Misrard

Burning sands, rocky crags, sapphire oases, golden coasts, steamy jungles, emerald islands, stormy seas, and cursed ruins; these are the lands of Misrard. Misrard is a massive north-eastern region of a greater continent, but it is isolated from the rest of this continent in many ways.   Great mountains hem in the west, where the temperatures are more mild but the absence of water leaves it a dry and rocky place without food or rest. The only known path westward is along the coast, but that leads into the barbaric lands of the Altur, where a tribal confederation of foreign raiders bar the path for easterners seeking trade or refuge.   To the north sits the Great Tempest Sea and the many rocky islands of the coast. Though far more habitable and populated, it is far from safe. No ships currently exist that have crossed this sea, leading it to be called the Cursed Sea by many mariners. Ships do not venture far from shore, fearing the many horrors of those reefs, trenches, and waters.   To the south and southeast, past the dune sea, sits the most foreboding barrier of all; the cursed heartland of Old Athok. This border is lined with outposts and fortresses left vacant. Statues of alien figures can be seen in the distance. Small mountain ridges make entering this heartland treacherous, as there are many evils that stalk those crags. The terrible sandstorms that ravage the desert seem to emerge from this place. This area is often called the Red Cloud. There is a constant and inescapable heat that penetrates the soul and burns hope. It never rains and a spilled canteen is utterly dry within minutes. The sand is red in spots, as if stained by blood. The rocky crags and stones of the ruins are rust brown. The sky itself seems to have a reddish miasma that hangs overhead, choking the sun but trapping the heat and blocking vision over distance. And the horrors of the ruins themselves are wrought with dread and myth.   And at the center of this gods forsaken land sits Athoknon, the ancient capital of the Empire That Was.