The Sun Dried Sands dialect is fast-paced and expressive, with words tumbling out in quick bursts like pebbles down a canyon wall. Sentences are lively and rhythmic, often ending in soft whistles or tongue-clicks (a habit passed down from desert guides who once used these sounds to communicate across canyons), with rolled R’s, dropped endings, and emphatic hand gestures. Sign language is prominent in the Sands, as a way to communicate across the vast, hot expanses.
Regional Differences
Each region of Mycorzha has many shared beliefs and values, but all the same each have aspects that make them unique.
To learn more about shared beliefs, holidays, and cultural aspects on the Isles go to the Mycorzha Wiki ↦
In south-eastern Mycorzha, a dune sea piles up against the high desert plateau of the Sun Dried Sands, where winds howl through canyons and scour their way through sage brush and towering saguaro cactii. The Sands are a place of sun-warmed clay and towering rock formations, carved and sculpted by wind and desert creatures alike. Gnarled, twisting bushes and succulents store away every drop of moisture, and flora and fauna both tap deep underground wells, or hold out for when thunderheads mass and the rains soak the parched soil. The sky dominates the landscape, from fiery sunsets and harsh blue, to the majestic sweep of stars that blaze above the night-time sands.
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Dialect
Spirituality
In Sun Dried Sands, thunderbirds are revered as powerful guardians who soar between the realms of the Mysts and Isles, carrying messages and maintaining balance. Thunderstorms are sacred events, moments when the veil thins and the energy of life and death surges through the desert, reminding all that the land itself is alive and watching. Many critters believe these forces guide their path, shaping the rhythm of the seasons and the pulse of the sands beneath their feet.
There are many also who trace the arc and curve of stars across the heavens, and look to the night skies over the desert for guidance in body and spirit both. Astronomy and astrology are popular in the Sands, and the stars are said to be able to weave fate and fortune.
Art
Sun Dried Sands art draws from the bold geometry featuring sharp lines, vibrant reds, turquoises representing water and life, and ochres woven into patterns that echo the desert’s natural forms. Ceremonial drum circles play a vital role in their culture, rhythmically mimicking the call of thunderbirds and the thunderstorm’s pulse. Together, they honor the life-giving force of water that fills the oasis that sustains them.
Holidays
Arda is the largest holiday for the Sun Dried Sands, celebrated with large communal gatherings centered around music, food, and trade. Drum circles are common, their rhythms calling to the thunderbirds and marking the passage of time. Despite the harsh desert environment, celebrations emphasize hospitality, storytelling, and the exchange of goods and news. Firelight and simple decorations made from carved wood and dried plants create a warm atmosphere that contrasts with the arid landscape.
Learn about the 4 major holidays of the Isles
Common Activities and Interests
Pottery is unique to this region! Beautiful red clay in the soil and the hot sun makes for some of Mycorzha's best ceramics. Everyone loves playing around in the sand and mud, and the painted cliffs inspire striking designs and uses of clay and sand.
The desert folk are also known for their weaving, and Sands-made textiles are strong and durable, spun from yucca and other plant fibers (and from the fleece of the natives in the spring as they prepare for the heat of summer). The resulting yarns and thread are dyed in a bright variety of hues, and woven into rugs, blankets, and sails of great complexity. Weaving techniques are passed down matrilineal lines and are a hallmark of the craft.
The omnipresent winds of the desert have created new sports and activities among the creatures of the Sands as newer and lighter weight textiles have been developed. Sand-skimming in sail-driven craft, gliding, and kite flying are all popular pastimes, and competition ranges from leisurely to fierce.
Flora & Fauna
✦ Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.)
✦ Claret Cup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus)
✦ Cholla Cactus (Cylindropuntia spp.)
✦ Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
✦ Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri)
✦ Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)
✦ Banana Yucca (Yucca baccata)
✦ Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa)
✦ Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)
✦ Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
✦ Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)
✦ Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
✦ Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
✦ Woolly Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja lanata)
✦ Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
✦ Four O'Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)
✦ Arizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)
✦ Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
✦ Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
✦ Desert Zinnia (Zinnia acerosa)