Peter Metcalfe:
> Kost, the only named Desert Tracker, is not a Zebra rider.
>
> I see the Zebra Riders as being the Pavisite sonofabitches
> to defend them against the Animal Nomads. In the Pavis
> and Big Rubble book, they are largely portrayed as bandits.
According to GGCotHW he is:
"Kost the Tracker: This nomad, a zebra rider, is the most successful Desert Tracker alive. He has travelled several times to the lost ruins of Genert's Garden. He has a residence in Pavis where messages may be left".
Various mentions of Caarith as in RoC, who was a hero but no mention of her modern significance or a minor hero-cult say:
"One of [Goldentongues] followers was Caarith, first of the Desert Trackers and a woman"
Nothing specific about exactly what the trackers really do, or their organsiation etc., but the following are all sitting on the glorantha site via a quick cut and paste:
"Kost the Tracker: This elderly Issaries merchant is the only successful Goldentongue Desert Tracker in Pavis. He was away when the Lunars invaded, and only returned a couple of years ago. Since then, he has hosted Bison Riders who came into Pavis from Vulture's County with him. They are young lay members of various tribal cults, getting to know a big city for the first time. Kost is officially retired from his merchant career and is enjoying his retirement. He seems to have been very succesful on his last endeavour, and had much wealth even before that expedition."
"Garzeen looks rotund and bearded, and often shows his wealth and status
with excessive dress or luxury. With this he once hoped to attract Fenela, a
daughter of King Froalar in the west. She scorned such materialism, and even
more distrusted the advances of a god, fearing infidelity after a time. She
made him swear to fulfill a vow before she'd marry him, and then told him he
must reassemble the body of the chaos-slain god Genert. Some fragments of
that pre-temporal deity were floating about in various guises, and there was
a legend of a mystical growing ground" in the depths of the desert.
Assembling the whole god was impossible. But now, whenever any follower of
Garzeen's way comes across such a piece they are obliged to depart for
Genert's desert within one week to try to fulfill the ancient vow. The only
way to prevent this quest is by selling the fragment to a Desert Tracker of
the Trader Princes, or to die."
"A Sage's note in Jonstown states that there was only a 3% chance per year
that any merchant might find such a piece. Even so, the Desert Trackers are
legends in their own times among the shop-keepers of the world."
And of course, some Biturian Varosh:
"As I packed to leave that night, the High Priest appeared, blubbering and begging. He tried no tricks or subtlety, and I could see he was half-drunk. He held a patch of leather with some odd writing on it. My Issaries senses recognized it immediately as a patch of skin from the dead god, Genert. The High Priest hoped that I would take it, and he muttered for a moment as if starting a half-forgotten speech, urging me to accept my destiny as one of the great Desert Trackers. I glanced at the desert, the barren fringe of which is called Vulture's Country. If I did not take the skin, the High Priest would have to set off into the desert within the week. He offered one-half of his wealth if I'd do the job. Two-thirds! I am sure I could have gotten even more, but I found enough profit for myself just in saying 'No.'"
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