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John Smith
Acolyte
USA
18 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Aug 2010 : 20:05:44
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Which areas of the Forgotten Realms most resemble the Sahara Desert? Which resemble the Gobi Desert?
Thanks in advance....
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2010 : 20:27:00
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| What part of the Sahara, or the Gobi? As Lawrence of Arabia proved decades ago, there's more to the desert than just drifting sand dunes. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2010 : 20:40:20
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I picture the Raurin being very much like the Sahara. The Quoya would probably be the best analog of the Gobi, and Anauroch is probably like both the Sonoran (southern portion) and the Mohavi deserts (northern part).
The Calim desert would probably be close to the Arabian desert (naturally).
The Stoney Wastes (in Ulgarth) would be similar to the Syrian Desert. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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John Smith
Acolyte
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 04 Sep 2010 : 18:32:32
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| Thank you Markustay for the info. Very helpful. |
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EltonJ
Learned Scribe
USA
101 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2010 : 05:35:45
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quote:
Originally posted by John Smith
Thank you Markustay for the info. Very helpful.
I see Anuaroch to be more like the Great Basin Desert, since it's a cold desert (receives much of it's moisture as snow).
There are some books on deserts that you might want to check up on.
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Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2010 : 15:36:19
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| I don't know which desert the Plains of Purple Dust around Mulhorand are supposed to be like. Maybe partly like the Sahara, namely since it's part of the Raurin. Of course, the Plains of Purple Dust are infused with magic AND infested with purple worms, so that's rather unique in itself. |
Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2010 : 17:12:11
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Only the northern portion of the Anauroch is cold - the southern portion gets blisteringly hot in the summer months (with temperatures plummeting at night, much like Death Valley). This is why I compared Anauroch to 2 deserts, but in truth it is like 3 - the final, most northern portion is like the Arctic Desert. 
Think Greenland for that final 1/3 of Anauroch.
And yes, the Raurin is also like 3 deserts, with the Plains of Purple Dust most resembling a purplish version of the Arabian desert. The lower half is rocky desert, and the eastern 1/3 (Desert of Desolation) is similar to the Egyptian Theben desert (including the ruins).
Larger deserts like those two are hard to categorize because the are different in various places - I was just giving very broad, sweeping strokes. At the end of the day, all FR deserts are any way the DM wants them to be. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Deserts
