Racial Motifs 28 : Ra Gada Content . By Lady Cinnabar of Taneth The Ra Gada or " Warrior Wave " of settlers from Yokuda actually occurred in four successive waves in the First Era ' s ninth century . This catalogue focuses on the second , or " Tavan " wave , so - called because it was spearheaded by the Hattu Metropoles brigade , which revered holy Tava , Lady of the Air . Thus the Tavans ' arms and armor are replete with bird imagery . This second wave primarily settled on the southern coast of Hammerfell , and almost three millennia later their structures can still be found jutting from the coastal dunes . And one doesn ' t have to look far to see the influence of these ancient settlers on modern Redguard society . AXES Axe - wielders among the Tavans were taught with an emphasis on the " Singular Cleave " attack , intended to cleave a target in twain with a single blow . That ' s why these Ra Gada axes feature one large , heavy blade . BELTS The belt is the central cincture of a much broader girdle , which provided an extra layer of protection to the Ra Gada ' s abdomen and lower back . The large , round buckle is embossed with air - current symbols . BOOTS Ra Gadan boots are cobbled from heavy leather , usually camel hide , with thick soles as insulation against hot sand and stones . The traditional turned - up toes conceal metal caps to protect the soldier ' s vulnerable feet . BOWS Aggressively avian in design , the bow of the Ra Gada is faced with two brazen ibis - heads that can be employed as parrying edges in the heat of melee . It ' s a compound bow , and the entire front is faced with horn , often painted a metallic color . CHEST PIECES The Ra Gada were sword - fighters , and their cuirasses were solid and sturdy to enable their wearers to withstand blows in close melee . They are covered with swirling air - current symbols , and most feature the distinctive Tavan bird - wing back banners . DAGGERS The daggers of the Tavan Ra Gada echo the scimitar - like curve of the second - wave sword blades . The Tavans didn ' t use daggers for parrying , preferring to use shields on their off - arms , so their daggers lack crossguards . They are , however , weighted for throwing . GLOVES Ra Gada warriors , particularly those wielding two - handed weapons , were trained to parry with their heavily - armored forearms rather than with their weapons ' crossguards . Their gloves , therefore , are basically reinforced upper gauntlets that leave the fingers free for deft weapon manipulation . HELMETS The Tavan Redguards ' headgear was typically a turban wound around a sturdy steel cap , usually embossed with the near - universal wind - current symbols . Most of the face was concealed by mouth and cheek guards , as much to intimidate foes as to keep out blowing dust and sand . LEG GREAVES Stiff and sturdy armor to protect the front of the lower legs was standard gear for the second - wave Ra Gada , echoing the form and function of the reinforced gauntlets on the forearms . Layers of heavy hide covered the back of the calves . MACES Ra Gada maces were made to deal with well - armored opponents , their heads heavy and spiked for crushing and puncturing their targets . The weight of these bludgeons necessitated development of the " Terminal Blow " style , similar to the " Singular Cleave " used by Tavan axe - wielders . SHIELDS Ra Gada shields were wide and heavy to provide maximum coverage , not just to the bearer but also , at need , to his nearest ally . Besides the usual embossed wind - current symbols , the bottom of the shield was wrought to resemble a hawk ' s broad tail . SHOULDER ARMOR The so - called " pagoda pauldrons " of the Ra Gada are quite distinctive , but the three layers of cops are not as rigid as they appear : they are articulated underneath , allowing the cops to swivel to follow the warrior ' s arm movements . STAVES Ra Gada spellcasters often tipped their staves will finials in the shape of Tu ' whacca ' s sacred ibis , as the Tricky God was ( and is ) the patron of mages . Nowadays being suspicious of magic is regarded as a hallmark of Redguard culture , but this was not always so pronounced . SWORDS The Tavans came from the Yokudan sword tradition that called for edging only one side of the blade , so the backing can be thicker and stronger . This gives the curved Ra Gada swords , both one - and two - handed , the weight to hack through a target in one slash – and single - move attacks have always been celebrated by Redguards as the epitome of fencing elegance .