OOC Ttha's 'OOC' Information Guide

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BACKGROUND
The living desert.
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Two sister moons orbit the fourth-most rock from the sun - an unassuming, cloudy world. All but lifeless at a glance. But, the great pink sandy sheet that makes up this planet betrays its true nature. Life not only exists, but flourishes, following the free-roaming waters of the dunes and the inevitable rain clouds that drift along. Such conditions have bred a very odd climate - and indeed, on the worst of days, it would be fitting to simply call it a 'hell'. However, many sapients have come to call Ttha and it's moons 'home'. And that was before it's name began to spread amongst the cosmos.


ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE
Welcome to a new fresh hell!
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To call Ttha a 'desert' would be incorrect in regard to the literal definition. The planet is actually filled with life, with several major and minor rivers running across the entire surface in great sprawling deltas, sometimes feeding into basins to form small lakes or to sink back into the underground. Also, unlike real deserts, Ttha sees it's own fair share of rainfall and cloud cover. A mild day on Ttha may consist of a morning fog, maybe with a light drizzle of rain. Other days can be oddly pleasant with a cooling breeze flowing across the sands, sun high in the sky and not a cloud in the sky.

This water comes primarily from beneath the earth, spilling out from cracks, holes, and springs. The largest source of this water are the renowned 'Watermounds' - great mountainous peaks rising above the earth with a lake at it's peak. High heat and pressure forces water to the surface to which it then flows down into streams and rivers at it's base.

However, on the flip side, Ttha's pleasant 'tropical' climate is nowhere near what one could call normal, and is prone to both odd and borderline hellish conditions. Rainstorms and rain can lead to sweltering humidity in the days following as the water evaporates, making the heat all the more unbearable. Heatwaves are not uncommon in the dryer seasons.

Flooding has also been an issue in the past. Heavy rainfall has been a culprit, but so have the great 'Watermounds' as they have been known to 'erupt'. Whilst not a violent eruption like one a volcano, a 'erupting' watermound will begin to force up considerably more water than usual which rushes down the mountain slopes, flooding rivers and lakes on the plains below.

Rapidly dropping temperature as day turns to night can have this 'hell' freeze over. Tthatians have indeed experienced - and even enjoyed - snow and ice in these colder hours, and some regions of the planet are even snowy all year round, such as the poles or low lying, shielded areas. These conditions combined often mean that Ttha is the one place where - in extreme cases - a sandstorm can blend and turn to a rainstorm, only to then transform into a blizzard come nightfall.


THE WATERED DUNES
You are here.
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This region of Ttha has been labelled as the 'Watered Dunes' by it's inhabitants for ages, defined by its winding rivers and large lakes, shielded from the north-east by the mountain range that runs across the land's border, both watermounds and otherwise, and elevated high enough to keep out of the hungry maw of the Tidal Beach, which completely drains and fills throughout the seasons. Many settlements dot the region, having cultivated fertile soil over the course of literal generations for farmland and river villages to glean fish from the many streams - both sources of food, an invaluable asset on Ttha beyond 'hunting' fauna and flora.

Otherwise, the region is rather average, still having it's own fair share of wide open expanse - sandy dunes rolling across the horizon. Snow comes and goes, but some places within the Dunes shield it and prevent it from melting entirely and keeping them frigid all year round. The lake 'Kji' gave birth to green, immobile life around its shores which spreads in tendrils down it's deltas.

The more important significance of this region beside it's features is the abundance of untapped resources. The underdark and mountains leave many ores and materials to mine, and equipment to salvage, along with nodes dotted across the Dune's occasionally revealed by the shifting sands. The sulphur pools - for those daring enough - can also form a lucrative trade, along with the various oil spills painting the sand black.

This has left the Watered Dunes a highly contested region, age-old wreckages (also ripe for salvage) being the testament of over a thousand skirmishes fought - in rain, sand, or snow. Three major nations vie for control over these resources as to fuel their own growing territories, raiding and thieving off one another. If push comes to shove, full scale engagements are even prominent - vicious displays of armoured combat. Despite this, ironically the factions would treat one another as 'neutral' rather than mortal enemies - as that is the way of Ttha.

The Regions of the Watered Dunes are noted below:

New Berhkaut

The lakeside town never truly had a name up until now instead sharing one with the great body of water it neighboured - 'Kji'. Relatively untouched by the evolving conflict around them, the town of Kji lived a relatively quiet life. However, in more recent years, times have changed as Sjetchen and Oukan draw their borders ever closer together - with the town right between them. To complicate matters further, extraterrestrials have chosen this spot to settle - the Unforgotten forces having constructed a base of operations on the outskirts of the town. They now call it 'New Berhkaut', and whilst the locals had no say in the offworlders christening this settlement, they neither felt they could argue against such a force. Already the Unforgotten are being carefully watched by the dominant nations of Ttha; Both with interest and distrust.


The Green Expanse

The locals of the Watered Dunes have come to label the expanse of green land east of the great lake just that - the Green Expanse. Tough soil flanks the Kjin rivers that run down from the distant northern mountain ranges to Lake 'Kji' and immobile flora's hardy roots have taken hold upon it, spreading green grass, tall trees, and rustling bushes for miles around. Of course, such an environment is the perfect conditions for an agricultural community on Ttha, and many settlers have set up stilted housing on the banks of the river to cultivate much needed crops - be they for food, bio-fuel, clothing, or medicinal purposes.


Lake 'Kji'

The great lake takes it's name from a people believed to now be extinct - hylotl settlers whom made their home on large barges in days where the sea level was higher. Some believe these people do still exist, only now within the Tidal Sea - but no Duners have yet to set their eyes in that direction, lacking significant naval forces. Until then, the largest body of water remains Lake 'Kji', which is fed from the north-east mountains. Fish and amphibians make a comfortable home for themselves here, roosting within the reefs and small islands that dot the water's surface. The nearby settlement - now known as New Berhkaut - has fished these waters since founding, and uses the strong currents of the Kjin rivers for their hydroelectric stations in order to generate electricity.


The Warheap

The Tthatians have always struggled with one another, and combat is commonplace. Ground forces support their vehicular brethren with towed guns and firearms; tanks exchange shells whilst rolling across the dunes; the sky splinters under barrages of missile and ballistic artillery. But when the thunder of guns stop, the victor departs - leaving behind what all now refer to as Warheaps. Scattered equipment, destroyed vehicle wrecks, and decrepit buildings litter these battle sites, often home to Machines or scavengers. More often than not these Warheaps are picked clean by such scrap vultures and usually those who fought the battle to begin with - but if one knows where to look, or tries hard enough, or has a keen eye for value, one might find something that can find a use in one form or another.


The Underdark

Deep below the crust lies a great subterranean ocean. Not much is known of it, as few dare to exploit it's depths. However, in a time before, some must have tried. Across the Watered Dunes are many tunnels - ancient aqueducts, ill maintained over unannounced decades and brimming with life. These tunnels have been a boon for many, draining floods and bringing water to deprived regions across the wastes. And naturally, some of these tunnels lead deeper down - exposing the upper levels of this underground sea. Many of the nations wish to explore, making use of age old 'water lifts' and dry docks from the founders of this world wonder, but many still hesitate to take the dive. The Underdark is filled with the unknown, and none can be sure how safe it is. Especially with the Nightshades rumoured to be lurking there.