Vahlairan Cavalry
The Cavalries of the The Blood-Soaked Plains were well known across the Jalasaran continent as one – if not the – most lethal, efficient, and occasionally bloodthirsty fighting forces, adept at killing anything that drew breath. A large piece of their prowess in battle came from their adaptability, a feature exemplified by the largest cavalry of the Blood-Soaked Plains: Tor Valoris. Cavalries achieved a flexible lethality in battle through a variety of means: specialized and broad training with weaponry (for mounted and unmounted combat), a deep and almost unbreakable connection with their mounts, the use of familiers and music to convey enemy movements and tactic changes, and custom saddles to cater to disabilities or personal riding styles (such as trick riding).
Above all, the most honored warriors – the Tor Khan and Tor Khanna – of the Vahlairan Cavalry could even adapt to death, rising again to fight once more for valor and victory.
Composition
Equipment
Custom Saddles. While "standard" saddles were issued to the majority of the Vahlairan Cavalry, more specialized members were given custom saddles that facilitated and/or otherwise aided their specific fighting style.
- Warriors leading the Cavalry charge often had saddles outfitted with additional armor to protect both the horse (or "horse") as well as the lower body of the rider. The expanded surface area of these "front-line" saddles also permitted mages to inscribe protective runes that would deflect the worst of an enemy's attacks as the charge met the enemy lines.
- More dextrous members – such as archers – preferred more flexible saddles with multiple sets of stirrups and other "hitch points" so that they could move, dangle, and roll atop their mount as needed to land the perfect strike or achieve a lethal shot.
- Members with missing limbs or other disabilities (from birth or from battle) were always granted a personalized, custom saddle to ensure that a disabled warrior could still fight alongside the rest of the Cavalry. Specific saddle modifications could include additional supports, modified stirrups, and/or arcane inscriptions.
Weaponry
The Barbed Lance was a favored weapon of Vahlair Victoria, though very few warriors in the Vahlairan Cavalry actually used this variant of the traditional lance. The goddess' signature barbed lance was highly impractical as the weapon posed as much of a risk to the rider's horse as any enemy. For Vahlair – who rode Vanguard, Herald of Carnage – inflicting damage upon her bloodthirsty mount was not a concern. As such, the rare few who chose to use the barbed lance tended to be bonded with a "horse", who shared more direct blood with Vanguard.
Standard Weaponry. Most members of the cavalry fought with lances and spears, and carried shorter-ranged weapons with them such as swords, axes, khopesh, warhammers, and maces. Front-line chargers tended to carry heavier lances meant to inflict as much damage as possible on impact. When their lance was destroyed, they often switched to slower, but heavier weapons (such as mauls or greathammers) to bludgeon and destroy defenses. Scouts and archers tended to forsake lances and spears entirely, preferring longbows (or quickfire bows) and daggers.
Special Weaponry. Commanders, Tor Khan, and Tor Khanna of a Vahlairan Cavalry tended to carry weaponry blessed by The Watchers and infused with the otherworldly, death-touched magic of The Eye. Most of these weapons were forged in the centuries surrounding the founding of Tor Valoris and have been passed down from one heroic warrior to another. The specific effects of these weapons varied, but they commonly amplified the effects of the Mark of Vahlair and were capable of creating small, temporary rifts in space, allowing the Cavalry charge to strike at an enemy line before formally striking the enemy line.
The War Bard's Arsenal. Bards played a pivotal role in supporting the Cavalry and in conveying commands, tactics, and enemy movements. Although equipped with standard weaponry, they were granted an enchanted instrument. Like the special weaponry, these instruments were often blessed by The Watchers and infused with the warped magic of The Eye. A bard could stand at the edge of a sprawling battlefield and play an inspiring ballad that could be heard at the distant front line, even for the most violent of battles.
Vehicles
Horses and... "Horses". While some Cavalries may have initially been displeased with their goddess' choice to ally with Vanguard rather than slay him, all have come to honor and revere the sacred bond between mount and rider. Warriors of the Vahlairan Cavalry have a particularly strong bond with their mounts, able to communicate telepathically and thus enhancing their effeciency and adaptability as a duo in combat. Traditional war horses were the preferred mount for scouts, archers, bards, and warriors who preferred a more "trick riding" based style. By contrast, "horses" were preferred by the front-line chargers. "Horses" shared features with Vanguard (particularly his bloodthirst), which made them well-suited for the front line brawl that often formed in battles.
Structure
Each Vahlairan Cavalry was led by at least one Tor Khan or Tor Khanna, an individual of proven skill, heroism, and valor who had received the Mark of Vahlair. Larger Cavalries, such as Tor Valoris, might have sub-cavalry units, each led by up to a trio of Tor Khan/na. Beneath the Tor Khan/na, each specialty (e.g. the true cavalry, scouts, archers, battlemages, and bards) within the broader overarching Cavalry had a commander that dictated specific movements. If Vahlair herself arrived to the battle, the goddess held the highest tier of command and all commanders and Tor Khan/na deferred to her.
Tactics
While specific tactics varied across the Blood-Soaked Plains, Vahlairan Cavalries tended to employ a similar strand of general tactics when facing other regional armies and military units:
- Scouts formed telepathic bonds with familiers. Phantom Crows were preferred for their camouflage while Chitter Birds were preferred for their small size and speed. Both were used to convey enemy formations and movements before and during a battle. Scouts were able to see through the eyes of their familiar, permitting them to receive and convey information to commanding officers.
- The Cavalry charge was a staple of the Vahlairan Cavalry. Should a Cavalry have sufficient Eye-touched weapons, the leaders of the charge would rip open tears in space to pester, pry, and rip apart enemy defenses. Paired with volleys from archers, the Cavalry could often carve a weakpoint in enemy lines long before they clashed directly. When a weakpoint was identified, the Charge altered their course and barreled through the forming weakpoint.
- When lacking sufficient Eye-touched weaponry or when facing well-organized and well-trained foes, the Vahlairan Cavalry prioritized removing enemy leadership and commanding officers. This was often accomplished with specialized trios: a "horse", a warrior often inclined to a trick riding style, and a battlemage. Under the cover of the Cavalry charge, the battlemage would teleport the telepathically linked trio behind enemy lines. The bloodthirsty "horse" would begin its rampage while the warrior prioritized the target of interest. These missions often resulted in the death of the trio or the sacrifice of the battlemage.
When Cavalries faced one another on the battlefield, combat was fast-paced and bloody. Victory was not a matter of tactics, but was determined by either (a) the arrival of Vahlair or (b) the number of Marked warriors who continued to fight in undeath.
Training
The Vahlairan Cavalry was as much a culture as it was a military unit. Those born into a Cavalry were trained from a very young age in a broad range of combat styles and weaponry. It was expected that any warrior could take the place of any fallen warrior. However, many members of the Cavalry tended to develop weapon specialties on top of their general training habits. The longer lifespan of the "pure" Shadar-Kai line of Tor Valoris meant that their training was extensive, making them the most well-trained and lethal of the Vahlairan Cavalries.
History
Battle of The Eye – Roaming bands of warriors were gathered together into the first Cavalry under Vahlair Victoria as she led a massive charge against the monstrosities pouring forth from The Eye. The Battle of the Eye saw the closing of The Eye, the establishment of Tor Valoris, and the first deployment of the Vahlairan Cavalry (though in a very primitive state).
The Battle Mirage – A major battle by a trio of Vahlairan Cavalries that sought to stop an incursion from Eshkan Barin's forces into the Blood-Soaked Plains. The first of many battles to prevent the materialistic god from claiming the lands of Asmodon, the Vahlairan Cavalries eventually emerged victorious despite being heavily outnumbered. The intense heat of the battle supposedly drove warriors on both sides insane, leading them to fight hallucinations. The Vahlairan Cavalries, however, rose in undeath and – freed of the hallucinations – were able to decimate their enemy before Tamasvi arrived to claim their souls.
Historical loyalties
While other regions and political powers may have employed Vahlairan Cavalries, they were always loyal to Vahlair Victoria first and foremost. The Vahlairan Cavalry was modeled after the goddess, her tenets and commands, and her bond with her divine Antagonist: Vanguard.
We ride with Valor; Victory rides with us.
Type
Cavalry
Overall training Level
Elite
The Mark of Vahlair
Often a facial tattoo, the mark granted any marked individual the ability to return to a temporary state of undeath after being slain. As this was not "true undeath" it was tolerated by the death deities of Jalasar.
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