Artacala Desert
The Artacala Desert was a long, arid expanse situated past the great volcano of Zenwey. It was regarded as one of the more perilous stretches of terrain in the known world, owing entirely to its complete absence of water and the extreme distances travelers were required to cross.
Description
The Artacala Desert was described as long, and those with knowledge of it consistently warned that no water was to be found anywhere within its bounds. Travelers were advised to bring substantial water supplies before attempting to cross it, as the desert offered no natural sources of relief. Most who attempted to traverse the Artacala unprepared never returned.
At the desert's center dwelt a wizard referred to as the desert heart, though little else was recorded about this figure's nature or purpose.
Role in The Blood of Giants
In The Blood of Giants, the Artacala Desert was referenced as a significant geographical hazard lying beyond Zenwey. The warning given to those who would cross it was stark: "The desert is long. Bring much water for you will find none." The presence of the desert heart at its center was noted as a known, if mysterious, fact about the region.
Related Locations
- Zenwey — the great volcano past which the Artacala Desert lies
- Man-Beasts of Zenwey — inhabitants of the Zenwey region
- Tribes of Zenwey — peoples associated with the Zenwey area
- The Zenwey Expedition — an expedition connected to the Zenwey region
- Juiyan (Desert Wizard) — another desert-dwelling wizard figure in the setting
- Juiyan's Castle — associated with a desert wizard
On the world map
The official world map labels the desert across central Zenwey Zenwey Desert, with Sinking Castle (Juiyan's Castle) inside it. As the novels establish that Juiyan lives at the center of the Artacala Desert, this is the same location.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, the Artacala Desert is situated within the nation of Nyanzi, and is described as one of the harshest deserts in the world — a characterisation consistent with the novels but given explicit geographical grounding absent from the novel-based account on this page. The sourcebook notes that the desert is crossed by few, and quotes it simply as "a vast, deadly desert."
Juiyan and His Fortress
Juiyan lives at the center of the Artacala Desert, and his mechanized fortress castle is situated there, identifying Juiyan's Castle as lying within the Artacala Desert.
The Liliana's Emergency Landing
According to A History of Rislandia, the Liliana made an emergency landing in the Artacala Desert after giant bats damaged the forward turbine. The sourcebook also records that the crew subsequently crash-landed in the desert a second time after escaping aboard a Nightmen bat-glider transport. These events place the Liliana crew directly within the desert during the events of The Blood of Giants.
Seeva and the Desert Heart
According to A History of Rislandia, it was Seeva who directed the crew toward the "desert heart" within the Artacala Desert. The sourcebook does not elaborate further on the nature of the desert heart beyond this context.