Sand Riders

The sand is the domain of my people, and no outsider not of the desert, will be able to outpace us when we ride with the wind. - Maruk Sand Rider

Composition

Manpower

Various tribes muster at least forty to fifty riders to be fast and flexible when on the move.

Equipment

Armor: Many riders wear light armor, such as carapace and leather, when they are in close-quarters combat, and some even wear masks for protection from the sun or weapon strikes.
Sand Cloaks: Robes that allow the rider to remain cool in the desert heat and provide camouflage within the sands to hide more easily.
Water Collectors: Water is vital for survival in the desert so any chance that is give is used to collect water to stay alive.

Weaponry

Scimitar: Curved swords make an excellent choice on mounts, as they can easily cut through flesh and light armor without losing momentum while riding.
Recurved Bows: Short bows made of bone, horns, and chitin that add more force and range for mounted archers to deal more damage without losing mobility.
Spears: A standard weapon used by most riders to take down opponents while riding or just wounding them while passing by.
Javelin: Small spear that can easily be thrown to harass and disrupt formations to make them easier to deal with.
Whips: An unorthodox weapon used to grab hold of enemies from a distance to capture or pull them off mounts or out of formations.
Fire Jars: Small jars made of flammable material used to set alight enemies and buildings, to spread panic amongst them.

Vehicles

Horses: A standard mount of the desert, known for their speed and maneuverability, allows them to outpace most opponents so long as they have a competent rider.
Camels: Naturally born in the desert, camels are more suited to withstand the harsh environment more easily for long journeys and can endure high speeds at a much longer pace.
Teoro Lizards: A carnivorous lizard that is difficult to train, but once tamed, they make for fast and aggressive mounts that can devour enemies with frightening efficiency.

Structure

Sun Chaser: A seasoned warrior who leads the riders into battle while guiding them through the desert with courage and willpower to guide them.
Dune Striders: The rest of the riders are all trained fighters that are capable of acting on their own when the needs suits them making them unpredictable compared to organized forces.

Tactics

Raids: May it be day or night, Sand Riders will swiftly attack caravans, camps, and settlements to grab as many resources as they can before leaving with as much as they can carry.
Hit and Run: The most common tactic used by sand riders is often used to scare away predators, intruders, and invaders or weaken them until they deliver the final blow.
Feigned Retreats: In the heat of battle, they will often pretend to retreat from an enemy so lure them away from a main engagement to weaken their formations and surround them.
Storm Camouflage: Move with the high winds, they use dust clouds and sand storms to cover their approach from enemy detection.
Ambushes: Sand Riders can hide in plain sight just about anywhere they want, from appearing behind dunes to attacking during sand storms to completely catch their enemies off guard.
Scouting: Many Sand Riders make excellent scouts who can spot any signs of trouble near them and avoid being detected to return to report what they have seen.

Training

Desert Riding: Each Sand Rider must be skilled to ride in any condition that they may come across in the desert, with any difficulty, while traveling. This enables them to easily adapt to any terrain while in combat, while their opponents struggle to keep up with them.
Terrain Advantage : As many people know the Maruk know the desert like its their own back hand and they use its hidden paths and secrets to move around faster and stay hidden when they need to be.

Logistics

Recruitment

Sand riders are mainly recruited from the Maruk Desert Tribes, consisting of young men and, on some occasions, women who have mastered the art of riding through the desert. Their skill and speed on their mounts as well as their understanding of the desert have allowed them to travel and maneuver through it much more easily than any other light cavalry in the land. Though each standard of joining this group is different amongst the sperate tribes they are born into.

History

Warriors of The Wind

Sand Riders have long since been a part of the Maruk Desert Tribes since the beginning of the desert. The harsh conditions they often endure have made them excellent riders who can easily adapt to whatever the desert can throw at them, being able to ride on the most unstable ground and travel across it for several days if necessary. Most Sand Rider duties involve them to scout ahead while their tribe is on the move and hunting local game in the area to feed their people. They can do this easily as they are known for their remarkable feats of speed, and they can be achieve on their mounts in short amounts of time. Often described as riding with the wind itself, given the amount of ground they can cover, most other riders would have to make half of that distance.
When not helping their tribe to survive they are often fighting to protect it from anything they consider a threat to it. Sand Riders are often the first of their tribes warriors to combat any foes that come their way. Using speed and aggression on their side they will often attack when the enemy at least expect it to create chaos and confusion as much as possible. These tactics are not deal any real damage to enemy force but to slow them down to by time for their people to move, weaken them over time or just make them turn back. This can go on for quite a while should the riders be willing to do so and they will if it means protecting their tribe.

In Defense of Home

Historical loyalties

Sand Riders are mainly loyal to the tribes from which they are born, rarely abandoning them for much larger armies unless they are part of a unified tribal force.

Type

Cavalry

Overall training Level

Trained

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran

Used by

• Maruk Desert Tribes

Silent Riders

by Jester%

It don't Understand how did they just appeared out of nowhere I didn't even hear them will they were right in front of us. - Mercenary

It is not uncommon for a person to be caught off guard when a Sand Rider appears out of the desert with them even realizing they were there. Like all Maruk they have learned to be quite and blend in with the desert, only they are able to do it with their mounts as well. This makes hard to deal with a they are difficult to spot unless one knows the signs or even find them should they decided to stay hidden.

Living Sandstorm

by Jester%

We've been hit three times today and no one can stop it at all, they just keep attacking when we least expect it. - Desert Bandit

A single rider can be nuisance to deal with but a whole group of them are always a problem no matter the size of group that against them as each one strikes with fury that only comes with protecting something precious to them. They fight with all of their ferocity and skill in the face of the enemy and allow them as little chance to retaliate as possible with them. After they are done with their attack they often leave a trail of bodies in their wake with any intruders paying in blood with each time they draw their weapons.

A Bloody Path

by Jester%

When are of the desert so it is always our home no matter how far we travel it everything we will every know. - Desert Dweller

Sand Riders are often will give their lives in the protection of their tribe should they be required to do so for they are always the ones to lead the charge against any invaders. As some of the fastest riders of the Maruk tribes they can continue to follow and attack as many times are they wish to slow or halt their advanced. This has been many tales about them as they face overwhelming odds and sacrificing themselves to ensure their tribe remains safe from harm.