It must be said that of all the unsavory characters a young noble might encounter on the frontier, the low-born scavenger presents the least threat, apart from their relentless assault upon the olfactory senses. Indeed, the scavenger closely resembles his filth and sweat-besotted urban cousin, the begger, but for the fact that scavengers cannot be dispelled with the toss of a few coins and a quick dash!

Much like other carrion feeders that subsist on the bones of war, the scavenger tends to follow in the wake of conflict, ever calculating the misfortune of others so they might harvest whatever flaming bounty falls from the sky.

Fortunately, scavengers are not Imperial subjects, so they may be slaughtered at will. Certainly, it's good practice for all young nobles to kill a scavenger or two when first arriving upon the frontier. This allows the novice adventurer to become better acquainted with their armament and keeps the local population in check.

If scavengers occupy the lowest rung of the regional bandit hierarchy, the Kirab must be seen as the next most dangerous faction in the local ecosystem of villainy—although "dangerous" is relative. The Kirab are no better trained or equipped than the typical scavenger.

But what the Kirab lack in expertise and trappings, they make up for with an aggressive entitlement towards any and everything they can take by force. It is recommended that unaccompanied young lords avoid contact with the Kirab until they have mastered the first seven forms of blade-fighting and demonstrated basic competency with firearms.

Much like fifth and sixth daughters of marrying age, the Kirab operate in packs and exhibit a similar ferocity and desperation to claim their prey. But unlike surplus daughters, the elimination of Kirab is permitted and, in fact, highly encouraged. Scalps bearing recognizable Kirab markings are gaining popularity as keepsakes and conversation starters among adventurous young nobles.

The debate over the legitimacy of slavers as targets has practical considerations on both sides. While it's generally deemed bad form to assassinate writ-bearing agents of the slave trade, accurate target identification is a rare luxury on the battlefield.

It goes without saying the life of a highborn must always outweigh that of the common slaver. Certainly, when the position is reversed, the slaver does not hesitate to enchain or murder a young noble in the badlands.

At the time of publication, political pressures surrounding the protracted Neo-Carthag project, have forced slavers to significantly increase their headcounts. Therefore, it is this guide's firm recommendation that unaccompanied young lords must always shoot first and only identify their target after the smoke has cleared. One can always breed or hire more faceless brutes to wrangle maula, but our noble youth must be protected and cherished as the future of the Imperium.

Beyond the House Troopers actively engaged in the ongoing War of Assassins between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, deserters from that war are among the most dangerous and desperate villains haunting the arid landscapes of Arrakis.

While these renegades are relentlessly hunted by their former military formations and rarely leave hiding, it’s important to recognize that even the lowest deserter possesses basic training in combat and ambush tactics. More seasoned veterans may have even fled from the officer ranks of their former Great Houses and possess advanced training as swordsmen or hand-gunners.

Unfortunately, their reputation as battle-hardened fighters has only increased the appeal of deserters as targets for the trophy-taking set. Scrapbooks of dried-skin swatches with military ink and severed ring fingers have become increasingly popular with collectors.

However, as tempting as these trophies may seem, we strongly advise inexperienced or unaccompanied young adventurers to steer clear of grabens and other dark places without gunship or heavy-weapon support.