Del'gar Sand Dune

Place

Place Name:

Del'gar Sand Dune

Biome:

Sand Dune

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

History

Historical Overview

For much of its history, the Del’gar Sand Dune has been mostly untouched and undisturbed by zu’aan, save for a few nomadic tribes here and there. With its rough and difficult terrain, the low animal population, and climate, it is a hard place to live and thrive in. In its beginning, the Del’gar wasn’t that big. It took decades after the first sands were blown there for enough sand to accumulate over the hundreds of miles it now spans. And it took even longer for vegetation to take up a permanent residence on the constantly changing surface. Its formation drew many tribes, before the Awakening Age, that didn’t belong to established cities, were lone wanderers, or were desert dwellers.

Del’gar would experience the most traffic and zu’aan interaction during this period of time. The majority of nomadic tribes who migrated to this area didn’t stay long after they realized the difficulty that came with living in a land of sand dunes. The desert dwellers came to know that there was a difference in living in the desert versus the sand dunes. The zu’aan that were a part of meat eating cultures left even quicker once they saw that animal presence was very little, even compared to the desert. This isn’t to say that all the zu’aan left. During the Awakening Age, there were many nomadic tribes that had adapted to their environment. The tribes that were still in Del’gar decided to merge together.

They believed that their chances of survival were better together as word of the kin’toni spread across the lands. With their merge, the Smasamris City Zu'aan was formed, becoming the first and only true settlement of zu’aan in the Del’gar Sand Dune. The zu’aan in Smasamris, by the Twilight Age, have become true sand dwellers. Sand dunes in general are extremely fragile, even the slightest disturbance can lead to them being shifted or compromised. Even before Smasamris was formed, much damage had been done in Del’gar. The zu’aan were unaware of how delicate this environment was. Just them walking on the dunes caused them to be changed forever, which was another reason why many of them didn’t stay.

The development of Smasamris City had greatly disturbed the land around them even more as they built homes and walls to keep the kin’toni out, as they deemed certain areas as hunting grounds, and created routes to secure food and avoid possible predators. While the area where the city was established will probably never recover, they’ve made sure to try not to disturb the rest of the sand dune as much as possible. Sandwalking has become a way of the land. This is just a fancy name given to walking carefully on the sand. Instead of big, sliding strides, the zu’aan have learned to leave as little of their feet on the ground as they walk. They’ve trained in balancing themselves and strengthening their legs to allow this.

Thanks to this, the majority of the sand dunes have been left undisturbed by zu’aan.

Geography

Del’gar Sand Dune lies within the southernmost edge of the Aleves Tropical Desert, close to the coast. Countless hills of light brown sand are spread throughout, each different from the one beside it and each ever-changing. As wind is uniform, neither are the dunes as they curve left and right, up and down. Climate in Del’gar depends on what time of the year it is. During the cold winters, it is not unlikely to experience snow and blizzards, though most of the days are bright and sunny. The snow doesn’t last long though and usually melts off within a few days. Temperatures have even been known to reach below zero. During the summer, temperatures can soar during the day, easily reaching the triple digits, while dropping at night.

Most days, mainly during early summer, are moderate in temperature, even having a cool breeze during the day. Rainfall and thunderstorms are more likely and often do occur. Sand storms can also be an often occurrence the further from the coast one gets. The sands in Del’gar are different from plain coastal sands. The onshore winds from the coast blow the sand inland, allowing new pockets of sand to accumulate. As these new pockets form, the salt that blows in with the sand from the sea gets reduced. Aisole dune grass, a long and sturdy kind of grass which keeps sand in place, allows the sand to stabilize, which in turn allows vegetation. The decomposition of plants adds more nutrients to the sand, contributing to the cycle of life.

All of these factors allow a wide variety of plant life to grow and thrive in the dunes. On the ever-changing dunes, the further you get from the coast, the more plant life in various phases of vegetation can be seen. The sandy terrain can be very difficult to navigate. Besides the possible weather conditions of cold blizzards and extreme heat, sand is hard to walk through. Del’gar spans several hundred miles, with dunes that can reach up to several feet, making traveling through even more daunting. The insects don’t make it easy either. While Del’gar doesn’t have a large population of mammals, it does have quite a large one of insects. From insects you can barely see to ones that can span the width of your hand and even ones whose bite could kill, traversing through the dunes is no walk in the park.

Not to mention the mammals and reptiles that do inhabit this area. Ones that burrow rapidly down into the sand, like the Nawi sand snake, hidden from sight until it’s too late. As sand can be very unforgiving, the sand dunes aren’t an easy place to live. Due to this, the Del’gar Sand Dune is mainly uninhabited, save for Smasamris City where zu’aan have settled down. The zu’aan there have had no choice but to try their best to adapt and learn to work with the sand. Over time, zu’aan influence has aided in shaping the sand dunes. As even a slight wind or a single step of a child can change a sand dune, it’s hard for them to stay the same.

Plants

The Del’gar Sand Dune is not really a prime spot for an enormous population of plant life. What has grown has evolved to be able to handle the conditions here. Aisole dune grass is probably the most important plant in the sand dunes. Without it, there would be no other type of vegetation. Growing in horizontal clumps that can reach nearly four feet above the surface of the sand, the dune grass is what helps stabilize the sand. Its light green color stands out against the sand. The shape and size of a dune will determine whether the grass will be bunched together or spread out. Udrow is a dark green, thin dune grass that grows up between the thick roots of the aisole, aiding in stabilization. It is not unheard of for different types of grasses to grow in the same spot.

Ecledil are medium sized flowering shrubs that produce beautiful white blooms. Its petals are round and thin, curving upwards to form the shape of a shallow bowl. These petals are edible and taste a bit sweet. A single shrub can produce nearly forty flowers. While the ecledil’s may taste good, they have no medicinal benefits. They are considered more of a light snack than anything else. When the wind blows in the sand dunes, ecledil’s seeds are spread as well, leading it to pop up all over the sand dunes. Ecledil are spread abundantly around, one is likely to see several within just two miles of walking. This is a delicate plant that is sensitive to extreme heat, leading to them only blooming in the winter.

During the heat of the summer, the petals close and shrink as they secrete a clear liquid to try to protect itself. This liquid keeps the petals as cool as it can in the heat. Aitiscus is the only fruit that grows in Del’gar. They come in palm sized, round shapes on the only tree that grows in the sand dunes. With a height of up to thirteen feet, a single tree can grow up to thirty fruits. The fruit’s dark brown outer shells are inedible and rough to withstand the heat and the cold. Due to this, they are able to grow year round without any problem. This also helps to keep away any insects trying to reach the white fruit within. It has a moderately sweet taste to it and is juicy enough to quench the thirst of traveling zu’aan.

A sweet scent wafts from it as well, especially when it is cooked. Fungus also grows in the sand dunes. Ehage shrooms are the most well known. It has a white, smooth, convex shaped cap. The edge of the cap curls slightly inward. It releases a putrid, rotten scent. Spores are released from the pores underneath the cap to protect itself. These spores are dangerous and can cause extreme fevers and even death if inhaled. This invasive fungus can grow anywhere its spores spread to, but thrives on decay. It’s hard to control and even harder to get rid of. Fire is the best way to take care of it, but the spores can be released if not done correctly.

Animals

In the Del’gar Sand Dune, there is a greater population of insects and reptiles than there is of mammals. Nawi, a snake that burrows down into the sand. The nawi live closer to the edge of the sand dunes, close to the coast. The only reason one may see a nawi further into the dunes is because it is chasing prey. Their sandy colored scales are in a simple, repeated pattern that makes it easy for them to blend in with the sand. They can easily grow to three feet. They have a translucent lid beneath their outer one that allows them to see when they are beneath the sand. Erioipe, a small rodent only native to Del’gar, makes up the majority of their diet. While their bite isn’t deadly to zu’aan or kin’toni, it can still hurt quite a bit.

If not cleaned properly, it can lead to severe infection due to the bacteria in their fangs. These snakes are considered to be quite special. As they live closer to the coast, seeing one is considered a stroke of good fortune. Catari are one of the most dangerous animals in Del'gar. Their stark white skin stands out against the brown sand, along with their red eyes. Only about the size of an average palm, the venom in their stinger is extremely potent, even more so in the younger ones. While they only eat insects, these scorpions have been known to attack other animals twice and sometimes three times their size to protect themselves. Their venom paralyzes almost instantly, traveling quickly through the system.

Once it reaches the heart, death is certain. Their life expectancy is relatively short at only six years. Ager are at the top of the food chain in the sand dunes. Besides the Une bird, these foxes are the biggest in size, growing to an average height of nearly three feet when on all fours and nearly five on their hind legs. Their fur, like the Nawi, is a sandy brown to match the sand. This aids in their already sneaky nature. Unlike their brethren in other places, their eyes are blue like the ocean, a rare color for a fox. They build their dens by burrowing holes into the sand beneath large rocks. With them being at the top of the food chain, they can usually live up to nearly eleven years. Most foxes are omnivores, but ager foxes are completely carnivorous. They hunt anything with a pulse, some even go for insects.

Llocris are a special breed of carnivorous ants native to Del’gar. Though they barely span an inch in length, they sit firmly in the middle of the food chain thanks to the sheer amount of them within a single colony. A small colony can have anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000, while the largest can have up to 800,000. These ants only have one queen that can lay several thousand eggs at a time. She never leaves the colony. Their reddish brown outer shells are like armor, making them nearly impossible to squish. Their six legs make them incredibly fast. The two antennas on top of their heads give them feedback from the area around them. There is venom in their pincers.

A bite from a few of them isn’t dangerous, but llocris ants hunt in parties made up of several hundreds. Bites from that many spell certain death. Together, they bite into their prey several times, slowly killing it. Some consider them to be the most dangerous thing in the sand dunes.

Historical Timeline of Ages

Age Name	Dates	Controller
Stone Age	Before 1E 0	Unknown
Copper Age	1E 1–1E 2200	Unknown
Bronze Age	1E 2200–1E 4400	Unknown
Iron Age	2E 0–2E 700	Unknown
Ancient Age	2E 700–2E 2200	Unknown
Middle Age	3E 0–3E 2050	Unknown
Early Modern Age	3E 2050–3E 2600	Unknown
Industrial Age	3E 2600–3E 2700	Unknown
Machine Age	3E 2700–3E 2800	Unknown
Atomic Age	3E 2800–3E 2850	Unknown
Space Age	3E 2850–3E 2875	Unknown
Information Age	3E 2875–3E 2900	Unknown
Genetic Age	3E 2950–3E 3000	Unknown
Awakening Age	3E 3000–3E 3415	Unknown
Twilight Age	4E 0–4E 500	Smasamris City Zu'aan

Place

Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Del'gar Sand Dune

Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

This article is written by DreamCatchie#3401 (Discord). Copyright 2026 Jenetra Waters. All rights reserved.