Dune: Awakening | Ep. 24 – Back on Arrakis, Now Where Did I Park My Ornithopter?

We’re heading back to Arrakis for more survival, exploration, and sand-related problems. The only challenge now is remembering where I left my transport.

After a long break away from the dunes, it was finally time to return to the endless sands of Arrakis. Between major updates, server migrations, and a few frustrations with the direction of recent content, this felt like the perfect moment to dust off the stillsuit, reopen the hangar doors, and see what awaited us beyond the horizon.

Of course, nothing on Arrakis is ever quite that simple. What began as a straightforward return quickly turned into an evening of resource hunting, unexpected technical battles, community chaos, and the rise of a brand-new Great House dedicated entirely to cheese.

🌵 About the Game

Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival and crafting experience set on the deadly world of Arrakis. Players must survive scorching deserts, avoid colossal sandworms, gather rare resources, build powerful bases, craft vehicles including ornithopters, and uncover the mysteries surrounding the missing Fremen.

Blending survival gameplay with exploration, politics, and large-scale progression, Arrakis constantly challenges players to balance risk and reward while carving out their own place in the Imperium.

🧭 Where We Are in the Journey

Episode 24 marks our long-awaited return to Arrakis after stepping away following the Chapter 3 update. Before we could even think about future adventures, there was an important task waiting for us.

The community server has now been moved from G-Portal onto a brand-new self-hosted setup. With hosting costs jumping from £80 to £120 per year and spare hardware already available in my server cabinet, it made perfect sense to bring everything home and take full control of the infrastructure.

This episode is all about rebuilding momentum, restocking critical materials, and getting production lines moving again for future projects.

🔥 What Happens in This Episode

The evening began with a battle against an unexpected enemy: Windows Update.

A surprise restart delayed the adventure before it could properly begin, but rather than letting the technical gremlins win, we spent the downtime catching up with chat, discussing life outside the game, future plans, and even sharing updates about the ever-growing chicken flock.

Once the server finally cooperated, it was time to get back to work.

Six months away had left the base in hibernation mode. The hangar deck had been sealed to conserve power while Arrakis sat dormant, so the first task was unpacking equipment following the migration to the new server and reassembling the Carrier Ornithopter. With systems restored and the hangar reopened, the familiar sight of the desert stretching beyond the base signalled that the expedition could finally begin.

The objective was simple: restock the resources needed for Plastanium production.

That meant heading deep into the Deep Desert in search of Titanium Ore and Stravidium Mass. Despite lag spikes, rubber-banding, and ongoing jokes that Windows updates had somehow become the true final boss of Dune: Awakening, the expedition pushed forward. The trusty “flappy flappy” ornithopter carried us across the sands while the buggy handled transport duties on the ground.

After extensive mining runs and plenty of inventory management, the effort paid off. By the end of the gathering operation we had secured 2,172 Titanium Ore along with 1,086 Stravidium Mass — enough to kick-start a significant round of production back at base.

Returning home, the buggy was packed away and the long processing chain began. Stravidium Fibre would take roughly an hour to complete, so naturally another body was fed into the Advanced Fremen Deathstill while production quietly got underway.

Rather than waiting around, we set out once again, this time pursuing a Landsraad mission in one of the newer areas surrounding Blushing Cavern.

What started as a simple objective soon turned into a full exploration session as we pushed deeper into the cavern system beneath the mission area. The new environment provided a welcome change of scenery from the open desert, and by the time the mission was complete there had been plenty of opportunities to scout the area and see what the latest content had to offer.

Throughout the night, chat remained heavily involved. Discussions ranged from guild management and base building to Raspberry Pi projects, AI-powered skywatching cameras, and ongoing community stories. Gary’s legendary transfer cooldown situation continued to provide entertainment, while community mini-games added their own layer of chaos.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights came from an entirely unexpected direction. What began as casual conversation about cheese somehow evolved into the creation of House Cheddaries, a fictional Great House dedicated to protecting the sacred dairy reserves of Arrakis. Before long, declarations of “The cheese must flow” had become one of the stream’s defining running jokes.

House Cheddarides
Keepers of the sacred dairy reserves of Arrakis. From the sharpest cheddar to the oldest spice-aged brie, we uphold one truth above all: The Cheese Must Flow.

As the stream drew to a close, the processing timers had finished, resources were secured, production queues were running, and Plastanium manufacturing was ready to continue overnight. The return to Arrakis had accomplished exactly what it needed to: rebuilding infrastructure, gathering supplies, and laying the foundations for future adventures.

The night ended by raiding into AngryJoeShow, sending the community onward for one final adventure before signing off.

🎥 Watch the Episode

If you’d like to experience all the desert expeditions, technical mishaps, resource gathering, community banter, and the birth of House Cheddaries for yourself, be sure to watch the full episode.

Episode Video:
Watch Episode 24

Series Playlist:
Follow the Full Dune: Awakening Series

YouTube Channel:
Dr Ravenholm on YouTube

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🏜️ Join the Adventure Live

The sands never stay quiet for long.

One night we’re rebuilding abandoned hangars and hauling resources across the Deep Desert. The next we’re investigating mysterious caverns, fighting technical disasters, or founding entirely new noble houses dedicated to cheese preservation.

If you want to experience those moments as they happen, join us live and become part of the story while the adventure unfolds in real time.

https://www.twitch.tv/dr_ravenholm

https://www.youtube.com/@Dr_Ravenholm

🌌 Community & Links

Every expedition across Arrakis is better with fellow travellers beside you. Whether you’re looking for live adventures, community discussions, creative projects, or ways to support the journey, there’s always room for one more member of the crew.