Karr’yr - Secrets in the storm

North of the blinding white saltflats, under the watchful eyes of the mountains, a giant plateau lies hidden under an eternally raging sandstorm. Here, ages ago, lay a city of unparalleled splendor, a paradise amidst the endless sands. This city was known as Karr’yr, once the twin sister city to Harran, was said to be a city of shimmering domes and towering minarets, built from the finest marble and adorned with precious gems that sparkled like stars under the desert sky.

The streets were lined with lush gardens, exotic flowers blooming within and fountains of crystal-clear water danced under the light under the twin moons. The air was filled with the sweet scent of jasmine and the melodies of nightingales. Together, the two cities were the shining twin moons of Aran’sha, each reigned by one of the twin empresses, ruling over their lands with wisdom and compassion.
The people of Karr’yr were known far and wide for their wisdom and artistry. Scholars from distant lands traveled to its grand libraries, seeking knowledge from ancient scrolls and manuscripts. Artisans crafted intricate mosaics and delicate silks, tapestries of wonder and awe.

Each of the two rulers held a shining sapphire, one of the twin moons of Shar'di , said to guard and protect their kingdoms. But beneath the beauty of Karr’yr lay a darkness that few knew to speak of. The city was protected by powerful magic, a gift from the elemental lords and djinni who once roamed the sands as flesh and blood.
This magic kept the city safe from the encroaching desert, making it a lush oasis in the middle of an inhospitable, unforgiving desert. This pact was sealed with the two gems, shining blue sapphires that the empresses carried as a badge of office. But as all of these things do, this protection came at a cost.
One fateful day, on a journey to forge a great alliance, the rulers and their saphires disappeared within the sands, never to be seen again. In the same night, under a nightsky ablaze with colours, the city of Karr’yr vanished without a trace. The calm sands rose like a tidal wave, swallowing the domes, the minarets, and the gardens, leaving nothing but an endless desert and a perpetual sandstorm that rages to this day.
The people of Karr’yr were never seen again, their fate a mystery that puzzled scholars and storytellers for generations. Shortly after Karr’yr’s downfall, its twin city Harran also succumbed to a similar, mysterious fate, leaving behind only legends and the haunted ruins of a great people.

Yet, even today, the legend of Karr’yr lives on. It is said that on certain nights, when the moons are full and the desert winds whisper softly, one can hear the faint echoes of laughter and music carried on the breeze. Some believe that the city still exists, hidden beneath the storm, waiting for the day when the Dim'kalyr blooms every one hundred years.
On this day, the sandstorm is said to ebb for one single night, allowing pure-hearted adventurers to delve into the city, uncover its secrets and lift the curse.
But others, those who have ventured too close to the heart of the sandstorm, tell a very different tale. They speak of ghostly figures wandering the desert, their eyes empty and their voices filled with sorrow. They say that the people of Karr’yr are trapped in an eternal twilight, their souls bound to the city by the very magic that once protected them. These lost souls, driven to madness over the centuries, are said to be still searching for the sapphires, a last way to break the curse and find peace at last.

“I heard Karr’yr just up and vanished one night, gone like a mirage. Folks say the sands took it, but who really knows? All I know is, it’s gone, and no one’s seen the city since.”

Alyra Ka'mir

One of the greatest mysteries of our time is the disappearance of Karr’yr. This paradise just disappearead one day beneath the eternal sands, leaving behind only shadows and a raging storm. Its fate remains an enigma, a tale whispered on the winds by the ghosts of a vanished people.”

Ibn Al'Rashid, Sandwalker