Bait Mahwa

The Bait Mahwa were a tribe of nomadic Bedine that dwelled in the Sword region of Anauroch.

Organization
As of the early 1360s DR, the tribe was lead by Sheikh Sa'ar.

Activities
When traveling as a caravan, the most skilled and fearless warriors rode ahead about ahead of the other warriors and camels mounted with baggage, while women and children walked alongside them in the middle of the pack.

By tradition the Mahwa did not allow men and women to eat with one another.

Relationships
The Bait Mahwa were known to have not counted the Qahtan and Mtair Dhafir tribes among their allies.

History
In the, Sheikh Sa'ar received a visit from the Zhentarim wizard Yhekal, the hopes his tribe would align themselves with the organizations goals. Shortly thereafter he was also visited by three travelers, the foreigner Lander and two Qahtani tribespeople, Ruha and Kadumi, and warned of the danger brought by the Zhentarim. Ultimately Sheikh Sa'ar sided against the Zhentarim, and the Mahwa tribe escaped an all-out assault on their camp. The tribe and their new traveling companions rode east, across At'ar's Looking Glass to unite with the Raz'hadi tribe that was camped at the Well of the Chasm.

When the Mahwa reached the oasis they saw the Raz'hadi were besieged by the Zhentilar forces and swiftly rode to their aid. They ambushed the Zhents with the aid of magic secretly cast by the sorceress Ruha, appearing as a force thousands more strong than they actually were. After joining forces with the Raz'hadi they earned their first victory in a conflict that came to be known as the Battle of the Chasm.

Following the battle, Sheikh Sa'ar arranged for the meeting of fifteen nearby Bedine tribes at the fabled oasis of Elah'zad. After agreeing to combined their collective warriors into one fighting force, the leaders of the tribes came up with their plan to defeat Zhentilar at their camp just south of the Wall of Fallen Djinn mountain range. Utilizing Ruha's magic, the Mahwa and Raz'hadi would feint an assault on camp, drawing the Zhent forces into a trap set by the other tribes of the Bedine. The Zhents retreated to the ruined city of Orofin to the south, leaving many of the asabi mercenaries to be slaughtered at the Battle of the Fissures.

The Mahwa helped the Bedine earn themselves one more victory at Orofin in a battle that drove the Zhents away from the homes of the Bedine people. They served as reserve warriors, fighting alongside the Bai Kabor behind the vanguard of the Raz'hadi and the tribe of Sheikh Didaji.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Parched Sea