Torial desert

The Torial desert is a large hot desert in the center of Dorad's largest continent. It makes up nearly half of that continents landmass. It is notorious for the dangerous sandworms, and crab-like stingers that live on its surface, as well as the large swirling sand pits that make travel dangerous even for large vehicles.

Despite the dangerous environment, the Torial desert is a popular destination for tourists, archaeologists, prospectors, and scientists.

Naga Artifacts
In 139 AE, geologist Fil Andolan discovered one of the first Naga structures while investigating the sand pits of the Torial desert.

The 389 Doradian Rush
In 389 AE, an Archaeological team was attempting to find Naga Artifacts in the desert by digging through the sand and rocky layers of the Torial desert when they struck enormous veins of gold, platinum, and other rare and valuable metals. The veins were so large the discovery was said to be a hoax before civilian prospectors began finding similar veins throughout the desert. The following year saw millions of prospectors migrating to Dorad in order to dig for metals. Hundreds of Naga Artifacts were uncovered, and many more people became instant millionaires. Hundreds of colonies sprung up around the edges of the desert and the government struggled to set up new provinces and rule of law.

End of the Rush
8 years into the rush, metals were still turning up in incredible numbers and the market for these metals shifted by the day. Even old mining sites, shaken and broken apart by Dorad's hyperactive plate tectonics, became newly saturated in rare metals. While migration to Dorad had hardly slowed, and the Sovereign was still struggling to adapt to the wild nature of his newly popular planet, the Dusk God arrived in the northern hemisphere. This invasion spread across the planet and many mining colonies were lost to the scourge.

Dusk creatures are drawn to gold and Naga artifacts, and so the already deadly Torial desert became nearly impossible to survive without heavy military assistance. In modern days, only the most well funded and defended mining operations and scientific expeditions dare to venture into the desert.

Later effect on Doradian life
The many migrants who came to Dorad during the rush eventually migrated south to the cities. During the decade long gold-rush, Dorad's population more than doubled, and many of the new migrants remain unregistered. The Sovereign seems content to let Dorad operate with minimal government and loose laws.