Duum Canyon

The Duum Canyon is a vast steep-walled box canyon on the River Duma. Although it has been partly created by the erosive effects of the river itself, its formation is not entirely natural. It was deepened and expanded by the powers of the Adi Niha Talija Nagrishka during the The Gap War. This was to provide protection for the refugees and the Five Tribes. The city state of Amin Duum is built into its walls, with the Amin Duum Holy Complex at the canyon head close to the Duum Waterfall.

Geography

The canyon itself is composed of a mixture of limestone, sandstone, and in places igneous rock. The walls are sheer on either side and, at the southern end, narrow to form a slot canyon up to the head and the waterfall. The canyon has an overall length of 500km, and an average depth of almost 2000m. Because each side is sheer, dropping vertically from the top to the canyon floor, building into the sides was relatively straightforward. Each year, the River Duma floods, bringing vast quantities of silt down from mountains in the Southern Caish Nur into the canyon itself. The soil, especially at the southern end of the canyon, is especially rich, and capable of supporting a diverse ecosystem and some agriculture.

Ecosystem

The walls and the Amnari Bubble provide a great deal of protection from the elements, allowing an ecosystem more varied than one might expect of such a hyper-arid environment to survive. Despite the presence of a large population of humans, many areas of the canyon floor are open to wild and semi-wild species of flora and fauna.

Ecosystem Cycles

The area operates on a cycle of either three or five broadly overlapping seasons. The reason for the discrepancy is predominantly based on whether there is a significantly heightened difference in temperature in the months leading up to the Inundation. Each year, the Duma River floods, which occurs in the month of Ashmuta, and brings a high sediment load north from the Southern Caish Nur. This is known as the Inundation, which triggers a long period of rest for the Guild System before the planting season as the waters recede. Harvesting occurs at the end of the coolest part of the year, before the run up to summer and High Summer.

Localized Phenomena

The proximity to the Duum Gap has meant that the whole canyon and its flora and fauna are subject to frequent kata-storms. This requires Guild System members to spend a great deal of time fighting back unusual plant growths, as well as attempting to research and develop new methods of managing uncontrolled kata flora and fauna explosions.

Type

Canyon

Location under

The Eastern Desert

Included Locations

• Amin Duum

Owner/Ruler

Ashad Amin

Ruling/Owning Rank

Guardian Defender

Owning Organization

Guardians