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Military Organization
War lanterns, green and blue and yellow, were already burning on poles in the darkness, signaling the rallying grounds of the Orlus, the Hundreds, and the Oralus, the Thousands. Each warrior of the Wagon Peoples, and that means each able-bodied man, is a member of an Or, or a Ten; each ten is a member of an Orlu, or Hundred; each Orlu is a member of an Oralu, a Thousand. Those who are unfamiliar with the Wagon Peoples, or who know them only from the swift raid, sometimes think them devoid of organization, sometimes conceive of them as mad hordes or aggregates of wild warriors, but such is not the case. Each man knows his position in his Ten, and the position of his Ten in the Hundred, and of the Hundred in the Thousand. During the day the rapid movements of these individually maneuverable units are dictated by bosk horn and movements of the standards; at night by the bosk horns and the war lanterns slung on high poles carried by riders. ---Nomads of Gor, 14:175 �The lance strikes the shield once for the commander of a Ten; twice for the commander of a Hundred; three times for the commander of a Thousand. �the next level beneath a Ubar among the Wagon Peoples is that of the Commander of a Thousand. ---Nomads of Gor, 22:250-251 Weapons �It was said a youth of the Wagon Peoples was taught the bow, the quiva and the lance before their parents would consent to give him a name, for names are precious among the Wagon Peoples, as among Goreans in general, and they are not to be wasted on someone who is likely to die, one who cannot well handle the weapons of the hunt and war. Until the youth has mastered the bow, the quiva and the lance he is simply known as the first, or the second, and so on, son of such and such a father. ---Nomads of Gor, 2:11 The Wagon Peoples are a warrior culture. Most of their weapons have been modified in some way to allow them to be optimally used while fighting on kaiila-back. The Bola The bola is a weapon peculiar to the Wagon Peoples. It consists of three long straps of leather, each about five feet long, each terminating in a leather sack which contains, sewn inside, a heavy, round, metal weight. It was probably developed for hunting the tumit, a huge, flightless carnivorous bird of the plains, but the Wagon Peoples use it also, and well, as a weapon of war. ---Nomads of Gor, 4:24 The technique for attacking with the bola is as follows: it is thrown low, so that it wraps around the legs of the victim. With its ten-foot sweep, and the swiftness of the throw, it is almost impossible to evade. The leather straps strike the victim and immediately tangle around the legs, the weight of the metal balls pulling the leather tight. The force is such that the victim's legs can actually be broken by the grip of the straps. Thus bound, the victim is an easy mark for the warrior, who leaps from his kaiila and slits his enemy�s throat with one sweep of the quiva. Variations to this basic technique include the throwing of the bola so that it binds the victim's arms to his sides; the throwing of the bola at the throat, so that it crushes the windpipe and/or strangles the victim, and the most difficult of the casts: the throwing of the bola so that it wraps around the victim's head, the metal weights crushing the skull. The Lance The lances of the Wagon Peoples are black and are made of the wood of young tem trees. They are so supple that they can be bent almost double without breaking. A mounted warrior holds the lance lightly in his right fist, where it is secured by a loop of bosk-hide wrapped twice around the hand. It is used like a saber in hand-to-hand combat, and can be handled very deftly. It is very rarely thrown. It is used for short thrusts, not for long charges at full tilt, and is never couched against the saddle. When not in use, it is carried on the warrior's back. The Quiva The quiva is another weapon peculiar to the Wagon Peoples. It is a balanced throwing knife, generally matched in sets of seven. The kaiila saddles have seven sheaths for the carrying of these knives. The blades are about a foot in length, double-edged and tapered, honed to a razor sharpness and mounted in handles of bosk horn or bone. The Wagon Peoples do no metalworking of our own. Most of our blades are forged in the smithies of Ar. A quiva can be thrown with deadly accuracy, but it can also be used as a handheld weapon for slitting, thrusting and piercing. The Horn Bow The Wagon Peoples are skilled with a small, powerful bow made of layered bosk-horn, double curved and about four feet in length and reinforced with strips of leather and metal. It is highly tensile but lacks the power and range of the peasant�s long bow or the crossbow. What makes it so advantageous is its quickness of use in close quarters. The Wagon Peoples� wagons have small portals notched into the wagon box for use in shooting. Our men carry as well narrow lacquered rectangular quivers in which some forty arrows are kept at the ready. Trained in the use of this weapon from earliest childhood, they can hit their target as easily from a running kaiila gallop as when standing still. A Kassar warrior would also carry a rope of braided bosk-hide coiled on one side of his kaiila saddle, and a small round shield of leather, lacquered red. Although some have mastered the art of swordsmanship through mercenary service in some of the great cities of Gor, the sword is not in general use on the Plains. Neither is the saber. It must be remembered that the prime consideration for warriors of the Wagon Peoples is the efficacy of a given weapon in mounted combat. Another peculiarity is the preference for weapons that can be used at long range; hence, lances, bows, throwing-knives and bolas. The sword and saber are short-range weapons, and reckoned to be unsuitable for the wide expanses of the open plains. Communication Communication in the camp is by means of drumbeats and blasts on hollowed out bosk horns. A summons to the wagon of the Ubar, the leader of the Kassars, is made in this way. During times of war or attack communication is maintained among the thousands of warriors by the use of colored war lanterns strung up on poles for visibility. Trade Trade with Turia is one of the mainstays of the way of life of the Wagon Peoples, who desire Turian goods such as metals and cloth, highly prized items among the wagons. Even most of the collars and chains used on the kajira are of Turian origin. For these items the Wagon Peoples are happy to trade that which they have in abundance-the products of the bosk such as hide and horn-as well as the goods gained during raids on unsuspecting, unprotected caravans through their territories. From these raids, the Wagon Peoples gain all manner of interesting goods for trade: spices, colored table salts, root vegetables, dried fish, powdered medicines, ointments, perfumes, jewels, precious metals, harnesses and saddles for tharlarion, river animal pelts, scrolls, inks, papers and of course women. Keeping only what they can use and trading the rest allows the Wagon Peoples access to small and larger luxuries they might not otherwise ever attain; the more beautiful women captured on raids might be retained and kept as slaves while the plainer ones are sold off cheaply. It would be rare indeed that a beautiful captive would be sold, as the Wagon Peoples especially relish teaching a pampered and previously veiled high born female to serve, and eagerly, on her knees before a strong master. Merchants There is a saying on Gor, �Gold has no caste.� Even among the Wagon Peoples, this proverb is true. Although most of our wealth comes from plunder, we are not above trading with merchants for things that we want. However, we disdain these men, as we do all those who dwell in cities. A merchant who wishes to sell to the Wagon Peoples must submit to being branded on the forearm with a small bola symbol. This brand guarantees safe passage through the plains, but only at certain seasons of the year. It is demeaning, even as it grants the merchant an opportunity for lucrative trade. After all, on Gor, only animals are branded. |
