by
Aradell
One of the most frequent questions I get, when people learn that I was a professional soldier, is this :
Who would win a fight -- The greatest warrior of today, or the greatest warrior of a thousand years past?
Most often, when I reverse the question, the asker will say ‘the warrior of old’. After all, our legends are filled with the familiar names of ancient hero-warriors, such as Shaedin, Calerin Ejaan, Kaelik, Sonen, and, of course, my namesake, Aradell. These men proved themselves in the battlefield, against singular combatants, and in some cases, against monstrous or otherworldly opponents. The way that those long-ago tales speak, those old warriors could catch arrows, shatter an opponent’s sword over their own skull, and perform feats of strength that would challenge a warhorse.
Have we become weaker over the centuries, softened by the eroding pleasures of civilization? Has the ancient blood of the Great Wyrms slowly left our veins, until we are but ghostly shells of what we once were? Or has time granted us the wisdom to refine our fighting styles, forge our spirits, and hone our abilities?
We have no ‘great warriors’ today, people are quick to point out. Great political figures, great mages and majae, great mercenaries and performers. But where are our great warriors? Is this observation, alone, enough to give us our answer? Before we decide, let’s have a look at an historical perspective.
The warrior of old was a potent force. He (or, in rare cases, she) was a true fighter. In an age when wars were common and Fae threats even more so, thousands of men were thrust in to actual combat on a regular schedule. The few who stood out made history, because many men fought in only a single war before being killed or injured so badly that they would never fight again. In such an environment, where a man might train for years and then fall in his first battle, the few that could say they had fought in numerous battles and taken down numerous enemies were exceedingly valuable. Most of them achieved fame in their own lifetimes, and were considered more valuable than their weight in gold. The exception to this statement would be Sonen, who was betrayed into an ambush by the very lord he served so faithfully, and all for a tiny and petty political gain.
But if we can look past their fame, we see a very different warrior than the kind we know today.
The warrior of old was a specialist. While today’s warriors often train with multiple weapons and armor, and a few even incorporate unarmed fighting techniques into their repertoire, yesterday’s warrior would train tirelessly with a single set of armament. Usually this consisted of partial plate armor, a shield, and the weapon of choice for that era – a broadsword. Others would specialize in mounted combat.
While this made for a highly trained fighter, these warriors were often greatly handicapped without their weapon of choice. And in Masalla, they were practically defenseless if they lost their weapons altogether, which wasn’t true of Jeddan warriors, who spent just as much time in unarmed combat training.
As well, the old fighters had much less effective weapons and armor. Today’s steel is a hundredfold more potent in strength, resilience, and keenness than even the most finely made weapons of that time. This is, of course, without considering various ancient artifacts, such as the sword Sharsgaard, which were likely forged by divine sources.
Today’s warrior, then, has much more diverse training, since he or she has access to the fighting styles and arts of all the known provinces. Also, he or she is armed with vastly superior weapons and armor. Would the warrior of old have stood even a small chance?
Indeed. And the main reason is that those warriors had access to the most potent training of all – actual combat.
Today, a warrior can train with the best teachers, purchase the best arms, and prepare body, mind, and spirit for battle. And yet, they may grow old without ever actually crossing steel with someone. Perhaps I’m exaggerating a small bit, but the fact remains that real combat is relatively rare in this age where there are no wars, and when we do have them, they are settled quite quickly and decisively by magic. Combine this with the fact that most cities discourage fighting within their environs, and you realize that most real fights take place far from civilization. What this means is that real fights, being vicious and bloody, tend to kill and maim the fighters, and since no magical healing is available in most small towns or forestlands, those who do see combat often end up permanently injured or dead.
But our old warriors? With battles to be fought almost every year, everyone who trained with a sword could expect to use it someday to defend their own life.
So today’s warrior, though well trained, is often lacking in experience.
Another reason we may not have famous warriors is that each fighter today usually has his or her own personal style, many of which are rather eclectic, and it might be easier for people to compare such diverse methods of fighting than to think of one person as the victor. It’s easier to say, ‘Oh, that man had a warsword, and that smaller man only had a shortsword. No wonder that little man was crushed!’ than to acknowledge one fighter ‘better’ than another. In other words, we tend to compare styles instead of people.
And with no wars to serve as proving grounds. . .
"So," I’ve been asked. "Is the warrior a dying breed?"
Not a bad question, since effective fighting has largely been supplanted by today’s quick and effective magical practitioners. A fighter vs. a mage? You make your own wager.
But I’d tend to say that the warrior is, instead, a growing breed. In fact, I’d say that the way of the warrior is entering a new era of enlightenment.
Being a warrior has become a personal path, and as I’ve already mentioned, there are countless tools at the disposal of the aspiring warrior. Jeddan, Northern, Japuran, and Shavay unarmed martial arts, armed fighting styles from those provinces and more, affordable and highly effective weapons . . . all these things make the path of the warrior much easier to follow than it once was, when access to training and weapons was reserved for the elite.
As well, modern threats are swiftly arising – namely the growing threat of the Fae. Trolls, Nightfae, Sereg, and other more mystical and unknown threats seem to be growing steadily in the world. And most of these creatures are highly resistant to our modern magics, making a well-trained warrior the best defense against the fangs of the forest. Political tides, as well, such as Queen Lillian’s reinstatement of the Knighthood and her hiring of soldiers to man her new navy, are opening doors for the warrior, so that more and more people are picking up the sword.
If we look back through history, we can see the waxing and waning of magic, of Fae, of the seats of power. But never has a naked steel blade or a well-placed arrow failed to make a point. If there is one force in the world that will never wane, that will stand against all that assails it, it is steel. Steel, and the flesh and spirit that wields it.
Whether the warrior of old or the warrior of today would win in a battle, you’d see, in the end, that they have more similarities than differences. You’d see it in their eyes, which speak the language of that most primal, basic, and important of human paths – the path of the warrior.