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The Kaydhano Sea is a large desert in Southwestern Aelantir. It is Infamous for its blue-colored Kaydhano sand, which causes large, cancerous growths to appear on all who come into contact with the substance. The region itself is uninhabited, say for the few daring explorers that enter the wasteland in search of relics and damestear. The area is also the source of great Kaydhano sandstorms, commonly known as the deathwinds, that periodically blast the nearby land of Alecand, heavily affecting the Kheionai and Eltibhari people on the island.

Kaydhano Sand[]

Given its distinctive blue color, scholars for a long time thought Kaydhano sand was at least partially made of Damestear. Closer, hands-on experiments with the substance proved that it contained very-little to no Damestear.

Regardless, it is magical - being a sought-after material with many uses, both lethal and otherwise. Due to the lethality of the material, it is a tricky substance to work with, requiring adequate protection in order to not have one’s health be harmed.

A theorized property of Kaydhano sand is its ability to turn a humanoid population’s skin blue over generations of low-level exposure. While only proven to have occurred with the Kheionai elves, it is theoretically possible to happen to any humanoid group.

Lethality of Kaydhano Sand[]

The lethality of Kaydhano sand is highly dependent upon both the amount and time of exposure. A high concentration of Kaydhano dust blown at an unprotected individual will almost certainly kill, earning the deathwinds their name. Meanwhile a small amount will cause non life-threatening tumors to appear on the skin, which will disappear over time. Conversely, working closely with the material over long stretches of time can be detrimental to one's health.

Protection Suits[]

The Kheionai were the first to invent special abjurated suits to protect against Kaydhano exposure. At first used by laborers who purified the land after a Kaydhano sandstorm, it became standard uniform in all professions that handle the substance. The suits would become improved upon, the best able to protect its user while they traveled into and back from the Kaydhano Sea with the user left unharmed. Later Cannorian versions of the suits were invented, although they paled in comparison to the Kheionai originals.

The Chendhyan peoples that live near the desert have their own natural protection against the Kaydhano sand. Their semi-metallic skin gives them enough protection to brave the wastes of the Kaydhano Sea for a time. This is unfortunately not complete protection, but it is noteworthy nonetheless.

Uses of Kaydhano Sand[]

Potídhano[]

The Kheionai city-state of Arpedifér prided itself upon its glass-making capabilities. Using the large amounts of Kaydhano sand that deposit outside the city’s walls yearly, they developed a special, secret process to remove the lethality of Kaydhano. While this does also remove the magical energy of the substance, it keeps its distinctive blue color. Using this sand, the Arpediféri created the Potídhano glass, a beautiful, durable, and expensive blue-tinted glass produced exclusively in the city.

As An Energy Source[]

One of the more novel uses of Kaydhano sand is as an energy source. Kaydhano sand radiates large amounts of magical energy, which can be harnessed as power. This has not seen wide adoption due to its lethality, its most famous use being in Kheionai ships.

As A Weapon[]

Kaydhano sand is infamous for its lethality - this has not gone unnoticed by inventors and militaries. There have been designs and experimental weapons of bombarding enemy defensive positions with Kaydhano dust, and even Kaydhano dust-sprayers. However, due to the morally dubious usage of such weaponry, complications involving supply lines, and the risk of friendly-fire, these weapons have not seen wide adoption.

Pre-Ruin Kaydhano Sea[]

Considering how hostile to life the Kaydhano Sea is, it was once not always this way. It was a regular, if sparsely populated desert full of normal sand. Due to Kheiosi expeditions and exploration missions, the nature of precursor presence in the area was revealed.

As the War of Two began, Aldan’s side turned the desert into a weapons testing ground. They built large underground military installations and warehouses, and a now-ruined port on the coast. Many ancient, experimental precursor weapons and relics were found in these installations by Kheionai explorers, untouched by time.

Origin Theories[]

The Kaydhano Sea is one of the strangest places in Halann; many theories have been proposed to explain its existence. Due to the information gleaned from Kheiosi expeditions, two theories have come to dominate the discussion.

War Of Two Fallout[]

This theory claims that the cause of the creation of the Kaydhano Sea can be traced to the direct action of saboteurs acting on orders from Ducaniel, who activated and overcharged an experimental weapon, killing the saboteurs in the process while turning all of the sand in the desert into Kaydhano sand. This occurred slightly before the Day of Ashen Skies, meant to distract elven leadership from Ducaniel’s plans.

Ashen Skies Malfunction[]

Advocates of this theory posit that the magical shockwave and radiation caused the large amount of weapons stored in desert to malfunction on mass. This led to large explosions, random magical effects, and other unpredictable events to take place, ultimately leading to the creation of Kaydhano sand and the destruction of any and all life that once lived in the area.

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