Drylands

The Drylands are a desert situated in the far northeast of the Britannian main continent.

Description
In the later days of Britannia, the northeastern part of the continent became consumed by a vast and expansive desert known as the Drylands (or Dry Lands). Home to the Shrine of Sacrifice, this area has at times housed a colony of giant ants, as well as the mining town of Vesper and its accompanying  mines.

History
At the time of Britannia's christening, the place that would become the Drylands was a mix of grassland, forest and swamps, with the archaic town of Vesper lying to the south. It is unknown how this region became desertous and barren, but the change had occurred by the time of the Avatar's return during the reign of Blackthorn. For decades after its formation, the Drylands sole inhabitant was Sin'Vraal, a Gargish hermit who lived alone in the wastes in a simple hut. Eventually, however, a settlement named Vesper reappeared in its southern stretching, bringing along with it the industry of the Britannian Mining Company.

In time, the land upon which the Drylands stood vanished; one of the many victims of the geological changes wrought by the Great Cataclysm.

Lore
(Note that the first quote refers to the area before desertification)

Places of Interest

 * Ant Mound
 * Big X
 * Desert Dungeon
 * Shrine of Sacrifice
 * Sin'Vraal's Hut
 * Vesper
 * Vesper Mines

Trivia

 * Ultima IV Part 2, a humorous fan game, offers an alternative explanation for the formation of the Drylands.
 * In Ultima Online, the Desert of Compassion takes the place of the Drylands.