Zarma
Zarma is a yellow-tinted region in the north-east of Areth on the official world map. It has an inland lake and a city dot. Wyn lies to its north, Artrebla to its west, Rescall to its south, and the island of Ebony Sands off its east coast. A red dotted line on the map runs through it.
In the books
- The Sands of Zarma: where the Liliana recovered a buried treasure chest and its crew caught a fatal disease.
- The Goblins of Zarma: in The Steam Knight, goblins live along Atrebla's northern countryside "by Zarma".
- In Baron Von Monocle and the Island of the Fae, Theodore mentions "the hobgoblins of southern Zarma".
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, Zarma is the later name for a region historically called the Southeastern Deserts. The sourcebook also refers to its people collectively as the Desert Nomads.
Geography and Climate
The bible describes Zarma as a vast desert covering much of northern Areth — notably placing it in the north rather than the northeast as shown on the world map. Its terrain consists of sand dunes, rocky plateaus, and scattered oases. The climate is extremely hot during the day and cold at night, with minimal rainfall. The sourcebook notes that the desert has expanded over the centuries, swallowing former farmland.
Origins and History
According to A History of Rislandia, Zarma's human inhabitants emerged in harsh deserts and scattered oases, shaped by the influence of Pyraleth's fire essence and Umbraeth's shadow. The region was part of the ancient empire before the Great Sundering, and the Zarma people claim descent from both the Orethan Dominion and the Shattered Empire. The sourcebook classifies Zarma as one of the modern kingdoms of Areth.
Society and Culture
The Zarma are described as nomadic desert tribes who follow trade routes and water sources. Their government takes the form of tribal confederations, with a population of approximately 30,000. Primary industries include caravan trade, mining, and oasis agriculture. The bible notes that the Zarma built cities that could rise from the sand and developed caravans capable of crossing impossible distances.
Zarma culture is characterised by nomadism, survival skills, extensive trade networks, hospitality, and storytelling. Desert law requires offering hospitality to travellers, and oral traditions serve as the primary means of preserving ancient knowledge. Some Zarma have reportedly encountered strange creatures in the deep desert, possibly related to the Sundering.
Relations with Rislandia
The sourcebook states that Zarma is too far away to be directly involved in Rislandian affairs, though Zarma caravans occasionally reach Rislandia bearing exotic goods. Zarma traders established an outpost called Desert's Watch within Rislandia. Internally, Zarma tribes are said to be dealing with an expanding desert and bandit raids.