In 1613 one of the most widespread and violent uprisings occurred. Attempts had previously been made to reassemble the Sartar High Council. Although they had always been a failure, they always succeeded in some part, thereby indicating that the spirit of Sartar still lived, someplace. If the High Council could be assembled, then it would be a powerful summons to bring Sartar back. If he returned he would bring great powers, and they could cast the oppressors out.
The attempt to forge the Ring of Sartar in 1613 failed, but encouraged the conspirators to strike anyway to preserve what they had gained. Among the rebels were most of the powerful tribes of the Quivini, including the Colymar, Culbrea, Kheldon, some outlawed Telmori tribesmen, and a horde of the homeless and disaffected.
The leader of this rebellion was Kallyr Starbrow, queen of the Kheldon tribe council, and a descendant of Sartar himself. Dreams had told her that she would be a king greater than her tribe, and she sought this as fulfillment of her desires. Once she had made the cold ashes of Sartar's flame flicker. Another key leader was Hofstaring Treeleaper, king of the Culbrea Tribe, a master warrior and tactician. Kallai Rockbuster raised the Colymar tribe, the oldest and one of the least touched tribes, and sent a thousand howling warriors. And finally there was Tonaling Greathelm, the King Storm Khan, ready to pitch in his whole following of Urox berserks who were tired of hiding in the hills with chaos headaches.
"All in one place," said Euglyptus the Fat, "And all in one swoop." He sent an army of 4,000 thoroughly professional, hardened veterans across the country to provoke the foes by pillaging the Hill of Orlanth Victorious. This hill had been holy since ancient times, and was the place where Harmast Barefoot departed upon the first Lightbringers Quest. When the tribes assembled to defend their temple, the rest of the army from Boldhome would quickly march and destroy them.
Euglyptus badly miscalculated the Sartarites. The expeditionary forces were destroyed in an ambush, or died fleeing towards the support army. The rebels dispersed before the relief army found them. Euglyptus was shocked. He was also careless, and he was found dead of a surfeit of sugared eels. The generals mourned his passing and welcomed the new general who came to command them.
The new commander was Fazzur Wideread. He was from Tarsh, of the Orindori clan, which had close connections to the king. Although consistently successful as a military commander, intrigue had gotten him removed from his previous post. When King Moirades asked him to come out of retirement to handle the crisis, he agreed. Some of his rivals wondered aloud how it was that he raised his tribe's regiment so quickly after his appointment, and marched at the head of a new army of Tarsh nationals to rescue the imperial interests. The provincial regulars welcomed their old commander back.
The campaign was swift. Fazzur constantly threatened the assembled Sartar army, and harassed their homelands with the corruptive Lunar magic. At last the Sartar army waited at Larnste's Table, with the Lunar army visible below. Every day new troops joined the Lunars. As the odds grew worse and worse, many Sartarite warriors deserted.
The decision seemed certain when both Fazzur and Starbrow received word that an heir to the throne of Sartar had arrived at Boldhome without warning, and proved that he had a claim to the throne by making the Flame of Sartar flicker, just as Starbrow had done. Many troops had already rallied to his cause.
His name was Temertain, and he was the son of Markalor, son of Jotisan of Karse, the son of Eonistaran the Sage, who was the son of King Sartar. He was an initiate of Lhankor Mhy. He was supported by a ring of former exiles who had formed the Philosopher's Ring. Temertain fancied himself to be the Philosopher King, and had boldly presented a peace proposal of conciliation and co-operation with the occupation forces.
While debating what to do, the Sartar leaders received an invitation to meet in neutral territory with Fazzur. They did, after the most careful magical preparations for safety. Fazzur offered them simple peace and pardon if they agreed to support the new king. Some took it, and went from the tent to lead their contingents home. Fazzur made the remaining leaders an alternative offer: if they agreed to exile immediately, then their people would be spared Fazzur's wrath. Treeleaper exploded in wrath and attempted to escape using his best magic, but was stopped when something invisible grabbed his wrists. He tried anyway, and his hands were pulled off, and he was held helpless upon the floor.
Then Fazzur showed the power of his wrath: he ordered a priestess to do something unusual, and as the Orlanthi kings gawked like children they looked into a Lunar Hell. There they saw Sheng Seleris, a famous enemy of the Lunar Empire, roasting. Treeleaper was grabbed by demons and dragged into the pit, and the vision vanished. The rest of the leaders, except for Tonaling Greathelm, agreed to the last set of terms and laid down their arms. They left the tent and ordered their warriors to go home, then rearmed, got several horses apiece, and set off as fast as possible from the land. Most went south, where the King of Hendrikiland was hiring mercenaries. Tonaling Greathelm was never seen again, and all his followers were slain over the next year, and his entire clan died in the next seven years.
Fazzur marched to Boldhome and was received by Temertain. They were very friendly, and soon sent most of their armies home. Fazzur agreed to pardon all of the recent rebels except for one group, who he said were the cause of the entire trouble. These were the Durulz or wereducks, one of the beastpeople who had been loyal to Sartar. Temertain agreed. Peace was made