Re: Re: armour times?

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 10:07:37 -0400

Wulf Corbett wrote:
>
>
> > 1) Just how many armourers are there, I assume that in order
> to
> > function a clan must have reasonably good access to one even if
> they don't
> > have one in house as it were. I would certainly expect there to be
> at least
> > 1 per tribe.
>
> More than that, at least one plus a good few apprentices. You need a
> lot of help for the ammount of metal to be shifted around, plus
> firing and general metalwork, maintaining toold, etc. A good
> blacksmith (or redsmith) could turn out simple stuff like axeheads,
> and it doesn't take an armourer to make new hafts for axes & spears,
> or leather armour.
>
> > 2) On the assumption the Lunars would nick anybody wandering
> around
> > with "official" lunar army arms and armour what scope is there for
> > converting or melting down captured equipment? Can you recycle
> tempered
> > weapons?

Until the wars start, using scavenged armour and weapons is a no-no. VERY distinctive. Unless you're part of Hidden Gale or some outlaw group, its a good way to get crucified (but at least that stops you from playing bagpipes)  

> Swords are (or at least can be) distinctive, and unless you're short
> on metal melting them down means starting from scratch anyway (hell,
> even just heating them up to red hot means re-tempering). But mail
> can easily be remade into a new shirt, and leather is leather.

The problems is that much of the lunar material seems to be pieces of plate. That requires a lot of work to re-cast/forge to 'file the serial numbers off of'

On a side note, a major export of the Romans was sword 'blanks' which were traded to the Germnaic tribes in exhange for amber, slaves and furs. The other items were things like wine, cloth and more delicate metal work (needles and the like).  

> > 3) I need a "something" that the players will want to buy
> that will
> > weave them into the socio-economic web?
>
> A decent warhorse? ANYTHING Iron (even just finding a Blacksmith with
> spare time in a Bronze society should be an event)? Ancient relics? A
> dragonbone Klanth? Look around and you'll find some trader with that
> certain something that's no use to him, but damnably pricey to you...

How about a praxian bow? Or weird trade goods? Wine for that wedding feast? Something nice for the wife? I don't know about you, but I like to make sure my bed will stay warm and welcoming. Or getting a dowry or morning-gift for your children? Or paying your no-good cousin Gunnar's weregild?

Or finding something that you just can't dispose of at the local (tribal?) moot -- which means a road trip to the mighty metropolis of Runegate. Or even Jonstown! =)

Or someone has something you MUST have -- a book about a heroquest or the like. But they only want one thing. One can parlay that into a huge daisy chain of unique and rare items required by a string of powerful and interesting folks..

Jeff

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