A transitional range of scrub-covered ridges and rocky outcrops marking the boundary between Atriik's settled lands and the Dunes of Kunagi proper. The hills run roughly north-south along Atriik's eastern edge, providing a natural barrier against the desert's encroachment, and a last opportunity for water before the true sands begin.
Character
The Kunagi Hills are not mountains. The highest elevations barely reach a thousand feet above the surrounding terrain. But in a land where the alternative is flat desert, any high ground matters. The hills catch what little moisture escapes the Dunes of Kunagi's rain shadow, supporting thornscrub, drought-adapted trees, and seasonal streams that flow only after the rare rains.
The terrain is broken and difficult: gullies, ridgelines, scattered boulders, and the remains of ancient erosion patterns. Good defensive ground if you know it; death traps if you don't. The Atriik city-state of Shinii has built its economy on this knowledge.
Shinii's Territory
The hills fall under Shinii's nominal control, though "control" means something different here than in the settled lands. Shinii maintains watch posts on the major ridgelines, tracks the movement of desert caravans, and collects tolls from traders moving between the Dunes and the Atriik interior. The hills themselves are too dry for permanent settlement beyond a few hardy shepherding families.
The Desert Margin
The eastern slope of the Kunagi Hills marks the true desert's edge. The transition is gradual:
- Upper slopes: Thornscrub and seasonal grass
- Lower slopes: Sparse vegetation, bare rock, increasingly sandy soil
- Desert margin: The last reliable water, the last shade, the last chance to turn back
- Beyond: The Dunes of Kunagi, sand and death and giant wurms
Caravans pause at the hills' eastern foot to rest, resupply, and nerve themselves for the crossing. A few semi-permanent camps serve this trade, not settlements exactly but places where water, fodder, and supplies can be purchased at steep markups.
Notable Features
Sandskull: At the hills' southern extent, where the ridges flatten into desert plain, stands the ruin of Sandskull, a skull-shaped rock formation housing ancient structures of unknown origin. See Atriik for details.
The Shinii Watchtowers: A chain of signal towers running along the hills' spine, allowing Shinii to track caravan movements and respond to desert threats. The towers are manned in rotation by Shinii militia.
The Last Water: A cluster of springs at the hills' eastern base, the final reliable water source before the desert crossing. Control of these springs gives Shinii leverage over the caravan trade.
Blitzling Territory: The northern Kunagi Hills merge into the Shyalaviin range (also called Malasi Karkus), where Blitzling creatures are known to dwell. Shinii's northern patrols avoid this area.