OOC : Locations

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Marutukkai - Aka the 'Capital City'. The seat of civilization, technology, wisdom, bla bla bla and also where the emperor of the world rules from, currently Leto Marutuk. It's the rebels' favourite target, but when the city's had thousands of years to tighten its security, it's a damn hard target. It's also the place where Lucky has set up his guild of adventurers. The law is pretty tight here and there's not a lot of places where crooks can hide, but they're still out there. Fortunately, some folks like to play vigilante and give the enforcers less work to do. The city's also the birth place of many adventurers, scientists, immortal beings, future rebels, you name it, it's there. It's not exactly utopia, but it might as well be in this world of sand.

Nibara - Small oasis town where the rebel leader Alphonsus grew up and likes to visit from time to time. This place is firmly under the control of the rebels, but that could always change at any time.

Burmard - Oasis town that was once a peaceful place of refuge, it is now being occupied as a military outpost in response to the inhabitants' revolt against the Empire, who were incited by rebels to attack several trading routes. After unsuccessful negotiation attempts, the Empire forces laid siege to the town and quashed the revolt in a matter of hours. Saladin Marutuk has set up station here.

Shadow Lands - A dark zone in the world of Amara, marked by the very sands being as black as obsidian. It lies to the far south of the Capital City, yet all Marutuk rulers would be wise to closely monitor and maintain its guard around the outskirts. It's often considered to be the actual realm of hell and it is dominated by an ancient entity known as the 'Shadow Lord', which periodically attempts to expand its dark lands through the efforts of powerful demonic individuals known as Emissaries. Due to the Shadow Lord lacking a physical form, it relies on its Emissaries to remove any obstacles that would prevent it from expanding its influence and power. Rangers and Empire mages keep the Shadow Lord's advances in check, but they are not always so successful. A recent example is a once prosperous city that fell several hundreds of years ago to the Shadow Lord's influence and a rare combined effort of three powerful Emmissaries. First, there was strife caused between its people by the machinations of Mem, a sadistic spymaster that reveled in chaos; then the walls were breached by the powerful magic and technologies of the demonic Arcane sorcerer, Tav; and after that, the mad general known as Alef had led his army of warriors, called the Whips, to flood and overtake the city itself, allowing the Shadow Lord to spread its influence without any resistance. The place is now only inhabited by the tortured spirits of those who once lived there and the demons that are allowed free reign anywhere in the Shadow Lands.

Wild Desert - Anywhere that isn't controlled by the Empire. Only nomads and bandits are tough enough to live out here amidst storms, seas of quicksand, giant sand worms and other kinds of dangerous beasts. Rebels often hide in the wild sands when they can't find any refuge in cities, towns or villages.

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Antega (for the 'Infection' side story) - A large city that has been touched by the Shadow Lord and is currently overrun by an infection that turns people into zombie-like cannibals. All other cities around it have been warned of the crisis, so there will be no chance for the infection to spread. However, nothing can be done for the afflicted and the city would be truly lost until the Empire mages and Rangers can arrive in force to fight against the Shadow Lord's power.

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Oruk - is an ancient metropolis, almost as large as Marutukkai itself and about the same age. It might have been home to the next greatest king and civilization before the first Dune Emperor approached its walls and razed them to the ground in conquest, since it was surely in war that the city had fallen if it is not in the fold of the Empire today. Records show that the war had lasted for quite some time before the city was finally conquered, although it is not known why it was left abandoned by the first Marutuk. Perhaps it was out of spite as he and the ruler of that city were each other's nemeses, but much of the city has remained remarkably intact despite being buried in the sands of time. Most notable is the lack of significant abrasion on the structures that should have been worn down for a city of such advanced age. In his days as a young relic hunter, Lucky had assisted in the excavation and cartography of the site as well as the cataloguing of artefacts, which all would have taken many years of work but his contract was only temporary and he was not present during the decades it took to fully uncover the city. Recently, it has been found that there is another, even older city buried underneath Oruk, and its size has yet to be determined.