Northeast of Kumi Wood, where the forest gives way to scrubland and then to sand, lie the Dunes of Tithonius—a desert that shouldn't exist.
The rest of Urok is tropical or temperate. The Dunes are arid, harsh, and strange. Scholars have proposed various explanations: ancient magical catastrophe, a curse from a forgotten god, residual effects from whatever created Deadwater Bay to the north. None are confirmed. The Xothic explanation is simpler: Theros claimed this land, burning away everything soft, leaving only truth.
The dunes are named for Tithonius, a figure from the time before the covenant. The stories disagree on who he was—a prophet, a king, a demon, a god. What's consistent is that he's gone, his works buried beneath the sand, his name surviving only as a geographic label.
Ruins beneath the dunes predate the covenant by unknown centuries. The Hierophancy has excavated some, found others by accident, and suspects more remain hidden. What they've uncovered includes architectural styles no Xothic scholar recognizes, inscriptions in no known language, and artifacts that sometimes... do things. The temples keep these finds secure and don't discuss them publicly.
The living population is sparse. Ascetics seek visions in the deep desert, claiming Theros speaks more clearly where distractions are few. Military units train here, learning to fight in brutal conditions. Herders graze animals at the dunes' edges. The few permanent settlements—Iphikrates, Gryllus—serve as supply points and temples for those passing through.