Slann - Slann Organisation: Slann warriors are called "braves," and a number of braves plus a leader makes up a warband. The number of warriors in a band varies, but is usually between 6 and 8, although it can vary between 2 and 12. A senior officer called a Warleader commands a group of warbands. Where armies are large it will have many Warleaders, all of whom will meet before a battle to make plans and exchange ideas with experienced Warleaders, chiefs and mages. The Warleader in overall charge is the Warchief -- selected from and by the other Warleaders. The greatest and most respected individuals in Slann society are the Great Mages. Their aid would be sought in battle, for their knowledge of sorcery, philosophy and the arcane sciences is formidable. The Great Mages remain aloof from society, although their advice is constantly sought by the social leaders. Slann society is tribal, and the leader of each tribe is known as the Mage Chief. Except amongst primitive Slann, tribes never fight each other and tribal relations are peaceful.The concept of the warband is important to the Slann attitude to life. Every Slann is expected to live its life according to a strange, mystic and largely unfathomable ritual, as part of which the individual passes through life-stages. The calling to a life-stage would seem a real and almost unstoppable thing to a Slann, and can happen at any time, so that a peaceful technician may become a wanderer, a warrior, a hermit, etc. Once a Slann feels the call to become a warrior it joins one of its tribe's warbands, or forms a warband of its own. Because of this unpredictable recruiting method, warbands change all the time.Every Slann tribe maintains a huge stock of weapons and equipment - tribes often exchange items as gifts, and many pieces are of incalculable age. Some equipment kept in this way derives from ancient alien cultures now dead or forgotten. However, very little of this equipment ever filters through to the braves, most of whom use weapons similar to those employed by humans and other races. A typical warband will be equipped with Lasguns, and may include up to three individuals with special weapons. Favoured special weapons are beamers and Graviton Guns, although heavy lasers and other weapons are used too.Slann braves all carry some sort of close combat weapon, often a simple melee hand weapon such as a mace or club. Leaders have neuro-disruptors and may have the equivalent of a Power Axe or Power Fist. The Slann prefer to rely on energy field armour rather than physical protection. Armour is worn, but has mostly a mystic rather than practical function. This takes the form of a padded chestplate, similar to Flak Armour and giving the same protection. Displacer Field Armour is standard amongst Slann braves. In addition all Slann carry communicators, and warriors are given photo-chromatic injections.Slann costume is very exotic. At first glance this makes them look very primitive, with fur skins, feathers and religious tokens hanging from their bodies and equipment. The impression is reinforced by the skin paint with which they decorate their bodies, and by rirual tattooing and scarring. In fact, all of these practices are connected with the esoteric Slann mystical philosophies and are somehow meshed up with their whole attitude to life, the universe and their part in it. Individual warbands adopt colour schemes. As braves will often fight only for a short time, before being called to some other activity, warbands are always in a state of flux and uniforms are impermanent.Slann use vehicles entirely of their own design, most of which are walkers or combined hoverers/flyers. As with weapons, the Slann maintain a vast reserve of vehicles which are available to those forming warbands. The type of vehicle a warband might be permitted to requisition depends upon the leader's standing in society. various aspects of his life so far, and, most importantly, upon mystic divination. Selecting a vehicle which will bring the warband luck necessitates careful calculation similar to that of casting a horoscope. The Slann regard the vehicle as a member of the warband, and have a ritualistic regard for all of their equipment.The Slann fight for reasons beyond the understanding of other intelligent races. A warrior is fulfilling an important part of its life-cycle; it sees the immediate goal as fighting, and wouldn't think it appropriate to consider why this is. A Slann would no more think of tactics than it would question the act of war. When Slann troops are obviously doomed they will die fighting. Defeat is not a Slann concept. Slann fight for the love of fighting, not to win or lose, and a gallant defeat is just as good as a glorious victory. Many Slann believe that they are fated to die as warriors and are perfectly happy to do so.