The immense Rumedam Desert, also known as the Marquesian Desert, covers a wide swath of Marquet and surrounds the metropolis of Ank'Harel.[3][4]
Geography[]
The Rumedam Desert is a vast desert of dunes, overbearing heat, and sandstorms. Travel through the desert is dangerous not only because of the extreme weather, but also the hungry creatures who live there.[5] The desert is at least partly bordered by jungles.[6]
Deserts make up approximately one-third of the overall land area of the continent of Marquet.[7] The Panagrip Sands are considered a "sister desert" to the Rumedam.[8]
Notable places[]
- Ank'Harel is a large, central oasis city near the center of the Rumedam Desert[9] and about a day-and-a-half's walk from the Aggrad Mountains to the north.[10]
- Shandal is a small village south of Ank'Harel where Shaun Gilmore's parents live.[11]
Wildlife[]
Certain "strange blooms" found in the deserts of Marquet can induce coma-like effects.[12]
Society[]
Many people live in the deserts of Marquet, but the hazards of that life are such that it is relatively common to meet people there who are missing limbs and other body parts.[13] It is inadvisable to stop at a campfire in the desert, partly due to banditry;[14] the Hand of Ord do not have the resources to patrol the entire desert and it can therefore be a lawless place.[5]
The Duneburrow goblins are known to inhabit the Marquesian deserts, and frightening stories about them are told on the Menagerie Coast.[15]
History[]
Fan art of Vox Machina in Marquet, by NLN4.[art 1]
The land that is now the Rumedam desert was once a lush jungle that was home to an elvish and orcish civilization during the Calamity.[2] It was destroyed by Gruumsh the Ruiner in an attempt to ruin the entire continent, but he was blocked by the hero Alyxian at the last second. As a result, Marquet survived, although much of the jungle became desert.[9][16]
Before maturing into an ancient dragon,[17] Thordak had ruled and terrorized over half of Marquet for centuries[18] from his base in the Scaldwind Sands.[19] After he and his armies attacked the then-rising city of Ank'Harel, Thordak was gravely wounded and lost the battle. Most Marquesians believed he had died of his wounds.[20]
Campaign One: Vox Machina[]
On two occasions, Vox Machina opted to use Wind Walk to fly over the Rumedam Desert to reach their destinations. The first time, after teleporting to Shandal, Vox Machina then flew north four or five hours to Ank'Harel, implying a distance of 136 to 170 miles.[21] Later, they flew from Ank'Harel southeast 290 miles toward the Smouldercrown Mountains to investigate the ziggurat there. The circular formation of spire-like mountains, only a few miles wide, protects a tiny valley within from the sandstorms of the surrounding desert.[22]
Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]
Dancer was told by "D" (a traveling automaton merchant) that he had scavenged the Aeormaton Fresh Cut Grass from the Rumedam Desert while FCG was still in dormant form, along with some other ancient arcane technology.[23] However, this was almost certainly false, since Imahara Joe revealed that FCG's design was of Aeorian craftsmanship and Dancer purchased him fully assembled though inactive.[24]
References[]
- ↑ Matthew Mercer used this name for the first time in his post on Critrole.com on 18 October 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 See "A Hungry Jungle" (3x18) at 1:49:09.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 159.
- ↑ See A Warm Welcome to Marquet and Campaign 3! on CritRole.com.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 98.
- ↑ See "Exandria: An Intimate History" (Sx61) at 7:39.
- ↑ See A Warm Welcome to Marquet and Campaign 3! on CritRole.com. Previously, Matthew Mercer had conceived of the deserts as covering 70% of the continent; see "Critical Role panel w/ Matthew Mercer and Mary E. McGlynn from MomoCon" from 0:32:58 through 0:34:30.
- ↑ See "The Draw of Destiny" (3x01) at 0:13:53.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 146.
- ↑ See "The Chase to Glintshore" (1x67) at 34:18.
- ↑ See "The Streets of Ank'Harel" (1x65) at 52:10.
- ↑ See "Manifold Morals" (2x74) at 1:43:52.
- ↑ See "The Streets of Ank'Harel" (1x65) at 1:06:08.
- ↑ See "Unfinished Business" (1x100) at 1:02:22.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 174.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 7.
- ↑ Matthew Mercer explained on Reddit that Thordak had not yet matured to "ancient" when he attacked Ank'Harel.
- ↑ See "Desperate Measures" (1x40) at 2:36:36. Thordak had ruled half of Marquet for centuries before attacking the city; see also the reference from "A Traveler's Gamble" (1x66) about the city being 100 or 150 years old when he attacked.
- ↑ See "A Traveler's Gamble" (1x66) at 14:46.
- ↑ See "Desperate Measures" (1x40) from 2:36:18 through 2:42:03.
- ↑ See "The Streets of Ank'Harel" (1x65) at 1:38:05.
- ↑ See "Unfinished Business" (1x100) from 53:44 through 1:09:02.
- ↑ See "A Stage Set" (3x32) at 49:04.
- ↑ See "Hidden Truths" (3x26) at 3:42:43.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Vox Machina in Marquet, by NLN4 (source). Used with permission.