Jawhara

The desert nation of Jawhara is a rich tapestry of life that thrives in desolation. The home of ancient battles, the people of Jawhara take pride in their history of mystical arcana and the rites of combat that stretch back to the Constellation War. And while its history is a venerable and storied affair, its present is one of wealth and plenty. By harnessing the forces of the desert and bending those forces to their will, the people of Jawhara live blessed lives in the desolation of these southern lands.

Jawhara is three regions, each with their own unique features and qualities. The Glass Dunes are home to two of the largest cities in the country, Undermaw and Jawhara's capital, Jemenda. Indeed, Jemenda is considered the wealthiest city in Vault due to its collection and trade of "Tungsteel," a metal capable of being a conduit for an immense amount of arcane energy. The deserts outside the cities is navigable and relatively safe, but incredibly trying. The land rises and falls like the waves of a tumultuous sea, and climbing a single dune can feel like scaling a mountain one day, only to see a storm remove it entirely the next. Magical explosions in the ancient past have also created glass structures that erupt from the sand like grasping claws. Only these remain in place, making the traversal of the Glass Dunes possible.

The Funderdigs is the most habitable region of Jawhara. Home to the many roaming "caravans" of Funderlings, these lands are mostly stone, dirt, and scrap-brush but still retain the sandy qualities of the dunes to the west. Many Funderling caravans are comprised of halflings, each of whom roam Jawhara, collecting and trading with one another, as well as any passing travelers. They're known as intrepid, stubborn, and often annoyingly persistent. Many caravans make their summer-home at the base of the eastern cliffs of Jawhara; cliffs that provide safety from the glaring sun, and plenty of animals to call friend and food. Bal'Aljani is located in the Funderdigs, and stands as one of the most impressive cities in Vault.

Finally, there is Pantagruelia, a place of danger and death. The land is a seemingly endless desert, it is one less of sand and more of desolation. Scorched by fire, rent with scars, and containing the very real debris of a devastating war, Pantagruelia is a place where the fighting is never done, for fighting is the way of things. Those who live in these lands believe in violence as a religion. Honor is imperative to them, and ritual and tradition is as sacred as the gods themselves. At the southern most part of Pantagruelia is its Pass, a place forbidden to even the most beloved and esteemed of Pantagruelian caravans. What is beyond the pass is unknown, and as far as its people are concerned, must remain so. And they wield powerful forces to ensure it.

Throughout all of Jawhara are the ever-present and quick-moving storms. Sandstorm fronts that touch the clouds and beyond whip throughout all three deserts, known as "Furies." The unique aspect of Furies is that they are so powerful, and their winds so strong, that they change the landscape of Jawhara daily. And while that can make the Glass Dunes difficult to navigate, the Funderdigs confusing the wander, and uncover Pantagruelia's many open wounds, it also means the Furies carry with them everything they pick up. And that means the scraps of metal strewn throughout Jawhara: Tungsteel. An order known as Fury Dancers ride the storms in an effort to capture Tungsteel before it is once more buried in the desert or carried into the mountains. This time honored tradition was once far more profitable than it is now, but it is because of Fury Dancers that the nation thrives.

Ancient cults, fierce warriors, and mages who controls the very spirits of the world all call Jawhara home, and they all know they walk paths set by hundreds of generations before them.