Slave Tribes

When they escape, slaves usually find their way to one of the many slave villages (see Villages) dotting Athas. Usually, these villages serve as the base for a raiding tribe, for slaves seldom have the skills necessary to survive in the desert. Though slave tribes are no less fierce or destructive than other raiders, they tend to leave other villages, hermits, and small parties of travelers alone. Their attention is directed at the city-states themselves, as well as the caravans carrying goods between those city-states. In this regard, we can excuse their violence, for it almost takes on the character of a war against their former masters. In fact, slave tribes have been known to attack templar caravans and expeditions at great risk to themselves - even when there was no economic incentive! Slave tribes vary from other raiding tribes in several important ways. First is the special treatment they give other slaves. Only ex-slaves are allowed to join a slave tribe, and when they attack a caravan, their first priority is freeing all the slaves in it. At the very least, these slaves will be given directions to the closest safe oasis, and enough food and water to reach it. More often, they are offered membership in the slave tribe. Second, slave tribes have an innate suspicion of the power that a wizard can wield, so they will never allow one to become their commander. Instead, their leaders are usually ex-soldiers, slaves, and sometimes gladiators. Finally, most raiding tribes are naturally composed of one particular race, but slave tribes tend to have a wider variety of stocks. In every city, a wide selection of races are used as slaves. An equally wide selection escapes and finds its way to the slave villages, so it should come as no surprise to discover that most slave tribes are composed of a wide variety of races