Hotempa
Hotempa is the last civilized city before the true deep desert begins, and is a merchant's heaven. The last and biggest location for desert gear, the markups here are outrageous.
The worship of ORB, here at the edge of the desert, tends to differ substantially from that of the more temperate regions. ORB, here, is seen as a cruel and unforgiving deity, who rewards the prepared and destroys the unworthy.
The Broken Halberd
This dive bar is not a place for the wuss of heart. Drinks are strong and dubious in nature, as is the bartender. On an intermittant basis, the concealed basement plays host to a fight club-- literally underground no-holds-barred hand-to-hand combat, generally to knockout. The toughest, most famous local fighter is Cain. He "retired" a few years ago, but recently returned to flatten an arrogant upstart. Kimo FallenLeaf has also fought there, and Regina made a tidy sum when he won his battle.
Mask & Scroll
The guild of bards and other performers has a modest hall in town. The local guildmaster is Elena Shadowraven, a human female bard.