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Swords of Central Genertela


M Helsdon

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51 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I think what throws me off is how lifelike the bison looks.

In Glorantha, images often seem to have innate powers, much as our ancestors believed.

The bison head is more than a little stylized, enhanced by the attachment of  the fur trim, and real ears and horns. 

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6 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I think what throws me off is how lifelike the bison looks.

Probably because the upper layer is actual facial fur of a bison?

I do wonder about the bison horn part of the shields. Is actual bison horn involved? Is it purely ornamental, or does it function as something like a sword catcher or even piercing attack implement?

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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20 hours ago, Byll said:

Cool Topknot, I always picture Pentans in Mongolian deels but perhaps that's just peace-time garb and you need more protection for actual battle. 

Purely my view, but I tend to use the Cimmerians, Scythians and Saka as my model for Pentans; the Mongols had a significantly different culture and military tradition, and from my view - just too late.

19 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I think its a good synthesis of various Eurasian steppe cultures. Or maybe it's modelled of one particular one, I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell the difference, I'll admit.

Even 'Scythian' probably includes a multitude of different groups, and in some ways, the steppe peoples didn't show major changes in life style for a relatively long time.

Sketch update: currently working on another, not included in the summary below. This also does not include drawings of weapons, armor, shields, or montages.

Sketches I judge 'okay': 32

Sketches judged 'so so': 25

Sketches judged bad: 1.

Have attempted to redo the last one several times and it just won't work, so it should either be deleted or completely restarted from scratch.

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Latest rework (original modified using pen & ink, scanned, and then some digital shading). Going for a vaguely Minoan look.

Bare feet intended as being practical on the decks of a wooden warship in subtropical conditions... The armor is made of aluminum.

And yes, the amount of drawing over the last month is starting to take a toll - may have to take a break to rest my eyes...

comparison19.png

Edited by M Helsdon
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7 hours ago, M Helsdon said:

Latest rework (original modified using pen & ink, scanned, and then some digital shading). Going for a vaguely Minoan look.

Bare feet intended as being practical on the decks of a wooden warship in subtropical conditions... The armor is made of aluminum.

Bare feet were the standard of the Cape Hoorners, too, AFAIK, even though they had to face sleet and snow on their passages. Only the whalers braving ice-berg riddled waters would have worn some sort of footwear among common sailors, with footwear being the privilege of officers.

Not referencing this specific image,, which would work for colder conditions with the simple addition of a cloak, too, but:

On the whole, I am quite distrustful of the fair weather navy and the topless fair weather fisherfolk that we have been shown for the Pelaskites. While the Choralinthor Bay doesn't normally freeze over, I can say the same for the Baltic Sea where I live. Does Kethaela even have palms? The English and Cornish channel coast has those, although it is too cold for olive trees.

Rozgali and Solkathi are warm, but not hot currents. I'd expect Biscayan or Channel conditions, maybe Iberian Atlantic. Magasta is not a forgiving Sea God, and Solkathi first came as an all-drowning monster, although much of that energy was broken by Zzabur, and possibly then drained by Worcha.

Sea Season is when maritime activities kickstart, and that corresponds to this time of the year in average latitudes. Seasonal fishing grounds at spawning migrations quite generally fall into cold weather, like Dark or Storm Season, and are some of the most productive fishing activities, which I expect especially the Pelaskite to be ready for. Probably donning sealskin or fish skin or similar weather clothing available from their own activities rather than waxed linen that has to be traded for from landlubbers. Bad enough that getting their timber takes them inland.

When fisherfolk move out, so do pirates relieving them of their catches and other possessions, which means that the triremes (or whichever other anti-pirate craft they have) need to be ready, too. So, without any drawings, what would the sensible bad weather equipment of Pelaskite or Handran sailors be?

The wolf pirate state of undress in seasons other than Dark or Storm probably is their lingering adaptation to life next to the Glacier, which would make Solkathi conditions very gentle to them, and possibly nigh unbearable in Fire Season.

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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3 hours ago, Joerg said:

Bare feet were the standard of the Cape Hoorners, too, AFAIK, even though they had to face sleet and snow on their passages.

I know - my father recalled what his father told him. My grandfather sailed on some of the last sailing ships (possibly a clipper) to round the Horn (he drowned at sea in 1936) and my father remembered him talking of waves the 'size of mountains'. 

Edited by M Helsdon
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21 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Interesting sword placement. Is this based on some historical reference?

I should have drawn the baldric over the right shoulder (too late now), but otherwise, the positioning reflects ancient usage, such as those shown on the Tropaeum Traiani, where the pommel of swords are just below the armpit. It was also necessary to be a bit creative, as putting the sword lower would have risked it getting caught in the lower plate.

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A number of people have queried the lack of a bibliography in my fan book 'The Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass'. The core books are listed below. Some are now out-of-print and hard to find...

Argrath: Myth, Man, or Monster?

Pavison Books

Armies and Enemies of the Lunar Empire

Third Age Research Group

Beasts and Barbarians of Prax

Uroxford University Press

Enemies of the Empire 1: Carmania

Vrok Publishing

Enemies of the Empire 2: Pent

Vrok Publishing

Enemies of the Empire 3: Saird

Vrok Publishing

Enemies of the Empire 4: Sartar and Tarsh

Vrok Publishing

God Kings and Despots

Glassbridge Press

Gods and Goddesses of the Third Age

Oslir & Riverson

Golden Warriors of the Sun

Green Stone Press

Imperial Armies of the Early Wanes

Green Stone Press

Imperial Armies of the Later Wanes

Green Stone Press

Life in Ancient Maniria

Archaeological & Historical Society

Masks of the Emperor

Black Books

Orlanthi Warrior

Vrok Publishing

Pelandan Hoplites and their influence on Lunar Warfare

Archaeological & Historical Society

Peloria: Land of Monsters and Flowers

New Harshax University Press

Raibanth and its Ruins

Auk Press

Regiments and War Bands

New Harshax University Press

Saird in Antiquity

New Harshax University Press

Sartar and the Sartarites

Unity Books

Settlement Patterns of Dragon Pass

Notyet City University Press

Tactics of Fazzur

Spearhead Publishing

The Archaeology of Peloria

Archaeological & Historical Society

The Art of Warfare in the Third Age

Uroxford University Press

The Geology of Genertela: Blood and Bones of the Gods

Gata Society

The Lost World of the Holy Country

Far Horizon Books

The Orlanthi Kingdom of Tarsh

Unity Books

The Red Moon: Metaphor and Myth

New Age Books

Warlord of the South

Runeworks

Weapons of the Ancient World

Otter Books

Wheeled Vehicles in Ancient Warfare

Archaeological & Historical Society

 

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1 hour ago, M Helsdon said:

A number of people have queried the lack of a bibliography in my fan book 'The Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass'. The core books are listed below. Some are now out-of-print and hard to find...

Fortunately, I managed to get them all as PDFs

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Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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Bush children in the Dragon Pass boardgame are originally Old Tarshite missile troops from east of the Dragonspine as part of the Sartar Free Army. If memory serves me well, among the fastest of the mounted forces in the Free Army, with low melee or magic combat factors, but great skirmishers to frustrate advancing forces to very slow advances unless they brought as fast troops to avoid parthian shot retreats again and again.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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3 hours ago, Brootse said:

Where's that guy from?

The Bush Range - part of the Old Tarsh territory.

 

Bush Children

Type

Light Infantry

Armor

None

Weapons

Bow, broadsword, shield

Morale

Militia

2

Patron Deity

Voriof

Notes

Tarshite Psiloi.

Magic Factor

Low

2

Missile Factor

2

Melee Factor

2

The Bush Ranges are rugged hill-land on both sides of the north Dragonspine. The irregular steep hills and overgrown valleys make poor farming and grazing. It is well suited to the bandit clans who live there. The Bush Children are the settlers of the Bush Ranges in the foothills of Kero Fin. They are herders, hunters, and bandits, who excel at scouting and hit-and-run skirmishes. These bandit clans usually have no loyalty to each other or any outsider lord.

These units trace their origins to the days after the Battle of Grizzly Peak, when many Tarshites fled the Lunar ravaging of the clans in the hills of the Bush Ranges. Many sought sanctuary in Sartar where they served as mercenaries, fighting the Lunar advance.

This group are adept at fighting in craggy terrain, scaling sheer cliffs, and setting ambushes.

Latest two images reworked a little.

rework.png

Edited by M Helsdon
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