>Donald:
>> I created Pharon to do precisely this sort of counter-insurgency
>> stuff but he doesn't rely on someone getting away quickly enough
>> to get him information about an attack. His ability allows him
>> to predict attacks so he gets troops present to counter the attack.
>
>Yes, but what ability? This is what I'm trying to sort out - is he just
>using agents inside WW to find out what's happening (which any Lunar could
>do), or does he have something special?
>I hope this isn't working on a theory that all Lunars other than Pharon are
>idiots?
I'll quote Tatius here, "He's a barbarian, he acts like a barbarian but more importantly he *thinks* like a barbarian".
Thee's more to it than that but he and his followers are only a single generation from being Orlanthi themselves - Tarshite Orlanthi but still Orlanthi.
I suppose if I were to break down the ability I'd separate it into -
The first I expect Kallyr and several other Orlanthi leaders have. Most Heartland Lunars do not, they think in terms of maps and roads and measuring.
The second some leaders on both sides have.
The third is pretty much absent from the Lunar high command and the equivelent knowledge of Lunar behaviour pretty rare among the Orlanthi.
The fourth is again rare on both sides.
The fifth is also going to be rare.
All these abilities in one individual is powerful.
>Which makes me wonder about something else. Once he's around, and
>known as a threat for just this sort of reason, do you perhaps
>decide to leave that slowest member behind? If the result of
>staying together is that you *all* get killed....? Partly the sort
>of heroic last-stand thing you get in stories, where the one with
>the leg injury volunteers to stay behind to guard the rear with a
>bow or something. Partly just straight hard-headed risk assessment
>on the part of the leader at the time. Lose one, or lose the lot.
The problem is that it isn't just the odd member. The average Orlanthi warband contains a core of tough professional warriors and a bigger number of youngsters who reasonably capable but not as tough and experienced - the difference between a starting PC and an experienced one. All those youngsters are going to struggle. I don't think an Orlanthi clan is tempramentally prepared to make the decision to abandon their weaker members. This might be why Kallyr separates out the tribes Vingans, she's creating a force where the leader can decide "You aren't up to this job so you're staying home".
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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