(Selected Excerpts from the Ashalan section of the Legend of the Burning Sands RPG)
Long seen as both protectors and progenitors by the people of Medinaat al-Salaam, the Ashalan are an enigma to the people of the Burning Sands as well as to those of the Emerald Empire. A long-lived race whose nature borders on the paranoid and whose skill at deception can draw parallels to the Kolat or the Shadow, the Ashalan have seen a great deal over the centuries, and know more than most races in either the Jewel of the Desert or the Emerald Empire.
Outside Medinaat al-Salaam, observers occasionally see a small parade of wagons, drawn by horse, camel, or both, seemingly poorly adapted for a nomad’s life in the desert, but still rolling in from the deep desert, narrow banners tugged by the desert wind. Sometimes, shoppers in Peddler’s Row encounter an unusually vibrant display of wares, breaking up the monotony of the gray-brown Maze. Every so often, the great thinkers of the Qabal and the theologians of the Jewel can be seen speaking to the impresario of a ring of wagons as they prepare to make a carnival for the evening. While rarely trusted, the nomads known as the Ra’Shari are always watched, because wherever they go, fortune, good or ill, follows.
Traditionally, only the ruling Council of Twelve used khadja, but over the last century many of the Ashalan warriors have taken to using the weapon. Like many uniquely Ashalan weapons, the khadja is named for the first wielder. Khadja was the leader of the Council of Twelve on the ancient Day of Wrath, and crafted the first khadja from the sand that was originally scorched by the Sun. He was revered by many Ashalan and is considered one of the first sandsmiths. His secrets have been passed on for thousands of years and expanded upon by his progeny and apprentices.
