The Seven Sookal Clans

The Seven Sookal Clans is the name given to the collection of seven "strongmen" and their families who together make up the largest of the Great Nations of the Plains of Kataru, which are the three largest of the nomadic tribes of the plains. The Sookal have an arcane organizational system in which every unit is organized around a Strongman from the family to the troupe to the tribe, all the way up to the clan. Each spring, before the snows melt, the Sookal gather near The Orgorek for the Days of Challenge, where any member of a unit can challenge for the title of Strongman. These challenges can be tests of wits, feats of strength, or even battles, but in practice they tend to move to a vote which is heavily influenced by the number of shins a strongman or contestant can spend to purchase those votes.
The Sookal long ago gave up raiding as a lifestyle, choosing to focus on trade. They also sell their services outside of the Plains of Kataru as mercenaries, so they retain their fighting spirit and strength, but roughly half of their number are away from home fighting in someone else's employ.
The Sookal also reject the idea of constituent tribes - any minor tribe wishing to ally with the Sookal simply becomes Sookal instead of pledging allegiance. This requires them first to adopt Sook as their language, then to come to The Orgorek during the Days of Challenge and select strongmen at every level, and finally to find a strongman to serve under. Bringing in a new tribe can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing a challenge, so existing strongmen are always on the lookout for new members.
The Sookal are engaged in fights with Milaconi on several fronts, and would be willing to join a confederation against her, but many strongmen bear bitter enmity against the other Great Nations.