Lands of Ronius
The Ronians conquered vast swathes of the Rhodanian continent in the 3rd and 4th century thanks to their fast, light cavalry and excellent bowmen, but another significant contribution to their success was the adoption of their enemies’ tactics and technology that allowed them to defeat established military powers. Adapting to different challenges and terrain, the Ronians became adept at both siege and open warfare, very different pursuits from their nomadic origins on the Ronian steppe. In addition, diplomacy, espionage, and terror were used in equal measure to win many a battle before it had even begun. Ultimately, the Ronians would establish the largest empire the world had ever seen, and their ruthlessness in battle would cast a long shadow of fear over those they conquered with generals earning fearsome nicknames such as the ‘hounds of war’ and their soldiers being labelled ‘the devil’s horsemen.’
A State for War
One of the main sources of legitimacy for a Ronian tribal leader is his ability to successfully conduct warfare and acquire booty for his followers. Under Khasar Kekchu (206-227), the founder of the Ronian Empire (206-368), the Ronian people were thus reorganised to specifically gear the state for perpetual warfare. Ninety eight units known as minghan or ‘thousands’ were created (and then later expanded) which were tribal units expected to provide the army with a levy of 1,000 men. The Emperor also had his own personal bodyguard of 10,000 men, the kesikten, which was the elite standing army of the Ronians and which trained commanders for the other divisions. A third source of troops was the armies raised from allies and conquered states, these eventually outnumbered the Ronian contingents. Later, Baasan Khasar (260-294) established Ronian armies that were composed entirely of professional soldiers. Ronian leaders ensure loyalty and increase their chances of success by promoting commanders based on merit rather than the use of clan seniority. Motivation is high because booty is shared equally, and there is even a dedicated body, the jarqu, which ensure booty is distributed correctly (for example, horses, slaves, precious metals, textiles, high-quality manufactured goods, and even food). Commanders can expect to receive both booty and land or tribute from conquered peoples. Ordinary soldiers can expect rewards, too, some compensation for their conscription, which any Ronian male from 14 to 60 years old is liable for. At the same time as being generous with rewards, Ronian commanders insist on discipline and any soldier or commander who disobeys orders is severely punished, lashings being the commonest method. An ordinary soldier can expect nothing less than the death penalty for desertion, retreating when not ordered to, or sleeping when on sentry duty. Nevertheless, the clans do give their commanders great autonomy on the field of combat, and this flexibility usually reaps rewards. Planning and logistics are another carefully considered area, best seen in the complex campaigns in the northern reaches of what is now the Imperial Seat of Acheron of 237 to 242 when multiple Ronian armies engaged their individual targets and then regrouped at predetermined times and locations. A significant help in knowing where both allies and enemies are at any one time is the excellent Ronian messenger service, the yam, with its series of outposts stocked with supplies and fresh horses. Smoke signals are also used as a means of communication between separated divisions. Another strength is the willingness to recruit non-Ronians. Soldiers of Morrus and Piliser were enrolled in large numbers during the expansion of the Ronian Empire. In short, then, the Ronians were made perpetually ready for war.Training & Weapons
Warriors are prepared from childhood thanks to the Ronian tradition of having both young boys and girls participate in competitions of athletics, horse racing, wrestling, hunting, and archery. The Ronian warriors - both male and female - are, then, already proficient at using composite bows, battle axes, lances (often hooked to pull enemy riders from their mounts), spears, daggers, long knives, and swords which are typically short, light, and with a single cutting edge. Ronian clans move extremely quickly & attempt to outmanoeuvre their opponents using speed & coordination. The Ronian weapon of choice is the composite bow, which can fire arrows double the distance of those in competing armies. In addition, warriors can shoot with accuracy while riding their horses at speed thanks to stirrups and wooden saddles with a high back and front which gave better stability so that an archer could turn and fire in any direction, including behind him. The composite bow is made of multiple layers of wood or horn, making it both strong and flexible. As it is strung against its natural curve, the Ronian bow requires some strength to draw but then fires arrows with a high degree of accuracy and penetration. Arrowheads tend to be made from bone and, much more rarely, metal while shafts are made from wood, reed, or a combination of both, and fletchings from bird feathers. Arrow designs vary depending on their purpose - to wound at close range, fire at distant targets, carry poison, penetrate armour, or even whistle as a signal to other units. A typical mounted archer carries two or three bows and around 30 light and 30 heavier arrows in a quiver. Additional standard equipment includes a horsehair lasso, a coil of rope, an axe, a file for making arrowheads, a sewing repair kit, a leather bag for food and to use as a float when crossing rivers, two leather bottles for liquids, and a cooking pot. Riders sleep in light versions of the classic yurt tent, one carried for every ten riders. To the Ronians, horses are everything - a means to travel, a source of wealth and a way to measure it, food, and the source of their great mobility in warfare. Ronian horses are relatively small but sturdy beasts with dense hair and capable of enduring hardships. They have excellent stamina, which allows cavalry to travel a very impressive 60-75 miles in a single day. The Ronians have both light and heavy cavalry, and each rider typically has up to 16 spare horses giving them a very long range of manoeuvre. On the battlefield, cavalry units respond to orders conveyed by gongs and drums (although curiously the very first attack is always conducted in silence). Horses can also be a source of nourishment while on campaign by letting blood from the neck. This supplements dry rations like cheese curd and cured meat.Armor
Ronian armour is light so as to not impede the speed of cavalry riders, but if worn, it is typically made of thick quilted felt or leather. Sometimes this soft armour, like the heavy coats many riders wore, is strengthened by adding strips of metal, bone or hardened/lacquered leather but plate armour and chain mail are rare, although occasionally armor captured from the enemy is sometimes worn. A silk undershirt might be worn as this has the handy consequence of wrapping around the arrowhead if one was struck, protecting the wound and making the arrow easier to withdraw. The head is protected by either an iron or hardened leather helmet, sometimes with a neck guard and a central top spike or ball and plume. An alternative is the traditional Ronian fur hat with side flaps and upturned brim. Shields, if used, are typically only carried by infantrymen and are most commonly small, circular, and made of wicker or hardened leather. Horses are sometimes given armour, made from the same materials mentioned above. Plate armour is restricted to the horse’s head but, otherwise, some mounts were completely covered with padded armour.Tactics & Planning
One of the important reasons for the Ronian success in warfare is their preparation before even meeting the enemy. Spies in the form of travelling merchants or priests and defectors gather intelligence on the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses and reveal if there are any dissenters either within or between the enemy’s allies who could be a potential aid to the Ronian cause. A great meeting of Ronian leaders is held before a large campaign to discuss plans and strategies in detail. Once in the field, intelligence continues to be gathered and scouts operate up to 70 miles ahead and to either side of dispersed Ronian columns to ensure they are not caught off-guard or fall afoul of an ambush.Manoeuvres
Ronian armies move extremely quickly and attempt to outmanoeuvre their opponents using speed and coordination. The aim is to only engage the enemy when absolutely necessary and to commit large numbers only when a specific weak spot has been identified. This strategy is designed to give maximum results for minimal losses. Cavalry units of around 1,000 men (a minghan) are subdivided into units of 100 (a jagun), which is in turn divided into units of 10 (an arban). A Ronian army in the field is typically divided into wings operating to either side of a central force and a vanguard. Indeed, even a Ronian camp is divided according to these groupings. A Ronian cavalry army rarely exceeds 10,000 riders in any one place at one time. The Ronians are usually outnumbered by their enemies in field battles but overcome this disadvantage by superior speed and tactics. A disadvantage of fielding relatively small armies is the difficulty in replacing casualties. A classic Ronian strategy is to attack with a small force and then feign a retreat which only leads the enemy back to a larger Ronian force. Another favoured manoeuvre is the tulughma; that is to attack with a central body of cavalry - heavy cavalry in the front lines and lighter units behind, who then move through gaps in the front lines - and while these move forward as one, cavalry units move on the wings to envelop the enemy forces. The tactic is a smaller-scale version of the nerge, the Ronian hunting strategy used over vast areas of steppe to corner wild game. Sometimes these wings are very extended and so allow the Ronians to entirely surround an opposing army. A reserve of heavy cavalry then moves in for the kill, and any escaping enemy troops are ruthlessly pursued, often for days after a battle. Ambush is another common tactic, as is using smoke from burning grass or dust clouds to mask troop movements, or attacking at the least expected time such as during a blizzard. The Ronians also employ some unusual strategies to out-fox their enemies. For example, they sometimes use felt dummies and set them on horses in amongst cavalry units to make the enemy think they were facing a far larger force than they actually are.Terror
One of the most successful strategies employed by the Ronian Empire's warfare was terror. When a city was captured, for example, the entire civilian population could be executed - men, women, children, priests, even the cats and dogs - with a handful of survivors allowed to escape and tell of the atrocity in the neighbouring towns. Consequently, when towns heard of the Ronian’s approach many surrendered without a fight in the hope of clemency, which was often given. An even subtler strategy was used when the Ronians repeatedly sacked cities, sometimes the same city several times, and then allowed their enemies to retake them, obliging them to deal with the chaos. Another utterly ruthless strategy was to use prisoners as human shields when Ronian troops advanced on a fortified city unwise enough to put up resistance, even to dress up prisoners as Ronian warriors and march them in the front ranks so that defenders wasted their precious arrows on killing their own compatriots. A further source of terror was the Ronian treatment of the dead; bodies were mutilated and warriors often took trophies from the fallen, usually the ears of their victims.Decline
The Ronians may have carved out an empire which stretched from the southern pole to the Manforge Mountains but they were not always successful in their campaigns. Some cities did prove too tough to break down and logistical support was an ever-growing problem the further they campaigned away from their heartlands in the Lands of Ronius. By 368, the Ronians were weakened by a series of droughts, famines, and dynastic disputes amongst their own elite. Indeed, one might say that the once-nomadic Ronians were really only defeated by themselves for they had become a part of the sedentary societies they had conquered.Structure
The peoples of the Lands of Ronius are divided into a number of nomadic clans that move about the Steppes of the Lands of Ronius with the seasons.
“For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm.”
Type
Geopolitical, Nomadic tribe
Demonym
Ronians
Official State Religion
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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