| It was well into the 3rd Millennium when
humans were first gaining an understanding of magic. It
was a wild and unlearned frontier for Man, who unlike the Elves or
Dragons, had not mastered the Art. Legends have it a great and
powerful mage, who had learned to tap the Weave to whatever effect
he desired, challenged the rule of the gods, the aloof snobbery
of elves and the immortal powers of dragons. The greatest of
spell duels Kinthur would ever know took place between immortals and
Man. The Weave was tapped by the wild mage again and again. He
shaped the raw energies of the multi-verse to his desires and hurled
it against his foes. Again and again he touched the weave
and managed to shape it by force of will alone. Eventually the
dragons, elves and gods beat down his spell defenses and mortally wounded
him. When he again touched the Weave he could not shape it, nor
control how much power he channeled. Raw and wild magical energy
spilled out onto the surface of Kinthur and ignited into a fiery explosion
that destroyed all those in battle. When the smoke cleared a
small desert of ash, sand and bone remain for hundreds of yards. Floating
freely and without reason Wild Magic Zones awaited the unwary. As
time passed the desert expanded and the very sands of the desert took
on some of the Wild traits. At any given time in the desert one
may be in normal space, a wild zone in which all magic goes awry, or
a dead zone in which no magic may function. This is just one
of the memorials to man's failings and faults. A mark upon his
historic past that shows his desire for power, his impatience and reckless
nature. The Desert continues to expand each year, little
by little the chaos spreads. Should even a single grain of sand
follow a traveler out its presence could cause unpredictable magical
effects or the complete lack of magical workings.
Many races have adapted over the years
to the nature of the desert. It is known that the Jann, one
of the races of genies, makes their home in the desert. They
favor the desert for its isolation and powerful association with
magic. They are nomadic, moving from oasis to oasis, lead by
the wisest of their kind who they name sheik. It has been discovered
that the Jann are united under a single ruler whom they name Amir
that claimes the entire desert as their own.
A desert species of Lizardman also makes
their home here. They are thought to be able to sense the shifting
powers of the desert and alter them to aid in their travels. Bending
the wild zones to their will, the Lizardmen can travel the vast distances
of the desert in short spans of time. Though a secluded race,
the desert Lizardmen can oftentimes aid travelers who approach with
respect and humility. |