Shadow Wolf ~AKA~ShatterStar

I came originally from KLima , but I had settled in Port Kar having purchased a small tavern there . I became restless as a peacetime warrior and spent my days consuming more paga than is probably good for you. I can usually be found in the Wolf Brothers paga Tavern , along with the legendary barman Laba-Sek, once of the warrior caste and the one who taught me the ways of the warrior, known through out Gor for his ferocious drink mixes and love of bawdy songs. When not drinking or enjoying the delights of the "city with no shame", I can usually be found in the company of some kajira. I became involved in the caste of Scarlet and the Troupe of 16. The troupe of 16 does not officially exist, and if you ever ask of them in official circles, you`ll be met with blank looks or fierce denials of ever having heard of such a troupe. That they exist at all is often a topic of heated discussion. And if you ever did meet someone who claimed to be a member of such a troupe, then the very fact it self is enough to tell you that they don't belong. There is little doubt though that the troupe exists, it serves the Council of Captains in Port Kar, although they themselves are reluctant to discuss the origins and details of what or who the troupe is or are. Even it`s title, the Troupe of 16 is a misnomer. It`s actual number being anywhere between 120 and 300 active Warriors, Captains and somewhere around 100 support staff. These support staff being Tarn Keepers, who maintain the Tarns and cots, Tharlarion Keepers, Metalworkers and Armory specialists. The troupe is also accompanied by a small staff of the Caste of Scribes, who are responsible for keeping accurate records, and a small band of female slaves who help to maintain the Garrison. The garrisons location itself, incidentally is located in Port Kar, closely guarded by Warriors of the Council. The troupe itself was believed to have been founded shortly after the Council of Captains was established in Port Kar. It was suggested that a small group of men be taken, and trained to the highest standards, these men would then be trained to carry out certain duties, or delicate operations, that would normally be carried out by mercenaries. They would also be used to protect the Council from Assassins (who, incidentally, are forbidden to join the troupe). There was originally some resistance from some quarters of the council who felt that the expense involved was out of proportion to the benefits, and that since Port Kar was no longer at war there was no need for such a force. However, as the reader shall see, there were more benefits than were to be expected . So it was that Samos and two other Captains were given the task of forming the Troupe. They began quietly ,setting up a small head quarters in Port Kar. They quickly established a small staff and began the daunting task before them. They had to, within a small timeframe, recruit enough men to establish a Pride of 100 Gorean Warriors. This in itself was a hard task. Other Commanders, reluctant to lose good men, were slow to release men from normal duties in order to apply for the selection process, and Samos had to use all his diplomacy just to reach the 100 Warriors he needed to establish the Troupe. Out of this 100, only 16 would actually pass the selection process. This was to set a standard that is still followed today, usually only 15-20 will succeed out of every 100 that apply to join the Troupe. It is not unlikely that this is where the regiment got its name, from the original Troupe of 16 who passed the first selection phase. The Troupe quickly grew, and an armaments core was soon acquired, tasked with finding every piece of weaponry to be found in Gor, each of the Troupe expected to master and use it to a high degree of skill. For example, men of Port Kar might be unfamiliar with the great axe of Torvaldsland but they would be expected to handle it, and as well the Mighty men of the North themselves. Every weapon on Gor must be learned, and the Warrior proficient in it. A member of the Troupe is expected to be able to fight anywhere on Gor, and use whatever weapons may be available to him. The Troupe itself consists of Warriors from all walks of life, and from all of Gor, a fact that suprises many people in itself. Many cities have been, and some still are at war with each other, and at least once in their history have probably had a dispute with at least one of the other cities of Gor, and the Warriors of these cities have without doubt led or taken part in various raids at sometime or another. However the extreme testing and the vigorous selection process which any applicant who applies to join the Troupe must pass, usually weed out any one who is unsuitable, and careful screening is applied to any prospective applicant. It is not unusual to find men of Port Kar fighting along those of Torvaldsland. Although the two are believed to have generally low opinions of each other, once in the Troupe these differences are generally forgotten, although often remembered and heatedly discussed during quieter of moments of garrison life. Once on active service though, these differences are soon forgotten and all hands fight towards the common cause. Equally, and perhaps more surprising on Gor, is that the Troupe brooks no sense of Caste (although they do follow the Codes of the Warriors). One of the original and founding members of the Troupe, Rollo of Port Kar, once said .. "We believe every man with the right attitude and talents, regardless of birth and riches, has a capacity in his own lifetime of reaching that status in it`s true sense. All ranks in the Troupe are of "one company" in which a sense of class is both alien and ludicrous." The Troupe itself, as noted before, is made up of Warriors from all over Gor, and this helps to explain the wealth of talent and skill in the regiment. Men of the desert in the regiment will train people who have never been there, help them develop survival techniques, how to navigate in the desert etc. The men of Torvaldsland will take lessons on how to navigate by the winds and the currents. It is also known that captured Panther girls will help train Warriors how to live and survive in the Forests. All of these lessons are followed up by practical exercises on location. Once the Warrior passes the selection process, it is then that his real training begins. The selection process is designed to find the Warrior who has the heart and the will to put himself through these extremes, who is willing to endure hardship, and has the will to succeed. The selection process is some 6 Gorean passage hands long, and the applicant can be failed at any time. The warrior will be forced march, the marches growing longer by the day, marches at night are introduced as well. As the march is completed, it is not unusual for the candidate to be given other tasks, cold wet and tired as he may be. He may be asked to prepare a raid on a city. He will be expected to plan in detail, noting expected numbers of warriors and what supplies are needed. He must then present this plan to other existing members of the Troupe, who will question him. It is not uncommon for this task to be given to junior members of the troupe, who will mock the applicant and criticize his plan. The applicants reaction to this is carefully monitored. As the months pass, the applicant will grow wearier, exhausted, but the tests will keep coming. At the end of the sixth passage hand, the remaining Warriors (typically about 25 by this stage) will face the final hurdle. Usually taken blindfolded by tarnback, they are dropped off in the middle of nowhere, given a map and then told to find their way home. The applicant is not told how long he has, and may be given a route to follow with set tasks ahead of him. His route will take him through some perilous areas and current members of the troupe may be in hiding, waiting for him. He will be ambushed and then interrogated. The candidate is not allowed to reveal any details about himself or his mission. It is not uncommon for people to die on this phase. Typically, only 10-15 people will pass this phase. If the candidate completes this final phase of the selection process, he is accepted as a member of the troupe, but only as a trainee. He will then begin to follow the extensive training program. During this time, he will travel all over Gor, meet all of its peoples, and use all of it`s weapons. During this time he is still under close observation by the selection team , made up of current members of the Troupe, and can still be failed. After two years the candidate will be formally accepeted in the Troupe. There is no ceremony or big celebration, he is simply told by the current Commander that he has been accepted in to the Troupe, and given the Scarlet tunic of the Caste of Warriors. There is no special insignia attached to the Tunic, or weaponry of the Troupe. The troupe is made up of 4 active service units, called Agates, and these are simply numbered 1-4. Each Agate is divided again in to 4 Troupes, each one having a certain specialty. These being Tarn, Land, Ship and Mountain Troupes . Each troupe consists of 16 Warriors. Each Troupe has a Captain, who reports to the Agate Captain. The Agate Captain will report to the Senior Captains, of which there are eight, who report to the Commander of the regiment. If the new member has a preference for which troupe he joins, or which Agate, he may ask, and if there are any positions available he will be posted to one of his choice. If not then he goes where the manpower is needed. Equally, if during the selection process, he demonstrates a particular skill at Tarns for instance, then he might well find himself posted to the Tarn Troupe anyway. During the rest of his career with the Troupe, the warrior will find himself enjoying a rich and varied life. He might find himself training in the Mountains of Torvaldsland, or the Great Forests. He may be attached to the Initiates as a BodyGuard, or he may even find himself in the employ of the Priest Kings. He will be trained to a level that the layman cannot even conceive. Trained in many languages, taught by experts, educated to a degree not available to every day Goreans. He will find himself at the center of matters that affect the lives of Thousands of People, and he will without doubt, be at times asked to risk his life for people who he might never meet. He will develop a deep sense of self respect, matters of trivia will not interest him, he will busy himself with matters of the world. The life of the Troupe warrior will be a rewarding one , but not of monetary riches, although he will be better paid than the normal Warrior. For a warrior, nothing exists but Gold and Steel. For a member of the Troupe there exists something more. A sense of duty to his fellow Goreans, irrespective of Caste, a love of life and all that it holds. A Troupe warrior does not fear death, but with his skills and his extra training he will stand a better chance of surviving than any other. He does not enjoy killing, but again, with his training and skills, he will be better and quicker at it then any others. Rollo, founder member of the troupe ... "One of the hardest things to assimilate when you join, is the dedication of the average member of the troupe. He is in it for love, not money, nearly always sacrificing what he could obtain elsewhere... the troupe is the most idealistic institution you can imagine. The troupe comes before anything ..." We are the Warriors, Masters We shall go always that little further it may be, beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, across that angry and glimmering sea