Etnal Gravel Beach

Place

Place Name:

Etnal Gravel Beach

Biome:

Gravel Beach

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The gravel beach of Etnal follows the southern segment of one of the largest rivers that flows from the eastern mountain ranges and feeds the swamplands of the southeast before dumping into the eastern ocean. With dense forest regions to its east, swampland to its south, the river to its north, and grasslands to its west, the gravel beach is novel in its mundanity and apparent inability to be altered. This is due to the massive flooding that occurs during the annual rainy season. The casualness of this “untouched” region drew any tourists and city weary zu'aan to spend time relaxing and reconnecting with nature during the days of the Xerea Empire.

During the first few years after it’s discovery there were some accidents due to not being aware of the flooding, but over time the region saw its fair share of people longing to get away from the stresses of their lives. Over the years there have been brief settlements and construction attempted in the region. However, none of them lasted past their first encounter with the annual flooding. As such the region was able to retain a wild appearance despite being so regularly visited. And when the Xerea Empire fell, the region saw even more traffic from the refugees who first attempted to settle there.

But eventually settled in the safe regions surrounding the river and the gravel beach. These settlers used the region not for relaxation, but for hunting and fishing to survive in the changing world. They too initially learned the timing of the floods from the north, but over the years that knowledge was replaced with the repetition of traditions within the memory of why the traditions started. The different tribes built simple structures on the borders of the region that remained unaffected by the annual flooding. When the Shyae kin'toni clan secretly claimed the region as their territory.

The clan didn’t build a settlement above the loose stones of the beach. Instead they dug deep under the surface in a way that would prevent their underground village from drowning in the floods. They then spend most of the year hunting the zu'aan that visit the region while hibernating in their subterranean homes during the rainy season. At first their presence was unnoticed by the zu'aan settlers, but as the years went on it became more and more apparent that hey were being hunted. Their efforts to defend themselves only led to their weapons being added to the stones of the gravel beach.

And their bones being swept away into the borders of the southern swamplands. When the zu'aan discovered their was a growing kin'toni clan responsible for the attacks they sent their armies to deal with the problem. But the time it took to prepare and mobilise only served to aid the Shyae clan. By the time the armies begun the search for the hidden village, the rain season had arrived. The floods completely destroyed the unprepared armies while far beneath them the Shyae slept until the rains ceased.

Plants

Being a gravel beach hit with annual flooding, Etnal has been unable to sustain stationary vegetation of any kind. Instead the vegetation found there are from the effects of the river overflow. Algae and moss are the only things capable of growing in the region. This has not been for lack of trying on the part of many of the visitors and attempted settlers to the region. But try as they might nothing but the algae and moss was able to survive the particular conditions that make Etnal what it is. All their attempts to change the land’s lack of vegetation were cast aside as soon as the flooding began.

Nothing could take root, as the shifting rocks prevented even root vegetables from surviving. And so all attempts to grow crops there were abandoned. And after the fall of the Xerea Empire, the descendants of the refugees restarted the cycle of attempt and failure. They tried clearing a section and walling it off to grow regular crops. The floods ripped through the wall and repositioned the gravel. They attempted importing rice and other submerged crops in dug out sections. That only created temporary pockets of water and stumbling hazards for the next few years as the floods reformed the beach back into its original state.

The battle for taming and growing Etnal continued for many years with the clear winner being the stubborn beach. The only people who remotely had the chance to beat the region was the carnivorous Shyae kin'toni clan, and they didn’t even attempt it as they had more than enough food with the zu'aan visitors. And so the region has remained relatively vegetation free. The algae and moss that does get collected on the rock are often a loose coating and easy get washed away in the next years flood. The most common variety of algae found in the area is the Blackwater algae.

This particular collection of photosynthetic eukaryotes is recognised by the burnt yellow colour and the bright green marks it leaves on the rocks it tries to cling to. Though found on the gravel beach of Etnal, this algae originates in the river to the north, which is how it got its common name. The algae is swept up by the current and carried all the way down to where the floods lift it out of normal boundaries of the river and deposits it on the tossed about rocks of the beach along with the moss and other algae that is often found in Etnal.

This all solidifies the idea that while the beach is situated amongst a lush variety of other regions, Etnal itself is actually barren due to the rocks and the annual flooding. And nothing the zu'aan do has or will change that fact as long as they focus on solving the problem in just the Etnal region. For as long as the river is able to flood in the rainy season, Etnal will remain the same.

Animals

Due to the stubbornly barren nature of the region there is curious collection of animals that visit the region though only a few amphibious creatures reside amongst the rocks and feed of the algae and moss that gets deposited there during the annual flood. The rest tend to reside in the forest regions nearby and originally waited for right after the floods to scoop up any fish that may be left in the wake of the swelling waters. And when the Shyae clan settled in the region, they attracted more scavenger style carnivores who feasted on the carcasses that were left for the floods to take.

The main animals to call the gravel beach itself their home was a variety of water beetles and small crustaceans. These tiny critters were small enough to fit through the small openings between the stones of the beach and will often burrow into the ground to avoid the dangers of the initial floods. While many of these creatures live off the moss and algae that washes in with the floods, some have developed a taste for dead flesh since the kin'toni arrived. One of the local varieties of aquatic beetles is the Blackwater scarab. These omnivorous beetles are known for their bulbous shape, their dark green carapace, and red head.

While originally believed to be strictly herbivores that live off the algae they find on the stones and rocks, the Blackwater scarabs are actually omnivores that also scavenge food off of the corpses left behind by the Shyae clan. This was only discovered after the zu'aan tribes began sending larger armed groups to the region. It was then that they started finding bodies of their deceased companions covered in the beetles as they fed on the decaying flesh. However the scarabs are purely scavengers and show absolutely no interest in living flesh.

Often they will join the Shyae in their underground tunnels when the first of the floods washes away the debris from the year. The discovery of the omnivorous nature of the scarabs and their proximity to the Shyae clan has garnered them a new nickname among the zu'aan, kin bugs. Another of the local varieties of animals in Etnal is the giant Etnal crawfish. This crustacean may be surprisingly large for the rocky terrain of the gravel beach, often confused for a hand-sized rock when not moving, but it is completely herbivorous and eats only the algae and moss left behind by the annual floods.

They are often grey in colour and will remain perfectly still if approached but will begin to move if touched. However their docile nature does not mean they are safe. While their shells can prevent them from being hurt be the shifting rocks, they also have pointed legs and massive serrated pincers to use to defend itself if it feels in absolute danger. While they may not have the speed or size to seem dangerous, their pincers are sharp enough to cause serious damage if not handled with care.

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	Shyae Kin'toni Clan

Place

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Etnal Gravel Beach

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This article is written by xoishtar. Copyright 2026 xoishtar. All rights reserved.