Little more than a stubborn relic of the past, Sabak clings to the desert’s edge, built atop the crumbling remains of an ancient fortress. Its sun-bleached walls bear the scars of countless battles, and its winding streets are a tangle of makeshift dwellings, woven tents, and weathered stone. The people of Sabak are hardened by the desert’s cruelty—caravaners, scavengers, and exiles who trade in secrets as often as they do in goods. Yet within its dust-choked alleys, a defiant spirit thrives, for those who call Sabak home know that even the weakest fortress may yet weather the storm.