Saamdar

Saamdar

Saamdar (born 29th December 31:46) is a political philosopher best known for catalysing the 31:69 Revolution of Istakir, ending the 900 year old empire by instigating a people's revolt and convincing the Shahzadeh Andisheh II to abdicate from the throne. They are known for their contributions to the fields of anarchism, sociology, and ethics, and currently work as a political transition facilitator.

## Backstory

Saamdar's grandmother Kelemi was from Esetho, but was kidnapped and trafficked to Qadiyya as a teenager when Qadiyyan spies thought she displayed the signs of being a djinn. In truth, Kelemi was a shapeshifter, a magic she passed onto her daughter Nitzana and her grandchild Saamdar. Nitzana managed to escape Qadiyya by hiding in a barrel of olives being delivered to troops on the frontlines of the 31:43 Qadiyyan-Istaki border war, and climbing out of the freight cart while en route and walking several dozen kilometers to Elyari. There, she met the clerk Birritu, and together they had Saamdar.

Birritu worked at the tax office in Elyari, and often brought Saamdar in with him to work while she was a child. It was here that Saamdar first garnered an understanding of state and governance, and Birritu taught her how to read, write, and do arithmetic despite a lack of formal education. However, when Saamdar was twelve, Birritu fell ill and passed away, leaving Nitzana a single mother. For the best shot at bettering the futures of herself and Saamdar, she moved them to the capital Sorrokh. Saamdar often had a lot of time unsupervised during the day while Nitzana worked, and ended up spending a great deal of it listening to philosophers lecturing along University Row. She began developing her own ideas, writing them on the backs of littered pamphlets and presenting them to the lecturers until they began teaching her in earnest. In order to make some extra money to help her mother, Saamdar began working as a courier around University Row and Grace District, then had the bright idea to start reading some of the letters she was delivering. She soon became a veritable encyclopaedia of Sorrokhan intrigue and power plays, and started a business as an information broker, operating out of the back room of Nedime's tavern. She hired Marjani Kushoto as a bodyguard after a close call with a volatile client, then her wife Zaahira Aysar as a translator.

As part of his wanders, Saamdar happened upon then-Shahzadeh Andisheh II in the terraced gardens of the palace when he was seventeen and Andisheh eighteen. They struck up a rapport quickly, sharing an interest in politics, strategy, and chess, and three years later this developed into a covert relationship. However, Saamdar always knew he would have to prioritise revolution over an unexpected love affair with the very prince he was overthrowing, and in 31:69 left Andisheh to tour Istakir and rally up protests and rebellions against the Azarnezhad dynasty. However, contrary to his expectations, Andisheh followed in his footsteps around the country and confronted him, and their fight is fabled to have lasted three days and three nights, ending on the day of the Qadiyyan Incursion. However, Saamdar finally managed to convince Andisheh of the power of his philosophy, and with the aid of the djinn Daniyah al-Sadiq, they managed to slip past Istaki authorities and make it to Sorrokh in time to instigate the final scene of the revolution.

In order to ensure that their vision for a free and equal society was followed through, Saamdar remained in Sorrokh for two years, advising the redistribution of resources and overhaul of the legal and political systems. Afterwards, they and Andisheh began travelling both throughout the Communal Regions and internationally, negotiating border dissolution, trade relationships, and establishing seeds of anarchist influence. They were married on September 9th, 31:74.

## Personality

Saamdar is eloquent and intelligent, well-read and resolutely principled. They have a relaxed manner of speaking, preferring to do away with formalities and addressing all as equals unless for humour or rhetorical purposes, and they are something of a social chameleon. Their open and easy-going manner relaxes even the most cynical, but provides a subtle cover for how closely they hold their cards to their chest. They prize freedom and privacy, often reacting badly to restrictions, expectations, and attempts to probe closer into their thoughts and feelings, despite often arguing for others to unburden themselves to them.

Her philosophy expounds on the relationship between citizens and government, the role of structures in civilisations, and the conflict between tolerance and equality. She is learned in cross-cultural studies, but grows annoyed when that is assumed to be her specialty simply by virtue of her being a first-generation immigrant.

## Appearance

Saamdar has distinctive, waist-length locs, which he keeps as a constant regardless of the humanoid form he shifts into on any given day. He can also be recognised by the mole beneath his right eye. He is genderfluid, and uses his shapeshifting predominantly to switch between various different gender presentations. He has deep dark skin with red undertones, black hair, and prefers being short and stocky, usually around 5'5". His favourite non-humanoid form is that of a dragon, but he settles for turning into a lizard while indoors or with polite company. While not immune to vanity, he prefers to dress simply in Esetho-inspired styles and prints.

## Cultural Touchstones

Saamdar is Ethiopian by ancestry and has absorbed various Arabic, Persian, and Maghrebi ideas and customs through their socialising and offbeat education. They are inspired by real-life philosophers Ibn Khaldun and Zera Yacob, and fictional characters Wrathion and Grantaire. They are an absolute anarchist, believing that there is no possibility for a legitimate nation or state, and present both individualist and communalist justifications for this.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn\_Khaldun
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zera\_Yacob\_(philosopher)
3. ↑ https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Wrathion
4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantaire
5. ↑ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anarchism/