Embedded in the heart of the glowing ball of churning fire that the other islands surround is the White Void Desert. In this hostile wasteland, everything is white - the sky, the sand, even the plants. Sapient life persists here regardless, however. They are known as the voidwalkers.
Voidwalkers are humanoid marsupials that live within the White Void Desert. They are extremely hardy, with incredible amounts of stamina compared to other sophonts, the ability to go ages without food or water, and the ability to - if needed - drink the blood of other animals with their sharp, hidden mandibles.
Voidwalkers have a sort of pseudosexual dimorphism, as in, the dimorphism may or may not be linked to any sort of sexual characteristics, but they are certainly relevant to voidwalker gender roles. Some voidwalkers develop tusks, others develop thick, calcified masks on their face.
Tusked voidwalkers are generally thought to be quick and agile. Over all, they are expected to take on "external" roles, such as scouts, gatherers, hunters, diplomats, traveling merchants, messengers, couriers and sailors. Of course, the specifics vary by culture.
Masked voidwalkers are thought to be strong and sturdy. In contrast to the tusked, the masked are expected to take on "internal" societal roles, such as sentinels or guards, caretakers, medical professionals, storytellers, management and farmers.
Iron is abundant in the White Void Desert. In fact, one of the major hazards of the wilderness out in the White Void Desert is the occasional rains pf molten iron that fall from the sky. Many a traveler has fallen to it, but once the iron cools, it makes for a convenient resource for anyone who can manage retrieving it.
The Voidwalkers have domesticated large, cricket-like animals for riding and for their carapaces. These "horses" walk on four sturdy, short, scrambking legs, but neatly folded up behind them are a set of much longer legs that are used for kicking anything behind them that they dislike, and jumping great distances.
Sunspot City is the capital city of the White Void Desert. Situated next to a cool spot in the star's surface that's been artificially expanded into a gate for Gapblimp access, the city and its inhabitants live off exports and imports to and from the entire island.
Major Resources:
A network of seven towns, connected by a set of roads trampled flat by travelers on foot or on "horse"back. Usually, travelers between these towns are roaming caravans of nomadic tusked merchants exchanging wares, specialized messengers tied to a specific town, and wandering, six-pointed mage-priests that perform a vairty of magical or spiritual services.
Each town has an oasis at its center. "Horses" are common livestock animals, frequently used by mounted cavalry to defend the towns from wild animals, neighbouring towns or invaders from other civilizations.
Surrounding the towns, there's a big raised ridge, the titular Godspine, caressing the entire city network from the southwest. Otherwise, it's a desert so flat that if your dog ran away, you could watch it run for three days straight.
Spiritual and magical services are usually practiced by wandering mage-priests. These are considered to be a separate, third gender known as being "six-pointed". Usually six-pointed are former tusked who had their tusks surgically removed, but the gender/occupation is also made up of individuals who either lack tusks/masks, or with heavily reduced tusks/masks.
Major Resources:
A reclusive society living in a large, underground cave system.