From: Peter Metcalfe (metcalph@bigfoot.com)
Date: Wed 12 Apr 2000 - 14:54:18 EEST
Wesley Quadros:
> > What mad horse-nomads? [The Rathori]'ve chased away the nearest nomads
>Okay, even assuming that the clan has broken into sub-herds, I cannot see
Considering that you and Martin were talking about a thousand
>I think that even a small sub-clan should be able to muster a dozen
Given that the Rathori have the better bows, this is hardly going
> > Unless you assume that CharUn are always on full military alert
>No, I assume that they are sleeping in their tents with out-riders. When
Your CharUn do not invoke the spirits before they set out? Does
> > and have plenty of time before any reprisals can reach them.
>these herds being more than a mile or two apart.
strong clans at the minimum, I do think the horse herds would
be spread out a lot further than
>or a score of mounted archers.
to make them quake in their bearskins.
> > at any one time and instant ready reaction forces.
>the alarm is raised then they grab their bows and swords and leap on to
>their horses (don't need saddles) and ride off where they leaders direct
>them to. Sure, that may take 5 minutes.
the Leader not take time to determine where the Rathori are? What
happens if an outrider fails to return from a patrol? Do you guard
the camp on the basis that he has been hit by a Rathori? Or do
you send out a search party to wake him up?
All these things and many more take time.
> > The horse nomads still have metal weapons which would be well worth
>But it would be much much easier to take those weapons from somebody else
For the Rathori who live in the east, they really don't have a choice
>My point, and I think Steve's as well is not that the Char Un don't have
The CharUn are close buddies to the decadent Lunar Empire yet
> > acquiring.
>rather than a guy on a horse waving said weapon at you. Say the Arrolians
>maybe.
about who to raid.
>valuables to raid.
in all of Erigia, there is not one single clack plundered from
the fall of Boldhome? Do not their women have shiny trinkets
skull coffee cup, a singing lunar doll for the kids. All these
things have some value in the eyes of the Rathori.
>Their metal cook pots, their metal chairs, metal spoons, knives
>combs and other metal things that a Rathori would have no idea
>what it was - but its really shiny. I do not think that they Char
>Un have these things.
Why not? They are friends with the Empire. Their best menfolk
>They have metal yes. Swords, arrow heads, armour, buckles, jewellery,
are away south fighting for loot. Surely some of these things
in the Empire end up on the Steppes?
>knives.
And the CharUn have an inventory of all items of these kind
> > No. Read it again. The CharUn clothing is of much better
>It had better be gold-plated, diamond encrusted, Iron-ribbed leather
Why? All it has to be is _better_ than the clothing that the Rathori
> > >Horses, metal, sons, weapons. I do not see any of
> > But leaving camp in a damn hurry, are you sure that you
"I thought he was with _you_!"
> Maybe I am not in the correct frame of
He can account for even the stragglers when he has to move a herd
>Nomads are like anybody else, they want to live a comfortable life.
Which includes plenty of useless good-looking stuff in excess.
> > No. I'm saying that the CharUn use their horses for purposes
>Well, I worked on a farm as I said. We had holstein, herford and angus
Yet Steve Lieb criticizes me for implying all the CharUn horses are
so that they can check if anything has been left behind when
they are forced to leave camp quickly?
> > quality than the Rathori.
>goods to make a Rathori want to take it from the steppes.
can make themselves to be desirable.
> > >these being unable to be tossed on a horse and moved immediately.
> > will get _all_ of them? How many times have you gone on
> > holiday and found that you had forgotten something?
>mind. I cannot see any possibility where a Char Un would _forget_
>his horse, metal, son and weapons when he leaves camp.
quickly? He remembers where he left all his weapons, even the
arrowheads, and metal goods when he has to pack up within a
limited period of time?
> > other than riding, considering that they think cattle are
> > polluting. I even explicitly made an comparison with _cattle_ to
> > aid comprehension.
>cattle (red and black). Besides the amount of milk they put out there
>was no significant difference in the breeds.
less than 99% alike. But you've already admitted one key difference.
>They all walked the same speed, they all tasted the
>same, and they all kicked as hard.
I strongly doubt that all cows are alike save the amount
>And that it today in an industrial society where we have the time and
Breeding cattle for speciality is not an industrial trend.
>Also in this discussion we have not even touched on magic. The nomad's
And the Rathori have similar spirit allies and elvish magics to
of milk they produce. The Jersey gives rich milk yet
is not good for beef.
>money to breed cattles for specific purposes.
>camps would be warded by spirits and they would have hunting spirits to
>help them catch the raiders.
help them raid. I wouldn't say it cancels out, I just think it
makes life more interesting for both sides.
>The Rathori would have bear magics. I am not sure what the bear magics
>would be like but I assume stuff like "fight long after you are dead",
>"smell food 30 miles away", "sleep through anything", "really really
>strong", "move quietly through forest". Nothing that would really help
>them to escape the Char Un hunt.
"My favorite cloak is the cloak of magic when the dancing is
good, the one which grows from my naked skin".
"You were lucky that the fletcher gave you one of the iron
arrowheads as a tooth gift, for someday you will conquer
that spirit and learn his magic".
"You showed me your running magic and everyone knows that the
bluejay badge stops bleeding. Maybe you will qualify for
magic like mine: this opossum ribcage holds a spirit which
makes arrows bounce off of my skin; this pounch of eyeballs
lets me see into the spirit world, this carved stick can light
a fire"
"When I outfought the Soldier of Gold three years ago it was my
strike which slew him but Gromavon's rune carved into the
spearhead which allowed me to strike. Once I saw her reattach
your own mother's severed arm."
All these and more in the Player's Book: Genertela. The Rathori
are a bit more sophisticated in animist magic than you suggest
and some of it is helpful against a CharUn hunt.
>If raiding was a problem within a few miles of the Rathori forest then the
>nomads would stop going there or would keep full awareness while in that
>region.
And the poorer clans might have nowhere else to go other than
near the forest because the richer clans have hogged up the
best places.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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