Campaign Chunk Volume 11.04 – Death Valley
In Eastern California, North America is a location known as Death Valley. It covers an area of around 3,000 square miles. Death Valley can be found near the border of California and Nevada. It runs from north to south between the Amargosa Range on the east and the Panamint Range on the west, with the Sylvania Mountains and the Owlshead Mountains form its northern and southern boundaries.
Home to the Timbisha tribe of Native Americans, Death Valley got its English name from prospectors in 1849 during the California Gold Rush when 13 prospectors died trying to cross the location.
The mean annual temperature for Death Valley is 77.2 °F (25.1 °C) with an average high in January around 67 °F (19 °C) and 116 °F (47 °C) in July, making this one of the hottest and driest locations in North America. Death Valley’s Furnace Creek holds the record for the highest recorded air temperature in the world at 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913.
Despite the oppressive heat and lack of rain, there is a surprising amount of flora and fauna, such as wildflowers, hawks and the creature made famous by a certain animation, the roadrunner.
On February 11, 1933, by then President Herbert Hoover, the Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed, which placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the monument was redesignated as Death Valley National Park.
Hooks & Rumours
- A famous musician filmed their latest video in Death Valley at night. By the time dawn had come around they were nowhere to be found.
- A new attempt to break the land speed record is being attempted on the salt flats. Bookmakers and gamblers around the world have a lot of bets riding on the outcome of this attempt.
- Several large mass graves have been uncovered. Several tests and evidence found at the scene indicates that these people are more than likely another undocumented group of prospectors that tried to cross the valley. However,
- Death valley is also home to the so-called Sailing stones, in which large , seemingly impossible to move stones leaving tracks that turn at odd angles and directions
- Records have turned up that suggest there is a very valuable deposit of minerals under the middle of the salt lake. Authorities reassuring people that there will be no excavation of these minerals, but right now is more concerned with authenticating the documents as they appear to be from President Hoover, yet no other official records of these orders can be found anywhere
Volume 10 of the compiled and updated Campaign Chunks is available at DrivethruRPG.com
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/184856/Campaign-Chunk–Volume-10–Mysteries
