Randy Ellefson's Blog, page 13

Military Relationships

Our military group has a relationship with the rest of our world and it’s smart to at least quickly decide what those are like.

With Other Military Groups

A world without rivalries is less entertaining and realistic. In any region, sovereign power, or settlement, it’s possible for two or more military groups to exist and be called upon for different reasons. This can lead to resentment and more. If the knights are always given the toughest jobs of fighting the most feared creatures, it’s reasonable that another group might wish for an opportunity to prove themselves capable of this task. The knights could also be condescending towards others. Our multiple groups don’t have to suffer discord, of course. Perhaps they complement each other well and look forward to working together.

Bear in mind that two groups who don’t get along in one location might be great comrades in another. This may mean deciding on a city-by-city basis, but as that’s time consuming, we can decide on several typical relationships that happen and then just assign one of these to each settlement as needed when we’re using that setting. The usual reasons for this discord or cooperation will be found in our file about the military group. In our settlement files, we’ll only say which version is happening and possibly a specific incident that triggered the current (or usual) status of relations. This keeps us from repeating explanations in one settlement file after another, beyond, “They resent and bicker with each other here.”

Below is not an exhaustive list of options for how they could get along, but it can give you some ideas, all of which might be true on your world in different locations, between the same two groups. These might not be mutual, or one group could be more at fault than another.

Mutual admiration and respect, cooperation and appreciation on joint missions, seeing themselves as collectively part of a large picture
They work fine together but disrespect each other privately (usually)
On joint missions, they contest the other’s authority and are difficult to work with
They avoid joint missions and are known to openly sneer at each other
Brawls between them are common in bars
They sabotage each other’s missions
They are in open conflict (for control?)

With Species

Not every species will view our military group the same way. Clearly, knights who destroy an evil species won’t get admired by their victims, but even a species that receives protection from said knights might take it for granted. Even so, we should decide what every species’ typical attitudes are toward this military group as a whole and its individual members (these can be different).

We should also decide what this group officially thinks about each species, as attitudes are often shared. Sometimes an organization promotes a viewpoint that its members are indoctrinated with, whether this is good or bad. This will depend on the dominant species. Some members might disagree with that attitude but learn to keep their mouths shut, while others speak up and get themselves into trouble. To decide attitudes about each species, we can leverage the relationship they have.

Using the knights as an example, if they’re always saving the dwarves in a region, they might have either contempt for dwarves or amused condescension. This might be true even if they admire and like the dwarves for other reasons. They might enjoy saving them, but they might also resent it, particularly if their friends sometimes die in the process. It’s easy to imagine the less noble among them thinking that their friend would be alive if the dwarves could defend themselves. While we associate knights with good deeds and bravery, etc., that doesn’t mean some of them aren’t asses. But we wanted to decide what the entire military thinks, so why does this matter? Because this sort of experience can cause many to share this attitude.

A supposedly evil species that our military group is routinely defending against, or driving away from a settlement, is sure to cause a uniform attitude among the group. They likely think disparaging things, perhaps rightly so. Maybe they want to exterminate them altogether.

Another possibility is someone holding attitudes from his home organization, getting involved with soldiers from somewhere else, those who don’t share this stance. Maybe a knighthood in a different region needn’t rescue the nearby dwarves, who can fend off the threats facing them. When these knights air opposing views, an argument can ensue.

With Settlements

Most military groups will be based in a settlement they are charged with defending. Unless they’re poorly performing their duties, they probably have a good relationship with the town’s inhabitants. There are shops, bars/taverns, and more that cater to them, offering discounts, supplies, or social activities. We need only point out especially friendly or hostile establishments in our files. The military may get too rowdy, starting brawls, resulting in confiscated weapons upon entry. If two military groups don’t get along, an establishment may cater to one and ban the other, or makes them sit in designated areas. Strict militaries will have better behaved warriors, generally, at least at home, but some forces are less so. Decide what makes sense for them.

How well behaved they are in other settlements will depend on several factors, including their leadership, how they’re viewed and treated, and whether that settlement is considered an ally and has its own military. If the settlements are in the same sovereign power, they may have a rivalry that falls short of physical altercations leading to death. Consider whether they’ve saved the other settlement in the past or failed to and earned some discontent or worse.

With Sovereign Powers

If our settlement exists inside a sovereign power, the military groups are associated with the power more than the city in which they’re based. This is especially true if they have more than one location. Each power could have a different relationship with their knights, as well. They could be nonexistent in other places, known only by reputation. We could think that an authoritarian power is unlikely to have knights because the latter is noble and the former can be brutal, but it’s not always the case. A republic could, but we most often associate them with monarchies. All of this may be true with other military groups.

With Anyone Else

We may have created organizations as per another chapter in this book. If so, we can decide how that organization gets along with this military group. The military may be an obstacle to avoid or overcome, or allies who protect and help the organization’s members. Such interweaving of our inventions makes our world stronger.

There can also be types of people who are collectively viewed a given way. In a world with magic, are there any generalizations we want to make about how wizards and this military group view each other? Are wizards included as special ranks, like the Marines? Are they forbidden? Does this military feel like wizards are often causing problems that lead them into battle, such as raising an army of the dead (or living) to conquer lands this military is charged with protecting?

These are generalizations, but take the time to mature the outlook of this military and then compare and contrast it with everything else in the setting to determine relationships. This task is one to return to often for a few minutes at a time, tweaking our decisions. Always be thinking of how to cause tension, even among allies, who might fight on the same side but bicker over minor differences in form or substance.

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Military Personnel Traits

Members

We should decide which species can join. Humans may comprise the majority, with others in specialized roles or in locations where their skills assist, such as elves stationed near a forest military base. But a military group for another species might work very differently, with humans a minority or not allowed. Use the world view of both the species and this military to decide if it’s a good fit among them. As mentioned in Creating Places (italics), joint settlements and sovereign powers can exist, implying a species melting pot and leadership is shared, which can lead to joint military groups, too. If elves revere life but a group doesn’t take prisoners, preferring to kill them, we can assume elves don’t join. The prerequisites may be designed to eliminate them, either for world view or physical reasons. A knighthood might require using a lance, eliminating a dwarf.

This raises an important point: not all members of the military are fighters. Those in a modern Navy on Earth are unlikely to engage in hand-to-hand combat, but in the Age of Sail, they were expected to if boarding or boarded (or on land excursions). In the case of our life-revering elves, perhaps they are the equivalent of doctors. Such details add believability to a military, where good uses can be found for species with specific traits and concerns. Isn’t it good to show that the elves are there but in a typical role, and perhaps the dwarves are, too, operating artillery like catapults? They can be officers, too, as they seldom fight. There are plenty of support personnel who also don’t.

Consider whether members of any religion are part of the military, in what capacity and what rank they have. They might be fighters, healers, counselors, or all three. Today we’re all aware that soldiers become traumatized and need psychological support, but even if our world is too barbaric for that sophisticated level of support, soldiers die, and many will desire last rites.

Important Members

Whether they’re still active, alive, or long dead (and revered or despised), notable members are figures that our characters can aspire to be like, or dread being compared to. All we need is a name, a reputation, and the deed that caused their fame, plus maybe a sense of how long ago and well-known this is. We benefit from at least one good and one bad member, one to cause pride, another to cause shame for members. It’s realistic. People can simply fail to do a job, or they can do something deliberate, such as betray their fellows and run from battle. If we have a specific set of job functions this group performs, have someone fail in that, as this makes the character more memorable.

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Military Identifiers

The identifying marks of the military are on clothing, items, skin, buildings, and vessels. Consider the impression the group wants to make. Some example options are listed and grouped to create a brand:

Noble, proud, strong
Bold, intimidating, forceful
Elite, precise, elegant
Covert, deadly, efficient

Colors

Choosing colors for our military group can be challenging. It is therefore best to go with no explanation or with something obvious, like silver for steel if favoring blades. Black suggests stealth and nighttime operations, or those in space. Red is obviously for blood. Gold, silver, and bronze can suggest wealth and elegance. A good source of ideas is to research flags of Earth countries and find the explanation for the colors, then leverage these. Rationalizations only matter if someone’s really going to care about the color choice; few in our audience will. However, military members will be taught the significance and can think about this during a scene.

Symbols

Armed forces both protect and conquer. A symbol can inspire ferocity from its members or a willingness to sacrifice themselves for an ideal. They can intimidate opponents and impact their morale. Sometimes it takes a reputation to go with these symbols. Consider their sophistication. Expert swordsmen have more refinement than those who bash people; their symbol can reflect a fighting style. Education matters, too; if ordinary people can join and find a calling, perhaps a symbol reflects a universal appeal, whereas a highly trained group might want to appear elite.

Animals and weapons of war (especially one that group is known to use) are frequent symbols. If we’ve invented animals, we can leverage their reputation. Using Earth examples, what comes to mind for a lion, snake, eagle, or horse? Symbols that require explanation are less powerful, so if we’re using an animal the audience hasn’t seen, show it and establish its reputation before revealing it’s part of a symbol.

Symbols of Acceptance

Medals, pins, clothing, armor, weapons, and transportation can also show that someone is a member of this military group. However, the purpose of medals and pins are often to denote rank, whereas clothing signifies membership. A uniform is often head-to-toe, but in fantasy, it may be less comprehensive. We sometimes show them wearing their own attire but with an item like a cloak to denote service, as if uniforms don’t exist, possibly due to limited manufacturing.

Militaries have requirements for armor and weapons, the style of which can reveal service, though this assumes mass production more likely to be found in SF but not fantasy. Either genre can cause symbols to be added. In fantasy, just as clothing might not be supplied, weapons or armor not be provided for some soldiers so that they’re using their own. In addition, a soldier might own something unique that they might not be allowed to use, whether it’s weapons, armor, or their own steed, because uniformity is encouraged. Getting special exception can be problematic if others resent it.

For transportation, if they require something to do their job, like a highly trained animal, they may be given this. It still belongs to the military, who is responsible for its stabling and care when not in use. Do they form bonds with an animal so that it’s considered theirs despite this, or are they expected to use whichever one is available? People are sometimes sentimental about ships, which have their quirks, but these almost always belong to a military, sovereign power, settlement, or wealthy privateers due to sheer cost.

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Military Final Tests

If we’ve done the previous work in this section, determining final testing is largely done, but we can add drama by claiming two candidates must fight to the death, for example. Maybe they must defeat a monster. Tests can be spread out over days and be an ordeal designed to test their mettle. Are these tests feared or are relatively benign? Are people tempted to cheat and can they get away with this? How strict is the governing body? In a lawful place, good oversight might exist, but a barbarian horde may allow cheating under the premise that you’d accomplish a mission no matter what must be done. Officers will have written and oral tests of knowledge.

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Military Training

A military group without formal training makes for one that is easily defeated due to inconsistent skill levels among personnel. Knowing what weapons, steeds, machines, and knowledge they require helps determine what training they receive. Some basic ability to make minor repairs might be needed, especially in SF. Are they expected to know certain languages, and does that include reading and writing them? What about understanding some neighboring settlements or sovereign powers, whether allies or enemies?  The latter points are almost a given for officers, but the lowest ranks can be captured and find themselves trying to escape enemy territory. We might also decide that they’re expected to know or utilize whatever is handy and be generally resourceful.

Officers receive advanced training, typically, being college or something similar. We don’t need to specify details but can assume it includes superior knowledge of language, societies, customs, tactics, politics, and anything else that helps them run an organization better.

We should keep all training simple unless showing a character going through the details of becoming a member. But we may want to decide how long training lasts in months or years. Base this on their expected skill level but don’t get too specific unless you’ve researched what’s likely. We might say someone can become an expert swordsman in six months when an educated audience member knows better.

Decide where training takes place. There may be cities or universities that do much of it before people are deployed. This will impact the culture of a settlement due to the number of recruits there.

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Military Initiation Tests

A candidate may face initiation tests to verify if those prerequisites are met. The exam also allows someone to demonstrate how good they really are at a skill. If they’re already advanced, maybe they can skip some training, have a superior trainer, or be singled out for honing into a finer warrior; we can also use this to make peers resent that person. We should decide what weapons are tested and what level of skill is required for each, with some preferred over others.

Tests can also focus on how a candidate reacts to failure or challenges. Someone who whines about unfairness is likely frowned upon. Does a combatant get back up or otherwise shrug off a blow? Some of this is to be expected, but consider if a trait like unusual perseverance is required. Must members of this military stand for a day without fatigue? If so, this might be tested, but development of it might expected during training rather than being there from the start. Imagine ways we’d use this military and its members and then concoct tests to demonstrate potential.

An example of what to write for a knighthood might be: “The minimum requirements are: demonstrated skill with the sword, average proficiency with a horse, average skill with at least one missile weapon, a willing desire to learn weapons skills, and honorable conduct at all times.”

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Military Personnel Traits

In Creating Life (The Art of World Building, #1), we looked at intelligence, wisdom, charisma, strength, constitution, agility, dexterity, and morale as traits to define for species like humans and others. While writing a description of each and how it manifests in a species is preferred, we can also assign a number from one to ten as a quick indicator of what is typical. We can do the same with the characteristics that a member of this military needs in order to be accepted or successful.

Officers will require higher mental traits, while enlisted troops, expected to do most of the fighting, need better physical ones. While deciding the latter, think about what weapons they prefer. It takes greater dexterity to use a sword or bow than a cudgel. Superior dexterity is a needed trait for skilled swordsmen, but a crushing weapon depends on strength. Knights aren’t known for their agility due to wearing heavy armor, at the least, but if we’re creating a group that wears less, perhaps agility is expected. Wearing heavier armor might require greater endurance, too.

For wisdom, are they skilled at battle plans, or do they make foolish mistakes? Can they learn from history, keeping and reading old plans? Do they have military and advanced training for officers in matters of running a large military? Officers must pass tests, which are designed partly for measuring intelligence, not just education.

Morale is highly prized but is not the same thing as courage. Rather, morale is partly the ability to maintain formation in the face of peril, instead of everyone running away. Militaries require this and do things like court-martial those who run, but a specialized group that doesn’t operate in formations might have less regard for it (and value courage instead). Morale is a hard trait to determine beforehand, however. We can still jot down a note about their reputation for it.

While working out the details, we may be unable to decide on everything. Returning to rework items is part of the process, so do what you can and move on for now.

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Military Prerequisites

While most if not all military organizations will train recruits, some skill and/or aptitude is typically required before training so that less time and resources are wasted on training someone who won’t be up for the job’s rigors. If we’ve already decided the expected skillset of accepted members (or ones that have completed training), this can help us decide on the prerequisites. For example, if advanced horsemanship will be acquired during training, basic horsemanship is a prerequisite.

Some level of proficiency with various weapons is likely required, and these can be divided into broad categories: long and short bladed weapons (swords and knives), blunt force weapons, and range weapons (bows, guns). Elite groups may require more skill across a wider array of weapons. We can decide that if there are six requirements and someone only has four but shows great promise in those, that they are provisionally accepted. There are no rules except for those we invent. Some organizations will churn out elite fighters while others may only produce average warriors who are half-expected to die within two years of enlisting.

Not all prerequisites involve something physical. Knights may require noble birth. Perhaps they must show strength of character, which may either be tested or vouched for by reputable sources. There might be educational requirements or the ability to read and write certain languages. This can make characters more believable, especially if they aspire to belong to this group and must prepare for an initiation test. If they’ve failed once too often, maybe they cannot be considered anymore and have feelings about this, ones we can exploit. Remember that some underprivileged people might try to join the military precisely to gain access to things they can’t otherwise acquire, such as food, lodging, clothing, and pay.

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Military Defenses

Defending against threats is a basic reason for military groups. While a settlement may have fortifications manned by this military group, what we’re looking at here are their ways to protect themselves.

Armor

Regardless of genre, a military group typically mandates a minimum requirement for armor. When was the last time we saw a knight wearing only leather? It could happen if he’s on light guard duty deep inside a well-fortified city that hasn’t been attacked in a decade. Even then, his superiors would have approved this before it happens unless he’s headed for disciplinary action. This is sort of detail brings our world to life.

In Fantasy

We don’t have to invent armor types in fantasy. Unless adding magical properties to it, everything we need probably already exists: leather (studded or not), chain mail, plate mail, plate armor, and variations on these. Understanding the differences helps us decide what they wear, including cost, how cumbersome they are to don, fight in, or wear for extended periods.

For example, chainmail is heavy but can be donned by one person, so a character prone to solo travel might prefer this. By contrast, full plate armor generally requires help, which is one reason knights have squires. Plate mail, which can be light and easier to put on, is a compromise. Since we’re talking military groups, it can be surmised that they often work with others, but perhaps not. Form an opinion about their likelihood of working alone as part of deciding that they use plate armor. Similarly, if they go many successive hours on duty, perhaps chainmail isn’t their usual garb due to the fatigue it causes.

We may want to decide that those of a given rank have superior armor; after all, commanders are more valuable. Consider the chart as an example, using army ranks to demonstrate.

Rank
Typical Armor


Private
Leather


Warrant officer
Studded leather


Lieutenant
Chain mail


Captain
Plate armor


Colonel-Generals
Plate mail

Figure 3 Armor and Rank

If you’re wondering why a captain would wear the heavier plate armor and the more senior generals would only wear plate mail (arguably less protection), captains are the highest rank that’s in the field and expected to fight. Plate armor is unwieldly and impractical, so there’s little reason to believe a general would wear it; plate mail is easier to deal with while also conveying supremacy due to an appearance like that of plate armor. Throw in an elegant cloak or sash and the generals can look more regal.

In SF

In SF, ranged weapons like guns (regardless of what sort of projectile they fire) reduce the need for the sorts of armor we expect in fantasy. Even so, body armor does exist. The mundane Kevlar and similar materials found in real life can be used, but we can invent armor that deflects or lessens the damage of our invented SF weapons. World builders should think about protective clothing so that everyone isn’t only wearing their uniform. Some range weapons will work on the principle of a projectile, meaning the force of it striking causes damage. Other weapons like a laser can cause burning wounds, so heat resistant armor is more effective. Another beamlike weapon may emit radiation, whether a known kind or something of our invention. Either way, just like real world clothing offers limited protection against radiation, we can decide that some protection is incorporated into body armor but that it has limits.

Skills

Our military members might be trained in hand-to-hand combat with and without weapons. Is boxing part of training or do they only brawl? Our sense of their refinement and dignity can help us decide. The kinds of missions they go on can, too. Covert work often leads to close fighting – so close that swords (and longer) aren’t feasible. If such work is reserved for special forces like Marines, then perhaps the special skills are, too, with only basic fist fighting practiced elsewhere. Never being disarmed is unlikely.

There are various forms of martial arts on Earth and we can invent hybrids or our own. We’ll want a new name regardless of how much we borrow from one either in philosophy or form. It’s okay to describe one in such a way that people recognize what it is but realize we’ve changed the name, because most people won’t identify it anyway and the names of many are specific to Asian countries that don’t exist in our fictional world.

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Armed Forces and Weapons

Military groups and their members are often known for their weapons, skill using them, or both. A distinctive choice makes them more memorable and entertaining. Think of the light sabers Jedi wield in Star Wars, or the phasers from Star Trek. There are special weapons in fantasy, too, though seldom by an entire military, presumably due to manufacturing limitations, but we don’t have to abide by that. And weapons don’t have to be spectacular to be associated with the military.

Do they all have a two-handed sword because they specialize in fighting something like giants? If they’re archers, we can decide whether bows are always made the same way, using wood from one type of tree or another. It sounds better when we’ve invented the tree and can write something like, “Kier lowered his solanaen bow as the loosed arrow slammed into his nemesis.” With repetition, naming the type of material helps associate it with a mythic quality. Audiences begin to wonder why we mention it and how such an item is special, even if it’s really nothing.

At a minimum, we should decide what weapons are required and bestowed by the military (and replaced by it if broken or lost in the line of duty). On Earth, members were sometimes required to supply their own weapons and armor; not having them would prevent inclusion.

We can also determine their preferred weapons, such as a long bow instead of crossbow despite having proficiency in both. Do they prefer a short sword to a long sword? What weapons do they rarely use? Are there any for which they have contempt? Snobbery exists in all things and a master swordsman might find a bashing weapon crude. A sense of their outlook and missions help us determine these. If we can’t decide now, return to it later when we understand this military group better.

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