Xaela/Tribes

This page catalogues what we know about the "estimated" fifty Xaela tribes of the Azim Steppe.

Tribes of Major Significance

These tribes appear in-game, and are represented by numerous characters, locations, or other content. Some tribes are difficult, if not impossible to avoid encountering as the player progresses through the Stormblood main story.

Mol

Main article: Mol Tribe

Led by the wise Temulun Khatun, but largely represented by her granddaughter, Cirina, the Mol Tribe plays a major role in the Stormblood main story.

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A small tribe of devout worshippers of the elder gods, the Mol will consult with their deities (via a shaman conduit) before making any tribe-related decisions, from the direction of their next migration, to the beasts they will hunt each day for food. Unlike the crimson clothing of most Mol, these udgan wear white as a symbol of purity and are forbidden from taking life.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Dotharl

Main article: Dotharl Tribe

Led by the fearless Sadu Khatun, the Dotharl play a minor role in the Stormblood main story, acting as rivals to the Oronir, and secondary antagonists to the Mol's ambitions.

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An extremely violent tribe with members who revel in massacre and are taught from a young age not to fear death. This is because the Dotharl believe that their fallen warriors are reincarnated within a year of their death. While they are quick to attack other tribes, mortality rates are high, ensuring that their numbers never grow too high.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Oronir

Main article: Oronir Tribe

Led by the proud Magnai Khan, the Oronir play a minor role in the Stormblood main story, acting as the primary antagonists to the Mol's ambitions, and rivals to the Dotharl.

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All members of the Oronir tribe believe themselves to be direct descendants of Azim, the tribe's god of the sun. The strongest tribe in the region, the Oronir currently occupy the Dawn Throne, having won the right to do so in previous Naadams

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Dataq

Main article: Dataq Tribe

The Dataq Tribe appears in an eponymous chain of FATES available within the Azim Steppe.

Qerel

Main article: Qerel Tribe

This tribe, though first discovered to be conspicuously absent from their home of Qerel Iloh, is involved with most of the Warrior job quests from Level 60 onwards.

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The warriors of this tribe all wear complete suits of armor crafted from the bones of steppe tigers which they kill with their own hands upon their coming of age.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Qestir

Main article: Qestir Tribe

The Qestir Tribe controls the trading settlement known as Reunion, and several members of their tribe are present in-game.

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This tribe refuses to speak, believing that all words are lies, and that a man's actions are the purest form of communication. They founded Reunion, a trading hub where peoples of the steppe and even foreign merchants may trade freely.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Ugayir

Main article: Uyagir Tribe

The Ugayir Tribe has a permanent encampment near The Towering Still, and is featured in an assortment of steppe-related content.

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One of a handful of Xaela tribes which have given up the nomadic lifestyle. The Uyagir reside in a system of limestone caves on the northern edge of the southern deserts which are believed to have been dug by a race of giant oliphant-like beetles which were placed on the land by the gods to punish the elder tribes that had grown too greedy.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 2, pg. 110

Tribes of Minor Significance

These tribes appear in-game, but are only represented by a limited amount of content. Players could very well avoid or forget them if they don't complete their associated sidequests or interact with their characters. (Tribes that are only mentioned but have no appearances in-game are for the category following this one)

Tribe	Related Characters or Content	Characteristics
Adarkim	Adkiragh Adarkim Warrior Purbol Rain	The largest of the Xaela tribes. While not the most skilled at battle, they overwhelm with numbers, taking losses in stride, knowing that a future victory over a weaker tribe will replenish their ranks.
Bolir	Boliri Girl	A small tribe that earns its living by collecting the dung of the beastkin herds which roam the steppes. The dung is dried, turned into charcoal in temporary kilns, and sold to other tribes.
Buduga	Daidukul	An all-male tribe which only increases its ranks through battle and kidnapping. They recently formed a pact with the Oronir, believing that an alliance with the preeminent tribe would see their numbers swell.
Chaghan	Curious Gorge Meets His Match	An offshoot of the Qerel tribe, these warriors enter a berserker rage known as the Will of Karash, which they believe to be a blessing from the Dusk Mother. They commit all manner of heinous acts when Karash takes hold, and some would even slay their own kin and claim it in the name of Mother Nhaama.
Dazkar	Chambui Chambui's Husband	Household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and childrearing are handled by the males of the Dazkar who, other than when on the move, rarely ever leave their family's yurts. Female Dazkar are tasked with hunting, and are known across the steppe as being some of the most accurate archers in the realm.
Dhoro	Dhoro Iloh's original inhabitants	An elusive tribe that avoids contact with most other tribes. Lookouts are posted all about their camps with orders to flee given the moment an outsider is spotted.
Gesi	Jebei	The Gesi are masters of the slingspear, a mid-sized javelin carved from mammoth bone which, instead of being thrown by hand, is flung with a leather sling to improve range, speed, and killing power.
Hotgo	Mide, from the Alexander Raids.	A tribe recently massacred by the Dotharl. The only members surviving are those who left the tribe to travel on their own and were not present during the killing. The Hotgo were known for their vibrant face paints which members would constantly change depending on their current mood. Members of the tribe ventured to Eorzea, where they were almost all slain summoning Alexander in the Dravanian Hinterlands.
Kahkol	Kahkol Iloh	A tribe made up of orphans and refugees from tribes defeated or destroyed. Many choose to combine the name of their old tribe with Kahkol. Recently, the tribe's settlement was destroyed by the Buduga, and the remaining population was decimated by disease. Ironically, some of the scattered survivors now live among the Buduga.
Kha	Jaliqai	Unlike most of the Xaela, the Kha live on the fringes of the Xaela lands, actively seeking contact with non Auri peoples, introducing many aspects of those cultures into their own.
Khatayin	Cold Comes the Wind	A tribe which largely remains unseen, hunting goats in the mountains for nine moons of the year. The remaining three are spent at the foot of the great north range, where they survive off the dried meat they stocked.
Olkund	Olkund Dzotamer Killing Dzo	Selective breeding has seen the average height of the central steppe-dwelling Olkund tribe males reach over two and a half yalms. The females, for whatever reason, remain of an average height.
Orl	Sidurgu	A possibly defunct tribe, some Xaela bearing this surname fled Othard in the wake of Garlean occupation. They and other Xaela refugees found their way to the highlands of Coerthas but misconceptions of Au Ra being of Dravanian descent led Ishgardian soldiers to slaughter them indiscriminately. There is only known to be one living survivor of this tribe.

Other Known Tribes

Tribes that we know of because of published lore materials, or brief mentions in-game, but are not represented by any in-game content such as characters, quests, or even items.

Tribe	Characteristics
Angura	A small tribe which keeps mainly to the mountainous region of northeastern Othard. The glare reflected by the everlasting glaciers upon which they travel has rendered this tribe's skin color a deep rusty tone.
Arulaq	A tribe thought lost 200 years ago, only recently discovered once again living in a secluded valley in the mountainous north.
Avagnar	Though defeated and absorbed by the Adarkim, several of the proud tribe's members still secretly use its ancestral name, knowing that it could mean death if they are discovered.
Bairon	A middle-sized tribe of the southern deserts and masters of survival in the driest of climes, the Bairon are all trained from a very young age to collect and drink their own bodily fluids, allowing them the ability to venture deep into places no other tribe will.
Bayaqud	A tribe of the steppe's western edges. Women from the Bayaqud tribe will traditionally take several husbands, as did the tribe's founding matron 2000 years ago.
Borlaaq	A tribe of all women. While breeding with men from other tribes is allowed, if a male is born into the tribe, he is given up within a year of birth.
Dalamiq	One of only a few Xaela tribes which has abandoned the nomadic lifestyle and built a small village on an islet in the middle of a two-malm-wide span of the great inner river. It is said they once worshipped the now-fallen lesser moon.
Ejinn	A river tribe that chooses to swim from place to place rather than walk or take boats. It is said that members of the Ejinn can hold their breaths for up to a quarter bell, and will often migrate while almost completely submerged in order to avoid contact with hostile tribes.
Geneq	In addition to the standard language used by most of the Xaela in cross-tribe communication, the Geneq employ a complex system of whistles and clicks which resemble the cloud- and wavekin of the steppe.
Gharl	Before each migration, the Gharl will fill a sacred urn with the soil of the place they just camped. This soil is then dumped upon arriving at the next location. This tradition has been carried out for thousands of years, leading people to believe that most the steppe is now all of one soil.
Goro	The Goro believe horses to be perfect beings, and each male and female, upon their coming of age, is married to a horse of the opposite sex. Reproductive mates are chosen by lots. It should be noted that because a horse's lifespan is far shorter than that of a Xaela's, one is likely to be wed to several horses over the course of his or her life.
Haragin	The legends of this coastal tribe tell of a group of their ancestors who crafted a giant ship and sailed out across the endless eastern ocean. The explorers are said to have returned with tales of a terrible island covered in massive grey monoliths and inhabited by fire-breathing steel demons.
Himaa	For reasons unknown, one out of every three pregnancies amongst the Himaa result in twins. As a result, over half the tribe's members have a doppelganger. This can prove an advantage during attacks, as it confuses the enemy into believing the dead have risen.
Horo	To those who live the meager lifestyles of the steppedwellers, being overweight is a symbol of affluence and power. To appear heavier than one in their station, the members of Horo will drink copious amounts of water to bloat their bellies.
Iriq	A tribe that follows the Borlaaq, taking on any male children given up by the female warriors and raising them as their own.
Jhungid	The second largest Xaela tribe. Mortal enemies with the Kharlu, the Jungid will spend the greater part of the year subjugating smaller tribes to swell their own ranks in preparation for an annual battle with the Kharlu—the winner gaining control over a large part of the eastern coastlands.
Kagon	The Kagon are a nocturnal desert tribe who worship Nhaama, goddess of the moon and mortal enemy of Azim, god of the sun. Instructed by their goddess that to step into the sun is to succumb to the evil of Azim, they spend the daylight hours in their tents, only emerging to hunt and migrate at night. The result is an uncharacteristically pale skin for a group of people living in an almost eternally fair-weather locale.
Kharlu	The third largest Xaela tribe. Mortal enemies with the Jungid, the Kharlu will spend the greater part of the year subjugating smaller tribes to swell their own ranks in preparation for an annual battle with the Jungid—the winner gaining control over a large part of the eastern coastlands.
Malaguld	One of the only tribes that accepts people of the Raen—those that have been exiled, or those who have fled persecution—into their circle.
Malqir	A western steppe tribe characterized by its unique leader-choosing ritual which, instead of the usual test of brawn, is a game of Kharaqiq—a chess-like game played on a circular board divided into three rings.
Mankhad	A costal tribe which fights with blow-darts made from bones dipped in the poison of the pufferfish. So practiced with the pipes are the tribe, that they can disable a target from 200 paces.
Mierqid	A desert tribe which, over the course of a year, travels between over a hundred secret buried caches of supplies restocked with each annual visit.
Moks	A tribe invisible for the fact that its members are spread out across many different tribes (unbeknownst to those tribes). Communication between its members is done on the rare occasion when two tribes meet, through an ancient set of hand signals only recognizable by those who know what they are looking for.
Noykin	Master trainers of the wild horses which populate the majority of steppe. It is said that the horsewives of the Noykin can break any beast if given but a week.
Orben	A tribe that rides up and down the great inner river on boats woven from reeds and reinforced with scales from their own skin.
Oroq	The Oroq create sleds made of reeds dipped in horse fat to help move their possessions and young children about the inner grasslands.
Qalli	Also known as the songbirds of the steppe, the Qalli communicate through song, attaching a melody to their words to further add emotion to the meaning.
Sagahl	A tribe which sees all beastkin as equals with man, therefore refuses to eat or use them as beasts of burden. As a result, the diet of the Sagahl mainly consists of steppe shrubs and vilekin.
Torgud	This desert tribe does not wear any clothes, choosing instead to cover their bodies almost entirely in a white paint created from mud, lime, and bone meal. The paint helps to reflect the relentless desert sun.
Tumet	The children of the Tumet, upon seeing their tenth summer, are tied to a sacred tree while the remainder of the tribe packs up and moves to their next location. Those children who manage to break free from their bonds and catch up with the tribe at that next location, are given a name and allowed into the tribe.
Ugund	When members of this tribe die, their heads are removed from their bodies and placed in a jar of fermented goat milk. Once the liquid has been drunk by the head (in other words, evaporated), the head is then buried under an anthill so that the tiny workers can carry the spirit to the afterlife. The journey is thought to be a terrible one, the road filled with ghosts of the damned, so ensuring the spirit is drunk helps ease the journey.
Ura	This mountain-dwelling tribe is one of the few which instead of hunting, mine the precious ores of the peaks and trade them with the steppe tribes for food.
Urumet	This desert tribe has the queer custom of travelling with their elders carried upon their shoulders. It is believed that in the flat desert, this gives the tribe the advantage of being able to see farther.

Images

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  Two women playing a game of Kharaqiq in Reunion. Unfortunately, its rules remain a mystery.

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  A woman of the Mol tribe playing a Morin Khuur, a traditional Xaela instrument originating from the Steppe.