The Taizzan Expanse (pronounced tie-ZAHN) is a large desert on the eastern coast of the Chaska Sea. Many live around the margins of these rocky badlands, though conditions within the desert are too harsh for most.
Inhabitants
Most peoples that live in the vicinity of the Taizzan Expanse have established their homes along the desert's edge, whether against the coastlines, like Tamkaranu, Akhom, and Amshan, or nestled against the mountains of the Shields, like Mostagedda and Dur Untash. Some communities have managed to establish footholds in the desert, most notably Deadheart, though travelers across the desert can easily go days or weeks without seeing a town or village.
Nomadic tribes of gnolls thrive in the Expanse. While some visit settled communities, either to trade or to raid, most prefer to set up their camps along well-trodden yet remote routes in the desert.
Geography
From the southeast coast of the Chaska Sea and the northeast coast of the Kilche Sea, the Taizzan Expanse covers hundreds of miles before fading into arid grass- and shrublands near the Kirnashal Sea. The desert is separated from the Untamable Lands and the subtropical regions along the eastern Kilche seaboard by the western arm of the Shields. To the north, the desert fades into more temperate lands around Lake Ciuto and the Nestra River.
The geography of the Expanse is a spectacular mix of mesas, plateaus, buttes, and arches, along with long stretches of rocky plains broken only by occasional shrubs, grasses, and trees.
Trade
The Golden Path is an important trade route that crosses the Taizzan Expanse, connecting Amshan and the nations of the east with Tamkaranu and the city states on the coast of the Chastka Sea. Despite the possible dangers from a harsh environment, dangerous creatures, and opportunistic raiders, many merchant caravans regularly make this journey.