Despite individual stats at an almost Onslaughtian level, I go along with the idea that the Kingdom of War are probably more effective on the battlefield. Why? Cos the Brithini are by nature incredibly conservative. For them, to innovate is to die. Thus, they *must* fight using the same tactics, weapons and technology they used before the Dawn. If an enemy knows how the Brithini fight, they can *innovate* and find ways to beat them, and they know it will be very difficult for the Brithini to develop counter-measures without inducing waves of wrinkles, liver spots, incontinence and senility through the ranks. Bugger what WoG says, if the Brithini didn't use crossbows, plate armour, phalanxes or whatever before the Dawn, then they probably don't use them now. That Arolanit has been subjugated a number of times since the Dawning indicates that the Horali are beatable.
Two apposite quotes from the RW?
"Machine guns have not, in my opinion, much future in a campaign against a modern army."
"It must be accepted as a principle that the rifle, effective as it is, cannot replace the effect produced by the speed of the horse, the magnetism of the charge, and the terror of cold steel."
[Long ago Sandy sent me a whole load of similarly loopy quotes from the annals of the Empire including this priceless quote from the Duke of Cambridge, who conducted a lengthy campaign to prevent the modernization of the British army: "There is a time for everything, and the time for change is when you can no longer help it" (1890). The Brithini probably go along with this.]
Jim Chapin, whose LARPing scenery-chewing exploits I admire:
>Obviously MOB is ready to be type-cast as a spectacular slavering
>degenerate sort of guy.
Play a coupla parts like this, and yer type-cast for life (sigh)...one day I'll get to play the wromantic lead!
>I think Mothiman the Impaler was perfect for him.
Apropos Sandy's LARPing comments a few digests back, it's sometimes what you put into a character that adds to the fun you have. The designers may have been as surprised as I was when I successfully usurped the Dara Happan throne a few hours into the Broken Council. I knew that I could not hope to emulate the pomp and circumstance of my august predecessor's reign (Nick at full throttle), but I *could* convincingly play a parvenu blood-crazed megalomaniac who now had carte blanche to indulge in his favourite hobbies (persecuting dwarves, irritating most of the other DHs, attempting to break the Council and later trying to thwart it from within [much like Britain in the EC, yes?], and impaling foes, real and imagined). There was nothing about Mathiman's penchant for hoisting enemies up on sticks in the character write-up, but it certainly played well amd created an impression!
>Now, if he comes to Chicago in January, what tribe should he lead?
>Obviously, he would make a great D'fann. And think of the opportunity
>that would present to everyone else!
Hmmm, I'll bring my rubber waders then... [Not sure yet if I can make it this year: the con is a week later than previous which impinges on the beginning of the school year Down Here]
>I am tempted to ask why NB knows as much about MOB's parts as he apparently
>did about ML's. Maybe it was the "Bugger underling" card?
I did spend the first part of the game on the floor, arse in the air, as the Emperor's footrest, a great and significant honour I can assure you. He did menacingly wave about the 'Bugger Underling' a few times but fortunately I for one was able to escape such an awful fate.
Garry Nixon writes:
>With all the tales on the journal at the mo, it sounds like a Gloranthan
>Decameron* is forming, I think its great. Story telling is, I think, the
>best way to descibe the Gloranthan world to possible converts, so the
>more stories I find the better. Keep them coming.
Seconded! Any takers to do part 4 of my Esrolian Herd-Man drive-thru story a number of digests ago
*While the Decameron is really just like what the novelisation of a Carry-On movie would be if it were written in the 14th century, it was pretty raunchy stuff to me as a teenager when I first came across it (esp. day 3, tenth story, corr!!!!) If you're into medieval smut, this is for you. It even comes in an unexpurgated Penguin Classics edition, so you can get your jollies while looking well-educated and scholarly at the same time. And the stories are often short enough to read out loud at bedtime (snigger).
Aside from Martin's er, shall we say, adventurous approach to spelling and punctuation*, I was happy to see Onslaught back where he belongs: as literary creation. Though having read the story, viz:
> Lissus winced at the look of terror in Omanders eyes as the big
>warrior frog-marched him out of the room to his own. He was still wincing at
>the sounds of excruciating pain coming from Onslaughts room when Deville
>came in.
> "Whats all the noise?" He asked, frowning.
> "Er, Sword Onsalught is 'instructing' young Omander sir."
...I am even more certain Big O is the pervert I tried to make him out to be, or at least would be considered so by many saner Gloranthans.
*Lest I be accused of being churlish, know that I am no paragon of virtue when it comes to this area either; as a first year university student I had an Ancient History essay reduced from H1 to H2A soley because I had spelled the word Pharaoh 6 different ways, all worng.
Cheers
MOB
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