The Mirage Desert, a seemingly endless expanse of sand and scorching heat, lies at the very heart of Ralador. Despite its inhospitable terrain, the desert is a crucial crossroads for those who wish to traverse the continent, forcing all who seek to cross its wastelands to endure its grueling conditions. The Mirage is among the most frequently traveled regions in Ralador, home to numerous tribes of Mara and a bustling hub of trade and commerce. By day, the sun’s unrelenting rays will sap a traveler’s strength, while the parched, bone-dry air saps moisture from the body. And when night falls, the desert comes alive with a symphony of howls and growls as a host of creatures emerge from the shadows, stalking their prey through the dunes. Feral wolves and vicious wildcats are only a few of the predators who call this inhospitable land home.
Life in the Mirage Desert is an unrelenting struggle, a battle against a hostile environment that few can endure. Only the Mara, a race of intelligent beings native to this unforgiving land, have managed to establish a lasting foothold here, their city-state of Tora Kra’ah a beacon of civilization amidst the vast, trackless sands.
For those who do not dwell within the city’s protective walls, survival is a constant struggle against the desert’s myriad dangers, eking out a precarious existence in small, isolated tribes and villages. Not even the Mara themselves have dared to venture deep into the desert’s enigmatic heart, and fewer still have the temerity to plumb the secrets buried beneath the shifting dunes, for the very sands themselves seem to resist intrusion. Perhaps it is because they knew too well the perils that lurk beneath the surface.
