Warriors of the Sidamo

The people of the Sidamo mountains fall into two racial groups - the Kvarch-nari, who have lived in the mountains and the surrounding hills since before their history began. It is thought that it was their ancestors who built the ancient cities of Kvarch Nar, Yerma Alemgoba and Shassamanse. The Kvarch-nari belong to three major tribes - the Tigara, the Hamma and the Harrar. These tribes are neither mutually hostile nor particularly friendly, but they do not associate much. Although each tribe has a distinct dialect and culture, they can understand each other easily enough and regard themselves as a single racial group. Within each of these tribal groupings are many many clans, who indulge in their traditional sports of inter-clan warfare and raiding. They also raid merchant trains - when they can - retreating to their fortified mountain-top villages if pursued. If times are hard, bands of clan warriors - especially the warriors of the Hamma - will leave the mountains to sell their services as mercenaries, so they are not unknown in the cities of the Martic league.

The other inhabitants are tribes of wild Keshites who began filtering over the mountains from the east about 300 years ago. They mostly come from the Kanakil tribe - who were the first to appear in the Sidamo lands, and who are now throughly established, and the Gallara who began ariving sometime later. Aggressive and (in the opinion of the original inhabitants) barely better than wild animals, the Keshites - particularly the Kanakil tribesmen - have a reputation for unbridled savagery and their gradual encroachment has caused much grief to the Kvarch-nari. They do sometimes come to the few cities of the Sidamo to trade, but it is a relationship coloured by mistrust on both sides. Kvarch-nari will attack Keshites any time they they feel they can get away with it, and the Keshites are always ready for a fight with anyone - even, or perhaps especially - other Keshite tribes. Unlike the Kvarch-nari, the Keshites continue to live as they did in their ancestral lands, continually following their herds from one patch of scrubby forage to another. They rarely build permanent villages

Despite these cultural differences, however, fighting tactics among all the warriors of the Sidamo are similar. The favoured approach is to ambush the enemy, subject them to a rain of missiles and then, when the leader decides the enemy has been sufficiently softened up, a howling charge by all available warriors. If the charge is thrown back, or the enemy resists the usual missile attack, then the warriors will melt into the landscape. They very rarely run away, however - they will trail their prey, sometimes for days, looking for a time to attack when their foes are at a disadvantage.

Tribe	Preferred weapon types
Tigara and Harrar	Dagger. Light spears for throwing and hand to hand combat Bow (usually about half a war band will have these) Medium-sized round shield (Hide or metal, +2 DCV). Well organised, experienced or veteran warriors will often have heavy cloth or leather armour for the torso and a light steel cap under their head-bindings.
Hamma	Dagger. Light spears for throwing and hand to hand combat Bow (usually about half a war band will have these) Medium-sized round shield (Hide or metal, +2 DCV). Experienced or veteran warriors will often have a two-handed sword, heavy cloth or leather armour and for the torso and a light steel cap under their head-bindings. Very well-off warriors - often those who have been mercenaries in Martic Lands - may have a light chainmail shirt.
Kanakil	Heavy-bladed shortsword Light spears or one handed war club for throwing and hand to hand combat Sling and slingstones. Small or medium hide shield (+1 or +2 DCV) Experienced or veteran warriors will often have heavy leather armour for the torso.
Gallara	Light spears or one handed war club for throwing and hand to hand combat Sling and slingstones. Small or medium hide shield (+1 or +2 DCV)

 10 point basic warrior

CHA VAL COST STR 10 DEX 11 3 CON 10 BOD 10 INT 10 EGO 10 PRE 10 COM 10 PD 2 ED 2 SPD 2 REC 4 END 20 STUN 20 Total 3

Cost Powers and skills, etc 2 FAM : One melee weapon and and one missile weapon (see above for preferred types) 2 +1 OCV with preferred weapon 3 Choose or pick from appropriate list. Either 1 skill at full value, one KS or PS and one FAM or three FAM: Climbing Concealment KS: Healing AK: Sidamo Mountains PS: Rural occupation Paramedic Shadowing Stealth Survival Tracking Weaponsmith 7 Total powers and Skills 10 Total Character Cost

50+ Disadvantages None Required

25 point experienced warrior

CHA VAL COST STR 13 6 DEX 11 3 CON 13 6 BOD 10 INT 10 EGO 10 PRE 10 COM 10 PD 3 ED 3 SPD 2 REC 4 -4 END 20 STUN 24 Total 13

Cost Powers and skills, etc 2 FAM : One melee weapon and and one missile weapon (see above for preferred types) 4 Combat skill levels: +1 OCV with each of two specific weapons or +2 OCV with one specific weapon 6 Choose or pick from appropriate list using 3 point skills, FAM or 2 point skills to make up 6 points Combat skill levels, either +1 OCV (2 points) or +1 CSL (3 points) with specific weapon Climbing Concealment KS: Healing AK: Sidamo Mountains PS: Rural occupation Paramedic Shadowing Stealth Survival Tracking 12 Total powers and Skills 25 Total Character Cost

50+ Disadvantages None Required

50 point veteran warrior

Cha Val Cost STR 13 6 DEX 11 3 CON 13 6 BOD 11 2 INT 10 EGO 10 PRE 10 COM 10 PD 5 2 ED 3 SPD 3 9 REC 5 -2 END 26 STUN 25 Total 26

Cost Powers and skills, etc 4 FAM : Common melee weapons, Common missile weapons 3 Concealment 6 Combat skill levels: Either: + 3 OCV with favoured weapon or: +2 CSL with favoured weapon or: +2 OCV with one weapon, +1 OCV with second weapon 11 Choose from: Brawling (+1d6 HA) Combat skill levels, either +1 OCV (2 points) or +1 CSL with specific weapon (3 points) Climbing KS: Healing AK: Sidamo Mountains PS: Rural occupation Paramedic Shadowing Stealth Survival Riding Tracking Tactics Weaponsmith 24 Total powers cost 50 Total Character Cost

50+ Disadvantages None Required

If required, more powerful warriors can be generated using the Barbarian warrior template from the Random Character Generator

Back to the Sidamo

Back to The Martic League

Back to Gothick Empires