Savannah Life Of Deradune
It has been two years since I landed on Nexus as a young scientist who was freshly graduated from Collegium at the time I boarded Arkship Destiny. Although I have visited many areas of Nexus, I am unable to file a scientific analysis on my findings until now. One of the intriguing areas I find was Deradune, where the Draken tribes have made their home with hunting as both their entertainment and necessity of their lifestyle. In addition, many of the preys were known to be dangerous that Drakens have considered it a “worthy hunt” as they call it. I, Douglas of Bricius Family, will now present this article with sponsorship of Royal Collegium and Dominion News Network (DNN).
My first survey in Deradune was Terminites, the insectoid species whose voracious appetite ranging from animals to minerals have been attributed to their creation as waste disposals by Eldan scientists. Although they are not immediately hostile upon its initial contact, explorers must remain caution about them less their kins would swarm upon those provoke them. The society of Terminites are common among many insectoid species as each of their hives are led by queen who birthed and command the species. Although the terminites in Deradune also have a queen, she was eliminated due to ecological threat of Deradune as their endless appetite would consume every lifeforms and even minerals in Deradune. The majority of the Terminites are made up of either soldier or workers, former being larger and suited to combat others than the latter. Despite the deceased queen, the Deradune strain remained active in theExo-Lab 79 albeit the expansion beyond the area as they became inert and limited in numbers without the queen. In addition, many Deradune Terminites are also enhanced mutations from consumption of Eldan energy from power circuits. Many scientists in Deradune also managed to compiled datas on the species before the death of the queen, which her picture was taken by the team that were sent to halt the spread of the hive. I learned from the pictures of previous surveys on the simalirities of Terminite Queen with those of hive insectoids of Outpost M13 and Squirg. The previously mentioned three species has queens with large forehead, birthing area, and large body size comparative to their regulars. It can be inferred that the Eldan may have used a template to create a hive-based lifeforms based on the similarity of three species' queens. Further analysis and publication on these queens would be done in the future as this is a small part of my intended topic. Terminite as a species are in conclusion, a voracious insectoid species whose numbers in Deradune—including large numbers of energized strains—were controlled with death of their queen along with expansions that would cause every lifeforms to be emptied from their endless hunger.
Moodies are another species that inhabit Deradune and known for their ability to revive deceased specimens through manipulation of Primal Life. Although their presence can be seen in cold and hot climates of Nexus, Deradune Moodies became notorious for their origins of Redmoon undead pirates in Halon Ring with one of the perpetrators being a Draken Necroshaman who claimed to obtain a moodie artifact from that area. Although there are practitioners of Primal Fire and other societal roles like warriors exists in their society, Moodies tend to put those who can reanimate the death as pinnacle of the society if not leaders of communities. Their “necromancy” became one of many reasons of hatred by the Drakens along with an incident where a group of Moodies came upon and revived the deaths of their honored deaths. They are known to be hostile towards outsiders and even launch attacks that included the annihilation of Lopp settlements on Skullcano island. This behavior is reflected through their masks, which represent their emotions to their kins and outsiders often to intimidate them. Not much is known if their social prestige reflect upon it. Which might be possible since the chieftains' masks tend to be elaborate than their lower ranking members. Moodies are unique for being one of native species that were known to have society and most primitive form of civilization along with their reanimation of the deaths.
Falkrin are another “sentient” species inhabiting Deradune as one of their many habitats. A normal Falkrin has humanoid physique with flght capable wings and long-sharp avian noses; however, their Murgh cousins are large and small wings providing a small lift rather than flight. Their society is based around a tribal unit called “broods” their dwelling called “perches,” where their abode are elevated and located on hills. The Murghs however secluded to burrows at the bottom of the perches. While the male Falkrin of strength and intelligence usually serve the Broodlord, their female kins act priestly class known as Brides of Osiric from their wind deity name Osiric. Despite the scattered nature of Falkrin as a civilization, The Brides of Osiric tend to be a separate entity only to give spiritual needs to known perches along with advisors for Broodlords, which allowed them to remain relatively unified as a species. The Murgh—being larger and stronger—served as menial laborer with the leader of burrows serving as overseers for the higher-ranking Falkrin. They are territorial and free spirited with the reports of raids upon caravans and settlements in Deradune, Galeras, and Malgrave. In cases of Deradune and Galeras, the former attacked the diplomatic party while latter conflict began with reckless bombardment on their sacred sites by the heretical Exiles. Relatively few provide services to the perches, but Falkrin managed to maintain semblance of unity with aid from the Brides of Osiric.
One of interesting aspect of Deradune is the large skeletons lying across Deradune. According to an Eldan cube, they were part of a initial lifeforms that went instinct from possible famine to inability to sustain sufficient calories for survival. They became a monument to wildlife that would exist along with building materials to the Draken tribes who have known to encounter and exploit titanic lifeforms as their ways of living. One known surviving large species is Gorganoth called Zonaga before its death by an unknown hunter. Metal Maw is not considered a native lifeforms since they were shipped from other areas as part of Great Hunt festvals. Although titanic lifeforms of Deradune are extinct , the region is still considered dangerous for its predators.
There are many predators on Nexus, ranging from Pumera to Garr. Pumera is a feline predator species that lived across Nexus. Their common physiology is their retracting claws, slim but muscular figurine, whiskers, and long tails that are shared among felinid ambush predators. Garr are reptillian amphibian with long and narrow with snout on top of it and spend near the banks of the rivers that also serve as ambush point for unsuspecting preys that came to swin or drink water. They also have dorsal fins and armored scales but known to be mildly-warmblooded that allow them to survive in cold areas that would kill cold blooded reptillian. Most of the prey species include Dawngrazers (deer species that lived across Nexus and known to absorb sunlight), Razortails (Simian Primates with terrortorial nature that caused them to throw any projectiles at intruders), Mammodin (large beasts with single horn on it snout and armored head) only done in large predator groups, and even unsuspected sentient beings in some cases. Many Drakens also encouraged young ones to at least kill one of them as part of their rites of passage. Lastly, there are sludgeons—an amoebic species whose gelatinious bodies are composed of bones and other debris that also provided its limb and facial features due to mutations of Primal Energy. Although powered by Primal Energies, they tend to consume the victims and used their bones as part of its structures. Although animals are commonly viewed threats to newcomers in Deradune, many of them tend to overlook the floras of the land as they can be quite dangerous from part of their biology.
Deradune also consists of diverse arid-based Floras, which majority of them flourished near the streams and more so in Owanee Basin. Two of the deadly flora in Deradunes are Cactoid (brown colored bulb shrub) and Grove Strangler (a Deradune strain of Rootbrute seen in terraformed parts of the regions). The Cactoid burst its posoinous needles while Grove Strangler trapped its prey and suffocate them for its namesake. On the case of Grove Strangler, it has been difficult to categorize them as either part of botany or biology despite being categorized as former even with having animal traits (movements, consumption of animals, and not as reliant on sunlight). A more passive-defense plant of Deradune is Bloodfire Sawgrass, which drew metal-rich soil to hone its leaves into serrated edge to prevent from being consumed by herbivores. Despite the mention of these hostile floras, there are many floras that are harmless so long as it was not consumed out of curiosity as some of them do contain toxins against herbivores along with lethal doses of Primal Energy. Due to effects from Feralplains Collective's disposals and experiments that may have seeped into the streams, many plants along the streams of Owanee Basin became supersized but no signs of harmful mutations.Another flower in Deradune is Cinderbloom. Which releases Primal Fire energy along with fertilized seeds when exposed to solar heat.
This conclude my descriptions of fauna and floras of Deradune based on my survey to this sun-baked arid region. The region is known for its dangerous wildlife—ranging from ferocious predators, voracious insects, and violent tribal species. In addition, many of its plant life adapted the violent environment with various protections such as metal sharp leaves to retractable spikes. Although violent, the lifeforms are also part of beautiful and exotic ecology if taken caution. On the next article, I would describe the Draken culture along with the influences of the land that made their continuation of culture possible. I hope that many readers would fine informative of this article along with caution to the adventurous citizens.