A Desert Nomad Encampment

Desert Nomad Encampment (#24/30; #114/365)

Desert Nomads of various tribes regularly set up camp out among the dunes, sometimes around an oasis or hidden well, sometimes just to avoid the scum and villainy of Dust Town, Pellod, and other marginal outland settlements. Occasionally, they may even be on a Giant Sandworm hunt, harpooning the great desert leviathans and then butchering them where they fall. The camp will be a temporary settlement of tents and tethered riding animals with four to twenty four warriors (both male and female) and the same number of non-combatants, including the elderly, children and ransom-captives. It will be a hive of activity in the early morning and evening to night, when temperatures are cooler, and virtually quiet during the day, when the sun has risen high in the sky.

(The below text is abridged and modified from Beyond the Pit (p. 96))

Some historians say that all Nomads are descended from the Halfhand brothers, those legendary chieftains who cut a bloody swathe through the steppes and plains of Irritaria, the First Continent. When Irritaria was torn asunder into Allansia, Khul and the Old World, the Nomads settled widely among the flatlands and the deserts, their lifestyle unchanging and ever wandering. They are famous for their riding ability, whether their steeds be camels or horses, and are experts at performing all kinds of tasks while on the move, from shooting arrows to patching tents. Nomads are usually armed with spears, curved sabres, and short bows, using lacquered leather armour for protection along with small shields. They may be encountered as bands of one to six hunters or scouts, or as settlements as described above.

Desert Nomads ride both camels and horses, and are found in arid, barren wastes. In Allansia this means the Desert of Skulls, where the Nomads eke out a living by roaming the desert’s fringe and trading camel-hides and more precious goods with towns like Shazâar, where the townfolk call them Sand Trackers. They wear yellow or white robes and follow holy folk known as sufi, who worship the Sand God Assamarra. Nomads from the Desert of Skulls are famous for hunting Giant Sandworms by camel-back, using barbed harpoons to slay the gargantuan beasts. A dead Sandworm will prove a great boon to the Nomads, for the meat is edible, the thick skin is used to craft sturdy tents, and the teeth make excellent ivory daggers.

There are several different tribes of Desert Nomads in the vicinity of Ciarensia and the northern fringes of the Desert of Skulls. The tribes depend on trade and Sandworm-hunting for their livelihood and take a dim view of banditry and raiding. As a result, their code of honour demands that hospitality and generosity must be shown to every guest, regardless of creed. These rules apply to some non-humans, such as Black Elves or Desert Elves, but not to others, like Sand Stalkers, Rhino-Men and the hated Caarth. They are thus not averse to attacking these latter races if the opportunity permits. Some of the tribes of Desert Nomads are named on the following table (which can be rolled upon to determine which tribe an adventuring party of Heroes has encountered):

1. Ab Shumus: "Children of the Sun"
2. Yunfakir: "Riders of the Wind"
3. Al Sahra: "Lords of the Desert"
4. Al Jamajim: "Leavers of Skulls"
5. Abu Katib: "Masters of the Dunes"
6. Al Ramal: "Trackers of the Sands"

DESERT NOMAD
SKILL: 8
STAMINA: 7
WEAPON: Sabre (as per Sword), Spear or Short Bow
ARMOUR: Leather Cuirass and Small Shield
NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-6 or 4-24
REACTION: Neutral

Riding either Horses (SKILL 7 STAMINA 9, Hooves (as per Large Claw) or Camels (SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, Hooves (as per Large Claw)