Re: Warfare and Mortality

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 13:42:18 -0000

> On Mon, 2 Apr 2001 janjero_at_t... wrote:
>
> > I think that a similar thesis is also in Desmond Morris' Books.
> > Killing with a sword or mace is a gruesome act that few humans
learnt
> > to use >
>
>
> So yes, I think the orlanthi love swords and swordfighting (the
weapon
> of Orlanth, afterall), but they aren't that quick to kill on
purpouse.
>
> The Humakti, of course are differnt in this, but they definitely
have
> that "natural killer" personality. Frightening really. I seem to
recall
> that about 2% of the soldiers in a modern army do over one third of
the
> actual killing.
>
Just a few more thoughts on this subject (and they all actually have game relevance suggested):
1. If you look at typcial orlanthi battles, they carefully avoid rampant bloodshed. You start off with challenges between champions, which will normally end when one is wounded, rather than killed (If you win, but deliberately kill the other champion you may actually reverse the psychological edge, by so infuriating the other side). Then they skirmish. Certainly arrows, axes, and javelins can be deadly, but given the fairly light weapons that the orlanthis seem to favor, I would think that wounds are far more common than immediate deaths. Finally, if you reach the fyrd battle I think it is as much a matter of pushing as it is of killing. As you suggested, most people are reluctant to kill, but if you can knock them down or push them back then you've effectively taken them out of the battle without having to try and kill them. And if you can break their shield wall then you've won outright. What I've read of most ancient battles suggests that most casualties happen _after_ one side breaks, if the other pursues and strikes them down while they are fleeing, or surrounds or slaughters them. I suspect that the Orlanthi don't normally do this. "Heroes" who routinely do this are more apt to be feared than admired, I would think.
2. Again I'm not an expert on the subject, but my understanding is that in ancient battle far more people died afterwards from their wounds than actually died in battle (part of the reason that the losers took higher losses, the winners would patch up their own wounded, but were less apt to aid the losers wounded, if they didn't outright just finish killing them). In Glorantha, with magical healing, I think that far fewer people die from their wounds. (Mind you, this is another risk of taking fyrdmen off the tula, you have far more potential healers on your own tula, and they probably are magically stronger there too). I would think that a fair number of clans would either have a healing shrine, or else have wyters (either clan or loom house) that have been gifted by questers with abilities to aid in healing.
3. Many people who would have a hard time killing in cold blood can be far deadlier once their temper gets up. It is surprisingly easy for most people to get into a battle rage, and remember almost nothing of afterwards. In youth ice-hockey, at least half of the time when someone gets a penalty for fighting it seems they are convinced that they never threw a punch, even when everyone else in the arena saw them do it (yes, that was even me once or twice, and I'm about as mellow and even-tempered a person as you are apt to meet). When your emotions are up the primal instincts that tell us how to fight to survive can be surprisingly strong. Put on top of that the Orlanthi encourage men to be emotional, and I would guess that a lot of people in the typical battle are seeing red and have little idea of exactly what they are doing. This will tend to increase wounds and deaths on both sides, I think. I would think this would be an interesting twist to a combat that is looking a little dull....having a previously cautious (or overmatched) opponent suddenly going for the throat with new aggresion.
4. Hate can be a wonderful thing. I recall hearing an interview with an old army officer who opined that it was crucial to get "the men" to hate the enemy. Basically he said "It is hard to kill another person, much easier to kill a semi-monstrous enemy that you hate." I suspect that along those lines the Heortlings are much deadlier (not necessarily more effective, just deadlier) when fighting non- (or when pursuing ancient blood feuds). I suspect the lunar petty officers excel at whipping up a frenzy of hate against the enemies of the red goddess. "Inspire hate of enemy" sounds like a good petty-officer skill! For that matter, there must be a way to get around at least some of the multiple targets penalty when you want to share your "Hate the Black Oaks" trait. Maybe somehow through oratory?

--Bryan