in the southern parts of Kune, where they stalk the Dustlands for prey.
* **Labyrinthodon** are the largest amphibic predators found in the overworld. These newts can be found in every larger waterbody and swamp in the Kune desert and are excellent ambush predators. They will become almost invisible in murky waters and can launch themselves up to a meter out of the water before delivering a boneshattering bite with teeth that function like fleshhooks. They kill they prey through drowning it or causing lethal bleeding. However their amphibious skin is not very resistant to dry sunlight. Once their waters dry out they form a muddy cocoon around themselves and bury them deep under the last humid remains. There they can hybernate for several years, waiting for the next rainfall to restore their habitat.
* **Pit Horrors** are the largest predatory insects in the desert, growing up to a meter in length. Their misshapen, bulky segments are covered in bristles and hair; and they color matches the sand to perfectly it is almost impossible to spot them. As their name suggests they live in tunnels underground, digging smooth pits in the sand through which they will catch their prey. They remain submerged in the bottom of the pit, waiting until prey edges too closely to them, before they create vibrations that cause the sand to sink inwards, dragging anything ontop to their unfortunate demise.
* **Whip Scorpions** are one of the most common arachnids in the desert. They mostly nocturnal predators, but they get very aggressive when being stepped on when burrying in the sand during the daylight. Whip Scorpions are extremly fast and use their erect tail to spray the eyes of their prey with acid, temporarily blinding them, before descending on them with their massive pincers. Most Whip Scorpions are fairly small, rarely growing larger than a hand; but there are some species that reach the size if a dog and hunt humans. Their pale variants stalk the ceilings of the Underpath.
* **Desert Centipedes,** also known as Crawling Serpents, are the most common venomous animal in the Kune Desert. They are equipped with a pair of venomous mandiples that inflict terrible pain, necrosis or anaphylactic shock when bitten. Their sleek and smooth bodies effortlessly crawl and burrow through the sands, and they can reach suprising speeds. Most of them are rather small, but some of these can grow up to the length of a human arm. They don´t see humans as prey, but stepping on one or rousing it from its hideout in a dead tree can lead to a deadly bite.

### Flora

* **Bottle Trees** grow in almost every part of Kune. Their trunk is sturdy and much wider than the rest of the plant, as it contains large reservoirs of water. These slow growing trees have strong roots that reach deep into the earth, sometimes even penetrating into the Underpath for moisture. Their abilities of filtering polluted water and retaining it in a drinkable form make them vital to Kunes naitives which plant them wherever they can. A flock, a hammer and a strong arm are all it takes to extract clean water from the tree. Those that grow at oases usually have a faucet drilled into them.