The Calling of the Warrior

Warriors are the most numerous of all adventurers and are found in all strata of society from palace knights to village militia. These combatants are common in every population and culture from barbaric to sedentary. Many never exceed the lowest of levels and blend imperceptibly among the non-adventuring labourers of ordinary society. The roles to which warriors can apply themselves are numerous and include city-watch, mercenary, bodyguard, prize-fighter, bandit and pirate.



What sets warriors apart from other callings is the extent to which they can become expert wielders of particular weapons. Members of other callings may become proficient over time in a number of weapons and a few exceptionally experienced ones may even become specialized in a weapon. Warriors however can be specialized in particular weapons from the very start and become specialized in many over time. A warrior using a specialized weapon fights faster and with more devastating effect. Halflings, Elves, Dwarves and Orcs have customary preferences for particular arms and armour.

Rangers

Rangers in The Lands are practitioners of a particular way-of-life that was originally developed among Plana villagers faced with assault and oppression from numerically more powerful military opponents (even from rival Plana clans). Rangers are warriors who eschew those notions of honour which insist that the warrior must always face opponents openly. If such conduct will allow a more powerful force to win and oppress peaceful non-combatants then Rangers will abandon it for other methods. Rangers have an affinity with others of that movement but are partisans and will always support the needs of their own community - at times they will even be found fighting on two sides of the same conflict. Most travel the Eastern Expanse but there are some scattered much further afield.

Rangers practice a blend of both bravery and shrewdness in the service of defending ones freedom. As such they cultivate skills associated with wilderness survival and surprise attack – in particular tracking. They can use herbalism as an alternative to the curative powers of the clergy. In accordance with many generations of habit they become expert in ranged weapons such as spear or bow-and-arrow. They also favour the combination of long sword and hand axe. They tend to venerate both Nitara and Teloch. They maintain some semi-secret lodges across the wilderness. The movement is known to count both Humans and Half-Elves among its number.

Paladins

Paladins in The Lands are members of one of two sibling orders of knights. These are the Knights of the Eagle in Bordenia and the Knights of the Lion in Rolania. Paladins are armed defenders of the honour and virtue of those nations and must be drawn from the Eriman aristocracy (whether by blood or knighthood) and as a result Paladins are always Human. These orders were specifically formed to investigate asssertions of Eriman royal descent and in effect serve as a check on abuse-of-position by errant members of the nobility.

As warriors the Paladins are expert in particular weapons – the bastard sword, the lance, and the mace. They are also proficient in such chivalrous skills as horse riding and etiquette. Paladins study under the tutelage of clerics of Olarin and Bernali and over time can access some divine spells. They must follow the Palace Code which includes the virtues of hope, trust, forgiveness, truth, justice, and obligation (binding knights to nations). The two orders are independent of one another but keep in regular contact and love jousting together. These orders form a small but important part of the national militia to which they are attached.

Important Groups of Warriors

There are two warrior traditions that are so well-developed as to have taken on the status of distinctive warrior callings - the Rangers and Paladins. However there are other groups of warrior in the Lands that are also worth noting.

The Crossed Blades Pirates

Pirates have existed for generations along the coast of the Great Ocean. They utilize the Pirate Isles as the location of hideaways and safe ports. Historically they were independent of one another - every ship its own mobile nation. However recently many pirate ships have been uniting under one banner. Rather than use the Skull And Crossed Bones they use a new Skull And Crossed Blades (representing the love they have of the combined attack of long-with-short sword). This new fleet is causing much danger for merchant vessels as they fly in on the wind like the anger of Kandoth himself.

The Battering Ram Mercenary Company

The existence of small groups of mercenary troops is common in The Lands but only one is regarded as rivalling national militia in its size and professionalism – the Battering Ram Mercenary Company stationed outside the walls of the free city of Ivana. The Plana warriors of Ivana are more loyal to the fifteen separate ancestral clans they serve than they are towards the city itself. In response to this the current Duke of Ivana has seen fit to extend a long-term welcome to the Battering Ram in return for its services as overall city militia. In addition to this the Battering Ram provides all manner of military services big and small from armed escort for caravans to mediation services between rival clans.

The Cavar

The Cavar are the horse-riding warriors of Rovnara. In Rovnaran culture only men may be warriors and these warriors must develop horse-riding skills. They joke that the only infrantryman in Rovnara is one who has lost his horse. If he wishes to be the patron of a clan he must both be a Cavar and take a Magøsha as his spouse. This is all because the original king of Rovnara had such a life. Some of the best warriors in The Lands are women who left Rovnara to be free of this restriction.

Warrior Game Rules

This is a summary of game rules as they apply to warriors in The Lands.

Warriors must have above-average Strength.

Rangers must have above-average Strength, Constitution and Dexterity.

Paladins must have above average Strength, Constitution and Wisdom.

For Life Points they roll the same number of d10 as they have levels till level ten (inclusive). Between levels eleven and twenty they get an extra 3 life points per level. At level ten a warrior can be addressed 'lord' or 'lady' (a warrior honorific rather than an aristocratic rank).

Warriors may use any weapons and armour (however Rangers eschew banded and plate mail).

Warriors start with 2 weapon proficiency points at level 1 then get an extra point at every second additional level (levels 3, 5, 7, 9 etc). Warriors using non-proficient weapons deduct 1 from both hit and damage rolls.

Only warriors can make twin weapon attacks in which a weapon is wielded in each hand. The warrior must be proficient in both weapons. The best weapons that can be wielded in such an attack are a 1d8-damage weapon with a 1d6-damage weapon. The total number of Weapon Proficiency Points spent across both weapons will determine the number of attacks that can be delivered.

Rangers get the skills of Herbalism, Hunting-Fishing and Animal Taming for free (all at level 1). They also get Climbing and Running (at level 2) and Tracking (at level 3) for free. If they wish to develop any of these skills sooner then later on at the appropriate level they get back the free points to spend however they wish.

Paladins get Etiquette, Heraldry and Riding for free (all at level 1).

Between levels six and ten a Paladin can cast Inspiration, Abjuration and Vitalism spells as if they were level one to five clerics.