Southland: Big Sandy

THE SOUTHLAND

A Fantasy Core Setting

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

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Southland Index

Monster Territories Index

Big Sandy (The Southland Deserts)

Seven Sisters Myth: The Sisters found no refugee across the battle-scarred landscape of their homeland.  They cursed this land to never bear inhabitants again. 

[I’m sure you’ve got or read some weird little adventure delves that you’re not sure what to do with.  Here’s where to put them.]

The deserts of the Southland were the sites of the many of the heaviest of magical battles in the Ancient Civil war, where cities were razed to component atoms.  They go by several names, but the locals tend to lump them together under the name, “Big Sandy”.  Not only has the environment been destroyed and reduced to near lifeless desert, reality itself has been warped.  The Humanoids instinctively avoid the worst areas.  So far, the humans haven’t been quite as bright, as explorers often wander off into the desert never to be seen again.   

As reality is tenuous in this desert, anything can happen.  There are ghosts, demons, spirits trapped in time loops, and transit zones to other times in Southland history (past and future).  Sandstorms are often prelude to weirdness and travelers can end up anywhere, encountering anything.  Just as suddenly, they can find themselves back right back where they started.

[For Ref’s who like environmental effects, this is for you.  Otherwise, just ignore this.]  For characters not acclimatized to the desert (at least a month), they must make a DC 12 Fort Sv each day they are active (traveling for example).  Failing that Save, they can still function, but all of their Bonuses and Skills go to 0.  A day’s rest will cure this condition.  Without that rest, DC 18 Fort Sv the next day.  Success means you’re still in the same condition.  Failing it, you’re incapacitated and must rest two days to fully recover.  Also, traveling in metal armor automatically zero’s out your Bonuses within an hour and forces the DC 18 incapacitation save.  So, just put your armor on right before expected combat.

Mad Maximilian and the Lost Caravan is one of the most famous Southland colonial legends.  Max was a famous retired Ranger who lead 200 colonists inland to a massive oasis he claimed to have found in the desert.  It’s not that they’ve entirely disappeared, it’s that 20 years later, people in the desert are still claiming to have encountered them.  Most of the tales say that Max, un-aged, is still trying to lead his people to the Promised Land.  Sometimes, the teller of the story had dinner with them and stayed the night, only to wake up alone.  Others say, the caravan has turned into cannibalistic monsters and teller only barely escaped them.  There are any number of variations on the story.  It has been said that those lost in the desert can call for Mad Max, and he’ll appear and lead them to safety.