3EB and best fighters

From: Bwbfc_at_aol.com
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 21:38:02 EST


Hi,

>Jerome asks about Third Eye Blue.

Thanks for your answers.

Yeah, my only sources are Apple Lane, Glorantha Intro and clues from the digest too, plus whatever things i'll be able to find about hypothetical RW equivalents. Not yet Entekosiad, better buy Cohen-Tanoudji for christmas:(

Incidentally, down at the library looking for info about the way of life of toundra people (Uncoling, among whom live the last Fronelan non-Banned 3EB), i fell upon a nice book about Pentans...oops. I mean, Central Asia nomads. Actually some of this might be wrong in Glorantha. I've never been in Pent myself, but here is the account some Pentan guy made to an Orlanthi traveler:

"The nomads of Pent are the best fighters in Glorantha. We have the best and
most numerous cavalry. We have the best weapons. No other people can match our sturdiness ; we can ride without drinking neither eating neither sleeping. We are disciplined and obedient with our leader. We have offensive superiority, for we decide where and when we will strike, whereas the enemies can attack us only if they know where we are, and yet if attacked, we can still ride away.

"Our horses are tough and staunch, they have superb training, same as their
riders. We know our horses like no one else know their mount. We spend our life on their back, we are born on them, we will die on them.

"We invented the curved-bladed sword, even if the Kralorians make better ones
and the Lunars took them as well. With our bows we can throw fiery arrows farther than anyone else. (2) We invented lasso, a rope fixed at the end of a long pole, with which we can unseat other riders (1). But it's our spears that we favour, for truly they are blessed with Kargzant's fire.

(The Way of Kargzant?)
"We are freedom lovers because our way is the way of freedom, and that's why
we serve our leader better than slaves serve their master; for we do it willfully, never jibbing, with thorough discipline. In our hordes, everyone knows what they have to do, and when they have to do it, and we all stand together. No one is paid, for we are not mercenaries like the corrupt Char-Un. Everyone goes to war of their own free will, for no one is compelled to it. Even our women can fight if needed, and this mere idea horrifies the puny Dara Happans.

"We can muster huge armies: hundreds of thousands warriors, a million
warriors. Your bearded companion shrugs his shoulders with incredulity. You think it's exaggeration? Do you think i'm lying? Everyone remembers the Nights of Horrors, when the bodies of our dead were scattered along four days' ride, mingled with those of the evil Lunars.

"We have the best tactics. When we attack, our leaders avoid to let
themselves be exposed, and they do it only when they know their example is indispensable. They know that if they die, their death may cause a defeat. Besides, someone has to stay in the background in order to get a general overview of the battle. I pity your men, you being alway at the front line. And we are not eager for melee like you: when the opponents show up, we charge them at full gallop, and then, just when we would have been within reach of their blows, we turn round and shoot our fiery arrows over our shoulders - "the Pentan's arrow", the Lunars say (1). We are fast and elusive, we harass the marching columns, turning round and round around them. There is no shame in withdrawing when you are in inferior numbers, or when the opponents press you too closely. We thrust through the infinite steppes and drag our enemy into an exhausting chase. He who would try to conquer Pent would encounter nothing but emptiness. For long after the Nights of Horror, you had to cover thousands miles before coming close to an true Pentan."

"Yes, it's true that walls are a problem for us. We have no siege engines.
But terror will get our enemies to surrender, more than thirst and hunger. Do you know why, Argrath? They know that if they resist, their utter annihilation will set an example for the others.

"You fear the Lunars more than we do, Argrath. Our land will never be part of
any empire but Sheng Seleris's. And when Seleris will be back, the entire world shall be his empire."

Argrath: "You bet?"

Roughly translated and shamefully stolen, with acknowledgement for Jean-Paul Roux, who wrote the phrases so that i just had to change the words (don't mind about Argrath hanging around there:)). Of course there's nothing on Pentan war magic. I suppose the author of the book would have lost his credibility as an historian.

(1) The ostrish riders are rumoured to do that too. So maybe the Pentans don't do it finally.
(2) Than anyone else he knows of.

Jerome


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