Nunuzac, the Burning Sands, and Ankhantalien, City of Time

[Myuuchan]

The desert Nunuzac, roughly the shape of a lopsided triangle, represents the 'end of the world' to most inhabitants of the world of Ithilear. None yet who have ventured past the desert have returned, leaving the natural assumption that they died in their travels. This is regarded with much superstition by the people of Nunuzac, and any travelers they may encounter (though their numbers are very few) are often vigorously warned of the dangers that lie to the East.

The desert itself can be treacherous to those who are unfamiliar with its ways. Not a single oasis lies between the Northern tip of the desert and the capital city, which is, in fact, the only true city in the entirety of the desert.
Small, temporary encampments sometimes dot the sands, with the very edges of the desert sometimes hosting great numbers of people, waiting for the storms to settle so that they may return home to the city of Ankhantalien.

The storms of the northernmost part of the desert rage nearly endlessly. The winds rush from every direction, sweeping in from the tail-end of the mountain range and stirring the desert into a fury. The static charge of the sand and wind often produces heavy electrical storms, but with no rain - Rain has not fallen on the desert of Nunuzac for more than one hundred years.
These storms change with the seasons, however, with each season having what is considered a 'peak' and a 'safe zone'. The winds taper at each of the safe periods, allowing travelers to migrate across the desert, and allowing merchants to travel from the city to the coast, or vice versa.

The Western edge of the desert is home to a number of ridges and sandstone bluffs, many of them riddled with caves. The bluffs are generally avoided by the occupants of Ankhantalien, as they are considered dangerous, being home to the Aasifani dragons. While the Aasifani have no history of attacking the encampments of the desert-folk, most of the people of Nunuzac's sole city assume it's better to leave the creatures to their own devices.

The Southwestern corner of the desert is mostly rocks, and being nestled in the crook of the mountains, is home to very little wind and rarely, if any, storms. The Southeastern corner is also placid, being mostly open dunes like the Northern tip - However, where there are open dunes, there are bound to be sand sharks, arguably the most dangerous predator of the desert.

Ankhantalien, the walled and perfectly circular city, lies as close to the dead-center of the desert as possible. It is buffeted by winds from the North, but the high walls offer a strong windbreak, and shelter the desert's people from the raging storms.
A massive sandstone spire rises from the exact middle of the city, surrounded by a paved courtyard. There are no entrances or windows in the spire, and none remain who remember the spire's purpose, though legends passed through each generation claim that the spire itself is a sleeping god.
The city itself is arranged into twelve 'rays' that spread outward from the spire. They are divided by wide streets, and each ray is home to one of the twelve members of Council, whose homes fall in the exact center of each ray.
The construction of the city is peculiar to see, but in its arrangement around the spire, the city itself forms a massive sundial, with each ray being eclipsed by the shadow of the spire at a different hour of the day.

While Ankhantalien holds several wells, most of the city's water must be imported from the land just outside the desert. A wide strip of land separates the desert from the coast, and this land is where Ankhantanlien's supplies originate from. Several coastal cities serve as harbors for import and export of goods, while crops and livestock are grown to be carried into the desert, along with endless barrels of water.