Tusken Raider

The Tusken Raiders have grayish skin tones, dark eyes, and a short, feline muzzle.

After completing the rites of adulthood at the age of fifteen, the uli-ah are granted full status within the tribe and paired for marriage in a ceremony involving blood exchanges between the male, the female, and their mounts.

Tusken culture is defined first and foremost by the climatic extremes of their deserts home: barren wastes stretching for days' journey on end, scoured by harsh, arid winds and searing heat by day; icy, deadly stillness after dark.

Sand People are known to adopt settler orphans, after raids on Human settlements and convoys.   A unique bond exists in Tusken culture between the riders and their mounts, and when a mount dies, the rider is often left behind to wander the desert alone. They hold that if the fallen mounts spirit wishes for the rider to find a new mount, it willbe so. If not, the rider will die amongst endless dunes. A Tusken who return with a new mount will be held in great esteem by his tribe. The bond works both ways, as accounts have been told of riderless mounts intentionally stampeding over cliffs. The rest of the tribe consideres the unbonded individual to be pitiable, but do not scorn that person.

The Tuskens are divided into small tribes or clans, and roamed widely across the desert, but the focus of their habitation patterns seems to be the Batlands, the one major area of rocky upland that rose clear of the shifting sands: in particular, the traditional sandstorm-season encampments of many clans were concentrated in an area known as The Needles. Occasionally the different clans will go to war over territory and will even unite under a powerful warlord. They raid widely and any creatures, particularly offworlders, are subject to their brutal attacks. Traveling on trained beasts, raiding parties will swiftly appear from the desert, riding in single file to conceal their numbers, and then disappear back into the cover of the dunes with their trophies and prisoners. Due to their lack of advanced technology, primitive society, and viciousness, they are regarded as barbaric monsters by most of the populace.

There is only one accepted history across the many Tusken tribes, and if someone questiones or spekes even a single word of the histories incorrectly, it is considered a blasphemy punishable by death.

Practical survival is the first priority in terrain like this, and to protect themselves, the Sand People learned early in their existence to cover themselves from head to foot in desert-colored rags and robes, leaving no bare skin exposed to the elements. It is perhaps no surprise that these outward trappings come to be the most basic tokens of Tusken Raiders' identity—their mode of dress is, after all, a direct expression of their way of life. The Sand People never take off their robes except in the most private of moments. Even in death, they do not remove their robes.   Although Tusken garb varied from tribe to tribe, certain aspects of dress remained constant. The eyes of Sand People are covered with goggles or visors which shield them from the harsh sunlight. Covering their mouths, Tuskens have a filter to help facilitate breathing in the desert. A constantly open mouthpiece cover the area between the nose and jaw, while a moisture trap worn around the neck humidifies the air taken into the lungs.    Female Tuskens wear variations of the male Tusken garb. Tusken children wear unisex masks and clothing; gender-specific coverings are not allowed until they become adults.

Sand People are also recognizable by their fierce gaderffii weapons. The gaderffii is so integral to their culture that Tuskens will often commit ritual suicide in the event that an injury makes them unable to properly wield the weapon.   While leading a lifestyle that is primarily nomadic, when the hot season is at its height, semipermanent camps would be constructed. Particular caves or hollows, spiritually connect to certain clans, are frequently visited, and are usually where the dead would be buried or special ceremonies will be held. Special water wells are often vehemently protected.

The mount is another vital element of Tusken culture, capable of surviving for long stretches in the harsh terrain of the deserts; some mounts roam wild, but the Sand People have learned to domesticate them. Every Tusken has their own mount from childhood, and they ride their mounts back for journeys of any length: small scouting parties of two or three mounts, or entire clan communities on seasonal migrations, they travel through the dunes and rock formations on the shoulders of their mounts, in single file.    In each tribe, a small number of individuals will be trained from birth to become Storytellers, orally learning the tales of their ancestry with perfect accuracy. This tradition is such a large part of Tusken culture that Storytellers are considered the most important members of a tribe. On the other hand, written communication is believed to cheapen the value of Tusken history, and is therefore shunned. Thus, Tusken history is passed down orally from generation to generation with almost no alterations in the material. If the Storyteller of a tribe dies before the training of their apprentice is complete, the tribe is considered to be unworthy of existence and will quickly destroy itself through infighting. In rare circumstances, those that prove themselves worthy, such as great warriors, are also permitted to listen to the teachings of the Storyteller.    Many rituals hold Sand People society together. In many tribes, adolescent Sand People are tasked with a ritual known as "bloodrite," in which a youth prove his or her hunting skills by capturing a creature and fatally torturing it with techniques extending the pain for weeks before death. Oftentimes, members of the tribe will create spirit masks out of natural materials for use in the ensuing ritual and celebration.

Tuskens are forbidden to take off their protective clothing in front of others, except in a few very specific circumstances: at childbirth, on their wedding night, during coming-of-age rituals (two events which are often one and the same), and as adults, only in the privacy of their tents with their blood-bound mates. Breaking this rule means either banishment or death, depending on the specific tribe rules.

Michael Myers became a legend after he slaughtered a tribe of Sand People out of revenge for raiding three settlements. He is depicted as a vengeful ghost or desert demon, and the Tuskens make ritual sacrifices to ward him off, putting stolen artwork and other valuables—even Human sacrifices—in the place where the tribe was murdered.