The Path of Ûraken: Putting Theory Into Practice
The Path of Ûraken: Putting Theory into Practice
Give a man a fish he will have enough to eat for a day. <br> Give him a fishing rod and he will have enough to eat for his entire life. Now try giving a fishing rod to a goblin and he will manage to stick the hook through his lip.
”Who knows his enemy and knows himself, will not be defeated in a hundred fights. Who does not know the other, yet knows himself will be victorious once in two fights. Who neither knows the other nor himself will always be defeated.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“Ok let’s not waste time and get this over with! Send the attack formation order, we’re storming the woods.”
“But... Commander Scrofuhl, we don’t even know how many of them are in there! You never know they might be three times as many as us.”
“Yeah true ... but we know how many we are, don’t we?”
“Well ... yeah, I suppose we do.”
“And what happened during our last battle?”
“Well ... with all due respect General, we underwent a damn good trouncing, sir.”
“Exactly! So this time we are bound to win! It’s all about mathematics, I tell ya!”
”The wise warrior will always look to fight on higher grounds.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“And I tell you that trees do not count! Get down from there now and join the others!”
”If a well organized enemy comes upon you in greater numbers you must focus on what is dearest to him and have him bow to your conditions.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“Cozine!”
“Yes , sir!”
“What do you believe Wolfen cherish most?”
“Hum... I’d say grub, sir.”
“And what do you think a Wolfen eats?”
“Usually I wouldn’t know, sir. But here I’d say that we’re on the menu if they’re going to attack.”
“AHA! We’ve got those mongrels! Send them a herald ta tell them that I will not hesitate to throw half of our soldiers into the river if they dare show their muzzle!”
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”War relies on lies. If the situation is favorable to you, do not show it. Trick the enemy by feigning chaos.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“Let’s go over this one more time. Your fleet was clearly superior in numbers and you had favorable winds, alright?”
“Yes, your Honor.”
“And the entire enemy navy was caught between your ships and the reef, is that right?”
“Exactly, your Honor.”
“Therefore, you shipwrecked one fourth of your ships on the rocks, forced part of the crews to jump into the water and ordered to set fire to four other vessels in order to, as you said, ‘Give the illusion of disarray’. Am I still exact?”
“Yes, your Honor. I’ll also add to my credit that I had the Vice-admiral’s ship stormed to have it seem more convincing.”
“And what happened then?”
“Those half-wits fell for it. They steered and slaughtered us without even thinking a second that we could have had them just like that!”
”The rules of military arts will have you surround the enemy if you are superior in numbers by ten to one; assail him at five to one. At two to one, you will divide him. When confronted with equal numbers, you must know how to fight. In inferiority, you must be able to defend yourself; and be able of evading him if he surpasses you in every way.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“We have estimated the barbarian army at more or less two thousand men, General Nütz.”
“And our numbers, Lieutenant?”
“With the reinforcement coming from Klûne, we must be more than thirty thousand.”
“That’s at least two to one, isn’t it?”
“Hum, I’d say so. But they know we are here.”
“What if they do, Lieutenant?”
“Well didn’t the wise say that ‘_a man who knows is worth two_’?”
“Damn... How many is that then?”
“Well, it all depends General... Is a goblin who knows also worth two?”
“There’s nothing about that in the book.”
“And if it does work for goblins, we will never have enough food.”
“By the glands of Rat, it’s too dangerous. Call for retreat!”
“War is all about swiftness. Take advantage of the enemy when he is not ready, attack when not expected to; hit what is not defended.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“Let’s make thinks clear, Commander Khôstic, Operation Maggot was a model of execution and I cannot doubt that the plundering of twelve acres of apple orchard will be a serious blow to the Empire of Akkylannie. But what do you think I’m supposed to do with twenty-eight tons of apple sauce?”
”A leader dishonored by defeat must wash the humiliation with his own blood. By committing seppuku he will demonstrate his loyalty and his scorn for death.”
- Excerpt from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline.
“Well then, sir, what do we do now? What does it say in the book?”
“It says you’ve just been promoted.”
Most of the excerpts from Ûraken’s Treatise on Martial Discipline. were inspired by Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Notes
The Path of Ûraken: Putting Theory Into Practice lore excerpt came from Cry Havoc volume 11.