Salvation

The town lay far in the distance, shimmering in the heat among the shifting dunes. For many, it was thought to be a mirage. But as the caravan grew closer, the travellers came to realize, to their immense relief, that the town ahead was very real. This was Salvation, the last settlement on Eruth before the Restless Dunes gave way to the Howling Steppe, that treacherous network of canyons and cliffs.

Many wonder how the town of Salvation has managed to eke out a living, sitting as it is nestled between two dunes whose sands threaten to eat away at the buildings and homes. But it persists in an otherwise inhospitable environment because it sits atop a massive underground reservoir of clear, fresh, cold water.

Salvation is one of only two settlements that has been established on the desert island of Eruth in the Jade Sea. Nomadic tribes of genasi drift between the towns and across the desert, but other races have put down roots and stayed. Salvation is a tiny town, with houses and buildings made from dried mud bricks and sandstone. There is no way to grow anything out in the middle of the Restless Dunes, so Salvation relies on trade and a lucky find many centuries ago of minerals and stones that are prized for their dye-making abilities. Workers in Salvation mine the materials from beneath the dunes, and then others in the town crush them into dyes and sell the products to travelling merchants and visitors. Salvation's access to fresh water also makes it a valuable resting point for explorers coming to hunt among the canyons of the Howling Steppe. Likewise, the nomadic genasi visit every now and again to get water when they have had a particularly dry year among the dunes.

Salvation is the last bit of civilization on Eruth, the last point of contact for any folk wishing to try their luck among the nomads and the bandits that lurk in the sands and cliffs. Somewhere far to the east is the fabled Sapphire Oasis, where the water is said to possess healing properties and sit in a vast basin of precious gems. Many explorers come to Salvation to fill up on supplies before striking out east in hopes of finding the legend.