Blightlands

The Blightlands are a vast hot desert which separates the Suthurhart and Midelhart regions. It is bound by the mountains of the Whurwall to the west, the Winter's Shadow to the south, and the Blue Mountains to the northeast, and by the waters of the Trade Sea to the north and east.   Hot in the day and cold at night, the Blightlands are an inhospitable region of endless sand dunes, sun-baked cracked clay, and jagged rocks. This is made worse because many of the oases are home to biting insects carrying the dreaded desert blight, a sickness which causes fever and profuse sweating, and which itself is carried in the sweat of the afflicted and can easily taint water supplies. Those affected by the desert blight can easily sweat themselves to death in the arid expanse.   Ruins of old and forgotten settlements, especially towards the north and around oases and floodplains can be found by those seeking treasure, but they will be inhabited by monsters seeking shelter from the hot sun, or perhaps, by whatever ancient thing is keeping the desert monsters at bay.   The Blightlands are said to be the home of Arkalek, turtle-god keeper of knowledge lost to time and one of the four children of Zeriloun.   Despite the desolation of the Blightlands, tales tell of a garden somewhere within tended by an old gnome called Wysodji the Mage, but no one outside the garden know of its location (besides perhaps Arkalek). Mandell the Cartographer insists he's seen a vast field of vivid red and blue flowers in a desert lowland, but upon leading a second expedition there, found nothing but barren sand.