THE NOMADS

"The Gathering of the clans is the only time we truly remember we are one people. For the best part of a year we wander the endless dunes alone, each Walker a sovereign nation unto itself. But once a year we converge on the hidden oasis of Salaam. I've seen thirty-seven Gatherings in my lifetime, and still my breath catches at the sight—dozens of colossal Walkers, their massive mechanical legs locked in place, creating a temporary city of towers and bridges. Trade flows like water between clans. Young nomads seek mates from distant Walkers, forging alliances as strong as blood. The engineers exchange precious technical knowledge while the elders settle disputes under stars unchanged since before the Collapse. For seven sacred days, we remember what was lost and celebrate what remains. Then we part ways, our water tanks refilled, our people renewed, and our eyes turned once more to the horizon—a caravan of monstrous steel beasts carrying the last free humans across an ocean of sand." 

• Zahra the Elder, Day 3 of The Burning, 124 AP

The Nomads that inhabit the lands of SAND traverse the deep desert of the Desolation in their mechanical, scrap-built walking settlements.

The desert is inhabited by many different clans and tribes. While they are competing for resources, most of them are willing to be civil and trade with one another during the annual Nomad gathering. At all other times, they are more likely to attack each other on sight!

Each behemoth is the home of a clan, a base from which they set out to explore the dead cities of the previous civilisation.

Smaller walkers and nomad camel riders form scouting parties, exploring known dead cities, but also hoping to discover new ones!

A scouting party has reached one of the many dead cities of the Sand. They hope to find some rare salvage to trade at the upcoming gathering.

On the outskirts of the city, the nomads find a trail of countless dead bodies. A caravan from Medha must seemingly have passed through here just recently...

Having found what they need, it is time to retreat and rejoin the clan.

A silent watcher observes the nomads as they leave the dead city.

Once a year, most of the nomads steer their walkers to the Oasis of Salaam, for a gathering of the clans. For several days a large tent city is erected, and all hostilities and feuds between clans are suspended, while the clans trade among each other. Even trade caravans from the city of Medha usually travel to this gathering.

The oasis and tent city are in sight!

Some of the largest Nomad walkers form the centre of the gathering.

The water ponds of the Oasis are the main attraction of the gathering for many of the Nomads!

As more and more clan walkers arrive, the large tent city is growing in size. The walkers themselves are used to provide shade with their large sun sails.

Once the tents are pitched, the Nomads begin to trade among each other.

As night falls, the mood turns festive and the trading and bartering gives way to celebrations. The gathering of the clans, the nomad festival, is officially under way!

On the last night of the festival however, the tent city is silently infiltrated...

At first, the Automatons use only blades, killing at will. In the noise and confusion of the festival, it takes long, bloody minutes, before any alarm is raised...

Once they have been detected, the automatons begin firing indiscriminately...

Old, corrupt programming drives the Automatons to slaughter any humans that come into their sights.

No distinction is made, warriors, harem dancers...

...the Automatons have no fear, no anger, no compassion.

Countless Nomads are killed.

Even some of the clan walkers are targeted and destroyed.

Queen Nubia, the Pharaoh of Medha, has known about the danger lurking in the desert and had her Palace Guard prepare for this event. Once the Automaton army has advanced far enough into the tent city, warriors of the Palace Guard emerge from hiding to assist the beleaguered Nomad warriors - the Automatons are surrounded!

Having only recently lost many of their sisters against the Automatons, the Palace Guard are out for revenge.

Together, the Palace Guard and the Nomads prevail, and the Automatons are wiped out.

But the Nomads have paid a terrible price. Hundreds are dead...

... and some of the largest clan walkers have been lost.

During an audience with Queen Nubia, the tribal elders of the Nomads thank the queen for saving the nomad clans from total destruction. They might feel differently, if they realised the Pharaoh has used the nomads as living bait...

A few days later, the clans break camp and disperse back into the desert. It will take many years for them to replace their losses.

Queen Nubia's masterplan has succeeded. She has destroyed a dangerous Automaton legion and severely weakened the Nomads, who she feared might one day challenge her power over the region, both in a single battle.