From publisher blurb:

Our talons grasp the sands tightly, letting the grains flow and leaving behind only the stones-the precious stones. Diamonds founded the Empire and diamonds rule the Empire. Through wealth and strength we hold fast all that we claim. No other has ever forced us out, and none ever will. As is our right, we hold what is precious in our grasp. The Dragon Sands--a large desert far south of Bluffside-holds the ruins of empires dating back from before the Age of Ice. Ruled by a god-like emperor from the Diamond Throne, the Dragori Empire holds most of the Dragon Sands in its grasping talons. Adventurous, independent tribes live as nomads in the deepest wastes. Isolated settlements eke out marginal existences just out of reach of the Empire. Badlands border the Dragon Sands to the north, a desolate refuge for criminals from the north and south.