- Location
- Here, there, everywhere.
I might go back and add more later, but @LilyWitch inspired me to write this much lesser quality emulation of her treatise for my own people, though less focused on the future theoretical but the current state of warfare.
A Treatise On The Nature of War Among the Rotteskin at the dawn of the Iridescent Era
1. Introduction
This short treatise is meant to inform on the nature of warfare among the children of Rotte ruled by the blessed line of Tira and give insight to outside nations what might be expected of them.
2. Protection
2.1 Armor
2.1.1 Cloth and Leather
Found usually in the poorer of militias armor made of cloth or leather is meant for fighting off poorly armed bands of brigands or protecting from wild animals such as boars of wolves.
2.1.2 Copper and Bronze
The most common material used for armor in a wide variety of regional patterns unique to the family groups of the Rotteskin but all resembling a form of most often lamellar and scale armor giving adequate protection while allowing for the lightning fast war maneuvers the Rotteskin prefer in their ancestral forests to be conducted without being slowed by heavy armor plates.
2.1.3 Iron
While rare in its ability to be mined and worked iron by way of trade and domestic mines has made its way into the hands of a few within the Rotteskin. Its main use is for weapons rather than armor on a wide scale given the great availability of bronze, but some more elite units employ small amounts of iron material in their armor and weapons, notably the Wolfshäutig who sew iron lamellar into their pelt clothing and the spearpoints of their Eiserner Reißzahns.
3. Offense
3.1 Melee Weapons
3.1.1 Bronze Arming Sword
The first most common weapon in the hand of Rotteskin warriors averaging 25 to 55 cm long and often double bladed the sword is the first weapon any proper warrior learns to use and all warriors, from footman to archer or Wolfshäutig the sword has found itself a friend of many and an enemy of just as many who have had to face it in the hands of a red haired warrior.
3.1.2 Bronze Arming Spear
Ranging from long spears meant for hunting boars and beasts of large size to the man sized footmans spear the second most common tool in the Rotteskin arsenal is common among the ranks of the armies of Tira's descendants. Used almost as commonly as the sword its many varied uses are too many to list in one place.
3.2 Ranged Weapons
3.2.1 Javelins
The most common ranged weapon in use the javelin is a simple to use weapon for the quick foot soldiers of the Rotteskin. Every man carries at least one or two of these instruments often being thrown at close range and then replaced by the quickly drawn sword to take advantage of the confusion of having javelins suddenly land around you or in you. The most skilled with this instrument however are kept as a separate rank of battle and spend their time throwing well aimed javelins to harass and kill enemy units still putting up too much resistance or having managed to rebuff the first rank of footmen.
3.2.2 Bows
Not as common as the javelin but not entirely absent the bow and arrow is more common among warriors assigned to defend towns and villages than mustered armies. Not much can be said here other than they are present but not seen as much use by the men of Rotte's descent.
Specialty Warriors their Weapons and Armor
4.1.1 The Wolfshäutig and the Wolf Pelt
The Wolfshäutig or "Wolf Skinned" for a direct translation are what can be considered the elite units of the Rotteskin and represent that in all levels of their profession. While men traditionally make up the armies of the Rotteskin the Wolfshäutig allow both men and women to serve in their ranks the reason for this being the prerequisite for joining their ranks in the first place. Typically chosen as a youth by divine revelation during the winter solstice celebrations these warriors spend their lives training and honing their skills while also making regular sacrifices to Jahfr for blessings of strength and skill in battle and are entirety devoted to his worship with the belief in a promise that upon their death in battle their spirits will be taken the afterlife by Jahfr and hunt among the other worthy warriors who have perished in his name and the spirit of the wolves who howled in his name in their time on the mortal plane.
Beyond their signature weapon, see next entry, the Wolfshäutig are also known for their armor or rather seeming lack of it and their ferocity in battle. Unlike the other warriors that make up the armies of Tira's descendants the Wolfshäutig charge into battle completely nude except for a wolf pelt cloak draped over their head and shoulder alongside runic prayers tattooed into their flesh for strength in battle and victory. While traditionally their cloak would be unaltered in modern times this has strayed away with pieces iron lamellar being sewn into the pelts in a mix of artistic fashion and to provide extra protection from unexpected strikes from the rear or flanks where the cloak most commonly covers. The longer a Wolfshäutig has served the more opulent the head of their pelt becomes as trinkets and beads of copper, silver, gold and iron are braided into the fur with the eldest and most respected warriors having iron replace the traditional bone skull keeping the shape of the hood into that of its previous canine owner. The Erilaz of the Rotteskin is known to also wear a wolf pelt of this design with the addition of a gold accented silver circlet to denote their rank among all the warriors on the field.
4.1.2 Eiserner Reißzahn
Given its name by the Wolfshäutig who wield them the "Iron Fang" as its literal translation into the common tongue names it is less a spear than it is a specialized club. Averaging 90 to 130 cm in length and in some cases and a handle much as 10cm around with a studded bronze cup on its end this on its own this would make it a formidable mace in its own right but the addition added to it changes its use drastically. Affixed to the end of the club by way of a tang that inserts through a hole in the bronze cup is a large iron spike averaging 25cm in length and 2-3cm in thickness. Chosen from the highest quality of the iron brought from the forges this specialty weapon is designed for the shock tactics favored by its users and is meant to allow the Wolfshäutig to use the weight of their club to beat down armored opponents and use the "Fang" on the end to pierce through gaps in armor or thinner armor plates after repeated strikes and deliver mortal puncture wounds to the wearer. It being just as effective an instrument on unarmored opponents it sees equal use against such foes, alongside the trusty sword already ready as a backup weapon.
1. Introduction
This short treatise is meant to inform on the nature of warfare among the children of Rotte ruled by the blessed line of Tira and give insight to outside nations what might be expected of them.
2. Protection
2.1 Armor
2.1.1 Cloth and Leather
Found usually in the poorer of militias armor made of cloth or leather is meant for fighting off poorly armed bands of brigands or protecting from wild animals such as boars of wolves.
2.1.2 Copper and Bronze
The most common material used for armor in a wide variety of regional patterns unique to the family groups of the Rotteskin but all resembling a form of most often lamellar and scale armor giving adequate protection while allowing for the lightning fast war maneuvers the Rotteskin prefer in their ancestral forests to be conducted without being slowed by heavy armor plates.
2.1.3 Iron
While rare in its ability to be mined and worked iron by way of trade and domestic mines has made its way into the hands of a few within the Rotteskin. Its main use is for weapons rather than armor on a wide scale given the great availability of bronze, but some more elite units employ small amounts of iron material in their armor and weapons, notably the Wolfshäutig who sew iron lamellar into their pelt clothing and the spearpoints of their Eiserner Reißzahns.
3. Offense
3.1 Melee Weapons
3.1.1 Bronze Arming Sword
The first most common weapon in the hand of Rotteskin warriors averaging 25 to 55 cm long and often double bladed the sword is the first weapon any proper warrior learns to use and all warriors, from footman to archer or Wolfshäutig the sword has found itself a friend of many and an enemy of just as many who have had to face it in the hands of a red haired warrior.
3.1.2 Bronze Arming Spear
Ranging from long spears meant for hunting boars and beasts of large size to the man sized footmans spear the second most common tool in the Rotteskin arsenal is common among the ranks of the armies of Tira's descendants. Used almost as commonly as the sword its many varied uses are too many to list in one place.
3.2 Ranged Weapons
3.2.1 Javelins
The most common ranged weapon in use the javelin is a simple to use weapon for the quick foot soldiers of the Rotteskin. Every man carries at least one or two of these instruments often being thrown at close range and then replaced by the quickly drawn sword to take advantage of the confusion of having javelins suddenly land around you or in you. The most skilled with this instrument however are kept as a separate rank of battle and spend their time throwing well aimed javelins to harass and kill enemy units still putting up too much resistance or having managed to rebuff the first rank of footmen.
3.2.2 Bows
Not as common as the javelin but not entirely absent the bow and arrow is more common among warriors assigned to defend towns and villages than mustered armies. Not much can be said here other than they are present but not seen as much use by the men of Rotte's descent.
Specialty Warriors their Weapons and Armor
4.1.1 The Wolfshäutig and the Wolf Pelt
The Wolfshäutig or "Wolf Skinned" for a direct translation are what can be considered the elite units of the Rotteskin and represent that in all levels of their profession. While men traditionally make up the armies of the Rotteskin the Wolfshäutig allow both men and women to serve in their ranks the reason for this being the prerequisite for joining their ranks in the first place. Typically chosen as a youth by divine revelation during the winter solstice celebrations these warriors spend their lives training and honing their skills while also making regular sacrifices to Jahfr for blessings of strength and skill in battle and are entirety devoted to his worship with the belief in a promise that upon their death in battle their spirits will be taken the afterlife by Jahfr and hunt among the other worthy warriors who have perished in his name and the spirit of the wolves who howled in his name in their time on the mortal plane.
Beyond their signature weapon, see next entry, the Wolfshäutig are also known for their armor or rather seeming lack of it and their ferocity in battle. Unlike the other warriors that make up the armies of Tira's descendants the Wolfshäutig charge into battle completely nude except for a wolf pelt cloak draped over their head and shoulder alongside runic prayers tattooed into their flesh for strength in battle and victory. While traditionally their cloak would be unaltered in modern times this has strayed away with pieces iron lamellar being sewn into the pelts in a mix of artistic fashion and to provide extra protection from unexpected strikes from the rear or flanks where the cloak most commonly covers. The longer a Wolfshäutig has served the more opulent the head of their pelt becomes as trinkets and beads of copper, silver, gold and iron are braided into the fur with the eldest and most respected warriors having iron replace the traditional bone skull keeping the shape of the hood into that of its previous canine owner. The Erilaz of the Rotteskin is known to also wear a wolf pelt of this design with the addition of a gold accented silver circlet to denote their rank among all the warriors on the field.
4.1.2 Eiserner Reißzahn
Given its name by the Wolfshäutig who wield them the "Iron Fang" as its literal translation into the common tongue names it is less a spear than it is a specialized club. Averaging 90 to 130 cm in length and in some cases and a handle much as 10cm around with a studded bronze cup on its end this on its own this would make it a formidable mace in its own right but the addition added to it changes its use drastically. Affixed to the end of the club by way of a tang that inserts through a hole in the bronze cup is a large iron spike averaging 25cm in length and 2-3cm in thickness. Chosen from the highest quality of the iron brought from the forges this specialty weapon is designed for the shock tactics favored by its users and is meant to allow the Wolfshäutig to use the weight of their club to beat down armored opponents and use the "Fang" on the end to pierce through gaps in armor or thinner armor plates after repeated strikes and deliver mortal puncture wounds to the wearer. It being just as effective an instrument on unarmored opponents it sees equal use against such foes, alongside the trusty sword already ready as a backup weapon.
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