Blub Empire
23-01-2007, 08:04
The Blub army was small. The navy was doing fairly well, with sixtywarships, but Big Island's defending forces were tiny by comparison. Just nine thousand strong, the infantry were mismatched, the single batallion of archers incapable of providing enough firepower to make a difference.
And so it was when Knight-Commander Grabble took command in the spring. Grabble had been in the military his entire adult life and after fourty five years he had finally been given his opportunity to enforce his own new ideas upon the halpless military.
Although the Blub infantry fought fiercely, they lacked discipline and order and often turned into a disorganized mass. Years ago when they had driven the lizardfolk off the island, it had been the raw firepower of massed, augmented crossbow and longbow batallions which had won the day. Even the toughest, most berserk lizardman warrior couldn't withstand an exploding crossbow bolt in the chest.
Grabble had called a meeting of officers and six hours later the group had strode out into the sunlight of mid-afternoon to address the four batallions of infantry assembling in the courtyard of the Griffon Eye Proving Grounds.
Grabble spoke up, voice bouncing off the walls of the parade grounds courtyard, "Things are gonna change around here. We will teach you some discipline! And you will take that discipline with you into battle. By working as a team instead of individuals and by being a professional, you can overcome any enemy. We are smaller and weaker than humans, trolls, orcs.. but that does not mean that they can beat us. No! Instead, it just means that we will use SKILL to overcome!"
"As of today, our military is under reform. Batallions will be organized into Legions. Legions will be armed with protective shields, armor, specially-made pilum and stabbing swords. Due to the length of our arms.." he held up a tentacle "We have a tremendous advantage for throwing. We will use that. We will begin fielding a new device. Lieutenant!"
Another Blub stepped forward hefting a pilum. He took aim, then tossed it across the grounds where it slammed into a wooden box leaning against the wall for just this purpose. The head of the pilum was driven back into the shaft, where it struck a spark from flint.. and caught the handful of black powder there. The shaft exploded, and the force drove the iron head completely through the box and clanging off the wall behind.
Grabble spoke up, "THAT is a little something that MagiWerks cooked up for us. Now fall out and report to the quartermaster for new uniforms. Training starts tommorow."
And so it was when Knight-Commander Grabble took command in the spring. Grabble had been in the military his entire adult life and after fourty five years he had finally been given his opportunity to enforce his own new ideas upon the halpless military.
Although the Blub infantry fought fiercely, they lacked discipline and order and often turned into a disorganized mass. Years ago when they had driven the lizardfolk off the island, it had been the raw firepower of massed, augmented crossbow and longbow batallions which had won the day. Even the toughest, most berserk lizardman warrior couldn't withstand an exploding crossbow bolt in the chest.
Grabble had called a meeting of officers and six hours later the group had strode out into the sunlight of mid-afternoon to address the four batallions of infantry assembling in the courtyard of the Griffon Eye Proving Grounds.
Grabble spoke up, voice bouncing off the walls of the parade grounds courtyard, "Things are gonna change around here. We will teach you some discipline! And you will take that discipline with you into battle. By working as a team instead of individuals and by being a professional, you can overcome any enemy. We are smaller and weaker than humans, trolls, orcs.. but that does not mean that they can beat us. No! Instead, it just means that we will use SKILL to overcome!"
"As of today, our military is under reform. Batallions will be organized into Legions. Legions will be armed with protective shields, armor, specially-made pilum and stabbing swords. Due to the length of our arms.." he held up a tentacle "We have a tremendous advantage for throwing. We will use that. We will begin fielding a new device. Lieutenant!"
Another Blub stepped forward hefting a pilum. He took aim, then tossed it across the grounds where it slammed into a wooden box leaning against the wall for just this purpose. The head of the pilum was driven back into the shaft, where it struck a spark from flint.. and caught the handful of black powder there. The shaft exploded, and the force drove the iron head completely through the box and clanging off the wall behind.
Grabble spoke up, "THAT is a little something that MagiWerks cooked up for us. Now fall out and report to the quartermaster for new uniforms. Training starts tommorow."