Post by Dungeon Master on Oct 27, 2007 15:06:12 GMT -5
The Scro
by Paul Westermeyer
The scro as presented here are bit anachronistic, but I felt their level of organization warranted it. I've always felt the IEN was usually portrayed too much like the modern US military, but that the scro likely were something like the modern military in outlook. Or rather, that they were a 'professional' military organization. (What that means is a question I'm writing my dissertation on, actually.) I used the Roman army as a loose guideline. Also note I raise the max scro level as a priest to 9.
"My people are impatient—I shall teach them patience. My people are cowards—I shall teach them courage. My people think only of today—I shall teach them to think of tomorrow. My people lust for elven blood—this requires no teaching."
-Early Sayings of Dukagsh (Goblin's Return, p4)
Scro Organization
The Scro have entered the Second Unhuman war with perhaps the best-organized military forces in the Known Spheres. The Scro forces entering known space have been identified as belonging to two distinct branches of service, the Scro Navy and the Scro Marines. Scro officers show a remarkable amount of training, they not only attend the Scro Academy prior to entering service, they are also trained rigorously while in the fleet.
A Note on Language:
The scro speak a form of orcish that has been standardized as their native tongue, but every scro is taught common as well, and many speak elvish. Scro battle commands are almost always in scro, but everyday communication, especially on military vessels, is often in the common tongue. This keeps the troops expertise up, which allows them to understand the battle commands of their enemies. Elvish is somewhat more difficult than common, especially for orcish tongues. At the very least, officers try learn to understand and read elvish (the dialect of the sphere they are entering, if possible) so they can better understand their foes and take advantage of papers and other elvish writing when it is discovered.
The scro language is best shown by using the orc language described in 'Even Orcish is Logical' in Dragon #75, and the bits of the Black Speech found in Tolkien's work (the Black Speech is far less developed then Tolkien's two elvish tongues, Sindar and Quenya). These two forms aren't perfectly compatible, but sound similar. In the few cases where they have different words for the same thing, simply assume the language has two words for the same concept (not an uncommon linguistic occurrence).
Scro vessels are named in the scro tongue, and usually are powerful and dreadful names. Many involve inventive elven deaths, blood, gore, and general mayhem. These names are usually translated into common but other races, who find saying the actual scro name somewhat distasteful (Orcish, even the standardized dialect spoken by the scro, is a harsh, unattractive tongue). The six most famous Scro vessels are Battlewagons, the DAKAKDOG ("Mutilator"), ZOKOZRAD ("Decapitator"), DURBGASH ("Conflagrator"), JAJGAKNARTAG ("Devastator"), GEKRAGAD ("Eviscerator"), and the KOKADOG ("Defenestrator").
Scro High Command
The Scro High Command is a council of seven older, grizzled admirals and generals who oversea the war effort against the elves. They answer to the Ultimate High Overlord and the council of 24 Almighty Leaders who represent each of the 24 scro tribes.
An extensive staff of naval and marine officers supports the High Command proper. As these officers, typically the brightest and most promising of the scro military, are most often sent as couriers and inspectors for the High Command among the various fleets, they tend to represent "High Command" to the rank and file. Scro captains, whether Navy or Marine, most often serve a stint in this group before being promoted to admiral or general.
The High Command Staff is divided into four sections, Administration, Intelligence, Training, and Operations. Each of these sections is headed by an admiral or general and handles all details relating to its area of responsibility. Training, for example, administers and runs the Scro Academy where sailors and marines are trained. Administration keeps track of personnel assignments, and the lists of equipment from daggers to battlewagons. Intelligence collates all the information sent to Dukagsh from the fleets and makes it comprehensible, while operations plans fleet movements and deployments.
The Goruruk
The Goruruk are the civilian scro, only found on scro colonies or the scro homeworld of Dukagsh. Scro society is highly organized, one of Dukagsh's founding maxims is that no scro is incapable of contributing to the war effort. The Goruruk are the scro who failed to make it into the scro military, or who exhibited an important industrial skill. They make up the greater part of the scro population, and all fulfill specific roles within Scro society.
Each Goruruk is assigned to one of eight Gorgoi, and each Gorgoi is responsible for providing a certain service to the Scro Tribes. The eight Gorgoi are Farmers, Shipwrights, Armorers, Weaponsmiths, Engineers, Tailors, Masons, and Laborers. Upon reaching the age of maturity each scro is tested and then assigned to the Temple, the Military Academy or a Gorgoi. Once assigned to a Gorgoi, a scro may never leave it, nor choose not to work within that field. Every scro city, whether on a colony or on Dukagsh, is divided into 10 wards. One ward is devoted to each Gorgoi, one is devoted to the military, and the final ward is devoted to the priests.
Though the military gets much of the glory, and the priesthood has much influence, most Goruruk are happy; they work hard, come home to clean houses, and occasionally enjoy watching blood sports at the city arena or drinking at a tavern. Scro workers are paid reasonable wages and treated fairly, as much as possible slave labor is used for the more demeaning and unpleasant jobs. Goruruk are not as tough as the military scro and adults only have 2 HD. They are, however, officially part of the scro army and are trained in weapon use (usually spears and daggers). The scro army is led by retired officers from the Scro marines and Navy, who live in honor on the homeworld and are expected to aid in training the young.
Typical Scro career Path:
0-5 Live with parents, trained and educated by mother, listens to stories of scro heroes
6-10 Live with parents, educated at temple run schools by priests
11-15 After testing, is assigned to Academy, Temple, or a Gorgoi. Leaves parent's house for this training
16+ Serves in military, priesthood, or Gorgoi
Scro Females
Scro are polygamous, and have abolished counter-productive orcish customs like female infanticide. Most Scro maintain a household of 2-5 wives on the planet, and each wife typically has 2-5 scro children to raise. Young scro females and those too old to breed assist their female relatives in child rearing. Female scro, no matter how tough or capable, are forbidden from joining the military, as their sacred duty is to propagate the race, according to Dukagsh. The females of a scro household are also in charge of supervising the slaves, when such are present.
by Paul Westermeyer
The scro as presented here are bit anachronistic, but I felt their level of organization warranted it. I've always felt the IEN was usually portrayed too much like the modern US military, but that the scro likely were something like the modern military in outlook. Or rather, that they were a 'professional' military organization. (What that means is a question I'm writing my dissertation on, actually.) I used the Roman army as a loose guideline. Also note I raise the max scro level as a priest to 9.
"My people are impatient—I shall teach them patience. My people are cowards—I shall teach them courage. My people think only of today—I shall teach them to think of tomorrow. My people lust for elven blood—this requires no teaching."
-Early Sayings of Dukagsh (Goblin's Return, p4)
Scro Organization
The Scro have entered the Second Unhuman war with perhaps the best-organized military forces in the Known Spheres. The Scro forces entering known space have been identified as belonging to two distinct branches of service, the Scro Navy and the Scro Marines. Scro officers show a remarkable amount of training, they not only attend the Scro Academy prior to entering service, they are also trained rigorously while in the fleet.
A Note on Language:
The scro speak a form of orcish that has been standardized as their native tongue, but every scro is taught common as well, and many speak elvish. Scro battle commands are almost always in scro, but everyday communication, especially on military vessels, is often in the common tongue. This keeps the troops expertise up, which allows them to understand the battle commands of their enemies. Elvish is somewhat more difficult than common, especially for orcish tongues. At the very least, officers try learn to understand and read elvish (the dialect of the sphere they are entering, if possible) so they can better understand their foes and take advantage of papers and other elvish writing when it is discovered.
The scro language is best shown by using the orc language described in 'Even Orcish is Logical' in Dragon #75, and the bits of the Black Speech found in Tolkien's work (the Black Speech is far less developed then Tolkien's two elvish tongues, Sindar and Quenya). These two forms aren't perfectly compatible, but sound similar. In the few cases where they have different words for the same thing, simply assume the language has two words for the same concept (not an uncommon linguistic occurrence).
Scro vessels are named in the scro tongue, and usually are powerful and dreadful names. Many involve inventive elven deaths, blood, gore, and general mayhem. These names are usually translated into common but other races, who find saying the actual scro name somewhat distasteful (Orcish, even the standardized dialect spoken by the scro, is a harsh, unattractive tongue). The six most famous Scro vessels are Battlewagons, the DAKAKDOG ("Mutilator"), ZOKOZRAD ("Decapitator"), DURBGASH ("Conflagrator"), JAJGAKNARTAG ("Devastator"), GEKRAGAD ("Eviscerator"), and the KOKADOG ("Defenestrator").
Scro High Command
The Scro High Command is a council of seven older, grizzled admirals and generals who oversea the war effort against the elves. They answer to the Ultimate High Overlord and the council of 24 Almighty Leaders who represent each of the 24 scro tribes.
An extensive staff of naval and marine officers supports the High Command proper. As these officers, typically the brightest and most promising of the scro military, are most often sent as couriers and inspectors for the High Command among the various fleets, they tend to represent "High Command" to the rank and file. Scro captains, whether Navy or Marine, most often serve a stint in this group before being promoted to admiral or general.
The High Command Staff is divided into four sections, Administration, Intelligence, Training, and Operations. Each of these sections is headed by an admiral or general and handles all details relating to its area of responsibility. Training, for example, administers and runs the Scro Academy where sailors and marines are trained. Administration keeps track of personnel assignments, and the lists of equipment from daggers to battlewagons. Intelligence collates all the information sent to Dukagsh from the fleets and makes it comprehensible, while operations plans fleet movements and deployments.
The Goruruk
The Goruruk are the civilian scro, only found on scro colonies or the scro homeworld of Dukagsh. Scro society is highly organized, one of Dukagsh's founding maxims is that no scro is incapable of contributing to the war effort. The Goruruk are the scro who failed to make it into the scro military, or who exhibited an important industrial skill. They make up the greater part of the scro population, and all fulfill specific roles within Scro society.
Each Goruruk is assigned to one of eight Gorgoi, and each Gorgoi is responsible for providing a certain service to the Scro Tribes. The eight Gorgoi are Farmers, Shipwrights, Armorers, Weaponsmiths, Engineers, Tailors, Masons, and Laborers. Upon reaching the age of maturity each scro is tested and then assigned to the Temple, the Military Academy or a Gorgoi. Once assigned to a Gorgoi, a scro may never leave it, nor choose not to work within that field. Every scro city, whether on a colony or on Dukagsh, is divided into 10 wards. One ward is devoted to each Gorgoi, one is devoted to the military, and the final ward is devoted to the priests.
Though the military gets much of the glory, and the priesthood has much influence, most Goruruk are happy; they work hard, come home to clean houses, and occasionally enjoy watching blood sports at the city arena or drinking at a tavern. Scro workers are paid reasonable wages and treated fairly, as much as possible slave labor is used for the more demeaning and unpleasant jobs. Goruruk are not as tough as the military scro and adults only have 2 HD. They are, however, officially part of the scro army and are trained in weapon use (usually spears and daggers). The scro army is led by retired officers from the Scro marines and Navy, who live in honor on the homeworld and are expected to aid in training the young.
Typical Scro career Path:
0-5 Live with parents, trained and educated by mother, listens to stories of scro heroes
6-10 Live with parents, educated at temple run schools by priests
11-15 After testing, is assigned to Academy, Temple, or a Gorgoi. Leaves parent's house for this training
16+ Serves in military, priesthood, or Gorgoi
Scro Females
Scro are polygamous, and have abolished counter-productive orcish customs like female infanticide. Most Scro maintain a household of 2-5 wives on the planet, and each wife typically has 2-5 scro children to raise. Young scro females and those too old to breed assist their female relatives in child rearing. Female scro, no matter how tough or capable, are forbidden from joining the military, as their sacred duty is to propagate the race, according to Dukagsh. The females of a scro household are also in charge of supervising the slaves, when such are present.