Dune Sea
The sand never stops moving. Northwest of Lone Star, between the settled territories and the canyon lands of Vegasia, the Dune Sea shifts and remakes itself within hours. Hills and canyons of fine-grain sand form and dissolve under high winds, though locals believe something beneath the surface drives the constant, violent reshaping of the landscape. Cartographers gave up trying to map it generations ago.
Water does not exist here. The heat is extreme, relentless, and unbroken by shade or relief. Massive sandstorms strip flesh from bone and bury entire caravans, leaving behind only bleached skeletons along the route. Diggers drag victims beneath the sand without warning, and beasts of burden sink under heavy loads. Horses cannot cross.
The most direct route from Lone Star to Vegasia runs straight through this wasteland. Dune Sea guides, veterans trained partially at Seasons Seat, lead caravans across the shifting sands for payment demanded upfront. Their vehicles are patched-together machines, part ATV and part rust bucket, hitched with trailers for cargo and passengers. Travel by foot is considered foolish, but those who survive it earn a particular kind of respect.
The Nezrengal haunt the deeper reaches. A ghostly tribe of unknown origin, they appear in all white or all black armor, guard seemingly random locations, and wield weapons of bone and sinew. They travel beneath the sand and possess potent psionic abilities. You can hear the Nezrengal before you see them. If you see them, you are already dead.
On the eastern edge, Sand Tonio marks the buried ruins of a massive pre-fall military complex. Massive sand worms the size of cows, scorpions with lethal stings, and predatory birds that run across the ground at terrifying speed make the site as dangerous as it is tempting to salvagers.
Water does not exist here. The heat is extreme, relentless, and unbroken by shade or relief. Massive sandstorms strip flesh from bone and bury entire caravans, leaving behind only bleached skeletons along the route. Diggers drag victims beneath the sand without warning, and beasts of burden sink under heavy loads. Horses cannot cross.
The most direct route from Lone Star to Vegasia runs straight through this wasteland. Dune Sea guides, veterans trained partially at Seasons Seat, lead caravans across the shifting sands for payment demanded upfront. Their vehicles are patched-together machines, part ATV and part rust bucket, hitched with trailers for cargo and passengers. Travel by foot is considered foolish, but those who survive it earn a particular kind of respect.
The Nezrengal haunt the deeper reaches. A ghostly tribe of unknown origin, they appear in all white or all black armor, guard seemingly random locations, and wield weapons of bone and sinew. They travel beneath the sand and possess potent psionic abilities. You can hear the Nezrengal before you see them. If you see them, you are already dead.
On the eastern edge, Sand Tonio marks the buried ruins of a massive pre-fall military complex. Massive sand worms the size of cows, scorpions with lethal stings, and predatory birds that run across the ground at terrifying speed make the site as dangerous as it is tempting to salvagers.
Geography
The Dune Sea is an ever-shifting expanse of fine sand that forms hills and canyons within hours. High winds push the grains constantly, but something beneath the surface causes the landscape to reshape itself with a violence that wind alone cannot explain. The heat is extreme, water is nonexistent across the vast plains, and navigation is nearly impossible without an experienced guide.
On the eastern edge, a guide encampment staffed by Seasons Seat veterans offers passage across the sands. Sand Tonio, the buried ruins of a massive pre-fall military complex, sits on the Dune Sea's border, partially swallowed by the desert and populated by oversized predatory fauna. The Dune Sea lies between Lone Star and Vegasia, making it an unavoidable crossing for anyone traveling between the two territories.
On the eastern edge, a guide encampment staffed by Seasons Seat veterans offers passage across the sands. Sand Tonio, the buried ruins of a massive pre-fall military complex, sits on the Dune Sea's border, partially swallowed by the desert and populated by oversized predatory fauna. The Dune Sea lies between Lone Star and Vegasia, making it an unavoidable crossing for anyone traveling between the two territories.
History
Corebook Era
The earliest records describe the Dune Sea as a living desert northwest of Lone Star, before the canyon lands of Vegasia. The sand was so fine that high winds pushed it around constantly, but those who traveled there long enough knew that something beneath the sands caused the violent changes to the landscape. There was a ghostly tribe whose origins were a mystery to even the most rugged veterans of the territory. This tribe, the Nezrengal, was made up of people covered in all white or all black armor who guarded seemingly random spots within the Dune Sea, said to travel beneath the sand and wielding weapons of bone and sinew. Their brutal hunting tactics and potent psionic abilities made them the fear that stalked the living desert.
