Editing Category:Tel Zohar (section)

= The Surmad =
The southern desert regions of Tel Zohar have been coined 'The Surmad'

=== Resources ===
The land is rich with soft metals (copper and gold, in particular), semi-precious stones, and exotic animal bones.
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. Well water and farmable land also are marks of wealth and power in the southern region.

=== Nomadic Tribes ===
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.

=== Settled Tribes ===
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.