Sunday 17 June 2012

The Armies of Balazar

The three ancient and run-down citadels of Balazar each maintains its own army. These are more in the nature of retainers kept by oaths of loyalty and occasional feasting and gift giving than paid troops, but their favoured hoplite fighting style means they are well disciplined and well drilled.

Trilus has 65 men, 10 are light cavalry, 10 light infantry trained to rain down volleys of javelins or arrow fire, 10 are Yalaring, his brothers, immediate family and his more martial priests and advisors and 35 are hoplites. They will also field a varying number of hunters depending on how loyal the clan chiefs are feeling, what gifts and bribes are in the offing, what matters of honour at stake, who the enemy is - clansmen will turn out in large numbers to fight someone they have a long running feud with. They can rely on maybe a hundred as a minimum.

Dykene has 30 men, 5 hawk avilry, 5 personal bodyguards and priests with King Skilfil and 20 heavy infantry. They have horses, but leave them at home when going to war. They will also be supported by 100 or more armed pig tenders, kitted out with spear, shield and a helmet, and trained as militia by the temple of Tharkantus. This makes the Dykene phalanx impressively large, but only the first couple of ranks are any good. They too will have tribal support, including the Black Lion clan who can still field a few armoured hoplites, and the White Goat who will have men willing to join the militia.

Elkoi has two armies, that of Glyptus and that of the Imperial Governor. Glyptus has 30 warriors, 5 light cavalry and 25 smartly turned out but rather fat and lazy hoplites. His men have been reduced to a village police force as they and their King confidently expect the Lunars to defend their city should either of the enemy citadels attack. The garrison varies depending on the whim of the Provincial government. Currently there are 100 Pelandan peltasts and 100 Holayan medium infantry, but in the past they have sent Kastok light cavalry from the Redlands, hoplites from Sylila and even Shargashi troops from Alkoth, who made themselves very unwelcome very quickly. At one time slack and slovenly units were sent here as a punishment, but recently Euryptus has insisted on at least some reasonable quality troops to give a good impression of Lunar law and discipline to the locals. He is creating a locally recruited archer/skirmisher unit, but the clansmen's enthusiasm waxes and wanes more often than the moon and they only take orders from elected tribal chiefs, and then only when they feel like it.