The Sandborn
The Blind Keepers of the Dunes
The Blind Keepers of the Dunes
Scattered across the White Eye Dunes, hidden within the shifting sands, are the Sandborn—a nomadic people who have abandoned sight in favor of survival. Unlike outsiders who fall victim to the affliction of the dunes, the Sandborn are born into blindness, their eyes a pale and milky white from birth. Yet, they navigate the dunes with uncanny precision, sensing the world through ways unknown to most.
Origins and History
The origins of the Sandborn are veiled in the same mystery that shrouds the dunes themselves. Some claim they were once a prosperous people who lived in the lost cities buried beneath the sands. Others believe they were outcasts who wandered into the desert seeking refuge, only to be changed by its cruel magic. Whatever their beginning, they have endured where others have perished, forging an existence in a land that does not forgive weakness.
Way of Life
The Sandborn do not build permanent settlements, for they say the dunes never rest. Instead, they move with the winds, setting up makeshift camps in the shadow of ancient ruins or within deep rock crevices. Their survival is owed to an intimate understanding of the desert—how to find hidden wells, how to listen for shifting sands that signal danger, and how to track by feel and scent alone.
Their society is built on oral tradition, for they cannot rely on written words. Their elders, known as Echoes, are revered for their ability to “hear” the dunes, interpreting the whispers of the wind and the tremors of the earth as omens. It is said that the Echoes can even sense those who do not belong, predicting the coming of outsiders before they arrive.
The Afflicted and the Chosen
To outsiders, the Sandborn are a contradiction—they are blind, yet they see more than most. They claim their lack of sight protects them from the curse of the dunes, and that those who are afflicted with the White Eye’s blindness are merely undergoing a painful transition. Some outsiders who have lost their sight in the dunes have been taken in by the Sandborn and taught their ways, though few ever return to the world beyond the sands.
Legacy and Influence
The Sandborn are little more than a legend to most, their existence whispered in fearful tones by desert traders and wandering mystics. Those who claim to have encountered them speak of ghostly figures that move without sound, their heads tilted as if listening to something unseen. Some say they are guardians of the Whispering Graves, tending to the restless dead. Others believe they are merely survivors, doing what they must in a land that takes more than it gives. Whatever the truth, the Sandborn remain elusive, a part of the dunes as much as the sand itself.
"They do not see as we do, but they do not need to. The dunes have taught them a different way."
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