An artist's depiction of the desert dunes
The Ohkorra Desert (simplified Tai'ora "Ohkorralta", meaning "Sandy Dead Pines") is a large desert, sitting at the top of Atheryin, south of Celadon, and north of the Faelands. It has been host to many unique cultures, races, and species, despite being created unnaturally. To the Thyrids, it was known as ucurrá cán (with cán meaning desert).
Geography[]
Originally an ancient forested upland, Ohkorra's landscape was drastically changed as a consequence of the events of Kudes 607. Its giant dunes are the result of the complete disintegration of mountains, and its patches of stone forests are the former pines, petrified from the immense power exerted during said events.
Southwest[]
The furthest south that the desert expands is in its most southwest areas. The desert here wraps itself around the Faeland Plateau, and is actually drastically lower than the nearby plains. In Ohkorra's southwest the area is known most for its large cliffs of shale, that seem to just drop into the sea of sand. Atop these cliffs are very fertile plains, and their sheer height is the only reason why people above are not affected by the area's violent, thunderous sandstorms. This area is significantly more rocky than the rest of the desert; the city of Orr even sits inside a large bowl-shaped stone outcropping, shielding it from the dangerous sandstorms. Though, the most awe-inspiring part of this area is the large amount of Shale Cathedrals: Structures carved into the cliffs, where ancient proto-people would praise the gods in songs and sermons. The sound would resonate through the large shale deposits, shaking the walls and ground, and carrying the sound for miles into the desolate sands.
Central[]
Dominated by some of the largest dunes in the desert, central Ohkorra is mostly sandy, with a few small mountainous structures toward the Faelands. The dunes here are nearly thousands of feet tall, known to swallow even entire cities into their massive size. Between large sets of dunes, there are sometimes large oases of fresh water, uncovered by the dunes, where cities are typically built. However, due to the ever-changing landscape of the desert, cities never remain for long. This is the main contributing factor in the nomadic behaviors of the people and animals that live in the area.
However, the most noticeable and easily recognized feature of the central Ohkorra Desert, is the Adder Colossus, a gigantic stone structure built by an unknown culture. What myths and legends associated with it are mystical and often either praise, or warn people of this structure.
Northern[]
Although still containing a large and desolate sandscape, northern Ohkorra is almost half arid, savanna-like in appearance. This area is most known for having the largest uncovered stone forest, stretching through most of its strange savanna-like area and into its dunes. As the landscape moves further north, the plains get greener as the region approaches Celadon. The land also significantly rises into the atypical Celadon highland caverns, as the land trails off north.
Eastern[]
The east of the Ohkorra desert is equally as curious as the west, specifically concerning the landscape surrounding it. Here, the desert is actually higher in elevation than the land it nearly empties into. Below the harsh drop-off of the desert is an extremely fertile valley, that the occupying nation Nachkun is even named for. Ohkorra takes a harsh, but curiously unnoticeable altitude change the further east one goes, until it drops here. These cliffs, unlike the western cliffs, are not composed of shale at all, but are instead formed from large amounts of basalt and other volcanic rock. This high concentration of volcanic sediments makes the valley below twice as fertile.
Ecology[]
Most who have never ventured into Ohkorra's hostile desolation view it as a dead and dry place, with hardly any life to its name. However, this is simply not true: Ohkorra is host to hundreds of very dangerous, and also very harmless species, and is even host to successful civilizations.
Commonly seen in the desert are the more desert-acclimated subspecies of Fova, travelling in large herds. These large cervines are commonly used as mounts by the local Taryphos. However, hunting these beasts (and the Taryphos as well), are the more agile, and significantly brutal packs of Dagalt. These hairless lupine beasts ruthlessly track and kill lesser herbivorous animals, usually in large packs of 20, to make up for their relatively small stature. The only thing capable of challenging these dogs (other than a well-armed sentient race), are the astoundingly massive Ebon Nitis, a subtype of Nitis that is far more scaly, and built more for running and pouncing than heavy killing. These large beasts have been tamed by Taryphos for centuries, though not in large quantities, given their stubbornness and dangerous nature. Patrolling the giant dunes are the massive Red Condors: huge crimson birds that feed on the leftovers of larger predators' kills, and, despite their name, appear more like raptors than actual vultures, leading many tales of these birds teaming up to kill larger prey a considerable reality...