> From: Mikko Rintasaari <rintasaa_at_mail.student.oulu.fi>
> Subject: Overrated empire
>
> > I don't agree. The Empire has over 8 million people in it. They can
> > easily field an army larger than the entire population of Sartar and
> > supply it anywhere there are rivers to sail on.
I misstated myself. The paragraph sounds like I am saying the Empire can place 100,000 troops in the field in Sartar. What I meant here was that the Empire has more troops than the population of Sartar.
They also have a magnificent supply system. With their vast river networks, moon boats and imperial road systems they could support armies the size that Mikko mentioned were found in China, while they were within reasonable distance of the rivers. Now I am not a logistics expert so I don't know what a reasonable distance is.
>
> What on Earth (or Glorantha) are you basing this on?? The logistical
> problems of large armies were a lot worse back then, and they aren't easy
> now. 2000 men is already starting to be a large army. The only people in
> history that I know have fielded armies of hundreads of thousands vere the
> warring states period Chinise (Sun Tsu's time), and feeding huge armies
> was way easier in fertile China than it is in Dragon Pass, and the
> population intensities were quite different.
>
> The empire is huge, but it can only field a small fraction of it's armed
> might on any border, just because there is no way of getting the men there
> from all over the empire and keeping them supplied.
Most of the Empire's borders are defined by rivers and their drainage basins. Their western border sits on the Sweet Sea that is connected by a navigable river to the Heartlands and to the very fertile Oronin valley. The eastern borders are along the Acros river and its tributaries and the Redlands out there are also very fertile. The northern bordesr are also defined by sea and river. They shouldn't have any more problem moving around large armies than the Chinese did.
In the south the land is not as fertile but the Oslira river is navigable up to Furthest and that is 60 miles from Alda Chur by good road. It should take less than a week to ship supplies from Sylila or Kostaddi up the river. Alda Chur is about the same to Boldhome. Or if you prefer, go by road from Futhest to Dwarf Landing, sail down the Donalf Stream to the Creek Dragon and up the CD to Greenhaft; from there you are less than 10 miles from Boldhome. White Wall is on the Marzeel River which leads directly to Choralinthor bay and thence to the rich grainaries of Esrolia. The Reaching Moon Temple is 20 miles from White Wall.
If the Romans can maintain 4 legions and auxillaries (20,000+ troops) in Syria in AD20 then I'm sure that the Lunars can keep 20,000 in Dragon Pass.
>
>
> > > But when we have a sensible match of about equal strength, I'd say the
> > > chanses are about 50/50. If the lunar morale holds (outside the Glowline),
> > > they may be able to stand the orlanthi charge, and carry the day. If the
> > > charge manages to break the Lunar line, then the orlanthi will carry the
> > > day, for they are in their element in a free for all melee, where the
> > > Lunar soldiers are out of their element.
> > > In Sartar the Lunars have to keep their formations against sudden
> > > stormwind and hale, flying and lightning chucking orlanthi weaponthanes
> > > and even warchariots. I wouldn't bet on them if it wouldn't be for the
> > > college of magic.
> >
> > I would though. An Imperial regiment is made up of 500-1000
> > weaponthane quality troops.
>
> Nonesense! The average lunar soldier is nowhere near a match for an
> orlanthi weaponthane. The lunar centurion (cepturion?) would be about
> equalent.
HWRiG pg 120.
Heortling Weaponthane 15-10w
Dara Happan Hoplite 15-10w
I would say that most experienced units are in the same range.
> <snip>
> :The other problem the Orlanthi have, as you mentioned earlier, is the
> :magic. The magical colleges can overbear nearly
> :anything that the Orlanthi can put together. One MC unit had 20-50
> :battle magicians. An entire Sartari tribe cannot
> :summon that many fighting magicians. The Imperial Army of Esrolia had 3
> :magical colleges with them.
>
> Then again the orlanthi are much more magical, individually. A single
> storm priest is easily the equal of several minor- or major college
> spellcasters. It's just the coordinated, artillery style, strikes that
> causes real trouble for the heortlings. Individually the heortlings are
> stronger and more magical than the Lunars though.
HWRiG pg 120.
Heortling Godtalker 10w-10w3
Dara Happan Acolyte 10w-10w3
Rokari Sorcerer 10w2-10w3
Rokari Bishop 10w-10w2
IMO many of the mages in the Major schools would fit into the same class as the Rokari Sorcerer - not all, nor even most, but many. The rest, and all of the Minor classes would fitinto the same category as the Acolytes.
Another 2 gilders
Wesley
Wesley Quadros
Cruise Director
Celtic Webs Internet Publishing
www.celtic-webs.com
wquadros_at_celtic-webs.com
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