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thewolf
I have some questions about the Sinsearach tribe I was hoping you could help me out with. First off,

1. How do you pronounce it? I'm going with sin-SEER-ack right now, but wasn't sure if that was right.

2. According to the SR4 base book, in 2029 a group of elves split off and formed the Sinsearach tribe, and the Tir elves split off from there in 2035. How are relations between the elves? If a Tir elf and a Sinsearach elf met, would there be immediate hostility or cautious friendliness?

3. What language would they speak? Sperethiel, Salish, English, or probably all three?

4. How should I play the tribe generally? Super-paranoid eco-conscious, bong smoking hippies, something in-between? Are they aggressive? Are tribal members allowed to come and go?

Thanks for any comments. I am making a tribal adept and I want to get the background at least somewhat realistic to canon.
Kagetenshi
I pronounce "shin-ser-ack", but I don't know if that's correct.

Since the secession was bloody, I'm guessing the relations are at most cooly tolerant (sorta like Salish<->Seattle relations). It's unclear from the books I have on hand and, of course, how things are in SR4 is anyone's guess.

Edit: upon further reflection (and saying the word about a hundred times), I actually pronounce it closer to "shin-sear-ack", with "sear" as in "to sear a piece of meat" or what have you.

~J
thewolf
I will ask my group today how they pronounce it.

SR3 says that relations between the elven nations remain cool. It also says that the Sinsearach are strongly eco-conscious and use little intrusive technology (pg 319).

I meant to mention that I was surprised that I didn't read more about them, given how they would be a natural foil to the two Tir's. Are they somewhat reclusive, as I don't hear a lot about tribals making their way into Seattle proper.
Ancient History
Ah, one of the weirder ones...

"Sinsearach" is actually Irish/Gaelic ("Senior" or, in this context, perhaps "Elder"), and is another of the Gaelic-Elvish connections. Not much has been said about the group, so you're fairly free to do portray them as you want to. I'll just quote a relevant snippet from Runner Havens:
QUOTE
The Sinsearach elf tribe around the Mt. Ranier area is primarily anti-technology primitivists pursuing a low-impact, back-to-the-land lifestyle.

Thane36425
They appeared in a couple of old published adventures and in the Sega Shadowrun game.

They do have a little technology, but their is mostly limited to what whey can operate with a few solar panels on a house. I don't think that included computers and the like, but it would be things like ovens and refridgerators.

The tribe itself is reclusive and probably will tell you to bugger off at best and would most likely attack if you did not leave. If you actually have business with them, you could be allowed to visit long enough to conduct that business and leave. If you bring trouble with you, like if you are trying to hide there, then they will become your problem too.

In one published adventure, you dealt with a slightly more "liberal" group. The tech was as described and the people weren't really happy to have the team there. However, since team was helping them, they were tolerated. When the bad guys came, if the team fought them off without too much damage to the village, then they were friendly and could be used as contacts in the future. My team actually did later, by taking prodigal child of corporate parents who no longer wanted him, there, and they took him in, once they were convinced that no one would come looking for him.
thewolf
Yeah, I wasn't sure if they were mentioned in one of the NAN adventure books or not. I will have to look when I get a chance.

OK, reclusive, eco-conscious, somewhat paranoid or xenophobic.

I'm guessing since they are elven, their first language would be Sperethiel, then either Salish or English and probably not at a high level since they don't chat with outsiders that much.

I totally remember them from the Genesis game too. That's why that tribe stuck in my head for all of these years.
Thane36425
There is a little mention of them in Native American Nations, Vol. 1, but not much. It says they roughly middle of the road on technology. There was also a split in the tribe as well. Part of it believed staying with the Salish-Sidhe council ws for the best, but another faction wanted to be completely seperate. That group, translated name "the Forsaken," are very isolationist and keep to themselves. The rest of the tribe has more contact with the outside world.

It read like the tribe was set up by Elven seperatists, sort of like the two Tirs were.

So I guess if you were having any contact with them, the Sinsearach would probably be open to the right people (I would guess elven shaman would be at the top of that list while 0.01 Essence Cybertrolls would be at the bottom).Also there is a lot of mention about anti-"pinkskin" bias, but no mention as to if Sinsearach is all Native American elves or just elves in general.

Sinsearach also makes up about 11% of the Salish-Sidhe population.
thewolf
Per a Gaelic pronunciation guide for the word, it appears Sinsearach is pronounced "SHIN-shir-ach". Gaelic appears to stress the first syllable of a word.
Casper
I totally agree that the Sinsearch are absolutely underdeveloped. Basicly the idea behind them is that its a pinkie tribe of elves who did not get subsumed into the Tir when they formed. I have used them for basicly any wilderness type adventure ideas when you dont want to have the tribe to gritty like the Orks in the east.
Ancient History
QUOTE (Casper)
I totally agree that the Sinsearch are absolutely underdeveloped. Basicly the idea behind them is that its a pinkie tribe of elves who did not get subsumed into the Tir when they formed.

No'quite.
Casper
Pretty much ain't it though. The elves in the tribe didn't like what the Tir elves were doing so they did not join up with the them and enjoyed being in limbo between the Tir and seattle.


Ancient History
How soon they forget. The Sinsearach tribe applied for and was granted membership in the Salish-Shide Council in 2029; made up originally of young elves suffering prejudice from their native tribes as well as a number of pinkskin elves that liked the tribal lifestyle. The STC had at that point both opened up its borders to metahumans - no matter their ethnicity - and continued a policy of segregation between the races.

Eventually laws were enacted to stem the primarily pinkskin elf immigration, and this blatant racism sparked the division within the Sinsearach tribe - the northern group retained the name Sinsearach, and the southern group became the Cenesté ('the Forsaken'), and in 2035 went on to form Tir Tairngire.

In less polite terms, the founders of the Tir got their asses kicked out, not the other way around.
fistandantilus4.0
I was under the impression that it was their (Ehran's) plan in the first place to become seperated from the tribal council.
Ancient History
The plan (as far as we can tell) was to encourage racial segregation in order to foster a unit of elf culture and which would lead ultimately to rebellion and declaring a new nation. However, it is unclear whether they achieved their entire goal (i.e. did they mean to split the tribe, or were they hoping for the tribe to secede en masse?) Either is possible, especially given the more Machiavellian players in the early Tir.
fistandantilus4.0
Thanks for the clarificantion. As I'd remembered it, it did seem like they were ushing it, and were doing it intentionally. It could be that they were forced out before they were quite ready as well though. Hadn't thought of that.
Casper
Ya I kinda had the bare bones Jis of it.
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