Gorean Warfare |
| There are numerous war scrolls concerning the practice, strategy and techniques
of war. War is studied intently by many Goreans. Two famous war scrolls
are the commentaries of Minicius and the anonymous analyses of "The
Diaries," sometimes attributed to the military historian, Carl Commenius
of Argentum. Carl was rumored to have once been a mercenary. There are war
schools that teach these subjects and to which Warriors can go for further
education. These schools have libraries filled with scrolls of many diverse
topics on warfare. Most Gorean wars are small-scale events, confined to a limited area. Most wars occur between only a few cities rather than large alliances of dozens of cities. It would be rare for a battle to include more than five thousand men. Goreans would find Earth wars, involving millions of lives, to be nearly unthinkable. Most Gorean wars are more similar to a large raid rather than an open, pitched conflict. Mobility and surprise are common elements of such warfare, contributing to the small sizes of their forces. War is generally performed by members of the Warrior Caste, professionals who are well trained and know what war entails. Only in large scale conflicts, especially when a city is endangered, do others besides the Warrior Caste join into the conflict. If a city is in dire need, they may arm any able-bodied man, of whatever Caste. Peasant levies, armed with long bows, are common. A city may even free and arm its male slaves in especially dire circumstances. One of the most common reasons why wars begin are when one city raids the merchant caravans of another city. Sometimes these Warriors will don the uniforms and colors of another city to disguise their true identity. This will put suspicion on another city, commonly the enemy of the disguising city. Another reason a war might begin is over trade rights to a certain area. The ownership of natural resources such as silver mines may also precipitate war. Cities may also battle over their territorial limits, such boundaries being very fluid matters. Warfare involves more than simply military considerations. There is a significant political aspect as well. Conquering a city or piece of land is but the beginning. "Territory must be held as well as won." (Mercenaries of Gor, p.142) What good is winning if you cannot keep what you have fought and gained? Warfare may also be preceded by diplomatic efforts to prevent a war. Ambassadors, who possess immunity, will often try to resolve a dispute amicably before committing their resources to warfare. This alternative dispute resolution will continue throughout the length of the war, trying to stem the actual bloodshed. |