D'Shar Windriders

The D'Shar Windriders are the honor guard of the D'Shar, summed up in two words: lightning fast. They combine the swordsmanship of Ghazi Reavers with the deadly accuracy and speed of D'Shar Ghazi Stalker; the only difference is that they do both things better.

Unlike other Orders, these light horsemen ride agile D'Shar Armored Hunters to battle, some even have the feared Desert War Horse. They wield heavy sabers and scimitars into battle, wear light, yet very protective armor, and some of them are armed with light lances, the rest with the powerful Hornbow with Ghazi Arrows. Some are fast horse archers, allowing them to maneuver between infantry and cavalry easily, while engaging them from range. These riders are any soldier's worst fear on an open battlefield. Their lances can easily pierce through a Barclay Infantry's plate armor in an open terrain. Even when dismounted, they wield the signature D'Shar Scimitars with unnaturally fast speed and power.

Dustriders are an improved version of the D'Shar Ghazi Reaver, with better throwing weapons (these being Assassin Throwing Knives), better melee weapons and better armor set. These, alike the Reavers, don't have guaranteed throwing weapons, meaning they may have them or they may not. They don't have lances like the Windriders may do, meaning their charge is less effective, but their Scimitars will inflict heavy damage in close fights, making them more efficient in sieges.

Game info

Joining the D'Shar Windriders requires 500 renown, 10 honor and neutral or positive relations with the Order. A chapter already exists in Torbah, and there is a 20% chance of a chapter existing in Nal Tar.

They are The D'Shar Principalities's Factional Order, meaning to create a chapter of the Windriders, the player needs to belong to the D'Shar culture or create the chapter in Torbah, as well as 25,000 denars, 10 Honor and wary (-10) or better relations with the order. Creating a chapter of this order will lower by 20 relations with D'Shar Raiders and Inquisition (Order's rivals).

D'Shar Windriders are trained from D'Shar Noble Cavalry. D'Shar Dustriders are usually the sons of the prestigious Windriders who are granted the privilege of joining the Order at an earlier age. They are trained from D'Shar Ghazi Reaver.

They start being neutral to the player (0 relation).

They are allies of The D'Shar Principalities, whilst they're in odds with the other 4 Factional Orders, the Order of the Griffon and the Order of the Kraken Cultists, as well as the Hateful factions.

Changes from 3.8.4

Order

• Price to found a chapter of their order raised from 20,000 to 25,000
• They have now a traveling knight, thus a knight may be seen in taverns and asked about their story. Can also be asked if in party
• Adventurer Companies changed to Inquisition as rival of the Order (the other being D'Shar Raiders)

Knight

• Level raised from 40 to 47
• Prestige cost raised by x1.1.
• Leather Gloves upgraded to Dark Leather Gloves (3 to 5 body armor)
• Splinted Greaves upgraded to D'Shar Splinted Greaves (28 to 33 leg armor)
• D'Shar Sabre changed for D'Shar Scimitar (will now have this one and D'Shar Heavy Sabre, as well as the Light Lance)
• Removed D'Shar Superior Arrows (now will always have the better Ghazi Arrows)
• They were added many D'Shar Armored Hunters to reduce the amount of knights having the other option, the Desert War Horse

Windrider in 3.8.4

Windrider in 3.9

Sergeant

• Now upgrades from D'Shar Ghazi Reaver instead of D'Shar Raider
• Melee and Throwing Proficiencies raised from 250 to 290
• Gained 1 point in every skill (7-6-6-6 template from 6-5-5-5)
• Mail Mittens upgraded to Lamellar Gauntlets
• Dark Leather Boots upgraded to D'Shar Brass Plated Boots
• D'Shar Sabre removed (will now always use D'Shar Scimitar, that is better)
• D'Shar Elite armor changed to Dustrider Armor

Dustrider in 3.8.4

Dustrider in 3.9

Tavern Conversation

Player: Swift rider of the desert, what can you tell me of your famous order?

Windrider: Good day to you traveler, the blowing winds bring you to this lowly tavern as they did for I? -Chuckles- I am indeed a Windrider, representative of the strongest the D'Shar nobility have to offer. Our horses have been bred to cover the vast desert in record time and to maintain composure when fighting on the slopes of the towering dunes against all enemies. Believe it or not we were once a sect of assassins born from a similar cloth like the brotherhood of Scorpion Assassins. Just so happens through many generations that we became more like the great enemies we fought with horse, armor and steel.

Player: You were all assassins at one time? How did that work with The Scorpion Assassins?

Windrider: When it came to fruition that the Scorpion Assassins have been acting as a household guard for a tribal chief after the death of the Royal Pendor family, our order was conceived. Caliph Itsaf Xer was afraid that he was to be killed by the aspiring and future Khan. Our order were the counter-measure to the numerous assassinations that came from the Scorpions. They thwarted many attempts against the Caliph and his family. But instead of being outed like Household guards, the orders were to blend in and make themselves scare, like the desert wind. The Caliph continued having his order thwart assassinations made against him to the point where retaliation was warranted. The Windriders made their way into the now powerful city-camp of the Scorpion Assassins and with complete success. They didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to attempt it, so it was never considered. 

Player: So what happened that night?

Windrider: The Windriders made their way through the city and entered the chiefs tent killing all his unsuspecting guards. They had him surrounded and were ready to strike him. But he laughed at the men whose blades were pointed to him and his harem. He quickly glanced to the men who hung from the roof as they descended down and disarmed the Windriders. Instead of killing them, he offered them something they did not expect. A sit-down with Itsaf himself. With their release, a place was set and the two leaders met and concluded an alliance. Itsaf was granted rank of marshal and supported the aspiring Khan. The stipulation was that Itsaf could not claim the right to Khan and that the Windriders either be disband or removed from any kind of service to stealth and secrecy. The later was taken. Slowly the order got into skirmishes against other cultures and adopted similar fighting techniques to their heavy knights and the rest is history or another story entirely. 

Player: Thank you for sharing history of your order. It was nice to learn more.

Trivia

• Sheik Shalavan (70-120) fields a large number of Windriders in his army
• Kadan Bahadur Khan has Windriders as his Household troop
• Kalandar Khan has Dustriders as his Household troop
• They are D'Shar's factional order, meaning any vassal recruiting D'Shar troops will recruit a few Windriders later on