PEOPLE OF THE DUNES The people of the dunes clawed their way out of slavery to survive in the desert. They live in tribes where all prop- erty is held in common, with no laws, but only the words of the shamans and their own oral history to guide them in living honorably. They view humans as an entirely different species, hunting people down to eat their fl esh and turn their bones into breathing tubes and weapons. While they respect other dune people, the people of the rest of Creation are their enemies. In the endless wastes of the Southern deserts, they have been battered by Fair Folk raiders, harassed by city-dwellers, hunted down by desert barbarians and massacred by mercenary armies. They live in a world where water is scarce and where a touch of the omnipresent sun during the day could kill them. Yet they survive, they tend their children lovingly, they worship the gods, and they remember the legends of the two Lunars who led them out of captivity. Survival in the desert leaves little room for dreams and hope, but if the dune people wish to ever be more than they are now, they must look more widely and dream of a new future, for themselves and for the South. are now, they must look more widely and dream of a new future, for themselves and for the South. Dune people wear a bare minimum of clothing (often merely loincloths) made of salvaged Clothing and Weapons: Dune people wear a bare minimum of clothing (often merely loincloths) made of salvaged fabric or human skin. They often scrub themselves in sand baths to remove the fabric or human skin. They often scrub themselves in sand baths to remove the risk of their scent alerting their prey. The people of the dunes wield risk of their scent alerting their prey. The people of the dunes wield knives, axes, spiked clubs, boomerangs and short spears knives, axes, spiked clubs, boomerangs and short spears made from carved bone and obsidian. made from carved bone and obsidian. Mutations: As albinos, all As albinos, all dune people possess the six-point dune people possess the six-point version of the Sun-Seared Flaw. version of the Sun-Seared Flaw. Their skin and hair is completely white, Their skin and hair is completely white, and prolonged exposure to sunlight has and prolonged exposure to sunlight has a deleterious effect on them. They suffer a deleterious effect on them. They suffer one level of bashing damage per min- one level of bashing damage per min- ute of exposure to sunlight and must ute of exposure to sunlight and must endure a three-die penalty during their endure a three-die penalty during their exposure. Heavy clothing doubles the exposure. Heavy clothing doubles the interval for environmental damage. interval for environmental damage. Associations: the color white, can- the color white, can- nibals, bones, the moon, the Southern nibals, bones, the moon, the Southern direction Sobriquets: Dune People, Desert Can- Dune People, Desert Can- nibals, Flesh Eaters, Night Stalkers nibals, Flesh Eaters, Night Stalkers Concepts: lost child brought up as a slave to lost child brought up as a slave to humans, negotiator seeking alliance against the Wyld, humans, negotiator seeking alliance against the Wyld, shaman on mission from the spirits, wandering hunter shaman on mission from the spirits, wandering hunter
