The Scro Military

Note much of the article below appeared originally within my Realmspace
Updates.  I decided that placing general scro information there was
counterproductive, however, when I began describing the Scro Tarantula
fleet for my Jammers PBEM game and the  _Eledheluial_ fanfiction I'm
writing (that hasn't been abandoned, BTW, I've just been busy:)).  So I
deleted the general Scro information from the Updates and placed it here,
where I edited it and added a lot of things (like "standard" scro
proficiencies and stats:)) The scro as presented here are bit
anachronistic, but I felt their level of organization warrented 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. Also note I raise the max scro level as a priest to 9.

Scro Organization
"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 (SJS1 Goblin's Return, p4)

        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 by Elven intelligence 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.

The Scro Navy
        The Navy is the senior of the two services, and by Scro law a Navy
officer outranks a Marine of the same rank. The upper ranks of the Navy are
dominated by the War priests, who control the helms (the helm room of a
Scro ship is always consecrated as a shrine to the Almighty Dukagsh and
only priests may enter it). This has increased the natural antipathy
between the services because the Scro warriors who dominate the Marines are
suspicious of spell casters on principle.
        The scro Navy's rank system goes as follows 1)Sailor, 2)Gunner,
3)Bosun, 4)Lieutenant, 5)Captain, 6)Admiral. Ship commanders are addressed
as "Captain" regardless of their actual ranks when aboard their vessel. War
priests begin as Lieutenants (minimum rank for a helmsman) and thus have a
head start over other types in advancement. Admirals _never_ command only
one ship. All scro warriors within the fleet should be considered to have
the spacemanship proficiency and the Corsair kit from the Complete
Spacefarer's Handbook. Naval personal typicaly carry scimiter and dagger
and wear studded leather armor. Officers often use starwheel pistols.
        Ship crews are divided up into weapon or sail crews (varying
numbers according to min crew needed for a given weapon). These are then
assigned to one of three ship board "watches" (all Scro ships, regardless
of size, have 3 watches). Watches are typically commanded by Lieutenants
(on smaller vessels where the ship captain is a Lt the watch commanders may
be Bosuns) The ship itself is the next level of organization. Ships are
grouped into ad hoc fleets (typically named after the Flagship of the
Fleet) commanded by an Admiral.
        The scro fleets are much smaller than those of their enemies, the
Elves. They attempt to overcome this by making use of many goblinoid and
mercanary allies, these auxiliaries are never assigned aboard Scro vessels
except as passengers. Allied ships are assigned to Scro battle fleets with
an "advisor", a scro Naval Lt or captain, aboard to insure Scro commands
are followed.

Two sample ship complements follow:
Crew of the SN "Wrackblood", Mantis Class.
Ship's Captain-1 Captain Scro M/P 5/7
1st Mate-1 Captain Scro M/P 5/6
Quartermaster-1 Bosun Scro F5
Chief Helmsman- 1 Lt Scro M/P 5/5
Helmsmen- 3 Lts Scro M/P 3/3 (each commands one ship's watch)
Chief Artillerists-3 Gunners Scro F4
Artillerists- 15 Sailors Scro F3
Chief Deckhands-3 Gunners Scro F4
Deckhands-12 Sailors Scro F3
Total Naval complement-40
Total Marine Complement-32 (Two platoons +1 Lt)

Crew of the SN "Mutilator", Battlewagon Class.
Ship's Captain-1 Captain Scro M/P 5/7
1st Mate-1 Captain Scro M/P 5/6
Quartermaster-1 Bosun Scro F6
Chief Helmsman- 1 Lt Scro M/P 5/5
Helmsmen- 3 Lts Scro M/P 4/4 (each commands one ship's watch)
Chief Artillerists-19 Gunners Scro F4
Artillerists- 32 Sailors Scro F3
Chief Deckhands-3 Gunners Scro F4
Deckhands-34 Sailors Scro F3
Total Naval complement-95
Total Marine Complement-72 (1 company + 3 Lts)
Note: Battlewagons are always fleet flagships, and so they usually have an
Admiral, General, and their staffs aboard as well.

Typical Scro Sailor or Gunner:
3rd level Fighter
WP:scimiter, dagger, Punching Specialist, Ballista, {plus Catapult or
Jettison if a Gunner)
NWP:Spacemanship (12), Signaling (12), Heraldry[space] (10), Rope Use
(12){plus Weaponsmithing (9) or Armorer (10) if a Gunner}

Typical Scro Bosun
5th+ level Fighter
Proficiencies as above plus Bombard, Starwheel, Sail Manipulation (9),
Shipwright (11)

Typical Lieutenant
3/3 Mage/Priest
WP:Scimiter, Dagger, Starwheel, Punching Specialist
NWP:Signaling (17), Spelljamming (13), Spellcraft (13), Herbalism (13),
Healing (10), S/R/W Elvish, Religion[Scro, Elvish] (12), Wildspace
Navigation (13), Phlogiston Navigation (13)

Scro Marines
        The Scro Marines are the junior of the two branches but has the
better fighting reputation and the greater glamour among the
personal-combat loving scro. Marines often view their naval superiors with
ill-disguised contempt.
        The Scro Marines' rank system goes as follows 1)Marine, 2)Corporal,
3)Sergeant, 4)Lieutenant, 5)Captain, 6)General. All Scro Marines should be
considered to have the spacemanship proficiency and the marine kit from the
Complete Spacefarer's Handbook. Marines typically carry scimiter and dagger
and wear studded leather armor. Other weapons are issued as needed.
Officers often use starwheel pistols and at least one squad per platoon
carries arquebuses.
        Squads are made up of 3 marines and one corporal. 4 squads and a
sergeant make up a platoon(17 scro). 4 platoons and a Lieutenant make up a
company (69 Scro). 4 companies and a Captain make up a battalion (277
Scro). Each Battalion typically has 2-6 unattached junior lieutenants in
addition. These Lts are used as the Captain's staff and as commanders for
multi-platoon units that don't quite reach company size (such as the Marine
detachment aboard a Mantis ship). Battalions are numbered (First is the
elite home guard battalion), and each company within a battalion is
numbered from 1 to 4. Platoons are lettered a-d. Thus "D" Platoon, 1st
Company, 11th Marines or in shorthand "D" 1/11. Marine generals typically
command all the marines assigned to a given fleet. In addition, they are in
command of all the ground forces of any attached allies. It is very unusual
to find a Navy admiral without an associated Marine general.

Typical Scro Marine or Corporal:
3rd level Fighter
WP:scimiter (specialist), dagger, Punching Specialist, Arquebus
NWP:Spacemanship (12), Signaling (12), Heraldry[space] (10), Zero-Gravity
Combat (9), Carpentry (16)

Typical Scro Sergeant
4th+ level Fighter
Proficiencies as above plus Weaponsmithing (8), Armorer (9), Black Smithing (16)

Typical Lieutenant
5th level Fighter
Proficiencies as above for sergeant plus Engineering (9), Planetology (10),
Starwheel Pistol

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.
        The High Command proper is supported by an extensive staff of naval
and marine officers. 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
represnt "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 personel assignments, and the lists of
equipment from daggers to battlewagons.  Intelligience collates all the
information sent to Dukagsh from the fleets and makes it comprehensible,
while operations plans fleet movements and deployments.

The Vozagogat
        An order of half-scro spies and assasins.  Based out of a tower,
Vozagogalug, on Dukagsh, the Vozagogat are bred from carefully selected
female human slaves.  They are essentially human, racially, yet thoroughly
indoctrinated in the teachings of Dukagsh. All Vozagogat believe they are
the reincarnation of great scro warriors from the past.  They see
themselves as martyrs, sacrificing their holy scro forms to take the shapes
of the inferior humans so that they main gain information vital to the war
effort.  Becaues they
are fully human biologically, they can easily blend into most wildspace
communities.  They are few, less then a thousand at any one time, and spend
ten years in training, including fieldwork, before entering the order.
Other scro view them with contempt, but also fear them as they are are
skilled warriors and the masters of strange magical powers.

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 those 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 either 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 bloodsports 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
unpleasent 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 world 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-death Serves in military, priesthood, or Gorgoi

Scro Females
        Scro are polygamous, and have abolished counter-productive orcish
customs like female infanticide.  Most Scro officers 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
propogate the race, according to Dukagsh. The females of a scro household
are also in charge of supervising the slaves, when such are present.

_Bibliography_
War Captain's Companion Boxed set:War Captain's Guide, TSR
War Captain's Companion Boxed set:Ship Recognition Manuel, TSR
_The Radient Dragon_ by Elaine Cunningham [Book 4 of the Cloakmaster cycle], TSR
_The Maelstrom's Eye_by Roger Moore [Book 3 of the Cloakmaster cycle], TSR
SJR1 Lost Ships, TSR
SJR2 Realmspace, TSR
SJS1 Goblin's Return, TSR
SJQ1 Heart of the Enemy, TSR
SJR8 Space Lairs, TSR
CGR1 Complete Spacefarer's Handbook, TSR
Spelljammer Boxed set, TSR
"Campaign Classics:The Scro" by Roger Moore, Dragon Annual #1
"Gunne Runner" by Jeff Grub, _Realms of Magic_, TSR
THE BLACK SPEECH (4 Jan 1994 revision) by A.Appleyard, E28d, Materials
Science, UMIST, Manchester 1 (email: A.APPLEYARD@???.??.?????.??.uk)
(Adapted from his article currently stored in the TolkLang archive file
ftp.dcs.ed.ac.uk:/export/TolkLang/articles/Appleyard.BlackSpeech) and at
"Orkish" at the Ardalambion website:
http://www.erols.com/aelfwine/Tolkien/linguistics/resources.html

"We look on the same stars,  the sky is common,  the same world surrounds
us.  What difference does it make by what pains each seeks the truth?  We
can not attain to so great a secret by one road..."
Symmachus,  "Memorial on the Occasion of the Removal of the Altar of
Victory from the Senate House" (392 AD)

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State
Adjunct Faculty, Humanities Department, Columbus State Community College