The Armies of the Sands

There exists a legend, or rather, more like a phenomenon. Various sources claim this to be real, others deny it as myth. Few people decide to cross through deserts; the ones who do are either desperate to get through, are trying to escape pursuit, or simply are fools, who think the sands will be easy to traverse. In the end, only a combination of a quick mount and a small desert to cross can save a man from it's dangerous climate. But, among the sand, the heat of day, and the cold of night, as legend goes, you are always being watched. The stories of people who allegedly crossed the desert go like this: During the day, just on the horizon, a seemingly endless line of humanoid shapes dressed in clothes in the color of sand, with only the eyes visible. During the night, a feeling of being watched and the sand stirring beneath you as you attempt to sleep. Many have claimed to be ambushed by these sand warriors, and claimed to have survived, escaped or even beat them back and forced them to retreat. They are all said to look the same, some with shields, some without. Some are unarmed, some with curved swords, spears of bone, bows and arrows, and some even say that they used firearms as well. Nobody has yet to provide a believable explanation as to how they got their weapons, where they came from, how they're never seen outside the desert, and how they survive away from the occasional oasis, and many other things. These figures are shrouded in mystery, but there is evidence of their existence in almost every desert of Noliterre. The skeletons of humans, elves, dwarves and giants litter the sands everywhere the same. This legend has deterred many from entering the deserts, but most journeys are without incident or sighting of these sand armies.