I don't have any specific answers to Loren's questions about dart war and dart warriors, and some if his info may compromise some of the following ideas.
There are a couple of good models for dart warriors in fiction. Steven Brust's "Jhreg" series, including titles "Taltos" "Yendl" and a bunch of others are all good reads and offer several possible insights into how professional assassins may exist inside a society as a recognizable force independent of the "ruling" noble class. They also offer some possibilities on how street judges might function in Sog. (His "The Phoenix Guard" is a great read on the Loskalmi Idealist stereotype, as well.)
_Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo_ may sound like a perfectly dreadful chop suey movie, but it is in fact one of the best japanese action movies I've ever seen. Starring Toshiro Mifune as Yojimbo, it presents another possible interpretation of how highly paid, extremely competent warrior/assassins might manage to exist. It also offers a wonderful plotline for adaptation to a scenario.
From the short article in an old Tales of the Reaching Moon, I think that most Dart Warriors possess skills only slightly below hero level. Note that Harrek was recognized as a talent, imported at great expense. The description of Chain Dancer also suggests that she was far beyond normal martial skills. Perhaps most dart warriors are just too hard for the local nobles to "summarily execute."
This brings up an interesting point I have only seen explictly stated in Greg Maples' game. When large bodies of men met in battle, the natural ordering of the fight led to the line fighters fighting each other, while the rune levels faced off with each other. The undercurrent to this was that the line fighters recognized when they were outclassed, and the rune levels knew that if they did not match up against their opposites, their own troops would be trounced by the enemy rune levels.
You knew it was coming....
I am burning electrons trying to get Codex 3 out the door before US mail rates go up on Jan 1. I may not make it, but I am confident that Codex will be available for RQ Con. #3 is a bit of an Imther Special.
4 issue subs, starting with #3, are still $14. Back issues still $5 a piece. These prices good for US mail customers only. Back issues become back issues right after I mail off a new issue to the current subscribers. (That's how bulk mail works.)
Mike
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