Sortar's Army

Sortar, a human fighter, serves as leader and warlord of the tribe. His leadership is based upon his deadly combat skills and the vision he has brought to his followers. He promises them the wealth of the sorcerer-kings and the blood of the owners. So far, he has made good on these promises. He gained his skills working as a soldier slave in Balic, fighting against raiding giants out of the Forked Tongue Estuary. As warlord of the tribe, Sortar has a grim determination akin to a dwarf's focus. He sees his purpose in life as being the great enemy of the city-states, and he has instilled this purpose in his followers. The tribe does not raid to survive (though that is how it gains the supplies it needs to continue its war); it raids to strike back at the masters who once imprisoned them in the shackles of slavery. Two of Sortar's chief lieutenants are a half-elf called Derrim and a mul called Porgo. Derrim serves as Sortar's second in command and is never far from the warlord's side. Porgo commands the scouting parties that search for caravans or other potential targets. Once a target is identified, part of the scouting party remains near it to track its course, while another part goes to gather the tribe. An ex-templar from Nibenay serves as one of Sortar's main advisors, even sitting in on councils of war. A number of wizards also work with the tribe. All of these wizards are preservers; the power they provide often means the difference between victory and defeat for Sortar's Army.

Battles settle every argument. Surprisingly, though, few of these battles are to the death. Sortar provides enough outlets for the shedding of blood with his constant state of war that the tribe members are content to settle their own differences in wrestling and brawls rather than with the sharp point of a sword. Even positions within the tribe are determined through contests of strength and skill, though Sortar has been known to overturn the outcomes of some battles to promote those he feels will do a better job.

Sortar and his band wage war against the citystates of Athas that perpetuate the practice of slavery. They do this by attacking and plundering the caravans that travel the roads between the citystates. Sortar believes that everything within a citystate caravan was bought or built with the sweat and blood of slaves. As such, it is only right that Sortar and his army of ex-slaves be the ones to liberate those goods from the clutches of the templars and nobles, who only exist to grow fat on the labor and pain of the enthralled masses. The tribe constantly has small scouting units ranging along the known caravan trails. Their job is to find a suitable target, determine that it is in fact a caravan bound for or coming from one of the citystates, then send messengers to gather the rest of the tribe. A few scouts remain to follow the caravan and to direct the rest of the tribe to it when they arrive. The warriors of Sortar's Army ride swift-moving kanks. It falls to the scouts who selected a target to determine its strength and defenses and to come up with a plan of battle. These plans are usually simple affairs based upon the territory the caravan is riding through and the number of guards protecting it. If ambush sites are available, Sortar's Army makes use of cover and strikes when the caravan is least expecting it. If the caravan rides through open desert, the tribal warriors use a surround-and-charge tactic that cuts off escape and enables the full strength of their army to be brought to bear. If the caravan carries slaves, Sortar's tribe attempts to set them free. Otherwise, they leave no survivors to tell of their battle prowess. The tribe is careful not to attack travelers who do not carry the spoils of nobles or templars with them. They have no wish to kill innocent ex-slaves, duped freemen, or villagers from settlements that do not practice slavery. They are quick to slaughter nobles and templars when they find them, however. Sortar's Army operates throughout the Tyr region, though it concentrates its efforts around the central Tablelands. Besides attacking city-state caravans, the tribe has been known to sweep down upon city-state client villages and outposts, and it has even made minor raids into the forest surrounding Gulg and Nibenay. It does not limit its targets to only the weak. Sortar's Army has been known to take on heavily guarded caravans and well-fortified client villages, using a combination of surprise, lightning-like strikes, and magic to gain the upper hand. Everything the tribe needs to survive comes from the caravans it raids. However, this is only a secondary benefit for the tribe. Its main purpose is to strike out in any way that will hurt the templars and nobles. If the tribe also gains food, water, and supplies as a result of its efforts, so much the better. Make no mistake – Sortar's Army is a bloodthirsty band of berserkers. However, they direct most of their deadly impulses toward the agents of the city-states, which makes them much less of a menace to the other slave tribes of the Tablelands than the Black Sand Raiders.

Sortar grew up as a slave in Balic, enduring the same hardships as other slaves. He suffered ritual beatings, was forced to work until he collapsed from exhaustion, and put up with every humiliation a master may visit upon a slave. This was the life he was born to, and he knew no other. In Balic, every freeman and slave must spend time in the militia. The militia helps the regular army patrol the mud flats around Balic, watching for signs of approaching giants who regularly raid the area. When Sortar's turn came to join the militia, he discovered his love of battle. Sortar had a knack for combat and took to his training well. Even his commanding officer was impressed, and when the slave's shift in the militia came to an end, he was reassigned to the standing slave army. As a soldier slave, Sortar learned everything his masters would teach him. He learned unarmed combat. He learned to fight with a variety of weapons. And he learned strategy and concepts of waging war that few other slaves could ever imagine on their own. One of his teachers, a templar called Gebiz, took a particular fancy to the young slave. This is not to say he liked Sortar or treated him well. What he did do was fill the youth's head with tales of long-past wars and his own theories on how to destroy the other city-states. The templar loved to talk, and Sortar obliged him by listening. And by learning.

One day Gebiz told Sortar about a slave revolt in one of Balic's client villages. He described the bloody coup in graphic detail, for he knew the young slave appreciated such things. What he did not know was that this story would stay with Sortar for the rest of his life. In the story, Gebiz described how the foolish slaves tried to overpower the templar overseers so that they could escape into the wilderness. A few templars fell before the savage attack, but in the end the slaves died for their trouble. Sortar did not see these slaves as foolhardy, though. He saw them as brave, and he decided that someday he would avenge their deaths by striking back at the templars and nobles who enslaved them. Perhaps, he thought, he could even find a way to hurt the sorcerer-kings. Of all his duties as a soldier slave, Sortar most loved the patrols into the mud flats. He was developing a lust for battle, and whenever a giant happened ashore he rushed to engage it in combat. Soon he was among the best warriors Balic could field, and Gebiz took credit for the youth's development. On one patrol, Sortar saw his opportunity to escape. The patrol was surprised by a gang of giants coming out of a silt-filled channel. As the patrol moved to engage the giants, Sortar buried his sword in the templar's back. Gebiz, his eyes wide with surprise, died before he could cast a single spell. Sortar left the rest of his companions to their battle as he struck out for the west. His time alone in the desert helped Sortar formulate his plans for the future. He knew that when he killed the templar, he had declared war upon the city-states. All he needed now was an army to wage that war with. He joined up with a tribe of slaves that made a living by raiding travelers approaching Grak's Pool. Within a matter of weeks, he was ready to challenge the half-elf leader for command of the tribe. Sortar's superior fighting prowess easily won him the job of tribe leader. With that victory was born the tribe that would one day become Sortar's Army. The first order of business for the new leader was to stabilize his tribe and make it prosper. This was done by engaging in a series of daring raids that netted big profit with little loss of life. Then he began to outline his ideas for waging war against their former masters, inflaming his followers with visions of templar and noble blood. More members were added to the tribe, and a secure location for their base of operations was found in the mountains around Altaruk.

Sortar's Army treats everyone associated with city-states as its enemies. This includes templars, nobles, client villages, outposts, and even merchants who sell to the citystates. These folk suffer swift and violent attacks if they cross the tribe's path. The tribe has an uneasy truce with the village of Altaruk. Though the village is a regular stop for caravans coming from and going to the city-states, its connection with the Veiled Alliance makes it a sometime friend to slaves. Though the tribe has not attacked the village itself, it does often prey upon the caravans approaching and leaving the village's heavily fortified walls. Sortar's Army also has an understanding with the mercenaries guarding Grab's Pool. As long as the tribe is allowed to use the facilities (which they readily pay for) it leaves the mud-brick fortress in peace. Other slave tribes, villages, and travelers are usually safe from Sortar's wrath, unless they somehow reveal themselves as agents of the city-states. The two exceptions to this are the Black Sand Raiders and Weriik's Stalkers. Sortar considers Werrik and her band to be as bad or worse than the templars and nobles, and he has declared the slavers to be his tribe's mortal enemies. Sortar has sworn to destroy any member of Werrik's band whoever crosses his path. As for the Black Sand Raiders, Sortar sees them as dangerous thieves and murderers who kill indiscriminately. He does not mind when they destroy those connected with the city-states, but he does take exception to their preying on other slaves.

Sortar needs a large army to eventually take his war directly to the sorcerer-kings. More than likely, he will never be able to field an army large enough or powerful enough to march on a city-state. That does not stop him from trying, however. Whenever the tribe comes across captive slaves, the first priority is to free them. Freed slaves are immediately given the option to join Sortar's Army. If they agree, they must undergo a few tests of battle skill and loyalty. If they refuse, they are given whatever supplies the tribe can spare and sent on their way. Those who agree to the tests either become full members of the tribe or die trying. All of Sortar's tests are geared toward determining if an ex-slave is worthy and skilled enough to join his growing army. The tests are difficult and dangerous, often involving battling desert creatures, attempting risky quests, or even pitting combat skills against his chief lieutenants.