The Rift
The Rift is a large desert held within a bowl-like depression surrounded by mountains on most sides; with The Dragonpeaks to the north and east, the North and South Barrier to the west, and The Endless Sands and Southern Plateau to the south. It is defined largely by the rivers that flow through it, the Aegion, the Lerthon, and the Yadish, and is otherwise mostly covered with dunes with dry grasslands marking the edges. The Rift is marked at it's eastern edge by the dry Bularian Plain and it's western edge by The Cut, a narrow canyon between the North and South Barriers, where the Aegion flows toward the sea.
The Rift's climate is extremally dry, as little moisture-bearing winds blow toward it from the sea and most are blocked by the surrounding mountains. Some moisture (though not much) is carried by winds flowing through the gap between the South Barrier and the Plateau, most of which is eventually deposited on the southwestern slopes of the Dragonpeaks. Water can be found on these slopes, along the rivers, and at a few scattered oases, and most life is concentrated in these areas.
Little is known about the the Rift's earliest known residents, called the Thorosani by ancient Aurean records. These ancient records only recount that they were very warlike, leaving the region with little political stability. This made it easy for the Aurean Empire to invade, and over the period of 3215-3247 AY they were able to conquer the entire region. The empire controlled the region for 1,800 years before losing it during the collapse when a hobgoblin legion cut off the The Old Road in 4839 AY.
Most of the Rift is currently controlled by the Kingdom of Thelegon, and it contains most of the kingdom's land and people, as well as it's capital Thelegon. It is populated primarily by humans, with a significant number of halflings who live either among the humans or in small hamlets with only a few families. Most of the population that lives outside the cities either farm along the rivers or herd animals in areas to dry to grow crops. This includes a few nomadic tribes who rarely interact with the settled population, including the Naimar and the Skitterii.
