Families of the Burning Sands
Dahab Houses
House Asmari: +1 Strength
The closest thing the houses of Dahab have to ambassadors, House Asmari officially serves as the Houses' liaison to the mercantile interests of foreign power, but in truth House Asmari uses its power to chose what is and is not allowed to be sold within the Jewel.
House Basiri: +1 Intelligence
The second largest Merchant House, House Basari deals in luxury items. Anything unneccessary for the continued existence of the people of the Jewel has a good chance of sitting in a Basiri-owned shop. It is the only House with permission to levy taxes.
House Enour: +1 Willpower
One of the three Houses that composed the original Houses of Dahab, and House Menjari's oldest and most implacable foes, House Enour's primary interest is mining, and it suffers the worst reputation of any Houses due to its appalling working conditions.
House Haffit: +1 Agility
While House Haffit is the second poorest Merchant House, it is utterly unassailable in every other respect. The House has little dealing with traditional business, and functions more like a privatized public works alliance, tied to the distribution of water.
House Hazaad: +1 Awareness
Youngest and least liked of the major Houses, House Hazaad is a testament to the power of the Qolat. House Hazaad won its position through bribery, blackmail and audacity. House Hazaad commands a great number of magic-related businesses in the Jewel.
House Mendadi: +1 Reflexes
It is said there would be no City Guard without House Mendadi. The Jouse controls a great many blacksmith throughout the Jewel and counters war and violence as its chief sources of income. House Mendadi does makes a steady profit on the production of mundane items.
House Menjari: +1 Perception
Oldest and richest of the Houses, House Menjari gave the Houses its name via the first Advocate of House Rights, Dahab Menjari. Most of the business within the Jewel who deal in money have purchased the protection of House Menjari.
House Rashid : +1 Stamina
House Rashid has the best reputation amongst the common people. It has this reputation because of its honest dealings with all people, appearing fortright and keeping tight and reasonable contronl on mani businesses.
The Qabal
The Traditionalists: +1 Intelligence
The vanguard of the establishment within the Qabal, the Traditionalists are composed of those who remembers the days of the Immortal Caliph, along with their like-minded students. They believe that knowledge should be hoarded, and magic is a privilege, not a right.
The Progressivists: +1 Willpower
While dubbed with what was meant to be a derogatory identifier, the Progressivists have adopted the name given them by the Traditionalists. Consisting mostly of the younger generation that grew up without any sort of magical repression, theu advocate a more open stance on the part of the Qabal.
Ashalan
The Ashalan, infused with magic both by nature as jinn created beings and by the power accidently given to them by the Sun, are some of the most ancient beings in the Burning Sands. All Ashalan have the following abilities.
- Immunity: Ashalan are completely immune to all poisons and diseases, even magical.
- Light Sensitivity: Ashalan suffer a +10 TN Penalty to all rolls in bright sunlight, and lose 1 rank of Stamina per monk of exposure.
- Shadow Cloak: Ashalan may wrap themselves in shadows, gaining +2k0 to alL Stealth rolls, +1k0 if moving.
- Domination Tattoo: The Ashalan can imbue others with mystical tattoos similar to those of the Ashalan themselves. They magically bind the creatures to the Ashalan, making them slaves. The process takes 70 hours, during which the Ashalan must make a Craft: Tattooing roll with a TN of 5 x the target's Insight Rank. The target may negate this with a contested Willpower roll. They then ceases aging, and any Ashalan can give commands to them.
- Void : All Ashalan get +1 Void at character creation, but cannot spend Void Points.
Assassins
Qadi and Caliphate Guards: +1 Perception
In modern times, the vast majority of the remaining descendants of the Old Man of the Mountain can be found in the courts and employ of the caliph. Only a handful of the original Assassins have survived the long years since the Old Man's death, but they have left many successors in spirit and in training, how now serve the Caliphate.
Daughters and Sons of the Mountain: +1 Reflexes
Traditionalist Assassins reject the Qadi and the Caliphate, and function through cells of four to eight people running a single business or organization as a cover. The Caliphate knows of them, but have not yet taken action against them.
Order of the Blood-Red Tiger : +1 Agility
Haroun's enforcers are an affront to the teachings of the Old Man, and they revel in it. They originally served as the enforcement wing of the Dahab and their Qolat master. Most Qadaam men are young, violent men, usually orphaned by the violent upheavals, and eager to have their first taste of power.
Ra'Shari
The Great Caravan of Commerce: +1 Willpower
Rolling engines of entreprise, the Caravans of Commerce are welcome in Medinaat al-Salaam because they bring exotic goods from across the world. The Commercial Ra'Shari is expected to be richly attired and dashingly handsome (or beautiful), ever-aware and ready to make investments or profit at a moment's notice.
The Great Caravan of Entertainment: +1 Awareness
This Great Caravan is concerned with surviving first, turning a profit second, and protecting the world a distant third. The most welcome type of Caravan, people flock to the brightly painted wagons of Entertainment. Entertainer Ra'Shari are expected to be bold and evocative, always on stage and blindingly confident that Lady Fortune is on their side.
The Great Caravan of Memory: +1 Intelligence
The Caravans of Memory seek one of the rarest and most precious commodities in the Burning Sands: Knowledge. Memory Ra'Shari are expected to be inquisitive and perceptive, with an excellent memory and an almost unhealthy amount of curiosity.
The Great Caravan of Mysticism: +1 Perception
Concerned with all of the magical mysteries of the world, the Great Caravan of Mysticism trades in fortunes and secrets. They always have knowledge to share or find. Members of this Caravan are expected to be mysterious, intriguing, and always one step ahead in front of everyone.
Senpet
The Senpet: +1 Void
The Senpet Empire, located on the western edge of the desert, is a civilization that grew and flourished despite all the circumstances that would threaten its existence. The Senpet are deeply religious, and due to their ties to the Ten Thousand Gods possess a more intimate tie to the world's mysteries.
Yodotai
The Yodotai: +1 Strength.
The Yodotai Empire rules its vast land from the capital city of Octavion. Miltaristic and expansionist, the Yodotai abides by a strict set of rules and is driven by war and conquest. Due to their innate magical resistance, they may take the Magic Resistance Advantage for one less point.
Jackals
The Jackals: +1 Agility
A cult originally formed from the Ebointes who have failed the Test of the Stone, the Jackals call the sewers of Medinaat al-Salaam their home, emerging to strike the world above in pursuit of a dark and brooding agenda. Their greatest abilities is the use of an artifact called Soul of the Slayer, able to make ghuls with ease.
Ebonites
Order of the Ebon Hand: +1 to Any Trait
The Order of the Ebon Hand are something of an oddity even mong the wildly varied cultures of the Burning Sands. They are a diverse organization that holds allegiance to no one. Their primary concern is protecting the broken shards of the Ebon Stone that they revere and hold sacred.