[hider=Barsabbas, the "Phantom General"]
[center][img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/218/903/small/adrian-smith-cover-drawing3fin.jpg?1443927704[/img]
[i]Barsabbas wears armor and wields weapons of Soulsteel, crafted in the pits of the Claws by unknown means.[/i]

[color=crimson][b][h3]Barsabbas Ahsaz[/h3][/b][/color][/center]

[color=crimson][b]Description:[/b][/color] 
Barsabbas commands the Firebrands, a rogue warband that operates from the north of the Red Desert. Once, Barsabbas was an esteemed Salished cavalry officer; now he operates independently under no jurisdiction but his own. Attempts by the Shashul to bring him to heel have met in failure, as his warband eludes capture between the Claws' twisted maze of rock. This notoriety has earned him the  moniker of the “Phantom General.”

The theories as to why Barsabbas broke away from the Empire are many, but only he and a number of close confidants know the truth. Three years ago, Barsabbas journeyed into the Godsfang Mountains, the lands of the Saliszis' ancestors. He claimed to be led by visions of the Forge Gods, and took an entourage of six of his most trusted advisers with him on the journey. For months they disappeared from the public eye, until it was reported that a number of Barsabbas's ranks had deserted their posts, taking with them valuable Soulsteel ingots and weapons, and several of the smaller, mobile counterparts to the great Soul Forges. 

Whether Barsabbas and his men communed with their hungry Forge Gods at the peak of the Godsfangs, or learned some awful truth from the Crone Wisdoms, or made a pact with another entity entirely, no one can be sure. All that can be said with some certainty is Barsabbas has the means to produce his own Soulsteel, without the fires of the true Soul Forges, and has the support of several desert tribes: Avanagashans and Varyonese. 

[color=crimson][b]Race:[/b][/color] Human: Saliszi 
[color=crimson][b]Faction/Unit:[/b][/color] The Firebrands
[color=crimson][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Claws
[/hider]

[hider=The Firebrands]
[center][img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/309/451/large/alexander-deruchenko-battle-between-scythian-king-and-persians.jpg?1444112232[/img]
[i]Massed tribal cavalry makes up the core of the Firebrands' fighting force.[/i]

[color=crimson][b][h3]The Firebrands[/h3][/b][/color][/center]
[color=crimson][b]Type:[/b][/color] Warband
[color=crimson][b]Faction/Unit:[/b][/color] Loyal to Barsabbas
[color=crimson][b]Description:[/b][/color] 
The Firebrands, as they have come to be called, were elements of the Salished war machine under Barsabbas's command. Many followed their commander as he went rogue, either out of personal loyalty or an intent to see his plans realized. They operate from the shadow of the Claws, having carved their domain out of the narrow passes and treacherous crags. This provides them with a natural defense and hiding place with which to undertake their machinations in secrecy. 

Deep inside the Claws, one can sometimes see towers of smoke churning from the makeshift forges Barsabbas uses to craft his own Soulsteel. How he's managed to replicate the process without the holy Soul Forges is beyond the Salished's comprehension, but the weapons made in this manner are not a one-to-one match with those that emerge from the fires of the true forges. These are no less effective, but glow with baleful energies and are known to shriek as they kill. Attempts to follow the trail of the smoke to the Firebrands' whereabouts is a treacherous prospect, as booby traps and hidden fortifications are strewn throughout the passes. 

From the Claws, Barsabbas stages raids on weaker factions to gain valuable supplies and offers the defeated a place under his banner. With every victory his losses are replenished with new bodies, yet he keeps his ranks compact enough to conceal and maneuver without great difficulty. Though the Firebrands retains a sizable core of cataphract cavalry, most of its numbers are light horsemen and skirmishers drawn from local tribes. Befitting of their leader's nickname, they appear suddenly, harrying their enemies from unexpected directions before picking off disorganized elements piecemeal. Then, they will steal away whatever assets and valuables they can find before vanishing as quickly as they arrived.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ipn81zZ.jpg[/img]
[i]Heavily-armored cataphracts act as Barsabbas's elite soldiers.[/i][/center]
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