Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 megatherion Feb 05, 2006 15:49:02	I started writing the fluff, and until I study all there is to the northern setting, I will focus on the strategic and tactical parts of it, ie, ones not contradicting anything. 2. Wind Rider Clan 2.1. Clan Organisation 2.2. Culture & Habits 2.3. Tests of Leadership The great Air Drake is always the subject of the Wind Rider's worship. Having been considered the manifestation of air, and the ultimate air creature to soar the skies, many Wind Rider members roam the northern wastes and occasionally even the tablelands in search for them. They also keep a watchful eye on the other Drakes they may encounter. Other Drakes are the manifestation of other elements in physical bodies, and in the eyes of a Wind Rider there is no greater threat or challenge. To become a leader of the Land Scourges, by the customs and traditions of the Wind riders, one has to locate and kill a Drake. If a Land Scourge proclaims that he will go into this great hunt, in order to claim the right of Leadership, he will be given a time period by the Wind Master in which this has to be done. That depends on the Clan's current location. If they are close to the Drake hunting grounds then he may be given only a month, but if they are far away he may be given even a year. Whatever the case, he has to find a Drake all by himself, be it an Air Drake or some other, quickly travel all the way back to the Clan's location (and sometimes track the clan if he's been away long enough for them to move away). Then he has to proclaim the Scourge, in case he located an non Air Drake, or the Hunt of Reverence, in case he found an Air Drake. There is not much difference in whatever he proclaims since in both cases he will have to hunt and kill the drake, and haul it back to the clan. He may chose up to ten of the Beast Tugger warriors to accompany him, bringing their beasts and weaponry. Then he must re-track the Drake and successfully kill it. If he returns with the Drake in the appointed time, he has earned the right to become the Leader of the Land Scourges, in case the old leader perishes. Until then, he may chose his own followers that he can lead into autonomous raids on caravans, all for the greater benefit of the Clan. To become a leader of the Beast Tuggers, also a quest is required, but one of fortitude, rather than swiftness. The right to become the Beast Feller is reserved only to those that prove their incredible power at dominating the great beasts, at an impressive display of courage, and manage to live afterwards. At any Air Drake Hunt a Beast Feller-to-be to be has to perform three great tasks of fortitude in a single combat. First, if any of the Beast Tugger members falls in the maws of the great beast, the Beast Feller-to-be has to jump in the maws and rescue the fallen comrade immediately, and then escape with the person in tow. Secondly, he has to climb the very same Air Drake and walk it's back without falling or being thrown away. Finally, he has to single-handedly slay the beast with a series of spear attacks (or by some other means, although the spear is the quickest way to do it), while other Beast Tuggers do nothing to assist him, except keep the beast from flying away. If he manages to do all this, he has truly proved his worth and abilities, and gains the right to become the next Beast Feller once the position is free. In any case, he can now lead his own group of Beast Fellers into the great hunts and is the current Beast Feller's right hand. The Drake Riders have a somewhat different system on choosing their Drake Wing Commander. It is not the fortitude of swiftness they ask, it's the boldness and daring. The Drake Wing Commander is the one capable of managing incredible acrobatic feats with his Drake-wing and never getting hurt while doing them. Fist, in order to even be considered to a position of leadership, the Drake rider has to construct his own Drake-wing, which is no small task. Then the person has to prove his worth by managing to effectively and single-handedly topple a great caravan wagon that is pulled by mekliots. In order to do this he has to topple all the guard towers himself, and separate the wagon from the mekliots, rendering it immobile and undefended. If he manages this feat he has proven that he is the master of his Drake-wing and gains the right to lead a small Wing of his own, becoming a Drake Wing Captain. Only by further proving his worth in impossible missions gone through great bravado, will he eventually become the Drake Wing Commander. However he will not have the right to claim that title until the majority of the Drake Riders support him, being awed by his piloting skills and powerful fighting. 2.4. Battling Drakes Battling the great Drakes is the main focus of the Wind Rider clan. The Air Drakes are reverently hunted in great ritual hunts and their skin and bone is used to produce Drake-wings. Other Drakes are hunted with vehement hatred and the silt Drake skin, for example, can be used to make Sail-carts, due to it's coloring. The way to fight a Drake depends on the type of the Drake. 2.4.1 Fighting Air Drakes Due to the fact the Air Drakes can create great whirlwinds, and are quite capable of shredding fragile Drake-wings, the Drake Riders are not into fighting Air Drakes. The Land Scourges have a similar problem, since they also have very fragile Sail-carts and are not effective against the rock-hard skin of the air Drake. That leaves only the Beast Tuggers and the Wind Master do bring the beast down. From five or more mekliots or inixes balistas are fired towards the Air Drake's body (as to not to damage the precious wing skin). Usually if 4 or more ballistas hit the Drake, the Air Drake is not strong enough to break the ropes by sheer strength. The Air Drakes are smart but not that smart. Seeing great numbers of warriors below and a lot of animals (usually 50 Beast Tugger members, 2 mekliots, 5 Inixes, and a dozen Crodlus and kanks), it will try to rip the ropes one by one, while still flying, and manifest the whirlwind to help it pull off and disrupt anyone below with dust and air force. Here the Wind Master counters the whirlwind, and binds it onto the creature itself. The Drake usually plummets, and the Drake Tuggers tug the ropes to bring it even lower. More balistas are fired towards the drake to ensure it will not break free. At this point the Drake will start manifesting either some of it's self-healing powers or try to control the people below. Since nobody is trying to control it's mind, most of the mind-protection powers will remain useless. Even if it does take hold of someone it will not be very effective due to the numbers of warriors below. The Drake will start to panic and try to swallow someone from the ground, since the fall is inevitable. Usually the Beast Feller herself voluntaries for this decoy since she has done this before and is capable of escaping it's gullet or mouth. The Beast Tuggers make a clearing where the Air Drake should land, and the Beast Feller stands there alone. At the same time catapults with Fodder Warriors are fired towards the Drake's body. The Beast Feller almost always survives the swallowing and inflicts major damage from the inside, by the time the drake finally hits the ground. Some of the Catapult Fodder warriors will inflict damage while the Wind Master will try to form a pillow of air for those that missed. The Drake hits the ground and starts struggling. Kank riders and Inix Rammers attack the beast, along with anyone else who is available. If the battle goes well, no mekliots are enraged, as it's very difficult to control them afterwards. If not, one of them is sent charging towards the Drake, and while it's busy the Beast Feller tries to stroll it's body and to put out it's eyes with her spears. The Drake will try to concentrate to see without it's eyes, but while it's trying, even more shattering blasts are landed onto it's head by the Beast Feller. If successful in delivering these destructive spear blasts, the battle is won. 2.4.2. Fighting non-Air Drakes Sun Drakes are the only other Drake with the ability to fly. However they are the Air Drake's weaker cousin, lacking the dangerous capability to create whirlwinds. The hunt is that much easier, since it's not necessary for the Wind Master (or one of his apprentices) to be present while the battle takes place. Due to it's similar tactic to grab and rip a flying opponent to shreds, the Drake Riders do not engage these Drakes either. Beast Tuggers use basically the same strategy to kill these beasts, and the Sun Drake's fiery-colored wing skin is excellent for producing Sail-carts that will hide in the northern deserts. The other Drakes do not have wings and do not fly. The strategy for hunting them is a bit different. The Silt Drakes are the most dangerous of these, due to the inaccessibility and lack of good combat terrain. When hunting them the Wind Master himself accompanies the hunting party. He creates a great controlled whirlwind that will remove the silt covering the Silt Drake, and leave it exposed for the Drake riders to attack from height. Lacking the penetrating power to pierce it's skin. they try to throw down big rocks or set it on fire using oil. It usually enrages the Silt Drake to attack ones it can reach - climbing onto the solid ground where the prepared Beast Tuggers will fire ballista bolts into it from different directions and then tug those ropes to immobilize it. Afterwards the strategy is somewhat similar, ramming it with inixes, or direct melee combat using spears. This strategy will not work on earth drakes, which can burrow through the ground and emerge to swallow an inix together with the rider. When such a Drake is encountered the Beast Tuggers fall into deadly silence, controlling their animals to remain perfectly motionless. The Beast Feller is the only one thumping the ground and producing vibrations. The plan is simple, she will be eaten and while the drake is visible the balistas will fire and keep it from re-burrowing into the ground. In most cases the Beast feller will be able to escape the gullet alive, and will do some considerable damage from the inside. The Fire drakes are very dangerous due to their ability to create fire and scorch direct melee attackers, but they lack the ability to fly or burrow. This is a battle where Drake Riders can do much damage from the heights, out of it's fire attack. Once the beast does it's fire attack onto the ropes holding it, the prepared Beast Tuggers fire more balista bolts, and only then do the direct melee fighters approach to fight it. 2.5. Raiding As all of the Bandit State cultures, Wind Rider Clan is no stranger to raiding. It's the most efficient way to obtain food and water, and the raw salvage materials after the battle can be used to construct weapons and transports for the clan. Since the Wind Riders have no permanent base, and travel in big groups, the Raiding parties are regularly overwhelming and suffer little losses. Their tactic changes depending on the target of the raid. The more dangerous the target, they fight more fiercely. 2.5.1. Attacking Caravans: In their home territory the big mekliot-pulled wagons are rare. The big beasts cannot stand the constant howling of the wind and sometimes escape even the most powerful psions control. The result is often disastrous for the caravan merchants since the beasts go onto rampage, breaking free and stranding the caravan in boiling heat. This is the reason the merchants more often use crodlu-pulled carts and these are not well defended. When Land Scourge scouts notice such a caravan, first they will try to assess what is it they carry. If the clan supplies are high there is a good chance such a caravan will not be attacked, but if it by any chance carries useful building materials, such as raw wood or bags of giant hair rope, which are always in great demand by the clan, thy will not hesitate to seize the control of the caravan. Usually a single Land Scourge approaches the caravan on foot and tries to start trades with the merchants, pretending to be a traveler, and if asked how it is he travels on foot he will lie that he's either a powerful psion or a druid. When he discovers what they have for sale, he will try to recognize which element the merchants mostly revere. If he succeeds and that element is air, he may trade with the caravan for the supplies needed and leave them in peace. If not, he will trade nevertheless, and return to the rest of the Land Scourges, which will no doubt be hiding in the dunes, covered with their sails and not easily seen. Afterwards, during the night, or even sooner if the caravan seems unlikely to stop for rest, they will launch a surprise attack from all sides of the caravan, surrounding it. Ranged weaponry will be used first, using the sails as a good cover, trying to take down as much of the caravan guards as possible, without harming the animals pulling the carts. Then, they use sail-carts to enter melee combat, and try to outmaneuver the caravan and block it's escape routes. They will show no mercy to the non-air revering guards or merchants, but will spare the air revering ones that surrender. They will seize the carts if possible and leave the merchants stranded with only a minor supply of food and water. They may even go so far as to direct them to the nearest oasis, no doubt protected by some vile beast, a druid or a Bandit State. The carts and beasts captured are added to the clan resources. Carts will be dismantled and re-crafted into balistas and sail-carts, and the crodlus will be used for food in emergencies, transport when traveling, while an occasional captured inix will have great value as a weapon. When attacking great wagons pulled by mekliots a direct melee assault is disastrous and a ranged one highly inefficient. In that case the support of the Drake Riders is required, and it is they who pull the first attack. The first target of the Drake riders are the guard towers and the strains holding the mekliots. Using precise hook attacks they try to tear down the tower defenses and pull apart the mekliots, scaring them away, they open a window for the Land Scourges to take out guards from afar. Once the mekliots are no longer pulling the wagon, they usually lazily wander away, the psionic control over them released since the psion handlers inside are aware they will be much more useful defending the wagon than controlling the useless beasts. Mekliots themselves could be very dangerous against ordinary attackers but the Land Scourges on their sail-carts are too fast for the mekliot to catch. Depending how the battle goes, the Land Scourges may abandon their sail-carts and board the wagon if the Drake Riders opened enough entrances by toppling down the walls. In most cases a standard raiding party of 20 Land Scourges and 5 Drake Riders is enough to overwhelm a single merchant wagon. The captured guards and merchants will receive the same treatment as before, non air worshiping ones will die on the spot while air worshiping ones are given a water-skin and a day's rations and left to the blaze of the desert. The wagon, if still operable will be reattached to the mekliots and lead back to the main encampment, where the mekliots will be given over to Beast Tuggers and the wagon itself scavenged and used for building. Mekliots are fitted with special restrains that allow the Beast Tuggers to mount balistas and small catapults directly on them, and the wood from the wagon is either burned in the freezing nights or used to construct those balistas and catapults. Usually the wood is too heavy to be re-crafted into sail-carts. 2.5.2. Attacking fortifications Sometimes, when the need is dire, usually after a season when no Drakes were caught, the Wind Riders turn the eyes towards the Bandit States. All of the Bandit states, and their outposts on random-lasting oases have build a fortified wall and are readily guarded by veterans. Special care is taken when planning attack on each of these targets and each plan is different and depends on the Land Scourge's scout reports. In these special cases all three of the Clan groups act as one and are directly lead by the Wind Master. Attacks occur usually during early morning or late evening, while there's still some visibility, or during the night if the fortified temporary oasis is located somewhere in the Glowing Desert. There is no way to hide the fast that 150 or more of the Wind Riders are attacking the fortification, so they don't even try. They surround the location from all sides and start a barrage against the walls using catapults and balistas. Balista bolts are tied to ropes, and the Beast Tuggers pull those ropes in unison trying to open up entrances for the Land Scourges to pull through. Meanwhile a part of the Drake Riders bombards the defenders from high above, while the other part of them discard the heavy rocks and flammable oil barrels in favor of Land Scourges themselves. They pick up the warriors from below and lower them using ropes behind enemy fortifications in slow over-flight. This kind of strategy is very risky both to the Drake Rider and to the Land Scourge being lowered but is usually worth the effort. The Wind Master creates a protective air wall between the two groups, which only the most heavy objects like catapult rocks or ballista bolts can penetrate, effectively protecting his people from the defender's ranged attacks. The defenders will eventually yield and will be spared, if they fought bravely. Remember, the Wind Riders appreciate a good battle above all else. . . . 2.9. Wind Rider Clan weaponry and vehicles 2.9.1. Drake-wing 2.9.2. Sail-cart 2.9.3. Inix Lance, Ballista, Drake-wing Scythe
#2 zombiegleemax Feb 06, 2006 19:41:25	Don't like it or the prc's- just my opinion though.
#3 megatherion Feb 07, 2006 2:01:39	Do you know the meaning of 'constructive criticism'? It means 'to criticise through suggestions, corrections, or new ideas'. So why don't you like it or the prcs? What was is about them that you found weird/unbelievable/stretched?