Lohwand: Mustering the Tharkallan Legions - Part 1

 

Tharkalla Musters for war!

Today I set out a partial muster of my Tharkallan forces, as accumulated to date. I also have some cavalry and one box of scorpio bolt throwers, but none of those are assembled yet so I didn't bother with a picture. Also missing are any form of "High Command". These are 60mm Imperial Roman figures manufactured by Expeditionary Force (XForce). 

This muster shows three cohorts of Legio I Jharkor Corneolus [Carnelian] (#1 thru 3), three cohorts (1 partial) of Auxiliary infantry (#4 to 6), and some spares (#7). Also, in the foreground, are the four patterns of auxiliary shields XForce provides. Not shown are the bow arms and quivers, a few of which are included in each auxiliary box.

Each cohort is organized in the manner of a maniple as I think Peter Connolly described: Centurion, front rank, first file; Signifer in the middle of the front rank; Optio in the rear; I have placed the cornicen with the Optio; and lastly, front rank, last file is the Tesserarius. The latter I have given the officers helmet, though perhaps I shouldn't have. 

XForce provides two poses for officers and one for standard bearer and musician. I determined this because the latter two have their hands full and there is only one body pose with a sheathed sword on the correct side. There are two poses with sword drawn, one with the senior rank discs and one without.

XForce also provides bearskin helmet covers and capes for the standard bearer and musician. There are four of these in each command box and so I have been able to fully equip all six of the cohorts shown.

I need more, however, as my plan is to recreate an auxiliary cohort depicted in WRG's excellent "Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome." On page 68 there is an illustration of the unit I mean, reproduced below:

Illustration of a Roman Auxiliary, 

by Ian Heath

So, to build them I will need to accumulate eighteen more bearskin-covered heads; the entire cohort will wear the bearskin covered helmets, the command figures will all get bearskin capes. At least that is the current plan.

XForce provides four patterns of auxiliary shields so I will try and build three other auxiliary cohorts. By the time I have done that I will have hopefully accumulated enough archer arm pairs and quivers to equip a cohort of auxiliary archers as well.

I would like to boost my Legio I strength to six cohorts, and also build a second legion; I don't know which pattern that would be. XForce sells three or four other styles, including the Praetorian Guard.

Lastly, there are "spares" shown in the muster above (#7). These are spare officer bodies, in chain and w/o the medallions. I am considering that by the time I have finished I may have enough "spares" to outfit another cohort. Perhaps an elite unit of some form, palace guard maybe, or perhaps a unit for some other nation if given the appropriate helmet...

Lohwand: The Tharkallan Emperors List - Part 2

 

The Tharkallan Emperors differ slightly from those of the Lunar Empire (of Glorantha), from which I have drawn my inspiration. In Glorantha the Emperor is the son of the Red Goddess, and is known as Moonson as a result. I'm not sure this is the case in my Lohwand campaign. In Glorantha the Red Goddess becomes a Goddess and, taking a part of the earth with her, rises into the sky as the Red Moon, the place where she took the earth becoming The Crater, a mystical, magical place. The new Red Moon remains above the crater, Glorantha being a lozenge rather than a planet; it's all part of the make-up of Glorantha and its basis in myth. 

I think Lohwand is more like a boring old planet. I think there may be a Red Goddess, and she is claimed as the mother of the emperor, so he might be called Moonson, but she is a celestial entity being associated with a bright new star that appeared in the heavens.

Also, in the source material the first emperor is the only one who returns. That said, I believe each iteration of the emperor is a reincarnation of the same entity. So the current emperor is the same as the first emperor, only a reincarnation of the same. But with a different personality or focus, hence the different names, which reflect the character of the current emperor.

In Lohwand each emperor is still a reincarnation of the same entity, and each emperor might return, sometimes multiple times. Lastly, some incarnations of the emperor are female. 

The Tharkallan Emperors

Dates are "AF" or "After the Founding" of the Empire.

The Emperor Takanegi, the First Emperor, united the Tharkallan tribes of Jharkor and Darjiin into one nation, Thark, and founded the city of the same name. Ruled for thirty-four years, until assassinated by a rival chieftain. Returned and slew his murderer. Ruled another twenty-four years (34-58 AF) during which the Dharijor tribes joined the confederation. Slain by spells cast by the shaman Sheng Seleris, leader of an invading nomad army. 

Sheng Seleris (58-71) ruled the Thark Confederation as part of a larger nomad empire for thirteen years. The second return of Takanegi sparks a Thark rebellion. The Emperor meets Sheng Seleris in battle, slaying him in single combat. The nomad army disperses, their empire breaking up as they withdraw.

Takanegi ruled for twenty-one more years (71-92) and then mysteriously disappeared. His reincarnation appeared the next day, emerging from his private quarters as if nothing had happened. This incarnation had a difference appearance but none doubted he was the emperor returned anew; this has been the case with all subsequent reincarnations.

This second incarnation was the Emperor Magnificus. He ruled for forty-six years (92-138) and died of old age, being of apparent middle age when he incarnated. His reign was largely peaceful and marked by prosperity throughout the confederation. Doblian joined the confederation. 

The third incarnation was the Emperor Artifex. He ruled for sixteen years from AF 138 to AF 154, during which time Thark prospered and grew into a civilized nation. He was slain in a Dart Competition.

"Dart Competition" - an euphemism for the private wars engaged in by the Noble Houses. Tolerated, though technically illegal. I'll have to do a separate post on this practice.

The Emperor Voracius was the fourth incarnation. He ruled for seven years (154-161) and lived up to his title in every manner. Assassinated by a Lord whose wife he had stolen (by means of Imperial Decree).

He returned immediately and the Lord (and wife) were forced to flee to Umbar. His second return ruled from AF 161 to AF 173, some twelve years before also being assassinated, this time by a faction of disgruntled Noble Houses exasperated by his excesses.

The sixth incarnation was the return of Artifex, only in this instance the emperor returned as female. The Empress Artifex calmed the Noble Houses, thrilled the people, and brought unity to the land once more. She ruled for seventeen years (173-190) before being killed in a sea battle with the Cirith Ungol pirates. She was mourned for a period of seventeen days before the next incarnation appeared.

To the noble's shock it was the Emperor Voracius once more. The captain of the Palace Guard threatened to assassinate him immediately but was restrained. For his part the emperor appeared meek and apologetic, and indeed seemed to moderate his urges, at least for the first part of the reign. He reigned for fifteen years (190-205) before again being assassinated, this time by the Umbarite Ambassador, whom he had insulted during a feast. 

The next incarnation proved to be the Emperor Voracius again, in his third return. In this incarnation he proved himself a masterful manipulator and turned his eye outwards, incorporating the neighbouring kingdom of Dorel and declaring the Tharkallan Empire. He ruled for twenty-one years, from AF 205 to AF 226. During this time his excesses were moderated by the able Seneschal Hewl and were redirected into setting up a highly efficient spy system and secret police, spanning the Empire and the lands beyond. He was eventually assassinated - poisoned, despite his food tasters; they not being effected, having secretly been given the antidote. 

The next incarnation was the Emperor Robustus, who ruled for twelve years, from AF 226 to AF 238. He ruled well and the Empire prospered during his reign. The emperor was assassinated as he addressed the Senate, the assassin a black-clad, masked figure armed with a Vorpal Blade. They dueled but the blade went "snicker-snack" leaving the emperor dead. The Emperor's first reincarnation returned immediately, on the Senate floor behind the assassin.  Wresting the blade away, the Emperor slew his assassin with his own blade. The assassin's body crumbled to a black powder which the emperor ordered collected and later had interred in a lead jar. 

The Vorpal Blade was set on display in the Senate as a reminder of the consequences of betrayal. There it remained for many years. Two other people met their death from the blade: the first a servant attempting to clean the blade, who died as soon as he touched it, and the other a hapless Ambassador from Umbar who touched it despite being warned not to. This latter incident almost sparked a war, but the Umbarites were mollified when it was pointed out that he had been warned. Nevertheless it remained a sore point between the two nations. I will do a separate post about the Vorpal Blade, and Vorpal Swords in general, at a later date.

The first return of the Emperor Robustus ruled as ably as before, ruling from AF 238 to AF 263. After a quarter century of prosperity he was again assassinated, this time by unknown assailants, who made good their escape.

The Emperor Robustus returned for a second time and wasted no time ordering a search for his assassins. This eventually proved fruitless and he ruled for three years (263-266) before being assassinated a third time, this time by a concubine who died herself by the poison on her lips. 

In the Emperor's fifteenth reincarnation, he returned once more as the Emperor Robustus (AF 266) but was slain again, on the evening of his Ascension, at the hands of the captain of his guard. His fourth return (or fifth incarnation) immediately, overseeing the execution of his treacherous captain, purging the guard and scouring all levels of government looking for malcontents and rebels.

This last incarnation of the Emperor Robustus went on to rule for twenty-one years, from AF 266 to AF 287 before dying of a virulent plague that swept through the empire.  

The seventeenth Emperor was known as the Emperor Reclusus. He ruled for thirty-six long years (287-323), much of it in seclusion at the Palace, or in one of his many estates. A scientist and philosopher who also dabbled with thaumaturgy, was responsible for the Imperial Proxies. 

The first was the Silver Proxy, which was created shortly after the Emperor's ascension and which took his seat in the High Court, acting in all ways as if it was the Emperor himself. The Silver Proxy remained in that court the entire duration of his reign, and indeed, remains there still, dispensing justice on behalf of the sitting Emperor.

Second was the Bronze Proxy, created in response to barbarian invasions from the West. This proxy lead the armies and threw back the invaders. When the emperor died this proxy returned to the capital and placed itself at the top of the stairs leading to the palace. It has not moved from that post and remains, untarnished, on guard; popular legends state it will act to defend the palace should it be attacked.

The third proxy was the Brass Proxy, which spent its time in either one of the Imperial Laboratories, or the Imperial Library, or, on occasion, the Grand Library in Arolanit. This proxy was essentially a way for the Emperor to increase his research productivity. 

The last was the Bone Proxy, created by the Emperor to take his place in his tomb. The Emperor oversaw the burial ceremony himself, which involved the usual procession and much public display of grief. The next day he was assassinated in a mysterious explosion that left no trace of body.

The Emperor Reclusus was followed by the Empress Celestinus, also called the Warrior Empress. She ruled for sixteen years, from AF 323 to AF 339. She expanded the Empire, conquering Bisset in AF 330. She was killed in battle against the Kostaddi nine years later.

In the next incarnation the Emperor Voracius returned for a fourth time. His rule was possibly less extreme than previous, or perhaps the legends had exaggerated his debauchery. This incarnation ruled for nineteen years, from AF 339 to AF 358. During that time he consolidated the gains of his predecessor and continued the civil works begun by the Emperor Robustus, including much expanding the network of Imperial Roads. Despite being generally well liked and respected, possibly for the first time in his long list of reincarnations, he was slain in a Dart Competition, possibly by accident. 

When the Emperor Voracius returned yet again, for his sixth and final incarnation, he ordered his killer freed and took no action against neither he nor his House. The Emperor ruled for a further twenty-six years, from AF 358 to AF 384, in much the same manner as he had demonstrated with his last incarnation. The Empire prospered and sincerely mourned his passing when he was assassinated at a state occasion honouring the Ambassador of Pan Tang. No connection with the Ambassador was ever proven, despite a thorough investigation led by the Brass Proxy.

In AF 384 the Emperor Militaris ascended to the throne. His long rule of fifty-two years was marked by much warfare; he led punitive expeditions against the western barbarians and, in 400 AF, the conquest of Voria. He also established the Bossonian Marches as a bulwark on the Empire's northern flank. He was slain there in AF 436, fighting the Wenelian Forest tribes.

The Emperor Militaris was reincarnated in his military camp in the Bossonian Marches. He immediately led his army to avenge his predecessor, inflicting a crushing defeat on the tribal coalition. He ruled from AF 436 until AF 464 - a period of twenty-eight years - before being slain again in battle against the Kostaddi. 

The Empress Militaris returned and rallied her army but it was not until AF 480 that the Kostaddi were finally subdued and taken into the empire. The Empress Militaris ruled for twenty-one years, fighting on many fronts, before being slain during the final conquest of Karasal in AF 485.

The Emperor Venerabilis, who followed after left her generals to complete the conquest and consolidation. Thereafter followed a long period of calm throughout the empire. The Long Peace, as it is known, lasted for sixty years, from AF 485 until 545. The Emperor Venerabilis died in his sleep in AF 545, a much-loved Emperor; possibly the most popular emperor the empire had yet known.

The Emperor Ignifer followed and immediately set about annexing Nemedia (AF 545) on the Empire's eastern border. The annexation was not a peaceful one and the remnants of the defeated Nemedian nobles retreated north to Imther where they set themselves up as the Exiles, in the shadow of Mount Wintertop. The Emperor Ignifer ruled for thirteen years, from AF 545 to AF 558, before falling to a Nemedian assassin's blade.

The Emperor Ignifer returned again and ruled for nine turbulent years from AF 558 until AF 567 when he was slain in battle against the Exiles.

He was followed by the Empress Celestinus returned again, this time for a period of eighteen years. A warrior as her previous incarnation had been, she fought many wars and put down many rebellions but did not expand the Empire's borders any further. The Empress Celestinus reigned from AF 567 to AF 585 before being killed storming pirate citadel on Cirith Ungol. 

The Twenty-Seventh, and current, Emperor is the Emperor Argenteus. He ascended to the throne in AF 585 and has ruled ably for the twenty years, until the present time (AF 605). He purposely left the pirates of Cirith Ungol to themselves, turned his gaze westward instead. In AF 590 Filkhar was subdued and added to the Empire. Five years later, in AF 595 he led his armies across the Londros Passage to invade Granbreton. That conquest was complete by AF 598 with the submission of the last Outlaw Queen. Two years later, in AF 600, he turned his attention southwards with the invasion and conquest of Arolanit. 

The last five years have been spent consolidating these gains and planning further expansion. With the conquest of Arolanit the Emperor Argenteus has expanded the College of Magic and embodied several magical regiments, most notably the Crater Makers. 

The Tharkallan Empire, circa AF 605

(the present day)

Lohwand: the Dara Happan Emperors List - Part 1

 

List of Dara Happan Emperors, 

from the First Sunrise to the Present.

(To see full size, click on the image, then

 right click, and open the image in its own tab. 

It should allow you to magnify the image.)

Following on from my Tharkallan Emperors list based on Greg Stafford's Lunar Empire material from The Fortunate Succession, a Glorantha supplement, the fantasy world he created. This list is from information on the Dara Happan Empire from the same supplement. I've changed some stuff, of course, to make it fit my campaign. The main thing is that The Fortunate Succession provides a useful source of names and little tidbits of background.

I still have to go back and do Part 2 of the Tharkallan Emperors list, where I flesh out the listings with better descriptions but I wanted to make a start on Dara Happa, another name I borrowed as a nation in my campaign. 

So today I worked on the Dara Happan Emperors list. This list goes back to the First Sunrise, when Yelm* the Sun God first rose in the sky. By Dara Happan reckoning that is 112,289 years ago. Now obviously a large part of that is some mythic "Godtime", but even so Dara Happa is a long-lived empire. 

*this is more Gloranthan material! I'm a fan!

Today it is but a shadow of its former self. It used to span almost the entire Northlands and much of the Southlands. But that was in the Godtime and since then much has changed. Still, for much of its history Dara Happa, the Solar Empire, was a mighty force. Many of my other nations, such as Umbar, the Isles of the Purple Towns and Carmania were former colonies of the Solar Empire at its height.

As a reminder, here is my main map again:

This Dara Happan Emperor list also mentions other nations on the above map, that either used to be a part of the Solar Empire or were in conflict with it. These include Carmania, Turan and Saird.

Its my intent to draft a comprehensive timeline combining the Dara Happan list with the Tharkallan list and adding others such as a Keoland (Great Kingdom) list.

So, why bother with all this? I thought this was a wargame campaign. Well, for a number of reasons:

1) It's background. I believe it will help me flesh out my Noble Houses as I detail the nations in the campaign. Remember, this is following in the footsteps of Tony Bath's Hyboria campaign and so I need Rulers, and Noble families, Generals, Stewards, Priests and the like. Many noble houses will trace their ancestry back to particular Emperors or Heroes of the past. 

2) I think it provides scenarios, and inspires ideas for conflicts, past and present, that I can potentially wargame. Just compiling these lists from The Fortunate Succession I've had dozens ideas about how this links to that, and how things might work together. 

3) And the Dara Happan list not only helps with the Solar Empire, and Carmania, Turan and Saird - as mentioned above - but also eastern nations such as Oin and Yu (Golden Dragon), and the sorcerous island of Pan Tang (The Monster Army.)

Lohwand - the Tharkallan Emperors List - Part 1

 

List of Tharkallan Emperors, 

from year of Founding to Present.

Here I am borrowing heavily from Greg Stafford's Glorantha, modifying his Red Emperor list from The Fortunate Succession as the basis for my Tharkallan Emperors. This because I'm patterning my Tharkalla both on the Roman Empire and the Lunar Empire of Glorantha, though it is not the same as either.

So, I am also incorporating the notion that the Emperors can be reborn, though the how's and the why's of this will remain a mystery, at least for now. That is why the above list shows "First Incarnation", "First Rebirth", etc. 

The Emperor Argenteus is the presiding ruler, the current year being 605 AF. As you can see he has embarked on a campaign of expansion, with conquests in the west and to the south. 

Before Takenagi there are only tribal kings, Doskalos - also borrowed from The Fortunate Succession - being the last.  

Still a lot to work out. Like incorporating Sheng Seleris, another of Greg Stafford's creations. I think the story will follow along more or less like the Gloranthan original and hopefully will allow me to tie in my horse nomads. 

The life of an Emperor is a dangerous one, as the Roman Emperors certainly well knew! Dart competitions are also a Lunar Empire tradition, one I happen to quite like; they are clandestine wars between the Great Houses of the Empire. In a way the machinations of the Great Houses in the Dune novels is similar. I suppose the feuding between rival Samurai clans is also similar in many respects. 

In part 2 I'll try and expand upon the various Emperors. 

I might mention that my Dara Happa is also a Greg Stafford inspiration and I intend to use his Dara Happan Emperors List as well to flesh out my little campaign. I'm planning on linking my noble characters to the list, each family claiming descent from some mythic hero or emperor.

Edit: I noticed that I left out an Emperor from the list, and as I liked the name, I went back and mixed things up a bit so I could add him back in. And even as I type that I am now thinking: why did I assume that they are all male? And I'm thinking: Not! (I mean as the original Red Emperor in a Gloranthan context it made sense, but they are no longer in a Gloranthan context in this instance.) 

I'll fix this in part 2. :-)

Lohwand: Back to Bases

 

Litko "Rune Battles" basing set

GMT268

3mm Plywood

Demonstrating the effectiveness 

of my magnetic basing system...

Formed Unit bases

5" x 4" custom from Warbases

So far, so good!

Made a small leap forward over the last week, my slow progress with base-making gradually taking shape. As I think I mentioned previously, I have decided that "regulars" should be based in even numbers, and "irregulars" in odd numbers. In addition, "formed" will get bases with 90-degree corners, while "unformed", i.e. "warbands", will get irregularly shaped bases.

As we have a stock of surplus biscuit tins saved up over a number of years, and I have a stock of off-cuts from sign shop magnetic sheeting, I decided to make my bases so that I can swap the troops on and off the bases as needed. Theoretically, by doing this I should only need a limited number of bases; enough to field two typical armies without caring which armies they are. 

By happy chance the Expeditionary Force 60mm Ancients that are providing the bulk of my armies have integral plastic bases with a hollow underneath. The hollow is roughly egg-shaped and, with slight variations, about the depth of the magnetic stripping - another stroke of luck! In some instances the depth is slightly deeper, requiring a card insert to make sure the magnet is flush with the base edges. Some others are slightly shallower. It just seems to depend on the particular pose and presumably how the sculptor made that particular base, or perhaps how the production die was cut. 

Anyway, it is "So far, so good". I have finally produced ten or so "formed" bases and have started on the "irregular" bases. As I mentioned before I have decided on 5" x 4" x 3mm thick bases as my main base type, for "formed" troops such as Roman cohort or hoplite phalanx. For Macedonian pike phalanx I might turn the base on end so the narrow face is the front, with three ranks of two. I don't currently have any pike-armed figures though, so I am unable to experiment.

For warbands and hordes, the first picture above shows a possible warband arrangement. It shows nine figures on the central base, and then perhaps seven on each side base, with horn blowers and priests behind on single bases. That gives 23+ figures, about the size of one of my cohorts (20 figs.)

The Litko "Rune Battles, Terrain Tile Set GMT268" contains two of the large bases, the two medium bases shown and the four small bases. So I can make larger warbands by using more from each set per warband. I can also alter the warband size by swopping around how the bases are aligned. Litko also make an even larger irregular base: tree bases I think they are called. They are about 10.5" x 7" give-or-take. Warbases also makes irregularly shaped "Pond Bases" which look like they would hold three of my figures. So, lots of options!

The above photos also show how the magnets, though not super strong, are strong enough to hold the figures more-or-less in place. Certainly good enough for gaming though I probably wouldn't try running with the figures on, at least NOT after I've got everything painted!

Lastly, if I am lucky, the remaining biscuit tins will be deep enough to store the figures in, and the magnets will do a fine job holding them in place there. So far I have only cut up a single tin, and I am only about halfway through the metal from that, so I should have plenty of tins left over for storage. (Plus we are liable to accumulate a few more this Christmas!) ;-)