Re: Warbands and Wyters

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 15:47:47 -0700

> > The "core" of the tribal
> > warband is probably the clan warband of the tribal king's
> > clan. He probably
> > has more "disposable income" to attract (one should not say
> > "hire" though
> > that's really what it comes down to) better weaponthanes, and
> > kit them out in better gear, than a clan chief.
>
> Hence my feeling that the tribal warband is different from (and better
than)
> the clan ones. But you seem to be assuming a much closer tie between the
> tribal king and his clan than I do. Of course, I tend to look at Kallyr,
and
> since her own clan was wiped out back in 1602, she's much more
tribal-based.
> Anything but the norm.

I think I see where you're going (or maybe coming from...). I don't think there is a "Tribal Warband" that is independent of any clan. I think the "Royal Clan" (that is, the clan that the king comes from) warband is better off (bigger, more skilled, better equipment and magic) than most clan warbands for the reasons I mentioned, and that it serves as the core of the "Tribal warband". The Royal Clan warband can probably beat any of the subsidiary clan warbands 1-1 and, depending on the nature of the tribe and king in question, possibly more than one.

>
> > The tribal warband leader is most likely
> > a member of the Royal clan, or will be closely allied.
>
> Surely he's from the tribal war temple?

But as you note below, there are politics to consider. A great war leader probably isn't the best choice if he isn't loyal. While all heortlings have Family and Clan Relationships by default (HQ 48), they don't have a higher-level (Tribe or Kingdom) one unless it's a specific choice.

>
> > - do you want
> > the guy with 18w2, but who is from a not-all-that-allied
> > clan, or a 5W2 who
> > is your brother with "love Family 10W2"?
>
> I know which I'd want, but politics may dictate otherwise.

> > Anywhere it wants. a Clan warband is a heroband composed of fighters
> > (mostly) who are all related to each other. Like any other heroband.
>
> Yes - like I was assuming, totally different from a fyrd.

The difference is that a fyrd isn't "mostly fighters", it's "mostly farmers and hunters and gardeners and craftsmen". But *all* heortling men have weapon skills. They still are pretty much related to each other at the clan level.

> So we have Volsaxi fyrd at WW, but any Sartarites are warband. Even if
they
> only joined a warband for this purpose.

If they want to maintain clan identity (reather than heroband or temple warband), then yes, they are the clan warband. Certainly not the fyrd, unless the clan has moved wholesale into WW.

> So the Sartarite clan representation is "warband", but a warband
consisting
> of "warriors" who were in the fyrd last week, and with a brand new wyter.
> They may not be quite up to standard :( Keep augmenting off that "hate
> Lunars" and "want to prove myself", guys. You need it.

There is always the herobands of the various heroes and wannabes at WW that a young lad/lass can try to join as well. Depending on how you want to portary thedefenders, the "Clan warbands" may break down at WW, with some clan members joining temple or hero bands, while the clan recruits outsiders to make up their numbers. This can be a great time for the nationalistic sentiment of "We are All Heortlings" to grow.

RR
C'est par mon ordre et pour le bien de l'Etat que le porteur du pr�sent a fait ce qu'il a fait.
- Richelieu