Aen Ma

Geography

A rolling plain of pale grasses, tipped with soft seed pods in the springtime. Small bushels of pale purple, yellow, and dark red flowers decorate the ground with tiny petals. During the rainy season, small puddles form, awakening semi-aquatic creatures that typically hibernate underground and bringing them to the surface. Fleeting insects usually hop from grass blade to grass blade, sending showers of bristling seeds to the ground below.

Aen Ma lies south of the equator, in an area with alternating wet and dry seasons. It is flanked by distant mountains at its eastern border, beyond which lies a desolate, dry desert. Few trees cover the land. The ones that do grow low and thorny, with their leaves curled and pale. The people who live on these plains have created a milieu of meals from the grains and grasses that grow abundantly, alongside large migrating herds.

The only settlement in the area is one that is only occupied for half the year, and one that is home to migrants and those seeking asylum. It's founders and the land's aboriginal residents live nomadic lives, following seasonal blooms and bursts of life. Aen Ma is not marked on many maps, and so many do not expect the fertile land to reside beside a dry, dead desert, and some have elevated it to the status of a mythic legend.

Fauna & Flora

Flora

The lowest-growing plants are creepers, staying along the ground in patches beside woody shrubs or trees. The most common plant is called rama by the nomads, and it is the tufted grass that covers everything the eye can see. It can grow to knee-height, however it tends to vary depending on the amount of rain that is in the area. But, some areas are dominated by thin-stemmed, tiny flowers varying in color. Though they are the same plant, or are closely related, the flowers carry different names based on their color. O'ir describes the ones with pale purple flowers, 'unna are the deep red ones, and the yellow ones are known as nirsha. Possibly the most remarkable plants are the sparse, knotted trees whose trunks are covered with protruding thorns. These trees, known as ji'i, are often dry, preserving water within their wood. During the rainy season, their cupped leaves turn upward, encouraging water to run down their branches and seep to the roots.

Fauna

The animals of Aen Ma are incredibly diverse, and many are endemic to the region. Critters such as the tiny yla scuttle in between grass blades, blending into the dirt with their dusty fur. Larger ones such as the 'ukila hunt them on four-toed paws, with large, fluffy ears and gnarly claws. Even larger still are one the herding animal species, the tenika, large animals with matted fur that from a distance can make them appear to be stationary boulders. These herds run from the rains, staying on the borders of storms. Often times, they are accompanied by families of dji dja running at their hooves or riding on their backs.. The smaller, squirrel-like creatures carry their young on their backs, in litters of up to eleven kits, and sport dark circles around their eyes. Also in accompaniment are the mostly solitary avian creatures called kit ka, distinguished by their long, thin beaks and distinctive screeches. Males are often ery aggressive, and sport long, thin feathery crests atop their heads.

Many animals are companions to the human nomads, with at least three domesticated species. One likes to climb up the legs and arms of its human friend, with tiny, four-fingered hands and a bobbed tail. This one is known affectionately as the 'an'an, which sounds like the local word for 'cute child.' A second species keeps to the ground, with claws that hunt local pests and an appetite for large, venomous bugs. It is called the ika-atri, and it tends to hold a watchful look, with wide, unblinking eyes and the ability to sit back on its hind legs. Most commonly, however, is the ylta, which is strong, playful, and can walk from horizon to horizon without a break in between. It appears with long, slender legs, and a small carriage supporting a head with a fuzzy, smiling muzzle.

Alternative Name(s)

Saints' Rest; the Dreaming Plain; the Oasis

Type

Grassland