Waani Shasham do Khaiba

The primary export of the desert tribes is a special type of crimson-colored sand called maroon sand, often used for glassblowing. This sand is captured in special wooden collection devices, as the tribes roam the desert. The desert tribes are the only people in Ashalar able to collect this type of sand due to their unique lifestyle.   The sand originates from a specific type of beetle called the Akhenaton, whose keratin decomposes into this special type of sand.  

Like the winds that they worship, the desert tribes do not stay in any one place very long. They do not live in cities or towns, instead moving with the winds on craft called sand sails – boat-like vessels made with shallow and wide hulls, with single large sails that catch the winds. They sail on the winds until they stop blowing, making camp until the winds pick up strongly enough to move once again. They have few possessions and do not form attachments to objects, only things that can be moved at a moment’s notice once the winds begin to blow. Trinkets, or anything that is heavy and difficult to transport is not practical. The desert tribes do have a weak spot for fine colorful fabrics and silks, which are light and easy to move.  

The leyline in the desert became a focal point of their culture immediately after it emerged. For several centuries, the desert tribes would take this opportunity to celebrate and commune with the magics that flowed in the winds. After the Federation of Tyrael learned of the leylines, they swiftly tried to occupy it and built the outpost of Azmarin.   The desert people were insulted by culturally insensitive colonizers, and many pillaged and raided the camps and trading lines. The Federation did not hesitate. Outnumbering the desert people, the Federation removed each tribe until the few remaining tribes ceased the raids, and there was an uneasy peace. The Federation did grant them access to the Leyline, an important aspect of the desert tribes' cultural heritage, which is now being maintained by one of the 12 Baratashvili (i.e., desert rulers) - Sima vain Waani. But the sting of people from far away from having ownership of the Leyline, which had always been in their desert, lasts.