Sea of Sand

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"I know of nobody alive today who could pass from one end of the Sea of Sand to the other without aide from the desert tribesmen..."
 * - Empress Ma-Jah Vahn-Duj, when asked why the Empire does not forcefully settle the Sea of Sand.

Region
The Sea of sand sits to the far west of the Sellederre Empire, and stretches across the entire desert wastelands. Although borders are difficult to determine, it is best to imagine yourself as being inside the Sea of Sand the moment you step off of the main road and cannot sea civilisation upon the horizon.

Terrain
Long sweeping sand-dunes with very few sources of fresh water occupy these lands. Occasionally, the horizon might be broken by a sandstorm or arcane energy discharge.

Climate
Blisteringly hot in the day, and as cold as the northernmost ice flows during the night. Shelter is truly essential here.

Hazards
Few animals can survive within the Sea of Sand, and thus it is relatively safe from them. That does, however, mean than starvation and (perhaps more importantly) dehydration are real risks here. Additionally, beings from the elemental plane of fire may find themselves most at home in these regions during the day, and are a very real danger to anybody travelling these lands during the day.

Cultures
The desert tribesmen hold a policy of extreme isolationist. Although they are willing citizens of the empire, they only remain so for as long as they are given free reign over their culture and lands. Thus, it is only within the Sellederre Empire that the tribesmen might be willing to serve within an Empire.

Furthermore, the tribesmen keenly respect the Old Gods for their raising of the Wall of the Gods and creating the desert-land of which the tribesmen are uniquely suited to inhabit. Therefore, the tribesmen of this region readily and actively worship them similarly to how other peoples worship the New Pantheon.

Travel
The tribesmen here are likely to be somewhat cautious of travellers. In times of need and desperation, tribesmen might attack travellers for their supplies, while in times of prosperity the tribesmen might actively trade with travellers. Such unpredictability makes it difficult to assess the limitations of travel through this region.

Diplomacy
Although a part of the Sellederre Empire, the desert tribesmen here make no efforts to engage in diplomacy with other nations, or indeed with others within the Sellederre Empire. Their status as a part of the Sellederre Empire is simply a quirk of history, and in many ways it is much easier to imagine the region and wholly separate from the rest of the Empire.

Ancient
The Sea of Sand was formed after the immense mountain range separating the northern and souther region of the Sellederre Empire, known as the Wall of Gods, was raised by the Old Gods during the period of ruination. Once fertile lands faded to desert, making them virtually uninhabitable to all who had not adapted to the changes as they occurred.

During the rise of the Rommulite Empire, the tribesmen of the Sea of Sand distanced themselves from the world, resisting the Rommulite mage knights mostly by the grace of the uninhabitable and easily defended landscape. When the Rommulite Empire began to falter, the tribesmen allied themselves with their northern kin and fought alongside them in defeating the Rommulite Empire. By sheer fact of the treaties never having been revoked, the tribesmen have ever since remained a part of the Sellederre Empire.

Recent
The tribesmen of the Sea of Sand travel through their desert heedless of the outside world. Occasionally, and apparently by whim, great numbers of their tribesmen migrate to the far north of the Sellederre Empire and assist in whatever military battles are occurring in those regions. This event occurs at least once every generation, though to lesser and greater degrees. Most recently, in 983PR, over three thousand tribesmen arrived unexpectedly at the battle of Kenerath Ridge, easily turning the tide in the favour of the Sellederre Empire.

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