Leir

Leir (also known as the Leir Desert) is both the largest desert and the largest region in Eidyn. It is bordered by the regions of Outerlands, Sky Pass, Vedfolnir, Jotun, Central Eidyn and the Verdant Wilderness.

Geography

Much of Leir consists of sand desert, while the region is bordered by mountain ranges. Ancient ruins dot much of the landscape, the remains of both the Leir Empire and the ancient civilizations that proceeded it.

Points of interest

Gammel

Main article: Gammel

Gammel is an ancient civilization known for its studies in astromancy. It is located somewhere within the Sands of the Dead. It was destroyed during the Demon Wars.

Mt. Nerthus

A dormant volcano with no snow or vegetation at its peak, Mt. Nerthus is the tallest mountain in the Leir region. It contains the Worldstone at its summit. The Leir Imperial City was carved alongside the mountain using the Worldstone.

Sands of the Dead

Found in southwestern Eidyn, the Sands of the Dead is an ancient area dating back to the beginning of Eidyn. The spirits of those who died during the drying of Leir's oceans reside here. These will often appear during a sandstorm. The Sands of the Dead area is directly west of the Great Boneyard.

Coral Forest

The Coral Forest consists of the remains of a former reef that was once the bottom of an ocean. Coral formations and the shells of deep sea creatures dot the landscape in this region. The Coral Forest consists mostly of western Leir.

Great Boneyard

The Great Boneyard occupies southeastern lair. Known as a treasure trove of ancient fossils, giant rib cages and skulls dot the landscape in this region as the sandstorms and dust preserve them as part of the geography. These are the remains of extinct animals, larger than anything that is still alive today. A Leviathan skeleton is one of the most prominent land features.

The Great Boneyard comprises of two major biomes. The plains consist of wide open areas that giant animals inhabit. The graveyard consists of large clusters of bones which smaller animals can hide within.

Ecosystem

Most of the life in Leir migrated from other regions. The wildlife in Leir is not known for being hostile, although the more aggressive creatures will attack if their territory is violated.

Northern Leir

Northern Leir is a calm location home to small fauna.

• Scorpion - A common scorpion. It preys on the young of Dubious shrews.
• Camel - Camels are used as beasts of burden.
• Leirian pronghorn - Leirian pronghorns are twice the size of normal pronghorns. They are often hunted as game.
• Dubious shrew - A rodent known to invade people's houses to steal their valuables. Gold and silver has been found in their burrows.
• Vigilante eagle - A large bird of prey that often hunts Dubious shrews. It is said that upon capturing and devouring a Dubious shrew, they return any stolen goods to their owners.
• Desert ram - The Leirian equivalent to cows, Desert rams are sheep-like creatures with large horns. They are bred for their numerous natural products including leather, wool, milk and meat. While females are peaceful, males are highly aggressive and dangerous.
• Leirian monitor lizard - A giant lizard that is highly territorial. They have a venomous bite, and they can hunt in packs.
• Sandstorm Dragon - Medium-sized dragons comparable in size to the Windseeker Dragons of Windseeker Eyrie. They have earth-colored scales and tend to be robust and naturally armored. They are highly intelligent and can be domesticated.

Wild Dunes

A rather wild, untamed location home to larger animals. They are descended from sea creatures that adapted to living in dry conditions after Leir turned from an ocean into a desert.

• Duneskipper - A large fish-like creature similar to mudskipper though it dwells in the desert, making its home by burying itself in the sand. Some Atl nomads use them as cart-pulling mounts. They are considered particularly dangerous as full grown Duneskippers can swallow a Notios whole.
  • Divine Duneskipper - A relative of the Godfish, it is a species on the verge of extinction. Ever since the end of the Demon Wars, only one individual has ever been sighted. Given their omnivorous diet and their ability to swallow entire ships, there hasn't been a strong incentive to preserve them except for scientific curiousity. When the Divine Duneskipper approaches, it is said to cause landslides and earthquakes. Given their slow digestion process, anyone caught inside of it can survive for weeks and even months by scavenging other materials that the Divine Duneskipper may have swallowed.
• Sand Kraken - Besides the Divine Duneskipper, the Sand Kraken is the largest predator in Leir, the Sand Kraken is a cephalopod that ambushes its prey. It often feeds on Duneskippers and they are known to attack sandships. A well-prepared and experienced crew, however, can take one down.
• Sandworm - Large annelids that begin its larval state as a gaping maw in a pit it dug out to entrap any prey that happens to wander into it. When it matures, it becomes more mobile.
• Leirian Rock Dragon - An apex predator of the salt flats. It roosts on boulders and cliffs, using the terrain as camouflage before moving in to strike. Its primary prey are sandworms which it can lure out by enticing it by creating vibrations with its tail. Duneskippers and Sand Kraken will often go after their young.

Great Boneyard - Plains

• Leirian Scorpion - A large scorpion that stands six meters tall. It is very swift on land, and it is often used as large mounts by nomadic tribes and travelers.
• Behemoth scorpion - A 20 meter tall subspecies of the Leirian Scorpion, it remains underground for most of its life and is capable of living for 1000 years. If someone treads in its territory, it will emit a large shriek as a warning. Should one continue to violate its territory, it will emerge from the ground and attack its opponent. Some Behemoth scorpions have been domesticated by the [[Leir Empire] and used as weapons.
• Tyrannosaurus rex - The Tyrannosaurus rex is a close relative to the dragon. They are dangerous opponents if provoked as they are capable of casting elemental magic. According to legend, it is said that the T-rex was created when a wizard attempted to create giant chickens as a means of overcoming a food shortage. The experiment went horribly wrong.
• Xenoceratops - An herbivorous dragon-like creature with three horns. As a means of defense from predators, it is capable of casting illusion magic to create shadow clones of itself. It can charge with a great enough force to push over thin mesas.
• Stone tortoise - An herbivorous creature that can camouflage itself as a rock. The larger variations can look like hills. The Stone tortoise is common prey to the Behemoth scorpion though witnessing a fight between the two creatures is exceptionally rare.

Great Boneyard - Graveyard

• Skullrex - An undead T-rex animated by dark magic. It feeds off animals for their life force. After feeding enough, a Skullrex will transform into a living T-rex.
• Bone turtle - An herbivorous, skeletal creature that varies in size. It is prey to the Skullrex.
• Monklion - Monklions are small creatures that hide within the skeletons feeding on small insects. They have four limbs and a tale akin to a monkey, but the face of a lion. They are a common pet for warding off pests.
• Hyaenodon - Hyaenodons are predators that commonly target Monklions. They are an apex predator, even preying on Skullrexes.

Sands of the Dead

• Spectral wolf - Descendants of living wolves that were alive during more than 3,000 years ago, spectral wolves consist solely of the wild spirit of the ancient canines.
• Ghost pronghorn - A ghostly herbivore that feeds on microscopic ekati residue.

Coral Forest

• Desert barnacle - Barnacles that often grow on ekati and feed off the magical radiation. In the presence of more magic, they multiply faster.
• Ekati clam - Ekati clams range in many sizes. Over the course of many years, they accumulate ekati residue from the magical resonance of the creatures of the area, eventually forming a pearl of ekati. Ekati clams are farmed and hunted by both nomadic tribes and the Leir Empire.
• Graverobber crab - Graverobber crabs hide within the giant shells of former deep sea arthropods.

Salt flats

• Saltstrider - A lizard that can run at high speeds bipedally. When it dashes across the salt plains, it leaves a trail of red smoke.

Subterranean

• Rock Snail - A giant gastropod that forms its shells out of the minerals it ingests. It normally lays eggs within ore veins which it is highly protective of. It can harden its shell to become essentially impervious to most damage, but its shell is vulnerable at certain points. Because of how aggressive Rock Snails are, anyone who mines the ores in Leir's underground are recommended to be accompanied by guards.
• Cave Dragon - An underground species of dragon that uses its wings to fly across the Wind Caves although they are known to roost within caves closer to the surface. Their primary prey consists of giant megafauna from Subterra. While they are normally unaggressive towards mortals, they will attack if they feel threatened.

History

Main article: History of Leir

Native races

• Human
• Notios
• Atl
• Hegaska
• Orc
• Golem
• Heilinthar

Native factions

• Leir Empire - Once a superpower during the late Renaissance era, they saw a collapse when they gathered all the Aard'Vorn at Mt. Nerthus in an attempt to harness its power.

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