Jay C. Yan
While one could never hope to fully catalogue the diversity of this planet’s desert-crossing endeavours, this document provides an outline of common practice. It primarily focuses on basic structure and organization, with limited attention to internal culture, more varied and requiring more care than can be discussed with brevity.
The Van
Ranging ahead of the convoy, the Van is usually small, as little as a single vehicle or scout on foot. Pathfinders and surveyors, the Van tests the terrain with sensors and their own hide to ensure safe passage for the rest of the convoy. Without them, it would be far too easy for an entire convoy to be lost to a buried white sand deposit or sinkhole, or simply lose the route. Ground penetrating radar/sonar suites scan for white sand, unstable ground, and similar buried threats, while the crew use eyes, ears, and intuition to look out for other dangers. Arms and limited armor are also common in more violent areas; canny ambushes are often only found by sticking your nose in them, and it’s good to have some firepower to brandish when negotiating passage with bandits or local warlords. Medium vehicles, such as Camels or literal vans, dominate, possessing the capacity to operate independently and carry all the necessary equipment, without the ponderous weight of a Long Runner. They are otherwise kept fairly light for their size, often with aftermarket kits and larger tires to improve all-terrain capability. Despite physically leading the group, this is rarely a position for people high on the social ladder. It does not tolerate distraction. However, many a convoy leader or respected elder has experience in the Van, which demands and vindicates trust like nothing else.
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