Barbarians

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Barbarians (蛮族)
Alias(es)	Barbarian Tribes; Grassland Barbarians; Steppe Barbarians 831 942
Species/Race	Tribal peoples of the Northlands Wasteland and surrounding grasslands
Affiliation	Independent tribes; many later rallied under the Iron Bone Tribe and Great Chieftain Heshima alongside the Faith Order 928 942
Occupation/Role	Herders, cavalrymen, archers, craftsmen, farmers, weavers, smelters, and tribal warriors 6 49
Status	Fragmented after major defeats; large numbers were killed, surrendered, or captured and redistributed as prisoners or slaves by Northern Frontier nobles 1034 1038 1080
First Appearance	Chapter 6: “Iron Bean” 6

Background and History

Tribal society and consolidation

The Barbarians are not a single uniform nation. Their tribes practice specialized labor, including farming, weaving, and smelting, though most are known primarily for warfare. Their settlements require clothing, tools, iron knives, and arrows rather than relying solely on hunting or raiding. 6

Tribal politics are shaped by violent annexation. Victorious tribes commonly absorb defeated enemies, allowing former rivals to become members of the same tribe; this adaptability also makes some Barbarian warriors willing to sell their service to stronger tribes after their own communities decline. 25 981 Smaller tribes around the Great Fish River were progressively destroyed or absorbed as conflicts intensified across the wasteland. 29

The former Barbarian Tribal Alliance had once coordinated resistance against southern expansion, but it collapsed after major tribes consolidated Skyline Grassland. Smaller tribes were annexed, massacred, or driven away, while the Iron Bone Tribe defeated the Iron Hoof and Blood Scorpion rearguards and emerged as the dominant military power in the region. 831 832

Contact with Two Rivers County

Victor’s early campaigns subdued Barbarian camps and captured herders, whom he intended to use as controlled labor rather than kill in battle. 24 Two Rivers County later incorporated Barbarian cavalry into its military structure, with Barbarian squad leaders being promoted and trained in the Common Tongue to improve battlefield responsiveness. 44

A later slave-catching expedition destroyed fourteen Barbarian tribes within roughly three hundred kilometers north of Two Rivers County. Three vassal Barbarian tribes remained and were expected to occupy the cleared territory as northern warning posts. 818

Heshima's coalition

Under Great Chieftain Heshima, the Iron Bone Tribe mobilized much of the remaining grassland population. The campaign’s three camps held nearly 700,000 people, including troops, herders, laborers, families, and other noncombatants; Heshima’s main army alone exceeded 250,000 people, while another force of nearly 80,000 was sent toward Blue Lake Bay. 928

The coalition included Iron Bone Tribe elites, temporarily conscripted tribesmen, herders, slaves, and Faith Order forces. While the Iron Bone Tribe controlled the campaign politically, tribal units often retained their own chieftains and priorities, limiting coordination when their interests diverged. 928 1032

Defeat, retreat, and captivity

The Border Fortress and Blue Lake Bay sieges inflicted severe losses on Barbarian auxiliary forces, particularly herders and slaves sent to fill trenches, build ramps, and storm walls. 916 924 Heshima later shifted toward more organized assaults using elite troops, shield carts, archers, siege equipment, and Faith Order support. 1010 1011

At the Border Decisive Battle, mortar fire killed commanders, destroyed battle flags, and caused many small and medium tribal contingents to surrender or scatter. 1034 Afterward, the Iron Bone Tribe and Faith Order retreated rapidly through the grasslands, abandoning people and livestock unable to keep pace. 1039

Captured Barbarians were placed in POW camps, screened for disease, and assigned to farms, ranches, mines, and construction projects. Warriors were detained separately due to the greater security risk they posed. 1039 Following the final campaign, more than 300,000 Barbarian tribespeople were divided among Northern Frontier nobles as spoils of war. 1080

Society and Culture

• Tribal annexation — Defeated tribes are often absorbed by their conquerors, making shifts from enemy to subordinate common within Barbarian society. 25
• Social hierarchy — Chieftains, Commanders of Ten Thousand, Legion Commanders, Centurions, elite warriors, herders, slaves, and laborers occupy sharply unequal positions. 916 938
• Expendable lower classes — Herders and slaves were repeatedly forced into siege work and frontal assaults, while elite warriors and cavalry were held back for decisive combat. 916 924 956
• Skilled production — Certain tribes specialize in smelting. They cultivate Iron Bean, a crop whose tubers can become low-quality, rust-resistant iron after winter planting and harvesting. 6
• Military reputation — Stories of Victor’s battlefield feats were deliberately spread across the grasslands because martial strength was especially intimidating and appealing to Barbarian audiences. 829

Military Organization and Tactics

Command structure

• Tribal chieftains commonly retain control of their own forces even within larger coalitions, creating divided loyalties and uneven battlefield coordination. 1032
• The Iron Bone Tribe fields elite standing troops and maintains personal formations such as Heshima’s Dire Wolf Guard. 928 949
• Commanders of Ten Thousand, Legion Commanders, Centurions, and lower-ranking officers direct formations of varying size. The loss of officers was especially damaging during the Border Fortress assaults. 938 939
• Battle-supervision troops and elite guards enforce discipline through threats and executions, especially against herders and slaves attempting to flee. 949 970

Cavalry and archery

• Many Barbarian tribes favor light cavalry in leather armor, generally using one horse per rider for high mobility. 49
• Elite riders are highly skilled horsemen and archers; during the attack on Victor’s temporary camp, sharpshooters struck Heavy Infantry through the breathing slits of their helmets. 1015
• Iron Bone Tribe core forces can fight effectively as infantry as well as cavalry, owing to specialized training developed through repeated grassland wars. 991
• Elite cavalry continued operating in small raiding groups after the main force’s defeat, using mobility to harass Two Rivers County’s border until they were eliminated near the end of the year. 1021

Scouts and communications

• Eagle Tamers and trained war eagles enable reconnaissance, route-finding, communication between dispersed cavalry formations, and border infiltration. 1011 1012
• The Iron Bone Tribe used Eagle Tamers to guide thousands of cavalry through marshes and red-rock hills that Two Rivers County believed were secure natural barriers. 1012

Siege warfare

• Barbarian armies constructed forward camps, earthen ramps, trench fills, ladders, siege towers, shield carts, catapults, and pontoon bridges. 908 924 1075
• Early assaults relied heavily on unarmed laborers to fill moats and trenches, producing enormous casualties with limited results. 916
• Faith Order craftsmen improved the coalition’s siege capabilities by supplying technical knowledge, siege equipment, catapults, armored equipment, and mass-produced ladders. 909 970 1016
• During the Shattered Ice River campaign, the Barbarians used sheepskin rafts, wooden rafts, shielded boats, and later pontoon bridges to move forces across the river. 1055 1067 1075

Equipment

• Iron Bean weapons — Low-quality iron weapons made from Iron Bean are soft, wear down quickly, and require frequent recasting, though the metal resists rust. 6
• Bronze arms and armor — The Iron Bone Tribe formerly relied heavily on bronze equipment, which was inferior to fine iron armor and steel swords. 829
• Leather armor — Common among light cavalry and river-crossing assault troops because it is lighter and safer than iron armor in water. 49 1055
• Lamellar armor — Faith Order-made lamellar armor protected cavalry effectively from blades but was vulnerable to warhammers and battleaxes. 1016
• Cowhide shields and bow shields — Used during landings and sieges to reduce casualties from arrow fire. 1067
• Axes and curved blades — Barbarian assault troops used thrown hand axes to break pike formations before climbing camp walls for close combat. 1056
• Siege ladders and shield carts — Crude ladders could be produced in great numbers from wood and rope, while shield carts protected attackers advancing toward walls. 969 970

Major Campaigns

Campaign	Barbarian actions	Outcome
Border Fortress Attrition Operation	Built forward camps near Border Fortress, then used herders and laborers to fill moats, trenches, and build earthen ramps under constant missile fire. 908 916 924	Tens of thousands of auxiliaries were lost, but three ramps were completed. 924
Border Fortress Sieges	Launched repeated attacks with ramps, ladders, siege towers, cavalry, shield carts, catapults, and later improved siege equipment. 926 1010 1018	Early assaults were catastrophically repelled; later elite attacks reached the walls but were ultimately checked by Flowering Shells and the fortress reserve. 938 1018 1019
Blue Lake Bay Siege	Attacked the main and smaller fortresses with herders, slaves, shield carts, ladders, elite overseers, and rapidly manufactured replacement scaling equipment. 969 970 972	The assaults exhausted defenders but suffered heavy losses; divided command later disrupted Shikele’s withdrawal orders. 975
Temporary Camp Infiltration	Roughly 4,000 elite Iron Bone cavalry crossed the border with Eagle Tamer guidance, used a decoy to draw off patrols, and attacked Victor’s temporary camp. 1012 1013	The camp assault failed after severe close-range fighting; most attackers were killed or captured, though scattered cavalry continued raiding. 1018 1021
Border Decisive Battle	Tribal contingents attacked the divided allied center with a large cavalry vanguard. 1032	Mortar bombardment shattered the command structure and triggered mass surrender, flight, and dispersal among smaller tribes. 1034
Shattered Ice River Campaign	The Iron Bone Tribe and Faith Order crossed the river, seized camps, constructed pontoon bridges, and fought to open a route back toward the grasslands. 1055 1065 1075	The Barbarians achieved temporary bridgeheads and captured camps, but remained under pressure from the Northern Alliance and Expeditionary Army. 1064 1076

Relationships

• Iron Bone Tribe — The dominant grassland tribe; it absorbed or subordinated other Barbarian groups and formed the core of Heshima’s coalition. 832 928
• Great Chieftain Heshima — Overall leader of the Iron Bone Tribe and the principal Barbarian invasion force; maintained discipline through personal authority, the Dire Wolf Guard, and harsh battlefield enforcement. 928 949
• Faith Order — Allied military and technical force that supplied craftsmen, siege knowledge, weapons, catapults, and organized formations. 909 942
• Keledu — Faith Order apostle and Heshima’s politically neutral adviser; proposed tactical revisions, helped manage military disputes, and commanded major river-crossing operations. 955 1064 1065
• Former Tribal Alliance — A former cooperative platform for Barbarian tribes that collapsed before the Iron Bone Tribe’s rise. Some former alliance warriors later served Two Rivers County and used their archery skills against the Iron Bone forces. 831 939
• Two Rivers County — Major enemy and captor; it also incorporated some surrendered Barbarians as vassals, cavalrymen, laborers, and eventual settlers. 44 818 1039
• Northern Alliance Army — Opposed the Barbarian retreat and river crossings, later taking large numbers of Barbarian prisoners as war spoils. 1034 1080