Tanif; also known as the "City of Splendors," was once the greatest city of the lost Empire of Shorafa. It was consumed by a sandstorm in the year 430/4.
Located deep within the Sea of Sand, Tanif became the Shorafi capital and was home to the magnificent palaces of its ruling Pharaohs.
That all ended in the year 430 of the Fourth Age, when the entire city, and all its inhabitants, were consumed by the desert in a terrible sandstorm. The fall of Tanif also marked the collapse of Shorafa, and the eventual rise of the present nation of Vilzar.
Legend has it; Hakotep, the infamous "Sky-Pharaoh," was buried in a grand pyramid near the outskirts of Tanif. Today, only a few spires and towers can be seen from the great sand dunes that cover the ruins of the city.
Over the centuries, many brave adventurers have perished exploring its ruins. A small Vilzari settlement called Wati lies just outside the gates of the ruined city. This settlement was founded for one purpose; to facilitate the plunder of the ancient ruins.
Recent Events
Lost to the sands of time for two and a half thousand years, about 100 years ago, the city of Tanif emerged from the dunes, and archaeologists, explorers, adventurers, scribes, and scoundrels from all around the Vilzar now flock to it. While some portions of Tanif remain buried or completely eroded, recent developments in archaeology along with an unexplained shift in the strength and direction of the wind has begun to unearth the city.
The city ruins stretch for a radius of nearly two square miles, filled with tightly-packed gypsum and clay homes of simple design. The ruined buildings lie lower than the average ground level, so flooding during the rainy season is a possibility for the city. Two open areas in the city, one to the northeast and the other to the southwest, served as a bazaar and trading location, but now are staked off so they can be explored for archaeological finds. Larger houses that speckle the city were once occupied by royalty or those who were close to Pharaoh Menedes III.
Along with the city, another pyramid has been uncovered by the shifting sand. This one is smaller than the nearby grand pyramid on the outskirts of Tanif. Called the "New Tomb," this smaller pyramid seems to actually abut the city wall on the opposite side.
