Let's Talk About: Mr Sands

"Mr Sands is my grandfather and I will be there for him when he needs me. Together we are going to rule the world." 

 - Justin, Justin's Story

Mr Sands has an unclear history, but there are parts we can piece together. We know he is a follower of Garnok, and as such is no ordinary human - he's lived for centuries, at least, and is intimately tied to the history of Garnok as told in the runes of the Stonering in the original comics, identifying his real name, Sangordha.

"Think again, Sands... or should I say Sangordha? I know your real name, and I've drained all your powers in this place." 

- Lisa, Starshine Legacy Comic: Dark Core Rising

It's easy to assume that he may have been one of the original followers of Garnok to arrive on Jorvik when Garnok did. He's an avid believer, desperate to bring Garnok back, and in this pursuit he's taken many identities.

The thus-far earliest documented instance of Mr Sands is in 1871, when he went by the name Mr Sanders and lived as a fisherman who caught a Garnok-like creature from the Kraken Depths, just near Jorvik Bay. This odd deep sea creature closely resembles one of the generals depicted in the Pandorian runes that Anne discovered, but we believe this particular one to be dead. Unfortunate. It's possible that Mr Sanders was initially posing as a fisherman to find these minions, fishing near a location that could very well have been named after a sighting of Garnok's tentacled self - Kraken Depths.

In 1890, just 19 years later, Mr Sands has chosen the name Owen D. Sands, and started his drilling company, Deep Core. Under the guise to industrialize Jorvik, his aim is to drill into the heart of the island, an aim reminiscent of something some Jorvikian citizens have noticed happening today.

Perhaps Mr Sands was trying even then to drill underground to Pandoria, or down to Garnok's cage in some way.

But whatever his aim, his business venture became riddled with disaster and was forced to close over the course of a year.

In 1903, the first major accident struck. 190 dead in a cave-in, at the Deep Core 3 mining site. Details aren't given, but just over a year later, in 1904, Deep Core's closure is announced.

The closure follows an even more devastating accident, resulting in the deaths of 211 workers and 14 civilians. The closure occurs at least seven months after this incident, though the incident is identified as the cause. 

This final accident is even more ambiguously written than the first, attributed to a "cave-in/gas" accident. Whatever the cause, the loss was devastating, and it's likely that this ended Sands' ability to run a drilling company for the foreseeable future.

"Apparently I had an old wedding photo lying around; one of me and the man that used to be my husband, Mr… Sand… man." 

 - The Baroness, The Explanation

In more recent years, for reasons unknown, Mr Sands sought to take the name John Sandman, claiming to have grown up in Firgrove, and settled down with a family. With his wife, the Baroness of Silverglade, he had a son, Thomas Moorland. Their divorce is for an undisclosed reason, though it was likely because the Baroness discovered Sands' true identity. 

Around the same time, Mr Sands branched into land ownership, having been given Moorland Stables by the Baroness and owning at least one house in Firgrove which was leased to Mrs Packard, and was even a member of the Firgrove Council in 1959.

"I think that John Sandman was the man I paid my rent to when I first took over this house fifty years ago. And God knows, but I wonder if I’m not paying the rent to him still." 

 - Mrs Packard, Talk With The Elders

Since then, he's made his home at Pine Hill Mansion and become known throughout the games as the owner of Dark Core, a corporation with an unknown purpose other than to free Garnok.

During Sands' time with Dark Core, he faced Anne whose horse kicked him into a portal, resulting in wild disfigurement and loss of power which will take him "years" to recover. It is unknown how long has passed between present day and then, so it is unknown if Sands' has come back to full power by this stage.

Nevertheless, he has still managed to wreak havoc for the "good guys" in the story. He has taken his own grandson, Justin Moorland, to become a substitute Dark Rider in place of Elise. He managed to find the Lost Light Ceremony Book which he can use to unleash Garnok. He has been responsible for the banishment of Lisa and Anne into Pandoria, and was likely the cause for Meteor's lost memory and may have Concorde in his grip. And his minions have been stealing and drugging horses, presumably in pursuit of converting the ideal dark horse for his riders, though his right-hand man Darko knows how to convert Dark Horses himself.

"However much our honorable Mr Sands wants his innocent little grandson to take on the role of potential substitute for our most distinguished Elise, both you and I know that Justin has no magical talent whatsoever." 

- Darko, Darko

In all this, though Mr Sands is the big bad and the Dark Riders bend to his will, we find out through Darko that Sands' decision to train Justin is not an entirely savvy move. Indeed, the decision seems to have been made through affection for his grandson, rather than because Justin might have a gift for the task. Perhaps Sands has a heart after all.