Luclin · The Shadows of Luclin
The Scarlet Desert
The Scarlet Desert is a dry valley on the light side of Luclin, carved long ago by a river that no longer runs, where sunflowers, cheetahs and the undead sun revenants share the sand with troglodytes and alien tribes.
A dead river’s valley
a classic zone atlas says the desert was carved out long ago by the river Ripflow, which once flowed from the Tenebrous Mountains all the way to the Twilight Sea. It has long since dried up. All that is left is a large plateau and a small oasis, now the only water in the region.
a player guide calls it one of the driest areas on Luclin, places the oasis in its south and the plateau in its northeast, and warns travellers not to step off the ledge and fall to their death.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Scarlet Desert · Allakhazam: Scarlet Desert (zone)
Life in the sand
a player guide lists a variety of species: cheetahs, lightcrawlers, sunflowers and the undead sun revenants. The Grol Baku, Tro Jeg and Vas Ren tribes are well established here, and the Blood Tribe of troglodytes is found in large numbers across the desert and in its caves.
The Atlas names the leaders among them, from Bloodtribe prophets and sun worshippers to the Ancient Sun Revenant and a scarlet cheetah matriarch, and warns that the sun revenants can usually see through invisibility.
Sources: Allakhazam: Scarlet Desert (zone) · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Scarlet Desert
Levels
The Atlas puts the desert at 30 to 45; a player guide rates it 30 to 50. The great open valley and its single oasis make it a place for groups who can handle social packs of desert life.
Its creatures, like much of Luclin’s life, are tougher than they look, a point a player guide makes about the whole moon in its notes on Marus Seru.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Scarlet Desert · Allakhazam: Scarlet Desert (zone) · EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Marus Seru
Neighbours
The Atlas and a player guide name three neighbours. To the east, past the cliffs, lies the Twilight Sea. The Grey, a desert in vacuum that was once part of this one, opens on another side, and the castle of Grieg’s End stands at a third exit.
Grieg’s End, a player guide says, is where Grieg, who opened the way for the Combine’s journey to the moon, was exiled and driven mad; see Grieg’s End.
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Scarlet Desert · Allakhazam: Scarlet Desert (zone) · Allakhazam: Grieg’s End 2.0 (zone)
Lore tied to this zone
Sources: EQ Atlas (eqatlas.ca): Scarlet Desert · Allakhazam: Scarlet Desert (zone)