The Saharan Tribes

The Saharan Horses

Inhabiting a vast arid landscape, nomads are constantly on the move, searching for food and water. The problem is that these sources of life often lie within the lands of settled kingdoms, none of which appreciate foreign nomads roaming their territories. The people of the desert ride horses for speed and use camels to transport their goods.

Families

The Saharans live in a tribal setting, residing with their extended families and working together to find food and water. These families are led by the eldest male, and they often split apart and blend together as relationships between individuals change. The lands they inhabit are very sparsely populated, and therefore, they have a tendency to run away from authority. If they live under a patriarch with whom they can't get along, they simply leave. They don't have any larger governing structures above these families.

Territory

They live in the lands between the Tamanrasset and the Niger rivers, and between the west coast and the mountains in the east, going as far as the Agadez Sea. Each family has its own territory, although the borders of these lands change all the time since they are a nomadic people. It is easy for them to pack up and move when they are attacked.
Multiple families may band together to push into lands under the control of settled nations. For example, the Kingdom of Mauritania lies on their northern border, and they often clash with the Libyan tribes in their northeast, who seek to expand their territories south, given their smaller lands and frequent attacks by the many farming peoples that live there.

Culture and Religion

They are a people living between the grasses, calling home a sea of hot sand, with their independence and territory threatened on all sides. It is because of this that they have developed a strong warrior spirit. If you can't fight, you will either be chased off by the Mauritanians, enslaved by the Niger peoples, or killed by the Libyans, and you will be confined to the hot sands and dry grasses of the Sahara.
They love horses and camels. Horses to ride on, as they are able to run long distances at great speed, and camels to carry their goods, as they can carry heavy weights and don't need to drink as often as other animals.
The Saharan tribes, like most nomadic people, prefer Aretmi as their patron goddess. Her dedication to the hunt, and the wild parts of nature speaks to them, as this is an important part of their daily life, in return, they build shrines to her greatness in the desert, especially at oases, and other locations where drinkable water is found.
Their choice of Velen also contributes to their strict marriage customs, and fornication is considered taboo in their society. They place great emphasis on living free, maintaining your honor, as well as respecting others.

Primary Velen:

Neighbouring Nations and peoples:

Cuisine

Their diet primarily consists of horse and camel meat, supplemented by horse milk products such as milk tea, horse meat stewed in milk, and many similar dishes. Occasionally, they are able to expand their diet with antelope or other huntable game when they find themselves in the greener parts of the West. They are also known to scavenge for insects and larvae, quick snacks full of protein.

Clothing

They wear light, full clothing to protect them from the scorching sun. It is also common to see them with headscarves that cover their faces, revealing only their eyes. They make sure to properly use all leather they obtain from the animals they kill, whether it be horse, camel, or something they hunted. These may be used for footwear among other things, as protecting the soles of their feet from the hot sand is vital.

Magic

The Saharans' view on magic is a practical one, they need to survive, and if magic helps with that, then great, however, knowledge of magic is not native here, and the only mages that travel these lands are those from foreign lands. foreign mages are seen as mysterious and wise people, they are romanticised with stories of great deeds and tales of power and glory.