kumajai

The "people of the clans" are those who count themselves as members of Kaer Thalion's many desert tribes. Like the rest of the empire's natives, men of the kumaj are expected to train as warriors and protectors. Women of the clans take on more domestic duties, though these duties vary widely from clan to clan. Clan leadership consists of a chief - called a naku - and a wisewoman - called a muja. Larger clans often also have a circle of elders who assist with clan-wide decisions.

Clan Culture

Every clan has their own cultural highlights, but there a few aspects that they all share. Almost every clan possesses a name that represents an animal of some kind.

The Clans

Zavi

The zavi'kumaj ("clan of the claw") are the third-largest clan of the Y'dak. Their main village is deep in the desert, where most others fear to wander. Their name comes from the claws they adorn themselves with, taken from lions, desert hounds, ygua, and even the deadly sareshi. They are the only clan known to capture and tame sareshi, using them as guard animals and hunting companions.

Satva

The "clan of stone" is one of the smaller clans, and makes their homes in the southern-most reaches of the Y'dak along the edge of the Kuvant and the Vas Tora. Their territory is dominated by rocky outcrops and cracked earth, from which they take their name.

Encompassed species

• kaer'beka