#redsands

The Redsands are Velociraptor mongoliensis, as are a staggering majority of packs that roam (or roamed) the Gobi. They reside in a canyon carved by an ancient, long-gone river from ruddy sandstone, though as a ruthlessly expansionist society, their territory spans red dunes and forbidding cracked-earth plains. Their territory is punishingly hot and arid, more so than usual, and so the raptors lack the thick, insulating plumage of their highland cousins. The Redsands in particular have feathery coats that are marginally thinner than those of other V. mongoliensis packs, though this has not done anything to lessen their full covering of avian plumes.

The feathers of the Redsands closely resemble their habitat. Reds, browns, tawny, and sandy tones are most common, typically accompanied by stripes and speckles. A male's display feathers are commonly red, though recessive blue primaries have been known to show up in some—Kaire, for example. This trait is not seen as very desirable due to how blue sticks out so prominently against the shifting sands.

Redsands females are, like their sisters to the crags of the east, duller than males. They also tend toward the darker side as far as their plumage goes, which makes them valuable assets in any nocturnal ambush. They are somewhat larger than males and possess more down beneath their surface feathers for the purpose of insulating eggs. The communal nesting practices of the Redsands, however, mean males will occasionally be subjected to brooding responsibilities as well.

Sexual dimorphism is not as prevalent in the Redsands and neighboring packs as it is in the Skyrunners. Males are generally dull as well, though they can be picked out by their flashy primaries, tails, and occasional bright markings. They are generally leaner, smaller, and more socially oriented than females, which has led them to overwhelmingly gravitate toward the “hunter” rank.

The Redsands operate by a strict social hierarchy:

Eyes: Two Eyes exist, the Eye of the Field and the Eye of the Hunt. The name of the rank is derived from the concept that these two raptors are tasked with vigilantly watching over their packmates and overseeing daily responsibilities to ensure they are carried out as smoothly as possible. It is the highest rank, and one Eye is elected from the ranks of each standard position (below). They are meant to respesent the interests of these lower ranks and are re-elected every Rain—a unit of time equivalent to thirty moons (about 2 1/2 years).

The Eye of the Field is chosen by the sharpclaws and oversees guard rotations, patrols, battle strategy, and wartime affairs. Deals with interpack relationships and is considered the final authority when it comes to declaring war. Manages proxies, raptors who govern faraway conquered packs in place of the Eyes.

The Eye of the Hunt is chosen by the hunters and oversees the organization of hunting parties, the drawing of borders, the food supply, and domestic affairs. Can declare states of emergency and has the authority to withdraw war parties if the situation back at home is too dire to spare warriors.

The decorative “paint” they wear is donned only on formal occasions, as it is produced by wetting clay. Since water is scarce, it is an inconvenience to make.

Hunter: Pretty self-explanatory. They hunt. Primarily male, as males have the suitable build and social flexibility for the task.

Sharpclaw: Warriors, soldiers, whatever you’d like to call them. Duties range from camp- and nest-guarding to patrols to full-out battle. Traditionally often female. Males have been increasingly accepted into their ranks as the war against the Skyrunners grows more intense, to the point where about half can be counted as male.

Firstclaw: Fledglings in the process of being educated in the ways of the pack; hunting, battle tactics, culture, laws, and so on. Their education is a communal effort. It takes a full rain or until they have physically matured to rise to either hunter or sharpclaw; while firstclaws will have some say in which rank they would rather assume, it is ultimately up to the Eyes representing those respective ranks (firstclaws are promoted just prior to the cycling out of the previous Eyes and the election of new ones).

Fledgling: Raptor chicks capable of taking care of themselves but not yet old enough to begin training. Affectionately called keiri-ki, “little wings,” in archaic raptorspeak.

ArtFight reference for my story’s antagonist, sacrificed to the empty void as always.

A genocidal desert warlord wracked by dangerous ambition and megalomania, convinced that every corner of the known world is his for the taking. Currently threatens the entire political structure of the Redsands Pack and revels in the shakeup he's created. Though he rules with bared teeth and bloody claws, Larys’ reign of terror put an end to the petty civil wars started and fought by rival Eyes and their incensed political factions. (The Eyes are co-leaders of the Redsands, each elected from one of each respective rank—hunter or sharpclaw.)

He’s basically Julius Caesar or Genghis Khan in a raptor fursuit.

He was formerly friends with Kaire, but now only uses him to fulfill his own personal agenda. Kaire knows this and feels rather betrayed, but dares not break away from Larys—being an advisor to the desert’s most powerful raptor comes with benefits, no matter how reluctantly the job is carried out.

ArtFight reference for another character.

Ambitious and egotistical, Sisera is not a likable raptor. She is named, as per Redsands tradition, for the dark-plumed Sisera the Black, a legendary figure in raptorian lore for her role in bringing the quasi-deific figure “Raseac”—also known as the Stareater after his vain attempt to conquer the heavens—under control. Despite her silver tongue and vulpine cunning, Sisera is cursed with an arrogance and contempt for life that eclipses even that of Larys. She denounces Larys with a self-righteous pomposity that even those who agree with her can’t stand.

ArtFight reference sheet for Kaire, protagonist of The Sands Reclaim. Kaire is a perpetually nervous Velociraptor born to two of the most influential raptors in the Redsands pack. Since the beginning, he’s had to shoulder the burden of following in his parents’ footsteps—and turning the other cheek when he failed to meet their level of success in almost everything he did.

Lost in the Red Sands of Namibia | Exploring Africa’s Most Majestic Desert

Description

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If you love desert landscapes, photography locations, and epic natural scenery, this video is for you.

Laserwaffe kann auch halbe Tonne abschießen

Reagans StarWars Träume realistisch?

In den 80-iger Jahren versprach US Präsident Ronals Reagan die USA mit einem Raketenabwehrschirm vor jedem Angriff von außen zu schützen. Vor wenigen Wochen haben sich solche Systeme bei der fast vollständigen Abwehr vor anfliegenden Drohnen und Raketen in Israel bewährt. Nun behauptet Boeing mit einer kompakten und mobilen Laser-Waffe auch größere Gruppe-3-Drohnen abschießen zu können.

Der militärische Vorteil liegt auf der Hand, statt mit Iris-T oder Patriot ca. 50.000 $ teure Raketen zu starten, um damit Drohnen für einige Hundert $ abzuschießen, muss man "nur" einen leistungsstarken Laserstrahl an- und wieder abzuschalten.

Im U.S. Army Red Sands Experimental Center in Saudi-Arabien hat Boeing sein integriertes Waffensystem Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) an unterschiedlichen Drohnen getestet. Das System soll auch an größeren Drohnen der Gruppe 3 erfolgreich gewesen sein. Das sind Drohnen, die ein Startgewicht von bis zu 600 kg aufweisen und bis zu 460 km/h schnell fliegen können, schreibt Heise.de.

Allerdings ist die Reichweite des CLWS mit Entfernungen zwischen 200 und 2500 m noch gering. Nur in diesen Abständen ist der Laser stark genug, um die Drohnen mechanisch so zu beschädigen, dass sie abstürzen.

Für "Freunde der KI" noch ein Satz aus der Erklärung von Boeing: "Das CLWS visierte das vorgegebene Ziel automatisch an und beschoss die Drohnen mit dem Laser." Lediglich zum Aufbau des Systems werden noch zwei Boeing-Ingenieure benötigt ...

Für den Notfall ist hoffentlich noch ein Boeing-Ingenieur vorgesehen, der dem System den Strom abstellt, wenn es plötzlich auf andere Gegenstände schießt ...

Mehr dazu bei https://www.heise.de/news/Boeing-testet-5-kW-Laser-Waffe-erfolgreich-gegen-grosse-Drohnen-9981845.html

Laserwaffe kann auch halbe Tonne abschießen

Reagans StarWars Träume realistisch?

In den 80-iger Jahren versprach US Präsident Ronals Reagan die USA mit einem Raketenabwehrschirm vor jedem Angriff von außen zu schützen. Vor wenigen Wochen haben sich solche Systeme bei der fast vollständigen Abwehr vor anfliegenden Drohnen und Raketen in Israel bewährt. Nun behauptet Boeing mit einer kompakten und mobilen Laser-Waffe auch größere Gruppe-3-Drohnen abschießen zu können.

Der militärische Vorteil liegt auf der Hand, statt mit Iris-T oder Patriot ca. 50.000 $ teure Raketen zu starten, um damit Drohnen für einige Hundert $ abzuschießen, muss man "nur" einen leistungsstarken Laserstrahl an- und wieder abzuschalten.

Im U.S. Army Red Sands Experimental Center in Saudi-Arabien hat Boeing sein integriertes Waffensystem Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) an unterschiedlichen Drohnen getestet. Das System soll auch an größeren Drohnen der Gruppe 3 erfolgreich gewesen sein. Das sind Drohnen, die ein Startgewicht von bis zu 600 kg aufweisen und bis zu 460 km/h schnell fliegen können, schreibt Heise.de.

Allerdings ist die Reichweite des CLWS mit Entfernungen zwischen 200 und 2500 m noch gering. Nur in diesen Abständen ist der Laser stark genug, um die Drohnen mechanisch so zu beschädigen, dass sie abstürzen.

Für "Freunde der KI" noch ein Satz aus der Erklärung von Boeing: "Das CLWS visierte das vorgegebene Ziel automatisch an und beschoss die Drohnen mit dem Laser." Lediglich zum Aufbau des Systems werden noch zwei Boeing-Ingenieure benötigt ...

Für den Notfall ist hoffentlich noch ein Boeing-Ingenieur vorgesehen, der dem System den Strom abstellt, wenn es plötzlich auf andere Gegenstände schießt ...

Mehr dazu bei https://www.heise.de/news/Boeing-testet-5-kW-Laser-Waffe-erfolgreich-gegen-grosse-Drohnen-9981845.html