Just Deserts and Cities?

 

Khosura is coming...

I saw a post about Khosura: King of the Wastelands as a new hardcover released from EMDT, and it peaked my interest. I've enjoyed their previous work, especially Castle Xyntillan and Helvéczia. It's described as a city state on the shores of a salt lake, in a desert. The book covers the city, the undercity, the surrounding desert and seems to have a lot of other hooks and support material. Naturally, I'm picking up a copy.

I've found this kind of setting fascinating ever since I played B4 The Lost City back at school. It was the first D&D game I played (instead of running) and this style of adventure keeps on drawing me back. Looking at my RPG library, I have The Halls of Arden Vul (which I've so far only got in PDF - so far) and the Palace of Unquiet Repose. Plus B4 and the I series desert modules, and others including the delightful Undying Sands. I suspect that Pavis may also have been an inspiration, but less so these days. Then again, Khosura is a city state in a desert land, so maybe it is a D&D echo of Pavis for me? The first three references here are all lost cities in the desert.

I suspect that somewhere in my head is a huge desert in which all of these exist together. Somewhere offshore from that desert continent, there's an ocean of islands, with pirates and traders, and probably the city of Freeport and the Razor Coast. Then there's another darker, wetter island with a huge forest on, with the Dolmenwood and more, and it probably stretches to a coast with fjords and Norsemen.

All these worlds and places to explore but not enough time to do so. So many lovely settings. Good thing I get pleasure from reading them as well as playing them!

13 July 2024