Beni Zilal

The origins of the Beni Zilal, the Sons of the Shadows, are shrouded in legend. Many of the stories tell of a messianic preacher who ruled from a citadel deep in the desert, entrancing his followers with the help of halucinogenic herbs and terrorizing the Aserai nobility with the threat of assassination. Regardless of how much truth these stories contain, this brotherhood is now a powerful institution in the deep reaches of the Nahasa, collecting protection money from caravans passing through its territory and cutting deals with local potentates while it awaits the day when it may reveal its hand more openly.