To the Honored Dottore-Illuminatus,
Danladi Haroun-Nicanor:
Danli, here at last is the report you requested summarizing the current state of tribal technology. My apologies for not compiling it earlier, but extreme circumstances prevented me from attending to it in a timelier manner. As it happens, however, the delays allowed me time to discover answers to several additional items not contemplated in the original report.
Before I begin, let me note the assistance of a pair of very helpful tribal warrior-scholars I befriended during my journey with Sous-Legate Panderson several months ago: Inquisitor Nabterayl and Priestess IshM'lak (yes, the titles are somewhat quaint, I know) of the tribe calling itself the Sons of Thunder. Without their insights, much of the information on the tribal armors would have been woefully incomplete.
Now, please allow me to offer a few introductory comments before you move on to the meat of this report. Danli, I must stress that tribal technology is a mix of the old and the new. It incorporates sparkling innovations with recycled concepts. Compared to the Empire, of course, the so-called "Tribes of Man" use antiquated, even primitive technologies, and our officers openly disdain the "barbarians." However, such prejudices sorely underestimate the flexibility and effectiveness of tribal engineering. The weapons and armors used by tribal warriors proved deadly enough when directed at our garrisons in the Kepler system, and the veterans of that campaign no longer scoff at the prospect of facing tribal warriors on the battlefield.
Though most tribes no longer follow any semblance of a nomadic lifestyle, they remain highly mobile within their territories, and this mobility provides the key to their military strategy. Thus, tribal technology remains relatively portable and easy to maintain. The freedom and self-reliance valued in the wilderzone's frontier atmosphere make durability and practicality primary design goals in any tribal device.
Aesthetic concerns also occupy an important place in tribal design. Many weapons and most armors will feature decoration pertinent to a particular tribe's customs and history. Most notable in this regard are the Children of Phoenix, who take great pride in their brightly polished and engraved armors, but the Starwolf are also famous for the elaborate patterns carved in the hardwood stocks of their blasters. The Diamond Sword favor a Spartan but elegant look, and the Blood Eagle opt for drama with a more pragmatic - some would say secular - appearance.
This report attempts to summarize the state of tribal engineering and the cultural and political impact technology has had on the denizens of the wilderzone. I will not address spacefaring technology, however, as that topic is distinct enough to warrant its own report. It is my fervent hope that with better understanding of the capabilities of the Tribes of Man, the Empire can avoid a repeat of the Kepler tragedy.
Iridescent-Dottore Jarita Xu-Lachillan
Honorable Scholar-Mandarin
In the service of the Imperial Legate
November 19, 3940
Terran Standard Reckoning
Table of Contents | Nanotechnology (Entek)
