Off the coast of southern Mahad, in the Island Bridge, the lawanis have a small collection of communities that have managed to survive despite frequent raids from pirates and slavers in the desert islands. This offshoot of the jasad culture formed from refugees from enslavement who ended up in the central Island Bridge. The communities are usually on one island with an oasis, though some have multiple islands. The oasis is the heart of the community, where the animals are kept, trees are tended, and everyone shares the water. Animal keepers play an important role, keeping the various animals that are part of lawanis culture (especially butterflies, monkeys, and tropical birds). Goats, sheep, and fish are also commonly kept.

Every community is led by a group of elected elders, maintains a small force of warriors to protect the community, and maintains a communal approach to raising children.

A lawani child is raised by everyone until they are 10 or so, at which time they begin learning specific tasks, rotating among the various roles in the community. Everyone learns from the warriors, elders, healers, fishers, tree-tenders, net-makers, boatwrights, and so on. Any task that is important enough to affect the whole community, the community makes sure everyone knows at least the fundamentals. When a lawani child reaches the age of 16, they should have learned a bit from every major role. At this time, they are encouraged to decide which one they wish to purse (with the understanding that they may change their mind at any time, even decades later). By the time they are 25, almost all have settled into something, though some few, known as mufidis (mufid singlular), never settle and are assistants to all.

There are seven roles, however, that one may only pursue later in life. Each of these is special, and those who seek them must prove themselves worthy in the eyes of those who already practice these arts, in the eyes of the elders, and then in the eyes of the community as a whole. The roles are

• Batal: special warriors who go after raiders and slavers who have taken community members.
• Mudafie: special warriors who patrol the area around the isles in boats and fight slavers and raiders.
• Hakim: special teachers who travel for seven years and come back to teach the community what they learned.
• Ainsijam: special singers whose music is part of a tradition among lawanis of uniting the community.
• Latif: special sculptors who work with gemstones and create the esoteric pillars used by the community.
• Musaeid: special counsellors who specialize in helping the most aggrieved, hurt, traumatized, wounded, or otherwise sorrowful in the community.
• Dahik: special entertainers who perform the complex comedic theatre of the lawanis.

Lawanis theatre has very few dramas. Almost all stories are designed to uplift, evoke laughter, or bring delight. Some are whimsical, some are complex comedies, some are satirical, some are farces, but all are funny. Every community has a special amphitheatre, usually dug into an area surrounded by stones near the shore. The ocean is a common backdrop to stories. Many stories are about heroes of the community who defeated pirates and slavers through trickery and antics. The dahikis practice their arts for years as lesser comedians and actors in plays and stories done by other cultures--lawanis make a point to know the classics of nearby countries especially--before practicing the sacred plays of their people.

The pillars made by latifis are narrow stone pillars studded with gemstones (gathered from seabeds and shallow caves) that are part of community ceremonies. Every year, on the first day of spring, the elders gather at dawn around the pillars (there are usually seven in a community) to make offerings to the gods along with the priestesses. At midmorning, the children gather to dance, sing, and play while the adults prepare the noon feast. At noon, everyone eats around the pillars. At mid-afternoon, the children play once again as the adults clean up. At dusk, the elders and priestesses perform another ceremony that the whole community attends. And at midnight, after the children are asleep, the latifis lead those adults who wish to participate in ancient rites of sexual celebration. At dawn the next day, the pillars glow and provide protection for the community.

On the first day of autumn, a different ceremony is performed, this one led by the ainsijamis. The whole community gathers an hour before dawn to sing a welcome to the Sun and a goodbye to the Moons. After the sun is fully risen, the songs change, and the ainsijamis are the only ones left singing, guiding the community through intricate dances to honor Mother Shem. After everyone but the ainsijamis has become too tired to go on, the ainsijamis continue another hour, ending their second song with a feast. Once the feast is over, they all rest, sleeping until dusk. At this time, while most adults clean up, children play, the ainsijamis sing their third song, this one to honor the Divines. From their song comes a rainbow that lights up the skies until midnight, at which time the festival is over.

The last major festival the lawanis have is called the Honoring of the Seas. This happens after the end of the stormy season (usually midwinter). If a storm comes after this ceremony, it means the gods are angry. The ceremony involves mourning the year's dead, thanking the Seas for their bounty, and feasting the sailors, fishers, netmakers, and boatwrights. The feast is always of dishes not from the sea--the scraps are given to the seas as an offering--and everyone but the youngest children or those who are ill partake in drinking a powerful alcohol known as ma'albarquq, a sort of tropical plum drink. That night, at least a few members of the community will have potent visions that warn of what is to come in the new year.

Other forms of music, sculpture, and theatre are common parts of their culture. Painting, culinary arts, and textile arts are also commonly practiced. They are especially known for their work with mosaics. These are much sought after by outsiders; trade with outsiders is strictly monitored by the elders in order to protect the community. Too often reevers or swindlers have taken advantage of them. Hakimis are an important part of overseeing these trades as well.

Fundamental to their culture is that anyone who comes to them in need will be helped. They are especially known to protect escaped slaves, battered women, and runaway children.

Lawanis worship the rainbow, her protectors, Mother Shem, and their ancestor Phryscara. Their worship takes a twelve day cycle, though they recognize the seven-day week used by most of the world. The cycle is thus:

1. Sabea Allawm Yawm: the Day of Seven Colors, during which they worship Tamkin, she who made the rainbow. On this day, priestesses are honored.
2. Yawm Al'sayd: the Day of Fishing, during which they worship Ba'Kal, she who gathers food for the community. On this day, animal keepers, fishers, netmakers, and boatwrights are honored.
3. Yawm Al'ianiqadh: the Day of Rescue, during which they worship Shakhs Shujae, the one who saved them the raiders. On this day, warriors and batalis are honored.
4. Yawm Al'huriya: the Day of Freedom, during which they worship Wusul, the one who saved them from slavery. On this day, warriors and mudafies are honored.
5. Yawm Al'rihlat: the Day of the Journey, during which they worship Mishi Tawil, the one who brought them to the islands and taught them how to survive. On this day, elders, sailors, hakimis, and teachers are honored.
6. Maean Al'yawm: the Day of Togetherness, during which they worship 'Aswatan Maean, the one who sang them together. On this day, musicians, singers, children, and ainsijamis are honored.
7. Yawm Azraq: the Day of Love, during which they worship Al'Hubu, the one who cherished them with her love. On this day, lovers, parents, gemfinders, and latifis are honored.
8. Bial'ams: the Last Day, during which they worship 'Amal, the one who saved them when they could not go on. This is called the Last Day even though it is eighth in the cycle because it honors the day in which they thought would be their last, as they escaped perdition. On this day, mufidis, musaieidin, counsellors, guides, and those in need are honored.
9. Yawm Al'farah: the Day of Joy, during which they worship Saeada, the one who brought them happiness. On this day, dahikis, entertainers, comedians, actors, dancers, and children are honored.
10. Yawm Al'tafkir: the Day of Reflection, during which they worship Al'daw', the one who is the rainbow. On this day, everyone is honored.
11. Yawm Al'milad: the Day of Birth, during which they worship Phryscara, their ancestor. On this day, all ancestors are honored.
12. Yawm Min Al'ealam: Day of the World, during which they worship Mother Shem. On this day, the world is honored.

Priestesses lead some sort of small ceremony every day, but only some of the community participates, except on major holy days (see above in Culture). Their main role is to provide counsel, guidance, comfort, and blessings to anyone who needs it. Most who become priestesses do so as children, called to the faith by their brief time training under a priestess.

The warriors of the lawanis nation all answer to their elders, who in turn are elected. There are a few roles for warriors:

• Muharib: the basic warrior who has not selected a role.
• Yahmi: those who stay with the community as a last line of defense.
• Bihaar: those who sail on ships.
• Tayaar: those who ride flying cavalry.
• Sirun: those who work as spies on enemies.
• Batal: those who rescue captured lawanis.
• Mudafie: those who patrol for slavers and raiders.

Tayaaris are rare; only a few communities have the animals to have such forces. Sirunis are elite, usually pose as bihaaris who go "missing" at foreign ports, and are trained to disguise themselves in many ways. They are assumed dead until they return. There are few of them, and they are honored as batalis. Bihaaris and yahmis are the most common, making up the bulk of the forces, along with muharibim, who train as different roles until they choose one. All warriors start as muharibim, then take on a special rank once they choose a role. Then there are two ranks above that: shawish (roughly, a sergeant), who trains other warriors, and naqib (roughly, a captain), who are given responsibility to take care of their forces during battles.

Lawanis are constantly raided by reevers and slavers because they bring high prices for sexual slavery and because they have lots of gems in their communities. In other cultures, they are often seen as sexually promiscuous and unclean because of it, or as greedy because of their love of gemstones. Because they give sanctuary to runaway children, they are also accused of being child-stealers.

Those from other cultures who come to them for help quickly discover how wrong they are. Most take the help they need and move on, often set up by the lawanis to succeed, but some fall in love with either the culture or an individual within the community. Many try to stay but find the different way of life too strange, moving on eventually. Many get their hearts broken by the lawanis view of love. But some find they fit in. These, called sadiq gharib (stranger friend), are taken in and put through the same trainings as youth, allowed to choose their own roles. Some bring new roles with them, teaching new skills to the community, and these are honored for their contributions.