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| Tel Zohar is a land of two regions. The southern region is an arid desert with little water and less shade. Its sandy landscape is dotted with scraggly low trees and ragged brush mixed with proud cactus. Rises of craggy hills break up the otherwise flat monotony of the land and offer the best options for travelers looking for relief from the unforgiving sun. Somehow among this harsh and unforgiving land the people have found ways to thrive, their art and clothing bright with color and adorned with elegant stones and precious metals. The desert’s summer storms are sudden and violent winds whip up the sand into great billowing waves of darkness, these storms are sometimes accompanied by lightning and thunder and preceded or followed by short torrential downpours of muddy rain. Those who do not seek refuge in the mountains or foot hills hunker down for the summer staying close to protective structures, shuttering windows and doors when the sky takes on the color of sand and riding out the violent outbursts that make travel even more dangerous than the blistering sun and scarce water.
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| To the north the desert slowly gives up its hold to the mountains, cactus replaced by sparse evergreens that fill in as the elevation rises until forming a respectable forest. Rivers and lakes add lushness and draw various game animals to their banks. Many of the people are a mix of desert dwelling folk and immigrants from the north seeking the bounty of fur and logging trade in the area. The summertime migration of animals and people fleeing the summer storms bring a yearly influx of trade and help bolster the northern peoples for their snow bound winters.
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| == Landmarks ==
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| '''Winter Run Road''': The northern trade road which passes through the mountains near the Logging camp Furu is located just off the western side of Katen Lake.
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| '''Kantar Pass''': The South Trade Road extend into the desert a dangerous stretch of road that is used almost exclusively by mining caravans as there are few settlements to the south of Arim’s Well.
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| '''Shemdar Road''': The East Trade Road cuts away from Arim’s Well in a somewhat northern fashion and eventually passes through Astoria’s territory before taking a southern turn.
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| '''Nephgrim’s Way''': The West Trade Road extends to the west all the way out to the coast. About halfway to the coast if one turns south they will find Nimbus Oasis or death in the desert.
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| == Resources ==
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| The land is rich with soft metals, copper, and gold, in particular, semi-precious stones and exotic animal bones are also prevalent, so much so even the common folk often wear adornment on their body or clothing made from these materials. The quality of the crafting and the quantity of adornment are the true defining mark of economic wealth when it comes to these materials. Well water and farmable land also are marks of wealth and power in the southern region.
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| == Nomadic Tribes ==
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| The people of the Surmad Desert are largely tribal, the majority of which live a nomadic lifestyle, and their homes are tents or semi-permanent structures that can be moved easily. They follow the herds along their migration routes. Many of them use domesticated wild horses and dogs to assist in their hunting and traveling. Their clothing is usually made of animal skin cured and painted with bright colors and patterns. They hold firmly to a very earth-centric shamanistic worldview, revealing the wisdom of the elders, the power of ancestral spirits and the forces of the world around them. These tribes follow the animal migrations and like them move north to avoid the summer storms that make the region particularly dangerous.
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| == Settled Tribes ==
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| Permanent structures are usually made of earth and stone and reinforced with lumber from the north and can be found along the few small creeks and rivers or at natural springs. Some tribes live in caves or dwellings carved into the low rocky mountains. The settled people raise animals for food and wool which they weave into fantastic fabrics. They raise native plants in small gardens next to wells to supplement their food needs as well. Most settlements are built inward, so that doors open towards other structures often creating a ring of homes or buildings in small clusters when not built directly into the earth or stone. This provides some protection for the people when the summer storms hit. The largest settlement is the City of Astoria, high walls courtyards and small windows are typical of the city’s architecture designed to help provide protection to the inhabitants from the elements.
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