Fresh Troops

Hi Kieth_w,

I wasn't restricting them from combat, but the above thread spent some time explaining that there are darn few young Raven Lord warriors in the first place, so preserving them rather than wasting them as happened to so many towns, counties and regions, whose young men volunteered for the "Pals Battalions" which were then wiped out in minutes by incompetent commanders.

Simple extended non-combat operations of a year or two can have the same loss effect as a single unlucky battle or engagement.

Given they apparently have better skills with the caribou and snow lizards than the former locals that, ie those that survived the inquisition, and weren't TL's, it makes sense to use those skills for the mutual benefit of both.

Those that seek more danger will certainly find it, since BGV won't turn them down.

But Cayleb and Sharleyan are rulers who will insist the Raven Lords potential for future generations be preserved as much as possible.

L

Keith_w wrote:

lyonheart wrote:Hi Don,

Yup, the Raven Lords seemed very well informed on what was happening in Siddarmark.

Jeff, the best use of Raven Lord young men would be managing the caribou and snow lizards when they're not in combat, possibly beginning to create herds in Siddarmark that might improve Rollings and the other northern provinces economies.

NTM, the foreign experience might open some young conservative eyes to a larger world.

I think you're spot on, Louis R.; as to how many 'wild geese' would go the full mercenary route, including training at Maikelberg will be interesting to see, but I suspect a silver mark a day to handle caribou and snow lizard's with a half mark danger pay bonus might be more than enough for the majority of the Raven young men.

L

I would think that the best way to cause resentment and discontent within the ranks of ANY group of people who have a warrior/raider tradition such as the youth of the Raven lands have is to tell them they are not good enough to participate in battles and are only good enough to handle the livestock. If any of those youth should volunteer, then they should be integrated within the ICA in the same way any other volunteer is and have the warrior arrogance eradicated from their personality the way that armed forces have been doing for centuries.

lyonheart wrote:Given they apparently have better skills with the caribou and snow lizards than the former locals that, ie those that survived the inquisition, and weren't TL's, it makes sense to use those skills for the mutual benefit of both.

Those that seek more danger will certainly find it, since BGV won't turn them down.

But Cayleb and Sharleyan are rulers who will insist the Raven Lords potential for future generations be preserved as much as possible.

L

One way to employ them - those who are willing, at any rate - that may avoid insulting honor, getting them killed, and even inflaming TL opinion back home, may be to have them help train scout-snipers in Chisholm and/or the RSA's likely upcoming equivalents in the arts of sneaking through forests, hills, and snow.

That's a central part of wing warrior tradition, after all, something they can get proud (downright cocky) about, something the urban scout-sniper recruits especially need to learn coming from zero relevant background, isn't terribly dangerous but still leaves their adolescent pride in fine shape, and isn't going to ruffle feathers back home as much as combat operations against the Temple.

As instructors, being very few in number will still let them play a disproportionately large role, which again can stroke their personal, clan, and national egos.

JeffEngel wrote:

lyonheart wrote:Given they apparently have better skills with the caribou and snow lizards than the former locals that, ie those that survived the inquisition, and weren't TL's, it makes sense to use those skills for the mutual benefit of both.

Those that seek more danger will certainly find it, since BGV won't turn them down.

But Cayleb and Sharleyan are rulers who will insist the Raven Lords potential for future generations be preserved as much as possible.

L

One way to employ them - those who are willing, at any rate - that may avoid insulting honor, getting them killed, and even inflaming TL opinion back home, may be to have them help train scout-snipers in Chisholm and/or the RSA's likely upcoming equivalents in the arts of sneaking through forests, hills, and snow.

That's a central part of wing warrior tradition, after all, something they can get proud (downright cocky) about, something the urban scout-sniper recruits especially need to learn coming from zero relevant background, isn't terribly dangerous but still leaves their adolescent pride in fine shape, and isn't going to ruffle feathers back home as much as combat operations against the Temple.

As instructors, being very few in number will still let them play a disproportionately large role, which again can stroke their personal, clan, and national egos.

This teminds me a bit of the Brits with the Ghurkas. They were Nepalese, weren't they?

Don

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Still are, as far as that goes. Now that the Brigade has been moved to the UK I think that a lot of them are retiring there, but the recruiting is still done in the old country.

n7axw wrote:

JeffEngel wrote:One way to employ them - those who are willing, at any rate - that may avoid insulting honor, getting them killed, and even inflaming TL opinion back home, may be to have them help train scout-snipers in Chisholm and/or the RSA's likely upcoming equivalents in the arts of sneaking through forests, hills, and snow.

That's a central part of wing warrior tradition, after all, something they can get proud (downright cocky) about, something the urban scout-sniper recruits especially need to learn coming from zero relevant background, isn't terribly dangerous but still leaves their adolescent pride in fine shape, and isn't going to ruffle feathers back home as much as combat operations against the Temple.

As instructors, being very few in number will still let them play a disproportionately large role, which again can stroke their personal, clan, and national egos.

This teminds me a bit of the Brits with the Ghurkas. They were Nepalese, weren't they?

Don

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Louis R wrote:Still are, as far as that goes. Now that the Brigade has been moved to the UK I think that a lot of them are retiring there, but the recruiting is still done in the old country.

Interesting. I would have thought that went the way of Pax Britannica...

Don

Nope.

Originally, the Gurkha regiments were part of the Indian Army. At independence, they were divided between the Indian and British Armies - which did _not_ go down at all well with the Gurkhas themselves. They aren't and don't view themselves as Indians, were extremely loyal to Britain and felt they'd been betrayed by the Raj. [I think that the Indians still managed to keep their regiments going, despite all that] The 3 regiments that now constitute the Brigade of Gurkhas were moved to Hong Kong, since it would hardly do to actually let them live in England, until HK was given back to China when they were moved to the UK.

n7axw wrote:

Louis R wrote:Still are, as far as that goes. Now that the Brigade has been moved to the UK I think that a lot of them are retiring there, but the recruiting is still done in the old country.

Interesting. I would have thought that went the way of Pax Britannica...

Don