The Bichu

The Bichu are almost a rumor. The few that have been encountered have been found in the eastern The Red Sands near the hills that separate the desert from the Horse Clans, but that seems to only be their summer homes, and for the rest of the year the live out in the dunes.
According to stories collected by Ragnfred Harfoot, who lived with a Horse Clan for a while near the Red Sands, the Bichu are a nomadic people that are very matriarchal. They have a queen who is revered, worshipped even, but very rarely seen, and the leaders of the smaller units are always female. It is said that those that lay their eyes on the Queen are forever transformed into her loyal servants. The males of the groups that have interacted with the Horse Clans are very deferential to their females, and quick to grow angry and start fighting if a female is mis-treated, or insulted.  This, of course has led to a number of clashes with the Horse Clans, who look upon non-Clan females as property to be stolen.
It was also reported that the Bichu have the ability to call forth monsters such as Sand Snakes or giant scorpions to fight with them, and that these giant scorpions are often ridden into combat. The Horse Clans decided long ago to not encroach onto the Bichu's lands as they Bichu always seem to win when combat is engaged in. This makes the Bichu the only enemy that the Horse Clans avoid.
It is unclear how the Bichu survive in the The Red Sands, although there are some goats in the hills of their summer camps, there doesn't seem to be enough to survive on, and perhaps they have not, as the Horse Clans have not seen any Bichu in many years.