...A fine example of this point is the curious case of Barovia. Barovia, as the reader will likely recall, is a small mountainous region in Mithranas. During the recent uprising and subsequent peacekeeping actions undertaken by Darnecian forces in colonial Mithranas, the nation-state of Barovia has shown questionable loyalty but has remained a relatively neutral power. The Emperor, under the author's humble suggestion, took into account the spiritual support the independent state of Barovia and self-styled despot 'Baron' McGown lended to the insurgent factions. Recognizing the opportunity for substantive psychological victory, the Imperial High Command dispatched a task force under command of the late General Bartholomew Mattocks. (The author humbly refers the reader to Alcom Scholenov's fine treatment of the hostilities in his recent compilation 'Twenty Years of Honor: The Mithranas Conflict' for details) The abortive campaign illustrates the point that the author has been making throughout this work. Though Mattocks had at his command an army nearly tenfold that of the rebels, his forces were soundly defeated. The untrained green Barovian troops were able to take advantage of the rugged mountainous terrain and repel the Darnican forces. Even a more competent commanding officer would have been hard pressed to win this battle given the same resources. The Darnecian Army, as it stands today, is in dire need of modernization. Modern combat is not restricted to open plains any longer. A successful army must be capable of effectively waging war in any type of terrain under a multitude of conditions. The Dark Armies and even the less substantive threat of the Mithranas insurgents are using unconventional tactics. The Darnecian Army must replace its outdated mode of operation and modernize itself into an effective combat power.
The most important consideration, and one that the above example illustrates well, is to make use of the magicks that are made available to the modern fighting force through the blessing of Almighty Rowan. Contrary to the opinion of many of my colleagues who support the evolution of 'micro-elite' forces, it was not the overrated Barovian 'Rangers' who turned the tide of battle in the campaign, but rather the terrain of Barovia. And magicks provide an efficient means of overcoming terrain. The most effective would be the implementation of flight. when the natural barriers can be so easily overcome, either through sorcery, or the use of tame flying mounts, it stands to reason that any modern fighting force would do well to undertake such and endeavor. In the following pages, I will undertake to lay out a scheme for the modernization of the Darnecian Army into the efficient force it needs to be to remain competitive in today’s world....
-Excerpt from 'Proceedings on Darnician
Military Advancement: A suggested Course
of Action for the Modernization of the
Darnician Fighting Forces' delivered by
General Abros Jersham, June 12, 1375