The Woestenij is a large desert taking up most of the western plains of Vanuku. The name comes from the Vanukuian word 'woestijn', which means desert. The woestenij is present in three of the states of Vanuku, having the largest presence in Schalkaturen. The terrain of the desert is known for it's many rock formations and sandy plains. Only a few people live in the Woestenij, these are local desert nomads who have adapted to the desert in the past centuries.
The northern part of the desert was crossed by Merulf the Conqueror during his campaign to unite Vanukuian tribes. Merulf and his army where almost entirely lost after their local nomad guide died, luckily a scout spotted an oasis in time to save the troops.
Today there are quite a few oil stations in the sandy, less hot, parts of the desert. Vanuku has a reasonable amount of oil within it's borders but mainly uses it for it's own industry.
A picture of the mountainous parts of the Woestenij.