Basluian

Collectively known as the Basluian, this group of people are a collection of wide spread tribes and city-states that live in along the Western Sea at the edge of the expansive Sand Dunes, they refer to as the Fawluto or White Dunes. While this group of people consider themselves one ethnicity - the people beside the sea - they live under many different governmental structures, only banding together under a shared blood, rather than shared customs. Despite the many differences from city-state to citystate and tribe to tribe, there are many similiarities that they share as culture.

Devotion to the Divine Sun

The Basluian have never forgotten their proud Defender God, even after he left the sand dunes to the verdant lands, chased out by his godly brother. As the Basluian are still defended by his great Golden Serpents, they remember him as their First God (a Tradition among the Sand Dune Cultures to treat one god as their personal and primary god, regardless of where that god is in the official heirarchy of gods. This does not proclude the Basluian from worshipping other gods in addition to the Divine Sun) and offer offerings and sacrificies to his Golden Serpents in worship of the god.

A Quiet People

The Basluian refrain from speaking, instead using a sign language as their primary communication method. This is because the Basluian believe that the voice is only to be used for the gods and that to speak, not to worship the gods, is to make a binding oath from your words. It is considered profanity to speak in public as the only use of your voice should be in your private chambers to the gods or in the temples, to make a binding oath to the gods or to another soul. Travellers who speak with in their territory may get a stern eye at most, but those who live there may find their situation less forgiving. Their spoken word will be held against them, whatever they spoke out loud. This can have some devastating effects depending on what was said and trials and convictions have been held for angry outbursts. (saying I'm going to hurt you or kill you is treated as if you did in fact do that)
 However, there are a few groups of people for whom, their regular duties require them to speak. This is considered a reluctant necessity and these jobs are unfavored and often given to those who have no other option. Jobs such as: attending to the needs of travelers and the Town Crier in the city-states, who are responsible for the people to know when a new vote is taking place and what the vote is for. People in these jobs make nightly prayers in the temple for using their voice in an irrevenance. Outside of their work, they too are required to remain quiet by the cultural norm.

Democracy as a Value

While many of the city-states are in practicality, oligarchies and many tribes, either the same or led by one family head in particular, the Basluian people believe strongly in the rights of the people to be apart of major decisions. In both the trribes and the city-states, the government has been structured such that laws and decisions made that will effect all or most of their citizens are held to a vote. In most cases the leader(s) will structure a law or public project fully before presenting it before their people for a simple yay or nay vote. While a nay vote does not mean the death of the project or law, it does mean its back to the drawing board. Notably, laws or decisions that only effect a minority of people (for example a minority ethnicity or just merchants) are not held to a vote as they aren't considered Public Decisions, since they don't effect most of the group and it is believed decisions for a minority of people are better off handled by the leaders than given to a vote by the whole population.

Between the Sand and the Ocean

The Basluian live in a fertile crescent between the Great expanse of Sand Dunes and the Far reaching Western Ocean. As a result, they are frequent targets of raids and seiges. While the Golden Serpents do protct the City-States and many of the tribes, many of the Basluian have become prepared for war and in addition to their training for their trade or job as young apprentices, children also train in a weapon, in the likelihood that they will end up on the battlefield. However the Basluian value peace above war as they worship the Divine Sun, the god of peace (in addition to the sun and oaths). The Basluian always offer trade as an alternative to war and have gained many allies in doing so, who will defend the Basluian to their deaths as precious friends.