5101-Ivinia, The Viking Lands/culture/military capabilities

Military Capabilities
Ivinia is rightfully feared for its great military power, with large numbers of well-trained and highly motivated warriors who can be delivered by their ships of war around the coast of Lythia with no warning. Even when the resources of a kingdom are not brought to bear, individual warship crews are raiders and pirates without compare.

Fighting Men
Valhakars of greatclans can theoretically field impressive armies. Most Ivinians are trained warriors. Virtually every adult male, perhaps 25 percent of the total population, can be mustered for action abroad. The remainder of the population are not an ineffective fighting force but are generally committed to the defense of the thranaal. Although not common, paid mercenaries do exist.

Powerful Ivinian clans may own a special kind of thrall clan of skilled warriors, with a high proportion of adoptees. These “retainer clans” exist as standing armies and are accorded a high degree of respect. They are proficient in the arts of warfare and usually are fanatically loyal to the warrior code, the Ljarl.

Ivinian warriors are equipped as several different classes of combatant with different roles to play in a battle or raid. The valhakar and his personal guard are usually huscarls, the most heavily armoured and best-equipped troops. They mostly wear mail armour and carry swords or battleaxes, some of which are family heirlooms of almost legendary status, decorated in gold and inscribed with runes of “magical” power. Huscarls are usually close clansmen of the valhakar or have sworn allegiance to him. In return for fighting for and protecting the valhakar, huscarls are treated to the best accommodation and board, as well as valuable gifts of weapons, jewelry, and clothes. The best fighting men in Ivinia are generally huscarls. In battle, huscarls are used to exploit any breakthrough in their opponent’s line and to reinforce any weakness in their own.

The bulk of the valhakar’s forces make up the shield wall. These men are generally equipped with a large round shield, spear and sidearm, and whatever armour they buy, take, or inherit. The youngest men and unarmored youths are equipped with javelins, slings, and other skirmish weapons; they are used to harass and slow the enemy and pursue any who break and run. Although a very few warriors, generally huntsmen, are equipped with bows that they can use to devastating effect, Ivinia does not have the same units of massed archers that some of the other Lythian armies enjoy.

Warships
The Ivinian people have a tradition of shipbuilding. Their vessels are mostly based on open-deck, clinker-built designs, generally pointed at both prow and stern, are long and thin (compared to many southern merchantmen) with low freeboard and draft, and have a side-mounted steering oar. These ships have a single mast with a square sail; most can be rowed, although only the warships have the crew to do so at speed.

A warboat is the smallest type of warship, with a length of around 60’, a beam of under 10’, 12 oars on each side, and a crew of 24–36. A longship has a length of perhaps 90’, a beam of 15’, and a crew of 50–60. Dragonships may exceed 120’ in length, have a beam of more than 20’, and a crew of 200. Such ships are very expensive and rare.

All greatclans own one or more warships and some valhakars command fleets of six or more. Only the greatest of valhakars and kings have a dragonship crewed by their huscarls and other picked warriors.



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