Desert of Kalir

The desert of Kalir is a vast desert landscape in Gardelinden. It covers roughly one third of the Gardemoor continent. South and east of a small mountain range called the Haverhills is the eponymous duchy of Kalir. Here, a tiny portion of desert consists of sandy dunes, shrublands, and scattered oases. West and north of the Haverhills, the largest portion of the desert is made up of barren highlands, some desert pavements, and rocky plateaus. Shaped by an ancient storm that has been raging on for millennia to the north-west of the continent, the sands and rocks of this hamada has been ground down and carried away by strong winds.

Duchy of Kalir

Separate from the rest of the desert, south of the mountain group called the Haverhills, exists the most habitable part of the desert. Though this part of the desert mostly consists of dunes, the Haverhills collect water, making way for the natural creations of oases, a lake (Haver's Cauldron) with a river (the Palant) that runs all the way to Dragon Maw Bay. Situated in the oasis surrounding Haver's Cauldron directly south of the Haverhill mountains is the city and duchy capital of Haverhill. One of very few settlements found in Kalir, Haverhill is often the first and last stop of people traversing the desert.

Points of Interest

Haverhill

Thriving on farming around Haver's Cauldron and along the Palant river, and mining for gold in the mountains, the ancient city of Haverhill is a success story when it comes to desert living on Gardemoor. Established even long before the Gardemoor Empire, some marble and sandstone structures contain thousands of years of history.

Temple of the Silence in the Sands

There are very few people around the world who worship the Silence, but one such group of people have found their home in an ancient, semi-ruined temple in the eastern Haverhills mountains, overlooking the quiet sand dunes below. The Followers of the Silence in the Sands are trained desert rangers and often help those who become lost in the inhospitable environment.

Ōdnan's Rest

Tired of running from the horrors of Misery, Ōdnan Ref decided he wanted to become a tree. Calling in a divine favor from Silence and Sawaarre, he merged with the plant creature Belerick to create a magical, unique tree that is now planted outside the Temple of the Silence in the Sands. Nourished only by knowledge, this tree now brings new life to the desert.

Old Windswept

The central parts of the desert is named "Old Windswept" due to formerly having been part of the Stormlands. This is evidenced by rocky terrain showing traces of wind erosion far beyond the capabilities of the current winds. There are many myths surrounding the mountain range to the west of this area, the Sundering Wall, being created as some sort of miracle or divine intervention in order to hold back the storms in the north.

Stormlands

The northwestern part of the desert is intermittently part of the ever-expanding-and-contracting storm northwest of the continent. While other areas of the desert are harsh and unfriendly, the rocky lands of the north are completely desolate and inhospitable towards most forms of life. The strong winds tear the very ground from the land, reshaping the continent.

Desert of Kalir marked in yellow on the continent of Gardemoor

Type

Desert