From: Carlson, Pam (carlsonp@wdni.com)
Date: Tue 17 Sep 1996 - 21:15:00 EEST
Yesterday, I nearly fell out of my chair when Joerg blithely mentioned
Orlanthi carls in forming up in shield walls to fight scorpion men.
While I agree that it's theoretically possible, especially in Heortland,
Martin Laurie and I discovered an appropriate page from one of the
ancient texts at the College of War in Alkoth:
"Savages of the blue-painted kind are most unable to form a shield wall
of any integrity. Long before the kazkurtem, Our Lord Shargash cast
down and killed their lawless god, Umatum. The Destroyer bent and
twisted their Celestial Force. To this day, these savages are unable to
strand still or march in a straight line.
The Conqueror (1) showed us that to Obey is divine. As each man serves
his place within the greater army, all achieve the glory of victory,
whether it be a hero at the front or a spearman justly standing his
given postition in the phalanx. The blue-painted savages have not seen
this wisdom. Much discipline is required to hold them back, but
their savagery is most useful when followed by an orderly attack of
soldiers.
Even if you form these savages up so, they will move around to boast
among themselves of the deeds they will achieve. When faced with the
Enemy, they will break formation and fall over each other in their
eagerness to press the attack, afraid only that their names will be
overlooked in the telling of the Battle Poems. For they take their
measure only in what others say of them, not in the depth of their
Justice.
The best use of these troops is as an initial Surge of Disorder. They
require the foe to waste his magics and missiles or be overwhelmed.
The losses incurred by these troops is not a matter of concern; it is
best to drain their strength for the day, lest they survive in force to
loot and pillage against the protocols for such. A wise commander will
immediately see the problem of repeating this manuever. But these
savages are slaves to foolish pride. They can be made to rush to the
front day after day, as long as their leaders goad them on spears of
"onorr" (2).
Savages of the blue-painted kind are most cunning at hiding and
Excerpt from the "Chronicles of the Victorious Campaigns of Emperor
ambush...."
Eusibus, Gutter of Horse-Savages",
Chapter III: Employment of Foreign Troops
Margin scribbles:
(1) Urvairinus the Conqueror - invented phalynxes
(2) a foreign word, like "Justice"?
__________________________________
Well, I'm off to dream up more tortures for Seattle Farmer societies
newest endeavor: Adventures of the Alkothi Junior League. Kind of a
departure for us, as it involves neither farmers, nor lawsuits, or much
at all related to Heort. (These have been replaced by mysterious
journeys in reed boats, brutal ceremonies, and legendary collections of
erotic pottery.)
Pam
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