The Snake Pass

The Snake Pass of the Erih-Nurus Desert owes its name not to snakes, (there are some, of course, beware) but to its winding, convoluted nature.

Numerous canyons where the ancient rivers had flowed are now strewn with fossils, thorny shrubs and Amoakhiman (ghost-light) crystals, that absorb light during the day and faintly give it off at night, making navigation possible even after dark, albeit slow and hazardous - the fact valued by daring merchants, fugitives, messengers, and simply those who need to go quickly but cannot afford an airship.

While most of Erih-Nurus is lifeless dunes, many creatures have found an abode among the rocks and crevices of the pass, where the shadow allows for some moisture to be found, and water-collecting cactiforms grow in abundance. Among them is a La'anak, a small furry predator with unusually large ears for a more efficient thermoregulation.