Sands of Zarma
The Sands of Zarma is a location associated with an expedition undertaken by Baron Theodore von Monocle aboard The Liliana (Airship). The site is notable for the hazardous events that followed the recovery of a treasure chest buried there, and for what the Baron later described as protections exceeding initial expectations.
History
The Baron's Expedition
During the 2nd Year of King Malaky XVI's Reign, The Liliana (Airship) traveled to the Sands of Zarma as part of a 2nd exploratory tour. There, Baron Theodore von Monocle and his crew recovered a treasure chest that had been buried at the site. Following the retrieval of the chest, members of the crew were afflicted with a strange disease, described elsewhere as manifesting in strange boils. Several crew members died as a result of this illness. The Baron subsequently recorded in his log that "The Sands of Zarma have better protections for their treasures than we originally anticipated," suggesting the affliction may have been connected to some form of protection guarding the site's treasures.
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, the Sands of Zarma are mentioned in recollection, with the quote: "when you came back with a treasure chest buried in the Sands of Zarma." The reference serves to establish Baron Theodore von Monocle's history of adventurous and at times perilous expeditions prior to the novel's main narrative. The existing page notes the crew suffered strange boils following retrieval of the chest; For Steam and Country does not explicitly confirm crew deaths at this stage.
Role in The Blood of Giants
In The Blood of Giants, the Sands of Zarma are referenced in an epigraph excerpt drawn from Baron von Monocle's Log. The epigraph records the expedition to the Sands of Zarma during the 2nd Year of King Malaky XVI's Reign, confirming that The Liliana (Airship) visited the location, that a treasure chest was found, and that the crew suffered a strange disease. It is further established in this source that several crew members died from the boils, and that the site's protections were judged to be greater than originally anticipated.
On the world map
The region of Zarma appears on the official world map as a yellow land in north-eastern Areth with an inland lake. The map does not mark the Sands themselves.