Northern Ardea
The Wandering Sands
It’s believed that anything that has been lost can be found somewhere just beyond the blinding dust storms of the Ardean desert. Below the steep cliffs of Waefolk’s southern border, the Wandering Sands stir. At the end of Cataclysm, much of the natural world calmed, but sandstorms continue to plague Northern Ardea, making the desert extremely challenging to traverse for those unfamiliar with the terrain. While most prefer to live in the grassy plains to the south, the nomadic Minotaur and Thri-Kreen of the region call the desert home.
Thri-Kreen Territories • The Desert Monasteries • Ren Sahari
Skall • Túran Domin
Thri-Kreen Territories
The Thri-Kreen settlements of the Ardean Plains are far removed from the cities and communities of other peoples, and despite being one of the oldest races of the Augural Strand, they’re among the most poorly understood. To outsiders, their speech and body language are often impenetrably difficult to interpret.
Deikatal, to the south, is known as the Hive of Thri-Kreen. It is nearly as difficult to find the entrances to the hive as it is to navigate the labyrinthian halls within. Defended by hardened sand walls, Deikatal serves as the heart of the once-widespread Ardean Empire.
To the north, the outpost of Selif serves as watchtower looking over the desert.
The Desert Monasteries
The monks of the Monastery of Adreia are infamous as the Augural Strand’s deadliest fighters. Some eye the monks with suspicion, distrusting of their motives. Others, however, consider their prowess and discretion priceless and are willing to journey through the storms to the cliffside monastery in search of their aide.
Intended as a tomb of knowledge, it’s no secret that the Monastery of Ignasa is shielded by a magical veil that gently guides travelers and storms away from its grounds. Founded by a clan of Leonin clerics after the Cataclysm, the order seeks to preserve knowledge lest another great tragedy befall the region. The monastery’s most prized item, the Ignasa Codex, is an incomplete collection of first-person accounts outlining the 10,000 years of the Cataclysm, the only known historical records to survive the era.
Ren Sahari
The city of Ren Sahari is known as the greatest market of the Augural Strand. From rare treasures unearthed from the desert or mysterious relics from faraway lands, the market is filled with objects that cannot be found anywhere else.
At the southernmost tip of the peninsula stands the Great Palace, home of Northern Ardea’s head of state, Kana Alma Almuth, a figure believed to be the single wealthiest person in the Augural Strand.
Skall
The city of Skall was built within a deep cavern carved into the side of the Graveyard of the Tectonics. Populated almost entirely by Goblins and Hobgoblins, the city has become a sort of den for the downtrodden and derelict. While Ren Sahari holds a reputation as the greatest market, Skall, in turn, holds a reputation as the greatest black market.
Túran Domin
Túran Domin is one of two mountainside Dwarven settlements along the Graveyard of the Tectonics. The city is known for its breathtaking view of the strand from a nearly 4,000-foot elevation. While the city is open to anyone, city leaders describe Túran Domin and its sister city of Túran Farrig as “heritage cities,” meaning that there are older, historic districts accessible only to Dwarves and Rock Gnomes.