Two hexes south, four southwest of Alakran.
These striking sandlands are unique in the southern desert. Nobody knows how in this place, and only in this place, despite the constant and sometimes violent winds, the dunes take on a vermilion hue, and keep it. The sand from the dunes does not stay red for long when blown to other places. And although pale and yellow sands from elsewhere may land on the dunes and briefly give them a pink or tangerine appearance, these are swallowed or converted by whatever agency ochres the dunes.
An obscure legend relates the dunes to the war-god Hurru, who made a stand here and spilled so much enemy blood that their color forever changed. This is hardly a naturalistic explanation, but magic might be needed to explain how in traditional Wahatti medicine,the red sands are a sovereign tonic for anemia and a natural anticoagulant. A heaping handful of the red sands also figures in one of the better-known healing potion recipes.
The monsters and morbid reputation of the southern desert cannot deter a few hardy souls from going to these dunes and reselling the red sands to a medic or alchemist at 20 gp a pound. But certainly more people go on these errands than return. Those who do return are never fully laden, frightened away a few pounds into their digging and sifting by something rumbling and stirring under the sands. Something that wants blood, wants bones, wants more dye and grist for these red, red sands.
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