Joerg (helpfully) describes a brief history of Lunar Empire tactics:
>The Lunar Empire had to change their dominant tactics with their main foes.
They started out facing the mounted forces of the Pentans and the
Carmanians
in Rinliddi, and came up with a revival of the phalanxes of old
Daxdarius,
Sounds right to me. Urvairinus inspired tactics, too - and he was a bit more local.
>The Dara Happan rebels followed suit using their own ancient designs
(taken from temple statuary?) and
allied with the Lunars.
IMO, the Dara Happans didn't have to do much historical digging to field phaylnxes (or whatever all the military tech terms are for a bunch o' well trained guys with ranks of pointy weapons.) Alkoth is one of the ancient tripoli, and quite Dara Happan. It had never fallen to the Carmanians, but had been actively fighting them for hundreds of years.
>Employing these tactics (plus heavy magical warfare)
the Lunars conquered all of the Carmanian occupied Peloria (that's
everything north of the Orlanthi regions...).
I think there would be several million people in Alkoth/Henjarl who would object to a) being called Orlanthi, and b) being told that the demented followers of some Torangi witch saved them from the Carmanians. It was obviously their own unflinching devotion to Shargash which kept the Carmanians at bay.
>Their first major military fiasco occurred when Jannisor led an alliance
of Orlanthi-like hill
barbarians supported by numerous other forces ....the Lunars were on the
verge of collapsing, and one of the
reasons was the charismatic and heroic leader of the coalition, in true
Orlanthi heroic style.
He, he... I've always thought of Jannisor as a Khelmal/Elmal/Yelmson type, who led a coalition based on the strength of his Justice, in the great traditions of Eusibus and Urvairinus!
>When the Lunar kings had been thrown out by Palashee Longaxe, the Lunars
waited with their reprisal until their pet barbarian warleaders had
learned
enough about Lunar military and magic to strike back.
Yes - I think this is a common Lunar tactic in the provinces.
>Euglyptus seems to keep some Heartland units when he (and not Moirades)
becomes governor-general of Sartar. These are destroyed in ambush at the
Hill of Orlanth Victorious, so that the only veterans remaining are the
semi-native settlers in Wulf country. Plenty of room for green boys
(no, no conscripts, but forcibly volunteered)
Well, if you are assuming that there are no Heartland units in Sartar after the Battle of Orlanth Victorious, only green recruits, then sure, they'd be scared of just about everything.
My point is that I doubt there would be many green troops from the Heartlands. If the Heartland units were all destroyed and had to be remade, then possibly, but that's not likely to occur by 1625. The Army would be more likely to take green troops from the provinces - much cheaper, and few important people ask many questions about their deployment. But even green troops from the provices are likely to be - other Orlanthi! One could imagine a time whent he Lunars are desperate enough to comb the empire for ciminals, thugs, slaves, the very poor - but even the army knows, you get what you pay for.
(When I ran a "Rune Metal Jacket" session Down Under, the scariest, most evil Lunar Army raw recruit invented by any player was the Sartarite Orlanthi who wanted to "get back" at all the other Sartarites he didn't like!)
I know what Joerg is after - the MGF shock value of the barbarian charge. But the problem is, it's not a new phenomenon to anybody in Maniria/Peloria. It must still be scary, though - or at least it boosts the morale of the barbarians.
And you can't discount the analogous military traditions of the Lunar Army. Consider Alkothi troops, who worship Shargash (and probably Lodril). Those guys literally get their R&R vacationing in Hell during Sacred Time. One of their Mythic Paths is to destroy the world and be eaten by their god. Hardly the sort to become demoralized at the sight of a ferocious enemy.
Pam
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