# I: The Desert Clans explained — The Moon Maid > Chapter companion for The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs. ## What happens Julian 20th, a young chief of the desert clans, surveys the fertile valley of the Kalkars from a hilltop, reflecting on the centuries-long feud between the house of Julian and the house of Or-tis. He recounts the history of his people, their struggle against the Kalkars, and his plan to lead his entire tribe into the valley after the rains, never to return to the desert. The chapter introduces his mother, his sisters, and the warrior culture of the clans, including their customs, meals, and the oral tradition that preserves the deeds of his ancestors. ## Themes in this chapter ### Honor, Loyalty, and Betrayal Julian 20th emphasizes the unblemished shield of his lineage and the duty to avenge his father and drive out the Kalkars, highlighting the clan's code of honor and loyalty. ### Survival and Resilience The desert clans endure harsh conditions, living in the desert near their enemies to maintain the centuries-old struggle, demonstrating their resilience and determination. ### Class, Oppression, and Rebellion The chapter describes a stratified society with slaves serving the warrior class, and the Kalkars are portrayed as cruel oppressors, while the clans rebel against their domination. ## Character check-ins ### Julian 5th Julian 20th traces his lineage back to Julian 1st, born in 1896, and recounts the deeds of his forebears, including Julian 9th and Julian 18th. ### The Red Hawk Julian 20th identifies himself as The Red Hawk, a fierce chief of a hundred clans, and describes his love for battle and the thrill of the charge. ### The Wolf The Wolf is a companion of Julian 20th, who agrees that the Kalkars have held them too long and supports the plan to move into the valley. ### The Rock The Rock raises his spear and shakes it savagely toward the valley, expressing fierce determination to drive out the Kalkars. ### The Rattlesnake The Rattlesnake declares that the green groves will be dyed red with Kalkar blood, showing his eagerness for battle. ### Mother Mother is the mother of Julian 20th, who expresses concern about his plan to move into the valley and urges him to leave a son before the expedition. ### The Kalkars The Kalkars are the ancestral enemies of the Julians, who brought hatred and suspicion to the world and are now confined to the valley. ### Orthis The tribe of Or-tis is the ruling house of the Kalkars, and Julian 20th's father fell before the lance of an Or-tis in the Great Feud. ## Key lines > I am The Red Hawk. I am but twenty, yet the fierce chiefs of a hundred fierce clans bow to my will. I am a Julian—the twentieth Julian—and from this year, 2434, I can trace my line back five hundred and thirty-four years to Julian 1st, who was born in 1896. Julian 20th introduces himself as The Red Hawk, a young chief commanding a hundred clans, and traces his ancestry back 534 years to Julian 1st, born in 1896. _Establishes the protagonist's identity and the historical depth of the Julian lineage._ > The Kalkars brought hatred and suspicion among us, until now we trust only the members of our own clans and tribes. The Kalkars introduced distrust and division, so now people only trust their own clan or tribe. _Explains the social fragmentation caused by the Kalkar invasion._ > Since fell my great ancestor, Julian 9th, in the year 2122, at the end of the first uprising against the Kalkars, we have been driving them slowly back across the world. Since Julian 9th died in 2122 during the first rebellion, the clans have been gradually pushing the Kalkars back. _Provides a key historical event and the long duration of the conflict._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_maid_se/chapters/i-the-desert-clans - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_maid_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_moon_maid_se/chapters