Desert
A hot, dry biome and the home of Magma.
Desert plate · Open heat between rocky ridges and narrow dry paths.
Exposed to the heat
Among rocky ridges, dry grass and broad stretches of sand lies the hottest of the five known biomes. The desert gives Magma dependable warmth, while its low humidity places particular strain on the water needs of other species. Small waterholes break the dryness, but are scarce enough that reaching one can decide whether a long crossing is survivable.
Life among the rocks
Magma found their natural colonies here. The desert hare is their most reliable living prey: it moves slowly enough to pursue, but can escape in a short burst. If its population falls, the world gradually brings in new animals up to a minimum count. This sets the desert apart from the forest, whose animal populations are finite.
In the morning there were only tracks in the sand. By midday a hare sat between the same two rocks again.
Sparse supplies
Natural food is sparse. Hunting therefore replaces some plant foraging for Magma; killed animals become finite carcasses. Other colonies can use food parcels brought with them, but their species-specific raw food sources do not appear here automatically. The little water offers Aqua a possible stopping place, yet is an unfavourable area for Magma. Because the small bodies of water lie apart, safe stopping points are rare on long transport routes.
A climate of extremes
Baseline heat is only a starting point. Temperature varies more over the day than in the other known biomes, and rain is comparatively rare. Night and showers take warmth from Magma; dry daylight exposes Gloom to the sun. Scent trails also fade faster on dry ground, leaving long foraging routes less clearly marked over time.
Colonies on foreign ground
Founding a nest does not change its species to match the biome. An Aqua nest in the desert remains Aqua and must still reach water and suitable food; an Undead nest gains no natural poison source there. Warm ground changes environmental conditions, not the needs or identity of its residents. Supplies brought along can support a beginning, but long paths to water, poison or darkness remain part of daily life.
