The Loboshigaru race has a long and honorable history in Hallifax. While their population in the modern era is minimal, in the past Hallifax was graced with a number of loyal Loboshigaru packs. These "vassal packs" served the Collective loyally and well, forming an important part of the military. These packs were destroyed when the depraved leadership of Gaudiguch directed Project Paradox against the city of Hallifax. Although the Collective has prospered since the refounding of Hallifax, the Loboshigaru population of the city has never recovered to its previous levels.

The Loboshigaru of old Hallifax should not be forgotten. Their long years of service to the Collective are more than enough to justify a memorial. Yet, a great deal of Collectivist history was lost with the city's removal from the timestream during the Taint Wars. As such, discovering the history of the vassal packs was a long and arduous endeavour, which has resulted in the publication of this book.

The first portion of this book consists of a full catalogue of papers and artifacts which relate to the vassal packs. Those with an interest in the dating methodology used in assessing these artifacts should turn their attentions to "On the Temporal Dating of Artifacts."

The second portion of this book is a narrative description of my efforts to discover the history of the Hallifaxian loboshigaru packs. It details the research process within the sections of the Library of Universal Knowledge's archives that date back to the Taint Wars, as well the archaelogical expeditions deployed by the Institutional Society of Hallifax to recover artifacts pertaining to the backs.

The third and final portion of the book details the results of this research. It describes the nature of the vassal packs of Hallifax during the early imperial period to which all of my findings are dated. It likewise describes their role in Hallifaxian society, and the nature of their honorable service to the Collective.

 

PART ONE

This catalogue contains a full transcription of all historical documents that were used in preparing that work. It also includes descriptions of all major artifacts recovered during the archaelogical expeditions described therein.

All of these documents and artifacts have been dated to the Early Imperial Period, that being the first two centuries of the Holy Celestine Empire. This was accomplished via the means described in "On the Temporal Dating of Artifacts" by Portius Windwhisper. The devices used in this method, which is amongst the most accurate available to historians at present, were powered by a direct connection to the Matrix.

While the artifacts were recovered from several different sites, and are organized according to their site of recovery in this volume, all of the documents were recovered from the archives of the Library of Universal Knowledge. While many such documents survived Project Paradox, the vast majority of them exist in only a fragmentary state. All missing and ilegible passages of such documents are noted in their transcriptions.

The artifacts described in these pages are currently considered the collective property of Hallifax. They have been placed into the care of the Institutional Society of Hallifax, and are to be displayed in public at the discretion of that society.

LIEUTENANT PAVOK'S REPORT TO THE HIGH COMMAND

This document has been classified by order of the High Command. It is not to be dispersed to those who have not been granted special clearance to view its contents. Viewing this document without such clearance has been deemed a felony by the Board of Directors. [By order of the Library of Universal Knowledge as embodied by the Librarian thereof, this document is hereby declared to be of purely historical significance and therefore to be declassified.]

I, Lieutenant political officer Inix Pavok, do [Several illegible words. Assuming this document follows the format of other from the same period, the illegible passage reads "fully and sincerely affirm"] that the contents of this report are true in their entirety. I do consent to submit to the judgment of my superior officers and to bear whatever penalty they deem proper should any portion of this report to be found false, whether that falsehood is a result of malice or incompetence. I swear that the contents of this report shall remain confidential, and to submit to the judgment of my superior officers and to whatever penalty they deem proper should I be found responsible for any breach of that confidentiality.

Lieutenant political officer Inix Pavok. [Note that this signature was written in an elaborate calligraphic form that seems to have been common amongst both military officers and artists of this period.]

This report was compiled at the command of Marshal Nedloh Sunfar. Its primary objective is to perform a thorough analysis of the customs and ideological purity of the vassal packs of Loboshigaru. Secondary objectives are to assess the military use of those populations and to determine if they should be allowed to continue to exist in their present state. This information was to be obtained through my deployment as the political officer attached to the pack of Pakru.

THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE PACK

There are currently seven packs of Loboshigaru that have pledged allegiance to the Collective. Each of these packs, which are designated according to the name of their leader in accordance with the Loboshigaru custom, is a partially autonomous subculture within Hallifaxian society. These packs do not differ in their structure from the packs which retain their full independence.

The Loboshigaru pack is a collection of interrelated family groups. Leadership emerges within each of these component family groups, with that leadership usually falling upon the eldest members of the group. In addition to the leading elders of the pack, a number of members will rise to prominence due to possessing an exceptional degree of competence in a respected skill. In many cases, the exceptionally talented Loboshigaru will be the only member of the pack to possess the distinguishing skill. In the rare cases where multiple members of the pack have an unusually skill, they will usually be granted leadership status upon the completion of their training at the hands of their master. This is most common in the case of poets. Members of the first group are commonly referred to as "honored elders." Members of the second group are referred to by a title that is generally translated out of the Loboshigaru language as "master" but may also be accurately translated as "sage." The overall leader of the pack is drawn from one of these two groups, which serve as his advisors and officers. The method of selection used to determine the pack leader varies dramatically from pack to pack. Trials by combat are common, as is granting leadership to the eldest pack member. The pack of Pakru to which I was attached is of the latter variety.

It is generally impossible for an outsider to be integrated into a pack without a familial tie of some kind. Marriage is considered acceptable in such cases, presuming the prospective member has been determined to be an acceptable match. It is common for sages to join packs in this manner, as the desirability of their skills renders their integration quick and easy. On occasion, packs have been known to merge, generally after the population of one of the packs has been greatly reduced through a battle or disaster. In such a case full integration is usually obtained after [Here a short word, presumably a number, has been rendered illegible.] generations. Many Loboshigaru seem [Here another passage is illegible. It is estimated to be the majority of a sentence. It is speculated to refer to opinion of the Loboshigaru on some manner of relationship, likely that which they have with Hallifax] in a similar manner.

Support personnel who are assigned to provide assistance to a vassal pack often find themselves in a state of partial integration. They are not given any notable status within the pack itself, but they are given precedence over strangers. This is the case regardless of whether or not the person in question is a Loboshigaru himself.

Children are raised communally, and are often apprenticed to masters who are not members of the pack for short periods of time. This was traditionally done to build ties with other packs, but amongst our vassal packs it is common for this custom to be adapted for use in integrating Loboshigaru children into the conventional Hallifaxian educational system.

DEVIANT CUSTOMS

The Loboshigaru population retains many deviant customs from the period prior to their assimilation. While their pack structure is perhaps the most outwardly visible of these, it is far from the only such deviancy. Cultural assimilation has been minimal, and where is has occurred has usually been a repurposing of existing cultural norms to be integrated with standard Collectivist culture.

Many Loboshigaru do not use their caste as the focal point of their personal identity. Caste is generally considered to be secondary to the pack. This phenomenon is likely due to the fact that an overwhelming majority of the Loboshigaru population are employed as soldiers. This explanation is supported by the observation that those Loboshigaru who are not employed in that capacity tend to identify more strongly with their case than the soldiers do, although even such abnormal Loboshigaru identify quite strongly with their pack. Furthermore, even those Loboshigaru who are not primarily employed as soldiers often take to the battlefield. Their poets, in particular, are expected to show a great deal of personal heroism, and use their military achievements as the primary topic of their poetry. It seems that the distinction between the castes is not as strongly respected amongst the Loboshigaru population as would be optimal.

The packs are also reluctant to integrate themselves into the standard command structures of Hallifax. They cling to the partial autonomy which they were granted in the treaties of assimilation, and as such orders must be given to the leader of the pack directly, who must be considered to be the pack's commanding officer. The leader then makes arrangements for all necessary tasks to be performed. This is no particualr hinderence to military duties, but does tend to create difficulties and inefficiencies in the performance of civillian tasks.

This partial integration into Hallifaxian society is mirrored in the personal affairs of the Loboshigaru citizenry. They retain their own distinctive style of dress, with only small concessions to Hallifaxian norms. In particular, they have retained the peculiar custom of bearing arms at all times. They have likewise retained their own customary cuisines, musical styles, and other such customs. It should be noted that these are slowly shifting to resemble Hallifaxian norms, and as such it may reasonably be expected that they will eventually abandon the bulk of their traditional ways.

MILITARY UTILITY

The Loboshigaru have distinguished themselves as a powerful fighting force. In total, the vassal packs provide nearly one third of the Collective's standing army. These troops maintain many of their traditional forms of combat, and as such are best deployed as distinct units.

The Loboshigaru race is well suited for war. They are endowed with great strength and agility, and a remarkable capacity to both withstand injuries and to recover from them. While they are generally not endowed with a strong tactical mind, they produce a sufficiently large number of anomolies to provide their packs with an adequate corp of military officers. Given these traits, they are poorly suited to combat in close formation, and are best deployed as shock troops and raiders.

Military training amonsg the packs begins at an early age, and includes instruction in both military and meditative techniques. The purpose of the meditative training is to give the student control over their instinctive violent tendencies, and to use those urges in a controlled manner in battle. Given the great proficiency for violence which seems to be common to all Loboshigaru, instruction in self control is to be encouraged.

The military training which all Loboshigaru receive is focused on the use of their traditional weapons. This begins with instruction in several unarmed techniques which are used both independently and in tandem with their traditional weapons. The most common of these weapons are long-bladed polearms of varying styles. A peculiar variety of club is also in common use, which is approximately half the length of its wielder and studded with large pieces of granite. Ceremonial versions of these weapons also exist and are occasionally carried into battle by particularly famed fighters. These ceremonial varieties are often engraved with poems, and in the case of the club often replace the granite with pieces of quartz.

The majority of Loboshigaru wear no armour when they go into battle. Those that choose to wear armour generally favour a variety carved from wood, which is generally embellished with a wide variety of decorations. This armour is designed for ceremonial use as much as practical, as the regenerative capabilities of the race render most armour to be superfluous.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the peculiar custom of the war poet. Those sages who are proficient in poetry are expected to serve as leaders in war, and to recite the classic epics of their people until the battle is joined. They are then expected to observe the great deeds being performed by their comrades, and begin to laud them in improvised verse as the battle progresses. These improvised verses are later edited and added to the poet's repetoire. It should be noted that this custom has slowly begun to spread to the rest of the Hallifaxian military.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The vassal packs are of great use to the Collective. It is my professional opinion that their military utility vastly outweighs their cultural deviancy. In particular, their unique military talents allow them to fulfill roles that the trill and lucidian majority population can only fulfill with great difficulty. Furthermore, the low cost of equipping Loboshigaru soldiers renders the packs the most cost-efficient regiments in service.

As such, I advise the High Command to exercise extreme caution in attempting to manipulate the culture of the packs. While further integration into our society and further adoption of our cultural norms would be desirable, cultural changes carry a risk of destroying their military traditions and thereby reducing their value to the Collective. In this case, I feel that their deviancy is best tolerated.

In order to mitigate the risks associated with that deviancy, I also advise that the High Command increase the allotment of political officers granted to each pack. At present they are assigned the same number as any other regimnet. Given their deviancy, this seems unwise. An increased number of political officers will increase the chances of detecting dangerous cultural shifts while they can still be prevented.

Furthermore, I advise that all support staff granted to Loboshigaru packs be assigned to a single pack for the duration of their careers, in order to increase integration into the pack.

Finally, I suggest that a number of new recruits to the Hallifaxian military be trained by the vassal packs, if such a thing can be arranged. This will allow us to spread their combat techniques throughout the Collective, so that they can be preserved in the event that the packs prove to be unreliable. Given the strong instinctive loyalty of the Loboshigaru as a race, such an event is unlikely. However, there is no reason not to prepare ourselves for such a contingency.

REQUISITION

[This document's heading is illegible.]

In accordance with article seventeen of the Standardized Millitary Supply Statute, the military regiment designated "Pack of Kanimi" formally requisitions the following objects deemed to be of military importance.

Thirty-four weapons of a type to be determined by the preferences of the soldier to which they are issued. These are necessary to replace those which have been lost in battle over the course of our previous deployment.

Standard rations sufficient to support ninety-seven soldiers, recurring.

Three political officers. These are necessary to replace those who died in battle over the course of our previous deployment.

I, Kanimi, do fully and sincerely affirm that all of these requests are necessary and proper to the functioning of the unit under my command. I do consent to arrange for compensation to be provided to the Commissariat for the Supply of Irregular Troops should they be misued or wasted by myself or those under my command.

CASUALTY REPORT

[Judging by the style of handwriting employed in this report, it was written in great haste.]

I, Doctor Ax'ii Shevat, [The remainder of this sentence is illegible. It is most likely similar to the one in Inix Pavok's report.] I do consent to submit to the judgment of my superior officers and to bear whatever penalty they deem proper should any portion of this report to be found false, whether that falsehood is a result of malice or incompetence. I swear that the contents of this report shall remain confidential, and to submit to the judgment of my superior officers and to whatever penalty they deem proper should I be found responsible for any breach of that confidentiality.

A. Shevat

This casualty report pertains to the recent engagement between the Tertiary Expedition Force and the joint force of dwarves and Gaudiguchis under the command of King Numir of the [Two illegible words.]

The battle resulted in a costly victory. Three distinct regiments fought for the Collective, these being the pack of Harata, the Primary Amethyst Regiment, and the Company of the Golden Hound. The casualties are as follows.

The pack of Harata suffered seven fatalities out of its operational strength of [Number illegible] combatants. All of the slain were dispatched by strong blows to the head which most likely proved sufficient to dispatch them immediately. Seventy-nine percent of the remaining soldiers of this unit were wounded in the battle, many of them quite seriously. In light of their remarkable capacity for natural healing, I have deprioritized their treatment. At the time of writing, little over a day after the battle, the majority of those wounded have returned to full functionality.

The Primary Amethyst Regiment suffered thirty-nine fatalities out of its operational strength of three hundred combatants. The majority of the dead of this unit died due to blood loss after sustaining wounds that were not immediately fatal. Thirty percent of the remaining soldiers of this unit are wounded. Their treatment is being prioritized, but it is anticipated that approximately half of the wounded will perish within the next two days.

The Company of the Golden Hound was entirely exterminated. As per standard doctrine, the mercenary contingent of our military was deployed in the most dangerous part of the fighting in order to spare the lives of proper Collectivists.

All of the corpses which could be recovered have been gathered for dispersal amongst the assorted research laboratories and medical schools of the Collective, and should arrive with this report.

LETTER

[The uppermost portion of this letter had been torn off at some point. Given the rough nature of the tear, accidental damage seems more likely than a deliberate attempt at censorship.]

I feel as though I must thank you for providing me with a new labour force. The Loboshigaru workers with which I have been supplied have adapted to their new role in the Collective far more quickly than I had expected. A small number of them do seem to be displeased with the arrangement and wish to return to military duty, but the majority of them seem to be content to serve in this new manner. I shall be sorry to see them go when this truce inevitably ends and they must return to active duty. Productivity has increased by nearly seventy percent ever since they replaced the old complement of servants. It is a shame that the Collective lost their services, of course, but it seems that the plague did have a silver lining in that it revealed the industrial usefulness of our Loboshigaru minority.

It is difficult for me to judge which of their many beneficial qualities I find most endearing. There is a part of me that wishes to say it is their endless reserves of energy and their ability to work for far longer hours without rest than the trill servants which I had previously employed. And yet, to declare that to be their best feature seems to undervalue their excellent vision and manual dexterity. Precision is important in their line of work, and their work is so precise that they make nearly no mistakes. This naturally reduces the rate of attrition among workers due to injury, which is still further reduced by their natural healing capabilities.

I shall have to speak with the chairman about arranging for more of these fine people to join the Collective. My uncle is a reasonable man, and I am certain that when he hears of their many assets he will deploy the diplomatic service to see about bringing more independent packs into the Collective. We might see about arranging an incentivized breeding program as well, to increase the chances of proper ideological indoctrination.

Once again my dear Xynkui, you have my thanks. Please give me regards to your sister.

Signed with love and respect,
Udeau Adom [NOTE: This letter seems to predate the chairmanship of Cririk Adom by several centuries. It is almost certain that the uncle referred to in the letter is a different Chairman Adom.]

MOUNTAIN TOMB

The Triple Tomb site was discovered accidentally during a prospecting expedition in Avechna's Teeth.  The precise location has been classified in order to prevent the tomb from being disturbed by looters, but in general terms it was discovered some thirty miles north of the Bridge of Wings. Custody of the site has been given to the Institutional Society of Hallifax, and entering it without the permission of that society is considered an act of criminal trespass. Citizens of Hallifax who are found guilty of that crime shall be sentenced to reeducation and servitude. Foreign nationals found guilty of that crime shall instead be executed.

The Triple Tomb consists of four chambers which have been carved into the ground. It is entered through a descending stairway, which had been filled in by rubble until its discovery by the prospecting expedition. The chambers are arranged in a simple line proceeding straight onwards from the stairs. Each of the chambers shares certain structural similarities. All of the walls seem to have been smoothed quite thoroughly, and have been entirely covered in mosaic. Several of these mosaics have survived in a nearly complete state, while the majority have been largely destroyed. The chambers are all equal in size, being rectangular prisms with a length of twelve feet, a width of ten feet, and a height of eight feet.

Each chamber of the tomb seems to have been devoted to a single purpose. They are described here in the order in which they are entered as one proceeds from the entry stairway, along with a description of the artifacts recovered from that chamber.

The first chamber was minimally furnished. It was empty, save for six identical statues, with three placed in even intervals on each side of the chamber, and a pair of braziers situated at the entrance. The mosaics of this chamber were not intact, although their prior existence is shown by a small number of blue and silver tiles attached to the walls.

Artifacts one through six: Loboshigaru Guardian Statues

This set of six identical statues was recovered from the first chamber of the tomb. They are life sized statues of Loboshigaru warriors, standing at attention and armed with large clubs. These clubs are inlaid with large lumps of quartz. The Loboshigaru warriors are depicted as wearing robes and a breastplate which seems to be constructed from planks. The statues themselves seem to be carved from the same sort of granite as the tomb's walls, likely granite which was obtained during the excavation of the tomb itself.

Aritfacts seven and eight: Braziers

This is a matched pair of silver braziers. They are five feet tall, with four and one half feet of that height being provided by a long stem, to which a simple bowl is attached. White ceramic hemispheres are placed at even intervals around the rim of the bowls. These bowls held a large supply of charcoal at the time of discovery.

The second chamber seems to have been an armoury. This chamber was likely looted at some point in its history, as the majority of the weapon racks were empty. A small portion of this room's mosaic has remained intact, although the majority of it did not survive until the present day.

Ariftact nine: Second Chamber Mosaic

Approximately one square foot of this mosaic has remained intact. The surviving portion depicts the face of a dracnari with smoke rising from its mouth. Above the head one can see a small number of silver tiles connected to a single brown tile. It seems most likely that this mosaic originally depicted a battle scene of some kind.

Artifacts ten through thirteen: Weapon Racks

These are simple wooden racks, essentially identical to those used to hold weapons in the modern era. Judging by their size, these racks were used primarily to hold polearms. They have a capacity of six weapons each. They have been carved from granite. Only one of these racks, artifact number thirteen, was still holding weapons at the time of its discovery. It help artifacts fourteen through sixteen.

Artifact fourteen: Ceremonial Club

This is a long wooden club of the type which we believe to have been commonly employed by Loboshigaru warriors. It corresponds to the description of such weapons in the report by Inix Pavok, being approximately three feet and one half feet long and made of solid oak. The end of the club is studded with quartz, which seems to imply that this was a ceremonial, rather than practical weapon.

Artifact fifteen: Ceremonial Spear

This is a spear with a steel head of the type still in common use in the modern era and an oak shaft with a length of eight feet. The blade seems to have been engraved with words, although time has rendered them illegible. The engraving was most likely a short poem, which would imply that this was also a ceremonial weapon.

Artifact sixteen: Composite Bow

This is a bow constructed of layers of wood and leather, with a length of approximately six feet when unbent. It was discovered unstrung. The bow itself was painted a bright shade of blue, as indicated by the small amount of paint still present in the center portion of the bow. The remainder of the paint appears to have flaked off of the weapon over the years.

The third chamber bears a resemblance to the meditative chambers of the Tosha monastery. It contains three raised platforms made of stone, which seem to be structurally integrated into the tomb itself. The mosaic is entirely intact.

Artifact seventeen: Third Chamber Mosaic

This single mosaic covers all four walls as well as the ceiling of this chamber. The portion on the ceiling depicts a single loboshigaru dressed in silver robes, an image which takes up the entirety of the ceiling. It is most likely that this is an image of Tosha. The walls depict seventeen Loboshigaru dressed in robes of various colours. Seven of these are shown to be meditating in a seated position. The remaining ten loboshigaru are shown fighting duels with training staves while standing on raised platforms similar to the ones found in the chamber itself.

Ariftacts eighteen through twenty: Meditation Platforms

These platforms, which are made of the same granite as the floor to which they are connected, rise to a height of one foot. They are simple cubes, and are entirely devoid of decoration of any kind. Wooden platforms of similar dimensions are commonly employed in the Tosha monastery by monks who practicing their combat skills, and it seems likely that these were designed for the same purpose, although given that they are placed within a tomb, likely without any expectation of actual use.

Chamber four holds a single large platform in the center of the room, upon which three corpses had been laid. Its mosaic appears to have remained intact.

Artifact twenty-one: Chamber Four Mosaic

This mosaic is abnormal in that it is composed of entirely uniform tiles of a single colour. Each of these tiles is one square inch in size, and is silver in colour. Every wall as well as the ceiling of the chamber is entirely covered with them. There are no signs that tiles of other colours or shapes were attached to any of them in a second layer.

Artifact twenty-two: Burial Platform

This is a raised platform constructed from granite, which reaches of a heigh of three feet. It is eight feet long and six feet wide. Three corpses have been laid upon it. The sides of the platform have been engraved with poetry, the majority of which has been rendered illegible. The portion which can still be read near the top of the platform, a translation of which out of the original Loboshigaru is as follows.

"Cuetaku first sang me, that I might be his honour
the full remembrance of his deeds and of his valour
of the foes that he slaughtered for his dear spire..."

The remainder is entirely illegible. Judging by the proportion of the writing which is legible, the illegible portion amounts to approximately seven hundred lines.

Ariftact twenty-three: The Sage's Corpse

This corpse, which has long since decayed to a fully skeletal form, is that of a loboshigaru. It was wrapped in a shroud of silver silk, embroidered with golden lotuses. A wooden necklace of unadorned spheres was placed around the corpse's neck, and a headband of similar spheres was placed around the top of the skull. The corpse shows no signs of trauma or damage, implying that the loboshigaru in question died of either old age or illness. Of the two options old age is the more likely, given that there are no signs of any known diseases in the bones and that loboshigaru tend to be extraordinarily healthy.

Artifact twenty-four and twenty-five: The Warriors' Corpses

These two skeletons are so similar that it seems reasonable to conclude that they were identical twins. They are dressed in wooden armour, which consists of several joined planks running up and down the torso and several wide boards made of joined planks placed on the upper and lower arms. Several similar boards are attached to the breastplate, forming a sort of skirt. A large beryl, carved into the shape of a lotus, has been set into each of the breastplates. Each of the skeletons is gripping a spear, similar to the spear found in the second chamber of the tomb.

TORONADAN BATTLEFIELD

It is believed that the casualty report transcribed previously in this volume refers to a battle which occurred near the mouth of the Toronanda river. The mouth and first mile of the river were dredged rather thoroughly, and several artifacts of interest were discovered. A temporal analysis of their age revealed them to be from the appropriate era.

Artifact one: A Loboshigaru Skull

This skull was discovered under a very thick layer of mud, which is thought to have preserved it from complete destruction. The forehead has been completely shattered, which implies that it came from one of the Loboshigaru reported as dead by Doctor Shevat. The skull itself is abnormally thick by loboshigaru standards, which would imply that its original owner had suffered frequent , nonlethal head injuries over the course of his life.

Artifacts two through sixty-eight: Engraved Arrowheads

A large number of engraved steel arrowheads were recovered from the river. These arrowheads are abnormally large and feature long barbs along the edge, which is consistent with the sort of arrowhead commonly used by Loboshigaru in more recent history. The engraving seems to have been performed with abnormally great skill, as the arrowheads are graced with richly detailed engravings of lotuses, snarling heads, and other images common to Loboshigaru art.

Artifact sixty-nine: A Large Coin

This gold coin is approximately triple the size of those in common use in Hallifax and those states with which it had economic relations in the early imperial period. It is consistent with those employed by many Krokani populations during that period, and as such it is presumed to have been carried by a mercenary, either in the service of Hallifax or the Dwarven-Gaudiguchi alliance.

Artifact seventy: Gaudiguchi Chainmail

This is a damaged piece of bronze chainmail of the variety historically employed by the rabble of Gaudiguch. Many of the chain links have been bent out of shape, implying they were struck with a blunt weapon of some kind, likely one of the clubs employed by Loboshigaru soldiers.

MEDITATIVE VERSES

[It should be noted that the following poem was found on a scroll without any explanation, and written in the Loboshigaru language. It has been translated into the common language. This poem is presumed to have been intended as an educational tool and an aid in meditation, as similar poems are still employed by the monks of Tosha in the present era.]

I am the voice of the aging Cuetaku
who holds many memories in his old head
who has done many things in his long life
who has forced peace into his old soul.

There are ten thousand foes a man must face
he is opposed by them all with every breath
and they must be conquered if he is to live
if he is to grasp his spear or his bow.
The enemy is wrath, the foeman is rage
and the passion that burns deep in the heart
and rashness of spirit, and the hot temper.
The ten thousand angers burn in the soul
and each one must be mastered with every breath.
When the fire is quenched, when the blood is cooled
then there is peace, and then life can remain.

When they are chained, then we can have power
when hot anger kneels, when wrath finds submission
when they can serve us, we do not answer to them
when that is attained, then our lives can begin.
Then their power supports us, it makes us strong.
There is no flaw that we cannot force to submit
there is no flaw that we cannot force to serve.
The soul must be empty, so we must chase them all out
and then return them to ourselves when we are able
when our minds have mastered themselves, when we are pure.

When our anger is chained, then at last we can learn
the seven forms of the staff, that first art of war
when anger has cooled, when we are serene
then we can learn, then our limbs will obey us
and we can grasp weapons, then we can serve.

When our wrath has submits, then at least we can learn
to hold our hands open, to strike out with our palms
to fight with ourselves as our only weapon
then we can learn, then our limbs will obey us
and we can feel courage, then we can serve.

We must hold serenity close, our soul must be empty
then we can see clearly, we can feel beauty
and at last we can live in some peaceful manner
then we can build with out hands and not only destroy
and live without fear, so that we may know peace.
All are conscripted for the war for peace in the soul
and each one must triumph, or he shall be condemend
but the sage needs far more, even when he has won
he must continue the struggle, master the passions
so they may never rise again, that they may never return.
He must wake each morning and turn his eyes on his soul
and gaze ever inward, to scout out the foes within him
and learn what must be conquered and ably supressed.
He must turn to the scourge and bleed out his weakness
he must master his breath, and breathe out his crimes
he must place his soul firmly in unbreakable chains.
He must imprison himself, he must condemn his own soul
only then may a man truly begin to live life as a sage.

When our soul is chained, then at last we can learn
the arts of the mind, the first skill of the sage
when we rule ourselves, when we are serene
then we can learn, and our tongues will obey us
and we can forge verses, then we can serve.

When we condemn our own souls, then at last we can learn
the way of teacher, to guide others to virtue
to conquer themselves, to cool their hot wrath
then we can teach, and our tongues will obey us
and pack can live well, then all can serve.

I am the voice of the aging Cuetaku
who holds many memories in his old head
who has done many things in his long life
who has forced peace into his old soul.

 

PART TWO

My investigations into the Loboshigaru of old Hallifax began quite unexpectedly. A routine prospecting expedition into the mountains, led by Deputy Economic Officer Klaeyo Xayuc, discovered the Triple Tomb entirely by accident during the course of their ordinary duties. This discovery was reported to the Institutional Society of Hallifax, which immediately resolved to launch a full investigation of the site. The duty of managing that investigation fell upon me, in light of my experience in historical research and my thorough knowledge of the Library of Universal Knowledge's archives.

When I first set out from the city to investigate the site, I did not have high expectations. At that point nothing had been uncovered except for the stairway leading down into the tomb. I expected it to be an old mine or storage facility of some kind, likely connected to a dwarven society. As such, I initially refrained from dedicating too many resources to the excavation project. I conscripted a labour force of only twelve servants, and took only a single student, one Vilava Sunfar, to serve as an assistant. After the first day of excavations, when the stairway had been entirely cleared, it became readily apparent that the site was of great historical importance, and I was forced to adjust my previous assessment.

I immediately returned to Hallifax and conscripted a full excavation team. This consisted of sixty servants, broken into five teams of twelve. Each of these teams was managed by a promising student with an interest in historical matters. These teams worked in shifts in the customary manner, such that at least one team was constantly at work. As it happened, the excavation required far less work than had been anticipated. The vast majority of the debris that had to be removed was near the entrance of the tomb, and the inner chambers were in a reasonable pristine condition.

When I began the long task of cataloguing the artifacts which had been recovered, I began to wonder if the tomb had any connection to Hallifax. It seemed quite likely that it did, given the proximity of the site to the city, but at the time I had no knowledge of any significant links between the Collective and any significant loboshigaru populations. I resolved to investigate the matter, and left miss Sunfar in charge the archaelogical efforts so that I could return to the city and turn my attention to our archives.

The majority of the contents of our historical archives are unknown. They date back to the founding of the city itself, and they were thrown into disarray and many documents were damaged when the city was targetted by Gaudiguch during the Taint Wars. In light of that, the contents of the archives are in many cases entirely unknown. However, they still struck me as being the most likely source of clear information regarding the relationship between old Hallifax and the loboshigaru race.

It took several weeks for me to begin to find the information that I had been seeking. My first discovery was the casualty report detailed in the companion volume, which led to several expeditions being deployed to find the site of the battle which it mentions. The site was eventually discovered, which led to the dredging of the early sections of the Toronada river. This task was likewise entrusted to miss Sunfar, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for her supreme competence.

While the river was beind dredged, I continued my efforts in the Hallifaxian archives. I found several volumes which were of interest, although none were quite so fascinating as the report written by Lieutenant Pavok. I do not think it is unreasonable for me to say that his report is the most important document which I recovered, given the extent to which it guided all of my conclusions.

I also began a study of modern loboshigaru customs throughout the Basin, so that I would be able to compare them to their ancient customs. The bulk of my efforts were directed towards the study of the practices of the Toshan monks. The esteemed Daraius Shevat was of great assistance to me in this process, and I thank him for sharing his knowledge on this topic.

Once all of the artifacts had been safely brought to Hallifax, they were dated through the temporal techniques which have recently come into common use in Hallifax. The documents were dated through the same method, and to my surprise I discovered that all of the artifacts and documents were from the same general time. I have found no references to loboshigaru in the Collective outside of the early imperial period, although I am inclined to hypothesize that the lack of information is due to a gap in the archaelogical and archival records rather than an absence of loboshigaru from the Collective. It seems unlikely that the population would be so short-lived. However, while I expect that the loboshigaru presence in Hallifax extends beyond the early imperial period, I cannot say that it did with certainty. While many hours were spent searching the archives for references to later periods, I was unable to find any. That said, the contents of the vast majority of the archives remain unknown. It is unfortunate that my time is finite, and that I was unable to peruse all of the documents that might have provided relevant information.

The remainder of this book is dedicated to presenting the information which I did manage to find, as well as the inferences which I have drawn from that information. It is my sincere hope that they shall be of interest not only to the entire Collective, but to all the loboshigaru of the Basin. It also my most fervant hope that both the Board of Directors and all virtuous loboshigaru both foreign and domestic shall take note of these findings and attempt to reinstate the vassal packs of Hallifax, that the Collective may once again benefit from their unique and honorable form of service.

PART THREE

The vassal packs of old Hallifax were discrete subcultures within the Collective. They retained many of their old customs, rather than culturally assimilating into Hallifaxian society as was the norm for other politically assimilated groups. These packs retained their own internal leadership structure, which was responsible for ensuring that all orders given to the pack by the state were carried out. This unique relationship between the pack and state is the reason for their designation as the "vassal packs."

The loboshigaru of these packs served the Collective primarily in a military capacity. This is, perhaps, unsurprising, given the violent instincts that are common to nearly all loboshigaru. The packs were treated as discrete military units for purposes of both administration and deployment, seemingly with the right to choose their own officers according to their own customs. Support staff were likely an exception to this policy, as many of the skills employed by such people were, and still are, rare among the loboshigaru. Such soldiers were presumably assigned to the packs in the usual way. One such man, who was a political officer by the name of lieutenant Pavok, wrote the most complete report on the vassal packs currently available. He notes that such support staff, once attached to a pack, tend to be placed in an intermediate social position between those of full membership and outsider status. This state of partial assimilation likely results from the tendency of loboshigaru to mistrust those outside of their primary social group, and their unwillingness to integrate such people. Long exposure and close contact, as is inevitable in the case of such support personnel, would eventually result in the partial supression of that instinct and the development of a modicum of trust, but it seems most likely that no outsider could ever truly become a member of the pack.

The pack, which was named after its leader, seems to have been the primary source of social identity in the loboshigaru of Hallifax, having been granted even more importance than caste. Indeed, it may not be entirely unreasonable to suppose that the loboshigaru of old Hallifax saw the castes themselves as other packs which consisted primarily on trill and lucidians. This general deemphasis of caste as a source of identity was likely caused by a combination of two factors. The first is the simple and instinctive tendency of the loboshigaru race to identify with a pack, and to define themselves according to their membership in that group. The other factor is the universality of military training and service among the members of the vassal packs. The vast majority of the loboshigaru of Hallifax were professional soldiers, and even those with rarer skills, called "masters" or "sages" by the loboshigaru, were expected to engage in military activities. Even their artists, the most prominent of which were poets, went into battle. The poets were even expected to fight at the forefront of the battle, to do great deeds even as they sang their own praises and those of their packmates in verse. This merger of the castes likely lead the loboshigaru of the vassal packs to disregard caste as a source of identity due to the simple fact that they themselves tended not to work exclusively within the traditional bounds of any single caste.

Given this degree of social deviancy, one might be excused for wondering how the vassal packs could be considered a useful part of the Collective, or why they were not forced to assimilate into Hallifaxian culture. There are, of course, a multitude of factors that most likely contributed to their acceptance. The first, and most likely the most significant of these factors was simple pragmatism. The vassal packs could offer a great deal to Hallifax, and fill many roles that the trill and lucidian majority populations could not. The loboshigaru were, and still are, far better suited to combat than the shards of Xyl and Trillillial, especially in the role of shock troops and irregulars. I think it is quite likely that their social deviancy would be tolerated in light of their contributions to the Collective, especially in light of the fact that their deviancy was largely superficial. The pack strucutre carries with it an inherent respect for authority and hierarchy, after all, and the packs did maintain rational internal social structures of their own. There is also no evidence to suggest that they attempted to subvert the social structure of Hallifax at large. As such, their deviancy was most likely thought to be largely harmless. It should be noted that it did warrant observation, and lieutenant Pavok did advise that the packs be assigned more than the usual number of political officers. The packs were certainly watched, in case the harmless deviancy escalated into something more dnagerous.

Another factor that likely contributed to the acceptance of the vassal packs in the Collective is the famed loyalty of the loboshigaru race. Once a member of a pack considered himself to be a citizen of Hallifax, deliberate treason was highly unlikely, even if his primary source of social identity was his pack. Betrayal of one's social group, even if it is not one's primary social group, simply goes against the instincts of the majority of loboshigaru. Furthermore, if enemies of the state were considered enemies of the pack, which seems quite likely that the pack was in the state's service, then the loboshigaru would likely be quite resistant to subversion. They would be considered hostile outsiders, who would then be instinctively despised and mistrusted. As such, the loboshigaru were likely considered to be far less of a risk to the security of the Collective than many members of the lower castes, even in spite of their abnormal customs.

Thus we see that the vassal packs were an accepted part of Hallifaxian society. In light of their usefulness, it seems certain that they would have been highly valued by their peers in the military and by the administrators of the bureaucracy. That said, it is difficult to judge how they were viewed by the rest of Hallifaxian society. Given that do not seem to have been known for their artistic or scientific efforts, it seems likely that they would have been ignored or disrespected by the more status conscious parts of Hallifaxian high society. It certainly seems unlikely that members of the vassal packs would be found in the ballrooms of old Hallifax. Given that their poets seem to have served as soldiers in addition to their artistic efforts, and that their work tended to be of an unsentimental nature, in contrast to many of the lauded works of the upper caste, I doubt that even their artists were an accepted part of high society. Even so, the more pragmatic sections of the upper castes would likely have respected their usefulness. It is even more difficult to judge the views of the lower castes. Given that the lower castes tend to have minimal interactions with those of the middle and upper castes, it seems likely that there would have been few widespread opinions on the matter among them.

 

The internal culture of the packs had many peculiarities. Many practices of the vassal packs seem to have been similar to those of the Toshan monks, but the many differences between the two groups cause me to be hesitant in saying that the culture of the vassal packs, which are predated by the Toshan monks, were directly derived from the monastic culture. It seems more likely to me that the culture of the vassal packs is a result of a distinct Toshan influence on a social group that retained otherwise retained pre-Toshan practices. Given that the vassal packs seem to have had a great respect for Tosha, it is likely that they were descended from the more moderate followers of Toshan philosophy, those who did not feel the need to live a fully monastic lifestyle, as compared to the monks who devote themselves wholly to that philosophy.

This dual cultural ancestry is most clearly revealed in the internal political structure of the packs. TWo traits, age and excellence, seem to have been highly valued in the selection of leaders within the pack. Those who gained leadership positions through competence in an abnormal skill were referred to as "sages" or "masters" in the same manner as the leaders of the Tosha monastery. As such, it seems reasonable to conclude that the elevation of the skilled to leadership is an example of Toshan influence on the culture of the vassal packs. Age, in contrast, seems more likely to have originated in the pre-Toshan culture of the loboshigaru race.

We have few references as to which skills might warrant elevation to the status of a master. Given the nature of the position and the sort of skills which are rare amongst the loboshigaru, it seems likely that the skills were of a primarily academic and intellectual nature. However, a specific reference to poets as masters survives. Assuming that this is representative of the culture of the vassal packs in general, it seems reasonable to extrapolate that artists in general would be thought of as masters, which may be a rare Hallifaxian influence on the loboshigaru culture.

Poets seem to have been held in particularly high regard by the vassal packs. It was the poets who retained the history of the packs, and it seems that the poets played a large role in passing on that history and the culture of the packs to young loboshigaru. This includes philosophical lessons, which were recorded in verse, but also the martial history of the pack. The poets were expected to write epic verses in honour of the great deeds done in battle by their comrades. Additionally, they were expected to lead from the front lines, to do such deeds themselves, and to recite verses in praise of themselves and their race as the battle was fought. It should be noted that this custom eventually passed into Hallifaxian society at large, and that the war poet still occupies a place of great honour in every regular military unit. They serve the modern Collective and their regiments in much the same way as the poetic sages of old Hallifax served the Collective and their packs.

Of course, with war comes death. The standard Hallifaxian funerary customs during the early imperial period were quite simple. All components of the body which had either a medical or scientific use, either immediately practical or for research purposes, were removed from the body. The remainder of the body was then disposed of in whichever way was most convenient at the time, generally through cremation. This was accompanied by as much or as little ceremony as the status of the deceased citizen warranted. The funerary customs of the vassal packs stood in stark contrast to the utilitarian practices of the majority of the Hallifaxian population of the period. They loboshigaru of Hallifax constructed tombs in the mountains near the city. Such a tomb would be richly decorated, with statues and mosaics. Given that only a single such tomb has both survived to the present era and has been rediscovered by the Collective, it is difficult to say if the status of the deceased individual had ny bearing on the nature of the tomb. It is certainly reasonable to suspect that that was the case, of course, as that is a trend that is common to a vast majority of cultures. It is also likely that a tomb considered appropriate for a sage would be distinct from a tomb considered appropriate to a normal warrior, even if such traits as the size of the tomb or the richness of the grave goods remained constant.

The tombs were constructed from several chambers, each dedicated to a single purpose. It seems plausible that each of those purposes was deemed to be of great importance for a person such as the tomb's primary inhabitant. Thus the surviving tomb, which was constructed for a sage, tells us a great deal about what sort of things were expected of a sage. The tomb included an armoury, which was only to be expected given the great focus on martial prowess in the culture of the vassal packs. However, in a combination which emphasizes the dual role of the sage in the vassal packs, it also included a chamber that appears to have been dedicated to meditation and training. This chamber included a magnificent mosaic depicting loboshigaru undergoing martial and meditative training. This mosaic also depicted a loboshigaru in silver robes, which is likely a depiction of Tosha, gazing down from the ceiling of the chamber. This seems to reinforce the notion that the sages of the vassal packs have their root in Toshan philosophy. This idea is also supported by the burial chamber, in which the sage is shrouded in silver silk, and the chamber itself is covered in silver tiles. This likely symbolizes the sage as a sort of spiritual disciple of Tosha, who wears the robes that indicate that position just as the monks of the Toshan monastery indicate their master with the colour of their robes. It is of particular interest that this symbolic silver robe is worn in a burial chamber. If it was not worn in life, then that might indicate that the sage has transitioned in death from serving his pack to serving more spiritual ideals, as embodied and represented by Tosha. It seems likely that this is the case, as the surviving reports concerning the lives of the members of the vassal packs do not make any mention of wearing such robes or any others of such spiritual significance. It seems unlikely that such an important part of their identity would have beeen simply overlooked in a report on their customs. The fact that its place in their funerary customs goes unmentioned is, on the other hand, unremarkable, as none of the reports make any mention of their funerary customs.

The fact that the sage's corpse was laid between two other bodies in the tomb, dressed as soldiers, likely represents the sage's close ties to the pack as a whole. They, unlike the elites of many cultures, were not buried alone, but rather with others of their society. The warriors themselves likely had a tie of some kind to the sage in life, likely serving as his bodyguards or companions in battle. Even in death, the sage was tied to his society, and through that society, to battle.

 

The vassal packs also differed from standard Hallifaxian practices in regards to their military service. The vast majority of loboshigaru served the Collective as soldiers, and these soldiers preferred to retain their traditional styles of combat. This must have been perfectly acceptable to their commanders, as their traditional military practices helped the loboshigaru to fill roles that the trill and lucidian majority populations had difficulty filling on their own.

In contrast to their trill and lucidian comrades, who fought in ordered lines of heavy infantry, the loboshigaru soldiers of old Hallifax fought as shock troops and irregular infantry. Their natural durability and ferocity were of great use to them, allowing them to fight in ways that would be prohibitively dangerous to the rest of the Hallifaxian population. They could break through the enemy lines with their great strength and courage, and rely on their natural regenerative abilities to resist injury. This resulted in a remarkably low casualty rate, in spite of the loboshigaru assuming one of the most dangerous places in the order of battle.

The loboshigaru soldiers also preferred to train and equip themselves according to their own customs. Their training regimen included the study of an assortment of unarmed techniques, which were studied both for their practical applications upon the battlefield and for their use in encouraging physical development and cultivating precise control of one's movements. From that point, their training progressed to an assortment of weapons, the bulk of which were used exclusively by the loboshigaru. The least distinctive of these weapons was the spear, which was often employed by conventional Hallifaxian forces of the period, although the style of spear employed by the vassal packs had a significantly longer head than those employed by the rest of the military caste. A long-shafted club was also commonly employed by the members of the vassal packs, the head of which was studded with large pieces of granite. Reconstructive experiments have shown that such a club, wielded by a reasonably strong loboshigaru, can splinter wooden shields of the sort common to the period in a single blow. The loboshigaru also employed a peculair sort of bow in the opening stages of a battle. Their bows, which were of composite constructions, were far longer than those employed by other cultures, even relative to the height of the expected wielder. These bows combined excellent range with superb accuracy, and were certainly deadly weapons.

A peculiarity of the vassal packs was their propensity for ceremonial armaments. These were carried during special occasions by all soldiers of appropriate rank, as is common to the majority of cultures, but they were also carried into battle by those members of the vassal packs that had particularly distinguished themselves. These ceremonial arms, which were generally distinguished from more customary armaments through the inclusion of quartz in decorations and in the place of stone components, were certainly carried into battle by sages, and also by the greatest fighters of the packs. This likely served a practical purpose in allowing officers to easily be identified in the chaos of battle, although given the place of martial poetry in the culture of the vassal packs, there was likely a symbolic component as well.

In addition to ceremonial weapons, such distinguished members of the vassal packs also wore armour of a purely ceremonial nature. The majority of loboshigaru wore no armour, as it was rendered entirely superfluous by their race's exceptional toughness and remarkable regenerative abilities. This armour was constructed from wood, which might expect to be a hinderence in battle against the dracnari and pyromancers of Gaudiguch. It is likely that this increased risk was a large part of the symbolic significance of wearing such armour. The poets, and likely other sages and distinguished fighters, were expected to lead from the front of the pack and win great glory for themselves and thus the pack as a whole in battle. To triumph in spite of hindering themselves, and to mark themselves out as targets with such unnecessary armour was likely seen to increase the glory of a triumphant battle.

The vassal packs were also distinguished from other military units in regards to their command structure. The leaders of the packs in times of peace also served as military officers in battle, with little or no change to the pack's hierarchy regardless of changing circumstances. Leadership in war, just as in peace, fell to the eldest and to the sages. The exception to the abnormality of their command structure was with respect to support staff, which were attached to the packs as they were to any other unit. On rare occasions, such support staff might arise from within the pack itself, with the exception of political officers who had to have no particular social ties to their unit, but the skills of such support staff were rare among the loboshigaru and such people would certainly be considered sages. These support staff, who would include aeromancers, political officers, engineers, and physicians, would serve with a single pack for the bulk of their careers, and over time would be find themselves occupying an intermediate social status between full members of the pack and outsiders. It should be noted that while such staff were assigned in the usual manner, the packs would have had far fewer attached physicians than usual, due to their race's regenerative abilities, and they would be assigned multiple political officers, unlike the majority of units who had only one, due to their cultural abnormalities.

While it is true that the vast majority of the loboshigaru of old Hallifax served the Collective as soldiers, they did serve in other capacities from time to time. Their artists, in spite of their fundamentally militant nature, seem to have produced work of a more peaceful nature on occasion, such as their funerary mosaics. Furthermore, the loboshigaru did occasionally serve the Collective as labourers, although it must be emphasized that they did so quite rarely.

The loboshigaru made for excellent workers. Their loyalty and dedication made them abnormally diligent, even by the standards of Hallifax, but that was far from their only virtue in that regard. They learned their tasks reasonably quickly, and they were well suited for most varieties of manual labour. Their abnormal strength would have been of great use in construction, for example, while their remarkable manual dexterity would have allowed them to excel in all kinds of skilled work. These traits led to the loboshigaru workers being both more productive than other labourers and producing products of a higher quality than most of their peers. That said, they were not innovative workers. It seems that they rarely developed new techniques or technologies. Rather, they excelled in following directions with great speed and precision. They did not discover new things, but rather perfected the application of what was already understood.

In light of their remarkable natural abilities, one might wonder why the loboshigaru were so rarely employed in an industrial capacity. The loboshigaru likely thought that such work was lacking in prestige when compared to military pursuits, and as such only willing pursued it if it struck them as being strictly necessary to do so. In spite of that, they likely would have complied with orders to work in such a capacity in spite of their own wishes. I expect the primary reason for their absence from the industrial labour force is one of opportunity cost. The loboshigaru trained as soldiers constantly. Any time spent working as an industrial labourer is time that could not be spent in training, so regular deployment of the loboshigaru to the labour force would reduce their use as soldiers. Given the value of the loboshigaru as soldiers, and the adequacy of other races as industrial workers, it seems reasonable to presume that the vassal packs were used almost exclusively as a standing army and released into the labour force only in times of great need. Simply put, they were far more replacable as workers than they were as soldiers.

Although the loboshigaru served as soldiers, as poets, and from time to time even as workers, the vassal packs are not known to have produced any noteworthy scientists. The intellectual strength required to serve as a scientist is rare amongst the loboshigaru, and those rare few who might have been able to serve in that capacity were most likely encouraged to serve as sages. Furthermore, the early education of the loboshigaru, which was left to the discretion of the vassal packs themselves, seems to have largely overlooked the sciences in favour of martial training. This likely resulted in the vassal packs producing excellent military officers, even relative to the rest of the Collective, as the very brightest of their population were trained from birth to serve in that way, while the rest of the Collective sent the majority of their most promising pupils to serve as artists or scientists. Given that poetic training seems to have been included in a sage's education, it seems likely that the packs did produce a reasonable number of artists. However, those sages would have split their training between the skills of war and art, which likely prevented them from attaining the peak of excellence.

 

The vassal packs of old Hallifax were an ancient and honorable institution. Not only were they of great practical use to the Collective, but they serve as an excellent example of successful assimilation. Those aspects of loboshigaru culture which were harmful to the packs or to the Collective were discouraged and, in time, eliminated. Those aspects of their culture which were harmless were given no attention. Those aspects which were useful to the Collective were encouraged. In this way the vassal packs were raised up from their savagery by the grace and power of the Collective, and thus were they given a chance to serve the greater good. It improved not only the Collective, which reaped the benefits of the service of the loboshigaru, but also the loboshigaru themselves, whose lives and souls were improved through their membership in the Collective. This relationship is the very height of nobility, for it was a source of great gain for all who were involved in it. It provides an excellent model for the assimilation of small social groups, which I sincerely hope that diplomatic service shall follow in the future.

They are an institution that should, I think be revived. It is most unfortunate that the vassal packs which were destroyed by the vile denizens of Gaudiguch were not reestablished with the rest of the city in the modern era. Until such a time as the loboshigaru once more find a home in Hallifax, and fight for the Collective in the ways which best suit their form, Hallifax cannot be said to have truly regained its former glory. It would be a long and arduous process, but that is the case with the vast majority of deeds that are worth doing. The military would benefit greatly from the addition of the unique mixture of ferocity and discipline which could be obtained by reestablishing the vassal packs. The highest caste would be swelled by their sages, and the labourers would see the benefit of the great skill and stamina of the loboshigaru in times of need.

That is not to say that the institution should go entirely unchanged. Much has been learned since the time of the Celestine Empire, and many of these discoveries would likely be of use to the packs. A slightly higher degree of integration between the vassal packs and Hallifax as a whole would also be of use, to prevent the loss of the unique skills of the vassal packs if they were ever exterminated through enemy actions.

The vassal packs served Hallifax well in the days before the Taint Wars. Their memories should be greatly honoured for that service, which they rendered to the Collective with honour and vigour. May the vassal packs never be forgotten again