The Desert
| The Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type | Location |
| Residents | Sandy Desert Trader Mr. Qi |
The Calico Desert lies far to the northwest of Pelican Town, and the only way in at first is Pam's bus, which stays broken until the Vault bundles are paid off or Joja is handed the repair money. It is worth the fare several times over. Skull Cavern in the northwest corner is where iridium comes from, the Oasis sells seeds that Pierre's General Store never stocks, the Desert Trader barters rather than selling and the three pillars in the northeast turn a Prismatic Shard into the Galaxy Sword. The weather here never changes and the seasons mean nothing, so the forage and the fish are the same in Winter as in Spring. For most saves the desert is the moment the game stops being about parsnips.
Area
The bus pulls in at the southern edge, and Pam runs the service through the middle of the day. Staying out here later than that is allowed, and Marnie sometimes takes the wheel for the evening run home while Pam is at the saloon. A Warp Totem: Desert or a Desert Obelisk drops the farmer at the statue south of the Desert Trader instead, and the bus appears on arrival either way, so the ride back is always available.
The Oasis sits in the southwest with its door facing the sand. The Desert Trader keeps a tent to the east, with a camel tied up beside it. North of the Oasis a hill carries the bones of a sand dragon, whose skull can be examined and whose gaping mouth is part of the Mr. Qi chain. Three pillars stand in the northeast, and the Skull Cavern entrance is up in the northwest corner.
Palm trees dot the sand. They can be felled and will sometimes drop a Coconut when shaken or chopped, though they give no seeds and cannot be tapped. Ordinary trees do grow here if they are planted, and the ones in the Oasis keep growing through Winter without any help, which makes the desert a quietly good place for a woodlot.
The Desert Festival takes over the whole area for three days in Spring, which also means the sand dragon's puzzle is unavailable while the stalls are up.
Shops
Sandy runs the Oasis and sells the seeds the valley cannot grow for itself, with Rhubarb, Starfruit and Beet the ones most farmers come for. Starfruit alone justifies the bus fare, since it is the backbone of wine money for the rest of the game. She also puts out a different extra item each day of the week, and keeps furniture on the shelf.
The Casino hides behind the Oasis and opens only when The Mysterious Qi has been seen through to the end, with the bouncer in the back corridor standing aside once the Club Card is in the wallet.
The Desert Trader works out of the tent in the east and takes no money at all. Everything on his list is paid for in items, which turns a pile of Omni Geodes or Iridium Bars into things that are otherwise unobtainable, and his stock shifts with the day of the week.
Residents
Sandy lives at the Oasis and stays behind the counter from morning until nearly midnight, which makes her one of the few villagers who has to be sought out rather than bumped into. Emily is her friend, and the two of them walk around the desert together on Sandy's birthday in Fall, when the shop shuts early. Emily also runs her outfit stall out here during the Desert Festival, and Sandy stands at it all day.
Mr. Qi keeps the Casino behind her shop. The Desert Trader stays with his camel in the east and says little.
Foraging
Forage comes thick and fast here compared with the valley, and it never changes: Coconut and Cactus Fruit in equal measure, all year round. Both are useful beyond selling, since Cactus Fruit is a loved gift for more than one villager and Coconut goes into the Desert Obelisk and several recipes.
Artifact spots are the other reason to carry a hoe. The desert turns up Palm Fossils, Golden Relics and Golden Masks, which are museum pieces found nowhere else, along with a great deal of clay and the occasional Lost Book. The spots appear far more often here than in the valley, and more often again in Winter.
Fishing
The pond northwest of the Bus Stop is the fishing spot that matters. Sandfish and Scorpion Carp both live there and nowhere else, and the Sandfish is needed for the Specialty Fish Bundle in the Fish Tank.
There is a second pool along the southern edge, and casting into it takes a good enough arm to reach the water from the sand. Nothing caught there is ever better than basic quality, because the game treats the whole pool as touching land, but the Pyramid Decal can be pulled out of it, which is the only reason anyone bothers.
Notes
Skull Cavern is the desert's real draw and needs the Skull Key from the bottom of the mines to open the door inside the entrance. It has no final floor, the monsters hit far harder than anything in the valley and iridium starts appearing in quantity, so a desert trip usually means bombs, food and a plan.
The three pillars keep the game's best-known secret. Standing between them while holding a Prismatic Shard gives up the Galaxy Sword, and the weapons that follow from it are built on the same spot.
The sand dragon's skull is one step in The Mysterious Qi. Feeding it a Solar Essence answers the riddle about a final meal and moves the chain along towards the Club Card.
All Locations
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
