Leading in Warfare

Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are a farmer, a humble being, called to war. You've been given armor, a sword, and a shield, but a heart cannot be given so easily by other men. You've been told that you are to enter a war wholly unprecedented in the history of your forefathers. Your enemy? Demons. Monsters, twice the size of a dire troll, as quick as an elf.
Naturally, if you are this soldier, fighting a foe as that starts to look dramatically less appealing compared to staying home. You might have been trained, and trained well, but above all else you need reassurance. You might need reassurance that you will live to see another tomorrow, or the particularly fervent might need reassurance that their deaths are not in vain.
Two veterans stand before you as those who would reassure you. The first is unflinching, fearless in the face of the enemy. He takes warfare as warfare, as seriously as he takes your wellbeing. He exemplifies this through courtly demeanor, and an educated (Though not overly) outlook. He always has his orders and can relay them to you, he can quell any concern decisively and with conviction. In layman's terms, he is a shepherd of war. 
The second, is just as skilled of a warrior, just as experienced, but is plagued by the trappings of the undisciplined soldier. His demeanor is plagued with colloquialisms, his expressions of respect only superficial, his free time is spent drinking, and making merry. A captain of the people, as it were.
Experience shows that while the latter will always be more popular during peacetime, the former is what warriors come to rely on when battles are at their most grim their most dire. It is in those moments that a leader's prowess is tested and a demeanor stoic, yet cultured and a tongue sharp, yet restrained is one of the first, and foundational steps to a personality like that.
Not convinced yet? Imagine yourself as the commander of those men, instead. It is no secret that superiors put greater trust in the folk who act the part they mean to play, rather than folk who simply hope their actions alone will speak. But we will cover more of that topic in a future chapter.
Now, let us first start with speech...
- Dame Teliria of Arathor, in Leading in Warfare
Category:Diocese Arguments
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