Ensayos dinámicos

Soldiers are awakened early in the morning, given an hour to awaken, eat and dress, followed by an hour of drills. After that, the soldiers not assigned to guard duty are assigned hours of fatigue duty, which consists

of such tedious work duties as road or bridge building, woodcutting, water barrel filling, garbage disposal, clean up details, garden cultivation, weeding and escorting various recruits, paymasters and settlers to and from the fort. Guard mount is called, an exacting Hyborian ritual where the men assigned guard duty are assembled for inspection by the first sergeant, then taken to the parade grounds for inspection by the sergeant major, then turned over to the officer of the day for assignment (Perform (guard mount) DC 10 to pass inspection. Failure indicates some sort of punishing detail assignment). The best-turned-out man (determined by a Perform (guard mount) check) is selected to be the officer’s orderly for the day (a coveted position, for it allows the soldier to lounge in the officer’s quarters when not carrying messages, to hang around the kitchens and the hired girls there, and exempts him from fatigue or guard duties that day) and the others were assigned their guard stations around the fort. After lunch, soldiers on fatigue duty returned to their chores, eventually coming back in the evening for another hour of drills, then going to bed. It is a monotonous life of drudgery for the most part.

The monotonous life, however, creates a sense of loyalty among the soldiers. The permanence of the routines, its units and its officers reinforce that loyalty. The daily routine has been part of Aquilonian military life for generations. Soldiers likewise serve in the same unit for their entire term of enlistment. These people serve together, drill together, work together, fight together and play together. Most Hyborian frontier soldiers have an Allegiance to their unit and to their feudal lord (see Conan the Roleplaying Game for details on Allegiance). Soldiers with useful skills are prised by the various units and could earn extra money. Most units appoint their own tailor, their own barber and their own cobblers. Some units even have their own blacksmith. Soldiers tend to be poor cooks, so any soldier with ranks in Craft (cooking) or Profession (cook) will find themselves in a good position, often making slightly more money than a regular soldier, and exempted from dangerous duties such as wood gathering and difficult chores such as filling the water barrels of the camp. Fortunately, only mercenaries and professional soldiers have to put up with this lifestyle on a daily basis. Most of the army are composed of nobles and their retainers serving their military obligation, which usually only lasts a few months out of each year. The Aquilonian army is at its strongest in

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The oliphants sounded a fanfare of triumph all over the plain, and the hoofs of the victors crunched in the breasts of the vanquished as all the straggling, shining lines converged inward like the spokes of a glittering wheel, to the spot where the last survivor still waged unequal battle.

Robert E. Howard, The Scarlet Citadel

the autumn after the harvest, which is when most opt to serve their duty.

Rank is important in a soldier’s life. Noble-born officers give orders and soldiers perform those orders. In Aquilonia there is a wide gulf between officers and soldiers that cannot be crossed save by the bridge provided by the first sergeant. Only by the permission of a first sergeant may a soldier even address an officer or knight. There are some differences in Westermarck etiquette covered in Conan: Across the

Thunder River, however, but generally in Aquilonia this is

true. Even in the army the social orders of Aquilonian society still hold sway. Most officers in the Aquilonian army are nobles, many soldiers can achieve only certain levels of rank. Rank can be earned or bought. Earning the rank of sergeant, for example, might require the leadership feat and 9 ranks of Perform (guard mount), as well as the purchase of certain arms and armour expected of an officer. Rank can also be earned through valour on the battlefield. Rank can be bought as well, usually with influence, wealth or recruits. For example, a man who recruits 50 men might be made an officer in charge of those men. Leaders have to be tough and be able to maintain order. Some keep order by earning their men’s respect, being tough but fair; others keep order with their fists, brawling on duty and off. Yet others keep order with staggeringly harsh punishments for infractions. Most officers maintain high ranks in Intimidate as well as in Diplomacy.

In general, military discipline is a brutal, arbitrary affair. Men can be fined up to a month’s pay for minor infractions, such as sleeping through roll-call, or can spend a month in the guardhouse or jail. Soldiers can be forced to march while carrying heavy weights, such as 40 pound logs, or forced to run in circles around a marching unit of soldiers. A recovered deserter may have to carry a heavy ball or log that is chained to his leg for a period of time. Deserters might also be branded or tattooed if caught. Striking an officer or sleeping on guard duty usually calls for the death penalty. The guard who was bribed in Robert E. Howard’s first Conan short story, The Phoenix on the Sword, chose to flee instead of facing the dark death that awaited him when it turned out Conan survived the assassination attempt. Entertainment among the soldiers encompasses far more

than just drinking and gambling. Practical jokes, singing, music and story-telling are also prominent diversions for the soldiers. Soldiers who can sing, tell inspiring yarns or play an instrument are welcome additions to any unit. Men lounging in the parade fields

in the evening around dancing fires sing and carry on in a loud and boisterous fashion. On evenings just after the arrival of a paymaster, many soldiers pool their money and hire local girls to dance for them around the fires. Many soldiers also enjoy bartering and haggling for goods, either in the merchant stalls in the fort or from local settlers or towns. Hunting is used as training exercises, teaching teamwork and survival. No matter what the chosen entertainment, the Aquilonian military tries to be ready at a moment’s notice to render aid to the region when called upon.

Signals

Troops are identified by standards worn on their armour and shields, as well as on flags and pennants flown during combat. Troops in Aquilonia are often signalled via the oliphant, an ornate ivory instrument that a skilled performer can use to imitate everything from the roar of a lion or elephant to the gentle sound of a breeze. Commands such as ‘Boots and Saddles,’ ‘To Horse,’ ‘To The Standard,’ ‘Forward,’ ‘Charge,’ ‘Parade,’ ‘Pitch Tents,’ ‘Retreat’ and ‘Watch’ are typically blown on the oliphant. Many soldiers take ranks in Perform (oliphant), especially adjutants (soldier/scholars who serve as aids to the noble officers). Large, ornate oliphants are often status symbols among the Aquilonian military elite, and many times exquisite oliphants are offered as rewards for exceptional service by the feudal lords. Oliphants represent land ownership and wealth and so are often awarded along with a fief or manor. Picts have come to learn to know the value of oliphants among the Aquilonian troops, so many Picts stage attacks just to steal the oliphant as a trophy.

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The Aquilonian host was drawn up, long serried lines of pikemen and horsemen in gleaming steel, when a giant figure in black armor emerged from the royal pavilion, and as he swung up into the saddle held by four squires, a roar that shook the mountains went up from the host. They shook their blades and thundered forth their acclaim of their warrior king – knights in gold-chased armor, pikemen in mail coats and basinets, archers in their leather jerkins, with their longbows in their left hand.

Robert E. Howard, The Hour of the Dragon

Aftermath of

War

Wounds sustained in war often become infected because of unsanitary conditions on the battlefield and poor medical care. Army surgeons are not usually scholarly Nemedian healers. Even though many wounds, such as shattered bones, may heal on their own, the wounded soldier may be crippled for life. The Games Master may require any character involved in a major, prolonged combat to make Fortitude saves vs. infection or disease, presuming the character probably sustained at least a few physical wounds. This save is especially appropriate if the character is healed by a person with less than 10 ranks in Heal – or if the Heal check fails, regardless of ranks. Some likely illnesses include blood poisoning (DC 10), gangrene (DC 14), malaria (DC 15), spotted fever (DC 17), sweating sickness (DC 16), tetanus (DC 14) or yellow fever (DC 14). A complete list of infections and diseases can be found on page 56.

Women in War