Nether Encyclopaedia: Dune Riders

Story by Arkham_Beast on SoFurry

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Finally.

The inhabitants of the second continent of the Nether Realm: the Dune Riders, people of Sahhra.

Took a while for my brain to go and come back for this, but when I began writing, I surprised myself by adding a few species I thought of on the spot and instantly loved.

Again, if I missed anything, just tell me, or if you have any more questions, ask in the comments or PM me.

Enjoy this episode of Nether Encyclopaedia. Three more continents to go.


Creators of impossible miracles and rulers of the dreaming plane.

Traditions:-

The Dune Riders don't have a certain tradition as a whole, but the royal family tend to hold parties for the kings/emperors as an anniversary party of when they took the throne.

The royal family treat themselves as complete equals to their people, sometimes joining them for street festivals, market auctions, even get invited to small family parties and such.

All Dune Riders wear magical artifacts they create using alchemy and rune magic called Bonds.

Some of these artifacts act as power storages, that can charge a certain amount of energy for later use, and others act as mediums that channel the Dune Riders' powers for more accuracy and affectivity.

Appearance:-

Dune Riders are all lizards, saurians and dragons in appearance, with a rare occasions of taurs being born.

Their clothing and houses resemble those of ancient arabia, giving them that 'Hundred and One Nights' stories feeling.

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Species:-

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Djins:-

Royal tiered spirits, capable of creating small miracles.

Djins are more affiliated with spiritual, dream and rune magic, capable of exorcising nightmares who invade a person's dreams, as well as curing someone from impossible diseases that were deemed incurable even through magic.

They also have the exclusive ability to posses inanimate objects.

Appearance:-

The Djins are all wingless dragons or royal lizards in appearance.

Their bodies look spiritual, varying in size and build, with eyes glowing in the colour of their aura.

There scale color range from red, blue, sky blue, light purple and white, their auras also ranging from the same colours.

Clothing:-

They prefer to wear baggy clothing made from light fabric and many jewels.

Their accessories are mostly rings, necklaces(jewel studded collars for some), toe rings, thigh and bicep Bonds and for some with long manes and hair: hair bands.

Traditions:-

Djins build rune circles in locations brimming with spiritual power, they tend to go there to replenish their powers.

During mating season, Djins craft accessories using rune magic and alchemy, giving them as presents for the one they love.

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Ifrits:-

Wielders of infernal magic and hellish fire.

Ifrits are more on the hot-headed and sadistic sides, easily provoked and difficult to soothe.

They are more affiliated with the dark tiers of magic, like: dark fire, poison(toxin) earth and darkness(which can be mixed with other types of magic for extra effect, except light and holy magic).

They tend to mess and play with their targets and hunting prey before putting either out of their misery, as well as the tendency of treating their captured prisoners and slaves badly. Very, very badly.

Appearance:-

Ifrits look like a mix between demons and dragons, closely resembling the Void Walker Violences.

They have hard and thick skin that acts as body armor, ranging between red, black green and dark brown in colour.

They have big and thick horns that can grow into smaller branches like antlers.

Clothing:-

Ifrits like the Djins and other inhabitants of their realm, like to wear baggy clothing, wear gauntlets or gloves that act as power channels to increase the power and affectivity of their powers and spells.

Accessories include: earrings, rings, bracelets and bicep and thigh Bonds, but unlike the Djins who wear only two(one for a bicep and one for a thigh) Ifrits prefer wearing six( two for both biceps, two for both thighs and two they wear on their ankles) since their bodies are big and powers are great, they need large amount of inner energy as well as all the extra power the Bonds can hold.

Traditions:-

Ifrits, like the Void Walker Lusts, prefer 'mating' with mortals.

Being the 'devils' they are, they tend to make blank oaths and empty promises or any other underhanded method they can think of in order to stay with their desired mortal, giving them everything they desire for the first few times, making the poor mortal believe they are actual genies of the lamp.

But later the Ifrit starts making almost impossible demands as payment for their services.

After they have their fun with a mortal, they leave them, but after ruining them emotionally, spiritually and on very rare occasions: physically.

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Mirages:-

Travelers and wanderers, having a habit of moving from place to place, never staying in one for too long, except if they find a mate.

Mirages are more affiliated with illusion, water, wood and wind magic.

Appearance:-

Mirages are slim and athletic in build, having the least amount of muscle among the ruling species.

Their scales are thin and don't give much natural defence, that's why they prefer to stay in the back rows and away from any direct fight.

They have small horns, that can extend to a few inches.

Their colour ranges between: light green, pale blue, yellow and white. With occasional markings varying in shape and locations.

Cothing:-

Mirages prefer silk and slightly see-through clothing, and they tend to wear as little as possible.

Accessories include: ring Bonds that act as both channelling mediums and power storages, toe rings, horn rings and earrings.

Traditions:-

Mirages tend to leave for other realms, seeking those who have lost their way, both physically and spiritually, and help them get back on the right path.

During mating season Mirages tend to help other Dune Riders get together before finding a mate for themselves.

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Sand Striders:-

The fastest of all the Dune Riders.

The Striders can run so fast that they are thought of having the ability to teleport for those who see them the first time.

They are more affiliated with fire, electric and wind magic, mixed with some illusion magic, they can create copies of themselves that can operate for some time before disappearing.

They mostly act as messengers or assassins, but those who have some upper body strength, can be employed as royal guard.

Appearance:-

Striders are similar to the Mirages in build: athletic, but with slightly more toned muscles, with the more stronger muscles being in their legs.

They also have thin scales with minimum natural defence, forcing them to rely on the 'hit-and-run' tactic that makes full use of their speed.

Their scale colour ranges between: yellow, dark orange, brown, sandy brown, white and black.

Clothing:-

Sand Striders prefer light, but skin tight clothing, since the usual baggy clothing effects their speed and also their balance.

Accessories include: ankle Bonds, toe ring Bonds, and earrings, along with gloves that hold some sharp throwing knives and needles for use in combat.

Traditions:-

Striders hold a yearly contest called the Desert Trials. A race to see who is the fastest Strider in the realm.

On this occasion, the other Dune Riders use their magic to create a race track and obstacles that will challenge not only a Strider's speed, but also his reflexes and coordination.

The track changes shape and course every year, with the obstacles also changing in order to keep things challenging and interesting.

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Shade Warlocks:-

Nagas that vary in shape and length.

The Warlocks are also called: Cultists of the Sands for their affiliation and preference for all kinds of black and dark arts of magic. Yet they are mostly affiliated with poison/toxin, hypnosis and black magic.

They, despite their preference to the darkness, they are quite the attention seekers. Doing anything to get someone's attention.

Appearance:-

They have slightly thick scales, giving them some defence, that vary between: crimson, brown, light brown and black.

The adults have small snout horns and spike plates that go from the top of their heads to the tip of their tails.

Some tend to 'carve' tattoos on their bodies, saying it's a necessity to use their powers more affectively.

Clothing:-

The Warlocks tend to wear cloaks, veils and big scarves to cover their features for some reason.

They also wear many accessories, which include: ring Bonds, tail ring Bonds, collars, piercings, bracelets and earrings.

Traditions:-

The Warlocks tend to gather in caves in certain locations that have the same spiritual power as the Djins', but the ones the Warlocks prefer come from a much darker source.

During mating season, the Warlocks hide away from sight, because of their dark tendencies, they always mark themselves as undesirable and unwanted.

But on the occasion a Warlock is chosen as a mate(due to the insistence of a Dune Rider) they are the perfect lovers, making sure that their mate is happy, mostly as a thank you for choosing them.

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Golems:-

At first creatures created using the arcane alchemy, but later became a thinking, living specie of their own.

The Golems were elemental constructs of alchemy, mostly earth Golems used in construction.

But then one Golem began developing feelings for Warlock(his creator), later began thinking and acting on his own. Until finally, in a last experiment a few Djins and Warlocks banded together and combined their powers, turning a creature of pure stone into a physical entity of the earth made of flesh and blood.

The Dune Riders then began building Golems of other elements, many of them, giving them true life like the first living Golem, until they became a small pack, which then grew into a separate civilization among the Dune Riders.

Appearance:-

Golems are big in size and build, since they are affiliated with elemental magic, their bodies and scales take the form and colour as the element they govern. Like those with fire element look like walking magma rocks and are red, orange or yellow in colour.

The Golems have horns with variable shapes and sizes, also in parallel with their element.

Clothing:-

Golems very rarely wear actual clothing, most instead conjure and make 'clothes' using their own elements.

The Bonds the Golems wear are different, instead of rings and braces like the other Dune Riders, they are more varying in shape, going from harnesses to crowns. They are instead called Relics.

When the Golems do wear clothing, the only wear loin-clothes or waist cloaks.

Traditions:-

Golems tend to visit elemental fountains found around the realm to recharge, but not their energy.

Instead what they charge is special cores built into their Relics, acting as their source of power, made from elemental stones mined from certain caves located near said elemental fountains.

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Soul Eaters:-

Creatures resembling tall sharks or short kobolds.

All with the ability to dive and 'swim' through the sand.

They just like the Void Walker Creepers, are unable to use magic, but unlike the Creepers who are weak and somewhat worthless, the Eaters make up for it, with abnormal agility, strength and speed(but still not as strong as the other Dune Riders)

They usually live in burrowed colonies or in holes built on the sides of valleys or canyons.

They were named as such because: instead of eating a live creature, the eat it's soul, since their bodies are unable to digest actual meat.

Appearance:-

The Eaters are like a mix between sharks and kobolds with varying sizes, but all with large hands, and curved nails used for digging.

Sharp teeth laced with poison.

Thin tails tipped with fin shaped feathers.

Clothing:-

Eaters tend to wear cloaks and waist cloaks, with handmade trinkets they make themselves.

Such accessories include: necklaces, bracelets, and ankle bracelets. No Bonds.

Traditions:-

Eaters are merchants by skill, despite their primal looks, they are more intelligent than they show, able to calculate large numbers in an instant.

And when visiting another realm, they only need to learn the basic currency function and their brains will do the rest.

That's why, they tend to work as merchants or accountants to an existing business.

They love joining public festivals and parties, since it's the perfect moment to open shop.