21.9 Legion movement (from marching to swashbuckling).

There are two distinct types of movement, the march and the quickstep. The
quickstep is a simple command-order and shifts the position of a legion
in an friendly suitable locale. Marching, however, encompasses all other
forms of movement and is a state of being - an approach to moving
around - shared by the legion and dictated by dispatches or by its
commander. A legion may, for example, be simply marching in normal,
unobstructed formation - the default state of movement. But should they
face a high wall, their movement state must shift to ascending, or if
they stand before a trench filled with enemies they may wish their
movement state to be altered to ambushing. Movement state affects the speed
of the legion covering distances, the equipment and rations required,
morale and such important factors as battlefield position, readiness for
unexpected events, etc.

Bear in mind, a legion may welll be able to make its way from one side of
Avalon to the other merely by doggedly marching on; but progress will be
vastly slower than a legion prepared to shift its approach to its
continued movement according to circumstances, terrain and available
resources. Speed of deployment about the battlefield is one of the key
necessities of a successful military campaign and though seemingly
innocuous, intelligent 'marching orders' can make all the differrence in
the world.

Virtually all movement related goals use 'alacrity', 'deployment',
'highground' or 'lowground', 'leadership' and 'familiarity' as core skills
with futher specialist-skills introducing a range of further, more
esoteric orders for circumstances appropriate. Where a specialist-skill
forms the basis of the goal-command it is listed; where none is listed,
assume only a blend of the core skills previously mentioned are required.

Syntax: ... ENDURANCE BEGIN or ENDURANCE END.
All legions have an inate capacity for endurance above and beyond the norm
and any who have enlisted on as soldiers or fieldworkers will expect a
certain level of rigorous lifestyle. However, you may call upon the legion
to exert extraordinary, short-term effort in the endurance of their tasks
(particularly movement in difficult conditions or against obstacles). The
enduring legion will utilise less equipment, consume less rations, may act
more quickly or with greater awareness of potential dangers and will react
with greater defiance to setbacks/hardships. Overuse of endurance saps
morale. Underuse can risk 'pampered barrack syndrome' - a common complaint
in military circles where the legion, unused even to getting out of
barracks to exercise its skills, loses potency (in the short term, at
least) in specialist-skills and general strength. This is particularly
shown up in difficult circumstances or against battle-hardened or
well-exercised foes. The specialist skill of 'marchendure' is central
here.

Syntax: ... QUICKSTEP <locale position (compass dirn or CENTRE)>.
This is the simplest of the movement goals and is issued to cause a legion
to attempt to quickly step, in formation, in the specified direction about
the LOCALE. It will not allow moving into an adjacent location. It is
faster and less serious than marching, not taxing on the legion but
likewise can be indisciplined during execution. Needs: enough space in new
locale spot, no obstructions, level/near-level ground. Specialist skills of
'alacrity' and 'deployment' are of heightened use here.

Syntax: ... MOVE <direction>/<target>/<any special parameters>.
This is the basic command-order/goal issued to move a legion either around its
locale by a single position or, if on the edge of the locale, move it between
locations. The precise effects of the order to move are dictated by the
approach currently being taken by the legion (as defined by the APPROACH
command, listed below). These approaches range from regular marching to
swashbuckling attacks from highground towards low/entrenched targets. It is
a combination of approach, specialist skills associated (both with the
chosen movement approach and the circumstances a legion finds itself
involved in) together with equipment, morale, experience and leadership -
all these factors determine whether the move is possible and, if possible, how
long it takes to complete.

Syntax: ... FORMATION <formation> [CEASE/<percentage focus>].
Since the advent of large-scale city and guild combat, the military
minds have formulated, over time, certain formations well suited to the
various aspects of battlefield combat. High Constables, Commanders,
Captains, and those with high enough rank to command legions may alter a
group's formation, even in the heat of battle. Read through HELP FORMATIONS
to gain detailed information on the various formation names and some
insight into the pros and cons of each. Leaving a legion in partially completed
formation can be risky - the higher percentage focus given over to
reaching the new formation, the faster it is achieved; but concurrently,
the more vulnerable will be the legion to attack if it leaves itself entirely
occupied with the task of rearrangement.

Syntax: ... FACE <direction>/ENEMIES/ABROAD/HOME <percentage>.
Most of the time the direction a legion is facing will either be random (and
therefore considered roughly equal in all directions, or consistent with
a recent movement) or the result of a set formation (as described above). It
is possible, however, to command a legion to remain facing in a specific
direction regardless of other considerations. Doing so can be detrimental
to the smooth execution of other maneuvers but often keeping one's enemy
in line of sight is beneficial, or other times high-tailing it away from
an opponent is hastened by resolutely not looking back towards your foe. If
you are attacked in regular melee, the direction facing will be taken
into account when evaluating damage taken and likewise when attacking
back - consider quite simply if you are flanked you fight at half your
effectiveness, if you are ambushed from behind you combat the invasion at
one quarter your normal potency. Important battlefield issues, then; the
formation and the direction facing.

Syntax: ... APPROACH <movement style>.
There are many different approaches a legion can take to its movement
between locations or about its locale and the pace of its movement,
in addition to efficiency of equipment/ration use, morale effects and
readiness to face dangerous circumstances are all impacted by the
correctness of its chosen approach when considering its terrain (current
and destination), environment, obstacles, etc.

Summary of movement types: "marching", "ascending", "descending",
"circumvention", "climbing", "swashbuckling", "ambushing", "swimming",
"leaping", "gathering companions", "swarming", "running", "riding",
"sailing", "battleready", "dodging".

Movement types:
"march"
Marching involves a more serious, disciplined, steady-paced movement than
the quickstep and enables the legion to not only shift position within a
LOCALE but also move off into adjacent locations. It is slower than
quickstepping but less vulnerable during execution. Needs: enough space in
the new locale spot, no obstructions of sufficient size to disrupt, passable
ground (can clamber up or down via march).

"ascending"
Focuses the legion on the task of moving from lower to higher ground,
employing specialist skills of 'highground' when appropriate. A legion
approaching its movement as an ascent will move slower than a regular
march under all circumstances other than a gradual ascent. Ascending
cannot be used to move a legion between locale points wherein the
destination is higher than twelve to fifteen feet.

"descending"
There is an art to successfully descending a steep slope (or sheer drop)
while, at the same time, minimising disruptive effect on formation,
battle-readiness and speed of traversal. The 'lowground' skill is brought
into play when using the descending movement approach. Be careful of
descending too far in a single movement - sending a legion careering off a
cliff will result in its demise regardless of your prior training in
'lowground' and the employment of the descending approach.

"circumvention"
Many obstacles, man-made or natural, may lie between a legion and its
destination. The circumvention approach to movement adopts both a fluid
formation and a group cohesion to solve the problems of overcoming
whatever would otherwise prevent continued progress. The 'circumventions'
specialist skill is pivotal here and its extent defines the legion's
success and the time taken to reach that successful move.

"climbing"
Attempting to move between locale points whose height differential is
beyond the ability of even the most well-trained of 'highground' operators
requires climbing or flying. Making use of the 'heightscaling' specialist
skill and equipment the legion can then face off against the extent of the
height requiring scaling. It is a most vulnerable position for a legion to
take-up - fragmented, aiding one another in an ascent - and thus fast
completion is very important. MOVE FREE is possible here, it should be
noted, by way of telling the legion to climb up away from real or possible
entrapment.

"swashbuckling"
The swashbuckling is an approach to movement very much favouring the
aggressive, fast-acting heroic type of legion. Taking advantage of a
higher position, the swashbuckling involves rapid descent (or leaping
down) to a destination occupied by some foe and immediately assuming a
position prepared for melee, causing maximum disruption in the ranks of
the enemy at the same time. You cannot swashbuckle effectively uphill, nor
does it work well when faced with obstacles - and the penalty for the
reckless swashbuckling approach under the wrong circumstances can be to
leave your legions in a state of poor preparedness, formation and morale.

"ambushing"
Simpler than the swashbuckling movement approach (since it requires less
circumstances to be favourable) the ambushing style of movement sees the
legion adopt a permanently aggressive, fast-moving attack against the
target/destination locale. It only works from highground to lowground
(swarming being the ambush from below) and is much aided by favourable
conditions, much hampered by unfavourable circumstances. For example, a
cavalry would attack a group defending a shallow trench with great
effectiveness, thwarting many a potential trap, whereas the same cavalry
riding normally into a shallow trench would face its foe without any extra
advantage - risking setting in motion the self-same trap prepared by the
entrenched foe.

"swimming"
Employing the 'swimming' specialist skill, this approach ensures your
legion does its best to traverse a locale otherwise impassable due to
depth of its water. If the legion cannot swim it will not make any use of
this approach. If you command your legion to swim when outside water...
the poor but dutiful souls will quickly resemble freshly netted fish
flopping about on the deck of some boat; comical to onlookers but as a
fighting formation it is one of the worst imaginable.

"leaping"
It is possible to employ the 'leaping' specialist-skill to send your
legion jumping through the air, clearing potential obstacles, pits, entire
locale positions. Thus a legion leaping will move from, for instance, west
locale point to east locale point withut touching the centre-point. If
there were mines laid or some trench filled with hidden foes at the centre
the leaping legion would have avoided harm. Leaping is tiring, however,
and - naturally - extremely slow if used as a means of covering long
distances (not to mention sapping on your legion's morale if it is
subjected to purposeless jumping for miles on end).

"gathering companions"
In addition to the act of a much retarded marching the legion will
concentrate on attempting to gather companions to swell its ranks. This is
particularly useful after a battle or while bolstering a legion on
homesoil, sweeping through city streets, before emergeing onto the
battlefield. The 'gathering' specialist skill defines both the chance of
successful gathering (taking into account the size of the smaller group
being gathered up) and the extent of difference between your legion and
the group being gathered.

"swarming"
Swarming is the opposite of ambushingty insofar as it takes the
'lowground' specialist skill and operates to augment attacks from lower
positions against foes mounted higher than the originating legion. It is
detrimental under other circumstances, as is ambushing unless attacking
from high against low.

"running"
Rather than the steady, formation-holding march this ensures your legion
travels faster about land than it would if employing the regular march.
However, while running it is more prone to attack out of formation, its
readiness against ambush is reduced and it must eventually cease running
else its ranks will be drained of reserves of energy for the battle ahead.
Many use it solely if a retreat is called for.

"sailing"
If the legion has taken command of a sailing vessel then it will be able
to use its 'rivermastery' to sail the vessel in whichever direction duly
appointed by the subsequent MOVE commands. Thus, when sailing, the legion
no longer moves itself but instead sets about ensuring the sailing vessel
does likewise. Setting a legion sailing when it is not in a boat is akin
to having it swim on dry land: mildly comical and incredible dangerous and
demoralising.

"battleready"
Moving about in battlereadiness is a form of marching half the speed of
the regular march but far greater concentrated on heightened perception
and skill-use. All circumstances resultant in the legion coming under
attack will be softened (at least to begin with) by having adopted a
battleready marching approach beforehand. Likewise aggressive action taken
while employing this approach is heightened in effectiveness. The downside
is the slowness of movement and slightly greater consumption of
resources/morale; after all, endless vigilance takes its toll on the
concentration of even the most committed of lookout - particularly if no
purpose is eventually revealed to justify the rigours of battleready
movement.

"dodging"
Dodging sets the legion on high-alert for incoming projectiles, breaking
up static or rigid formations and instead forming loose, fluid groups
capable of responding quickly to incoming danger.

Syntax: ... BOARD ONTO ANY/FRIEND/BRETHREN/EMERGENCY/ALTRUISTIC/SAFEST
Syntax: ... BOARD WITH BERSERK/AGGRESSION/NEUTRAL/PEACEFUL/TAKEOVER
Boarding river or oceanworthy crafts is sometimes the most effective means
of traversing bodies of water or transporting troops about the land
without inflicting the dangers of an overland journey on precious (or, as
if often the case, highly specialised) legions. There are two aspects to
boarding crafts - the first the type of craft to be boarded, the second
the approach to take immediately after the boarding has been executed.

ANY means all craft available, FRIEND and BRETHREN mean craft occupied by
friends and/or same-legiontype respectively, EMERGENCY means only board
when in reteat/flight, ALTRUISTIC determines to board craft where friends
require aid and SAFEST boards craft with least likelihood of befalling
harm within. BERSERK boarding begins with immediate attack on all enemies,
AGGRESSION reacts quickly to expected attack without initiating, NEUTRAL
fights only in self-defence, PEACEFUL determines a non-combat boarding,
regardless of belligerence found and TAKEOVER demands an aggressive taking
over of the craft command to enable the "sailing" movement approach to be
accessible. The 'rivermastery' specialist skill is much used here.

Syntax: ... FLY <number of feet height or depth>.
Requiring the 'flying' specialist magical skill, this enables suitably
practised legions to dictate their height in a locale. Their flying skill
will define limits in height and/or depth in addition to speed of ascent
or descent. Advantages of flying are, of course, the lack of requisite
equipment and ability to access areas previously beyond the reach of
regular legions. It is most often, however, employed to avoid melee -
keeping up towards the clouds, out of reach of sword, bow and spear.

Syntax: ... BLOCKADE <target>/ENEMIES/FOES/EVERYONE/NOBODY.
Here the 'livingwalls' specialist skill comes into play strongly as a
legion may be called upon to attempt a blockade of its point in a locale
against the specified target. Successful blockade not only means the
locale position is inaccessible to the target but also that it may not be
passed (short of flying over or tunneling under) without first defeating
the blockading legion in battle. The blockade is not broken by merely
being attacked and a legion must be in a state of retreat, panic or
desperation before the blockading efforts cease. Many a tale exist in the
histories of the land of small but doughty regiments holding a key bridge
or tunnel junction against the encroaching might of an army of foes -
holding the larger group at bay for long enough that their allies achieve
missions wholly dependant on successful blockading.

Back to section index