“By the eternal splendor of Rastullah’s beard! You do not need all of these goods. They will only hinder your survival in the desert. You want to survive, right? Just leave them here with Ali, Ali, and Ali. You may move on unhindered — and you shall live, if the Unfathomable has ordained it.”
Baba is more than just a simple highwayman who haunts the border regions of the Khôm Desert and the Lands of the Tulamydes. He supposedly leads 33 proud thieves, all of whom obey him blindly. If rumors from the Caliphate prove true, Baba is responsible for at least half the robberies between Wal-el-Khômchra and the Cichanebi Salt lake in the last five years.
Many Novadi desert dwellers believe Baba is the outcast son of a sultan who searches for his destiny in the desert. However, the viziers of the Caliph consider him a dangerous revolutionary. Baba has repeatedly escaped his captors and has the blood of at least one Emir on his conscience. However, he supplies many tribes of the Khôm with food, spices, and water and thus can always count on their support. His band of thieves does not seem to maintain a hideout; instead, Baba travels with his men from oasis to oasis, like a real Novadi.
Voice of the People
+ “Now that’s al Caliph, I tell you what! No roof, only a canvas tent and the desert wind… Just as Rastullah told us it would be!”
− “Are you crazy? I most certainly will not lead my caravan anywhere near the 33 thieves. That Baba is the worst of them all. No, I won’t risk it for any price. I have no desire to get my throat slit.”
