Gruen Desert

File:Gruen Desert (Anime).png

The Grand Gruen Desert (グリューエン大（だい）砂（さ）漠（ばく）, Guryūen Dai Sabaku^?) is a location in Tortus.

Layout

The Gruen Desert encompasses much of the western region on Tortus' northern hemisphere. The grains of sand are so fine that the whole area appears like a brown sheet. The incessant winds cover the sky in so much dust that it took looks brown. The only thing breaking the monotony is the dunes that undulate through the desert like waves. The sun’s rays heat the sand below until it glows red, and raises the temperature over 40°C.

The most notable landmark of the desert is the large volcano known as the "Grand Gruen Volcano", which is also one of the seven Great Labyrinths. It is five kilometers in diameter at its base, and has a height of three kilometers. Unlike most volcanoes it is not conical, but instead shaped more like a dome. However, its summit is flat and contained the entrance to the Labyrinth.

There are also several oasis within the desert.

The northern tip of the desert was known as the "Rocky Region". It is barren when many jagged peaks, and the only fauna are several desert weeds that could endure the harsh climate.

The Gruen Desert is home to many dangerous monsters. Some of them are capable of causing a person's mana to overload, which left untreated, could be fatal.

History

The region that would eventually become the Gruen Desert was originally a lush green paradise that was home to the Sacred Kingdom Klystron. At the time, it had been bestowed the most blessings out of all the nations by Tortus' god Ehit. This, however, caused the rest of the world to resent it, and declared war on the kingdom. The resulting battle not only destroyed Klystron, but it also decimated the entire region until it became a barren wasteland. In truth, Ehit wished for the kingdom to be destroyed in order to harness the life force throughout the region and create an alternate realm for his spirit to reside in, known as the Sanctuary.

During the age of the Liberators, the area was known as the "Crimson Desert" (赤（あか）の大（だい）砂（さ）漠（ばく）, Aka no Dai Sabaku^?). During that time, a rumour began to spread throughout the region of a mysterious individual who would rescue travellers that were in danger. Eventually, this person would be come to known as the "Fairy of the Desert", who's real name was Naiz Gruen Caliente.

After the Liberators were defeated by the Holy Church, Naiz would establish his Labyrinth in the desert's volcano. Overtime, the Crimson Desert would come to be known as the "Gruen Desert".

Trivia

• The name Gruen may be based on the "Gruen transfer", which is a psychological phenomenon where a person may be susceptible to making impulse buys upon entering a store that is designed in an intentionally confusing layout, thus losing track of their original intentions. It could also be based on the the word "grün", which means "green" in German.