> I think the way to marry the two is that bows are the weapons of those
> who are not able to fight in the phalanx. For example, young men would
> be stationed in whatever fortifications are closeby, or would be
> skirmishers, much like in the early republican Roman armies. But think
> about how things evolve. I see three historical phases:
The problem I have with Chris's phases is not their logic but that the implied starting position does not take into account several interesting questions.
For example Sun County is founded 877 ST. Pavis is besieged in 927 ST and plundered in 940 ST. The EWF sends three relief armies during that period. All are defeated. What is Count Arinsor and Sun County doing during that time? A titanic conflict which destroys the Arrowsmith Dynasty takes place just over _fifty_ miles from the Sun Dome Temple. Did nothing truly happen in Sun County in that time?
Or take the Pure Horse Tribe. What connections are there between Sun County and the Pure Horse Tribe which lasted until 1250? The Pure Horse was willing to enter in alliances with other Praxians. For example, Gerag Kag was opposed by a combined Praxian army yet the Pure Horse took heavy losses in the battle which contributed to their destruction thirteen years later.
What about the relations between the Pavis Survivors and the Sun Domers? I do find it odd that of the seventeen foes of Waha, we have Zebra Riders, Sun Dragon cultists, a priest of Darkness and even a Dark Troll from Adari but no actual leaders from Sun County. Morklor Ablos of Angle Fort apparently came from the Pure Horse Tribe considering the description of Angle Fort on p38 of Pavis: Gateway to Adventure.
There's undoubtedly a fascinating tale of politics, gore and betrayal that could be made here but I'll simply state that it seems to me from the siege of Pavis to the destruction of the Pure Horse, the Sun Domers were initially allies/subjects of the Pure Horse but gradually became accustomed to the idea of fighting with Praxian nomads to the extent they were not present or had been brought off at the Battle of Alavan Argay. Once the Pure Horse was destroyed, they had over three centuries of dealings with the nomads to become an accepted (but not respected) part of the political landscape of Prax.
--Peter Metcalfe
Powered by hypermail