Imech Dunes

Place

Place Name:

Imech Dunes

Biome:

Dunes

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The region of Imech is almost bland if one were to look at just the surface. To the casual explorers the region is nothing but a see of sand dunes. To the north is a great savannah. To the west the sand flattens as it approaches a river delta. To the south and to the east are desert wastelands. Hidden throughout the sea of sand are pockets of vegetation and water. To the weary traveler these oases are viewed as gifts from the heavens. Though the distance between them and even more so the distance from one of the usual starting places make the trek an absolute nightmare for the unknowledgeable and the unprepared.

Unlike other regions, nothing is more valuable in Imech than water. It is because of this that the original nomadic tribes sought to horde the knowledge of the “undersea” from the prying eyes of the greedy explorers who came to the region seeking fabled lost treasures. Deep in the caves hidden within a collection of rocks that jut out of the dunes there is a massive underground lake with some rivers that feed into it and others that go off to feed the numerous small oases that dot the desert landscape. Upon closer examination one might learn the reason why such a vast underground lake would have a sandy desert above it.

The reason is that the entire underground region is encased in pure stone and so no moisture is getting to any potential soil. And, if seen in the right conditions, the caves reveal evidence of what became of the empire that had once controlled the land before it was an empty sea of sand. Those markings and what little trinkets buried in the dunes are all that remains intact. Though the legend out side the region grows with each telling and has drawn so many in hopes of excavating the region in hopes of treasure and power, the only thing that has ever happened is more useless trinkets are discovered.

This is at the cost of lives and equipment that overtime feeds to the innumerable sands of the growing dunes. Before there would have been the sights of colourful tents and campfires to mark the current location of the nomads, but when the expeditions grew to include armies and nations, the tribes set aside their nomadic ways and built a village in the “undersea” cavern. There they waited out the greed of the invaders, including the later occupation by the mighty Xerea Empire. The Empire set up loose bases and military camps near the borders in the hopes of dissuading further exploration.

But those too eventually fed the dunes when the Empire fell. Then the kin'toni plague came and while the nomads fought valiantly, they were all drained and turned. Now the clan that once wished the legend of treasure would die is the very people spreading the rumours and filling the dunes with the discarded corpses of drained zu'aan explorers and their ill conceived expedition equipment.

Plants

One might be surprised by hearing that the sand dunes of Imech have a wonderful assortment of vegetation. This is because for most they have only witnessed or heard about the ocean of sand that makes up ninety-five percent of the surface. But dotted throughout the expanse are numerous oases that not only have water, but lush vegetation perfect for the survival of all the wildlife in the desert. Evenwithin the stony caverns of the “undersea” there is some vegetation, though it’s often planted in jars and such by the residents.

So even though the region of Imech is covered in sandy shifting dunes, there is beauty to be found if a person knows were to look. One of the first things a weary traveller may see as they approach one of the easy to miss oases is the silhouette of the bashri. These dioecious palm-like trees are mildly tall and branches dichotomously near the top of the trunk with numerous palm stalks that give it its distinctive silhouette. The palms are also are fruit bearing with large oval fruit the size of a human skull. This fruit, called psais by the locals, has a thick wooden shell much like a coconut and the juice full centre like a watermelon.

This fruit is one of the main sources of nutrients outside of meat that the nomads ate to survive. The fruit is sweet at first with a tart after bite and is often used in much of the prepared dishes the locals make. Even the kin'toni plague did not take away their love of the taste. However, they now tend to use the offering of the fruit to lure their prey into a sense of safety before they later strike. Another of the oasis bound plants that is most often noticed is the yaator. This bush is most recognised by its bone white flowers and its blood red teardrop berries.

The berries are a dangerous game of roulette. The individual berry itself is not dangerous, but carries a small amount of a poison that in larger quantities is quite fatal. So while eating one may be safe, the more one person eats the higher the chances are of them being poisoned. However the poison will break down within an hour which has means if done carefully it is possible to eat more than the dangerous amount if they spread it out with an hour in between. The kin'toni clan will also offer a handful of these berries to travellers.

But if the danger of the berry is suspected, they will challenge the person to a game where they both eat the berries one after the other. If the traveller wins they are free to go, but if the kin'toni wins they will drain the traveller’s corpse. The local kin'toni clan cheats at the game because they have developed a tolerance for the poison and can ingest more before the poison works.

Animals

Many creatures call the dunes of Imech home. While the majority of the animals make their homes in the caverns or oases, some of the most dangerous prefer to burrow under the shifting sands and wait for their prey to come to them. Much of the wildlife is carnivorous, with a strong bend towards scavenging off the dead. It is rare for any of the easily noticeable animals to attack living prey, especially since the arrival of the kin'toni clan. Instead it’s more common for the unnoticed creatures to pose the most immediate danger. Such animals often struck at times of rest or when the focus was elsewhere.

For this reason the nomads often used fire to burn away any hidden creatures before they made camp. Otherwise they stayed on the move. When the massive expeditions brought unfamiliar people to the region, it also brought near animals into the region. While only a few were capable of surviving the climate, it was another thing for them to survive the other wildlife as well. The nomads attempted to help with the displaced animals but it proved to be a daunting task and none of these accidental imports were able to be fully cultivated into the wildlife population.

Many were let go near the borders of the desert in the hopes that they might survive longer elsewhere. And because of this, there are many creatures that have evolved to survive in a climate where they do not belong. One of the most popular animals associated with the region in a positive way is the tanyik. These odd looking even-toed ungulate stand at least four heads taller than most zu'aan, and is recognised by the three softly rounded humps and relatively long necks. Their heavy coat is often the same colour as the sandy dunes.

Though in the hotter days of summer the coat gets lighter to reflect the heat of the sun away from the animal. Their humps are also part of their ability to survive in the desert as they allow the camels to require less water throughout long journeys. This is because the humps house special bladders that hold up to eight days worth of water for the camel to survive off of if absolutely necessary. One of the most dangerous of the unnoticeable predators that likes to sneak up on its prey in the dunes of Imech is the baatormauti or more commonly known as the dayik.

These tiny venomous arachnids are recognised by their sandy orange colouring with black markings, smaller frontal pincer claws, and a larger dorsal stinger. While the largest of them may not be as big as a child’s hand, the venom their stingers carry is capable of killing a full grown kin'toni. They are known to wait in the sand until their prey settles down for the night. At which time they slowly creep up and strike with the stinger. Death follows shortly after.

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	Xarte Kin'toni Clan

Place

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Imech Dunes

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