More Safelster

From: Jose Ramos <jose_at_kobo.es>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 23:40:00 +0100


>BTW: Tinaros has effectively remained a blank land apart from what
>happened to its ruling family 1597-1600.

My take is that the land is in a state of confusion. No foreign power dares to act for fear of provoking Arginn Terror, and none of the nobles dare to take the throne for the same reason. Meanwhile the Nightmare Sorceror (who has serious claims to the throne, not that he needs them) is occuppied in his multi-level magical war with his mother, asking for strange items as tribute, to be used in the endless rituals of their eternal battle.

What will happen when/if Arginn wins is a source of nightmares for most rulers around the lake.

>Not all mercenaries in heavy armour are Seshnegi. After a battle, the
>winning side usually gets new sets of heavy armour from the losers,
>through ransom or "inheritance" from the former owners.

It is not armour what makes a knight, it is the horse. And after a battle you will rarely capture many horses. So a heavy cavalry force needs a stable source of big, strong chargers. And that you will find in Tanisor, and the western lake plains.

Armour is tough and durable, and it can be repaired for a new owner. There are armours aplenty in Ralios, after all the wars around.

>[...] If the Pure Horse tribe of Prax could produce War-Zebras in Prax (a
breed
>superior to most Seshnegi chargers, I seem to recall), something similar
>should be available to Galin. (After all, the art of heroquesting was
>not lost at once when the God Learners were destroyed - this did require
>heroquesting on the side of their enemies...)

I don't think the Galana breed can compete with the big chargers. Instead they are nimbler, and more intelligent. Empathic communication between rider and horse will give a powerful combination for a extremely disciplined cavalry.

>Early reconquista Spain (the age of El Cid) probably is as good a
>parallel for Ralios as is earliest Renaissance Italy, with two different
>creeds rivalling for supremacy. I would cast the lighter Muslim chivalry
>in the Stygian side, and the dull Frankish riding tins in the Seshnegi
>side.

Nitpicking. El Cid is at the start of the Middle portion of the Reconquista, when the unified muslims fragmented in many bickering states, to be conquered one by one.

And the muslim and christian armies in Spain, after centuries of war, were very similar. The muslims had slightly better skirmishers and the christians slightly heavier cavalry. And both used mercenaries of the other faith.

>[...]On the battlefield the local knights are in command of
>the levies, and in charge of coordinating the mercenary contingents.

The battles in Safelster will resemble those in Condottieri Italy, where a side acknowledges defeat when tactically outmaneuvered, very light casualties, and long sieges without assaults, decided when another state breaks the balance, or the city's inhabitants force a surrender. (rumours of war is a common event in ALL Safelster cities. Hostilities are only unusual, several times a year) No massacres, no desperate stands.

         That is why they detest the orlanthi (wild savages without restraint) and the Kingdom of Seshnela (no respect for "proper" war, or following the Rules of War). Until a last massacre incenses the safelstrans, and according to Genertela, they will invade Tanisor allied with Arolanit, and after destroying the kingdom (if they can) they will finish off Nolos and Pasos. And led by several Arkats, more likely. At least that is the only known way to unify the states.

Jose


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