Bright Desert

The origins of this wasteland are unknown, though it is thought a kingdom once lay here when the land was fertile, before being destroyed by some age-old disaster.

The origins of this wasteland are unknown, though it is thought a kingdom once lay here when the land was fertile, being utterly destroyed in some age-old disaster. Only nomad tribes wander the land now, at war with each other and other tribes in the Abbor-Alz. In the west is a neutral trade village and oasis, UlBakak, but travel here is fraught with danger. The pass to Hardby is controlled by the Tareg, an inbred clan of Suel who reached the desert centuries ago but could not escape it. Of late, the desert has become the home of the archmage Rary of Ket, and the desert's Brass Hills are the center of his "Empire of the Bright Lands."

The Bright Desert and surrounding regions have languished in the backwaters of history until very recently. The region's early history, although largely unknown, may yet play a vital role in current events.
Once, over 2,000 years ago, a Flannish kingdom called Sulm ruled the central portion of what is now called the Bright Desert. Constant warfare with desert nomads and internal unrest led Sulm's rulers to delve into forbidden magic and the worship of evil gods. Finally, after a long slide into decadence, the land's last king, a sorcerer named Shattados, appealed to one of his wicked deities for a boon, a magical item which would enable him to be his people's unquestioned ruler.
Shattados's wish was granted, but in a way that both he and the Sulm people would soon regret. A crown appeared to him in the shape of a great scorpion. Eagerly, Shattados donned it, expecting it to simply bend others to his will. It did far more. The gods of evil are possessed of a perverse sense of humor, and Shattados was about to be the victim of an unpleasant practical joke. In an agonizing moment, he was transformed into a monstrous scorpion and his people into the wild manscorpions which still plague the desert. In less than a day, the kingdom of Sulm ceased to exist, and perhaps, far away, in an isolated corner of an evil plane, dark laughter echoed.
Those nomads and centaurs who were not citizens of Sulm were unaffected by the curse and soon returned to their nomadic lifestyles, fighting each other and the manscorpions with equal vigor. Within a few generations, the kingdom of Sulm had vanished from memory, and the desert was as it always had been.

Geography and Climate

The Bright Desert is well-named. Most of its 250-mile length is composed of shining, shifting dunes, with a few oases scattered here and there. Mean daily temperature can reach as high as 120 degrees at midsummer and swiftly plunge to near-freezing after the sun has set. Hot winds periodically scour the desert, creating sandstorms which can last for hours at a time. The men and creatures who inhabit this land are a hardy, dangerous lot.
Around the perimeter of the dunes lie patches of hardpack, or scrub desert, where plant life of a sort flourishes. Hardy, scraggly shrubs and twisted pine trees, some hundreds of years old, grow in the rocky soil, nourished by the mere sprinkling of water that the region receives each year.
Rising above the scrub plains are the hills of the Abbor Alz, a region of rugged, steep hill-sides and treacherous canyons. Like the desert, the Abbor Alz is home to hardy, hostile humans and animals. Although the Abbor Alz is arid and dusty throughout much of the year, it harbors stands of hardy scrub pine and oak, and during the rainy season (from mid-Fireseek through early Planting), small streams appear, rise to flood, and vanish overnight.

The Inhabitants

Several intelligent races inhabit the Bright Desert and Abbor Alz. Although manscorpions might be described as "intelligent," their ceaselessly aggressive nature qualifies them more as monsters than anything else. Humans, duergar, norkers, and a unique race of centaurs may all be found in the neighborhood of Rary's empire.
Nomads
There are dozens of tribes in the desert, ranging in size from several dozen to more than a thousand. The harsh climate had bred these tribes into violent, surly people, who hold each other in only slightly more regard than they hold most outsiders. Power, military or magical, is the only thing which can unite the tribes, and Rary is prepared to demonstrate both in order to win the nomads to his cause.
Bright Desert nomads have some cultural similarities to the Paynims of the west, although they are of Flannish descent. Camels are unknown in the Bright Desert. These nomads ride hardy desert ponies (see wild horse in the Monstrous Compendium). They wear light robes or buckskin, and enjoy creating bright jewelry such as armbands and headbands of bone, brass, leather, and colored beads.
The nomads worship a pantheon of minor nature spirits, led by Beory the Oerth Mother, and Obad-Hai, the Sbalin, Lord of the Wild Places. The nomads fear Nerull the Reaper and his minions, many going so far as to suggest that Rary himself is an emissary or avatar of this god of death and darkness.
Mages are virtually unknown among the nomads, who treat magic with superstitious dread. Even those tribes who actively support Rary are fearful of his magic. Druidic and shamanic spellcasting is rare and usually only practiced in larger tribes, but it is accepted as proof of the Shalm's power and benevolence. Oddly enough, the nomads have no restrictions on the use of enchanted weapons, despite their professed fear of magic.
The nomads possess a strongly patriarchal, honor-driven warrior culture. Women are, at best, only trusted servants of men. Other tribes, especially foreigners, are fit only for occasional trade or savage warfare. This situation has resulted in a region constantly at war, with blood feuds and vendettas decimating entire tribes and preventing any contact with the outside world. The menace of the manscorpions and desert centaurs complicated matters further.
Quarrelsome and provincial even in the best of times, the Bright Desert nomads are divided in their reactions to Rary's newly-declared kingdom. Some, weary of constant warfare, welcome his presence and freely acknowledge Rary as their ruler. Others have remained neutral, waiting to sec what Rary will do. Still others are openly hostile, denouncing Rary as a foreign meddler or, worse still, a diabolical spellcaster with dark motives and darker plans for the people of the region.
Such competing views of the land's new ruler have done nothing to settle this violent and strife-torn region. Nomads loyal to Rary battle those who oppose him, while those who remain neutral are under intense pressure from both sides. Rary seems destined to eventually triumph, uniting all the nomads, willing or unwilling, under his banner, as he is backed up by professional troops, the military skill of Lord Robilar, and his own awesome magical powers.

Lord Robilar on his Iron Destrier

Barbarians
The situation in the Abbor Alz is somewhat different. The barbarians of the hills have always been independent, always reveled in fighting both each other and the non-humans of the region, and are only too willing to unite to keep it that way. Rary's power base is not strong enough to take on these barbarians, especially in their rugged homeland, and for the time being he limits his activities to trade and sporadic diplomatic contacts with the Ab-bor Alz humans.
The barbarians are of mixed Suel-Flan stock, who worship deities of strength, bravery, and warfare, such as Pelor, Fortubo, and Llerg. They share the nomads' dread of Nerull, but usually include several other evil deities, such as Beltar and Tharizdun as Nerull's servants. Less superstitious and somewhat more wise in the ways of the world than the desert nomads, the barbarians of the hills do not consider Rary to be a minion or avatar of some wicked god, but do know unbridled ambition when they see it.
Barbarian culture is somewhat less divisive than the nomads'. Although warfare and blood feuds are frequent, the barbarians are fully capable of uniting against a common enemy. An Abbor Alz tribesman feels that he should be the only one allowed to kill other Abbor Alz tribesmen, and is willing to fight to keep it that way.
The barbarians also differ from the nomads because the women have far more freedom. While rule is strictly patriarchal, women may be advisors, sub-chiefs, warriors, clerics, and even war-leaders if they have proven their abilities to other warriors' satisfaction.
Dislike of magic and mages is common here, but like the nomads, clerical and druidic spellcasting, as well as the use of magical weapons, are completely acceptable.
Despite the fact that the barbarians' culture is somewhat less restrictive than the nomads', they are still a surly, insular lot who revel in driving out foreigners who dare trespass on their lands. The rugged terrain is the barbarians' greatest ally, and few explorers who enter this region return to tell about it.
Duergar
The situation in the Abbor Alz is somewhat different. The barbarians of the hills have always been independent, always reveled in fighting both each other and the non-humans of the region, and are only too willing to unite to keep it that way. Rary's power base is not strong enough to take on these barbarians, especially in their rugged homeland, and for the time being he limits his activities to trade and sporadic diplomatic contacts with the Ab-bor Alz humans.
There is evidence that the Abbor Alz was once home to a tribe or tribes of hill dwarves, but none survive today. Apparently, the dwarves may have been a trading colony or offshoot of the Iron League and were wiped out or driven from the Abbor Alz by their hereditary enemies, the duergar. These evil dwarves, normally confined to the Underdark and other inaccessible places, have begun showing themselves more and more frequently as Rary makes contact with them and their leader.
After securing the area for themselves, the duergar took over the dwarven mines and began to exploit the considerable mineral wealth of the region. Soon, however, the duergar began to quarrel among themselves and came under increasing pressure from the barbarians, who regarded them with fear and distrust. Eventually, weakened by internal squabbling and faced with open warfare with the humans, the duergar collapsed the mines and retreated to the Underdark. Lacking the skill or inclination to reopen the mines, the barbarians declared victory and returned to their own favorite past-time of attempting to kill each other.
Exactly what happened in the Underdark is open to conjecture, but several decades later the barbarians began encountering duergar again. This time the duergar were united, well-equipped and well-trained, and met human force with force of their own. Brave barbarians who ventured into the duergar's caves discovered that the dwarves had been united under a single leader. The identity of that leader remained a mystery for many years as the duergar reopened the mines and once more began to dig for iron, copper, gold, silver, and other valuable minerals. Human attacks on the mines met with little success, for the duergar were apparently led and inspired by a vast, malign intelligence. Since then, the barbarians have learned that the duergar's leader was a non-dwarf known only as "Father Eye."
Whatever the mysterious leader's true identity, the duergar are back in force. Rary is fully aware of their presence and has engaged the duergar in an alliance of convenience, trading weapons and magical assistance for gold and other raw materials. These activities have not escaped the notice of the barbarians who treat the duergar with fear and hatred, and have little love for spell-casters such as Rary. It is not known whether Rary has determined the true identity of Father Eye.
Whether Father Eye and his duergar will ever become a part of Rary's empire is not certain, but even as allies of convenience they are proving extremely valuable. Should the barbarians take concerted action against the duergar, Rary will be forced to help them defend themselves. Much of his diplomatic effort to this point has been directed toward preventing the barbarians from taking such steps.
Barbarian culture is somewhat less divisive than the nomads'. Although warfare and blood feuds are frequent, the barbarians are fully capable of uniting against a common enemy. An Abbor Alz tribesman feels that he should be the only one allowed to kill other Abbor Alz tribesmen, and is willing to fight to keep it that way.
The barbarians also differ from the nomads because the women have far more freedom. While rule is strictly patriarchal, women may be advisors, sub-chiefs, warriors, clerics, and even war-leaders if they have proven their abilities to other warriors' satisfaction.
Dislike of magic and mages is common here, but like the nomads, clerical and druidic spellcasting, as well as the use of magical weapons, are completely acceptable.
Despite the fact that the barbarians' culture is somewhat less restrictive than the nomads', they are still a surly, insular lot who revel in driving out foreigners who dare trespass on their lands. The rugged terrain is the barbarians' greatest ally, and few explorers who enter this region return to tell about it.
Desert Centaurs
Distinct from the familiar sylvan species of centaur, desert centaurs roam the dunes of the Bright Desert, struggling bitterly with the other inhabitants of the desert. Discovered only recently because of the remoteness of their homeland, desert centaurs are the subject of considerable scientific interest, and several noted scholars have proposed expeditions to the desert to study them. The dangers of such an expedition have proved more than most are willing to risk simply to satisfy others' scientific curiosity.
Desert centaurs are the highly civilized (for the Bright Desert) descendants of a race of centaurs that once served the kingdom of Sulm. Granted autonomy by treaty, the centaurs proudly served the humans as mercenaries. A hand-picked group of centaurs served as the king's personal bodyguard. The weapons and armor granted by the kingdom to its favored servants are still preserved and treasured even to this day.
The centaurs fought bravely, their morale and skill with arms becoming known throughout Sulm and beyond. When the kingdom grew evil, however, the centaurs began to question their involvement with it. Since the beginning of time, they had fought those who would have defiled their home, and treated friends and foes with bravery and honor. By the time Shattados's curse transformed the humans into twisted and evil manscorpions, the centaurs had all but abandoned their former allies.
Today, Rary's agents constantly approach the centaurs, offering them employment and alliance, and Rary realizes that they will make near-invincible allies. So far, remembering the death of Shattados's empire and the evil which it spawned, the centaurs have rebuffed all of Rary's advances. As Rary's empire grows in strength and unity, the centaurs meet around campfires. The varied tribes contemplate a grand alliance in order to pursue one last, and possibly doomed, crusade against those who would defile their desert.
Other Races
Isolated bands of trolls, hill giants, and ogres inhabit the Abbor Alz. These creatures are violent, savage, and hostile, and are constantly at war with each other, as well as the human barbarians. Travelers are considered easy targets by these creatures, and are advised to use caution at all times. Hill giants will sometimes trade with the barbarians and have been known to let travelers go if they surrender all their wealth. But generally, the giants are every bit as dangerous as the trolls and ogres.

Fauna and Flora of the Bright Desert

Life forms native to the Bright Desert are both hardy and dangerous. Such familiar animals as camels and jackals dwell in the desert, particularly near oases and in the scrub regions. Deadly species such as giant ant lions, poisonous snakes, and fire toads survive even in the deep desert. The desert also harbors a species of giant insect known as the pernicon, prized by the nomads because its antennae are highly accurate water-diviners.
The greatest scourges of the Bright Desert are the giant scorpions, which often lie in wait beneath the dunes and emerge without warning, and the savage manscorpions, which attack anything and anyone they see. These strange creatures haunt the nightmares of even the bravest nomad warrior.
Plant life is confined to the date palms and rich shrubbery of oases and a few lone cacti that scratch out an existence in the open desert. Vampire cacti, dangerous plants that survive by draining the moisture of other living things, are a constant hazard, although intelligent inhabitants of the desert have learned to recognize and avoid them.
Wildlife is more varied in the Abbor Alz, where the climate is somewhat more hospitable. Such familiar species as mountain lions, wild boar, and bears may be found in the hills. Dangerous species include trolls, hill giants, ogres, and the undead creatures of Azak-Zil.
Woolly Bay and the Sea of Gearnat are seas south of the desert. They are rich, tropical waters, frequently traveled by merchantmen and prowled by pirates. Giant sharks cruise these waters, hoping to feast on debris or an occasional seaman from passing ships. Intelligent races such as ixitxachitl and sahuagin have been found in these waters, but the high frequency of armed ships and mariners prepared for combat help discourage any violent action.
The hulls of numerous ships litter the ocean floor, giving rise to legends of lost treasure. Sailors repeat tall tales of aquatic undead, rising to take vengeance on those living souls who violate their graves. A number of lacedon and seawolves have been reliably reported in the region, indicating that some of these tales may be true.
Sailors also tell stories of an ancient mist dragon or dragon turtle who either revels in the deaths of sailors and the destruction of their ships or engages them in intellectual discussions and rewards them with gems and gold. These tales are generally discounted as the fantasies of bored mariners, but the area may well harbor both species.

Empire of the Bright Lands

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Type

Wasteland

Settlements and Sites
Brass Hills
Dagger Rock
Fool's Rest
Fort Whiterock
Gai Hur
Geshtai's Spring
Ghazal
Griffon's Nest
Histak
Kalki's Leap
Kalundi
Knife's Edge Pass
Kolumn Oasis
Necropolis of Unaagh
Old Ithar
Old Rhugha
Old Ronhass
Old Truun Wanderlands
Old Truun Northlands
Plain of Spears
Rary's Tower
Ruins of Darkbridge Temple
Ruins of Shattados's Palace
Ruins of Utaa
Sennerae
Shembai Oasis
Tower of the Sands
Tulwar Oasis
Ul Bakak
Uplands of Unath
Var Oasis
The Zochal

Location in the Flanaess

From the memoirs of Grandy the Mariner of Monmurg

"As we passed through a region of high dunes, the hot sun beating down upon us like the eye of a malevolent god, we were suddenly set upon by a horde of nightmarish creatures, the likes of which I had never before seen, and, fates willing, never hope to see again.
Above the waist they were human-appearing, although of a savage and unkempt demeanor. Below the waist, however, they were beasts, much like the centaurs of our own woods. But their lower quarters were nothing so mundane as a simple horse. These beasts' bodies were those of huge scorpions, with great segmented legs, waving tails, and deadly stingers.
Down they came on us, voicing hideous battle cries, swinging crude polearms and swords, striking down my first mate and several seamen before we realized what was happening. Not only did the things wield their weapons with deadly accuracy, but their evil stings inflicted horrid wounds, and several of my shipmates died or fell insensible from such attacks. The scorpion-men dragged off the bodies of our fallen comrades, but to what grisly end I do not know.
At length, with the loss of half our number, we were able to retreat back to the ship, and we set sail, glad to get the accursed desert behind us. I have never returned to this region, nor do I ever wish to do so."