Northern Rangers

The Northern Rangers are a culture of nomadic horsemen in the Whispy Woods, living mainly in the North (with some stationed in the West).

Culture
The rangers of the north were a tall, strong people, perfectly accustomed to their chosen profession. The men were large, husky, and handsome, while the women were particularly beautiful. Both men and women typically wear leather garb and fur cloaks. However, when visiting the kingdoms, the rangers wear rich fabrics and sweet perfumes. They were conservative and fiercely independent, remaining within their own language and culture. They prized their horses more than anything, and their entire culture was based around them. They had few cities, but lived in many villages on the plains of the north, and some in the west.

In keeping with the spirit of their independence, women are welcome to take up arms and fight alongside men. Such women are called horse maidens, and are known to be every bit as ferocious as their male counterparts.

The rangers wield spears and round shields, sometimes using throwing spears and crossbows. They use guerrilla tactics and have a mastery of their difficult terrain. They also use bronze-banded warhorns to warn each other about encroaching enemies. As light cavalry, their attacks are extremely fast and deadly, but they are vulnerable to archers and on the ground they are less effective against armored infantry despite their speed. However, they seldom attack on foot except for individual combat, so they usually retain the advantage. Being accustomed to riding horses every entire day, rangers walk with a bandy-legged gait on the ground.