Bowe Son-Hunga
The Singing Dunes
This valley is nestled just to the east of the Edge River and accessible by a well traveled path. Famous because as the winds travel through the valley, the shifting dunes of sand create an eerie harmonics which are song like. During the months of Ollar-iht and Fersc'iht these songs last for many hours if not days. Some find them relaxing and others have found them deeply unnerving. Rarely, do people travel deep into the valley as navigating it is difficult.
There is one settlement beside the Bowe. From the Edge River a traveller will find the town call The Last Place (Te-ahi Sídasti'ènye). Literally the last place a traveler will find the comforts and familiarity of Her Will and Civilization. Here is a House of The Brotherhood. Here is a School for children and an Office of the Paragons. Here are shops, inns and comfortable parks with pleasant animals.
Outside. In the Bowe Son-Hunga.... chaos.
The Son-Hunga is a unique valley in many ways. When standing on the balconies of the Tower Restaurant the view to the north is filled with the Son-Hunga. The valley reaches as far to the north as the eye can see, and the east and west are filled with the Son-Hunga as well. It is a natural barrier to more northerly travel for many days east or west.
The town of the Last Place sits atop a ledge that drops some 300 meters to the valley's floor typically hidden in deep shade from the many protrusions, rock formations and plants that populate the valley. From the town there are various paths to enter the valley, and several paths along the edge. Many of these are well maintained for travellers, have shade, artistic fountains, sculptures and picturesque views. But, of course they all eventually become rougher, less maintained, and wild, eventually to disappear altogether in most cases after 5 or so kilometres.
Many travellers come to the Last Place and go no further. The famous sunsets and songs of Bowe Son-Hunga can fully appreciated in the comforts of the Last Place of civilization. So, there is no need to risk the strange and wild stories that are told about the Bowe Son-Hunga in the bars and alleys. The few foolish enough to travel deeper in the Son-Hunga always meet ill fates.
There is one settlement beside the Bowe. From the Edge River a traveller will find the town call The Last Place (Te-ahi Sídasti'ènye). Literally the last place a traveler will find the comforts and familiarity of Her Will and Civilization. Here is a House of The Brotherhood. Here is a School for children and an Office of the Paragons. Here are shops, inns and comfortable parks with pleasant animals.
Outside. In the Bowe Son-Hunga.... chaos.
The Son-Hunga is a unique valley in many ways. When standing on the balconies of the Tower Restaurant the view to the north is filled with the Son-Hunga. The valley reaches as far to the north as the eye can see, and the east and west are filled with the Son-Hunga as well. It is a natural barrier to more northerly travel for many days east or west.
The town of the Last Place sits atop a ledge that drops some 300 meters to the valley's floor typically hidden in deep shade from the many protrusions, rock formations and plants that populate the valley. From the town there are various paths to enter the valley, and several paths along the edge. Many of these are well maintained for travellers, have shade, artistic fountains, sculptures and picturesque views. But, of course they all eventually become rougher, less maintained, and wild, eventually to disappear altogether in most cases after 5 or so kilometres.
Many travellers come to the Last Place and go no further. The famous sunsets and songs of Bowe Son-Hunga can fully appreciated in the comforts of the Last Place of civilization. So, there is no need to risk the strange and wild stories that are told about the Bowe Son-Hunga in the bars and alleys. The few foolish enough to travel deeper in the Son-Hunga always meet ill fates.
Geography
The Bowe Son-Hunga is a chain of ancient river beds cut into an area some 72,000km east of northern section of the Edge River. These channels or valleys, as many are hundreds of meters across, criss cross, weave, and reconnect with each other. Many are several hundred meters down from the surface of Aut'tep'ko and entire ecologies on of their own. Much off the Flora and Fauna have adapted to the unique environment that can be the Son-Hunga.
There are rivers. There are various types of vegetations, but more importantly there is the sand and the wind which is the majority of what is found in Bowe Son-Hunga.
The winds fly through the Son-Hunga fast enough to cause dune storms of such ferocity that the sand will strip the flesh off on an unprotected Orc in mere minutes. Dunes are blown hundreds of kilometres though valley in these storms which can complete altered the geography within the Son-Hunga. Animals have adapted to this lethal choas in varied ways. Some ride the winds protected by hard armour. Some bury deep into the root systems of trees. Some allow themselves to be buried. The vegtation as well has adapted. Trees are large, close enough to support each other, have extensive communal root systems and an amazing capacity to regrow leaves. Other smaller plants have more aggressive and creative adaptations.
It is not uncommon to have entire cropses of trees covered by a sand dune.
While there are partial maps of the valleys which make up the Son-Hunga, these maps are inaccurate. The most successful method of mapping has been to walk the surface of Aut'tep'ko, and map the edges of the valleys. Those maps are accurate. But, mapping the floor of Son-Hunga, that is a foolish endeavour, and will most likely cost you very dearly. Many who have attempted to map them have failed to return, or have returned ... unfit.
And, the sound created by the winds and sand, is itself strange enough to almost be mythical.
" Upon the eyes Bowe inflicts,
weird conclusions.
Where once was river's Edge,
lay choas wrath and ruin.
Devoured, drunk to the remaining drop, the Bowe Son-Hunga still thirsts
an endless beast.
Lost it's mysteries, ancient and terrible,
and acursed those who seek. "
Verse from At Edge of the Last Place, by Nyilisti Agroban.
There are rivers. There are various types of vegetations, but more importantly there is the sand and the wind which is the majority of what is found in Bowe Son-Hunga.
The winds fly through the Son-Hunga fast enough to cause dune storms of such ferocity that the sand will strip the flesh off on an unprotected Orc in mere minutes. Dunes are blown hundreds of kilometres though valley in these storms which can complete altered the geography within the Son-Hunga. Animals have adapted to this lethal choas in varied ways. Some ride the winds protected by hard armour. Some bury deep into the root systems of trees. Some allow themselves to be buried. The vegtation as well has adapted. Trees are large, close enough to support each other, have extensive communal root systems and an amazing capacity to regrow leaves. Other smaller plants have more aggressive and creative adaptations.
It is not uncommon to have entire cropses of trees covered by a sand dune.
While there are partial maps of the valleys which make up the Son-Hunga, these maps are inaccurate. The most successful method of mapping has been to walk the surface of Aut'tep'ko, and map the edges of the valleys. Those maps are accurate. But, mapping the floor of Son-Hunga, that is a foolish endeavour, and will most likely cost you very dearly. Many who have attempted to map them have failed to return, or have returned ... unfit.
And, the sound created by the winds and sand, is itself strange enough to almost be mythical.
Localized Phenomena
The two unique elements that make the Bowe Son-Hunga are sand (lots of it) and wind (even more of that).
Scholar's say that the Son-Hunga is a rare pre-Restoration relic. The Bowe existed through and perhaps before the Devesation. Water wore through weaker deposits of Aut'tep'ko's surface strata creating the early water ways of the Bowe, and as the years passed, those water ways became deeper and deeper. Thousands of years later the winds became a factor in the erosion. The wind became the key driving factor of erosion.
The winds of the Bowe Son-Hunga strip surface sand from the walls and floors of the valleys. This sand is blown through the Son-Hunga becoming more polished, reduced and fine. It eventually becomes so smooth and light, that not only can it be blown around by the slightest breeze, but it can be suspended in gentle air currents for weeks. These sand clouds are a natural hazard causing blindness, burning rashes, and eventually asphyxiation.
Large sand dunes fill the valley floors. These move through the Son-Hunga covering everything. Creatures and plants that can not adapt die. This means that things in the Bowe are either very tough or very fast, sometimes both.
The wind in the Bowe is as strange as the sand. No one knows why, but as the wind blows, it sings. Strange almost melodic sound is reported by those who live by the Bowe Son-Hunga. From a safe distance many report the the winds eerie song makes them feel things.
A tickling under the skin and a little sad about something they can't quite remember.
The colour orange.
Happy with a little hint of a strange itch just on the soles of their feet.
Like they want to sing.
Because of these strange affects, the official statement from the Brotherhood Medicament is that they will not support any excursions into the Bowe. And, the Order of The Spear charges a steep price for rescue attempts; without guarantee.
Scholar's say that the Son-Hunga is a rare pre-Restoration relic. The Bowe existed through and perhaps before the Devesation. Water wore through weaker deposits of Aut'tep'ko's surface strata creating the early water ways of the Bowe, and as the years passed, those water ways became deeper and deeper. Thousands of years later the winds became a factor in the erosion. The wind became the key driving factor of erosion.
The winds of the Bowe Son-Hunga strip surface sand from the walls and floors of the valleys. This sand is blown through the Son-Hunga becoming more polished, reduced and fine. It eventually becomes so smooth and light, that not only can it be blown around by the slightest breeze, but it can be suspended in gentle air currents for weeks. These sand clouds are a natural hazard causing blindness, burning rashes, and eventually asphyxiation.
Large sand dunes fill the valley floors. These move through the Son-Hunga covering everything. Creatures and plants that can not adapt die. This means that things in the Bowe are either very tough or very fast, sometimes both.
The wind in the Bowe is as strange as the sand. No one knows why, but as the wind blows, it sings. Strange almost melodic sound is reported by those who live by the Bowe Son-Hunga. From a safe distance many report the the winds eerie song makes them feel things.
A tickling under the skin and a little sad about something they can't quite remember.
The colour orange.
Happy with a little hint of a strange itch just on the soles of their feet.
Like they want to sing.
Because of these strange affects, the official statement from the Brotherhood Medicament is that they will not support any excursions into the Bowe. And, the Order of The Spear charges a steep price for rescue attempts; without guarantee.
Alternative Name(s)
Singing Dunes, The Mind Rake,The Wailing Maze, Old Scratchy, Gr'dot's Folly
Type
Badlands
Location under
" We found the small party led by Tourist Rrgar'aque. The elf, human and gnome; dead. They had strange bite marks on each other. At least three different kinds. H'Koyari Da'vo'eck noted that no animal in the Son-Hunga made those bite marks. The elf had the least and the elf, also had Rrgar'aques sword in her neck.
Rrgar, well she was alive. We found her several meters away in a tree. It took a little bribery with some seeds and nuts to get her to come down. She also had a few bite marks, but that wasn't the strangest thing at all. She only spoke elf.
And, that my friend is why we don't go into the Bowe."
Senior Tracker H'Koyari Nr'al'Vora sharing interesting stories over dinner with a Junior H'Koyari.
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