Harthas Bird Prequel Part 2
Two days into their journey, Droigan's men noticed a flock of large birds flying out from the looming mountains. Within half an hour of the observation, all but one of the mercenaries were dead. While they had indeed seen birds coming from the mountains, these birds were unlike any seen on Thot in nearly 2000 years. They were the Wing-Demons, as the trolls had once named them. They were the Aviati.
The Aviati are a race of beings that roughly resemble humans in build. They differ from humans by being covered in feathers and having talons instead of hands. Their heads resemble those of birds-of-prey, and out of their shoulder blades grow magnificent wings. Very little is known about the culture and language of the Aviati, as their venomous hostility towards all other races of the world makes them an unpopular assignment for diplomats. Their population is dwindling without known cause, but an Aviati warrior is unsurpassed in discipline, intelligence, and speed. History records many distant battles in which a few Aviati routed entire hordes of human barbarians.
The mysteries of the Aviati and their impact on history were not pressing on Harthas Droigan's mind as he watched the Wing-Demons circle above him.
The conflict between Droigan's mercenaries and the Aviati was the first opportunity in two millenia for anyone in Thot to witness the tactics of the bird warriors. Despite the reluctance of the sole human survivor to provide any analysis of the previously-mentioned conflict, a recapitulation of the dire event is here provided.
Before engaging the enemy, the Aviati force divides itself into two equal parts: the Alu, a heavily-armored group that begins the conflict as an attacking force, and the Vwl, a more reserved group that initially serves to supply the Alu. The weapon of choice in the first stage of an Aviati assault is a long, hardy spear that rarely breaks. The Alu swoop down on their enemies and release these spears with great accuracy and speed. Having thrown their weapons, the Alu fly up to meet the awaiting Vwr. The Vwr circle the battle at a height that makes them unassailable, and thus wear lighter armor than the attacking Alu. The Vwr carry many spears in quivers, passing them to their Alu partners when the attackers arrive for rearmament.
The victims of the Alu spear attacks are the leaders, messengers, and flagbearers of an army. An Alu warrior with a spear is akin to very violent poetry in motion, and it is not uncommon for their targets to die in agony, pinned to the ground beneath them. By the time the Alu have thrown all their spears, the opposing army is often in a state of disarray. The infantry and cavalry can do nothing but watch their leaders die, the archers struggle to take aim against the erratic and swift Alu, and anyone seen giving orders risks being impaled. Once an army is both disorganized and afraid, the Aviati begin their next assault.
If the Aviati decide that more spearwork is in order, the Vwr will quickly descend and collect as many undamaged spears as they can while the Alu provide a frenzied distraction. Having restocked their quivers, the Vwr return to the skies and the attack begins anew. If their enemies appear to be leaderless, both the Alu and the Vwr descend to begin their taloned attacks. The Vwr, all of whom are male, lightly armored and unarmed, rely on their vicious beaks and talons. A favorite target of the Vwr is the enemy cavalry, as a few kicks to the horse and bite to the head of the rider are stunningly effective. The swiftness of a Vwr fighter gives him the qualities of a sniper, and this causes the enemy force to scatter and fall further into confusion. The female Alu is better protected than the Vwr and tends to remain on the ground and engage in single combat. Despite wearing large, sharp-edged bracers on both forearms, the Alu warrior begins a ground battle unarmed. The Alu tend to target archers first, but the infantry will be engaged shortly afterwards. An Alu warrior will occasionally take up the weapon of a fallen opponent, but this typically done through boredom or a dark sense of humor. When the human army begins a full retreat, the Aviati seem to become frenzied, and any people who survive this onslaught are troubled for the rest of their days.
The Aviati are a race of beings that roughly resemble humans in build. They differ from humans by being covered in feathers and having talons instead of hands. Their heads resemble those of birds-of-prey, and out of their shoulder blades grow magnificent wings. Very little is known about the culture and language of the Aviati, as their venomous hostility towards all other races of the world makes them an unpopular assignment for diplomats. Their population is dwindling without known cause, but an Aviati warrior is unsurpassed in discipline, intelligence, and speed. History records many distant battles in which a few Aviati routed entire hordes of human barbarians.
The mysteries of the Aviati and their impact on history were not pressing on Harthas Droigan's mind as he watched the Wing-Demons circle above him.
The conflict between Droigan's mercenaries and the Aviati was the first opportunity in two millenia for anyone in Thot to witness the tactics of the bird warriors. Despite the reluctance of the sole human survivor to provide any analysis of the previously-mentioned conflict, a recapitulation of the dire event is here provided.
Before engaging the enemy, the Aviati force divides itself into two equal parts: the Alu, a heavily-armored group that begins the conflict as an attacking force, and the Vwl, a more reserved group that initially serves to supply the Alu. The weapon of choice in the first stage of an Aviati assault is a long, hardy spear that rarely breaks. The Alu swoop down on their enemies and release these spears with great accuracy and speed. Having thrown their weapons, the Alu fly up to meet the awaiting Vwr. The Vwr circle the battle at a height that makes them unassailable, and thus wear lighter armor than the attacking Alu. The Vwr carry many spears in quivers, passing them to their Alu partners when the attackers arrive for rearmament.
The victims of the Alu spear attacks are the leaders, messengers, and flagbearers of an army. An Alu warrior with a spear is akin to very violent poetry in motion, and it is not uncommon for their targets to die in agony, pinned to the ground beneath them. By the time the Alu have thrown all their spears, the opposing army is often in a state of disarray. The infantry and cavalry can do nothing but watch their leaders die, the archers struggle to take aim against the erratic and swift Alu, and anyone seen giving orders risks being impaled. Once an army is both disorganized and afraid, the Aviati begin their next assault.
If the Aviati decide that more spearwork is in order, the Vwr will quickly descend and collect as many undamaged spears as they can while the Alu provide a frenzied distraction. Having restocked their quivers, the Vwr return to the skies and the attack begins anew. If their enemies appear to be leaderless, both the Alu and the Vwr descend to begin their taloned attacks. The Vwr, all of whom are male, lightly armored and unarmed, rely on their vicious beaks and talons. A favorite target of the Vwr is the enemy cavalry, as a few kicks to the horse and bite to the head of the rider are stunningly effective. The swiftness of a Vwr fighter gives him the qualities of a sniper, and this causes the enemy force to scatter and fall further into confusion. The female Alu is better protected than the Vwr and tends to remain on the ground and engage in single combat. Despite wearing large, sharp-edged bracers on both forearms, the Alu warrior begins a ground battle unarmed. The Alu tend to target archers first, but the infantry will be engaged shortly afterwards. An Alu warrior will occasionally take up the weapon of a fallen opponent, but this typically done through boredom or a dark sense of humor. When the human army begins a full retreat, the Aviati seem to become frenzied, and any people who survive this onslaught are troubled for the rest of their days.
posted by Simon at 5:27 PM
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