An aeroplane disappears without trace while ferrying a cargo of gold bullion from a small mining town. Carstens, the protagonist of Dryfsand, loses his job at the mine because of the incident, which is deemed a heist. Eight years pass and the mystery of the plane and its glittering cargo remain unsolved. Determined to get to the bottom of the puzzle and clear his name, Carstens begins to investigate anew. Slowly but surely he unravels a complex set of secrets that not only pertains to the whereabouts of the gold, but also to a much more sinister organisation characterised by secret family blood and totemic relics. In the quicksands ("dryfsand") he has stumbled upon, Carstens must find a way to fulfill his mission and get out alive.