Sagath

In the Ulgathic tongues, the word Sagath means "RaidingPeople". The actual collection of tribes which call themselvesSagath is limited to those in Rhovanion and southern Rhunwho still trace their ancestry back to the Szreldorn survivorsof the Battle of Dagorlad. These tribes exist mostly in centraland northern Rhovanion, though there are still scattered bands who prowl the plains west of Buhr Armenrik. TheseSagath lead a life of mayhem, stealing what they need ordesire from their neighbors and the caravans that still crossthe open plains. Theirs is the most mobile culture in Rhun,for they lay no legitimate claim to any of the lands theytraverse. Instead, the bands are always on the move, keepingall of their posessions in the great wagons for which they areknown.The Sagath are a male dominated society. Women hold nosocial standing except between themselves, and have no sayin the movements or actions of the band. A Sagath bandnormally consists of several dominant male warriors who vieconstantly for prestige among their peers. Power within theband is a constant test of strength, which has sometimes led aSagath band to destroy itself. This greatly inhibits theirability to organize themselves into a fighting force tochallenge the sedentary peoples of Rhun, though there are afew notable exceptions to this rule. The Huz (formerly Hos)tribe is an example of a succession of Sagath warlords whohave consistently been able to dominate their peers and viefor real power in Rhovanion. The Hos tribe was founded inthe opening days of the Third Age by a member of theSzreldorn family who once owned the lands upon whichIlanin sits. Subsequent warlords in the tribe's history haveused this extra evidence of legitimacy to maximumadvantage.Beyond those who consider themselves Sagath, there aremany other tribes in all corners of Rhun who are calledSagath by others. Particularly warlike bands of Logath,Urgath, and especially Brygath are all named Sagath by theirneighbors. In most areas of Rhun, the term simply connotesan aggressive band who is prone to take from their neighborswhat they cannot make of buy for themselves. This has led toa great deal of confusion for visitors to Rhun. Vidugavia andMinalcar made the mistake of asking the question, "Whereare the Sagath?" Any tribe, when posed this question, is libelto point out the biggest rival. This led the western army, intheir ignorance, to commit grievous mistakes in southernRhun and to alienate most of its residents.