Ok, I have had enough, I surrender! After a factor 10 mistake that invaluates my hypothesis (400 times 400 = 16000, of course), I have had enough. Just two parting shots.
When I say a fifty men company, I am referring to the whole rathori compliment of rathori mercenaries in the same place, formed from different, not neighbouring clans. This would enable them to share traditions, unify customs, and become more of a people. Of course, as this are mostly youngsters, the changes, if any, are small.
[Peter, chiming in to complete my defeat]
>I doubt this. Their culture is strongly dependant on the gathering
>of acorns. Tastolar is tundra/taiga and unsuitable for them and
>to the south are the settled cities, all of which strongly discourage
>hunter/gatherer inhabiting their turf (the closest european parallel
>would be gypsies).
Interesting, as many thousands of gypsies were still nomadic just last century in Europe. I don't think that is a good paralell. I had considered acorns less important if other food sources, such as rivers, reindeer (I remember there are whole groups of reindeer without accompanying humans) or even pine kernels, if the feedinh habits of brown bears are a guide.
>I think you underestimate the impact of a low population density.
>You can move around for ages before you will meet anybody else.
>And the raiding is done against city people
With the great extension of Rathorela, I doubt many clans have the opportunity to see, even less raid, city people. So either there is a lot of intra Rathori agression, or those in the border are specially agressive.
>
>>All the city states control the surrounding territory, and none of them has
>>a great military tradition.
>
>I seriously question the worth of such blanket statements to prop
>up a pet theory. Southbank has soldiers that a Rathori consider
>good. "When I outfought the Soldier of Gold three years ago, it
>was my strike that killed him, but..." (PB:G p7). Furthermore
>the people of the Janube Cities are not effeminate debauchees that
>rely on mercenaries (like Safelster) but kindred to the Jonatings
>and some Hsunchen folk as well as lunar refugees.
Ok, if you prefer I could quote:
"Military: Most cities can muster a small number of professional soldiers, usually well equipped and disciplined. For self defence, ragged mobs of peasants and city dwellersturn out to do their best. None of the cities are particularly expansionist."
It shows that they control the surrounding peasants, and that their military is small, even with the Kingdom of War around, so I would consider they would not have a great military tradition. Magic tradition, and powers, are other story.
And considering Zoria and Sog, I find your statement about debauchery and mercenaries an Orlanthi all (80% true), as mine.
With the variety of governments, politics, peoples and histories of the City States, either we treat them individually (too long and boring), or we try to condense in a statement a bunch of disparaging facts. And you make the same thing.
But anyway, this began as an attempt to show that no big longbowmen groups exist, only small, scattered bands, and at the end, I am defending the existence of rathori mercenaries. We may disagree about their numbers, their distribution, and their effect in the region. But we all know at least one, whose effect was bigger than all the others together. And I do not remember seeing Harrek with a longbow.
Jose
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #280
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