Greetings!
Very interesting responses!
Very cool, very cool indeed. Yeah, I'm kinda mixed on some of the approaches. I have some other tribes already drawn up, but I sometimes like to create whole new groups of people that migrate into different areas to shake things up, and add not only verissimilitude, but also variety to the local environment.
This process of course, can not only change things in significant ways politically for the campaign area in general, but it may also have an impact on the player-characters when they encounter such a group of new tribes migrating into the area. Fun stuff to be sure!
Indeed, I'm thinking I may add this to another volume of the *SHARK'S Notebooks*
It's interesting that the perception is that horses don't really belong with forest-dwelling tribes, however it is interesting to note that there is a good deal of historical evidence to suggest that that may not be accurate. In studying various accounts of the early expansion of Rome into Cisalpine Gaul, and later, Caesar's march through Gaul and his subsequent campaigns there, it is a salient feature that the Romans enlist the alliance of tribes of forest-dwelling German Barbarians that are even then famous for their ferocity in combat, *and* their skill as horsemen! In fact, there were several battles where Caesar deployed the groups of ruthless German horsemen to excellent effect against the local Celtic tribes! In addition, it seems that Caesar desired to enlist the assistance of more of these horse-riding barbarians from the dark forests along the Rhine!
I thought it was pretty interesting.
Hmmm...indeed, on another note, it seems that the various Germanic tribes that the Roman Empire dealt with throughout Germany for some 600 years changed fairly rapidly, and were of different types, even though they were culturally similar or the same. It would seem that there were German tribes that when Rome first encountered them, were literally quite naked, savage, and living in the Stone Age. Later, by the 2nd-4th century AD, many Germanic barbarian tribes were all riding powerful warhorses, wearing chain-mail, and being heavily armed with numerous weapons. The Germans, like their Celtic cousins, were known to have a good reputation for mining, as well as weaponsmithing and armour-smithing. The Germans ability in making longswords of fine quality is particularly noted. There are numerous accounts of the Celts being premier weapon and armour smiths, being so famous to include the origination of chainmail. Certainly, the Assyrians were also well-known armourers, and while there is abundant evidence of such in the lands of the Celts, as well as the Middle-East, it seems that it may be a case of Independent Invention, rather than a cut and dried case of "either or".
Another Germanic barbarian tribe, the Franks, the antecedents to the modern day French, mixed with the Celtic Gauls of the region--were famous for their horsemanship, as well as their warriors fighting with battleaxes! This weapon seemed so ubiquitous amongst the Franks that a "Frankish Battleaxe" became a culturally famous, and iconic weapon during the era.
Something that I find quite interesting is imagining the time of transition for one or more of these tribes--technologically and culturally. Some historians have noted that the Germanic barbarians seemed to pioneer the feudal system, and also made huge initiatives in changing the standard of warfare with the dominant transition of the mounted armoured horsemen. This was especially apparent at Adrianople, in AD 378, where several entire Roamn Legions, some 40,000 troops, with 10,000 cavalry, were annihilated by a barbarian force of some 60,000 warriors, with some 20,000 or more being cavalry. A larger total of some 200,000 barbarians, representing more of the tribe, additional warriors, etc. may also have taken part, as the battle erupted when the Romans arrogantly marched into the powerful tribe's major encampment areas for the whole tribe, with thousands of women and children present. Apparently, the Romans had arrived when the majority of the German warriros were off tending to the herds of horses, in preparation for potential battle. In this case, the Romans gained the element of surprise over the Goths, but it was not to last long. The Goths were so heavily mounted that they soon arrived on the scene, and in the midst of their women and children, apparently just went berzerk. The Roman Emperor Valens, fresh from campaigning against the Persians, died fighting in this horrific battle. The encircled Romans, some 50,000 strong, were utterly annihilated by the ferocious Germans. This battle was an absolute disaster for the Roman army, and it sent shock-waves throughout the empire. It had perhaps a singular effect psychologically in being the larger impetus in changing the Roman style of war from being an army of infantry, to an army of horsemen.
This trend can be seen by the dramatic change and composition of Roman military forces soon after, as well as the formation of increasingly armoured Cataphracts and knights throughout the empire, being organized in units of powerful shock cavalry in order to better fight against the mounted hordes. Interesting indeed.
It would seem that differences would be apparent based on current technological advancement and so on. There does seem to be a broad range of armour and weaponry, as well as equipment. Great stuff!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
