Karnak Campaign - Desert Lands

Inntroduction          Daughter of the Desert

Twenty years ago
The rock hills that thrust up out of the edge of the Great Desert are riven with crags and crevices, split by chill wild streams that rush to their destiny in the parched land below. A treacherous and forbidding land that is home as well to the Sisterhood of Tears. Rim, Mistress of Animals of the Temple of the Sisterhood, was riding carefully. It was the Season of Harshness, and the mistress had decided to combine two duties: try out the new-broken colt and do a sweep of one of the desert canyons. The wind whistled and sang in point-counter point through the rocky crags. A pair of vultures circled and she hoped she'd be in time. A vagrant wind whipped around the rock face and the colt shied. Yes, as she had suspected, a basket wrapped with cloth. The wind had loosened one of the corners and the fringe danced merrily. "Hush, child, hush," the veiled warrior hummed to the horse, and dismounted. She picked up the basket. No whimper. She unwrapped the veil. A pair of dark eyes met hers with the solemn wonder of a babe. Yes. Another. Left by some poor tribesman who'd have all he could manage in the coming months to feed those old enough to be useful. This had been a hard year. So ... this would be the fourth to add to the next ashiya. "Hello, Little Song. The peace of Ashar be with you. Let's go home."

Although the desert peoples tend to be a patriarchal society, the priestesses of the Sisterhood are respected for their virtue, while their ghulam produces fighters well respected for their prowess. The children raised by the Sisterhood come from various sources: a girl-child may be donated to the temple after her father has been successful in war; or when the mother has died in childbirth; or -- well, not all the sources are known or talked about. These children are raised as equals, trained to their talents, and discouraged in the question as to their specific origin. They are the Sisterhood of Tears.

Thus Shadya was raised in an ashiya -- a creche group of seven with something like 5 years between the ages of the eldest and the youngest. Given their training, the Sisterhood are not always particularly suited to the traditional woman's role in the larger society. They tend to be somewhat aloof in their dealings with mankind, as, frequently, mankind does not live up to their standards.

Having exhibited the quickness of body and eye useful to a warrior, at the age of twelve or so, Shadya was - as was the Temple's wont -- fostered to the deep-desert tribe of the Beni Turaz. There, as expected, she was taught the mindset of the nomadic bedu. In a few years she had developed the skills needed for a desert fighter and was allowed to don the veil of a Turaz warrior. She returned to the Temple to finish her education, trained to be part of the Temple's cavalry guards. The Temple, too, would help her find her first employment in the outer world.

She has grown into an admirable creature, although the black robes (abba, kaftan, etc.) and turban (imaamah) with its constant veil hide her obvious attributes. She comes close to physical perfection, standing some 5'9" tall, perfectly proportioned, and being stronger than many men. She is also intelligent and quick. And amazingly beautiful. The few times she has unveiled in a public bath since growing into her full beauty, various mothers, aunts, and grandmothers thinking of brides for their male relatives have quickly sought out information about her - and, regretfully, have turned away thanking the stars that she is usually veiled. Such a face would wreck havoc on many men's hearts and, unfortunately, amongst the fiercely tribal desert folk, a foundling is generally ineligible as a bride. To be of the Temple of Tears is to be known throughout the desert lands as a foundling. Respected, well-educated, and often talented - but a "tribeless one", nonetheless.

Shadya has worked particularly hard on her scimitar skills, both with shield and with double scimitar. Also she has trained with the bedu bow, afoot and a-horse. Hers is specifically built to withstand her exceptional strength and she cherishes it.

When one of the Sisters of Tears was sent as a bride to Lord Aws of [city] in an arranged political marriage, Shadya was selected to go along as a harem guard. Unfortunately, due to a "misunderstanding" occasioned by the odd combination of her beauty and strength and sense of honour (or, perhaps, by arrangement *ominous music heard here*) with another guard of the palace, it hasa been deemed prudent that Shadya take an indefinite leave-of-absence from that post.