Difference between revisions of "Desert (range)"

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'''Deserts''' are regions where little precipitation produces hostile living conditions for plant and animal life.  The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface, intensifying weathering processes through wind and temperature changes from day to night. Resulting fragments are scattered, collecting into dust storms, level sheets of sand or piled high in billowing sand dunes.  In other parts, small particles are blown away, leavking shattered mosaics of smooth or sharp stones, forming pavements a hundred miles wide.
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[[File:Desert (range).jpg|right|560px|thumb]]
  
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Plants and animals living in the desert need special adaptations to survive. Many of the monsters that dwell in the desert are the sort that have no need of food, or which may travel hundreds of miles in a day, in order to obtain it.  Humanoids surviving in the desert cluster around areas where water can be drawn up from below ground or collects on the surface.  This water is often harsh to taste and smell, but will nevertheless sustain life.
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'''Deserts''' are regions where little precipitation produces hostile living conditions for both natural and unnatural life. The lack of [[Vegetation (desert)‏‎|vegetation]] leaves the unprotected surface exposed, intensifying the erosion wrought by relentless winds and the violent temperature shifts between scorching days and frigid nights. This endless wear upon the earth reduces stone to fragments, which gather into storms of biting dust, vast level sheets of shifting sands, or towering dunes that rise like the waves of a frozen sea. In some desolate stretches, where the wind has stolen away every fine grain, the land becomes a wasteland of shattered mosaics, with sharp and gleaming stones forming pavements that stretch for leagues upon leagues.
  
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The desert is productive in some degree, as the exposed rock reveals places where valuable minerals such as ores, salt, rare minerals and gems can be obtained. Additionally, plants growing in the desert provide rare materials such as incense and natural resins, both of which cannot be found anywhere else.  These goods are exported out of the desert by caravans of camels. As deserts are large geographic obstructions between civilizations, tenuous trade routes are forged, enabling goods from one climate or culture can be exchanged with another.
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The creatures inhabiting these forsaken lands possess extraordinary adaptations. Many of the monstrous denizens of the desert are said to defy mortal needs, surviving without sustenance or feeding upon the very essence of the unwary. Other beasts and creatures, fleet of limb or wing, traverse vast distances to find the meager resources that sustain them. Humanoid tribes or wanderers who dare to eke out an existence in such lands cling to scattered oases or hidden wells, where water can be drawn from deep within the earth or caught in fleeting pools upon the surface. Yet even these waters are often harsh, their taste sharp and their smell acrid, though they sustain life when no other choice remains. Dehydration is a constant specter, and those who venture far without preparation may perish before the sun sets.
  
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Some arid lands that are thought of deserts are more properly thought of as [[Barrens (range)|barrens]], as these regions possess short grasses and extensive areas of scrub brush.
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Though the desert is cruel, it is not without value. The bare stone and exposed rock reveal hidden treasures, veins of ore, glimmering salt, rare minerals, and coveted [[Gems|gems]]. These riches lure prospectors and treasure seekers despite the dangers. Beyond its wealth of stone and metal, the desert also offers rare plants, the source of exotic incenses, potent resins, and alchemical substances, all of which cannot be found in gentler climes. These goods fuel trade between distant lands, carried by [[Caravan|caravans]] of [[Camel (domestic)|camels]] or the beasts of burden bred by the hardy desert folk. Such [[Trade System|trade routes]], tenuous and perilous, connect disparate civilizations, allowing the exchange of goods, knowledge, and culture across vast and inhospitable expanses.
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Some arid lands thought of as deserts may be more properly termed [[Barrens (range)|barrens]], for they are not entirely devoid of life. These regions, while still unforgiving, are marked by sparse grasses and sprawling scrub brush, where creatures adapted to such conditions find shelter and sustenance. These barrens, though harsh, are a far cry from the desolation of true deserts, where life clings to existence by a thread no thicker than the edge of a blade.
  
 
== Major Deserts ==
 
== Major Deserts ==
 
Below is a list of the most extensive deserts in the world:
 
Below is a list of the most extensive deserts in the world:
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
 
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
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* [[The Arabian Desert|Arabian]] - the Arabian Peninsula & Empty Quarter
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* [[Arabian Desert|Arabian]] - the Arabian Peninsula & Empty Quarter
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* [[The Atacama Desert & Loma Coast|Atacama & Loma Coast]] - along the west coast of South America
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* [[Atacama Desert & Loma Coast|Atacama & Loma Coast]] - along the west coast of South America
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* [[Great Sandy Desert|Great Sandy]] - undiscovered Australia
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* [[Kalahari Desert|Kalahari]] - southern Africa
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* [[Namib Desert|Namib]] - southwest coast of Africa
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* [[Patagonia]] - the southern part of South America
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* [[Sahara Desert|Sahara]] - the largest desert, in northern Africa
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* [[Syrian Desert|Syrian]] - between Palestine and the Persian Gulf
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* [[Takla Makan|Takla Makan]] - far western China
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* [[Taldy Kurgan|Taldy Kurgan]] - northern Turkestan
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* [[Thar Desert|Thar]] - west Indian subcontinent
 
* [[The Gobi Desert|Gobi]] - north central China
 
* [[The Gobi Desert|Gobi]] - north central China
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* [[The Great Sandy Desert|Great Sandy]] - undiscovered Australia
 
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* [[The Kalahari Desert|Kalahari]] - southern Africa
 
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* [[The Namib Desert|Namib]] - southwest coast of Africa
 
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* [[Patagonia]] - the southern part of South America
 
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* [[The Sahara|Sahara]] - the largest desert, in northern Africa
 
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* [[The Syrian Desert|Syrian]] - between Palestine and the Persian Gulf
 
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* [[The Takla Makan|Takla Makan]] - far western China
 
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* [[The Taldy Kurgan|Taldy Kurgan]] - northern Turkestan
 
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* [[The Thar Desert|Thar]] - west Indian subcontinent
 
 
* [[Ust-Urt & The Kara Kum|Ust-Urt & Kara Kum]] - vicinity of the Aral and Caspian seas
 
* [[Ust-Urt & The Kara Kum|Ust-Urt & Kara Kum]] - vicinity of the Aral and Caspian seas
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
== Common Features ==
 
== Common Features ==
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Below is a list of elements and features that are common to alpine ranges:
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Below is a list of elements and features that are common to desert ranges:
  
 
<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
 
<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
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* [[Bench]]
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* [[Alkali Pool]]
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* [[Bench (landform)]]
 
* [[Black Sand]]
 
* [[Black Sand]]
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* [[Caravansary]]
 
* [[Cauldera]]
 
* [[Cauldera]]
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* [[Chasm]]
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* [[Cleft Valley]] (''modern graben'')
 
* [[Cliff Dwelling]]
 
* [[Cliff Dwelling]]
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* [[Crater]]
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* [[Crater (landform)]]
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* [[Depression]]
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* [[Dust Bowl]]
 
* [[Erg]]
 
* [[Erg]]
 
* [[Esker]]
 
* [[Esker]]
 
* [[Fossa]]
 
* [[Fossa]]
 
* [[Gorge]]
 
* [[Gorge]]
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* [[Graben]]
 
 
* [[Labyrinthus]]
 
* [[Labyrinthus]]
 
* [[Lava Flow]]
 
* [[Lava Flow]]
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* [[Sinkhole]]
 
* [[Sinkhole]]
 
* [[Stone Desert]]
 
* [[Stone Desert]]
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* [[Sunken Land]] (''modern depression'')
 
* [[Tholus]]
 
* [[Tholus]]
 
* [[Volcanic Gas]]
 
* [[Volcanic Gas]]
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* [[Wailing Waste]]
 
* [[Wailing Waste]]
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Desert Creatures ==
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The following monsters are common to desert ranges.
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<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
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* [[Asiatic Elephant]]
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* [[Bat (giant)]]
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* [[Bull Ant (giant)]]
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* [[Camel (wild)]]
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* [[Cheetah]]
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* [[Chimera]]
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* [[Dog (wild)]]
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* [[Dragonis Aeriochalkos (brass dragon)]]
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* [[Dragonne]]
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* [[Eagle (giant)]]
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* [[Emu]]
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* [[Fire Giant]]
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* [[Golden Jackal]]
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* [[Griffon]]
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* [[Horse (wild)]]
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* [[Hyena]]
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* [[Jackalwere]]
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* [[Jaguar]]
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* [[Lamassu]]
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* [[Lamia]]
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* [[Leopard]]
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* [[Leucrotta]]
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* [[Lion]]
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* [[Fire Lizard|Lizard (fire)]]
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* [[Megalania Lizard|Lizard (megalomania)]]
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* [[Sable Antelope]]
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* [[Warthog]]
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</div>
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See also,<br>
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[[Blightlander (sage study)]]<br>
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[[List of Ranges]]
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[[Category: Reviewed]]

Latest revision as of 06:34, 10 January 2025

Desert (range).jpg

Deserts are regions where little precipitation produces hostile living conditions for both natural and unnatural life. The lack of vegetation leaves the unprotected surface exposed, intensifying the erosion wrought by relentless winds and the violent temperature shifts between scorching days and frigid nights. This endless wear upon the earth reduces stone to fragments, which gather into storms of biting dust, vast level sheets of shifting sands, or towering dunes that rise like the waves of a frozen sea. In some desolate stretches, where the wind has stolen away every fine grain, the land becomes a wasteland of shattered mosaics, with sharp and gleaming stones forming pavements that stretch for leagues upon leagues.

The creatures inhabiting these forsaken lands possess extraordinary adaptations. Many of the monstrous denizens of the desert are said to defy mortal needs, surviving without sustenance or feeding upon the very essence of the unwary. Other beasts and creatures, fleet of limb or wing, traverse vast distances to find the meager resources that sustain them. Humanoid tribes or wanderers who dare to eke out an existence in such lands cling to scattered oases or hidden wells, where water can be drawn from deep within the earth or caught in fleeting pools upon the surface. Yet even these waters are often harsh, their taste sharp and their smell acrid, though they sustain life when no other choice remains. Dehydration is a constant specter, and those who venture far without preparation may perish before the sun sets.

Though the desert is cruel, it is not without value. The bare stone and exposed rock reveal hidden treasures, veins of ore, glimmering salt, rare minerals, and coveted gems. These riches lure prospectors and treasure seekers despite the dangers. Beyond its wealth of stone and metal, the desert also offers rare plants, the source of exotic incenses, potent resins, and alchemical substances, all of which cannot be found in gentler climes. These goods fuel trade between distant lands, carried by caravans of camels or the beasts of burden bred by the hardy desert folk. Such trade routes, tenuous and perilous, connect disparate civilizations, allowing the exchange of goods, knowledge, and culture across vast and inhospitable expanses.

Some arid lands thought of as deserts may be more properly termed barrens, for they are not entirely devoid of life. These regions, while still unforgiving, are marked by sparse grasses and sprawling scrub brush, where creatures adapted to such conditions find shelter and sustenance. These barrens, though harsh, are a far cry from the desolation of true deserts, where life clings to existence by a thread no thicker than the edge of a blade.

Major Deserts

Below is a list of the most extensive deserts in the world:

Common Features

Below is a list of elements and features that are common to desert ranges:

Desert Creatures

The following monsters are common to desert ranges.


See also,
Blightlander (sage study)
List of Ranges

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