ORLANTHI AND HUMAKTI BATTLE CULTURES I had a "discussion" this last weekend with a sadly-misguided lad who'd developed an infatuation with Nysalora the Red Moon and her stinking chaos-spawned Empire. He's a decent lad, just a bit simple, but I set him right and know he'll be soon fit for initiation.
I told him all the reasons we know the Lunars are of Chaos, and pretty much settled it when I reminded him that Lunars don't fight their battles like humans, but like broo, or Praxian half-men.
They fight without invitation or challenge or mercy. They spring out of nowhere, without proper notice and without settling an agreed open, level battle site with plenty of shade for the spectators. They fight out of season, dragging men away from the harvest or cattle raids. They're as likely to great your hero with a rain of arrows as an opposing champion. They heed neither mercy nor proper ransom. And they don't stop when we've won, they just keep fighting and killing and dying until it gets *really* serious.
And there's certainly no joining-of-the-clans marriage feast the month after the battle - sometimes I wonder why they battle in the first place? If they win, they burn your village. If they lose, they refuse to offer battlesongs to the victors. Chaos. Utter stinking Chaos. Lunars... *phut*.
All of which led me to drag out the following...
A HUMAKTI IN BATTLE The following description of humakti warfare is a chapter from "Fires of Mist and Wind-Blown Snow", a novella I penned several years ago for the 'Heroes of the King' project.
The story concerns a half-mad, reclusive Humakti Sword named Helden Broken-Tongue, a man called from the wilderness by a Vingan named Cradledaughter to serve Queen Starbrow and her latest Consort. Sartar is aflame with rebellion once again, and Helden rejoins his old Consort to delay a Lunar Army on the Tarsh Road. IMG it is set in late 1625, after Kallyr has relit the Flame of Sartar. Karis is Helden's sword and allied spirit.
I present this mainly as an example of how a Gloranthan battle might be envisioned, and what it might be like to be caught in a phalanx. I'd be interested to have folk post their own ideas for battle effects and tactics. One snippet at least I should change: Greg Stafford suggested that humakti phalanxes would form in the shape of a - you guessed it - Death Rune.
Some of the references to the wider story don't make too much sense in isolation. Suffice to say that on the previous evening Helden led a group of Earth Priestesses and Kolatings behind the Lunar lines, where they raised a wyter, sacrificed a young Earth priestess and performed a Blessing Ceremony on the Lunar camp, all for reasons as yet unclear to Helden.
I hope you enjoy the following chapter, posted in several parts.
John
==
"Bound I to Humakt
Serve in awe
yet practise double labour.
With skaldic verse, and tales of war
I also serve Donandar."
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