The Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass: Warfare in Glorantha

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The Armies and Enemies of

Dragon Pass WARFARE IN GLORANTHA By Martin Helsdon with invaluable assistance from

Jeff Richard

Derived from the writings of

Greg Stafford, Sandy Petersen, Steve Perrin, Ian Cooper, Michael O'Brien and Harald Smith

Front piece: design taken from a Holay vase of the early Hero Wars period. A confrontation between hoplites wearing classic Sairdite panoply. Illustrations and Cartography by: Dan Barker, Gene Day, Colin Driver, Martin Helsdon, Luise Perrene, Jan Pospíšil, and Roger Raupp (and some artists I am unable to identify) ‘Siege of Whitewall’ used courtesy of Andrew Taylor Chaosium artwork and map used courtesy of The Chaosium Special thanks to David Scott, Harald Smith, Scott Mayne, Richard Helliwell and Andrew Taylor, and those several Illuminates who wish anonymity, for their encouragement and support, and of course to Greg Stafford for creating the world of Glorantha.

Dedication: For Greg Stafford, 1948-2018, for creating the world we play in.

Author’s Note: Whilst every effort has been made to make this book as canonical as possible, it does not define canon. In many cases, it has been assumed that Gloranthan materials and manufacturing are very close analogues to their terrestrial counterparts, much as the nature of the world closely corresponds to the magical world our Bronze Age ancestors believed they inhabited. This belief is why Glorantha is a Bronze Age world, even though some troops, tactics, and technologies find their equivalents in our Iron Age, when many of those ancient assumptions were being questioned, and in some cases, such as the shape and size of the Earth, or the distance of the Sun and Moon, being tested by observation. In Glorantha, the Bronze Age mindset is key, as is the Bronze and early Iron Age of central and southeast Europe and the Near East for the look and feel, at least for central Genertela. Even where the Iron Age creeps in, it is the Iron Age of the Ancient World. The very broad ‘cut-off’ date for military technology has been assumed to be around 200 BC, though some Gloranthan technologies, mostly due to dwarven influences, would seem to be of a much more recent date. Your Glorantha Will Vary. RuneQuest is a Trademark of Moon Design Publications and is used with their permission via the OBS Community Content program. For more information please visit Chaosium’s website: www.chaosium.com

The Chaosium and RuneQuest Logos are used under license. The reproduction of material from within this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit, by photographic, optical, electronic, or other media or methods of storage and retrieval, is prohibited. Art and map provided by Moon Design is copyright © 2019 Moon Design and is used under license. Art provided by Andrew Taylor is copyright © 2019 Andrew Taylor and is used with permission. Copyright © 2019 by Martin Helsdon

Table of Contents Introduction........................................................ 5

The Campaign Year .................................... 166

Fundamentals of Warfare .................................. 6

Roads and Warfare .................................... 170

Troop Types .................................................... 6

Water and Warfare .................................... 176

Unit Organization ........................................... 9

Terrain........................................................ 178

Arms and Armor ............................................... 26

Fortifications and Siege Warfare ................... 183

Materials and Manufacture ......................... 26

Siege Weapons .......................................... 183

Armor ........................................................... 36

History of Fortification ............................... 186

Weapons....................................................... 48

Fortifications .............................................. 188

Other Equipment .......................................... 62

Arcane Warfare.............................................. 203

Non-Human Arms and Armor ...................... 70

Religion and Warfare ................................. 206

Regional Warfare.............................................. 72

Magical Warfare ........................................ 206

Pelorian Warfare .......................................... 73

Gods of War ................................................... 224

The Holy Country .......................................... 88

War Gods of the Lunar Empire .................. 227

The Horse Nations ........................................ 90

War Gods of Sartar and Heortland ............ 237

Hsunchen Warfare ....................................... 93

War Gods of Esrolia ................................... 241

Orlanthi Warfare .......................................... 93

War Gods and Spirits of Prax ..................... 242

Praxian Warfare.......................................... 100

War Gods of the Horse Nations ................. 243

Other Facets of Warfare ............................. 104

Gods of the Wolf Pirates............................ 244

The Battlefield ................................................ 121

Armies of Central Genertela .......................... 245

The Battleground........................................ 121

Lunar Army ................................................ 245

Infantry ....................................................... 125

Sartar Free Army ........................................ 264

Cavalry ........................................................ 139

Independents ............................................. 269

Fliers ........................................................... 150

Hero Wars Army Lists .................................... 281

Chariots ...................................................... 152

Lunar Army List .......................................... 282

Vexillae ....................................................... 157

Sartar Free Army List ................................. 316

Artillery ....................................................... 157

Independents List ...................................... 331

Magical ....................................................... 159

Appendices .................................................... 351

War Dogs .................................................... 159

Sun Dome Temples .................................... 351

Warships ..................................................... 160

Fazzur Wideread ........................................ 356

Heroes ........................................................ 164

Terminology ............................................... 361

Bodyguards ................................................. 165

Index .............................................................. 367

Transport and Mobility................................... 166

Sources .......................................................... 380

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS

Polaris grant me victory! Lend me the strength and valor to defeat my foes!

“There was a world . . . or was it all a dream?” Homer, The Iliad

A Tarshite glazed bowl dating to the Sixth Wane depicting a Solar hoplite fighting an unhorsed Pentan. nomad.

Yara Aranis, Six-armed Goddess of Boundaries, Pursue and rend, Limb from limb, Any who profane this text! 4

INTRODUCTION

Introduction A Time of Legends

Coinage Pay and prices are given in the coinage widely circulated in Dragon Pass in this period. The Lunar Empire coin called a Lunar and the Sartarite Guilder are both round silver coins weighing approximately ⅛ ounce (4 grams, 0.2 troy oz.) and are virtually interchangeable. The Seshnelan Silver Imperial has the same weight. I

Glorantha in the Hero Wars epoch is a world of magical and mundane combat. Armies march and fight, cities are besieged, and Heroes contest for victory, but the weapons are not fashioned just from mere metal, wood, and leather, but also potent magical energies. Humans are said to have gained dominance in Glorantha only recently, about a thousand years earlier. Before this, they were only one species among many. Humans have adapted well to the world of Time, expanding their realms at a steady pace gradually pushing aside the remnants of the Elder Races. Events in Glorantha are now moving towards a conjunction driven by conflicting cultures, religions and ambitions. The Lunar Empire seeks to sweep all before it as it extends southwards, bent on achieving the supremacy of the Red Goddess over the unruly Storm God. War banners are being unfurled, some not seen for an Age of the world. Heroes are converging towards cataclysmic confrontations. The Elder Races are plotting their revenge. The dragons are awakening. The gods are stirring. New stars are rising. Heroes meet and clash in Dragon Pass, a strategic and magical nexus, the crossroads of a continent. This book examines the armies of the early Hero Wars. By necessity, the text concentrates upon the human combatants.

A Note on Terminology

Terrestrial historical terminology is used throughout for convenience. The use of Assyrian, Greek, Persian, Roman, Keltic, and Anglo-Saxon terms should not be mistaken as implying that the Gloranthan equivalents are culturally or technologically identical. In some cases, the similarities are helpful, and in others superficial. Anachronistic terms are used for simplicity. Terrestrial weights and measures are employed for convenience. The few terrestrial asides are presented thus, as white text on black.

Sources At this remote remove from the period, surviving texts from the Hero Wars and afterwards are often fragmentary, and at times contradictory. Archaeological evidence supplements our knowledge. Unearthed burials, weapons, armor, fortifications, decorated pottery and other pictorial evidence contributes greatly to our understanding. Numerous artifacts are on display in museums. However, the available sources are never definitive, and must be augmented with speculation and conjecture. In this book, it is assumed that a real historical period underlies the Legends of Argrath (or the Argraths) and the other Heroes. The most widely accepted dates of the Solar Time chronology are used, though these are, of course, subject to debate. The present tense is used to immerse the reader in the era.

A detail of the Griffin Gate of Yuthuppa. No one in Glorantha knows all of the background information presented here.

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS

Fundamentals of Warfare “Soldiers of the Sun! Advance!” Rurik Runespear was resplendent in gilded armor, the yellow-dyed horsehair crest of his hawk-helm obvious in the front rank of the phalanx. Beside him, file-leaders began their measured tread towards the enemy. The foe saw a forest of pikes swaying towards them in ordered files and ranks, a display of discipline and order. Nervously they gripped their weapons and shields. The Lunars had fought in battle with the mercenaries at their side; now a regiment of Vanntar was steadily marching against them. The Templars trod in unison, accompanied by the rhythm of clanking armor, their feet pounding the ground, stirring up dust, shields levelled together. The front rank kept their heads low, eyes staring grimly ahead, steady, determined, fixed on the enemy. “Front ranks! Lower spears!” The long pikes swept down in unison, bright spearheads glittering, like a wave breaking on a shore - but this flood swept inexorably onwards. It would not break; it would not waver. The second rank brought their spears horizontal in a successive wave, then the third, fourth and fifth. A wall of slim-bladed spikes all pointing ahead, even as the pikes of the rear ranks slanted forward, providing some protection against the incoming rain of missiles. The phalanx continued its relentless advance, as javelins and arrows fell among the ranks. Men staggered but the line did not falter as others stepped forward to take their place. Steadily their pace increased, the line held as straight as their spears. The sound of their advance grew, the clash and thump of metal on metal, of the steady footfall of hobnailed sandals. “Front ranks! Bladesharp!” All along the line, the foci carved upon the pike heads glittered, the brilliant bronze blades seeming even keener-edged… Warfare in the Hero Wars period is superficially like that of our own time. Formations of foot or horse fight under the leadership of a general, king, priest, magician, or warlord against their enemies. Ambushes, skirmishes, field battles, and sieges are used to break an enemy’s will to resist. Armies are dependent upon the supply of food, fodder, firewood and especially water; logistics places limits upon their range of operations and size. In war, a state with a logistical infrastructure has many advantages over less sophisticated foes who are reliant upon foraging and pillaging to feed their fighters. In this era, so the legends tell us, magic plays a decisive, often even primary role in warfare. Priests cast bolts of lightning or call down flames from the heavens; shamans can unleash spirits such as the all-consuming Oakfed; devotees of War or Storm Gods can shatter regiments; and the Lunar Empire has units like the Field School of Magic and the Crater Makers or the awesome Crimson Bat that can decimate entire armies. In Glorantha, victory is often not on the side with the biggest battalions, but the side with the mightiest gods and spirits. This can have surprising results; for example, a band of hunter-gatherers, backed up by powerful shamans, can overwhelm a superior civilized phalanx lacking magical support. The few armies that are both magically powerful and organizationally sophisticated (in particular, the Lunar Army) are terrifying indeed. The Lunar Empire was the first nation to regiment its magicians and priests into cooperative organizations whose members have similar training, practice together, and strive for common good. This has proved especially successful in times of war for until the Sartarite resurgence, other lands still relied on a few powerful individuals, assisted by lesser helpers.

As a result, armies often use tactics or strategies that would often make no sense in our time but may be fundamental to using their army’s magic to its best effect. Armies are often assembled according to sacred formulae, and combatants are often chosen to best match ancient myths. Certain individuals or units may lack any direct military value, but must be present for other regiments to use their own best magic. The availability of healing spells in this period has the effect of often making warfare even bloodier. Wounds that might incapacitate or kill can be swiftly healed. Even in a shield-wall an injured combatant might be pulled back into the ranks, healed, and return to the fray. Most of the Third Age cultures are extremely cautious regarding innovation (the Lunars being the obvious exception) following the disasters at the close of the Second Age resulting from the rampant experimentation of the Empire of the Wyrms Friends and the God Learners. Almost all technologies and tactics are said to derive from before Time or shortly after the Dawn; both the shield-wall and phalanx are derived from ancient models. Only the Lunars (and later Argrath of Sartar) experiment to any degree with military magics, techniques and technologies. It can be no coincidence that the long-prophesized Hero Wars are beginning.

Troop Types Troops are divided into those utilizing shock combat, and those employing missile weapons, with some units capable of employing both forms. Shock involves close-quarter hand-to-hand combat,

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FUNDAMENTALS OF WARFARE usually in dense blocks of infantry and cavalry. Missile involves combat inflicting casualties at a distance, using direct (line of sight) and indirect (parabolic) attacks.

withdrawing from any offensive response only to turn around and counterattack once the offensive is spent. These units also serve as scouts, providing advance intelligence to locate the enemy and sources of supply. A regiment of Light Cavalry is typically around 500 troopers.

The Primary Combat Arms Basic warfare consists of four combat arms: Light Infantry (missile-armed), Heavy Infantry, Light Cavalry (missile-armed), and Heavy Cavalry. “Heavy” cavalry does not necessarily mean heavy armor. It means they are trained to fight in large masses in a melee instead of as skirmishers. The distinction between “Heavy” and “Light” is often blurred. Some fighters armed with missile weapons may fight in close formations, rather than in open skirmishing lines.

Heavy Cavalry These mounted fighters engage in direct contact with the foe, usually with lances (long spears), sometimes with swords, maces, or axes. They are used for the charge, meant to break up infantry formations and ride them down. Often considered an elite, many heavy cavalrymen are drawn from the nobility. A regiment of Heavy Cavalry is typically around 500 troopers.

Light Infantry Troop Type Interactions

These are skirmishers and missile users, scouts and foragers. They are often used as a screen ahead and on the flanks of the main army. In many societies, light infantry is capable of fighting either in massed units or ahead of the main body of infantry. A regiment of Light Infantry is typically around 1,000 soldiers. This unit type is common to almost all societies, even the most primitive. It is usually used as a skirmishing screen. Archers can dominate any battlefield where most of the enemy are unarmored, but their dominance declines in pitched battles between massed infantry wearing heavier body armor. The javelin is a more suitable weapon in such circumstances as it is more capable of penetrating armor, and if it pierces a shield can render it unusable. Foot archers tend to have greater accuracy and range than mounted archers.

The interaction of these four basic troop types can be generalized:  Light Cavalry is offensively superior to Heavy Infantry and Cavalry.  Heavy Cavalry is offensively superior to Light Infantry.  Light Infantry is defensively superior to Light Cavalry.  Heavy Infantry is defensively superior to Heavy Cavalry.  Dominance between Heavy and Light Infantry varies subject to terrain and tactics. “Offensively Superior” means that the combat arm can defeat its rival in an attack. The classic example is Light Cavalry versus Heavy Cavalry. The Light Cavalry constantly advances and retreats during an action, so it cannot be caught, but it is often offensively superior because it can force an action upon the Heavy Cavalry, who cannot get away from the faster, more loosely-organized horse archers. “Defensively Superior” means that the rival is not able to successfully overcome the

Heavy Infantry These fighters specialize in heavy weapons and armor, sacrificing speed for shock value. They typically fight in a shield-wall or phalanx. Heavy Infantry is armored with bronze, layered linen, or leather armor and armed with spear and sword. They either carry a large shield or are well armored. A closely ordered battle-line of heavy infantry is vulnerable to flank attack. Broken, overgrown or steep ground threatens their cohesion because of the difficulties in maneuvering in close order formations in such terrain. A regiment of Heavy Infantry is typically around 1,000 soldiers.

Light Cavalry Light Cavalry is armed with missile weapons, typically bows or javelins. They skirmish with the foe,

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS combat arm in an assault. When fortifications are involved these relationships change. Cavalry becomes useless, and the offensive superiority of light infantry is canceled out. If Heavy Cavalry can get to the flank of Heavy Infantry, they can triumph. Light Infantry and Light Cavalry normally take much longer to reach a decision when offensively superior than do the heavies. This is because light troops must run away when the heavies charge (usually they can do this, because they are faster), then run back when the heavies try to flee. This continual ebb and flow takes quite a while, but the decision is no less certain than when Heavy Cavalry smash into a band of slingers - just slower. The abilities of Light Infantry and Light Cavalry overlap, with Light Infantry being less costly to maintain but lacking the mobility and speed of cavalry, but having an advantage in broken country.

and priests to battle.

Fliers Fliers are capable of aerial combat and attacking ground units with missiles, spears and swords. Some flier mounts are capable of attack themselves. They can act as scouts and provide an overview of the territory around an army.

Heroes Heroes have transcended human limits and may be equivalent to one or more ordinary regiments. Some have become demigods. Most are accompanied by a band of companions.

Magical Groups of combat magicians tend to be very small; a few priests, shamans, or wizards who typically provide offensive and defensive support for their regiment. The temples of the various War Gods are often represented at battles, protected by a bodyguard. Priests receive magic from their gods to help their soldiers and hinder and harm the enemy. Sometimes these forces are focused in an individual who manifests or incarnates divine powers; such individuals are usually accounted Heroes. Some magical entities, such as the Crimson Bat are both extremely powerful and exotic. The magical battalions of the Lunar College of Magic (and later of the Sartar Magical Union) consist of 50 to 250 magicians (priests, sorcerers, shamans, mystics and devotees) who are trained to coordinate their activities to create a magical effect beyond the sum of the individuals.

Combined Arms The use of these four primary arms in conjunction has a major impact on warfare. Heavy infantry and cavalry employ shock attack, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Light infantry and cavalry employ missile attack, engaging in combat at a distance. Massed chariots once fulfilled both a shock and missile role. Diverse cultures have historically emphasized different weapons, and the combination of different troop types. A successful combination utilizes the strengths of shock and missile troops. The Carmanians combined their cavalry with Pelandan phalanxes; the Dara Happans combined their phalanxes with lessons learned from Pentan cavalry. The Lunar Army has blended Dara Happan and Carmanian traditions, creating a combined-arms tactical fusion establishing one of the most sophisticated armies in Glorantha, dominating the battlefields of Peloria.

Vexillae Vexillae are special independent Lunar commands drawing strength from regiments across the Empire or raised by private individuals. If composed of regular soldiers, the commanding officer is termed a Legate or Tribune. A vexilla allows subunits to be detached from their regiment and its guardian standard, without losing access to their unique magics. This ability to raise small tactical formations below the level of a regiment gives Lunar generals flexibility when dealing with threats that cannot simply be engaged on the field of battle. Vexillae are ideal units for the kind of irregular warfare common along the borders of the Empire. The exact combat strengths of a vexilla derive from the units that comprise it.

Other Combat Arms Artillery Artillery such as ballista and catapults have a short range, which means they must be close to the enemy to make an impact. Their lack of mobility makes them vulnerable on the battlefield, and almost entirely restricts such engines to siege and naval warfare.

Chariots Chariots were once widely used in Pelorian warfare, but shortly after the Dawn were replaced almost entirely by cavalry, with their use only retained, for a time, by the more conservative nations. The use of chariots is often relegated to ceremonial and ritual use – and chariot racing. The Orlanthi still use chariots to carry champions

Warships Since the Opening, conflict has returned to the seas, with fleets of triremes and penteconters active along the

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FUNDAMENTALS OF WARFARE southern coasts. None compare with the immense dragonships and battle barges of earlier Ages.

are most likely to be well equipped and best trained. They rarely number more than 25 professional fighters, though War Clans can field more. In most regions, every hamlet and village has its own militia, its efficiency and effectiveness reliant upon the qualities of its leader and the dedication of its members. Farmers may have a familiarity with hunting weapons, and herders with the weapons used to protect their herds. Across Peloria, their overlords rarely permit the Lodrilli peasants to form an armed militia. This will change in the face of the nomad invasions. Only the independent farmers of the Redlands drill with spears. Militia members are often expected to supply their weapons themselves and are allowed any sort of armor which they can afford and can carry. To qualify for an Orlanthi clan weapontake, a fighter must have a shield, a favored tribal weapon or long knife, and a ‘strong hat’. The basic arms of many of the Orlanthi are a bronze-tipped spear, bronze axe and a shield, to which the wealthy might add a sword, a helmet, and bronze armor. Bows, javelins, and slings are common missile weapons. Yelmalion militia tend to be more structured than the ordinary village militia, with two distinct types of militia: local units and those organized by the temple. Local militia are of variable quality, often organized and commanded by a retired Templar. Temple militia are squads of recruits drawn from the initiates. A professional Templar file-leader and half-file leader provide continuity as squad members are rotated through their period of service. The squad is responsible for patrolling a particular area, and is housed in a barracks. In times of war these squads supplement the professional regiments in defending their homeland. Their weapons are spear, javelin and shield, with some using bows. Lunar provincial militia, where permitted, are broadly similar to the Orlanthi militias. In the Lunar Heartlands, after a century of peace, militias may exist as traditional social

War Dogs There is a long tradition in Saird of utilizing war hounds. Dogs are used as sentries or taken on patrols and into battle. Dogs are often associated with Darkness by many Gloranthan cultures. The Orlanthi tend to have a very negative view of canines, in part because in numerous adventures their god Orlanth faced great obstacles from various Dog Gods. The Wolf Runners of the Sartar Free Army are an exception.

Unit Organization Four general categories may be identified: Militia: non-professional fighters with limited training, expected to aid in the defense of their community. Mercenary: a professional fighter serving whoever pays them. They are responsible for providing their own arms and armor. Soldier: a professional fighter in the service of a state. They may be regulars or conscripts, with the former usually of higher quality. Warrior: a fighter in the service of a chosen leader, usually within the context of a tribal or clan-based society. These categories can and do overlap. For example, a warrior may be a mercenary; a soldier may have been conscripted from a militia. Historically, Tarsh, and more recently Sartar, demonstrate a shift from a warrior ethos to that of a professional army, with the clan and tribal structure being replaced by a regimental system. At the beginning of the Hero Wars, following the end of the Lunar Occupation, the armed forces of Sartar are in transition as the fundamentally tribal armies begin to resemble the regimental organization of their enemy.

Militia A militia or fyrd is a fighting unit of mostly nonprofessional fighters, usually composed of all those eligible to fight in a clan or tribe. All able-bodied free men (and women, in some places) are required to show up for muster and basic training for the defense of their community. A clan ranges in size numbering between five hundred and two thousand people. Most of the time about half of the male population is potentially available for local defense. In the event of a local disaster, any and all able-bodied men and women can turn out and fight, but such emergencies are rare. Most clans can typically muster some 250 combatants. In reality, the good fighters, equipped and trained, are far fewer. The clan chief, the thanes and housecarls

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS clubs but rarely have any military capability.

prestige than actual combat. In a few cultures, raids are a means of capturing wives, ensuring exogamy. These may be the ritual capture of a bride, arranged previously, or actual abductions. Larger scale raiding may be sponsored by tribes or states, to demonstrate their power, political and martial, and to exact tribute from their neighbors. Raiding also maintains boundaries, and can create a no-man’s land between competing groups.

Training The type and extent of military training varies enormously. Hunting and raiding are both activities which are preparations for full war. Youths in many societies are taught war dances to learn the basic moves of attacking and parrying. Among the Orlanthi it varies by class. All healthy men are expected to drill for the clan fyrd, but only nobles, thanes and housecarls are likely to receive any significant military training. The traditional Eighteen Occupations includes the king (or warlord), who leads in battle, and the weaponthanes and housecarls, the professional warrior classes of Orlanthi society. Other thanes are likely to have received more training, and have better weapons, than clan members of the lower classes. Fighting in a shield-wall requires little training but basic discipline (as an expansion of the Orlanthi social requirement to obey chosen leaders), courage (the requirement for honor among clan members), and stamina. A fighter in the front ranks of a shield-wall or phalanx can fight no more than fifteen minutes before being overcome by physical exhaustion. Yelmalion Temple militia are schooled in the use of the spear and shield, used on patrols, and the bow and in the basics of pike-and-shield unit tactics. In battle the Temple militia provide missile cover and protect the flanks of the professional phalanx.

Militia and Professionals

Members of part-time militias possess only limited training and experience with their weapons compared with the proficiency of a full-time warrior or soldier. Whilst individuals of a militia may possess natural skill and courage, they often lack the endurance, cohesion and discipline of the members of a professional unit. Fighting beside friends and family is both a strength and weakness; casualties may provoke unpredictable disorder. Regular training and campaigning accustoms the professional to the rigors and traumas of combat. A seasoned veteran is better equipped to withstand the physical and mental stress of sustained warfare.

Mercenaries The constant friction at the edges of the Lunar Empire fosters companies of mercenaries. Most mercenary ‘regiments’ are collections of smaller bands under the often short-term leadership of a warlord, petty king, chief, or other figure. These mercenaries hire out to various employers. They constantly recruit to replace losses from casualties or retirement. These companies often become incorporated into a national force on a temporary basis. Mercenaries and wandering warriors are common sights in many regions. These companies are hired for various reasons: a lack of manpower, lack of time available for training, lack of materials, and political considerations. They regularly increment their living by plunder. The best known mercenary companies are the Humakti Battalions, The Black Horse Troop, Sir Narib’s Company, the various Yelmalion regiments and Sir Holburn’s Axe Brothers. Ethilrist, Lord of the Black Horse Troop, rents out his supernatural cavalry riding upon demonic steeds. The Feathered Horse Queens and the Luminous Stallion Kings of the Grazelanders have a history of selling the services of Grazelander mercenaries to the highest bidder. The Templars of Yelmalio are among the most famous mercenary regiments in Dragon Pass. Mercenaries are common in Esrolia, including

Raiding Small-scale raiding is a popular pastime in several cultures, both sedentary and nomadic. In addition to preparing youths for actual war, raiding is a means of gaining a reputation for bravery, winning wealth in the form of cattle and chattels (herd animals, slaves, portable prizes in the form of manufactured goods, trade metal or coin) and rescuing captives. Goods either enhance the wealth of the community, or may be given as gifts to enhance the standing of the gift-giver. Often, clever ruses gain more

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FUNDAMENTALS OF WARFARE Humakti swordsmen, Babeester Gor axe women, Caladralander spearmen, Orlanthi slingers and thanes, trolls from the Shadow Plateau, and even Western adventurers from the Trader Princes or beyond. Less famous mercenary companies abound, varying in size, capability and weapons. Mercenaries are regularly hired to protect trade caravans. The temples of Humakt sometimes also serve as mercenary hiring halls.

The character and preferences of the leader define the nature of a mercenary company and the punishments inflicted for infractions.

Terms of Service Period of Service Most mercenary ‘regiments’ are collections of small company-sized groups of 40 to 120 individuals. Yelmalion mercenary regiments are an exception. Five years is a common period of service, though a season or a few weeks is customary if the work is guarding a caravan or warehouse, or temporarily augmenting the armed force of a landowner. It is always possible to leave after the term is complete and re-enlist.

Equipment Infantry and cavalry companies are known, with a few being mixed. A company usually specializes as heavy or light, depending on its weapons and armor. Heavy units specialize in heavier weapons and armor, sacrificing speed for staying power. Light units are skirmishers and missile users, scouts and foragers.

Religion Yelmalion and Humakti

Training Mercenary commanders prefer to hire recruits with some level of military proficiency, but also train new newcomers, who act as servants and followers of more experienced mercenaries. Those joining cavalry companies are taught to look after the mounts and to ride, taking care of their master’s armor and weapons. Interspersed with this is the practical education of how to fight with the preferred weapons of the company. In battle the recruits act in a support role initially, carrying spare weapons and other supplies before becoming eligible to fight in the ranks. Training is rarely as structured as in a Yelmalion or Lunar regiment.

Discipline Mercenary companies range from those little better to robber bands to highly disciplined troops.

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS companies place religious obligations upon their recruits. Other mercenary companies vary according to the preferences of their leader, and often coin is more important than cult affiliation.

are supposed to be given up; permission is sometimes granted otherwise, commonly called ‘free plunder.’ However, as it is rarely possible to prevent soldiers and mercenaries enriching themselves, it is generally acceptable for the troops to take a twentieth of the loot seized without any disciplinary measures being enforced. Some mercenaries might have a right to plunder in their contract. A leader of a party of mercenaries receives a large amount of money or goods in addition to the standard wages of a mercenary. The amount is generally equal to the total value to the rest of the mercenary unit; a mercenary leader thus takes about half of the total value of the loot. The responsibility assumed by the leader and the dangers entailed earn them more reward. What a leader does with this portion varies according to the tradition they follow. The Orlanthi Method makes the leader responsible for further dividing the portions amongst their troops. The leader keeps three times their enlisted share as the minimum amount. They are then responsible for dividing the rest among their followers according to how they performed, in the leader’s estimation. Equal division is not the point here, but rather reward by merit. The Yelm Method gives the entire amount to the leader, although popular favor traditionally comes to generous leaders. Any division, though, is strictly voluntary on the part of the leader. Peoples who adopt this method do not think it unfair.

Mercenary Contracts The first formal mercenary contract1 was drawn up during the Second Age, either by the Empire of the Wyrms Friends or the Jrusteli God Learners. Contracts between the master of a mercenary company and their employer stipulate the provision of a company of trained and fully equipped fighters.

Mercenary Officer’s Contract Each officer will give his complete loyalty, in life and death, to the care and leadership of his employer, or any officer designated by the employer. Each officer will receive:  Food and sustenance, equivalent to the amount to keep him healthy, satisfied, and enriched, delivered in any manner convenient to the employer.  Shelter, enough to keep him healthy and protected from the vile elements, as appropriate to his station.  Magical training, as is best for the situation.  Security, for his person and his goods, especially for personal possessions when the owner is absent, within the best means of the employer.  Protection, on lands, marches, and camps of his employer, from all outside forces which oppose the officer because of his foreign status, including laws, curses, and personal vendettas.

Logistics: Mercenaries

For many rulers, mercenaries are an economical source of reliable and experienced fighters, responsible for their own training and equipment, including mounts. Often, they offer specialist skills lacking in local troops. Mercenaries are not susceptible to seasonal availability like a militia or fyrd, but will serve for as long as they are paid, providing professional service for the duration of a campaign or as long-term garrison troops. Pay may be in the form of money, goods, land-grants, war booty, or a mixture of these. They may be employed as elite bodyguards by rulers able to afford them, often enhancing the prestige of their employer, their loyalty ensured by their pay and other rewards. Mercenaries owe their loyalty solely to their pay-master, and so can be employed in external wars and in combatting internal unrest. Lacking any blood-ties to the native population, they will put down riots and rebellions, ruthless in eliminating malcontents. This same lack

Mercenary Soldier’s Contract Each hired man will give his complete loyalty, in life and death, to the care and leadership of his employer, or any officer designated by the employer. Each hired man will receive:  Food and sustenance, equivalent to the amount to keep him healthy and satisfied, delivered in any manner convenient to the employer.  Shelter, enough to keep him healthy and protected from the vile elements during periods of inaction or rest.  Security, for his person and his goods.  Protection, in the camps and lands of his employer, from outside persons and peoples who oppose his foreign status.

Plunder and Loot The normal convention is that all loot gathered belongs to the employer. When cities are looted all the goods 1

No earlier contracts are documented in surviving texts.

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FUNDAMENTALS OF WARFARE be augmented by auxiliaries, specialists, staff officers and bodyguards. Most cavalry regiments have a paper strength of five hundred, similarly supplemented. Some cavalry regiments claim a count of one thousand, with their primary mounts as full members of the regiment. On campaign and in garrison a regiment is rarely up to full strength, due to deaths, injury, illness, or, in the case of Lunar regiments the loan of elements to one or more vexillae. Desertion is relatively rare, but does happen.

of regard may also be apparent when foraging, even in friendly territory. There are obvious risks in employing mercenaries. Unpaid mercenaries are liable to turn on their employer, set to looting and pillaging, resort to banditry, or seek service with the enemy. If they find themselves on the losing side, mercenaries are likely to abscond, as defeated employers rarely pay their dues.

Soldiers A regiment is an organized military unit of professional soldiers often recruited or conscripted in one geographical area. Regiments are either formed by a state, a temple, or by an individual sufficiently wealthy to fund and equip one. Some are standing units, available throughout the year, whilst a few rely upon the muster of the militia, sometimes with a rotation of troops. The latter are restricted to operating within an easy traveling distance from their mustering center. Equipment will be fairly uniform (though variations are inevitable) in that a unit described as heavy will utilize heavier armor than one described as light. There is a hierarchical command structure and a regimental standard, usually occupied by the regimental wyter (the Lunar equivalent is the genius). Some regiments are very ancient, and all embody traditions and fighting styles. Each regiment is responsible for recruiting, training, and administration; each regiment is permanently maintained and therefore the regiment will develop its unique esprit de corps because of its unitary history, traditions, recruitment, and function. Regiments are usually divided into smaller companies, each with their own commander and standard. One disadvantage of the regimental system is a lack of interchangeability between units of different regiments. The Lunar Army overcomes this with the creation of temporary vexillae. Most infantry regiments have a paper strength of one thousand. This may

Command The commander of a regiment is often aided by staff officers, has their own standard, a musician (often a trumpeter) aides, priests, scribes, messengers and bodyguards. The disposition of a regiment is decided in a prebattle meeting of officers, following a meeting of senior officers with the commanding general. If a regiment must fight without any preparation, then a default battle plan is implemented.

Administration The secretariat maintains the regimental records, including the muster-rolls and conduct sheets. This is staffed by supernumerary scribes and quartermasters. The muster-rolls detail the current strength of the regiment, and are the basis of the allocation of pay, equipment (including arms, armor, clothing, and baggage-animals), reinforcements and rations. The quartermaster’s assistants then allocate the stores.

Hierarchy The structure of an army and its division into ranks reflects and sometimes magnifies the hierarchy of the society it is drawn from. Solar regiments are rigidly stratified, with the maintenance of social order of prime importance. Camaraderie exists between soldiers of the same rank, but the relationships between troops of different ranks is rigidly defined by duty and regulation. Lunar regiments are almost as hierarchical, but with a degree of upward social mobility by seniority and within the tiers of a military cult. On one level ‘regimentation’ seems alien to Storm cultures with their emphasis on personal freedom and individual prestige. However, no professional army can function without a chain of command and order. The Orlanthi social system recognizes different levels of status, conferred by the clan, in its own way as restrictive as Solar class distinctions, but with the possibility of attaining a greater status through the recognition of deeds and virtues. A Storm regiment mirrors the social form of a clan, led by a chief with subordinate nobles and thanes. The grim discipline and

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THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF DRAGON PASS rankings of a Humakti Battalion provide a necessary template for Storm regiments, even if they worship Orlanth.

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Officers

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A regiment is reliant upon its company commanders, often termed a Hundred-Thane in Orlanthi units, or a Centurion (or equivalent) in Lunar units. Some of these soldiers are promoted from the ranks, whilst others may have received commissions. The former constitutes a core of battlefield veterans, who provide experience and military wisdom. The latter can be inexperienced and unpredictable, even in cultures where the aristocracy form a trained military elite. It is these officers who oversee day-to-day training, discipline, and subunit tactical decisions. Trumpeters will sound the signal to advance and soldiers follow their standards. The placement of officers and under-officers within the formation enhances the transmission of orders prior to contact. Once battle is joined, however complex the regimental hierarchy, command at the battle-line inevitably devolves to the scale of the company of approximately one hundred troops. In the chaos of battle, no leader, whether a Centurion or Humakti Hundred-Thane can effectively lead more than a hundred soldiers. The strengths and capability of any army are heavily reliant upon the quality of its company commanders. Whilst the organization of regiments vary, with nationality and religion, all share a basic template. Officers at each level are often accompanied by their own staff. Officers are usually distinguished from their troops by wearing better quality and often gilded armor and helmets, with the latter crested or bearing more feathers. Solar officers may wear golden bracelets and Lunar officers silver, rewards for bravery and other services. Storm officers may instead have heavy silver or gold torcs or arm rings. A company commander may carry a staff of office.

The under-officers include: File-Leader: The file-leader is an experienced soldier who leads a file in battle, and these experienced under-officers bind a phalanx together. Half-file Leader: another experienced soldier. File-Closer: Sometimes the Half-file Leader, they keep the file ahead of them in line, ensuring discipline, forcing men back into line if they attempt to flee, shoving them back with their shields, prodding disobedient soldiers with a spear, sword, or staff.

Cavalry The section is the basic component of a cavalry regiment. Several sections comprise a wing, two wings comprise a troop, and several troops comprise a regiment. The officers include:  Commander: The commander of the regiment.  Troop-Leader: commander of a troop. They sometimes are accompanied by a standard-bearer and trumpeter.  Wing-Leader: commander of a wing of a troop. They ride on the edge of rhombus or wedge, responsible for maintaining the shape of the formation. 

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The under-officers include: Section-Leader: The Section-Leader is an experienced soldier who leads a section in battle, and these experienced under-officers bind the unit together. Rear Section-Leader: The Rear Section-Leader keeps the section ahead of them in line, ensuring discipline.

Battle Communication The limitations of communication, by standards, runners, or trumpeters, means that the commands of the general and their staff officers are mostly restricted to directing unengaged units and the reserve. Battlefield communication is rudimentary even in the most disciplined armies. Before battle, orders can also be sent by the passing of verbal messages through the ranks, though this is prone to error and being interrupted, and by heralds. In battle, trumpets can be used to send various signals, but the most important, to be obeyed without hesitation are – to charge, halt, pursue, and to retire. These instruments can be used to transmit information back to the general – such as the sighting of enemy forces. Each regiment has its own specific calls, so that a general, or its own commander, can convey specific instructions.

Infantry The file is the basic component of an infantry regiment. Multiple files comprise a company and several companies comprise a regiment. Although this organization best fits a phalanx, a similar structure is found in other units. The officers include:  Commander: the commander of the regiment.  Company commander: the commander of a company (Centurion or Hundred-Thane). They are sometimes accompanied by a standard-bearer and trumpeter.  Subaltern: the company commander’s assistant.

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FUNDAMENTALS OF WARFARE The notes of war horns and trumpets are recognizable across wide distances on the battlefield.

directs the action to be taken. The standard-bearer lowers, raises, waves, or make some other motion with the standard to indicate or direct the movement, tactic or formation to be employed. The regimental standard is staked in the ground as the first act of setting up camp at the very heart of the camp itself, next to the tent of the commanding officer. When striking camp, the standard is pulled from the ground. As the habitation of the regimental spirit the standard plays a key role in religious festivals, being anointed with precious oils and decorated with garlands. In addition to the metal and stone ornamentation, a standard often carries a banner depicting either the patron deity or a religious icon. It may also carry victory medallions and other trophies. Whilst Orlanthi warbands often carry a standard, it is rare, even for War Clans and Tribes to risk their wyter upon the battlefield. Instead, their standard may be inhabited by the allied spirit of their warleader, which is mostly far weaker than regimental guardian spirits. Very few mercenary regiments and companies have such guardians, save for longstanding Yelmalion regiments and Humakti Battalions. Some Humakti temples retain standards for battalions long dormant, ready for their revival. In battle Solar and Lunar standards often glow; Solar with a yellow aura, Lunar with a ruddy one. Storm standards crackle and spark with orange or blue lightning or may be surrounded by a blowing wind. In regiments associated with a beast god the standard-bearers wear the animal skins of their patron animal over their uniforms and helmets. Lunar standards often feature a bat with outspread wings, as a symbol of power and death. The Crimson Bat inhabits an important role in the mythos of the Red Goddess. The bat is also the Dara

Music and War

The Lunar Army utilizes silver trumpets (or, commonly, more resilient and cheaper brass trumpets washed with tin, which look silvery). The Orlanthi use war horns, lur and carnyx trumpets, drums, flutes, and bagpipes. They say their instruments are expressions of breath and of the elemental Air, and so inspire their warriors to great deeds. Their god of war music is Drogarsi. Marching music can be provided by trumpets, drums, flutes and cymbals, played at the head of a column. The sound of massed drums, which can be heard over a significant distance, can also be used to unsettle the enemy. It is said that the war drums of the Tarsh Exiles can cause the Earth itself to shudder. The regiments of Alkoth employ large kettledrums, emitting terrible sounds like thunder or screaming demons to terrify the enemy. Large golden gongs (carried between two men and struck by a third) are used by several Solar regiments. Burnished brass is substituted for gold – and sounds better. All these instruments can be heard over several kilometers. On the march, Solar regiments sing paeans to their patron deity, and Storm soldiers sing hymns and more scurrilous songs, often celebrating the mythic attributes and deeds of their gods and Heroes. The practices of Lunar regiments vary according to their origin. An officer can gauge the mood of their soldiers by what and how they are singing.

The Standard Standards are held in awe as potent symbols of the honor of the unit. A regimental standard is inhabited by the guardian spirit, the wyter or genius of the regiment. Each company (or equivalent) of a regiment usually has a lesser standard which carries a lesser spirit. The assembled company wyters or genii are celebrated and worshiped, in addition to the regimental spirit. The cult of the regimental standard unifies the members of the regiment; soldiers make oaths upon it, and a recruit is initiated into its worship. When making their surrender, vanquished enemy leaders are expected to submit under the shadow of the victorious standards. A standard may be decorated with treasures stripped from their person: diadems, torcs, arm rings. The standard is important as a recognition symbol and rallying point, and a means of communication in battle. A trumpet or horn blast is often used to draw the attention of the troops to the sta