Sambari Tribe

The following material on the Sambari Tribe of Sartar is unofficial and does not necessarily agree with either published Issaries or fan material.

The main sources I used here were:

Thunder Rebels. Greg Stafford, Robin D. Laws, Roderick Robertson and John Hughes. 2000. Issaries Inc, Oakland, Ca. ISBN: 1-929052-03-0.

Storm Tribe. Greg Stafford and Friends. 2001. Issaries Inc, Oakland, Ca. ISBN 1-929052-10-3

Barbarian Adventures. Greg Stafford and Friends. 2001. Issaries Inc, Oakland, Ca. ISBN 1-929052-05-7.

Dragon Pass. Greg Stafford and Friends. 2003. Issaries Inc, Concord, CA. ISBN: ?

The tribe holds the land of Saravan’s Hills, the Sambari Pass, part of the Tantrell Hills the village of Caroman and Roundstone Fort. Nearby is Fort Enstala – a new fortress town of the Lunar created Enstalos Tribe. Across the pass in Chormsland is the Locaem Tribe with the Balmyr to the south. The Enstalos are to the south-east and Kheldon to the north-east. Currently the tribe has about 7200 members over 5.

This is a map of the Sambari lands and those of surrounding peoples before Storm Season 1616. It shows the names of villages and the most significant steads of each clan.

Sambari Map

Scale: this map is about 50 miles wide. See Size of the Empire for a discussion of this.

For the situation after Storm Season 1616 see After the Firebull Rebellion.

The tribe is divided into 7 clans with members aged over 5 as follows:

	Roundstone: 800
	Fire Bull: 500
	Caroman: 1200
	Heranil: 1000
	Thorn Tree: 900
	Copper Hill: 1100
	Long Runner: 900
	Lader: 800

Brief details of the clans are:

Clan	Chief	Details
Fire Bull	Leikan the Ploughman	The Fire Bull clan is traditionally aggressive and anti-Lunar. Their land was devastated in the Firebull Rebellion and their fyrd and weaponthanes killed at the Battle of Gold Hill. The chief who led them in the rebellion was killed. They have lost several steads to the Enstalos and the sad remnants of the clan may well be added to the Enstalos soon.
Caroman	Fantarl Jarstansson	The Caroman Clan controls part of the main road and levies tolls on travellers. They are more involved in trade than other clans and maintain neutrality with the Lunars as far as possible. They stayed out of the Firebull Rebellion.
Heranil	Orlgard Swordhand	The Heranil Clan contain many Humakti who serve as mercenaries. They are neutral to the Lunars and stayed out of the rebellion.
Thorn Tree	Illig Black and Blue	The Thorn Tree Clan is traditionally anti-Lunar and joined the Firebull Rebellion. They are known for their skirmishing and hill fighting. They fled early from the battle of Gold Hill avoiding undue casualties but since then Lunar forces have been hunting them in the hills and they have suffered many losses.
Copper Hill	Jistin Copper-Helm	The Copper Hill clan maintains neutrality with the Lunars and avoided the rebellion. They have a copper mine on their land.
Long Runner	Brolos Tarosson	The Long Runner clan was originally neutral but joined the rebellion. Their chief and most of their fyrd were destroyed at Gold Hill but some of the weaponthanes escaped. They are now hidden in the hills but the Lunars have been crucifying collaborators to try to draw them out.
Ladar	Jonrik Backstabber	The Ladar clan joined the rebellion reluctantly but were destroyed all the same. Their land is not very good for crops but they herd many sheep. Unfortunately the Lunars have taken most of them.

Some Recent Sambari History up to Storm Season 1616

The Sambari tried to remain neutral following the Lunar invasion, keeping to their local traditions but collaborating enough to avoid hostilities. They charge tolls on the road through the Sambari Pass which is a useful source of income and are major slave traders for which they found a good market with the Lunar occupiers.

The Sambari did not support Starbrow’s rebellion though some warriors joined the fight against the tribe’s wishes. After the rebellion the nearby Kheldon Tribe which had a major part in the rebellion suffered serious reprisals loosing their movement powers entirely and being given a Lunar overlord. At this time the Lunars took some clans from the Kheldon and created a new tribe called the Enstalos which now borders the Sambari¹. At the moment this is quite a small tribe but its numbers are being boosted by settlers from the Empire.

In 1615 Lunar traders arrived at a festival of the traditionalist Firebull Clan. A scuffle began between some young warriors and the Lunars and two traders were killed. Enstalos militia arrived and arrested four of the warriors who were taken to Fort Enstala, tried and crucified for the murder of the Lunar citizens.

The Firebull Clan called a moot and demanded support from the other clans. Thus the Firebull, Roundstone, Long Runner and Thorn Tree went to war with the Enstalos but the other clans refused to support the attack saying that it would lead to war with the Empire. The Sambari army of about 1000 warriors lead by Willandring Thunder-Bull chief of the Fire Bull Clan entered Enstalos lands and burned several steads, defeated some militia and killed some settlers. A force of 1000 soldiers of the Goldedge Foot supported by 500 Enstalos Militia approached from the south and the Sambari fell back into Firebull lands at Gold Hill. There they were joined by the king Torkan White-eye and his weaponthanes. The Lunar forces then united with a relief force of 500 Dogeaters and 500 Arrowstone Cavalry. Polemarch Diotasus Greatson took command of the Lunar force. The Lunar force moved into Fire Bull lands destroying steads as they went. The rebel army remained on Gold Hill relying on the good defensive terrain to deter a Lunar attack. The Polemarch moved his forces up to the hill and offered battle.

In the battle the Dogeaters advanced up the hill and drove off the Thorn Tree Clan skirmishers who fled the field. The fyrd was then pinned by the Dogeaters whilst the Arrowstones attacked their flanks. The Goldedge Foot then attacked the rebel centre as the Dogeaters moved onto the right flank. Torkan and WIllandring died fighting. Many of the rebels were killed or captured during the pursuit. Lunar troops then moved through the lands of the rebellious clans crucifying traitors and ravaging the land.²

The tribe chose a new king Roganvarth Loud-Laugh who offered peace to the Lunars. The Enstalos immediately took two of the Firebull’s steads and rumour has it that the governor will grant all of their lands to them soon. Confiscations appear likely from the other rebel clans as well.

For events after Storm Season 1616 see After the Firebull Rebellion.

Notes:

1. Barbarian Adventures says that the Enstalos were granted several clans from the Kheldon after Starbrow's rebellion (1613) so I decided they must have existed on a smaller scale before 1618 when they seem to be officially founded.

2. Possibly does not quite agree with a very brief description in Tales of the Reaching Moon 18. I decided to make the rebellion quite dramatic as it resulted in the decimation of the Sambari.

Tribal Leaders

	Orlanth: King Roganvarth Loud-Laugh (b1579). Long-Runner Clan. Initiate of Garzeen Silvertongue. Appointed after the Firebull Rebellion to try to make peace with the Lunars. Considered weak by the rebels and prudent by the other clans. His lack of leadership magic weakens the tribe. He did not fight in the rebellion.
	Ernalda: Chief Priestess Elnor Oakleaf (b1581). Wife of Roganvarth. Originally from the Caroman Clan. Initiate of Mahome. Generally thought of as reliable but uninspired. Very supportive of her husband.
	Humakt: Tribal Champion Boltar Ironblade (b1587). Heranil Clan. Sword of Humakt. Stayed clear of the rebellion for which some call him a coward (but not often to his face). He has served in mercenary companies in many lands. He is an excellent fighter and a good tactician but is thought to lack much idea of strategy.
	Urox: Chaos-Killer Veoslin Watcher (b1570). Ladar Clan. Initiate of Hevduran. There are no Uroxi left in the tribe who aren’t in hiding so he is a compromise candidate. He takes a rather theoretical approach to his responsibilities for traditionalists. He was away in Wilmskirk at the time of the rebellion.
	Helamakt: Old Gusty Krogar (b 1559). Roundstone Clan. Devotee of Helamakt. The most traditional of council. He is the brother of Thane Unstanus Halfcouncil of the Firivings. He didn’t fight in the rebellion because he was suffering from a bout of a recurring illness at the time.
	Vinga: Arena Stormcloak (b1591). Thorn Tree Clan. Devotee of Vinga Spearwoman. Her departure before the Battle of Gold Hill has damaged her reputation. She was very keen on the rebellion and seemed very brave when it was going well. She is known to be a good fighter. Some wonder why, considering her prominent role in the early part of the rebellion, that the Lunars haven’t arrested her.
	Issaries: Speaker and Trader Olav Goldband (b1568). Copper Hill Clan. Initiate of Harst Bronzetongue. A very rich man he spends a lot of time in his house in Wilmskirk where he manages the Copper Hill trading interests. He was not involved in the rebellion and spoke against it at the moot. Rebels consider him to be a traitor and say he secretly worships Etyries.
	Lhankhor Mhy: Lawspeaker and Sage Arkell Forkbeard (b1583). Caroman Clan. Initiate of Lhankhor Knowing. Was not in the rebellion and spoke against it in the moot. Heavily involved in the slave trade with the Lunars. Considered a traitor by the rebels who say he secretly worships Irrippi Ontor.
	Chalana Arroy: Healer and Seeker of Peace Chief Priestess Enothea Pale-Eyes (b1581). Copper Hill Clan. Devotee of Pranjala. She spoke against the rebellion at the moot but has retained the respect of most people as her grounds for her position were humanitarian in nature.
	Elmal: Hearthguard and Loyal Thane Blinder Bolik (b1579). Heranil Clan. Devotee of Elmal Hearthguard. A dangerous fighter who is more loyal to Boltar than the king. He did not take part in the rebellion.
	Asrelia: Elder and Keeper of Wealth Brola Sharpword (b1532). Roundstone Clan. Devotee of Asrelia and Ty Kora Tek. Renowned for her parsimonious ways she is rumoured to control huge wealth by the rebels.
	Voria: Child and Bringer of Life Fair Lyzal (b1601). Roganvarth’s daughter. Long-Runner Clan. Initiate of Voria. She is loyal to her father.
	Eurmal: Trickster and Scapegoat Mad Orfal (b1582). Roganvarth’s bonded Eurmal trickster. He is known for bizarre behaviour even for a trickster. He lives in a large barrel in the king’s hall and has the magic ability to eat anything. He often devours any unguarded property. Traditionalists doubt that Roganvarth can properly enforce the bond because he is not an Orlanthi.