Gloranthias

"The Moving Haven"

City on the Moving Chain
In the middle of the Wastes of Veric, a traveler may see a great chain, slowly dragging across the desert floor...
The great chain is actually attached to a series of six gargantuan beasts, GLORANTHS, four legged with flat backs, upon whose backs a series of buildings, forming a city, has been built.
Once slaves to an unknown power, now their chain is the only legacy of their former masters. The humanoids living on their backs provide more of a symbiotic relationship, with the beasts constantly on the search for water, and the symbiotes keeping their bodies free of the elements.

People and Places of Gloranthias
The denizens of the city are primarily nomadic vendors, mixed in with a few "failed" adventurers. Families are rare, but not completely absent. The Glorantians simply understand the difficult road they've chosen, and its few potential rewards. Nearly all are trained in the short bow or crossbow, since it can be used to attack raiders from a defensive position.
There is a contingent of desert engineers "aboard" to potentially establish a trade road through Veric. Many have tried before, all have failed. But none ever had a traveling base of operations to assist them.
The businesses are simple and utilitarian. Most generic, desert, and mountain related items found in the PHB are available here at a 10% mark up. There are very few distinctions between the indicidual shoppes, save for one vendor may send the party to another for an odd item they're currently out of.
Of the six Gloranths, two house tall "apartment" buildings where the locals live. Each one boasts a compliment of about 50 (the sum total populace of Gloranthias is just under 200). 3 more Gloranths house the various shoppes and warehouses necessary for the nomads to ply their wares. But possibly the most impressive structure is the lone item on the final Gloranth, a giant tavern/inn called "The Moveable Feast."
Owned and operated by an industrious female halfling named Trima Bottledeep (a halfling bard). If and when the party makes arrangements with the city leaders, they'll be able to stay in "The Feast" for average prices. Trima keeps the company of a thri kreen "bodyguard" named Krillkri.
The "mayor" of the city is an human male master rogue of about fifty years named "Rafiq al Raddam." Rafiq is a former criminal exile from Varuum who made his life over here in Gloranthias. He's still a bit shady at heart, but cares deeply for the "city that saved his life." He has been mayor for twelve years, and remains in the office because nobody has the drive, initiative or heart to displace him.
Rafiq is the head of a "vendor council" made up of prominent business folk, which comprises his mayorial "cabinet." Trima Bottledeep (another ex-criminal thief from the Club Masters of Angleport, hiding here to avoid the price on her head), Sarto Myl (human, male mage and "Varuumae magical wares" shoppe owner), Zahra al Hadid (human, female priest and smithy/owner of "The Desert Spark" ironworks), and Tamir Ghazal (human, male, spy and "investor" in many businesses).
The party may offer money for travel, but the price isn't cheap. They may be able to chip away at that by offering their services in the defense of the city against raiders and others. This is something the city always needs. The Gloranth's are too slow and heavy to defend anything other than themselves, and the humanoids on their backs are often easy targets.
They also need sentries to ride ahead of the moving city to make sure their path isn't leading them into danger.
Though not very intelligent, the Gloranths have finely tuned insticts and a strong will. They have picked up the pace recently, as if desperate to get somewhere. Either Rafiq or Trima will observe, "They can always detect a storm coming. And from the looks of it, a big one is headed our way."
On their present course, the city will intersect with the most infamous landmark in all Veric. The uncrossable "River of Glass."
It's exactly what it sounds like. A giant river, over a mile wide and gods know how deep, running perpendicular to the Wyvern's Crest for over one hundred miles. It no longer feeds into any larger body of water, as its functionality as a tributary ended many eons ago. Something caused its section of the desert to super heat, and it is said that the lake turned to glass under such heat along with the pressure from the hand of Verdis, the Storm Lord himself.

Demographics

Predominantly human.

Government

Ruled by a mayor and a town council. An independent civilization, alone in the desert.

Infrastructure

Built upon the backs of the mighty, turtle-like Gloranths (giant earth elementals).

Alternative Name(s)

City on the Moving Chain (though it's not actually a city)

Type

Town

Population

400

Inhabitant Demonym

Gloranthians

Location under

Hariel Minuta