Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Flesh out a Tygaran cultural group.
Image Credit: Here.
Role: Light irregular infantry, ice and water shapers.
Permissions: Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Xioquo, Qadiri, Zhaleh Jai Bijana, Tygara, Firemane Industries, Order of Fire, Young Flames, Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori, Inferno Platoon.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unit Name: Stalkers of the Frozen Wastes
Affiliation: Zaldrani.
Classification: Infantry, elemental warriors.
Description: Qadiri are commonly associated with the great deserts and cities of Tygara. Zeheb, a metropole, is the centre of native Tygaran culture and a Qadiri city. In that regard, the so-called snow Qadiri to many of their southron brethren as well as outsiders in general. They live far away from the tropical forests of Khajwar or the great Dune Sea. Instead Zaldrani tribes dwell in the Zagrasav Northlands in the icy north of Tygara. As a result, they have largely grown up in isolation from their southron brethren and sistren. Rather than build great cities and monuments, these people have lived a life as fishers and hunters, hunting whales, polar bears, fishes and other creatures.
These people call themselves the Zaldrani. Most of them are Qadiri, though they have a growing number of Xioquo and Qadiri/Xioquo half-breeds. They build kayaks to hunt sea animals and use sleds for transportation on land. Typically, Qadiri elementalists tend to be fire or air shapers. However, water shaping and ice magic is more common among Zaldrani people. This is a result of adaptation, as cryokinesis helps their people survive the arctic conditions. It is a hard, rugged life, but they are hardy people. Qadiri city-dwellers from the south, seeing themselves are more 'civilised', look down on them a bit. While the Zaldrani are divided into clans that have been known to feud against each other, they recognise a common kinship and are quick to band together against outside threats such as Xioquo and Qadiri slavers, human mineral prospectors and commercial fishers who want to deplete the stock of fish in their fishing zones with giant factory trawlers.
The Stalkers of the Frozen Wastes are among their most renowned warriors, forming small warbands. The Stalkers composed of Force-Using warriors who specialise in ice and water abilities. The are multiple detachments of Stalkers that are able to operate independently of one another, though overall it is a small force. As mentioned, the Zaldrani lack a central government and are organised into clans. So the Stalkers are not a standing force. Instead each clan puts forward their best hydromancers for the common cause, for a while. They come together in memory of the ancient times where they worked together. There are, of course, still feuds. In that regard, the Stalkers are closer to a crack militia of irregulars than a conventional force. Command is a common issue for warbands, and the Stalkers are no different. When they are formed, the chiefs cast votes, but they cannot vote for themselves. So therefore they have to vote in blocks for one of their number. The chiefs are advised by priestesses and a group of respected warriors chosen by peer selection. This semi-democratic element is an additional check to make sure the chiefs don't pick someone unsuitable for political reasons. The system works well enough because the Stalkers are a small force of experienced irregulars, not a professional military, and it's battle-hardened warriors weighing in on matters.
The Stalkers are taught to incorporate their powers into an overall battle plan. The priestesses teach them how to control their powers and adhere to the spiritual values of their people, and older veterans teach the neophytes the ways of battle. Sleds and kayaks are often used for transport, though some groups have limited access to speeders. The warriors excel at sneaking and remaining hidden in the arctic snow. The Stalkers have a well-honed knack for ice and water shaping, enabling them to thrive in and harness the arctic cold against their foes, as well as Force Sense abilities such as Weather Sense. They also possess useful secondary powers such as breath control, tapas and hibernation trance. All of these warriors are endowed with incredible cold resistance.
Long solo journeys over the harsh terrain of their homeland are part of their rite of passage. The group has started to admit Xioquo who belong to the Zaldrani, though individual members may have to overcome xenophobia. The common struggle to endure in the icy North forces people to focus on more than old grudges, but the bad blood produced by a long history of strife does not vanish overnight. Literacy is low among the Zaldrani, who preserve the memory of the past through oral history that are memorialised by the priestesses. The deeds of long-dead heroines are immortalised in ballads. Reciting these tales or singing marching songs is tradition for the Stalkers.
The 'snow Qadiri' are fierce and vigorous during raids. The war bands rely heavily on surprise, guile and precision rather than raw firepower or numbers. Warriors rely on speed and knowledge of the terrain and so are not weighed down with heavy equipment. They also lack a uniform appearance as each warrior provides their own equipment. For defences the Stalkers wear hide armour taken from the pelts of arctic creatures and reinforced by wood and bone. It not only keeps them warm and dry but also protects against slashing and bludgeoning attacks. Some have managed to secure access to more modern Stormtrooper suits.
They also sometimes carry small shields made of hide or wood. Their traditional main weapon is a spear which can be used to stab or throw. A warrior will generally carry several of these spears. A knife, club or axe is often used as a secondary weapon. They also make use of harpoons. Until recently metalworking was quite rare so weapons often had bone or stone tips instead or captured pieces redone. Bows are also common though the range of these are often not great due to the lack of appropriate timber for compound construction. Garrotes, poisoned daggers and darts have been popularised by Xio members, who have taught the snow Qadiri some of their skills.
Heavy-hitting, durable slugthrowers and blasters purchased from outside traders see increasingly widespread use, though alongside more archaic firearms such as muskets and breech-loading rifles. Ease of maintenance and reliability under arctic conditions is key for them. A high-tech weapon is no good in the Northlands if it cannot perform after being submerged in water, covered in mud or exposed to the arctic cold. The Zaldrani have been able to acquire firearms through trade with Firemane and Qadiri merchants. There has also been some cross-training with adepts from the Order of Fire.
Typically, the Stalkers fight in small groups. Every operation is thoroughly planned and accompanied by reconnaissance. Strategy typically involves sneak attacks - catching the enemy off guard with a nighttime or lightning raid. If surprise is impossible, they know how to form and manoeuvre battle lines and take advantage of terrain. They are very adept at blending in among the tundra and icy wastes. Their ability to fade into the snowy environment or hide in a blizzard is such that they have been nicknamed 'White Ghosts' or 'White Death' by outsiders. Female warriors are strongly represented among them. This is how Qadiri and Xioquo are used to fighting, so it is not considered strange for them. While matriarchal, Qadiri are more progressive than their Eldorai or Xioquo cousins, so it is not unheard of for a male to attain a position of leadership among the Stalkers. This has taken some getting used to for the Xioquo members, but then they are renegades who have broken with the old order anyway.
It is not uncommon for warriors to commemorate a successful hunt by taking a trophy, such as wearing a necklace made of animal teeth. Talismans and other charms of spiritual significance made by shamans to ward off evil spirits are also popular. Tattoos are common among these brave warriors. They may be a sign of tribal or familial affiliation or signify accomplishments. But the Stalkers have no truck with gloryhounds. The Zaldrani are proud of their martial virtues, but their ballads and stories praise the cunning huntress who outmanoeuvres her foes and protects the clan, not the death-charging gloryhound or warmonger. To them war is a necessity one must be prepared for, but they do not glorify it. For in the icy North, total war often leaves the winner in a position as bad as that of the loser. Warriors gain prestige for using their brain, not senselessly getting themselves or their comrades killed. The Stalkers are very brave in battle, but also prudent. Broadly speaking, they seek trained warriors of higher than average intelligence, psychologically stable, and not easily scared.
The Zaldrani are not a secular people. Their life is steeped in spirituality, though it is tempered by a pragmatism necessitated by the harsh conditions of their homeland. They pray to the Great Goddess Kashara, but also to the Mother Snow who gave them a homeland and blessed the with an affinity for and resistance to the cold. The spirits have of the earth, sky, water and fire are also venerated, especially by Xioquo. Given their cultural heritage, the Stalkers are mystified by Jedi and Sith beliefs. This is typical for Qadiri in general.
Zari is not just their word for what humans call the Force, but also soul. They treat it as a power that comes from within them as a blessing from the Goddess. But they are not blind to the fact that it can be abused by unscrupulous individuals. Due to the communal nature of their society, Stalkers tend to be of a grey or lightsided alignment. Stalkers are taught to respect and honour the priestesses, who serve not only as a medium between the living and the divine, but also has teachers, lorekeepers, healers and, in the case of strife between clans, mediators.
Narkara Jai Barada is a female Qadiri shaman who helps keep the Stalkers organised and serves with them when they are summoned. While trained as a loreekeper, she is focused less on the lawkeeping and guidance side of things and more on being a warrior. Nonetheless, she has a very detailed memory of the history of the Zaldrani and the Stalkers. Her surname is the Zandri word for snowing. It is common for the priestesses to forsake their given clan and take this name upon completing their initiation. This is a sign that they are part of no tribe and must place the greater good over narrow tribal interests. Narkara rarely raises her voice, but is known to intimidate hardened war chieftains with a withering glance. She is also good at healing, including with mundane means. Force wise she summons mist for cover and is adept at shaping ice for fortifications and shelters.
Varkaro Jal Mankoor is a male Qadiri warrior who fought under Khandana Jai Bijana against the Xio. A quiet, calculating and modest man, he is a prize hunter and skilled at using his powers for stealth, hiding in icy water or among the ice. He uses his elemental abilities to deceive and undermine his foes before he strikes. Varkaro keeps snow in his mouth to keep his breath from being seen in the field and avoid giving away his position. During the war, he spent days in the field, taking food, weapons, ammo and whatever else he needed from the corpses of Xioquo he'd slain. He doesn't use a scope for the old-fashioned slugthrower rifle he acquired from the sky people because he finds that it presents a target due to the glint off the lens. Instead, he relies on the iron-sights on the rifle.
Xektil'Xhovas is female Xio escapee who was raised by the Zaldrani when she fled with her parents. Her family were slaves, but managed to flee when their ship ran aground. She tends to wear concealing clothes and has a reputation for night ambushes. She now wears sunglasses to protect herself from the glare when it is not dark. Her family name is a Xio term for snow, which reflects her exile status. She has had to deal with bigotry among the snow Qadiri, but also found acceptance. Mainstream Xioquo say she speaks Xio with an accent. Her spiritual beliefs are syncretistic, as she worships the Snow Mother, Kashara and the Xioquo spirits. The Xio has a millitant approach in combat - ice spikes, slicking the ground, etc.
COMBAT INFORMATION:
Unit Size: Small
Unit Availability: Rare
Unit Experience: Elite.
Equipment: Not something every soldier would carry, but a list of what's available. The hodgepodge nature of the equipment, with its mixture of archaic and somewhat modern, is a result of the decentralised nature of the Zaldrani, their low tech level. and the fact the Stalkers are a crack militia rather than a regular military unit. These factors make standardisation difficult. Firemane has helped them upgrade, but lacking an industrial manufacturing basis, they must procure modern equipment through barter trade or raids.
Armour
- For defences the Stalkers traditionally wear hide armour taken from the pelts of arctic creatures and reinforced by wood and bone. May be reinforced with blast vest, scavenged pieces of Stormtrooper or durasteel armour, as well as a helmet with standard equipment to protect against chemicals. Some Stalkers have acquired full Stormtrooper scout suits, or bits and pieces thereof. Sometimes carry small shields made of hide, wood and, in rarer cases, durasteel.
- Slugthrower Rifle
- Musket
- Verpine Shatter Rifle
- Bolt-Thrower
- J-301 Pulse-Wave Saboteur
- Harpoon-Gun, Harpoon.
- Outland Rifle (with optional scope).
- Graphite Bows or simplistic, standard bows
- BR-4 'Baleful Bantha' Blaster Rifle
- KV33 Pulse Cycler
- Magnetic Repeater
- Verpine Shatter Pistol
- Flintlock Pistol
- SH-9 Slugthrower Pistol
- ATA Pulse-Wave Blaster
- Magnetic Revolver
- Garrote, blades and long daggers, clubs, axes, multi-weapons, monofilament wire, Spears that can be used for stabbing or thrown at enemies. A few carry Force-Imbued Blades, but this is limited.
- Grenades, nets, ropes.
- Utility Belt. Climbing, digging tools.
- Poisons for arrows, blades etc. Silencers for slugthrowers.
- Xioquo members may wear sunglasses to protect from the glare, if concealing helmet is not available and they are not operating at night time.
- Kayak boats, skis and sleds.
- Speeder bikes are available to a limited degree, but fuel supply is an issue, which limits their availability.
Instead they will lay traps, carry out feints and pick off vulnerable patrols, supply convoys and high-value targets such as officers. The inclusion of Xioquo into their ranks has led to nighttime raids becoming part of their strategy, for the 'Dark Ones' have excellent nightvision and can see much further in the dark than humans without even needing the aid of technological gadgets. It helps that the Stalkers are not reliant on well-developed infrastructure or a long baggage train. It can be demoralising for an enemy when their patrols are picked off and in the morning they come across the dead, frozen corpses of their sentries, with no sign of who performed the deed. It is a mobile force, using less advanced but effective means of transportation such as kayaks, skis and sleds. Of course, this also limits their access to heavy weapons. Some of their formations have gained access to speeders, which increases their mobility, but fuel supply is an issue.
The Stalkers will aim to incorporate their Force abilities into an overall battle plan instead of indulging in uncoordinated lone wolf actions. Outside of the standard uses such as freezing foes or slowing them down, the Stalkers have some non-combat applications for their elemental shaping abilities. Melting ice for drinking without fire is one. Calming blizzards in a small area is another, or rousing them to hide from enemies. The ability to shape the ice is also helpful for constructing a barrier or a snow house as a shelter. It is good for hunting too if you can make the ice slippery under the feet of the prey they will be an easy target. Or if you can manipulate the ice covering a frozen river an enemy happens to be crossing. All Qadiri have inherent navigational talent that can be likened to a sort of internal compass. This helps the snow Qadiri find their way even under hazardous conditions, such as a storm or blizard.
Heavy-hitting, durable slugthrowers and blasters purchased from outside traders see increasingly widespread use, though alongside more archaic firearms such as muskets and breech-loading rifles. Ease of maintenance and reliability under arctic conditions is key for them because their weapons must still be able to work after being submerged in water or exposed to incredibly cold temperatures. The Stalkers will often make use of sharpshooters to eliminate high-value targets, or sneak up on an enemy under the cover of darkness or a blizzard to stage a surprise attack and knife or spear them to death. Should the Stalkers find themselves outmatched, they will stage a tactical retreat. Where possible, they will seek to goad an overconfident enemy into a trap.
The drawbacks of the Stalkers lie in their light armour, lack of standardisation of their equipment and difficulty acquiring heavy weapons. They forego heavy combat vehicles entirely. This puts them at a disadvantage against entrenched enemy fortifications, and armoured fighting vehicles. In such a situation they will have to outmanoeuvre or undermine a foe since they cannot storm an entrenched enemy position in a frontal assault using numerical superiority or heavy firepower. Depending on the situation, their elemental Force abilities can be useful in that regard.
Force Abilities (Force User Units Only): All Stalkers are Force-Sensitive warriors. They have a well-honed knack for ice and water shaping, as well as aspects of Alter Environment. This enables them to thrive in and harness the arctic cold as well as the water against their foes. The Stalkers are able to utilise telekinesis and its sub-applications, but in a minor fashion and they are not telekinetic powerhouses. Broadly speaking their use of it is focused on subtlety, and utility rather than raw carnage. Furthermore, they have potent Force Sense abilities such as Weather Sense and possess useful secondary powers such as breath control, Tapas and hibernation trance. With their command of tapas and cryomancy, they possess a remarkable ability to endure the most frigid temperatures, and even swim in bitter-cold waters without the need of special equipment. Unsurprisingly, they are unused to hot climes, and would be at a significant disadvantage in say a desert.
Strengths:
- Highly skilled light infantry and skirmishers. Precise, well-trained, stealthy and coordinated. Excel in arctic warfare. Very skilled, disciplined shooters.
- Tying in with their knack for cold weather warfare, their Force abilities give them an impressive aptitude for ice and water shaping.
- The Stalkers, like the Zaldrani as a whole, only have limited access to modern or heavy weapons. A lot of their stuff is old by galactic standard. Technology alone is not enough to win a battle, and they are masters of improvisation, but it means they will have to rely on guile, use of the environment and asymmetrical warfare against foes equipped with heavy weapons instead of engaging in pitched, frontline combat. It also has implications for siege warfare or going up against foes who use armoured fighting vehicles.
- Tying in with the above, they are lightly armoured and lack armoured fighting vehicles. It is a light infantry unit at heart.
The exact origins of the Zaldrani are a bit difficult to establish. Their clans are scattered across a very remote, sparsely populated region of Tygara. Moreover, they have an oral history. Over time, their origin stories have diverged radically. Two myths are particularly prominent though. The first postulates that there was a great battle at sea centuries ago between the Qadiri and Xio. As the Qadiri tell it their forces were being overwhelmed by their enemies as the Xio had come at night upon their anchorage. Suddenly a great wind and storm blew up and cast the Xio ships onto the rocks, but also shipwrecked many Qadiri. Whilst many survived and made their way home some decided to stay, taking the divine wind as an omen. They took the name Zaldrani after their leader; Zaldrana.
Another myth says that that after the defeat of Myrou, the 'goddess' of the Xioquo and the first of their kind, in ages past a company of Qadiri, warriors of Kashara, swore to watch over the north and defend it against the return of the Dark One. Their leader, also Zaldrana in this story, settled down in the northern lands - helped by a divine sun which melted the snows and provided one of their initial settlement areas in a bay. The blessed rays of the sun were equated with the goddess Kashara.
The more mundane and probably true story is that Qadiri settlers from the south headed north several thousand years ago, finding a home on the coasts free from the dominion of the queens of the south. A bitter climate prevailed in the Zagrasav Northlands. It was a hard, rugged life that bred a hard, resilient culture, but also a cooperative one that had little truck with self-destructive rivalries. Their society was built upon consensus and a harsh, but fair form of justice.
Common law, the harsh climate and scattered nature of the clans prevented the rise of a single hegemon. The Zaldrani became a people of hunters and fishers, who lived off the land, followed the game and often pursued a nomadic way of life. Inevitably, clans feuded over hunting grounds and fishing rights. Force-Sensitivity is more common among Qadiri than say humans, and so clans incorporated elemental warriors into the ranks of their warriors. A clan with sufficient critical mass would create special teams of Force-Users. These tended to be small because Zaldrani tribes are not that big, and it was often more practical to mix Force-Users and Non-Force-Users together so that each could benefit. Duels between champions was a way to resolve disputes and thereby contain the risk of escalation.
However, while the Zagrasav Northlands were very remote, they were not entirely isolated. It took over a millennia for the or the Xio to truly become known and it was around this time that the Zaldrani became known to them. However their lack of big settlements and low wealth made them a poor prospect for raiding. But there was a big expedition which struck during the long winter nights and managed to capture several hundred Zaldrani. This occured three and a half centiries before the present.
Even in this age, the Xio had superior technology. However, hydromancers from several tribes united, bringing what is commonly regarded as the progenitor of the of the Stalkers of the Frozen Wastes to being. The elemental shapers pooled their powers to increase the ice to trap the ships. As the Xio struggled to escape warriors crossed the ice, scaled up the ships and butchered the Xio. This served as a deterrent, though only a few hundred Xio were lost. Time moved on, but the memory of common cause remained, even though clans still feuded over honour and hunting grounds.
The Zaldrani had a highly decentralised system, so the Stalkers were not a permanent force. Rather they were a formation that came into being on an ad hoc basis. But over time this became a tradition, as part of unwritten common law. When an exceptionally harsh winter ravaged much of the Northlands, and Zaldrani had to migrate to survive, the best hydromancers of the clans were called upon to open up a frozen channel they needed. There were, of course, still feuds. Particularly bitter was an episode when a rivalry between two major clans spilled over into violence between the Stalkers. Rules were imposed to try and mitigate this, leading to a practice of duels between champions.
The southern Qadiri discovered their northern sisters when Markin Jal Vrobashir led an expedition in search of the Strait of Stones. Amikaron sent an expedition to the north but found the natives not worth the effort of enslaving. By and large, the Zaldrani left the southron traders and whalers alone, but raided them during winter time. However, there was also peaceful contact, with both parties trading. Trade plummeted due to the spread of infectious diseases carried by the southron Qadiri, since the Zaldrani possessed no immunity.
Taking this as a bad omen, many Zaldrani retreated into isolationism and parties of foreign explorers and whalers were attacked to drive them away. It did not help that many southrons viewed the Zaldrani as primitive. A minor Mirza wanted some glory so she led an expedition to hunt beasts and claim captives. However they came to grief in the icy wastes. The Zaldrani lured them in and then headed back and scuttled their boats, leaving the survivors to freeze. So instead of bringing back slaves the Mirza instead had to surrender and beg for mercy. She was given a keelboat and some of her people and set loose on the seas, never to be seen again. But for a long time thereafter the Stalkers were not called upon again. Their story faded into the realm of legend and oral history.
The Netherworld Event, as it is known to many in the galaxy, was a time of great distress for the Zaldrani. In some cases, entire camps were depleted of most of their able-bodied members, throwing many clans into a crisis. Some vanished entirely or were forced to merge. And soon they were menaced once more by the Xio, attracted by legends of riches buried in the ice. The Xio had set up a base in the arctic wastes. Their initial motivation for coming to the Northlands was a famed shipwreck carrying loot back from a previous campaign. A winter storm crashed it onto rocks near Zaldrani territory, but they had picked it clean. So the Xio wanted that back, along glory from defeating a new foe.
The sorceress leading the expedition hungered for glory. To this end she sought an artefact the Xio believed to be buried in the wastelands. From therir base they launched expeditions to search for artefacts and procure slaves who would be forced to perform heavy labour or brought to the Underealm. Lacking the more advanced technology of the Xioquo, the Zaldrani used guerrilla tactics. They could not match cannons, and steam-powered aircraft in open combat. Attempts to do so ended in bloody failure, costing many lives.
Many fleeing Zaldrani tribes were bombed from the sky. This conflict was the closest thing the weakened Zaldrani clans came to total war. Priestesses from several clans came together to mediate and pave the way for what became a martial tribal confederation. This led to the reconstitution of the Stalkers, which had not happened in a long time. Many camps were evacuated, and the Zaldrani left traps and food that had been laced with poison behind. This strategy slowed down the Xioquo and took a toll on their morale and numbers. Disillusionment caused some slave-soldiers to desert. They were far away from home, so resupply was difficult.
But it also affected the ice Qadiri, for it was a particularly cold winter. This meant that supplies were scarce and there was little game to hunt. Moreover, most of the able-bodied members of the clans had to be drafted to fight. Eventually it came to a battle. At significant expense, some Zaldrani clans had been able to purchase muskets from their southron sistren. The Xioquo's dark sorceresses used dark rites to summon a kraken. This had the effect of raising the Xioquo's fighting spirit. The Zaldrani learned of this threat from a deserter who had been the indentured servant of a Xioquo witch. His name was Xerl'Vare.
A Zaldrani warleader called Khandana Jai Bijana, a gifted hydromancer, sent Xerl'Vare back to tell Xioquo slave-soldiers and deserters that the Zaldrani did not want to murder them all. When battle was joined, the Stalkers used their abilities to get in close without being detected and ice the decks of a warship so unprepared Xioquo slipped. This provided an opening for their warriors. They used their water shaping to ruin the black powder the Xioquo used for their muskets and cannons.
But several Zaldrani warriors were lost to the Xioquo's primitive flamethrowers and naptha. The Stalkers countered with icy barriers and water to shield their comrades, but many fell to the fire and the gunfire from those Xioquo equipped with waterproof ammo by the end. Moreover, their weapons were overall superior, as it was iron and steel against bone, stone and hide, though the Zaldrani had been able to procure some muskets and iron weapons. Icy spikes were summoned from the depths to scythe Xioquo warriors.
Ultimately, it ended in a Zaldrani victory after they managed to kill the kraken and some Xio slave-soldiers deserted. Khandana struck the mortal blow, driving her lance through the beast's skull. It was not a glorious victory though. Many of their warriors had lost their lives to Xioquo rifles or been devoured by the great beast. Thus the aftermath was a solemn, somber affair. Victory had come at a staggering cost. This was why people on the fringes of civilisation never get involved in war to the same level. Raids, ambushes, sure. But an actual war crippled the winner as much as the loser. There was little time for a period of mourning. Winter was here.
The clans had stocked supplies, but with so many of their members being pulled away from hunting or growing things in order to fight, they had only been able to prepare so much. Moreover, the casualties sustained during the fight meant that there fewer experienced warriors who could hunt. Fighting broke out between clans. The crisis situation resulted in some of the stranded Xioquo being integrated into the clans. Khandan would accept Xioquo who had turned away from their slaving ways. This is not to say that the snow Qadiri forgave and forgot, but the struggle to survive the bitter winter superseded rivalries, though these did not vanish overnight.
Come summer, and the defectors proved helpful facilitating a retaliatory raid on a Xioquo slaver outpost in northern Ajustra. It was a surprise attack in the middle of summer, consisting of about fifty warriors. The snow Qadiri chose to strike during summertime because the sea lanes were open, and it gave them near twenty-four hours of sunlight to hurt the Xio. It was a brutal fight. The Zaldrani could not dislodge the Xio presence, but they slaughtered those of the 'Dark Ones' they came across and freed several of their people before the arrival of more modern Xio ships forced them to flee. This took place not long before the coming of Firemane and the Eldorai.
First contact consisted of Zaldrani rescuing crew members from a stranded Firemane vessel. The Zaldrani were wary of the newcomers, but friendly and there would eventually be some cross-training. A young neophyte ice shaper called Zhaleh Jai Bijana, daughter of the famous warleader, would in time join the Order of Fire to learn about the outside world. More recently, the Stalkers helped drive out a group of 'sky people' who had tried to deplete the stock of fish in their waters using big trawlers. The trawlers had killed some of the whale like creatures the Zaldrani relued on, but didn't use them, just left them to rot. This particularly outraged the Zaldrani. It was not only wasteful, but a spiritual offence. To make their displeasure known and teach the sky people a lesson, Zaldrani clans responded. A few Stalkers contributed by summoning a mist so their comrades could do their work. Zaldrani warriors skilled in swimming sabotaged the nets and boarded a trawler to ambush and disarm the guards and take crew members prisoner. Stalkers sabotaged engines by freezing them. Crucially, the Zaldrani did not harm the crew.
The businessmen who employed them sent Firemane a letter of protest about how it had failed to keep the natives from hindering economic development. Meanwhile, a bunch of members of the Stalkers received more modern guns and ammunition when the Fire Princess Elpsis Kerrigan decided to exercise her goddess-given right as a free, gun-owning citizen by depleting a private arsenal owned by her mother and donating the weapons to 'worthy causes', such as ice elves and far-left Tephriki exiles.
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