Clan Nanadara
General History
Clan Nanadara was a prosperous Dunesfolk clan originating from the South Span of the Sagolii desert. Their principle source of income was generated through managing a generous herd of livestock, as well as organizing caravans to and from Ul'Dah to trade with the desert city as well as the mountain clans of the South Span. As South Span clans go, they were widely considered to be a fair halfway point between sandmaster clans and mountain clans, since they would often return to the mountainous regions in order to graze their herds and restock their water.
Nanadara's beliefs and customs were mainly non-confrontational in nature. Their fanatical sister clan, Babadara, had originally established the core belief that pain and suffering were caused by individuals failing to heal their own emotional hurts from within. As such, Babadara did not have a militant force with which to defend its denizens, and instead employed the use of peacekeepers and a strict cultural code to be followed at all times.
Nanadara borrowed heavily from Babadara's beliefs, and incorporated them into their own. However, Nanadara's dealings with the mountain clans and brushes with the Amal'Jaa required an alteration to their beliefs and customs in order to survive. Where Babadara's beliefs forbade the killing of any of Eorzea's people to include beastmen, Nanadara's beliefs stated that killing was sometimes necessary in order to survive.
Despite this, the rest of Nanadara's beliefs contrasted heavily. Children were not struck when raised, and there was a powerful emphasis on general peace within the clan. Property was a loose concept, and it was openly acknowledged by all that none of them could suffer greed in order for the clan to survive. All were taught from a very young age to help one's clan mates, regardless of circumstances. Inter-clan conflict was all but unheard of, and was quickly and decisively mediated when it arose.
Unlike Babadara, they had a small but expert force of guardians trained to use swords, shields, and bows with deadly effect. The mere existence of Nanadara's guardians offended Babadara deeply, and matters were only worsened when news of their exploits finally reached the sister clan. This disagreement between beliefs caused a deep rift between Nanadara and Babadara, and communication between the two clans deteriorated to silence and mutual disapproval.
Approximately two decades before the beginning of the Seventh Umbral Era, clan Nanadara was set upon by a massive raiding force. The raiders had been informed of the secret wealth traveling between Ul'Dah and the South Span, and had spent years organizing the force with which to overtake a Dunesfolk caravan. The raiding force met clan Nanadara on the dunes of the Sagolii after making landfall on the eastern coast, while the laden caravan labored its way back to the safety of the South Span mountains.
The raiders set upon the dunebeasts of clan Nanadara with speed and ferocity, utilizing cavalry and grappling hooks to overtake their prey. Such an attack had never been attempted on such a magnitude before. Being attacked in the deep desert during daylight was in itself all but unheard of, which meant that Nanadara was relatively unprepared for the onslaught. In the end Nanadara succumbed to the raiders superior numbers, after the caravan's ranks had been strung out over a long expanse of malms.
Previous raiding attempts had been attempted upon Sagolii clan caravans, and some were successful while others were repelled, but none had ever resulted in a clan being utterly destroyed. Women and children were taken for slaves, while the males of the clan were slaughtered. Anything of value was long gone before the wreckage was finally discovered. Survivors were subsequently adopted into neighboring clans or Babadara, with a scant few interspersing over Eorzea on their own.
The death of clan Nanadara caused a ripple within the clans of the Sagolii, from sea of sand to sprawling rocks. An emergency assembly was called to Hihiko's Wake, where Sagolii clan gatherings were typically only held once every few years. At this assembly, the clan heads determined that a clear message must be delivered to those who would prey upon Dunesfolk everywhere. The majority of the Sagolii clans lent their support to this cause, with the exception of Babadara and few others. The resulting battle party of Dunesfolk was seven times larger than the raiding force.
The deliberations had taken quite some time, between assembling the clan heads and plan making. The raiders had unfortunately offloaded the majority of their spoils-- most importantly the surviving Nanadara clan members, who had been embarked onto slave ships and departed Aldenard. The wrath of the clans was able to be followed by sight alone after initially encountering the raiders in the deep desert. The Dunesfolk had doggedly pursued them to the coastline, leaving a trail of dead raiders behind them-- many of whom had simply died from exhaustion while attempting to outrun the battle party. A mere thirty of the raiders' number were spared, so that they would be able to return with a message for their employers.
Scant members of clan Nanadara survive today, interspersed over Eorzea and Hydaelyn. Of those not in slavery, some have moved on to the betterment of other clans and raised children, while others have struck out to live their life in other ways. Clan beliefs forbid them from seeking vengeance for what was done, but few or none have forgotten the pain.