Faction: Abhir Nomads

Nomads

The Abhirans who wish to live away from the cities and find a life of trading and sailing boring live in the deserts of the Abhiran continent. The city dwellers of Abhir view them as classless vagabonds however the nomads are expert survivalists and proud warriors, favouring the use of javelins and axes as well as cavalry. The nomads follow djinn, desert spirits. The djinn are elemental spirits that were awoken by Gaia in the early days. They are normally cruel and self-serving however they often reward their followers, namely the nomads, with boons.

The people of the desert are split into two distinct factions. In the Stormbound Desert the nomads known as the Stormbringers are vicious raiders, seeking glorious battle with the settled Abhirans as well as each other. They follow a storm djinn known as Eas-Fatan, The Infinite Spark, Lord of Thunder. This djinn has swathed the desert in storms of sand and lightning, leaving a calm eye in the centre where the Stormbringers roam. Eas-Fatan loves battle and the chaos it brings, having a begrudging reverence for Ogon, the god of Battle. He often shows himself to the Stormbringers as a pillar of lightning sparks or even a large anvil cloud. He gives them orders to go out and seek battle. Eas-Fatan prefers to send the Stormbringers south to the Land of the Djinn to fight his brethren’s followers there but he is indifferent to the raiding of Abhiran settlements.

The current leader of the Stormbringers is Sharar Qayid, a nomad sorcerer. She has been blessed by Eas-Fatan with storm and lightning powers, using them to great effect against the other nomad tribes. Although nomadic in nature, Sharar Qayid has set up a base of operations to retreat to, plan raids and live in times of peace. It is called The Eye, being in the calm centre of the storm.

The other factions of nomads are called the Mazlan, or oppressed in common. They are directly ruled by the djinn, of which there are many. The leader of the djinn is called Tathir Nar, a fire djinn. Tathir-Nar believes himself to be a god and by rights he is the strongest of his fellow djinn. Tathir-Nar is benevolent in his rule however has sworn eternal revenge on Eas-Fatan for absconding with his followers.

The Mazlan get their name due to their servitude to the djinn, though do not mistake the name as a mark of shame. The nomads of the Mazlan enjoy the overlordship of the djinn, as to them, they are living gods. High ranking Mazlan are able to forge pacts with the different djinn, gaining magical powers. The only settlements of the Mazlan are Alkhayma, a city of tents, and  Dabmisar, a city within a pocket plane of fire, ruled over by Tathir-Nar. Mazlan that have proved themselves are allowed to enter the city and partake of its riches.

The Stormbringers and the Mazlan are in eternal war with each other. Both sides are goaded on by their djinn masters. The war started around the start of the Current Era when the djinn were setting up their dominion over the deserts of Abhir, enticing the people to their side. However, Eas-Fatan did not want to work with the other djinn, instead wanting to rule over mortals and djinn alike. Eas-Fatan worked secretly to gain his own followers and eventually broke away, occupying the desert, now known as the Stormbound Desert.