Eldris Military

Her officers, and even her troops, often are identifiable by a serpent motif, as well as the color green. They posses a standard military training regime, as well as the much more stylized Eldrisian Viper Bite martial art.

Hierarchy

They have the standard military hierarchy, with an earl marshal for the country; a marshal for each army; a captain for each unit; and assorted lieutenants for internal divisions. Their discipline is considered low to middling.

Commanders

The army of Eldris has a spotty reputation and is easily underestimated, perhaps fatally so. Their soldiers individually are excellent fighters, but native leadership is marred by avarice and greed, and they are sometimes hidebound and limited in their thinking. They all study “Bertrand's Book of War, and there ends their creativity. For them, greed trumps loyalty or honor, and the officers of Eldris are susceptible to buy-offs and charging protection money. Their favorite strategy is to destroy their enemies' economic base, burning all the crops, killing all the livestock and peasants to strangle out their opponent.

Arms & Armor

Eldris is associated with the glaive guisarme, but her troops also wield the crossbow, arming sword and shield combination, and the longsword. The better armed soldiers wear gambesons, maille, and augment these with sturdy coats of plates, as well as heater shields. The serpent motiffe is displayed most often on their great helms.

Army

This country can field an army of 20,000 to 24,000 troops, and its infantry is 20% light corseque, 20% heavy glaive guisarme; its cavalry is 15% heavy lancers, and 15% light spear; and 30% are light crossbow archers.

Additional Troops

In addition, Eldris brings along +15% pioneers, +15% siege engineers, and +5% scouts. It also can bring +40 to 50 war wagons, with 5 heavy soldiers armed with long flails, 5 heavy crossbowmen, and 5 heavy artillery-men (with their ballistas) per wagon. Eldris is also home to Corvidae Company of mercenaries, and their numbers are about +30% of the total force. The country's standing navy is 12 to 20 ships, each with a crew of 80 and 1,000 marines, and their home ports are Ignarth City and Bramduhl Town.

Eldris Courser

This ancient breed stands about 14-16 hands tall. They are most often grays, but they have been known to be dark brown, bay, dark bay, piebald, skewbald, chestnut, dun, blue roan, grey, flea bitten, or dappled grey. Their most noteworthy attribute is their high, inward curved ears with tips that touch. They are light-boned and delicate, very graceful, and well suited for light cavalry work. They have courageous temperaments, and are noted for their cleverness and attention to their surroundings.

by Scott A. Story