> What are the differences between the Summer (i.e. Manirian)
> and Winter (i.e. Pelorian) Tribes?
Mainly different traditional enemies, slightly different choice of secondary (mostly) tribal deities. The Summer Tribes were fighting trolls, the Winter Tribes fought the Dara Happans (at times together with the Summer Tribes). I still have the impression that Pelorian tribes were more accepting of strange Solar inventions from Peloria (Daysenerus, Yelmalio Tharkantus, Monrogh's Yelmalio) than Manirian tribes, but that may have been a matter of exposure.
The distinction into northern and southern tribes was broken already by Jorganos' people settling the region of the modern Grazelands and expanding into, possibly through, the Skyreach Mountains (Arrowmound myth). After the disastrous solo-campaign of the Lastralgortelli against the Dara Happans under Urvairinus following the much more successful joint campaign (recorded in Dara Happa as the destruction of Elempur), that tribe's remains and volunteers made up the first Vingkotling star tribes, the Liornvuli and another I have to read up when I get my hands on Enclosure (Stravuli?). Other Star Tribes followed, probably mixing Summer and Winter Vingkotlings even more. Then the lesser Darkness turned into the Greater Darkness, and the tribes were strongly diminished in size.
What remained for Heort to form the Kingdom of the Heortlings were pitiful remnants of once powerful Vingkotling tribes whose old traditions of whom to marry, whom to follow didn't work any more because the world had changed and much had been lost. Some peculiarities survived, but a clear-cut identification of Summer and Winter tribes after Heort would have to be artificial. It may have been transferred to mean Pelorian and Manirian tribes.
> Why did Ingkot Axe-and-a-half marry Hwarin Dalthippa?
Why did Sartar marry the Feathered Horse Queen, avatar of the hated Solar enemies? Might makes right.
> Didn't he saw what happened at Castle Blue, and the Red Goddess
> connections with Chaos?
In all honesty: who are the Orlanthi to judge Chaos? After all, their main deity is the uncle of the Devil.
Hwarin did not bring Chaos to Sylila. What she brought were diplomacy, trade, and culture, together with a structure which allowed larger kingdoms than the prevalent Orlanthi principalities. Hwarin's best known act was the construction of the Daughter's Road, worthy of Issaries in Orlanthi eyes.
> Did he marry her for power?
Sure. All (85%) Orlanthi marriages are for power.
> That alone IMO would qualify him as a Lokama*.
Not so. Ingkot did not try to put himself above his god. He prepared a strong civilized Orlanthi state, like many powerful Orlanthi leaders before him. (Best known include the Second Council and the EWF, regionally best known was the Kingdom of Saird which fought the EWF.)
I think it would be fair to say that Ingkot dreamed of reviving the Imperial Age Kingdom of Saird, and that he succeeded.
> Or perhaps he hoped that a union between an Orlanthi warrior
> and a red-haired woman warrior could produce an offspring of
> heroic stature (I think of Heort, but there are others)?
Hwarin did not come with much of a dowry, or with strong evident magical support. While she did follow the Lunar Way and manifested it in her roads (pun intended), she carved a separate way for the northern Orlanthi of Peloria.
> Bonus silly question: is there a relationship between Hon-EEL,
> Jar-EEL and Sor-EEL?
Yes: they all are scions of the Eel-Ariash clan of Doblian. Sor-eel might get away socially with greeting the Razoress as kinswoman, though if the reverse occurred, I would run if I wore his shoes.
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