Zi'da 42, 717
There were a remarkable number of similarities between the differing armies of Idalos, but Noth supposed that it took at least some research to begin to notice them. Each army had suffered defeats, and had conquered enemies, none had become invincible in their actions, nor had any of them grown so mighty that they nevermore tasted the bitterness of loss. Nevertheless, there were still a very specific number of circumstances and statuses that were commonly found among the victors. Foremost among these were a training program which forged would-be recruits into mighty and powerful soldiers, a cadre of generals and officers capable of suppressing their initial feelings on something and instead following through with a battle plan, and a nigh fanatic devotion to care for that greatest of campaign killers: Logistics.
It stood to reason that there were differences between the assorted forces, and it took only cursory glances to find those, but they were far less important than the similarities. It was true that some peoples throughout Idalos relied upon horses and cavalry to carry them to victory, whilst others attuned their fighting styles to the twang of a bow, and still others to the beating of a drum, and a battering ram of men herded together like cattle into an unsuspecting foe. Each variant of battle brought with it its own strengths and weaknesses, and they would need to be considered at a future time.
The twilight hybrid sat within the space he had deemed to act as a sort of makeshift office until better furnishings could be acquired, and promptly went over the report that he had received from Ears. It was a simple paper, but it told much of the strength of Al’Angyryl. Upon the sheet were written not only the numbers of the organization; fledgling if they were compared with even the smallest militaries, or even with the Black Guard, but it also held information about the equipment under their command, and a brief assessment of the general skill level of the group. That final portion had been left to Thane to compile in the hopes that he would be able to more accurately gauge the talents of his forces as opposed to Ears who possessed little in the way of martial ability. The report discounted the talents of Divinya and Carlos, and the monstrosities waiting just beyond the edge of torchlight.
He had expected far more positive information than he had received, but upon reviewing it, he realized that it was probably about as accurate as if he himself had compiled the report. The scum under his command were not soldiers, not by any means, but instead they embodied what it meant to be brigands and vagrants. They would not for an instant be capable of repelling an armed Black Guard response force, let alone of assisting him in taking the city of Etzos. That was an unacceptable issue, and one that meant to rectify as soon as possible. The other problems, the issue with their lack of equipment, and the lack of skilled leadership ready to take their stand at his side would be rectified at a later date. For now, he realized that his men needed to learn the arts of war so that when it was inevitably waged, they would be capable of standing beside those armies of the past, those conquerors of legend.
It wasn’t that there was a complete lack of training, because the lieutenants had been sparring with one another in their off-time whenever possible to hone their skills. Thane in particular had become fairly talented with a blade, and Noth recognized that the time would eventually come when his chief lieutenant might grow to out skill even him in the martial arts. Nevertheless, the time had not yet come, and so he remained the best of the warriors among the group, which naturally qualified him to lead the teaching lessons, at least until others presented enough talent to assist their peers.
The twilight hybrid stalked through the tunnels of the cave, coming up on the sparring room where the lieutenants commonly resided, even when they weren’t actually in the process of fighting with one another. Talons slid viciously against the ground, and then came to a halt, leaving only the faintest rasp of a deathly hiss to remain in the air.
“Lieutenants.” He nodded in greeting to each, amiable and calm despite the terrifying visage he displayed. Nevertheless, his voice possessed a sternness that made it clear that his visit was not recreational in nature.
“Go to your groups. Summon forth all members and have them meet in the Underground within our territory. Inform them that we will be training, and that their presence is not voluntary.”