Sera

Hailing from the Seranian Peninsula to the southeast of the Shifting Desert, the Sera are a proud clan of nomadic warrior-merchants. The unique geography of the Seranian Peninsula - deserts and arid lands surrounded by coastline - has led the Sera to live wandering lives, spending their winters wandering the arid deserts hunting down great mechanical beasts from ages long gone by and their summers drifting on floating trade barges in the bay next to the desert. The Sera are a proud and resourceful people - the lives they live are harsh, but they have come to love it.
Sera tend to wander in nomadic groups of around 20-50 people. Each group, called a Varoka, exists as a large communal family. There are rough divisions between Sera social groups, but Sera tend to be utilitarian - if someone wants to fill a nontraditional role, they are encouraged to do so. Every member is important!
Sera lifestyles change drastically by the seasons. Winter and colder months are spent wandering the deserts of the Seranian Peninsula and the surrounding regions. Here, the Sera hunt down the mysterious mechanical beasts that have made homes in the deepest parts of the desert, where life of flesh rarely ventures. The metal spoils of these hunts are either traded for supplies, repurposed for Varoka use, or fashioned into further weapons of the hunt. This last option is part of the Seranian tradition of “Fangs for Fangs, Claw for Claw” - if something is to be killed, it should be killed by its brethren.
During the summer months, Seranian tribes reconfigure their desert dwellings into large barges, and take to the sea. It is not unusual for tribes to lash a number of barges together, creating a temporary floating marketplace that floats from town to town. Other clans are welcomed onto these barges, and the moods that the Sera cultivate tend to be harsh, but with a deep well of compassion beneath the surface.
To the other clans, the Sera are warriorlike wanderers, eager for another raid to replenish their stores. It’s uncommon for Sera to form long-lasting friendships outside of their Varoka - their journeys are inconsistent and don’t always take the same currents and paths through the dunes, and so Sera tend to live very disconnected lives. Sera are also fierce conversationalists - a friendly reunion between two Sera is just as likely to be perceived as a blood feud to outside viewers.
The one exception to this is the Matrica. The two clans have a long-standing friendly rivalry as a result of being the most common merchants in any given market, and a number of traditions trade apprentices to the other clan to promote the alliance. The Sera children have the chance to wander more of the world and meet their eventual customers, and the Matrica children learn how to protect themselves and survive in the wilderness. It’s not uncommon to see a bunch of Matrica and Sera children running around together, giggling.

Tukova
The largest role in the Seranian tribes is the Warrior-Merchant, the Tukova. These Sera - typically able-bodied women of adult age - are fierce hunters and even fiercer bargainers. These are the main “face” of the Sera that other tribes will often interact with, and are a big reason the Sera are seen as so violent.
Tukova tend to be rough, take-no-prisoners people. A typical Seranian haggling session is short, usually only a single offer to kick things off. In contrast to traditions where prices start low and haggle up, Tukova bargaining starts with a large request - “I have X to sell, you will give me 300 silvers for it.” Within Sera, this is “A Child’s Offer” - not meant to be taken, but meant to be fought over and shaved down as weaknesses in the goods are presented.
Tukova typically carry with them a Beast’s Claw - a weapon custom built and maintained by the Sera themself, formed from the bounties of their hunts. These are often cobbled together and are unwieldy in the hands of anybody except the Tukova who crafted it, but are deadly effective in their hands.

Setona While the Tukova brave the dunes and customers, the Setona - master smiths and glassblowers - stay at the camp and prepare for the next hunt. This is the role that the men in the tribe tend to gravitate to, as well as some retired Tukova. 
The metal in the deserts needs to be worked, and there is little fuel for proper fires in the Seranian lands. As a result, the Setona have mastered the art of pulling every little bit of fire out of the carcasses of mechanical beasts that the Tukova drag back to camp. It is not uncommon to see a Sera man working with a piece of metal in one hand and a flame in the other.
Mastery of heat and abundance of sand has also turned a number of the Setona into expert glassworkers. While the Sera do not have much use for the material themselves due to their metal quarry, glass has become an artistic mainstay for the Sera and it is not uncommon for a Matrica to join a Varoka as a glassmaking apprentice to learn new techniques to bring home to their family.

Rosane The Rosane are the gears that make the Varoka go. While the Setona and Tukova are both very specialized, the Rosane are the group that cares for the younger members of the Varoka, training them and helping teach them the intricacies of the Seranian lifestyle. They tend to be jacks-of-many-trades - when you travel, you can’t really rely on other people to do it for you!
As such, the Rosane are learners and thinkers. It’s not uncommon to see a beast’s metal carcass opened up and to see a Rosane leading a bunch of cubs through, pointing out all of the weakest places to attack and all of the strange circuitry that seems to run along all of the metal. They are the craftspeople of the Sera, making blankets and sails and similar for the Varoka. 
Rosane are the most common of the Sera to be seen outside of a proper Sera Varoka. They are the travellers who bring news and new techniques to the Varoka - if the Tukova and Setona care for the Varoka’s present, the Rosane care for the Varoka’s future.


Nesaro The Nesaro are the archivists of the Varoka. As nomads, the Sera do not rely on many of the other trappings of civilization that many other tribes do. Instead, the Sera keep their history alive with a combination of body modification and oral traditions.
Nesaro are typically older members of the Varoka, wrapped with scars and brands that tell stories of days long-gone-by. When a Tukova reaches the age where they can no longer hunt - or if another member of the Varoka is not physically gifted - they are inducted into the Nesaro with a branding ceremony.
Brands and scars are the letters with which the history of the Sera is written, and Nesaro are the books it is written in. Keepers of the past, the Nesaro are the leaders of the Varoka, aiming the group away from spots where danger lurks or familiar enemies roam.
    The few Sera that show an aptitude for study and learning, and the even fewer who show a propensity for the mystic arts, are soon inducted into the Nesaro. Their traditions are not secret, and in fact, the First Brand of a new Nesaro is often a time for great celebration.